G5 in Jan - new info
okay, a <disclaimer>:
I can only provide a few details for risk of revealing where I work. I will not provide you with anything false, but I will have to be a bit vague. I work for a company that makes products for Macs. I am breaking a non-disclosure agreement by telling you anything at all, so please understand I can't answer any questions.
</disclaimer>
---
Some time ago we received test boxes for a 'next generation' processor from Apple. After checking with colleagues in other companies, we were not the only ones. We were told they were 64 bit processors (no name) and that we should be testing our products for any performance loss or peculiarities over current processors.
The boxes were sealed shut and had security features that would basically indicate if anyone tried to take a peak.
Apple System Profiler was not installed. I did not bother installing it.
What I can tell you is this:
We compiled a program we already sell with no modifications, using an upated compiler that shipped with the system. When we ran it through our own performance tests, it knocked all our heads completely off. The results were about 6 to 8 times the overall performance of our last tests of this sort on a a dual 800.
The really interesting thing is that we encountered no major errors at all. Which tells me, given the kind of products we make, that this chip was not exactly an early beta. Our first look at the g4 (before my time) apparently was a nightmare - much of our code had to be optimized and even then gains were minimal over the g3. There were no mods needed this time. It ran almost perfectly and gave us results we've never even come close to on a mac. We suspect we could do even better with a final version of the chip.
I've checked with others and their stories are similar.
My point: I think there is some very good reason to expect a little more than just faster g4s this macworld. Of course they could wait until the summer, but we (and others) are ready to jump on this big time.
:eek:
I can only provide a few details for risk of revealing where I work. I will not provide you with anything false, but I will have to be a bit vague. I work for a company that makes products for Macs. I am breaking a non-disclosure agreement by telling you anything at all, so please understand I can't answer any questions.
</disclaimer>
---
Some time ago we received test boxes for a 'next generation' processor from Apple. After checking with colleagues in other companies, we were not the only ones. We were told they were 64 bit processors (no name) and that we should be testing our products for any performance loss or peculiarities over current processors.
The boxes were sealed shut and had security features that would basically indicate if anyone tried to take a peak.
Apple System Profiler was not installed. I did not bother installing it.
What I can tell you is this:
We compiled a program we already sell with no modifications, using an upated compiler that shipped with the system. When we ran it through our own performance tests, it knocked all our heads completely off. The results were about 6 to 8 times the overall performance of our last tests of this sort on a a dual 800.
The really interesting thing is that we encountered no major errors at all. Which tells me, given the kind of products we make, that this chip was not exactly an early beta. Our first look at the g4 (before my time) apparently was a nightmare - much of our code had to be optimized and even then gains were minimal over the g3. There were no mods needed this time. It ran almost perfectly and gave us results we've never even come close to on a mac. We suspect we could do even better with a final version of the chip.
I've checked with others and their stories are similar.
My point: I think there is some very good reason to expect a little more than just faster g4s this macworld. Of course they could wait until the summer, but we (and others) are ready to jump on this big time.
:eek:
Comments
<strong>okay, a <disclaimer>:
I can only provide a few details for risk of revealing where I work. I will not provide you with anything false, but I will have to be a bit vague. I work for a company that makes products for Macs. I am breaking a non-disclosure agreement by telling you anything at all, so please understand I can't answer any questions.
</disclaimer>
---
:eek: </strong><hr></blockquote>
And I should believe you because... ah! Because of the disclaimer! Gotcha.
I have no reason to believe or doubt you, but you should be more careful if you're being honest. Your post gives away the fact that your company's "product" is a software product (vs. say a peripheral device of some kind), otherwise how could you hope to measure the processor as being 6 to 8x faster than the fastest existing Mac? You presumably would need to do something along the lines of timing the (application of a filter) to an image, or the time required to encode a music file, or open a certain size document. Otherwise how would you be able to make meaningful comparisons?
oh well, if he had good ears he could at least hear that there's a HELL OF A NOISE comin' from that thingy <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
let's face it: do you guys really think maya was coded for this peanut dual-800? c'mon...
[EDIT:] typo and..but who cares anyway?
[ 12-28-2001: Message edited by: Strangelove ]
[ 12-28-2001: Message edited by: Strangelove ]</p>
Seriously, I don't see why with every new rumor there's such a rush to break out the 's and the bad arguments ("you're just rehashing old rumors" vs. "you're just making that up"). Isn't this supposed to be part of the fun? Isn't this why we read this forum? Lighten up and go with it.
-S
<strong>Finally! A vague rehashing of previously unsubstantiated rumors. I think this proves once and for all that we may or may not see a G5 in January.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
*LOL*
<strong>Finally! A vague rehashing of previously unsubstantiated rumors. I think this proves once and for all that we may or may not see a G5 in January.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Michael,
Please try not to take this the wrong way... You have come to a web site called "Apple Insider" a web site based on rumors (often wrong) then you navigated down to the open forum area and chose to read form the "FUTURE HARDWARE" area. In this area you will find all kinds of fun and interesting subjects posted by people "in the know" as well as those who just feel like playing games... You can't and won't be able to tell them apart till after the fact...
