Smokin A PowerMac??

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
What are the chances that Apple will go with an all Quad PowerMac lineup...And if so, how soon?



I find the following to be interesting to say the least:



iMac



Intel Core Duo 2.0 Ghz - 2 MB shared L2

667 Mhz System Bus

512 MB 667 Mhz DDR2 Ram

250 GB SATA

ATI Radeon X1600 / 256 MB

8x Superdrive

Airport Extreme, Bluetooth

20 inch Wide LCD



$1774.00





PowerMac



Dual Core G5 2.0 Ghz - 1 MB L2 / Core

1000 Mhz System Bus

512 MB 533 Mhz DDR2

160 GB SATA

16x Superdrive

Nvidia GeForce 6600 / 256 MB

Airport Extreme & Bluetooth



$2148



Does this seem right? That Apple's new consumer machine for the most part trumps their lowend Pro machine?



Yeah the G5 has a faster bus, its expandable, a bit better graphics and superdrive, but the iMac has faster Ram, bigger HD, includes a 20 inch Wide LCD and has a DVI out for an extended desktop for your extra display, and is $374 less.



With the PowerMac towers being as large as they are, we all knew they were meant for something more than they've been used for. Could we see an all quad lineup anytime soon?



I personally would love to see a Quad 2.3, Quad 2.5, and Quad 3.0....But, a Quad 2.0 would be awesome too.



I am currently trying to decide between trading in my PowerMac Rev A single 1.6 Ghz towards a new iMac, and running my 20 inch cinema extended, or waiting for updated PowerMacs, preferably a Quad.



I do a lot of 3D graphics rendering and my Mac is the center of my business, so switching to a Rev A product that isn't even optimized for every program I use is a real concern for me at this point.



Any thoughts?
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    until Merom out in 2n Half 2006, power mac update not possible, unless APPLE decided to use Xeon or Pentium D Dual Core Processors in Power mac.



    but i heard "We are using Intel's Latest and Greatest Processors", that means we may need to wait until next generation Processor to out...
  • Reply 2 of 38
    Why couldn't Apple just use G5 processors? They already have a G5 Quad, and the dual core G5's made next to no difference over the 2 x single G5 processors, except in graphics performance, but that has more to do with the adoption of PCIe than the dual cores.



    We know they are planning on switching to Intel processors before the end of the year, and we know that Intel's won't be going into a PowerMac till at least the 2nd part of 2006, so why not update with G5's?



    I think that would be an excellent way for Apple to distinguish their lines:



    Consumer Machines - Dual Core



    Pro Machines - Quad Core
  • Reply 3 of 38
    cubistcubist Posts: 954member
    Pentium D chips cannot be dualled. There are some dual-core Xeon chips coming out which can be dualled, supposedly coming in late 2006, which will be very expensive. We don't know at this time if Apple intends to push the Mac Pro completely into the $3K+ range with Xeon chips, or make it less expensive with Conroes. There have been heated statements on both sides, but all are speculation.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    I think Apple will probably ride the current PowerMac out until they have enough supply of woodcrest processors for at least one Quad PowerMac for the highend. They will probably silently upgrade the two lower versions from dual to quad once they have enough supply from intel available. intel will have many anxious customers for these processors, and Apple wouldn't take priority nor would anyone else. They'll all get them as they become available. Intels Q2 ends in late June in which Q2 is what they are shooting for right now with woodcrest. June is also usually WWDC. Apple may have to demo a Quad intel woodcrest machine at WWDC, and announce a slightly later ship date, but that is not unheard of.

    Apple might silently bump the other two G5 PowerMacs to all quad to have a refreshed lineup, and help clear inventory before then, but I don't think Apple would be wise to put any processor other than woodcrest in the reinvented intel PowerMacs, Mac Pros as I believe they may be called, or possibly even bringing back the full Macintosh name, and call it the Pro-Macintosh, or Macintosh Pro. I like Macintosh Pro. Those sounds excellent that way. Very becoming names for Apples new intel workstations
  • Reply 5 of 38
    Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Over the next two months I'm building a third website, and I need to render 80 of my images in 14 different sizes each.



    Aside from that I am still designing and rendering every day, and can't stand to do it anymore on my single 1.6 Ghz G5. I really want a substantial speed increase, but like I said, all of my Apps won't be optimized anytime soon on the Intel's, so should I go for a dual core G5?....or maybe the old dual 2.7 Ghz?.....I can't afford the Quad....wish I could, that would be fabulous, but its not in the budget.



