I have to agree here. Seems very odd to me that all of a sudden we are all ignoring Motorola/Freescale's long history of publishing maximum CPU speeds well below what they deliver to Apple. The difference in CPU speed to even 2ghz pales in comparison to the difference in shipping G4 towers when we were at the 1.42Ghz mark, much more so when you consider relative difference vs. absolute, which is probably more relevent.
you do realize that the word Yonah means vagina right?
anyways i just dont want an Intel sticker on my mac or anything called a Pentium in there, they should keep the G thing going,and I sasy they should get a PPC G5 Powerbook out to tide everybody over for the switch. 0.2 cents
If the article is indeed true, it would be greatly welcomed despite it's relatively minor speed gains.
If Apple can rachet these 17" PB's to 1.8ghz, and the 15" (and 12" if it's not axed) to 1.67ghz across the line, it would at least provide some distance from the iBook line.
I was really really hoping that a PowerBook G5 would see the light before the transition to Intel. A release like that would certainly float PB sales until the big jump. If I could scrape together the cash, I'd be all over it. Heh, maybe *this* is the reason they have to abandon the 12" model... they just couldn't make the G5 comfortable in that size.
Why would Apple invest a huge amount in R&D to put a G5 processor in a PowerBook? I believe they will only be produced in bulk by IBM in 6 months, and they will top out at 1.6GHz. Not really an upgrade from the current PowerBook, unless you're specifically using 64-bit, and it wouldn't be workable to have 8 GB of RAM in a PowerBook either, so out goes that advantage as well.
Why would Apple invest a huge amount in R&D to put a G5 processor in a PowerBook?
Its probably one of the most anticipated/desired products in Apple history. Translate that into sales, and I'd say they actually have a pretty good reason to build it.
Quote:
I believe they will only be produced in bulk by IBM in 6 months, and they will top out at 1.6GHz.
Oops, I mistakenly thought that IBM was all ready with sufficient quantities. Damn.
Anyway I would think that Apple would have already invested at least some R&D into a PowerBook G5. Steve Jobs had been quoted previously in the media as saying "we're working on it" (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=167). I doubt that they were caught off guard by IBM's announcement of the low-power 970FX chips.
I'm not saying that it will happen. I'd just be very excited if it did.
Let's hope they get 2ghz chips with DDR2 RAM. The current powerbooks are so overpriced and so wimpy on performance, especially the memory and bus speed. I've been waiting for a long time to upgrade, but the price has not been worth it, especially compared to the new ibooks. I was hoping for dual-core g4s or even dual-processor G4s, with slower clock rates, but it doesn't seem like it will ever happen. I can't imagine that an intel powerbook will be coming forth anytime soon either.
It's going to be cat and mouse with the new generation of macintels in the spring, with people waiting for optimized pro software and apple to get the kinks out of the revA hardware.
There are many creative professionals that are very handicapped on the mac right now without a true cutting-edge laptop. We just can't do our work efficiently in the field. We'd be willing to shell out $3-4K on a laptop if it offered serious, time-saving performance.
i've gone ahead and jumped to reply this, just wanted to say, perfect analysis IMO on the state of the powerbooks.
a 15 incher with 7448 1.8ghz or 1.6ghz g4, ati mobility 9800 (bloody unlikely though), DDR2 dual-channel and 7200(??)rpm drive will be sweet though, and enough for people to hit themselves up for a nice christmas treat while waiting a year for macintels to sort themselves.
i hear your pain, in 2005 i took myself off the designer-for-higher rat race and am currently trying out the edu scene. i've been sponging off my dad's iBook g4 933mhz, upping the ram to 640mb and modding in a 60gb 5400rpm drive to "deal" for now. waiting to hear back on next term (sep-dec) as they sort out contracts etc.
Um, I might collect one if it has a cooler running 7448 in it. I'm really not looking forward to the Intel switch. I'd be very happy with a 1.8Ghz PPC PowerBook that I could run for several years until the Intel mess shakes out.
us $1999:
combo drive
7448 G4 1mb L2 cache 1.8ghz
ati mobility radeon 9800 (please please please please please)
Didn't the man say at WWDC that there was still some "great" PPC product in the pipe?
Where is it? This isn't it.
Don't see Intel hardware until AT LEAST MWSF.
