Dual Powerbooks soon ?

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
french site macbidouille is reporting that "Je n'ai pas de photos, mais aux US, une personne dit avoir trouvé dans un Powerbook G4 800 tout neuf une carte mère assez étrange.

Elle aurait 2 emplacements processeur (bien qu'un seul soit fourni)."



this would translate to "i don't have any pictures, but an individual in the US is reporting to have found a pretty weird motherboard in a brand-new Powerbook G4 800. it would have 2 processor sockets (although only 1 processor is built-in)."



the webmaster goes on to ask people who just got an 800 pb to check their motherboards...
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    tabootaboo Posts: 128member
    [quote]Originally posted by mattbr:

    <strong>french site macbidouille is reporting that "Je n'ai pas de photos, mais aux US, une personne dit avoir trouvé dans un Powerbook G4 800 tout neuf une carte mère assez étrange.

    Elle aurait 2 emplacements processeur (bien qu'un seul soit fourni)."



    this would translate to "i don't have any pictures, but an individual in the US is reporting to have found a pretty weird motherboard in a brand-new Powerbook G4 800. it would have 2 processor sockets (although only 1 processor is built-in)."



    the webmaster goes on to ask people who just got an 800 pb to check their motherboards...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Hmmm. That's not just fryin' eggs, that's cooking right down to your pelvis. I dunno....
  • Reply 2 of 32
    i really doubt that they would try to have a multi processor powerbook. It would be way too hot. And it would probably be really really really expensive. But, if they did make em' they would probably be the fastest laptops on teh planet.
  • Reply 3 of 32
    On the other hand, what about, say, a thicker "ProBook" "desktop replacement" to go along with a rumored workstation desktop.



    Throw in a Superdrive, the batteries necessary to let someone actually use said Superdrive, an expanded "Pro" keyboard and trackpad*, a higher-res possibly larger LCD, and various other slick hardware.



    * Been thinking about Apple mice today. I could see a two or, in my opinion more likely three button, mouse. As for scroll wheels...



    To keep a laptop "tight", I'd want to see a solid state scroll wheel, incpired by the new iPod design. This also meshes better with the current mouse, which goes to extrememes in not exposing moving parts.
  • Reply 4 of 32
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    You know, ever since the solid state iPod I've been thinking it's be cool to incorporate the scroll into the trackpad.



    Ink supports gesture recognition. What if new trackpads were made a touch larger and there was a circular pattern silk-screened on them? run your finger around that pattern and it acts just like the iPod's jog wheel. You could even sell an overlay to retrofit old track-pads. A section of the pad could even be mapped as a second button (in software) just in case the mac ever gets more than 1 mouse button. And since Apple now sells software that requires 3 buttons, they might just have to change the laptops around a bit. Desktops? No problem, but it isn't always practical to connect a mouse on the road. I wonder what they'll do (if anything at all).
  • Reply 5 of 32
    sc_marktsc_markt Posts: 1,401member
    Macbidouille is also reporting that there is no altivec in the G5. They give a link which is below.



    <a href="http://www.infinibandta.org/parchives/clippings/msg00072.html"; target="_blank">http://www.infinibandta.org/parchives/clippings/msg00072.html</a>;



    Part of the article says "There has been disappointment in the DSP world that the current proposed architecture for G5 (the MPC8500 series) is not AltiVec-enabled, leading many to continue banking on further improvements in the G4 line until release of the G6 -- perhaps by the end of 2003."



    [ 07-25-2002: Message edited by: sc_markt ]</p>
  • Reply 6 of 32
    trevormtrevorm Posts: 841member
    I havent read every post in this section! But I can see how a motherboard in a PB800 (Which I have) could have the capabilites of having 2 processors in it! I conclude this because:

    1) No Space, Its pritty crammed in there all ready!

    2) Batttery Power, Not sure but wouldnt that require a fair bit more power..(Couple more watts)

    3) Heat HEAT!!!!!

    4)The fact that Apple hasnt released a single 1GHz model suggests that a dual processor is most unlikely!



    anyhow thats my opionion of that anyhow!
  • Reply 7 of 32
    keyboardf12keyboardf12 Posts: 1,379member
    You forgot HEEEEAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT!
  • Reply 8 of 32
    g4dudeg4dude Posts: 1,016member
    Please post in <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=001179"; target="_blank">THIS</a> thread in Current Hardware.



    Damn, I wish I was a mod.



    [ 07-26-2002: Message edited by: G4Dude ]</p>
  • Reply 9 of 32
    So this french site is reporting that Apple is currently selling Powerbooks with mobos designed to accept a second CPU??? That doesn't seem very believable. Why would Apple silently and secretly redesign the Powerbook's motherboard to be dual CPU ready, but not offer a version with a second CPU? What's the purpose of doing that?



    Sounds like bull to me.
  • Reply 10 of 32
    cdhostagecdhostage Posts: 1,038member
    There will NEVER be a dual processor Powerbook G4. Perhaps in ten years when Apple has swtiched to rod logic and you can have a billion CPUs in the space of a pack of cards (or less... whatever)....



    Teh problem is twofold - heat and power suppply.



