Rumor specs on new G4's

[Backtothemac]

A person that I know that works for Apple claims that at New York, there will be a new PowerMac with the following specs.

They will have G4 processors starting at 1Ghz, then 1.2, and dual 1.4's. Hard drives will be 60, 80, and lets pray 120 GB. Ram configurations will be 256, 256, and 512. They will deploy Rapid I/O in the 1.2 and the dual 1.4's. The 1Ghz will keep PC133 for now. Firewire 2, Geforce 4 MX in the low, and Geforce 4 Ti in the top end models. Also, the thing I like the most is that memory will be up to 3 GB in the high end models. Gigabit ethernet, as well as the other standards. Also, it will be 32X CDRW in the 1GHZ, Superdrive or combo drive in the 1.2 and a new superdrive with much faster write speeds in the 1.4.

Also, new case enclosure!!!!!:D

Prices
1GHZ 1699
1.2 GHZ 2299
1.4 GHZ 2999

He also says the G5 will not come out until late 2003, and it will not be what we think. He claims the G4 is going to be modified to the extreme and become the G5. He claims to have seen the 1.4 and says that it kills Windows machines in EVERYTHING that they compared.

Lets cross our fingers.:p

Oh, I almost forgot. Bluetooth is already onboard!!!!!

[mcrain]

Sounds nice and all, but I don't think a suped up G4 will be accepted as the new G5 by most. I think lots of people will feel cheated or that Apple is trying to dupe us into buying what is in essence, just another G4.

Apple must be really having problems with Moto. :(

[Backtothemac]

I agree. I know that personally I want to see a new processor. I think they are going to put the G5 label on the G4 that has the rapid I/O and SOI. Even though the core will be the G4, most, including myself would be more than satisfied (for a while) with that kind of performance boost.

[Ensign Paris]

I am not wanting to insult (I am very sceptical about any insider info) but you say:

"Hard drives will be 60, 80, and lets pray 120 GB."

Did he says "Lets Pray 120 GB" because if he did then it looks like he doesn't actually have much information and that he is guessing, or did you put the lets pray in? because if you did it would not make sense that you would add info into the account.

Sorry, it looks like I am flaming you and that is not my aim.

Ensign

[eyelikeart]

weren't those the specs rumored to be for the last revision of the G4? :confused:

[Grokgod]

This could make me a really happy man, and my angry from Tokoyo would be calmed if only there were some tidbit of information that would make this rumor, true.

So, your saying that a person at apple told you this information, what is the job of this person, that he is privie to this type of information?

Is he a copyboy, or a gofer, a harlot, a numbers cruncher or Job's weekend girlfriend, and why woudl she tell you what happening.

Could you give us a little more, PUHLEASE.

Is Rapido the bus instead of DDRAM?

I really hope that this is true because if it isnt, I am going to puke.

[Backtothemac]

Ensign, he told me that they were 60, 80, and 120. I added the lets pray for good measure. If the rumor of the faster write speed is possible on the Superdrive is true, then it would be great to have more room on the HD. I mean who could not use and extra 60 gigs of space. But to answer the question, the source said that it was going to be there.

Also, they are very similar to the rumors that were flying around for the last upgrade. Who knows they may have been ready, but held up for some reason. We have all seen Apple do this before.

As far as the source, he is a very close friend, and I don't want to get him fired. We all know that Apple reads these boards, and he is a friend. He had to know that I would post on the info, but he also knows that I am not going to get him fired, but I can assure you that he is not a copyboy, mailboy, or such.

This is not etched in stone, but rumor, and we all know what they are worth. So lets not "puke" or make a flamewar, I just thought you might like to know. I can say this. Before I came "Backtothemac" he did tell me that the iPod was comming and advised me to hold off on buying an MP3 player until it came out. Turns out it was the best advice I have ever had.

[Ensign Paris]

Thanks for putting that straight, now I understand and will try not to be so skeptical although this is hard for me!