And that is slim.
well, what did you expect him to say? "we really hope you buy our products, because we don't have much else until we can get mass-produced intel laptops. sorry."
well, you have a choice now: either buy some fire-sale powerbooks after apple expo, or buy the mid-range 15". i don't think the 17" will command the extra price it usually does, but the upshot is that this model will be the least buggy hardware-wise (my wife's pismo is testament to how well "last models" hold up over time) and will be well supported for at least the usual 2-3 year lifespan of most people's computers.
Yeah, you're right about the speed. I forgot that Apple overclocked the 7447a's. I'm not sure that they can do that with this though, as the 200MHz bus will consume more power, and the highest speeds can only be achieved with it. Interesting to note that Freescale is claiming the same 2.3MIPS/MHz as the 7447a, and 7447.
well, what did you expect him to say? "we really hope you buy our products, because we don't have much else until we can get mass-produced intel laptops. sorry."
well, you have a choice now: either buy some fire-sale powerbooks after apple expo, or buy the mid-range 15". i don't think the 17" will command the extra price it usually does, but the upshot is that this model will be the least buggy hardware-wise (my wife's pismo is testament to how well "last models" hold up over time) and will be well supported for at least the usual 2-3 year lifespan of most people's computers.
Comments
Originally posted by melgross
The 7448 line has the SAME speed as the 7447a's. Maybe later it will go higher, but will we see it?
Sorry, in the official press release of Freescale they say that the 7448 will run faster and cooler than the 7447A.
The official top speed of the 7447A is 1.42 Ghz and the 7448s were announced with a top speed of 1.7 Ghz.
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...ease&tid=FSHle
and
www.macinfo.de (scroll down to 27.06.2005)
anyways i just dont want an Intel sticker on my mac or anything called a Pentium in there, they should keep the G thing going,and I sasy they should get a PPC G5 Powerbook out to tide everybody over for the switch. 0.2 cents
If Apple can rachet these 17" PB's to 1.8ghz, and the 15" (and 12" if it's not axed) to 1.67ghz across the line, it would at least provide some distance from the iBook line.
Could happen... probably not, but it *could*.
Originally posted by Robin Hood
Why would Apple invest a huge amount in R&D to put a G5 processor in a PowerBook?
Its probably one of the most anticipated/desired products in Apple history. Translate that into sales, and I'd say they actually have a pretty good reason to build it.
I believe they will only be produced in bulk by IBM in 6 months, and they will top out at 1.6GHz.
Oops, I mistakenly thought that IBM was all ready with sufficient quantities. Damn.
Anyway I would think that Apple would have already invested at least some R&D into a PowerBook G5. Steve Jobs had been quoted previously in the media as saying "we're working on it" (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=167). I doubt that they were caught off guard by IBM's announcement of the low-power 970FX chips.
I'm not saying that it will happen. I'd just be very excited if it did.
I'm paraphrasing but, he said something like "I'm sure we'd all like a G5 Powerbook...so would I". He then went on about heat issues.
Just don't think he'd says something like that and then turn around and say, "well we've solved the heat issues"
But who knows.
Where is it? This isn't it.
Don't see Intel hardware until AT LEAST MWSF.
And that is slim.
Originally posted by ptnyc
Let's hope they get 2ghz chips with DDR2 RAM. The current powerbooks are so overpriced and so wimpy on performance, especially the memory and bus speed. I've been waiting for a long time to upgrade, but the price has not been worth it, especially compared to the new ibooks. I was hoping for dual-core g4s or even dual-processor G4s, with slower clock rates, but it doesn't seem like it will ever happen. I can't imagine that an intel powerbook will be coming forth anytime soon either.
It's going to be cat and mouse with the new generation of macintels in the spring, with people waiting for optimized pro software and apple to get the kinks out of the revA hardware.
There are many creative professionals that are very handicapped on the mac right now without a true cutting-edge laptop. We just can't do our work efficiently in the field. We'd be willing to shell out $3-4K on a laptop if it offered serious, time-saving performance.
i've gone ahead and jumped to reply this, just wanted to say, perfect analysis IMO on the state of the powerbooks.
a 15 incher with 7448 1.8ghz or 1.6ghz g4, ati mobility 9800 (bloody unlikely though), DDR2 dual-channel and 7200(??)rpm drive will be sweet though, and enough for people to hit themselves up for a nice christmas treat while waiting a year for macintels to sort themselves.
i hear your pain, in 2005 i took myself off the designer-for-higher rat race and am currently trying out the edu scene. i've been sponging off my dad's iBook g4 933mhz, upping the ram to 640mb and modding in a 60gb 5400rpm drive to "deal" for now. waiting to hear back on next term (sep-dec) as they sort out contracts etc.
