Intel Launching Woodcrest, Conroe and Merom Early?

[MacRumors]

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

TG Daily claims that faced with increasing competitive pressure from AMD, Intel has accelerated the launch of its upcoming processors.

The upcoming processors include Woodcrest, Conroe and Merom. All three are now expected to be shipping "in volume" in Q3 2006. This could mean that processors would be available as early as June or July of this year.

Conroe processors are Intel's Desktop CPU from their Core microarchitecture. They come in a 65-nm process and are speculated/rumored to be used in Apple's upcoming Intel PowerMac revisions.

Meanwhile, Merom is Intel's 64-bit mobile processor which is said to have better performance than the current Core Duos with the same power consumption. The Merom processor is also said to be pin compatible with the current Core Duo processors. Merom processors would presumably be used in upcoming MacBook Pros.

Little has been said about Apple's plans (if any) for Woodcrest, which is Intel's server-targeted processor.

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif
The upcoming processors include Woodcrest, Conroe and Merom. All three are now expected to be shipping "in volume" in Q3 2006. This could mean that processors would be available as early as June or July of this year.

Conroe processors are Intel's Desktop CPU from their Core microarchitecture. They come in a 65-nm process and are speculated/rumored to be used in Apple's upcoming Intel PowerMac revisions.

Schweeet. This might mean I will be able to retire my PM G4 MDD as a mail/file server around September. I just hope they don't change the casing of the PM. I like the clean design. Since the new PM most likely will come with PhotoBooth, I wonder if that means we will see a new cinema display line with integrated iSight.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gargoyle

Schweeet. This might mean I will be able to retire my PM G4 MDD as a mail/file server around September. I just hope they don't change the casing of the PM. I like the clean design. Since the new PM most likely will come with PhotoBooth, I wonder if that means we will see a new cinema display line with integrated iSight.

They allready released the Intel version of Powermac to developers,intel version iMac & Mini I would expect a new design from apple rather then just throwing the developers edition on the market with a real video card. If you think about it Apple hasnt released a all new model in quite some time. Expect an all new Powermac this summer.

[Multimedia]

Originally Posted by Dont Hurt Me

They allready released the Intel version of Powermac to developers,intel version iMac & Mini I would expect a new design from apple rather then just throwing the developers edition on the market with a real video card. If you think about it Apple hasnt released a all new model in quite some time. Expect an all new Powermac this summer.

Believe me when I say "The Quad PM G5 Is All New". I can't think of anything that's "old" about it. Waiting for an expensive Rev A Woodcrest when you can have a 10 GHz Quad G5 now for only $3k is almost absurd to my way of thinking - especially when you consider that the entire Adobe CS3 Universal Suite won't be out until the 8 core Kentsfields come out next year.

I made the leap to Quad in early February and I have to tell you all that the Quad will change your life. The current Quad is the way to make it to the 8 core dual Kentsfields that are certainly coming out next year. This is my recommendation to anyone who needs real power NOW. I think there is little point in waiting 6 more months for the first Rev A Quad Intels when the Oct Intels are only about 12 months away from NOW.

[generik]

Originally Posted by Multimedia

I made the leap to Quad in early February and I have to tell you all that the Quad will change your life. The current Quad is the way to make it to the 8 core dual Kentsfields that are certainly coming out next year. This is my recommendation to anyone who needs real power NOW. I think there is little point in waiting 6 more months for the first Rev A Quad Intels when the Oct Intels are only about 12 months away from NOW.

Jesus will change your life.

A good investment plan can make a difference in your life.

A G5 Quad? Obsolete computer running obsolete code, and if it truly changes your life... then it is really sad

[Multimedia]

Originally Posted by generik

A G5 Quad? Obsolete computer running obsolete code, and if it truly changes your life... then it is really sad

Try recording HDTV, encoding HDTV recordings to DVD images, transcoding DVD images to archivable mp4 files while still being able to edit audio and video, write and post here as well as get mail and surf the web on anything less than a Quad and you will quickly see how pathetically slow all other Macs really are.

You want to live in the future with less than a Quad now, fine. But don't pretend that work getting done on a Quad now, that cant' be done simultaneously on anything less, is somehow "obsolete". Just two of those processes listed above use 3.25 of the 4 processors. If you have no experience with a Quad and don't need the power it delivers - very quietly I might add - then you have no idea why those of us who have one are delighted and glad.

It has truly changed my life and it is wonderful not sad.

[MovieCutter]

Originally Posted by Multimedia

Believe me when I say "The Quad PM G5 Is All New". I can't think of anything that's "old" about it. Waiting for an expensive Rev A Woodcrest when you can have a 10 GHz Quad G5 now for only $3k is almost absurd to my way of thinking - especially when you consider that the entire Adobe CS3 Universal Suite won't be out until the 8 core Kentsfields come out next year.

I made the leap to Quad in early February and I have to tell you all that the Quad will change your life. The current Quad is the way to make it to the 8 core dual Kentsfields that are certainly coming out next year. This is my recommendation to anyone who needs real power NOW. I think there is little point in waiting 6 more months for the first Rev A Quad Intels when the Oct Intels are only about 12 months away from NOW.

