IBM Announces New Chip Making Method

[WM.]

Re: Not all international problems are caused by voltage

Originally posted by CalfCanuck
If only the world was that easy. There haven't been many single voltage computers or portable periphials for many years other than printers.

I picked up one of the new G4 iBooks 3 days before heading off for an extended trip to Germany, because I couldn't get a 15" PB during the big screen fiasco. On setting down in Frankfurt, I've been experiencing about 1-2 kernel panics a day. After tracking down a set of jewelers' screwdrivers and pulling my 512 MB RAM upgrade, the panics stopped.

So now my choice are running on 128 MB with no crashes, or limping by with the random daily crashes until I can get the RAM replaced on warranty on return to California. And I'm better equiped than almost any traveller, travelling with 2 laptops and external HDs for my software development.

But having hardware failures on the road, esp. in another country, is a major problem for everyone, and can be a nightmare for casual users.

True, but you should've found a way to test out your new iBook before going on a long trip, or made sure that you had an acceptable back-up plan in case it was incapacitated (which it has been for your purposes, I assume). If you mean that it was working fine in the US but not in Germany, perhaps your power adapter is slightly messed up and is delivering a too-high voltage to the iBook when it's run off 240; maybe the internal power supply circuitry could pass that on to the RAM and make it flaky. *shrug*

Where did you buy that RAM? Can you get the vendor to replace it overseas under warranty?

WM

 

[~Shard~]

So... what does all this have to do with IBM's New Chip Making Method? There are other forums on MacRumors to discuss hardware problems, etc.

 

[mvc]

Originally posted by avus
I am kind of disappointed that nobody talks here about IBM's NEW CHIP MAKING METHOD...

Amen - it's interesting that now that the G5 family of chips look like being equal/increasingly superior to their PC equivalents in speed/performance, many of these naysayers have shifted to the good old you can only get about 30% of all PC software on the Mac therefore they are useless argument.

I personally can live without 70% of all the software out there, a vast percentage of PC software is either utter utter rubbish or a poor duplicate of a better mainstream alternative.

Most solid useful software, with the admitted absence of many games, is available for the mac.

Next they'll be moaning how you can't get Macs in beige boxes.

 

[mjtomlin]

Dont Hurt Me wrote:[\I]
mjtomlin you are wrong. Apples software is what is moving the hardware. If apple was to release a OSX for wintel that would be worse then allowing clones and you saw what they did about that. releasing osx for wintel would kill the hardware sales. why even bother with mac hardware if you can buy a cheap PC and then run OSX.

You didn't understand what I was saying ... Yes, I completely agree that CURRENTLY it is the software and OS that's moving the hardware. But you also left out original Apple design, which is also a fairly huge factor. However, in the near future, once the PowerPC starts outpacing anything from Intel by a wide margin, then and only then will Apple find itself in a position to safely open up to a wider user base. If IBM can in fact begin to produce far superior CPUs people will start buying Apple hardware on that merit alone.

You also seem to need a little perspective ... during the "attack of the clones" Apple didn't have much of a software leg to stand on. Today they do. The clones bit into Apple's hardware sales because they were selling hardware that was on par, if not better than Apple's own systems. Apple couldn't offer any incentives to entice people to buy their computers and not a clone. That's why it was a failure. The difference between purchasing an Apple branded PowerPC computer and buying OS X for Intel could be a lot... PowerPC is much faster, original Apple design, bundling of iLife and other software with new computers. Sure Apple probably wouldn't sell millions of more systems, but they would at the very least sell what they're selling now ... and possibly on top of that also sell millions and millions of copies of OS X for Intel/AMD to people who wouldn't buy an Apple computer in the first place (too expensive, blah, blah, blah).

another thing to consider, users becoming weary of Windows/Longhorn will start to move to another OS. Like another poster mentioned, if Apple doesn't offer OS X as an alternative, they will most likely move to Linux. There are a lot of Intel systems out there right now that would be able to run OS X and/or Linux at respectable speeds. And I don't mean buying new computers, but old systems that could be given a new life. Imagine owning a Wintel system for two years and for $129 you can go out and buy OS X and install it. Wouldn't that be worth something to someone? And Maybe, just maybe when it comes time to buy a new system, they'll consider an Apple Computer versus buying another Intel based system.

And just so you don't misunderstand where I'm coming from ... I would NEVER buy OS X for Intel. (except of course to give it as a present to a Windows user) I'm a long time Apple user and will remain that way as long as Apple is around. You highly under estimate the Apple user community/installed base if you think we would simply give up elegant Apple hardware just because I could run OS X on a cheap piece of Intel crap.

