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What about a Dual Processor Powerbook?

K

KBFinFan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
I don't remember seeing this idea recently thrown around, but I thought I'd post my $.02 anyway.


So what about a Dual Processor PB?

I mean, Apple loves to always be the first ones with new products. The world's fastest personal computer, the world's biggest laptop (screen wise of course), and so on....

So I can just imagine the commerical with Jeff Goldbloom.

Introducing the newest line of Macintosh Powerbooks-

The World's First Dual Processor Notebook Computer

Yes, I know there would be some serious heat issues, and the fact that the shell of the computer is already filled to the max... but here's to imagination!
 
A dual processor laptop would be an instant hit. Imagine the possibilities for video editors and audio gurus and any other pro applications!

As far as design goes, yes, it would be a real challenge to keep 2 procs cool in a laptop. But I think if anyone can figure it out, Apple can. And the size of the laptop would most likely have to increase, probably not 1 inch thick anymore. But I'll bet lots of people would trade in the sleek looks for a true workhorse of a laptop. I mean, check out all those Wintel laptops with desktop processors... they weigh a ton, but people get them anyways.

I say Apple should somehow figure out how to make a Dual 1Ghz 17" PowerBook.😀
 
i don't think in the 17" it's going to be the heat that's the problem - I'm thinking more along the lines of..."battery".

This idea seems to keep coming up - I guess there are people who really do want one. Can't you just wait for the G5 powerbooks?!
 
Originally posted by mim
i don't think in the 17" it's going to be the heat that's the problem - I'm thinking more along the lines of..."battery".

This idea seems to keep coming up - I guess there are people who really do want one. Can't you just wait for the G5 powerbooks?!
Click to expand...

Battery really isn't the prob, it is heat, you can disable a processor via software, but the option would be nice to have the second processor kick in when you need serious horsepower for rendering etc or when your are plugged in, you can already reduce processor performance and increase battery performance in OSX.

Now that alot of bars etc have power points, along with trains and planes you'll be actually surprised how often you don't run off a battery.

For people like myself who use PowerBooks as a 100% desktop replacement, we shouldn't have to suffer such a performance deficit for portabbility...

I think though if Apple could do a dual PowerBook they would... but hopefully the G5 PowerBook will be released sooner than it took Apple to finally squeeze a G4 into a PowerBook.
 
Yeah, I'm not seeing dual G4 PB's anytime soon. They would do just as well to put a single G5 in first, then move to a dual G5 17" notebook. Of course I don't know where you would put 8GB of RAM but I'm sure you could find room somewhere...

😉 😛 😉 Imagines a laptop with mean-lookin projections like a supercharged muscle car😀 😉 😛 😉
 
A dual G4 Powerbook? Not a chance.

It would overheat, underpreform, and have an incredibly short battery life. Even with a processor turned off, the battery in a dual processor beast could never last as long as a battery in a single processor machine.

This is quite simply unrealistic. Maybe it could work with the G3, but not the current G4 or G5.
 
Originally posted by pyrotoaster
A dual G4 Powerbook? Not a chance.

It would overheat, underpreform, and have an incredibly short battery life. Even with a processor turned off, the battery in a dual processor beast could never last as long as a battery in a single processor machine.

This is quite simply unrealistic. Maybe it could work with the G3, but not the current G4 or G5.
Click to expand...

I'd have to place my opinion with pyrotoaster on the "unrealistic" side of the fence. While the G4 is nice for dual processing, it's still really handicapped by it being bandwidth starved, and not being able to use fast memory to its fullest potential. Overheating and battery life would be another problem that would be hard to overcome.

I'd rather that Apple take their time and develop the rumored PPC 980 which is a low-power G5 chip that could run in laptops. After that, we could think about a dual-processor laptop.

But at this point in time, I don't think that it really makes sense, especially now that G4 processors from the PowerMac line are freed up for the PowerBook/iMac/eMac .
 
Originally posted by simX
I'd have to place my opinion with pyrotoaster on the "unrealistic" side of the fence. While the G4 is nice for dual processing, it's still really handicapped by it being bandwidth starved, and not being able to use fast memory to its fullest potential. Overheating and battery life would be another problem that would be hard to overcome.

I'd rather that Apple take their time and develop the rumored PPC 980 which is a low-power G5 chip that could run in laptops. After that, we could think about a dual-processor laptop.

But at this point in time, I don't think that it really makes sense, especially now that G4 processors from the PowerMac line are freed up for the PowerBook/iMac/eMac .
Click to expand...
The topic was about a Dual Processor Powerbook, not a Dual Processor G4 Powerbook. I think it could work once they shrink the G5 to 90nm.
 
Yeah Problems:

1) Heat

2) Battery

3) Price


Its gonna be extremly hot, and unless we got some major battery it will die quite quickly.


