More Details on Apple's Intel Mac

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Xlr8yourmac.com provides some detailed comments from one of the developers at WWDC describing the current development Intel-Mac which currently features a 3.6GHz Pentium 4.

Minor highlights:

- "the thing is fast". All iLife apps are already universal binaries
- Pentium 4 660 at 3.6GHz, but will not be used in the shipping product (of course, since the high end Intel-Mac is 2 years away)
- DDR-2 RAM at 533. SATA-2.
- Presently uses the Intel GMA 900 integrated graphics chip set which supports Quartz Extreme.
- Regular video cards will be supported, but need drivers
- No Open Firmware. Uses Phoenix BIOS.

Major highlights:

- "They run Windows fine. All the chipset is standard Intel stuff, so you can download drivers and run XP - on the box."
- Game devs optimistic. "They look forward to the day they don't have to support PPC."
- Cell and AMD were evaluated. Cell not intended for PCs; AMD with supply constraints.

[fowler.]

This is really exciting. I was all hesitant at first, but now I'm starting to feel secure :P

[barneygumble]

This change will deliver everything a mac purist could want!!

I don't think apple will bring out a computer in two years that is slower than the current lineup, have faith everyone apple has its pride

[bommai]

How does iTunes run since it is still carbon?

[MacFan25863]

I really hope this doesn't mean intergrated graphics (shared ram and all) in future macs:

- Presently uses the Intel GMA 900 integrated graphics chip set which supports Quartz Extreme.

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

- Cell and AMD were evaluated. Cell not intended for PCs; AMD with supply constraints.

Now, that's interesting!

Also, all the cell people and the AMD people need to be quiet. Apple evaluated both. AMD has the same, if not worse, supply problems as IBM. Their roadmap is fine, but the production capacity is not.

The tested Cell as well. That processor is NOT intended for PC applications. (it was designed for game systems, not as a general use CPU) The lack of out of order execution and ILP control logic creates very poor performance with existing software. Having developers rewrite for cell would have been MUCH more work than reworking for Intel. And that's what this is, you rework your codebase in ALL cases, not rewrite it.

I'm actually a bit relieved from this. That both (the more obvious) choices at least was seriously considered...

Now bring me the Mactel CPU roadmap!

[arn]

um...

I'd like confirmation on the PC Bios etc... thing. If all true, then Apple's just shipping a PC.

Advantages:

R&D costs go down dramatically

Disadvantages

It's a PC. Not very "Mac"-ish perhaps except the box.
More importantly, OS X will easily run on other PCs. (same chipset)

arn

[oingoboingo]

Originally Posted by bommai

How does iTunes run since it is still carbon?

Carbon apps can still run natively, they may just require some extra effort to port across to Mac OS X/Intel (remember the bar graphs Steve showed in the keynote speech about how long it would take to port various types of apps?)

[bryanzak]

Originally Posted by bommai

How does iTunes run since it is still carbon?

Why would Carbon make a difference?!?

From what I could tell it sounded perfectly fine.

[rabatjoie]

What's the difference between Open Firmware and BIOS? I was just wondering. Apart from that, the "Game devs optimistic. "They look forward to the day they don't have to support PPC."" thing kind of gives me an eerie feeling. Apart from the really big guys (MS Office for Apple, Adobe) who have confirmed that they are going provide binaries that support both systems, one does not really know what developers will do. The PPC might die earlier than Apple intended. The PPC crowd will be at the mercy of the developers (to put it a bit too dramatically).

[bryanzak]

Originally Posted by arn

um...

I'd like confirmation on the PC Bios etc... thing. If all true, then Apple's just shipping a PC.

Advantages:

R&D costs go down dramatically

Disadvantages

It's a PC. Not very "Mac"-ish perhaps except the box.
More importantly, OS X will easily run on other PCs. (same chipset)

arn

the motherboards are even Intel stock motherboards with minor changes for (by?) Apple. So yes, OF is out, BIOS is in.

[zakatov]

Originally Posted by MacFan25863

I really hope this doesn't mean intergrated graphics (shared ram and all) in future macs:

I see this happening in Mac minis and eMacs, and possibly lower end iMacs (since the GPU is already soldered on the mobo, who cares what you call it). Yes, shared RAM sucks

[brap]

So.. a version of OS X, which runs on a near-standard 9xx-series Intel motherboard, and a Phoenix BIOS, will be out in the open within a couple of weeks.