 

[cbatt]

I know that I'm late to the party, and a fresh face in this crowd, but I thought that I'd put in my two cents.

I made the switch about 8 months ago when I bought a second-hand 1ghz TiBook. I was kinda apprehensive at first, but I quickly got familiar with things and here I am today. Yay.

My PB is a desktop replacement. I'm a developer and IT consultant as well as a graphics hack. My job keeps me moving and I like the flexibility of being able to work anywhere so my machine needs to be powerful yet mobile. And while the PB fits the bill nicely, and OS X is amazing, I wouldn't mind a speed boost.

When I get to down to serious work I usually have a handful of apps and a large bunch of documents open (specs, PP presentations, source files, and graphics). Compilation under those conditions can sometime drag.

Needless to say, I can hardly wait for G5 PBs.

C'mon official announcement!

 

[GregA]

Originally posted by mjtomlin
... during the "attack of the clones" Apple didn't have much of a software leg to stand on. Today they do. The clones bit into Apple's hardware sales because they were selling hardware that was on par, if not better than Apple's own systems. Apple couldn't offer any incentives to entice people to buy their computers and not a clone. That's why it was a failure.

If Apple's software (Mac OS) wasn't much good, and people went to the clones because Apple hardware wasn't much good either - then the clones would not have died when the Mac OS for the clones was pulled from sale. People wanted Mac software on cheaper (or faster) hardware.

Apple lost money during the clone times, Apple also lost market share. But did the Mac OS lose market share, or just Apple hardware? (See the difference? It's significant, and I haven't seen an answer to this). I'm guessing that less hardware was sold, but more Mac OSes overall. And if Apple underpriced the Mac OS, then that would have cut into their profits.

I don't think Apple should release Mac OSX on Intel anymore. It's too hard to support all the x86s out there. However, PowerPC clones, OR a Mac GUI for UnitedLinux, OR maybe a native AMD64 port, would be interesting. Whatever they do, the price would have to take into account the cost of support, development, and lost Apple hardware sales... then if it was still cheap enough I'd say sell it

 

[a17inchFuture]

If these chips can run on less power and produce less heat, and if IBM gave them test versions a while ago, which I think i read somewhere, then they could have had enough time to take the pb to the drawing board and figure it out in a timely manner.

After all thats why IBM gives them the test versions, so they can make the processor profitable as soon as possible- and what better way than by putting it in all your computers, and specifically your new pb g5 line, as soon as possible?

I hope they skip the g4 revisions and give us new g5 laptops in may, with sweet metal holes like on the towers!

 

[WM.]

Originally posted by cbatt
I know that I'm late to the party, and a fresh face in this crowd, but I thought that I'd put in my two cents.

I made the switch about 8 months ago when I bought a second-hand 1ghz TiBook. I was kinda apprehensive at first, but I quickly got familiar with things and here I am today. Yay.

My PB is a desktop replacement. I'm a developer and IT consultant as well as a graphics hack. My job keeps me moving and I like the flexibility of being able to work anywhere so my machine needs to be powerful yet mobile. And while the PB fits the bill nicely, and OS X is amazing, I wouldn't mind a speed boost.

When I get to down to serious work I usually have a handful of apps and a large bunch of documents open (specs, PP presentations, source files, and graphics). Compilation under those conditions can sometime drag.

How much RAM? I don't think I'd try that kind of stuff without at least 512 MB, and more like 768 MB or 1 GB.

 

[Belly-laughs]

Cheap crap rules

Originally posted by mjtomlin
You highly under estimate the Apple user community/installed base if you think we would simply give up elegant Apple hardware just because I could run OS X on a cheap piece of Intel crap.

Wrong. The Apple user community/intalled base would flock to any cheaper pieces of hardware if they could. I bought a Starmax for that reason. Lots of others did too.

As for the thread topic: Stop crying out for those PB´s. We want fanless G5 Cubes, don´t we?

 

[takao]

back on topic: IBm cpus:

i found this very intresting link on a german site:

http://php.technobabble.com.au/article328.html
(link is in english)

pretty impressive picture of one of those new power 5

 

[steveh]

Originally posted by Mav451
With the Athlon 64 mobile version already out, Apple would definitely not have the first 64-bit laptop

The Athlon 64 mobile isn't the first 64-bit laptop chip either.

Tadpole has already been making 64-bit SPARC laptops for awhile.