Ensign

[Backtothemac]

I understand. I am always skeptical of rumors myself. :)

[kidtronix]

yah firstly, when was the first time apple updated a processor ship with 400mhz? chumps. and of course, ships go in equal numbers all the way, that sounds like apple too, please, go and sit in a corner.

[Backtothemac]

Hey Kid, please refer to my previous post that says "This is rumor!" there is not need to get up in a wad about a rumor. I will agree that the jump of 400 MHZ is huge for Apple, but if it does have the SOI tech on it that would allow a HUGE increase in clock speed, because it would really reduce heat. Anyway, no reason to tell me to go sit in a corner. I never said this was etched in stone, or that the heavens would open up and swallow us if it did not come true, and hell it may not, but it is just a rumor, and they are fun to talk about.

[teabgs]

Those specs have me ready to buy if true. One question though. You mentioned the RAM BUT....is it still SDRAM or do we finally get DDR? That is if its true....I want to believe but I don't want to get my hopes up like I did for MWSF.

IF you don't know could you please ask your friend? Thanks a bunch in advance.

[3rdpath]

the specs all seem to be a culmination of the last six month's worth of rumors...also, MOSR has a bit about off-site demos (at tokyo) of systems that sound very similar. the only part i'm skeptical about is the pricing-seems kinda low...not that i'll complain if they are accurate.

i don't really care if they call it a g4 or g5 or a gobstopper... just make and ship the darn thing by july please. i'm tired of waiting and apple's not getting any more of my $$ until they release a sizeable upgrade. ( i've waited this long, whats 4 more months?):D

[OSUbuckeyefan]

Thanks for the inside info, backtothemac. I also agree that the rumored specs seem reasonable. If DDR ram was inplemented in these machines, I would likely buy.

I've been holding out for the G5, but I'm just not sure how much longer I can wait. I really really want something by the end of this year...it looks like this might fit the bill.

[pishnaris]

Yarrrggghhhh!

This rumor makes sense, it's just what I want to hear, but the timing is terrible...I got a call from Apple yesterday telling me that they think they'll be shipping my Dual gig, with the TI card, at the end of next week! That's good support for the thought that a notable upgrade would be out in July (or even the beginning of the following week ;). My sense of timing seems to be impeccable...)

So now what do I do? Cancel the order and wait until July?

You know, I just might.

[Backtothemac]

Hey everyone. Talked to my friend and he said that DDR will be used, but that it is not in standard MHZ? He was on the road and needed to run. He also read me a riot act for posting this. I told him that he knew that I would.

Hey phis... I know how you feel. Bought my iMac 266 about three weeks before the 333's. iBook 300 with 6 gig, the week before the ones with 10 GB, and my latest is an iMac 600 SE from smalldog in Dec then the new ones come out in January. Everytime I have been told by my contact to be patient and wait, but I never can...:p

I just hope that he is right and he is not blowing smoke....

We will see soon.

[mcrain]

I still don't like the idea of Apple selling a G5 that isn't a new processor, just a beefed up G4. I want the bump as much as the next person, but a G4 is a G4. Let's just be honest about it.

[Choppaface]

who cares what the name is? if you're so worried about that, why not go cry over the fact that earlier G3's had beige cases and the later ones were all colorful towers. just make it fast :D :D

and you said 120..would that be a reference to the caviar?

and how many ports? just 2 USB, 2 firewire, or are we finally going to see more?

[Backtothemac]

He did not go into detail about the case. He said standard ports other than firewire 1394b. I asume that would mean the four USB and two firewire. I don't care if they call it a G4, G5, or dylithium crystal chamber :p, just give us the goods!

[MacManiac1224]

I am not sure about this whole thing. I like the whole evolving thing with the G4 to the G5: but isn't the iMac a G4 now. It bascially has the same power as the current G4's. Even with a DP 1.4 with DDR Ram, that it all well and good, but it is only a G4. If i were going to buy a G4 now, I might as well go with iMac, right? Apple has to differiate thier lines, It has always been that way with Apple. Consumer and Pro lines have traditionally had different processors, right? So, Apple is going to wait 2 years to release a G5? I hope not.

