mini to get G5 before Intel? Powerbook as well?
Just read on macosrumors.com that Apple is planning to pack a G5 (low power 970FX) in the mini prior to switching to Yonah (I think they want to wait until Yonah is at least dual core and 64 bit). Anyway, assuming Apple does put in the effort to design a new board and such for the 970FX low power for the mini, perhaps they would invest the effort to do this for the PowerBook line as well? Jobs did say there were great new PowerPC products on the way before Intel. ... Could be another year till the PB's get Intel cpu's so I could see a G5 making sense in the meantime.
Comments
Originally posted by ngmapple
Could be another year till the PB's get Intel cpu's so I could see a G5 making sense in the meantime.
It makes no sense at all, because they'd have to re-engineer the PowerBook for just a short period of time. The G5 is not just a drop-in replacement for the G4.
Come to think of it, if a G5 'Book comes out, I'll print out the html source for the front page of AppleInsider and eat it.
Originally posted by BRussell
It makes no sense at all, because they'd have to re-engineer the PowerBook for just a short period of time. The G5 is not just a drop-in replacement for the G4.
I'm sure the Powerbook was redesigned long ago as the 970 isn't a new chip and the low power version is very late. That doesn't mean we'll get one, but I think now it's just a marketing decision.
Nobody at Apple has said which Macs will go Intel first.
We now return you to your scheduled wild speculation.
Originally posted by BenRoethig
MOSR is pretty much a combination of guesswork and their own fantasies about what they want to see. I don't think they've been right...ever.
They had the scoop on the cube, which was right when I started following rumors.
I'm pretty sure they are a big O for whatever since then.
Originally posted by Blackcat
I'm sure the Powerbook was redesigned long ago as the 970 isn't a new chip and the low power version is very late. That doesn't mean we'll get one, but I think now it's just a marketing decision.
It doesn't matter how long they've been playing with them in their dungeons. It's not cost-effective for them to make an all-new laptop only to make yet another all-new laptop just a few months later.
Originally posted by BRussell
It doesn't matter how long they've been playing with them in their dungeons. It's not cost-effective for them to make an all-new laptop only to make yet another all-new laptop just a few months later.
That may well be true, depending on the costs involved, but I think that there is a tremendous pent-up demand for a Powerbook G5 which might make it viable. We don't know how far off Intel 'books are, it could be 12 months depending on the cpu used.
In reality, the most we know for sure is we don't know.
Originally posted by spyder
There is never going to be a G5 Powerbook, and I'll eat dirt if a G5 Mini comes out.
...
hear hear
Originally posted by ngmapple
Just read on macosrumors.com...
No further comment required.
Originally posted by krispie
No further comment required.
Actually the analyst over at Caris & Company is predicting PowerMacs with dual-core G5s, a Mac mini with a low-power G5 and PowerBooks using a low-power G4. He suggests that all will be announced by Apple Expo Paris. Of course he may just be reading MOSR but I think if anything it's the other way around. It would make sense to use what IBM and Freescale has available until the Intel transition. Still, I have my doubts about the G5 Mac mini. I'd be the first in line to buy one if it were true though.
Originally posted by JCG
The Mini moving to the G5 does not make sense. They just recieved an update, as minor as it was. Sure Apple could update it again, but the timing doesn't make sense, they just missed the back to school sales and the anouncement might be a little early for the Christmass buying season. Also the cost associated with putting a G5 in the Mini would be large if we assume, based on Steve's comments, that it will be one of the first computers to move to Intel next year. Also Apple would be wise to move their entire line of consumer models to Intel at the same time or as close to together as possible to eleminate consumer (ie, non-"Geek" like myself) confusion in the new line-up.
The Mac Mini didn't really get an update, they simply began offering a different set of standard configurations at retail. There's nothing in there you couldn't BTO before, it's just that the price with those additional features is now lower.
What does that translate to? A price cut. When does Apple usually cut the price of their offerings? When they've got something new up they're sleeves. I don't think 9 months from the initial release is too short of a time for them to offer a speed-bump.
However, adding a G5 would seemingly require more reengineering than you'd expect for a Rev. B.
It will slot in above the current 'high end' mini.
It could replace the eMac. Which isn't G5. (Note.)
There's at least £400-500 of difference between the Mac Mini and the iMac G5.
Place two G5 Mini models at £595 and £695 with an upgradeable graphics slot? (Here's hoping...) There is plenty of room there for a 'Mac Maxi'. G5 1.6 as a 'Special Edition' Mini. Remember the 'Special Edition' Macs? iBook style?
The Mac Mini didn't have a cpu update so if a G5 mini comes it would maybe shunt down the current entry model out. 1.25 G4s...bleh...ancient.
Intel can't come fast enough...
Lemon Bon Bon
Originally posted by aircft.sys.spec.
You're right nobody at Apple said which macs will go Intel first. But, they did say they will be ALL Intel by 2007.
what they said, more or less, (from memory) was that they were starting with the bottom-of-the-line consumer models, and working their way up into the pro models. So this would translate into roughly:
First:
Mini
iBook
eMac.
Later:
Powerbook
iMac G5
Power Mac
That's speculation, of course, but it makes sense, as the lower-range machines are lagging the worst spec-wise, except for the Powerbook, which probably presents technical challenges that the other G4 machines do not.
EDIT: There's no real reason why the Mini won't see an update to at least 1.42/1.67 between now and next summer, though.
Originally posted by chris v
what they said, more or less, (from memory) was that they were starting with the bottom-of-the-line consumer models, and working their way up into the pro models.
No they didn't (CNET did). Apple have said nothing.
Originally posted by Blackcat
No they didn't (CNET did). Apple have said nothing.
Thank you. This "low end first" rumor is being spread so wide, it's beginning to sound like fact, which it's not.
There doesn't seem to be any universal agreement on what will come first, second, etc. There are only debates. All valid reasons, but we still don't know jack at this point.
A near term switch to G5 for the PowerBook is not out of the question. They could use 1 or 2 low-power G5s for another 2 years. That's plenty of time for a platform.
If you think 2 years for a platform is a short time, wait until they switch. Intel changes pin layouts (thus motherboards) practically every other weekend. AMD is not much different. That is the cost of being cutting edge. In this day and age your platform needs to be flexible. Welcome to the land of actual competition.