Yeah...the Quad changed my life...then the MBP changed my life more...so I sold the Quad...as an atheist, I don't subscribe to Jesus . When I discovered that iPhoto, Safari, iWeb and a bunch of other apps actually were faster and snappier...and Final Cut Studio apps ran ALMOST as fast as on my Quad (with the exception of iPod video encoding which I don't much of anyway) I decided having a $5000 machine sitting under my desk to play video games was a waste...so out it went. I don't miss it actually, the only thing I DO miss about it is having a "home base" of stuff, but with my 8x500GB external drives, my MBP makes a nice temporary desktop replacement. BRING ON THE MAC PRO!!!

[Multimedia]

Originally Posted by MovieCutter

Yeah...the Quad changed my life...then the MBP changed my life more...so I sold the Quad...as an atheist, I don't subscribe to Jesus . When I discovered that iPhoto, Safari, iWeb and a bunch of other apps actually were faster and snappier...and Final Cut Studio apps ran ALMOST as fast as on my Quad (with the exception of iPod video encoding which I don't much of anyway) I decided having a $5000 machine sitting under my desk to play video games was a waste...so out it went. I don't miss it actually, the only thing I DO miss about it is having a "home base" of stuff, but with my 8x500GB external drives, my MBP makes a nice temporary desktop replacement. BRING ON THE MAC PRO!!!

That's great to know. I guess you don't miss looking at a pair of 1920 x 1200 monitors. I am doing iPod mp4 encoding every few hours so my needs are completely different than yours. And I didn't pay $5k for this Quad either. I would way rather split up chores among 4 cores than 2 no matter what small speed advantage there might be running Safari & iLife apps - which I don't use much at all. I use Firefox a lot of the time anyway.

For long term insurance, I would rather wait for Merom inside a 17" mobile MacIntel. My pokey 15" PB G4 is ok for the time being. Glad to hear you're successfully booking on the 15" MBP. Not enough screen space for me in the first place.

Originally Posted by MovieCutter

Except the fact that it's hooked up to my formerly-paired-with-Quad 30" Cinema Display I paid $3k for my Quad as well...it was WORTH $5k (in its configuration), which is what I sold it for...he he he.

Way to go on the resale. That 30" must rock. That's still not wide enough for me. I'm looking at 3520 wide by 1200 high. Like I said b4, need 4 cores. But congrats. I'm really happy for you. You are our Alpha site for Quad to MBP FCS migration.

One more question: How can you run that all in only 2 GB of RAM? I have 6 and think it might not be enough.

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by Dont Hurt Me

They allready released the Intel version of Powermac to developers,intel version iMac & Mini I would expect a new design from apple rather then just throwing the developers edition on the market with a real video card. If you think about it Apple hasnt released a all new model in quite some time. Expect an all new Powermac this summer.

Hmm, you might be correct. However, Apple has so far not made any design changes in the macs that have made the PPC->x86 transition. (I don't see the design difference between PB and MBP) But then again, the casing of the PM hasn't changed in a while.

[jaxstate]

I don't think apple is going to make it easy for people to swap out chips. They want you to upgrade as often as possible. Remember they are a hardware company, and letting people upgrade chips would most def. cut into their sales.

[dr_lha]

Originally Posted by jaxstate

I don't think apple is going to make it easy for people to swap out chips. They want you to upgrade as often as possible. Remember they are a hardware company, and letting people upgrade chips would most def. cut into their sales.

99.9% of computer users wouldn't be comfortable swapping out a chip even if it was "easy", most people just buy a new computer if their old one is slow.

That said Apple do tend to make their computers (at least the new iMac) totally impossible to get open, making replacing the CPU extremely difficult.

[Stella]

Originally Posted by Dr.Gargoyle

Hmm, you might be correct. However, Apple has so far not made any design changes in the macs that have made the PPC->x86 transition. (I don't see the design difference between PB and MBP) But then again, the casing of the PM hasn't changed in a while.

I get the feeling the initial batch of Intel Macs were interim - get them in the current Mac housings. Later, complete the designs for the new Intel's. This is similar to what they did with the PPC transitions, isn't it? The first PPC machines looked like the predecessors, and then Apple made the cosmetic changes not too far down the road.

[Dr.Gargoyle]

Originally Posted by Stella

I get the feeling the initial batch of Intel Macs were interim - get them in the current Mac housings. Later, complete the designs for the new Intel's. This is similar to what they did with the PPC transitions, isn't it? The first PPC machines looked like the predecessors, and then Apple made the cosmetic changes not too far down the road.

I don't remember if Apple kept their original design through and after 68xxx->PPC. I doubt they will change the Mini Mac or the iMac design any time soon, since both designs are rather new. Apple tend to keep their designs fairly stable over many years. Just look at the iPod. The basic design hasn't changed in 5 generations. We see minor changes as in the case with PB -> MBP and iMac -> Frontrow iMac, but not a total remake.
Nevertheless, we might see some new designs soon. I just hope they don't botch the job. I must admit that I still prefer the "globe" iMac over the current "pizza carton" iMac, even though the latter is growing on me.