AMD and Intel are releasing thier new processor lines this year. Apple needs to stay competitive. Let's face it, I don't think Apple's DP G4 1.4 can take on an AMD 2.2 Ghz Hammer. I am not sure, but I don't think so. Apple needs a new and enganced processor so that it can start to stake it's claim in the high end markets.

When the G5 comes out, I am buying one. Personally I don't care if the G5 is a buffed up G4, I just want to see G5 on the outside of the case. It is psychlogical. Think about it Apple. AMD and Intel are coming up on your heels, it is time to show them what you got, release the G5.

[pishnaris]

You mentioned a faster Superdrive...wouldn't we expect to have heard about a substantially improve CDR-A03? The CDR-A04 is really not a major improvement.

Just a thought.

[Biggles]

just so u guys know, MacOSRumors has this exact same info on their site. here's the quote:

"Still longing for more processor performance from the latest PowerMacs before you buy one? Well, if a Dual 1GHz model with 133MHz SDRAM doesn't impress you, how about a Dual 1.4GHz beast employing powerful new PowerPC 7500 processors and screamingly fast 400MHz RapidIO-compatible memory? It has taken months of digging to confirm this, but it looks like the much-hyped PPC 7500, a G4 designed to add some of the features of the G5 family, will be the centerpiece of Apple's mid-year PowerMac update. A 400MHz leap in processor clock is dramatic, but made possible by the 7500's deeper command pipelines, next-generation wiring process and modernized chip architecture. Much more on this rumor in the days and weeks ahead."

well it doesn't mention FireWire 2....

[Backtothemac]

Actually from what my source said, the 1.4 is sick fast. And no, even though the iMac has a G4, it doesn't have any of the features that this new one would have and they would make a huge difference. iMac 800's and G4 800's have a big performance gap. Going to the 1.4 would make even a bigger difference.

Hey, just saw what you were talking about on MacOSRumors Biggles. Wonder if MacOSRumors and I have the same source? ;)

[Grokgod]

I truly hope that all this news is true.

I am curious about the source, without disclosing his position in apple.
What is his character, is he prone to silly talk?
Does he drink a lot?
His he a moma's boy?
Is he kind hearted, or one of those bully boys that cheat and sneak on others. I wanna know what kinda guy he is, and that will tell me if he is dependable in this information.
I cant believe how important a damn computer is to me, what has happened to my life?



MMMmmmm you said SICK FAST! can you imagine a sick fast mac, how great would that be?

[Backtothemac]

Grok....LOL, I know what you mean about the power of a computer in your life! He is a very respected person in his community. He knows what he is talking about too. He is the type of person that doesn't say much, but when he says something, you better listen. He is very old fashioned, a family man, and an all around great person. Hey, like I said, he told me about the iPod almost a month before it came out.

Some people don't believe the rumors, but sometimes they turn out to be dead on. I hope that this turns out to be one of those times. Hell for all we know, he and Steve could be kicked back laughing there A$$ off at all of the rumor sites knowing that they have the worlds first lightsabre prepared for launch :D

Anyway, back to the point. He is very trustworthy, and no he is not a drunk.

[mcrain]

well, so far, the rumor seems pretty solid. As much as I want a G5 to be an all new chip with blazing speed and upgradeability, I'll buy a G5 that is really a G4 if it's fast.

[Mr. Anderson]

The scary part is that we have to wait almost 4 months to find out if this is all true. If the new suped up G4 was coming out then, wouldn't Motorola have something on their website mentioning it? Even if it is just a small blurb about expansion of current designs?

[sjs]

Grokgod - LOL! (you are a very sick puppy)

Backtothemac - is your friend the same guy that was Russell Crowe's roommate in A Beautiful Mind?
(kidding)

[Macmaniac]

Did he mention anything on memory capacity? I would like to see DDR ram expandable to 2gb or 2.5gb. Memory is very impostnat these days.

