Apple, IBM and the PowerPC 970

Apple will have this out as soon as they can, believe me, there is no secret agenda to intentionally delay the first sales of this product. It doesn't make economic sense.

Re: Apple, IBM and the PowerPC 970

Originally posted by dukestreet
I don't know if this link has been posted

http://www-3.ibm.com/chips/products/powerpc/newsletter/dec2002/newproductfocus2.html

Its just IBMs product blurb about the 970 that I found at http://www.ibm.com in a simple search for Powerpc 970. A simillar search at Apple didn't come up with anything relevant.

Obviously its no secret at IBM about the 970 - its just odd that Apple hasn't come forward to say anything and we only get rumors.

How well does this work as a marketing scheme? I know that they really don't want to announce a new machine (and one that has a huge potential to greatly out perform the current G4s) too early and lose potential sales. But if they go with IBM for the 980, 990 and beyond there will be much more info available to the consumer to speculate on and defeats the secretive ways of Apple marketing.

Any thoughts on this?

D

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Well, of course its no secret at IBM about the 970. they announced it publically months and months ago.

And as for apple not accouncing a new machine, you think it might be because its not ready yet? The 970 wasn't even scheduled to be done until late this year. Some evidence points to it coming earlier than expected, but that doesn't mean the machines are ready to go. Doesn't do a company a lot of good to announce major upgrades well before they have a product available. You can expect apple to make an announcement shortly if its going to be coming any time soon. They aren't going to announce stuff just for the sake of announcing stuff.

If apple goes with IBM for future chips as well (likely) I don't see how it will be any different than what we had with moto in terms of knowing whats coming out. they all publish roadmaps. What chip makers are coming out with isn't usually much of a secret. Those don't really affect the rest of the machine (the processor is only a single part of the machine remember). Their economics are different than apple's. They want people to know what they have coming out thats going to be new and great (within reason, they still keep a lot secret). They won't really lose sales because they aren't selling directly to consumers. Their buyers still have to keep buying until new stuff is available. Apple is different. Consumers have the option to wait until the newest stuff is out.

So all in all, going to IBM probably won't make us know anything more about whats coming out

Re: Re: Apple, IBM and the PowerPC 970

Originally posted by strider42
...
And as for apple not accouncing a new machine, you think it might be because its not ready yet? The 970 wasn't even scheduled to be done until late this year. Some evidence points to it coming earlier than expected, but that doesn't mean the machines are ready to go. Doesn't do a company a lot of good to announce major upgrades well before they have a product available....

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I think his point was that Apple hasn't announced its intention to use the 970, not that Apple hasn't announced a new machine based on the 970.

The choice not to make such an announcemeis purely marketing. They get a lot more hype out of announcing new machines if they are a very sudden announcement, then if they announce the intent to use a new processor first (thus spoiling, a little, the new machine announcement, when it comes).

Re: Re: Re: Re: Apple, IBM and the PowerPC 970

Originally posted by dukestreet
exactly, but is hype good in all cases? You can hype all you want, but if it doesn't perform it doesn't really do you any good.

Right D

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I don't think Apple is creating a hype at all. We are.
We create the hype, and if the first hardware announcement doesn't live up to it, we get disappointed. But we love creating the hype! We all want to dream of a Pentium IV crushing PowerMac..... Now this "dream / hype" is all about the PPC 970. What if this hype turns out to bet not true (most unlikely... )

It is certainly going to be interesting to see if and how Apple introduces the 970 as they will have their hands full with Panther, and the following expected bugs. Then, to have a new processor out at the same time should cause enough confusion for even the most loyal Macee tremble. Then, they would have to deal with current inventory. With all the rumors going on about the 970, it woud be interesting to see if the G4 product line is slipping in sales. This poses another serious risk for Apple now as THIS rumor (the 970) is not a little one and Apple is going to have to address this soon or else next quarter profits might well take a hit as buyers sit on the sidelines waiting for the 970s.