 

[army_guy]

Originally posted by steveh
The Athlon 64 mobile isn't the first 64-bit laptop chip either.

Tadpole has already been making 64-bit SPARC laptops for awhile.

Apple would still claim to have the 1st real 64-bit laptop nomatter.
Sparc laptops have been around since sparc, however they were either prototypes or custom built unit from a 3rd party they are however very few machines and they cost more than people can imagine. I sould say there is also a few Itanium 2 laptops believe or not.

 

[Counterfit]

Originally posted by army_guy
Apple would still claim to have the 1st real 64-bit laptop nomatter.

I doubt that.

 

[army_guy]

Originally posted by Counterfit
I doubt that.

I dont, they would trust me or they would claim to have the fastest 64-bit laptop.

Remember Apple is good with marketing and people still believe thier lies.

 

[a17inchFuture]

I said Goddamn! There are lots fo refurbed Pbooks on the sale page today:

PowerBook G4 867MHz/256MB/40GB/Combo/E/12"TFT - Refurbished Add $1,199.00
PowerBook G4 867MHz/256MB/40GB/SuperDrive/E/12"TFT - Refurbished Add $1,399.00
PowerBook G4 1GHz/256MB/40GB/Combo/E/12"TFT Add $1,349.00
PowerBook G4 1GHz/256MB/40GB/SuperDrive/E/12"TFT Add $1,549.00
PowerBook G4 867MHz/256MB/40GB/Combo/GigE/56K/15"TFT - Refurbished Add $1,499.00
PowerBook G4 1GHz/256MB/60GB/Combo/GigE/15"TFT - Refurbished Add $1,699.00
PowerBook G4 1GHz/512MB/60GB/SuperDrive/GigE/56K/AirPort Card/15"TFT - Refurbished Add $1,899.00
PowerBook G4 1.25GHz/512MB/80GB/SuperDrive/AP Extreme Card/GigE/15"TFT - Refurbished Add $2,099.00
PowerBook G4 1GHz/512MB/60GB/SuperDrive/AP Extreme Card/GigE/56K/17"TFT - Refurbished Add $2,199.00
PowerBook G4 1.33GHz/512MB/80GB/SuperDrive/AP Extreme Card/GigE/17"TFT Add $2,499.00

I swear the last two weeks have been filled with way more of the current PB's than any time in the last three months. Every day for the last three weeks, at 9 am I check their website, and they have practically had the present version of all three sizes almost everyday!

While they may have had them on the site before, I have certainly noticed a huge increase in the number recently. And I have been checking since early november, so i can safely say that there is s significant difference. Whether that means anything, i have no idea, and probably not.

But maybe, just maybe, pb g5's are around the corner for all of us dedicated apple users?

 

[sjk]

Originally posted by a17inchFuture
But maybe, just maybe, pb g5's are around the corner for all of us dedicated apple users?

Okay, sure, of course they are. Or they're not.

This easily gets my vote as the most over-mentioned, over-discussed, over-reminded, over-hyped, over-speculated, ad nauseum topic on too many Apple forums for too long.

Yawn.

 

[mvc]

Originally posted by takao
back on topic: IBm cpus:

i found this very intresting link on a german site:

http://php.technobabble.com.au/article328.html
(link is in english)

pretty impressive picture of one of those new power 5

That thing looks like a drink coaster to me, isn't the background a pub, I'm sure I can see a bottle of beer on the table

 

[iPost]

OH THE IRONY!!! (or, why 2004 won't be like 1984)

Originally posted by jazzkids
When I hear "low power", I think laptop. Could this be the much anticipated G5 laptop? If they are developing it now, I can't image that it would be available sooner than the Fall. sigh :-(

Thank goodness Apple is getting rid of the Motorola chips.

Thanks IBM!

Yes! Isn't it wonderful that I.B.M. (now stands for: I'm Building a Macintosh) has saved Apple's butt by producing some kicka$$ chips (hmmm... two derriere references in the same sentence).

Anyway... does anyone see the irony in this??? IBM was the original BAD GUY which Apple portrayed as the villain in all of those classic commercials from 20 years ago (the 1984 commercial, the lemmings commercial...) And, it's interesting how we all just celebrated those commercials again on the Mac's 20th birthday.

But look... big (blue) brother has come down off the screen to help out the woman that originally threw the sledge hammer in its face! The world never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Counterfit]

Re: OH THE IRONY!!! (or, why 2004 won't be like 1984)

Originally posted by iPost
Anyway... does anyone see the irony in this???

Anyone who doesn't must be incredibly dense.