[Backtothemac]

He says up to 3 GB of Ram in the 1.2 and 1.4. We can only hope that he is right. I don't mind waiting 4 months to find out, that way I can wear out my iMac and save for the beast.

[teabgs]

Originally posted by Backtothemac
He says up to 3 GB of Ram in the 1.2 and 1.4. We can only hope that he is right. I don't mind waiting 4 months to find out, that way I can wear out my iMac and save for the beast.

Did he say how much RAM would come standard in the 1.2 and 1.4?? I would hope its 1GB not 512...

[Backtothemac]

He said 256, 512, and 512. That's for the 1, 1.2 and 1.4, although I would love to see a gig on the 1.4, but with memory costs going up....

[theranch]

Originally posted by Backtothemac
Grok....LOL, I know what you mean about the power of a computer in your life! He is a very respected person in his community. He knows what he is talking about too. He is the type of person that doesn't say much, but when he says something, you better listen. He is very old fashioned, a family man, and an all around great person. Hey, like I said, he told me about the iPod almost a month before it came out.

Some people don't believe the rumors, but sometimes they turn out to be dead on. I hope that this turns out to be one of those times. Hell for all we know, he and Steve could be kicked back laughing there A$$ off at all of the rumor sites knowing that they have the worlds first lightsabre prepared for launch :D

Anyway, back to the point. He is very trustworthy, and no he is not a drunk.

If this "person" is someone to trust then why didn't you NOT buy those macs that you mentioned earlier and wait for better ones to come out shortly after like your friend suggested? Even I know not to buy a new mac a month before any MW and I don't know a single soul at apple!
I don't trust this info as being from "your source"...you've already contradicted yourself.

[Backtothemac]

Um, no. I had to buy those Macs. My wife is a student, and we had to replace a system in December, and we could not wait until January. The iBook that I bought before (300) I had to have because at the time I was a student, and needed it for research while I was getting my Masters. The 266 I bought because because it was the coolest thing I had ever seen at the time, and could not convince myself to wait. Besides at that time, he was more of a friend with my dad, than me.

[pishnaris]

Based on these terrific rumors, logic, and Apple's trend in doing biz, I cancelled my Dual gig machine today. It hurt. I used the "out" that they offered due to the delay in delivery of the TI card. I was thinking that maybe I should wait to see about an upgrade that would be free, but I don't want the 133 mhz board if we're looking at new motherboards.

So, I need the phone number of the "reliable source" so that I can arrange to borrow his Superdrive until July. I won't reveal his identity...promise, but, if they ship these things next week, and we don't get a hotter machine in July, I'll have to sue.

No more Mr. Nice Guy....

[Backtothemac]

Phis,
Dude, don't cancel your order based on a rumor! I believe my source, and I trust him, but you can live on the basis of "there is something coming out in a few months" or you will never be happy with your system. Man, get the Dual 1GHZ. It is a sweet rig. If the rumor comes true in four months, you will still be able to sell that 1GHZ machine and then get what ever comes out.

There is no reason to miss the exerience of a great Mac while you wait on one that may or may not materialize. I love my G3 iMac, and I know that I could have had a G4 iMac only three weeks after I bought it, but I am happy with it. So until the next G4 (G5) comes out, then I will be happy with what I have.

:confused: :eek: :confused:

[Hemingray]

Oi... some people... ;)

Looks like I'll be waiting even longer than MWSF02. While these specs sound impressive and all that, there's something I got bit on that I won't get bit on again: first model changes! Flashback: Right after I buy my G4 PCI (which unbeknownst to me was just a G3 with a G4 chip slapped on), they whip out the AGP mobo's. No way, not again. This whole "non-standard MHz DDR" sounds mighty suspicious to me, and I'll bet that'll be the first thing to be changed other than the processor speed itself.

[Backtothemac]

Hemingray, I think that he means that it will be faster than the PC 2100 or 2600 that is currently used in PC's....

[rice_web]

Guys, guys, guys...

