PPC to Intel product timeline

powermac666 said:

Here's my wild, completely unsubstantiated, and unfounded guess at the Apple PPC-Intel conversion timeline.

• PowerBook - MWSF '06
• Power Mac - WWDC '06
• iBook - Paris 2006
• iMac - MWSF '07
• Xserve - WWDC '07
• Mac mini - Paris '07
• eMac - Paris '07 (if it is still a product)

I also think each and every one of these product lines will see one PPC update (two or more updates if the Intel release is noted for 2007).

I'm sure there will be plenty of folk who will be only too happy to shoot holes...

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I read somewhere... can't remember where... that the Mini and notebooks would be the first to go Intel. If that's the case, I'd revise to put the Mini first (easiest technologically), then PowerBook, then iBook, then Powermac, and then the others.

He said the first intels would be released after the next WWDCs. He wouldn't give developers only 6 months until the first Macintel come on the market.
You're going to have to put your dates back.
He also said there were more PPC products to come, my guess would be PMs, so I would think that the PM will be the last thing to get changed, and the PB the first (running on some kind of pentium M).

The intels will probably be released with a compatible OS (namely Leopard), and he also said that developers would "see it" at the next WWDC, leading me to believe the first Macintels to be released at MW Paris 2006.

powermac666 said:

I was kinda thinking of when the announcements would take place, not when the product would actually be in our hands.
I was also thinking of which lines I would like to see change over first, based on what I thought were the weakest links based on current price/performance.

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So you're assuming that PPC hardware updates won't be able to keep up?

Think of it this way. Anything with a G4 today will get the Intel processors first. The PowerMac/iMac G5/xServe being the 3 G5 products will last the longest and will be built beside the Intel products for awhile. My guess is there is much more life left in the G5 at this time and will still be the "heavy-weight" of the Mac line into 2007. I don't know if we will ever see Dual-Core G5's, but my guess is before the PowerMac goes Intel we will finally see a Dual 3Ghz. Steve was WAY late on his promise, but he will want to do it, because he said he would and it should be very possible.

G4 probably will never see anything higher then 1.8Ghz and possibly a small FSB bump to 200Mhz. It is underpowered and needs to go first. A Pentium M would complement the G5's very nice at this time. It would help bring the Mini and Laptops much closer to the performance of the desktops.

The iMac G5 as we know it will probably be around the longest. It is the newest model to use the G5 and Apple wants an investment return on it. Plus, the G5 still has a lot of room to grow on the iMac. I think a 2.3Ghz iMac G5 would actually be a pretty compelling computer even if a few of the models have Intels by that time, but I don't know if the general buying public will feel this way.

James Philp said:

He said the first intels would be released after the next WWDCs. He wouldn't give developers only 6 months until the first Macintel come on the market.

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I thought he said they'd be shipping at next year's WWDC. Motorola's statement said that they were planning new upgrades for coming year.

I reckon there will be iBook/Powerbook updates (minor speed bumps) in time for 'back to school/college' purchases.

Announcements of the current G4s to Intels at MWSF (perhaps iBook will be later) in January and an announcement that they'll ship in late Feb/March 06. I guess we won't really know until we know which chip and when it's scheduled to ship but I thought I'd seen that Yonah was Q1 2006 which would fit.

Just a thought but the iMac might be the easiest to switch over (tho I agree least reason). It's got an entirely removable midplane... reasonably easy just to start manufacturing with a different one?

Applespider said:

Just a thought but the iMac might be the easiest to switch over (tho I agree least reason). It's got an entirely removable midplane... reasonably easy just to start manufacturing with a different one?

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You are right that it would be pretty easy to change the iMac, I just don't think there would be a good reason at this point to do it. The iMac would be a Pentium 4 class product and that processor would only improve the clock speed. The performance would be the same or slightly slower older software that needs translation.

Apple still likes the G5 at this point. They want some return on the investment. I still think the G4 still hanging around is the Number 1 reason for the change to Intel.