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Do you think Intel Mac will be updated more frequently than Power PC Mac?

YS2003

YS2003

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 24, 2004
2,138
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Finally I have arrived.....
Now that Intel transition is chugging along at Apple, I am thinking Macs with intel chips may be updated more frequently than Power PC based Macs of the yore. Do you think Apple will shorten the product update cycle because of the faster chip update by Intel? Intel's road map for the upcoming chips is very aggressive compared to snail-mail pace of Power PC chip development.
 
I think they might be updated as much as PCs. Which is to say...not often.
 
YS2003 said:
Do you think Intel Mac will be updated more frequently than Power PC Mac?
Click to expand...

Only if we can update them ourselves - ie: swap out the socketed processor :D
 
i think its fundamental. apple will try to continue their old ways but will realize they need to keep up with dell, etc.

i mean, look at how much choice dell offers in its consumer and pro laptop line. 15+ different models!
 
4God said:
Only if we can update them ourselves - ie: swap out the socketed processor :D
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. That would be fully sufficient for me, what else would you need to upgrade, besides RAM, and thats easy?
 
Perhaps we will see more frequent 'quiet' upgrades, with now glorious notification. ie. increase processor from 2ghz to 2.16ghz.

Just an idea.
 
Yeah, probably just what Shamus said - although probably not frequently.

Never know, really.
 
The answer is no but when they do upgrade there will be bigger jumps then the very slight bumps we have had over the years with PPC. Thats my take.
 
Shamus said:
Perhaps we will see more frequent 'quiet' upgrades, with now glorious notification. ie. increase processor from 2ghz to 2.16ghz
Click to expand...

That makes sense. Minor upgrades reasonably regularly (or at least price drops) as new processors become quicker and old ones become cheaper.
 
Apple has a history of doing several silent revisions to it's products before officially releasing the next version of the product with upgraded features. These revisions usually include things like fixing problems on the motherboard or replacing problematic components. The Mac Mini recently even had a silent unannounced upgrade to the processor speed even though it wasn't guaranteed which speed processor you'd get, the slower one which you paid for and is printed on the box or the faster chip they were unofficially introducing. I think this type of unofficial incremental processor speed bump is likely to happen again in the future as slightly faster chips are periodically released by Intel.
 
YS2003 said:
Now that Intel transition is chugging along at Apple, I am thinking Macs with intel chips may be updated more frequently than Power PC based Macs of the yore. Do you think Apple will shorten the product update cycle because of the faster chip update by Intel? Intel's road map for the upcoming chips is very aggressive compared to snail-mail pace of Power PC chip development.
Click to expand...
Define your terms. If by update you mean clock increase, then you answer is obvious. The answer is "yes." Apple is now buying processors from Intel's catalog. Intel is not going to keep slow processors in its inventory just for Apple. For Apple's part, you are never going to hear this conversation:

Intel: We've got some new 4.1 GHz Conroes hot off the foundries.

Apple: Let Dell have them. We're sticking with the 3.9's, thank you.
 
is this a poll? no? anyway, i would vote "no".

Intel: We've got some new 4.1 GHz Conroes hot off the foundries.

Apple: Let Dell have them. We're sticking with the 3.9's, thank you.
Click to expand...

if i remember correctly. we macusers, some call us fanboys, we frown at mere speed bumps. we always push apple to bring out computers with speed bumps and other goodies that comes with the computer, not to mention it is better for SJ's ego.
 
Shamus said:
Perhaps we will see more frequent 'quiet' upgrades, with now glorious notification. ie. increase processor from 2ghz to 2.16ghz.

Just an idea.
Click to expand...

agreed.

Consider the introduction of the Intel iMac: it was released within one week of the Core Duo rollout. And for obvious reasons: everyone else was putting them in their computers. Apple had to, as well.

I suspect the consumer desktops and pro portables will get Merom as soon as it's released. In the meantime, they'll get speed bumped "quietly".
 
With today's update on MBP (and price reduction), it seems we can expect rather frequent (comparing to Power PC era) and incremental upgrades or updates for upcoming Intel Macs. I think this is good to be a Mac customer (unless you bought a model which is updated a few days later).
 
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