DDR memory is not that fast. Fast SDRAM is actually a cooler idea (i.e. 266MHz SDR). However, Double Data Rate Memory running at 533MHz, would be sweet. With RapidIO, this could be a very real possibility, along with PCI slots that cruise like lightning, AGP ports that are on drugs, and peripherals (e.g. firewire) that sees no limits. Ooooh, the thought makes me quiver.


Now, I just need three grand.

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by Backtothemac
Hemingray, I think that he means that it will be faster than the PC 2100 or 2600 that is currently used in PC's....

Oh? Well that's great news then! :D When I hear the term "non-standard", I just automatically cringe. ;)

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by rice_web
Guys, guys, guys...

DDR memory is not that fast. Fast SDRAM is actually a cooler idea (i.e. 266MHz SDR). However, Double Data Rate Memory running at 533MHz, would be sweet. With RapidIO, this could be a very real possibility, along with PCI slots that cruise like lightning, AGP ports that are on drugs, and peripherals (e.g. firewire) that sees no limits. Ooooh, the thought makes me quiver.


Now, I just need three grand.

Well, if you look at it this way... ANYTHING is better than the PC100 I'm running! :)

[rice_web]

Well, if you look at it this way... ANYTHING is better than the PC100 I'm running!

Looking at it that way, I can only laugh. Even my P-III has 133MHz SDRAM (I'm kissing my P-III goodbye, and picking up a new P4 or Athlon XP).

Aside from that... I'm still tempted to buy the 933MHz G4. It looks like a great machine, but I'm not sure if the price is right. I'll probably just upgrade my PC and save a couple thousand dollars (I can get 1GB RAM, a new GeForce 4 MX 440, three 30GB hard drives, and an Athlon XP 2000 with a motherboard for under $1,000).

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by rice_web
Looking at it that way, I can only laugh.

Yeah, now you know how I feel... it IS a joke!

[Backtothemac]

Originally posted by rice_web


Looking at it that way, I can only laugh. Even my P-III has 133MHz SDRAM (I'm kissing my P-III goodbye, and picking up a new P4 or Athlon XP).

Aside from that... I'm still tempted to buy the 933MHz G4. It looks like a great machine, but I'm not sure if the price is right. I'll probably just upgrade my PC and save a couple thousand dollars (I can get 1GB RAM, a new GeForce 4 MX 440, three 30GB hard drives, and an Athlon XP 2000 with a motherboard for under $1,000).

And with regret you will have to run windoze....:p

[rice_web]

And with regret you will have to run windoze....

Oh, don't be so harsh, I like both platforms. My "windoze" box is a little quicker (yes, it is), and my only real reason (other than Aqua) for using a Mac is TypeStyler 3. I love that program.

However, most things I can do better (at least personally) on my trusty Windows 2000 machine. A few months ago, however, I was struck by a virus after a computer on my network opened the NIMDA virus, and my computer was down for a few weeks, during which I was using my iMac DV the entire time. Hey, I like both. I use my iMac for iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and TypeStyler. But for my web design, I use primarily my Windows 2000 machine.

Anyway, we are drifting from the topic.

[arn]

Originally posted by pishnaris
Based on these terrific rumors, logic, and Apple's trend in doing biz, I cancelled my Dual gig machine today. It hurt. I used the "out" that they offered due to the delay in delivery of the TI card. I was thinking that maybe I should wait to see about an upgrade that would be free, but I don't want the 133 mhz board if we're looking at new motherboards.



Ouch....

I suppose this is why Apple doesn't like rumors... :)

Anyhow... regardless of the validity of these rumors above... if you arn't in absolute need of a computer... you'd always do better waiting...

that being said... I think there are good times to "jump on board" - every once in while, there is a Generation jump...

-The original PowerMacs were a generation jump over the 68k machines
-The 7500/8500/9500 (PCI motherboard) machines were the next... and actually might have had one of the longest lives of any Mac in terms of upgrabability, and longevity of the motherboard...

