Originally posted by DHagan4755
I actually think we'll see the 970 supplant the G4 at once. When it debuts, I think we'll see PowerBooks and PowerMacs with it. I think on the consumer side we'll see a new chip, an IBM G3+. I think the G3+ will be an enhanced G3 processor with AltiVec. It should provide equal to or better performance than the G4. I don't believe Apple will say it uses a G3. I think they'll call it something else. This will free Apple completely from Motorola, which will be an important point to show off.
The original G4 was a slightly enhanced G3 with Altivec. How is this different from your G3+? I think we'll see G4s replace G3s completely, and the 970 replace G4s in the high end.
Also, the 4X speed improvement is generally regarded as marketing hype rather then fact, although I imagine there will be much rejoicing if it's true. Itanium vs. POWER is going to be a long, fun battle to watch (like AMD vs. Intel but with higher stakes, bigger players, and more advanced tech).
And, yeah, the Alpha kicked ass. It's really a pity the EV8 got canned.