<strong>But how many average consumers are actually going to benefit from the 970? but really -- how many average humans can perceive the differences in performance that await in newer processors
Meh. JMO. </strong><hr></blockquote>
That's a very old argument, and it's been hanging around for so long because it seems to make perfect common sense ... but if the history of computers is any indication of anything, it shows that common sense isn't enough.
Let's forget that you have any idea of what even a Mhz means, you've no idea that any computer can even be "faster" than another.
Salesman walks up to you, and says:
"This computer can do all these really cool filters and edits in this video editing software"
"This computer can't"
Which computer are you going to buy?
It's a total mistake to believe that more speed is only required by "serious professionals", geez, we have more computing power in those joke greeting cards that play a song when you open them, than those serious professionals had in that ten ton ENIAC, does that make us all serious professionals and those early ENIAC plug-board types amateurs?
Ever expanding applications (video, audio, voice recognition) require more power, an ever expanding user base (home users) require ever expanding simplicity (GUI's, helpers, voice recognition) ... one does NOT negate the other, in fact, one accelerates and enables the other.
Too many people forget this when they go with "common sense" ideas about computer speed alone.
[quote] But how many average consumers are actually going to benefit from the 970? <hr></blockquote>
Pro' users always need more speed. Real time 3D rendering? Long way off.
Consumers. Depends what type. Gamers always need more. Look at Gamecube/X-Box/PS2. Then there's the next gen' of consumer apps. They always need more juice. More ram. Things still take 'time' to load. Harddrives could be faster. Motherboards better throughput. Boot times erradicated.
Yeesh. Where does it stop? There are speed issues everywhere...
Fine if yer iMac G3 is used for light email and Word Processing chores...but if you start to look at the whole performance issue...there's a world of difference between 'it'll do' and what it could be...and will be in five years time.
Just look at where graphics cards have come from and are going in the last/next ten years. The performance stuff of dreams.
The idea that an early announcement would kill current PM sales is certainly a valid one but I also think the there is a lot of pressure for such an announcement as well. I wish I kept more of these links but I recall finding an artical about high end video and film work done on Linux machines that talked about the condition that had been created in the industry by Apple's high end video/film software aquisitions.
Basically it went like this. Since Apple has pledged to cut off certain platforms from future development of products like Shake, and has been almost silent on support for others, there has been a real scramble of late to find alternatives. It apparently has even given rise to a new company and new product that is set to rival shake for x86 and MIPS Linux machines. So the very market that Apple is trying to capture is leaving the boat because there has been too much of a gap between the aquisitions they made and delivery of hardware worthy of running the apps. I doubt this has escaped their notice.
No way to know how much of a threat they think this is and obviously if the chips aren't ready, they aren't ready. Maybe they could announce drastic price reductions on the current line in conjunction with the 970 announcement. Also maybe if the PM's get full DDR in the next bump it will generate enough sales to offset. i don't know I'm reaching for anything at this point to make sense of it all.
Incidentally, the most recent rumors is that the 970 machines will come with the newest version of PCI (PCX is it?). Wouldn't that be all ATI would need to know at least at first? I wouldn't think the processor would make that much of a difference.
<strong>Heard around October that IBM was trying to shut down Burlington and move straff and ops to Fishkill. Guess things are moving a bit slow.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually as someone living within 30 minutes of Burlington I don't believe that is true. I think they have cut down on higher-end jobs (engineering and the like) and have actually increased their manufacturing staff. I could be wrong but I believe I heard that from the govenor on NPR a couple months ago.
The Pie Man, what you say is true. The layoffs last year were for engineering and other jobs, but NOT manufacturing. They actually had manufacturing (operator) job postings just days after the layoffs were announced.
Thus it still makes sense that the 970 will be manufatured (fabbed) in Essex for the time being. Oh, and test will be done there, too.
Comments
<strong>But how many average consumers are actually going to benefit from the 970? but really -- how many average humans can perceive the differences in performance that await in newer processors
Meh. JMO.
That's a very old argument, and it's been hanging around for so long because it seems to make perfect common sense ... but if the history of computers is any indication of anything, it shows that common sense isn't enough.
Let's forget that you have any idea of what even a Mhz means, you've no idea that any computer can even be "faster" than another.
Salesman walks up to you, and says:
"This computer can do all these really cool filters and edits in this video editing software"
"This computer can't"
Which computer are you going to buy?
It's a total mistake to believe that more speed is only required by "serious professionals", geez, we have more computing power in those joke greeting cards that play a song when you open them, than those serious professionals had in that ten ton ENIAC, does that make us all serious professionals and those early ENIAC plug-board types amateurs?
Ever expanding applications (video, audio, voice recognition) require more power, an ever expanding user base (home users) require ever expanding simplicity (GUI's, helpers, voice recognition) ... one does NOT negate the other, in fact, one accelerates and enables the other.
Too many people forget this when they go with "common sense" ideas about computer speed alone.
Pro' users always need more speed. Real time 3D rendering? Long way off.
Consumers. Depends what type. Gamers always need more. Look at Gamecube/X-Box/PS2. Then there's the next gen' of consumer apps. They always need more juice. More ram. Things still take 'time' to load. Harddrives could be faster. Motherboards better throughput. Boot times erradicated.
Yeesh. Where does it stop? There are speed issues everywhere...
Fine if yer iMac G3 is used for light email and Word Processing chores...but if you start to look at the whole performance issue...there's a world of difference between 'it'll do' and what it could be...and will be in five years time.
Just look at where graphics cards have come from and are going in the last/next ten years. The performance stuff of dreams.
Lemon Bon Bon
Basically it went like this. Since Apple has pledged to cut off certain platforms from future development of products like Shake, and has been almost silent on support for others, there has been a real scramble of late to find alternatives. It apparently has even given rise to a new company and new product that is set to rival shake for x86 and MIPS Linux machines. So the very market that Apple is trying to capture is leaving the boat because there has been too much of a gap between the aquisitions they made and delivery of hardware worthy of running the apps. I doubt this has escaped their notice.
No way to know how much of a threat they think this is and obviously if the chips aren't ready, they aren't ready. Maybe they could announce drastic price reductions on the current line in conjunction with the 970 announcement. Also maybe if the PM's get full DDR in the next bump it will generate enough sales to offset. i don't know I'm reaching for anything at this point to make sense of it all.
Incidentally, the most recent rumors is that the 970 machines will come with the newest version of PCI (PCX is it?). Wouldn't that be all ATI would need to know at least at first? I wouldn't think the processor would make that much of a difference.
[ 01-20-2003: Message edited by: nebcon65 ]</p>
<strong>Heard around October that IBM was trying to shut down Burlington and move straff and ops to Fishkill. Guess things are moving a bit slow.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually as someone living within 30 minutes of Burlington I don't believe that is true. I think they have cut down on higher-end jobs (engineering and the like) and have actually increased their manufacturing staff. I could be wrong but I believe I heard that from the govenor on NPR a couple months ago.
Thus it still makes sense that the 970 will be manufatured (fabbed) in Essex for the time being. Oh, and test will be done there, too.