It gets a bit more hazy in recent years... as there have been more incremental improvements... but for me... the Dual800 was the latest "jump" that was big enough that I felt like upgrading.

arn

[dualburn001]

Originally posted by arn



It gets a bit more hazy in recent years... as there have been more incremental improvements... but for me... the Dual800 was the latest "jump" that was big enough that I felt like upgrading.

arn

what did you "jump" from?

[chibianh]

i don't know about arn, but i jumped from an LC550 to a Ti667.. BIG difference... lol!

[arn]

Originally posted by dualburn001


what did you "jump" from?

My jumps....

198x - Apple //c
1987-8? - Apple IIgs
1992 - Mac IIsi
1995 - PowerMac 7500 - the 7500 got upgraded up to a 233mhz G3 over the years
1999 - PowerMac G4 350 - this was more of a sidestep... after all the upclocking/upgrading of the 7500, it acted a bit flakey at times... (233mhz overclocked to 300mhz)... I made a fair amount of $$ from an web-venture (not Macrumors.com related) and decided to side-grade to a low end G4 ($1699 at the time)
2001 - PowerMac G4 Dual 800... The G4 350 was actually still doing pretty well... but OS X was a bit pokey on it... so Apple's plan worked :) I upgraded to make the most of OS X.

arn

[Grokgod]

This rumor must feel pretty real to actually stop a shipment.

I was in the belief zone also till i got head slapped to my local disbelief zone by Backtothemac when he said that he was happy with his G3 even though he could have had a g4 iMac three weeks later.

Now, dont get me wrong, i 'm happy, he's happy. Its whats making him happy thats making me unhappy. Because to be happy about having a G3 when you should have gotten a G4 isnt the kind of happy we all call happy its called head happy. the kind of happy that doesnt go away, its that permanent smile that doctors call rationalization, or to the layman, slap happy.

Now I'm not trying to make anyone unhappy with this kinda talk. G3 talk always kinda brings a frown to my face anyway. But if we're trying to count to 5 and get too happy at 3, thats hardly going to land us at a decent 4.5.

Now my frown shouldnt spoil the party because I am a flexible guy. I can go with the flow of almost any half winded, I got a friend that holds Jobs hand on saturday nights while he locks up his own personal G5 quad smp powermac that comes with multiple naked women to press the start up button. I would agree that Jobs waits for nothing and it makes perfect sense that he would have the best. But if your going to talk about G3's with patience then you force me to say the BORING words , "your not running OSX are you!" Or worse.

I dont love your rumor anymore!

[TyleRomeo]

hey Backtothemac, thanx for the info. i know we are all praying for what youre saying to be out this July. G4, G5 whatever. It seems like its a G5 except for the 64Bit part. so lets see whats new about this latest G4

1. a faster bus speed
2.much faster processor
3.DDR ram thats expandible beyond 1.5GB (finally)
4.maybe a larger hard drive
5.faster superdrive
6.standard Nvidia card on the top of the line product
7.bluetooth standard
8.possible support for USB 2 and Firewire 2
9.a new case (lets see some of the ports in the front on this one)
10.OSX 10.2+

what else do you guys want from apple?
look if the new G4s dont have the USB 2 or firewire 2 support who cares, isnt that why they give you 4 PCi slots. so if all this holds up, im definately making the leap from PC to Mac. This will be a video/audio editing dream machine.

[cb911]

if they release a newer, faster Powermac this means there must be a considerable speed jump for the TiBook in store, right?

i was also thinking that i could rent a Mac until the new TiBooks are released. is this a good way to go?

[Backtothemac]

Originally posted by Grokgod
This rumor must feel pretty real to actually stop a shipment.

I was in the belief zone also till i got head slapped to my local disbelief zone by Backtothemac when he said that he was happy with his G3 even though he could have had a g4 iMac three weeks later.

Now, dont get me wrong, i 'm happy, he's happy. Its whats making him happy thats making me unhappy. Because to be happy about having a G3 when you should have gotten a G4 isnt the kind of happy we all call happy its called head happy. the kind of happy that doesnt go away, its that permanent smile that doctors call rationalization, or to the layman, slap happy.

