Quick poll for the pessimists (or maybe optimists)
...depending upon how you look at things.
Do you expect the next generation Mac processor next January, or next summer?
I say next summer, but that's assuming that it's no longer made by Motorola and that Apple nixed the G5 project in midstride, setting things back 6 months or so.
Please, no long posts, just a couple of sentences max.
Do you expect the next generation Mac processor next January, or next summer?
I say next summer, but that's assuming that it's no longer made by Motorola and that Apple nixed the G5 project in midstride, setting things back 6 months or so.
Please, no long posts, just a couple of sentences max.
Comments
<a href="http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17712.html"; target="_blank">http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17712.html</a>;
<a href="http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17823.html"; target="_blank">http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17823.html</a>;
ting5
[ 07-10-2002: Message edited by: Yet Another Registration ]</p>
The entire product line will change over in one fell swoop. The PowerMacs, XServe and PowerBooks will be the stars of the show with a Special Apple event a week later with iBooks and iMacs. All products will get new enclosures to deal with the new heat characteristics
Better prepare for the worst so that we all will be happier
[ 07-10-2002: Message edited by: Leonis ]</p>
The next next generation? Hmmm. I'd give it another year, and hope form something based on the IBM Power4. But I'll admit that's just a wild guess.
MWNY 03 - IBM G5 or Power4. It's Time (for a change!
Barto
BUT... Steve gives a hint of something big for next year in which he mentions they have taken over the dead Alpha chip range and will be implementing a 21484 6/1.5 Ghz with Vel Engine and OS X 1.3 embedded. (my optimistic lookout)
Dobby
<strong>MWNY 02 - 1.25GHz Dual, 1.5GHz single, DDR333 Power Macs.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I really hope Apple doesn't do something like this again. Maybe it helps even out the price points, but I want a *clear* top performer, not a mixed bag where the highest speed processor is in a single configuration, and the supposed "top model" has two slower processors. Even with OS X, there are plenty of apps that don't take full advantage of dual processors, where the apps would essentially run at the same speed as they would on a single processor.
I remember when Apple did this with a single 867 MHz G4 in the mid model Power Mac and dual 800 MHz in the top model. My reaction was to wait for a clear winner -- a dual model with two of the fastest CPUs. When that wait went on too long, and neither 800 or 867 MHz seemed as impressive as time went by, I decided to choose portability over speed and bought a TiBook instead.
<strong>Next summer. The death of Motorola's G5 has thrown plans into chaos. I'm betting on IBM, possibly Cell or the next gen 750 with SIMD goodness.
<a href="http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17712.html"; target="_blank">http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17712.html</a>;
<a href="http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17823.html"; target="_blank">http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/17823.html</a>;
ting5
[ 07-10-2002: Message edited by: Yet Another Registration ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
First, I think we need to define what the "Next Generation" chip (G5) is. I think, based on Motorola's roadmap definition, that at minimum, this would include a chip based on the Book E core and a Rapid IO bus topology.
That said, my guess would be MWSF (2003).
As for these Newsfactor stories, there isn't much "news" in the name newsfactor.
Here's a quote from the first link (dated 5/14/2002):
"However, Motorola does not intend to move its PowerPC line to the .13 micron manufacturing process, which IBM already uses, until it ships the G5 processor. "
Really? My guess is that they will be proven wrong next week, or sometime this summer at the latest with the Hip7 based G4s.
The second newsfactor link is just a rehash and conjecture about IBM's Cell technology that is easily 3 to 4 years away. I don't think this has any relationship to a G5 discussion.
Steve
I'm going to putz along with my 500MHz G4 until 10.2 comes along and makes everything a bit "snappier" GUI-wise. From that point I will wait until (this upcoming) rev gets EOL'd (probably next spring), and will buy one then at low cost. Based on the type of work I will be doing, it should be more than fast enough to last me a few years. Especially as OS X's evolution brings speed increases of its own.
Anyway, I think it will likely have an improved MPX-based bus (probably 166 MHz) with the appropriate rated DDR, and a few other gizmos like AGP 8x...and probably the .13µ G4 we've wanted for so long. New case of some kind, if not radically different (Apple has to make their selling points somehow, and it sure as hell won't be MHz).
Really, I don't care what it is, so long as it markedly outperforms the existing dual GHz machine (which I admit is nice, but not nice enough to drop the kind of cash Apple is looking for right now).