    Any suggestions?
  • Reply 6 of 38
    anandanand Posts: 285member
    I also don't think that you will see a Intel Powermac until Photoshop is universal. The same can be said of the Apple pro apps.
  • Reply 7 of 38
    I should mention that only one of my design programs, which I do not use frequently is optimized for multiple processors, and the rest are only designed to run on one processor. Individual processor speed may be more important to me than combined processor speeds.
  • Reply 8 of 38
    I really hope they release a quad 3Ghz G5 machine.
  • Reply 9 of 38
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Altivec_2.0

    I really hope they release a quad 3Ghz G5 machine.





    I hope you don't get your hopes up too high.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    murkmurk Posts: 935member
    Just to tick everyone off, here's something from MOSR....



    Quote:

    Apple is working with Intel on a unique new quad-core processor with several enhancements based on technology Apple co-developed with IBM for the G5 and now-defunct "G6" processors.



  • Reply 11 of 38
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murk

    Just to tick everyone off, here's something from MOSR....







    Yeah, and I've got this bridge I could sell ya...
  • Reply 12 of 38
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G520incher

    Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Over the next two months I'm building a third website, and I need to render 80 of my images in 14 different sizes each.



    Aside from that I am still designing and rendering every day, and can't stand to do it anymore on my single 1.6 Ghz G5. I really want a substantial speed increase, but like I said, all of my Apps won't be optimized anytime soon on the Intel's, so should I go for a dual core G5?....or maybe the old dual 2.7 Ghz?.....I can't afford the Quad....wish I could, that would be fabulous, but its not in the budget.



    Any suggestions?




    -I just got a dual core G5 2.3 with the 7800GT and 2gb of ram, and just yesterday I got 2 more gigs of ram, it is now at 4gigs and this mac is a BEAST! it is great in PS CS and rendering in 2 of my 3d apps. I have no complaints so far with it.
  • Reply 13 of 38
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    wow, that's a cool setup
  • Reply 14 of 38
    synpsynp Posts: 248member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murk

    Just to tick everyone off, here's something from MOSR....





    I don't know. This just doesn't sound right. They just come out and say "Apple is working" and "Apple is developing" and stuff like that.



    When I read MOSR, I want to hear that the grapevine is abuzz with rumors. If there's no grapevine or it ain't abuzz, how can we know that this is really going to happen?



    Let the grapevine be abuzz! If it ain't buzzin', I ain't buyin'
  • Reply 15 of 38
    anandanand Posts: 285member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Programmer

    Yeah, and I've got this bridge I could sell ya...



    MOSR sounds like the old IRAQ information minister. Crazy. Those guys have no clue. I want to meet the people that actually donate money to those fools! LOL
  • Reply 16 of 38
    murkmurk Posts: 935member
    How dare you impugn MOSR reputation! Recant and send a donation in penance!



    I knew it would get you guys worked up.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G520incher

    Do you guys have any suggestions for me? Over the next two months I'm building a third website, and I need to render 80 of my images in 14 different sizes each.



    Aside from that I am still designing and rendering every day, and can't stand to do it anymore on my single 1.6 Ghz G5. I really want a substantial speed increase, but like I said, all of my Apps won't be optimized anytime soon on the Intel's, so should I go for a dual core G5?....or maybe the old dual 2.7 Ghz?.....I can't afford the Quad....wish I could, that would be fabulous, but its not in the budget.



    Any suggestions?




    I would recommend the dual core 2.0GHz PowerMac G5. It will be SIGNIFICANTLY faster than your set up, while not being all that expensive, especially when you factor in the resale value of your current machine.



    With 4 GB of RAM. Order the RAM from Crucial; it's high quality and you save big that way.
  • Reply 18 of 38
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    The NAMM show is happening right now, but NAB2006 is in Las Vegas from April 22 - 27. I wonder if Apple will have a big booth, or plans any announcements? They have announced Pro Software there more than once before, and I think they may have also announced some hardware, but I'm not sure.
  • Reply 19 of 38
    pbpb Posts: 4,255member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by G520incher



    I personally would love to see a Quad 2.3, Quad 2.5, and Quad 3.0....But, a Quad 2.0 would be awesome too.





    I believe that Apple will move the Power Mac line to all quad, or at least at 2/3 quad and 1/3 dual, before the switch to Intel. But no 3.0 GHz. More likely the setup we have today.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    wwworkwwwork Posts: 140member
    does anyone know if the Merom (?) processor will support dual duals? I have been waiting forever to upgrade and the current lineup of PMs, though nice, are too big in size.



    I just hope I do not have to wait until 2007.
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