Now I'm not trying to make anyone unhappy with this kinda talk. G3 talk always kinda brings a frown to my face anyway. But if we're trying to count to 5 and get too happy at 3, thats hardly going to land us at a decent 4.5.

Now my frown shouldnt spoil the party because I am a flexible guy. I can go with the flow of almost any half winded, I got a friend that holds Jobs hand on saturday nights while he locks up his own personal G5 quad smp powermac that comes with multiple naked women to press the start up button. I would agree that Jobs waits for nothing and it makes perfect sense that he would have the best. But if your going to talk about G3's with patience then you force me to say the BORING words , "your not running OSX are you!" Or worse.

I dont love your rumor anymore!

Grok, that is a slap happy funny post....:p

Now, let me explain my G3 iMac. Like I had said, my wife HAD to have the system right then, and could not wait until January to get the G4 iMac, plus, we could not afford the G4. Also, I figured that there would be hold ups on the G4 iMac, and there were, are. Now my little Flower Power hums in X.

It is a G3 600, I have a seperate swap partition set up for the swap file. I also have OS 9 on an external fire wire drive. X is on its own partition, Apps are on there own. I defrag twice a week to keep the little puppy running.... i replaced the internal Hard drive with a 7,200 rpm drive, and put a small fan in the case to keep things cool. Also, I have 1 Gig of Ram in it. So yes, it is fast. In fact, it will out run sub 600 MHZ G4's on a lot of applications (those that are not altivec :p ). My neighbor has a G4 533 with 256 Megs, and my little Flower Power will run just slightly slower than it on 80 % of what I do.

The biggest factor was cost. Everyone knew that the G4 iMac was going to cost, and I got this Flower Power from smalldog (new), Epson C60 printer, and H/K Soundsticks delivered overnight, for 1300.00. So all of this added together, I am happy with my G3 FOR NOW!!!

;)

[OSUbuckeyefan]

Originally posted by TyleRomeo

9. ...(lets see some of the ports in the front on this [new case])


ewwwwwwwwwwwwww nooooooooooooooooooo! ;)

[mischief]

Okay. Let's clear this up...........

Can Rapid I/O and DDR co-exist on the same mobo?

What are the speeds for Rapid I/O?

Is there DDR that runs at those speeds?

What kind of RAM does work with Rapid I/O that's affordable enough to manufacture with?

What does the Apollo G4 need to use Rapid I/O, DDR and/or larger amounts of RAM?

If you have 2 Apollos can they have their own RAM? How much per processor?

[gbojim]

The only thing that sounds kind of weird to me is the use of RapidIO for the memory interface. 2 reasons for this.

First - the MPC8540 which is the embedded chip Motorola already has rolling, has an on-board 333MHz DDR controller. We don't know if the chip Apple will be using has this controller as well, but I don't see why it would not.

Second - RapidIO is actually a slower interface than 333MHz DDR, although it smokes PCI.

The only reason I can see that Apple would want to use RapidIO for the memory interface is they need the chip real estate for something other than the DDR controller and they figure they can handle all of the IO through one channel - ie the RapidIO channel.

Interestingly, if that is the case, it could explain the use of DDR RAM at "non-standard" frequencies, and previous rumours about problems getting DDR stable on the new mobo design.

Mischief - Yes you can have RapidIO and DDR on the same mobo. RapidIO is about 10Gbps if I remember right and 333MHz DDR is about 16Gbps. RapidIO is only 8 bits wide so there is not actual RapidIO RAM, at least not that I know of - you have to bridge to it thru a controller. To make an Apollo use DDR and RapidIO, you would have to rip out the 133MHZ memory and PCI interfaces and replace them with RapidIO and DDR interfaces.

[mischief]

A G4 with Rapid I/O on the motherboard would solve the PCI/Mobo speed issue.

Is it possible to put the RAM on a daughter card with the processor(s) (like the original iMac) so DDR can be used locally for the CPUs and the rest of the machine work via Rapid I/O?

In this config all the non-CPU tasks would work at 10Gb/sec and the CPU/RAM tasks could scream along at 16Gb/sec.

