Apple to reconsider PPC

[MacsRgr8]

I hope Apple keeps up the development of Mac OS X as UB. So, not optimised and/or supported, and definitely not as a Retail product, but keep the reverse of "Marklar" active... just in case again.
I understand that, especially in the short term, Apple will focus on Intel only as that is the way forward ATM.
But I'm sure keeping Mac OS X (yes, Snow Leopard too) universal won't cost all that much time and effort, as long as optimisations and bug-squashing won't have priority on that non-retail product.

And maybe... Mac OS X Server can be PPC later on if they ever wanted to use the Power series by IBM.

Who knows...

 

[cube]

Due to the cost of the extra engineering and smaller economies of scale, I don't think there's any way Apple could produce a PowerPC-based computer for less money than an Intel-based computer.

Of course they could. PPC Macs were less expensive than Intel Macs and didn't have crappy integrated graphics.

 

[iMacmatician]

Of course they could. PPC Macs were less expensive than Intel Macs and didn't have crappy integrated graphics.

They were slower and the graphics weren't anything to write home about.

 

[nanofrog]

Didn't I read that Lenovo bought IBM? I mean the Chinese company Lenovo?

Or did they just buy the Hitachi part of IBM?

Not that it matters.

However, I am still running PPC machines. Still really love my old G4s/G5s.

LOL!
IBM has spun off, sold off, etc. it's crazy. Others as well. Then they buy pieces of each other. At this point, who know what is owned by whom?

 

[Chundles]

Could one of the people arguing for the return of the PowerPC chips point me to a product in Freescale's catalogue that is as fast, cool and gives me as much battery life in my MacBook as the 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo that's in there now.

 

[dukebound85]

Of course they could. PPC Macs were less expensive than Intel Macs and didn't have crappy integrated graphics.

less expensive??? not from what i remember lol

 

[Chundles]

less expensive??? not from what i remember lol

Yeah - the Intel Macs are waaay cheaper than the PPC ones were.
I love our exchange rate!

 

[SkyBell]

Of course not, which is why the numerical comparison becomes even more imperative.

Back in PPC days, Macs were seen as "slow" because the CPU speed was far below Wintel machines in nominal terms. Now it's a lot easier to see a Mac and PC side-by-side and say, "oh look, they're the same."

On a side note, isn't the title a bit deceptive? When I first clicked on this thread, I thought that this was some news story or something.

Yeah, I thought this was a newas story too. Damn.

Yeah - the Intel Macs are waaay cheaper than the PPC ones were.

Hmm, let's see.

iBook G4 - $999 | MacBook - $1099

PowerBook G4 - $1499 | MacBook Pro - $1999

iMac G5 - $1299 | Intel iMac - $1199 (Alright, you got me here.)

G4 Mac mini - $499 |Intel Mac mini - $599

PowerMac G5 - $1999 | Mac Pro - $2799 ($2299 if you take out a processor)

The MBA had no equivelent at the time.

 

[Mindflux]

They aren't ever going back to PPC guys. The next few iterations of OSX are going to drop more and more PPC SUPPORT!

 

[kabunaru]

iBook G4 - $999 | MacBook - $1099

PowerBook G4 - $1499 | MacBook Pro - $1999

iMac G5 - $1299 | Intel iMac - $1199 (Alright, you got me here.)

G4 Mac mini - $499 |Intel Mac mini - $599

PowerMac G5 - $1999 | Mac Pro - $2799

The MBA had no equivelent at the time.

And that's what the current Intel Macs should be priced at.
Make a standard plastic MacBook at $999, Higher-end Macbook Aluminium(true replacement for the 12" PowerBook G4) at $1299.
Intel iMac pricing can stay.
The 15" MacBook Pro pricing should be at least $1799 and $2299 for the 17" MacBook Pro.
The Mini needs to be updated and would be nice to have the G4 Mini pricing.
The Quad Core Mac Pro could be at $1999, while the standard Octo Core Mac Pro could be at $2299.

And along those price cuts, Apple needs to make custom chip-sets for the their Macs and not use standard off the shelf parts:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/532815/

Then the world would be a better place.

 

[Keebler]

no way it'll happen. as from the hardware changes, think of all the development by the various sw teams. way too much dollas and energy spent making the switch.

 

[gauchogolfer]

Yeah, I thought this was a newas story too. Damn.

Hmm, let's see.

iBook G4 - $999 | MacBook - $1099

PowerBook G4 - $1499 | MacBook Pro - $1999

iMac G5 - $1299 | Intel iMac - $1199 (Alright, you got me here.)

G4 Mac mini - $499 |Intel Mac mini - $599

PowerMac G5 - $1999 | Mac Pro - $2799 ($2299 if you take out a processor)

The MBA had no equivelent at the time.

Inflation is a pain in the neck, isn't it?

 

[clevin]

Inflation is a pain in the neck, isn't it?

it might, but the truth is that, over the years, most pc laptops' prices have been dropping significantly.

 

[dukebound85]

Yeah, I thought this was a newas story too. Damn.

Hmm, let's see.

iBook G4 - $999 | MacBook - $1099

PowerBook G4 - $1499 | MacBook Pro - $1999

iMac G5 - $1299 | Intel iMac - $1199 (Alright, you got me here.)

G4 Mac mini - $499 |Intel Mac mini - $599

PowerMac G5 - $1999 | Mac Pro - $2799 ($2299 if you take out a processor)

The MBA had no equivelent at the time.

i hope you take inflation into account. the US dollar isnt as strong as it used to be lol

i can hear my grandma saying "when i was your age, milk was 50 cents a gallon"

for example, the avg wage in 2003 was ~$34k and in 2006 it was $38.6k which is a ~14% increase. if we follow that trend, the avg wage in 08 is $42.2k or about 24% higher than in '03. tis is what i was referencing avg wages

now the biggest price difference you listed is a 40% increase from octo mac pro to g5 pm. all the others are less than 28%


granted this is a VERY simple study as inflation is alot more complicated than just wage increases but gives you an idea. its all about purchasing power, not necessarily the monetary cost

edit: probably should have used 04 or 05 data instead of 03 but the idea is there

 

[gauchogolfer]

it might, but the truth is that, over the years, most pc laptops' prices have been dropping significantly.

So have Apple's over the years. I think that the recent price increases have more to do with the value of the dollar than anything else. Plus, they don't have to win business in a commoditized market like PC manufacturers by racing to the bottom.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Yeah, I thought this was a newas story too. Damn.

Hmm, let's see.

iBook G4 - $999 | MacBook - $1099

PowerBook G4 - $1499 | MacBook Pro - $1999

iMac G5 - $1299 | Intel iMac - $1199 (Alright, you got me here.)

G4 Mac mini - $499 |Intel Mac mini - $599

PowerMac G5 - $1999 | Mac Pro - $2799 ($2299 if you take out a processor)

The MBA had no equivelent at the time.

don't forget that in the intel transition they dropped the lowest end powerbook (bringing the base price up to the next powerbook) they dropped the smaller screen ibook (bringing up the base price) they dropped the lowest end iMac (and dropped the price, good for Apple!) and they're using totally incomparable processors in the Mac Pro.