    I think that Apple won't do this.
  • Reply 11 of 32
    bigcbigc Posts: 1,224member
    [quote]Originally posted by trevorM:

    <strong>I havent read every post in this section! But I can see how a motherboard in a PB800 (Which I have) could have the capabilites of having 2 processors in it! I conclude this because:

    1) No Space, Its pritty crammed in there all ready!

    2) Batttery Power, Not sure but wouldnt that require a fair bit more power..(Couple more watts)

    3) Heat HEAT!!!!!

    4)The fact that Apple hasnt released a single 1GHz model suggests that a dual processor is most unlikely!



    anyhow thats my opionion of that anyhow!</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I assume that was "can't" see how a motherboard and not "can"??
  • Reply 12 of 32
    mrbilldatamrbilldata Posts: 489member
    Two 533MHz processors would make more heat than a single 1GHz, but would it be too much for a Powerbook to dissipate. They would need to be separated quite a bit. The realestate of the MoBo would need to be seriously redone.



    It might be possible if SJ hadn't insisted on "It's got to be unrealistically thin".



    Heck, my PB Mainstreet(233Mhz) now has twice the heat with a 500MHz upgrade, it was not designed for that much heat but it does Ok.



    And if 533MHz would work than 667 or 800 could work too.



    [ 07-26-2002: Message edited by: MrBillData ]</p>
  • Reply 13 of 32
    mmicistmmicist Posts: 214member
    [quote]Originally posted by MrBillData:

    <strong>Two 533MHz processors would make more heat than a single 1GHz, but would it be too much for a Powerbook to dissipate. They would need to be separated quite a bit. The realestate of the MoBo would need to be seriously redone.



    It might be possible if SJ hadn't insisted on "It's got to be unrealistically thin".



    Heck, my PB Mainstreet(233Mhz) now has twice the heat with a 500MHz upgrade, it was not designed for that much heat but it does Ok.



    And if 533MHz would work than 667 or 800 could work too.



    [ 07-26-2002: Message edited by: MrBillData ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



    The relationship between CPU speed and power dissipation is complex. Other things being equal, the power dissipation is linearly dependent on clock speed, to a first approximation, power dissipation is proportional to clock speed, double the speed, double the power. However, other things are'nt equal, especially the power supply voltage, if you run at a lower frequency, you can usually afford to reduce the voltage and still keep working, reducing the power dissipation even more. Hence, if you have a system which is using fast processors clocked slowly, and very low supply voltage, and an OS/Applications that can take advantage, the processing power of two 500MHz G4s should be close to that of a single 1GHz G4, but with a slightly lower power dissipation (less heat and greater battery life).



    Please bear in mind all the caveats, this is just a theoretical discussion.



    Michael
  • Reply 14 of 32
    glurxglurx Posts: 1,031member
    [quote]

    <strong>* Been thinking about Apple mice today. I could see a two or, in my opinion more likely three button, mouse.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Especially since Apple is currently selling <a href="http://www.apple.com/shake/specs.html"; target="_blank">software</a> that requires a 3 button mouse.
  • Reply 15 of 32
    maybe someone can clear a few things up for me. in my experience, dual processors doesn't help that much. I use pshop and illustrator extensively. I have powermac 800 and my neighbor who got her computer after me got a 1 ghz dualie. I haven't used it that much but it just doesn't seem to have that much more punch.



    Where does it help besides photoshop? Does OSX use dual processor's efficiently?
  • Reply 16 of 32
    what if it's dual ibm g3 deluxe whatchamacalits.



    then it wouldn't be so hot.
  • Reply 17 of 32
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    For some apps, like Final Cut Pro or Maya, or Quake 3a, dual cpus are a serious gain in performance. But if the application isn't threaded properly, then dual cpus won't make all that much of a difference. OS X helps somewhat, but for massive benefits the app needs to be properly coded for the dualies.



    IF Apple were to offer a dual CPU laptop, then it wouldn't be done in the current titanium's case. Maybe with a larger case to handle the extra heat.....while Apple is at it, they could make the ultimate DV laptop, one that's even bigger than the current Titanium, with something like a 17" widescreen display! Slip in dual next generaion 1 GHz G4s with on die DDR RAM memory controllers running at 333 MHz, and that laptop would SCREAM!!! I would practically sell a kidney for that sucker! Well, just so long as Apple didn't do nothin' stupid like give it 32 MB vRAM.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    bjnybjny Posts: 191member
    [quote]Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg:

    <strong>

    IF Apple were to offer a dual CPU laptop, then it wouldn't be done in the current titanium's case. Maybe with a larger case to handle the extra heat.....while Apple is at it, they could make the ultimate DV laptop, one that's even bigger than the current Titanium, with something like a 17" widescreen display! Slip in dual next generaion 1 GHz G4s with on die DDR RAM memory controllers running at 333 MHz, and that laptop would SCREAM!!!</strong><hr></blockquote>



    and DVD-R, of course.
  • Reply 19 of 32
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    I have seen pics of PowerBook G4 motherboards.



    They have soldered over pins, for what would initally appear to be a second CPU.



    However, these have a hole in the middle like a Socket 370 CPU, not like G3/G4 sockets.



    I guess on the other side is the graphics chip, cooking eggs.



    Barto
  • Reply 20 of 32
    heh... you'd need cooling vents like on the leaked pic in order to cool it...
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