Is Rapid I/O backward compatible to PCI and AGP? It'd suck to lose all the stuff that's out there for the sake of a faster bus.

[gbojim]

Yes the RAM could go on a daughter card with the CPu - although you do not have to. It can sit on the mobo no problem.

Yes RapidIO is compatible to PCI meaning you can bridge to it no problem.

[peteMG]

Originally posted by cb911
if they release a newer, faster Powermac this means there must be a considerable speed jump for the TiBook in store, right?


There's got to be!! Ask your friend about that, Backtothemac. Even better, maybe he'll say that new TiBooks will come out at a special spring event, sometime sooner than July (please oh please)

-p

[mischief]

We could see a PAINFULLY FAST G4 quite soon.

I think it's about time to sell a kidney in lieu of a new tower.;) :D

[gbojim]

Mischief - I think I mislead you somehow.

The RapidIO interface does have to be on the die with the CPU.

[mischief]

So existing mobo designs are what we're stuck with until there is a die-level change to the G4. (shrug) No suprise. So if there's a change in chip architecture the whole who-makes-the-G5 issue comes up again.

[SPG]

Originally posted by OSUbuckeyefan


ewwwwwwwwwwwwww nooooooooooooooooooo! ;)

Not all ports should be on the front, but a firewire and usb up front would be extremely convenient. Notice how many VCR's have a/v input on the front these days? crawling 'round back every time you want to plug something in is a pain.
Power, monitor, modem, ethernet, audio in can all stay in the back or side or wherever since you don't change those up too often, but audio out, usb, and firewire are plugged in and out often enough to warrant better access.
______________________
Another sole member of the anti-zealot campaign.

[TyleRomeo]

thank you SPG, ofcourse i meant only the firewire and USB ports in the front. and im not even talking about al lof them. maybe 2 of each at most. for those people who use firewire and USB devices constantly its alot easier then finding them in the back, apple should have a little flip down switch or little secret compartment where they are stored so the case still glistens with apples beauty.

[Catfish_Man]

I'm still unclear on why people are upset that's it's "only" a G4. The Gx name is meaningless. The jump from 7400 to 7450 was bigger than the jump from Pentium II to Pentium III but they still called it a G4. As for it having the same core, a new pipeline, a new memory controller, and a new manufacturing process sound like a new core to me.

The only thing that sounds kind of weird to me is the use of RapidIO for the memory interface. 2 reasons for this.

First - the MPC8540 which is the embedded chip Motorola already has rolling, has an on-board 333MHz DDR controller. We don't know if the chip Apple will be using has this controller as well, but I don't see why it would not.

Second - RapidIO is actually a slower interface than 333MHz DDR, although it smokes PCI.

The only reason I can see that Apple would want to use RapidIO for the memory interface is they need the chip real estate for something other than the DDR controller and they figure they can handle all of the IO through one channel - ie the RapidIO channel.

Interestingly, if that is the case, it could explain the use of DDR RAM at "non-standard" frequencies, and previous rumours about problems getting DDR stable on the new mobo design.

Mischief - Yes you can have RapidIO and DDR on the same mobo. RapidIO is about 10Gbps if I remember right and 333MHz DDR is about 16Gbps. RapidIO is only 8 bits wide so there is not actual RapidIO RAM, at least not that I know of - you have to bridge to it thru a controller. To make an Apollo use DDR and RapidIO, you would have to rip out the 133MHZ memory and PCI interfaces and replace them with RapidIO and DDR interfaces.

There have been fairly persistent rumors that the G5 (or next gen G4, there's some confusion about which it actually is) has an on chip DDR controller. There have also been persistent rumors about it using RapidIO, Hypertransport, 3GIO, MPX+, and pretty much any other tech you can think of. Basically, I think we'll have to wait, but I don't think we'll be disappointed. (The last update to the G4s was a teaser, the processor went from 7450 to 7455, which tells me that from Moto's point of view, this was basically a maintenance release. The real stuff is still coming [I hope])