[supafly1703]

2nd Rev Merom 17" MBP....come to papa... (FW800 please?)

[eXan]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

TG Daily claims that faced with increasing competitive pressure from AMD, Intel has accelerated the launch of its upcoming processors.

Competition is a good thing! (for us, users )

[Multimedia]

Fine. But Conroe, Woodcrest & Merom Macs Still Won't Be Ready Before September. All this means is that the first MacIntel desktops and 64-bit mobiles may be released a month earlier than Apple was planning on. But it still means AFTER WWDC and likely September at the earliest. Not really that much sooner than I was expecting anyway. No biggie.

Read Alden Shaw's Post 33.

[Surreal]

no one has pointed out that there is the possibility of the most beautiful moment in apple laptop history could be within our grasp.

if apple announces a 17" MBP with merom at NAB the tears would flow like rivers.

[iris_failsafe]

POwer macs replacement shoould come with Woodcrest, anything else would be a downgrade from the G5

[O and A]

Isn't it MEMRON? not MERMON?

[Bengt77]

Originally Posted by O and A

Isn't it MEMRON? not MERMON?

Huh? Is that a joke? It's Merom. You've got the Merom coming (quite an upgrade on the Yonah), the Conroe (which is the desktop version of the Merom) and then the Woodcrest (the workstation/server chip based on the new Core technology).

PS: Wasn't it Enron?!...

[kenn8theocho]

This is my situation: I am a pc user looking to switch to a Mac notebook. I am considering getting a 12" pb on ebay for under 1200, but i have a few concerns. Do you think the laptop will be too old in a few years?? I want at least 3 years of satisfaction from my laptop. I don't want the new ibook that's coming out, because they will be rather pricy... and they fall in the ibook line. ShouldI go ahead and get the 12"? Will it keep me up to speed forat least 3 yrs.? I have no extra money to spend, and I want the amount that I do spend to pay of. Otherwise, I might have to go for a cheaper brand that I could easily update without killing my bank account. Anyone have any advice?

[aussie_geek]

Originally Posted by kenn8theocho

This is my situation: I am a pc user looking to switch to a Mac notebook. I am considering getting a 12" pb on ebay for under 1200, but i have a few concerns. Do you think the laptop will be too old in a few years?? I want at least 3 years of satisfaction from my laptop. I don't want the new ibook that's coming out, because they will be rather pricy... and they fall in the ibook line. ShouldI go ahead and get the 12"? Will it keep me up to speed forat least 3 yrs.? I have no extra money to spend, and I want the amount that I do spend to pay of. Otherwise, I might have to go for a cheaper brand that I could easily update without killing my bank account. Anyone have any advice?

Although you are hijacking this thread, it really depends on what you will want to do with your Mac. For email, word processing and some light photoshop work it will be ok if you max out the ram.

The G4 processor will be getting a little long in the tooth in 3 years and you will probably be restricted with regards to using new software.

In short, save a little more money and get one of the new iBooks that will be released soon.

aussie_geek

[Multimedia]

Originally Posted by kenn8theocho

This is my situation: I am a pc user looking to switch to a Mac notebook. I am considering getting a 12" pb on ebay for under 1200, but i have a few concerns. Do you think the laptop will be too old in a few years?? I want at least 3 years of satisfaction from my laptop. I don't want the new ibook that's coming out, because they will be rather pricy... and they fall in the ibook line. ShouldI go ahead and get the 12"? Will it keep me up to speed forat least 3 yrs.? I have no extra money to spend, and I want the amount that I do spend to pay of. Otherwise, I might have to go for a cheaper brand that I could easily update without killing my bank account. Anyone have any advice?

NO.It is too old NOW. The new MacBook will NOT be rather pricy. Wait for the 12" MacBookIntel and get it. That is NO DEAL on eBay.

[pacman7331]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

The Merom processor is also said to be pin compatible with the current Core Duo processors. Merom processors would presumably be used in upcoming MacBook Pros.

Little has been said about Apple's plans (if any) for Woodcrest, which is Intel's server-targeted processor.

Somone should start a service which would remove the MBP Yonah processors and soldering in a new merom for a fee. ... that is if there is no significant upgrade in the surrounding circuit hardware.

Does anyone know the history of Apple's laptop CPU upgrades? Is there a history whatsoever?

-ZTM

[DeathChill]

Originally Posted by pacman7331

Somone should start a service which would remove the MBP Yonah processors and soldering in a new merom for a fee. ... that is if there is no significant upgrade in the surrounding circuit hardware.

Does anyone know the history of Apple's laptop CPU upgrades? Is there a history whatsoever?

-ZTM

That'd be quite the service and soldered means it's basically melted to it. Undoing this has to be almost impossible I'd figure.