Originally posted by iDave
Um, I might collect one if it has a cooler running 7448 in it. I'm really not looking forward to the Intel switch. I'd be very happy with a 1.8Ghz PPC PowerBook that I could run for several years until the Intel mess shakes out.
us $1999:
combo drive
7448 G4 1mb L2 cache 1.8ghz
ati mobility radeon 9800 (please please please please please)
5400rpm 80gb drive
dual-channel ddr2 512mbx2 (total 1gb)
too much to ask, i know
Originally posted by msantti
Didn't the man say at WWDC that there was still some "great" PPC product in the pipe?
Where is it? This isn't it.
Don't see Intel hardware until AT LEAST MWSF.
And that is slim.
well, what did you expect him to say? "we really hope you buy our products, because we don't have much else until we can get mass-produced intel laptops. sorry."
well, you have a choice now: either buy some fire-sale powerbooks after apple expo, or buy the mid-range 15". i don't think the 17" will command the extra price it usually does, but the upshot is that this model will be the least buggy hardware-wise (my wife's pismo is testament to how well "last models" hold up over time) and will be well supported for at least the usual 2-3 year lifespan of most people's computers.
Originally posted by noirdesir
Sorry, in the official press release of Freescale they say that the 7448 will run faster and cooler than the 7447A.
The official top speed of the 7447A is 1.42 Ghz and the 7448s were announced with a top speed of 1.7 Ghz.
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...ease&tid=FSHle
and
www.macinfo.de (scroll down to 27.06.2005)
Yeah, you're right about the speed. I forgot that Apple overclocked the 7447a's. I'm not sure that they can do that with this though, as the 200MHz bus will consume more power, and the highest speeds can only be achieved with it. Interesting to note that Freescale is claiming the same 2.3MIPS/MHz as the 7447a, and 7447.
Here's a chart:
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...468rH3bTdG8653
This one is for the whole line and is the parent of the previous one:
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/...468rH3bTdG8653
I think that a 20%+ lift is too much. As I said earlier 17% seems about right.
Originally posted by rok
....either buy some fire-sale powerbooks after apple expo....
good idea. hadn't thought of that. might start working it into tha budget
us$1500 for 15" combo 1.5ghz 64mb vram ati9700?
Originally posted by superted
Yeah but wasn't the 1.42GHz chip a bit of a beast? I recall somewhere seeing that it had a big L2 cache and was optimised in some way.
The 1.42 was an overclocked 1.25.
The interesting thing here is that these faster chips outrun the bus.
The dual 1.42 was only 6% faster than the dual 1.25.
As the dual 1.25 was already pushing the limits here, there was no benefit going to 1.42.
As Apple HAD to come out with a faster machine, they did some sleight of hand.
They cache starved the dual 1.25's with 1MB cache each, and gave the dual 1.42's the full 2MB cache each.
The increased cache was responsible for the entire 6% increase in performance.
While a pure processor test would find a slight performance increase from the speed, real world use would mostly benefit from the cache increase.
The lower the bus speed, the more the cache contributes to the difference.
This certainly feels like 500 Mhz again...
Originally posted by rok
well, what did you expect him to say? "we really hope you buy our products, because we don't have much else until we can get mass-produced intel laptops. sorry."
well, you have a choice now: either buy some fire-sale powerbooks after apple expo, or buy the mid-range 15". i don't think the 17" will command the extra price it usually does, but the upshot is that this model will be the least buggy hardware-wise (my wife's pismo is testament to how well "last models" hold up over time) and will be well supported for at least the usual 2-3 year lifespan of most people's computers.
He didn't say that EVERY one would be great.
Originally posted by T'hain Esh Kelch
30 Mhz....? O_O
This certainly feels like 500 Mhz again...
The difference here is that this is the end of the line, not the beginning.
Originally posted by melgross
He didn't say that EVERY one would be great.
heh. steve J could have been honest and said "we'll have crappy laptop updates, but guess what, here, have a Mighty Mighty Mouse"