Be afraid.

[joeboy_45101]

Bloody Intel Integrated Graphics!!!! I sure hope to hell that this is just a quick fix to get the price of the developer kit down and lower the amount of hardware to ship.

I may have changed my opinion of Intel chips and x86 and CISC processors, but there is no way anybody is going to convince me that Integrated Graphics are superior to Dedicated Graphics.

[biohazard6969]

i've said it before and i'll say it again, this is the worst decision ever for apple. they will be making pc's and as said, won't be very mac like except for the box. osx isn't native to macs anymore....this all just sucks!!

[paulypants]

Originally Posted by zakatov

I see this happening in Mac minis and eMacs, and possibly lower end iMacs (since the GPU is already soldered on the mobo, who cares what you call it). Yes, shared RAM sucks

God I hope not, the biggest joke in the computer industry to me is Intel integrated graphics...bllllaaaaarrrghh!!

[virus1]

i like how it will be able to run windows. no more excuses for my m$- happy friends.. so i assume this means more versions of linux too

[tdar]

Originally Posted by MacFan25863

I really hope this doesn't mean intergrated graphics (shared ram and all) in future macs:

Intel Motherboards that include the 900X graphics support also support slot baised graphics as well and it's PCI Express!

[MacFan25863]

Originally Posted by biohazard_6969

i've said it before and i'll say it again, this is the worst decision ever for apple. they will be making pc's and as said, won't be very mac like except for the box. osx isn't native to macs anymore....this all just sucks!!

You still won't be able to change your standard old Dell box to OS X or anything. Its just like the change to PPC that happened, what, 10 years ago?

[Iroganai]

mmm, then Steve gave the podcasting demo with iTunes on Rosetta ?

That's huge.

[chibianh]

Originally Posted by biohazard_6969

i've said it before and i'll say it again, this is the worst decision ever for apple. they will be making pc's and as said, won't be very mac like except for the box. osx isn't native to macs anymore....this all just sucks!!

pfft.. cmon! If you watched the Keynote, you couldn't even TELL steve wasn't using a G5 until he actually told everyone. Just because it's a different processor doesn't mean it still won't be a Mac. give me a break.

[MacFan25863]

Originally Posted by tdar

Intel Motherboards that include the 900X graphics support also support slot baised graphics as well and it's PCI Express!

Yeah, but they still may put intergrated graphics in iMacs, eMacs, and Mac Minis. I don't want to have to buy a graphics card for a brand new computer.

[Superdrive]

Originally Posted by arn

um...

I'd like confirmation on the PC Bios etc... thing. If all true, then Apple's just shipping a PC.

Advantages:

R&D costs go down dramatically

Disadvantages

It's a PC. Not very "Mac"-ish perhaps except the box.
More importantly, OS X will easily run on other PCs. (same chipset)

arn

So long to the nice Macintosh startup with a chime, white screen, and Apple logo in the middle. After working on PCs, a BIOS just gives me a disconcerting feeling. Perhaps Apple just wanted something fast to throw out the door to developers and OF will come later. Perhaps we will be like Sony and just have a fancy box.

I'm ready to buy the first Mobile Mactel, but right now this just brings up all the bad connotations that make me think of a PC.

[avus]

Originally Posted by biohazard_6969

i've said it before and i'll say it again, this is the worst decision ever for apple.

No, it is getting clear that this is the best decision for APPLE. I don't care whether it is for YOU.

Originally Posted by biohazard_6969

osx isn't native to macs anymore....this all just sucks!!

Don't spread a FUD.

[tdar]

Originally Posted by arn

um...

I'd like confirmation on the PC Bios etc... thing. If all true, then Apple's just shipping a PC.

Advantages:

R&D costs go down dramatically

Disadvantages

It's a PC. Not very "Mac"-ish perhaps except the box.
More importantly, OS X will easily run on other PCs. (same chipset)

arn

I am not so sure you'll see OSX running out of the box on your new DELL....I'd bet you will find that the OS is Bios locked to onlly run on APPLE bios systems....All of the large MS OEM's do this today....