So when you wrote "A vague rehashing of previously unsubstantiated rumors. I think this proves once and for all that we may or may not see a G5 in January." I'm a little unclear as to what EXACTLY you were going to read here?
If you expect Steve Jobs to come-on-down and post the truth the truth and nothing but the truth then I'm sorry but you've been mistaken...
If you (or anyone else for that matter) don't like these types of posts then maybe this forum isn't the place for you... MacNN does have a "CURRENT HARDWARE" area where you will find people more in the know (sometimes) about the hardware they tend to chat about...
Dave
so this poster could be real and still we would know if G-5 is coming or not...
<strong>I believe him because he does not pretend to know specifics on specs, price, or release, nor does he want us to ask questions. Sounds like more than somebody just looking for attention. I am personally excited just to hear that something this fast is in the pipeline - be it in Jan. or not. One would assume the processor was a G5 - anyone know what it would take to see a 6x-8x improvement over the G4? Like what possible combination of speed, bus, and RAM improvements could warrant this?
-S</strong><hr></blockquote>
One would assume that to see 6x-8x it would largely be due to an improved vector processing unit (altivec 2?). Assuming this guy's for real it sounds good. Of course if this is the case he also narrowed his product down to the handful of products that actually have good support Altivec. Okay I'll stop trying to help Apple legal now
So in short, as Moogs pointed out, if your for real, be more careful & use public internet access (internet cafe, perferably not accross the street from your employer ).
<strong>I believe him because he does not pretend to know specifics on specs, price, or release, nor does he want us to ask questions.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
You believe this, which is the most vague post of them all!? (well besides the codename posts of course).
No matter what is released this guy is basically right. We will never know if he's yanking our chain or not. At least with that mastergater guy we'll know proof positive come Jan 7th.
Someone needs to start a thread listing all the "insiders" and what they are claiming. Then we'll all know who the liars are
<strong>
You believe this, which is the most vague post of them all!? (well besides the codename posts of course).
No matter what is released this guy is basically right. We will never know if he's yanking our chain or not. At least with that mastergater guy we'll know proof positive come Jan 7th.
Someone needs to start a thread listing all the "insiders" and what they are claiming. Then we'll all know who the liars are </strong><hr></blockquote>
It's more likely that someone would have vague info than none at all. And he's not giving any other details or taking questions or asking us to expect anything,or believe in him, nor is he seeking fame or whatnot...so I just don't see any reason for him to post this other than for our general knowledge and benefit.
-S
<strong>Hey. What are the chances of the admins keeping stats on a posters accuracy? Then we could all get a little rank icon like in Myth or Pogo Chess! Something like clueless to somewhat accurate to educated outsider and the highest rank we all dream of attaining, the rank that garners us the respect of our peers and will have teenage girls and boys screaming our names ... APPLEINSIDER!!</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'd be scared to get the "Appleinsider" ranking...Steve would put a hit out on those guys.
-S
If a G4 iMac does come out, that might cannibalize the low end PowerMac G4s.
Seems like they are due for G5.
I know that NEXTSTEP (before it became Mac OSX) was ported to Sun Solaris SPARC, a 64 bit architecture, so it would make sense that a 64bit G5 would have little problems in porting OSX over to it. And they would reap a lot of benefits in that..
We'll see in several days.....
<strong>
It's more likely that someone would have vague info than none at all. And he's not giving any other details or taking questions or asking us to expect anything,or believe in him, nor is he seeking fame or whatnot...so I just don't see any reason for him to post this other than for our general knowledge and benefit.
-S</strong><hr></blockquote>
Unless he dishes out tiny tidbits at a time. Then he comes back with more and more info and earns a reputation. Then he can lay down the big news "G5 based tablet with builtin anti-gravity device" and then everyone believes him because his old posts (the vague ones) were right. hehe.
I know I'm talking out of my ass now, its a slow day at work. Sorry
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
<strong>
I know I'm talking out of my ass now, its a slow day at work. Sorry
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
For you and me both, friend.
And everyone knows that Apple's tablet computer will be based on the G-8, which requires antigravity to operate. I know because Mastergating told me
-S
6-8x performance increase when compared to a MP800 with a simple recompile is not possible with any chip that is even remotely close to being ready for mass production... Has this ever happened? even the 604e to G3 did not provide such an increase.
The only case in which this could in fact be true is if the App was heavily reliant on AltiVec... or completely starved of memory bandwidth on current machines...
6-8x is quite a speed jump.
S
<strong>Guys...
6-8x performance increase when compared to a MP800 with a simple recompile is not possible with any chip that is even remotely close to being ready for mass production... Has this ever happened? even the 604e to G3 did not provide such an increase.
The only case in which this could in fact be true is if the App was heavily reliant on AltiVec... or completely starved of memory bandwidth on current machines...
6-8x is quite a speed jump.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Do I hear an echo?