BTW, if they are having such problems with the heat in a G4, and the G5 creats even greater heat what do you think a Dual G5 is gonna do?

My bets are gonna be overheating and melting itself.


Chance = Very Slim
 
I think the chance of a double processor laptop from apple are close to zero (due to the reasons as stated above...).

the only machine that could justify the additional heat and shorter battery life (and even then, like iGav said, switchable), is the 17" PB desktop replacement... since it is so awfully big, why not give the power too..?

well, I could surely live without the 17" in Apple's product line but others who don't care about portability, the additional heat,, and run it on external power supply anyways, would probably buy this machine (certainly not me since you would get a G5 desktop for that money...)

vSpacken
 
I bet its been tried, made, tested and failed. Apple is too innovative to have passed this type of blatently marketable computer up. They have to have encountered some sort of trouble- probably heat. Maybe once we see 65nm, we can talk about dual proc laptops.

But until then, what about the possibility of Apple teaming up with Sony to create a powerPC compatable cell chip like those soon to be featured in the planned playstation 3. I hear theyre low cost and low energy consumption. I bet a bit of R&D could turn cell chips into a promising new Apple laptop technology.
 
Originally posted by tazo
is there really any need for dual processors on the go?
Click to expand...

youd be surpised at how lacking laptops are for those in professional fields like audio and video editing. They put up with it, but a second proc on the go would save the time. And as the old saying goes... "time equals money"
 
Originally posted by G5orbust
youd be surpised at how lacking laptops are for those in professional fields like audio and video editing. They put up with it, but a second proc on the go would save the time. And as the old saying goes... "time equals money"
Click to expand...

The point of a notebook is portability, if one needs the power of dual processors, they should get a desktop system. Not only will a professional need the extra power, they will need the expandability a desktop system offers.

If you ask me it seems like a 1ghz g4 is enough power for anyone who needs to do work away from a computer.
 
Originally posted by mim
i don't think in the 17" it's going to be the heat that's the problem - I'm thinking more along the lines of..."battery".

This idea seems to keep coming up - I guess there are people who really do want one. Can't you just wait for the G5 powerbooks?!
Click to expand...

heat could be solved, but battery time in a dual G4 probably will not get solved before the advent of a G5 laptop

but it would be great if apple could come up with a viable dual G4 laptop that got at least four hours battery time...and then a year after that, a single and dual G5 laptops

...the PC world would truly be jealous

and if we could lower the price and keep things thin and light...apple has not really let us down in the laptop department for several years now, so it's natual to expect the near impossible from them...the pismo was an amazing machine and lightweight...the clamshell ibook featured wireless capability at a great price...the tibook was one inch thin...the 12 inch powerbook was the cheapest price yet for a pro apple laptop...the 17 inch was the first screen in a laptop that size

so a dual G4 laptop is possible in my book
 
Originally posted by tazo
The point of a notebook is portability, if one needs the power of dual processors, they should get a desktop system. Not only will a professional need the extra power, they will need the expandability a desktop system offers.

If you ask me it seems like a 1ghz g4 is enough power for anyone who needs to do work away from a computer.
Click to expand...

Have you ever used FCP4?
My DP 1G MDD struggles to do alot of the stuff. I would hate to think about having only one processor. I feel sorry for those on the go.
It takes about 18mins to export a 15min DV to MPEG2 for use in DVDSP (soon to be DVDSP2).
Lets see
- double that for loss on one processor
- add a bit more because you have to run OSX in the background
- and a bit more because as battery goes down and heat increases (from lots of work) it slows the processor down

I would say you going to go for about 50mins to do he same job.

See why a dual powerbook isnt such a bad idea.
 
Originally posted by NavyIntel007
Here we go again... Will you think before posting?

Duals will never happen...

Unless you want dual G4 667's
Click to expand...

though i don't see it as something high on apple's list, it could happen

but something more unlikely or highly unlikely is an apple pda...i have been wanting to see one now for three years...maybe eyelikeart's dislike of an apple pda has kept apple from making one for us😛
 
Re: What about a Dual Processor Powerbook?

Originally posted by KBFinFan
I don't remember seeing this idea recently thrown around, but I thought I'd post my $.02 anyway.


So what about a Dual Processor PB?

I mean, Apple loves to always be the first ones with new products. The world's fastest personal computer, the world's biggest laptop (screen wise of course), and so on....

So I can just imagine the commerical with Jeff Goldbloom.

Introducing the newest line of Macintosh Powerbooks-

The World's First Dual Processor Notebook Computer

Yes, I know there would be some serious heat issues, and the fact that the shell of the computer is already filled to the max... but here's to imagination!
Click to expand...

what? why? You mean as a marketing tool?
Listen How about they increase FSB speed instead of putting second processor in? That will speed things up alot more.
And how long will battery run on those btw? 20 mins?
Geez... at this point this idea is just plain argghhhh... BAD.
 
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