Intel CEO 'Guarantees' Broadwell Chips by This Holiday Season

[Sandstorm]

Would be too expensive if SSD only. Expect the Fusion drive option to stick around for some time.

MBA, MBP - the trend is obvious. I suspect the next Mac Mini will also be blade-SSD only (and ridiculously small, of course).
In the case of iMac - You are maybe right, but I'd love to see blade SSD as a system default drive + user accessible 2,5" HDD drive bay (or two).

 

[Four oF NINE]

What will be the advantages of Broadwell? Is there anything really revolutionary here or is this just a spec bump?

 

[2457282]

I wonder how much this matters to Apple. After all, the intel based computers that Apple sells is a minority. Their big driver is the ARM chip devises, the iOS driven devices.

If rumors are to be believed and Apple comes out with a 12" ipad (and assuming it is ARM based), this will eat into the laptop business and make Apple even less dependent on intel.

The Mac Pro, the mini, the iMac, and the Macbook lines are all intel based, but they acount for a srinking percentage. So the delays may not be that important. Additionally, since I do not think the pin configuration is changing, it may be fairly easy to swap the chips out making for a minor update whenever they show up.

 

[imageWIS]

what about the mac mini?

+ eleventy billion!

 

[Steve121178]

If rumors are to be believed and Apple comes out with a 12" ipad (and assuming it is ARM based), this will eat into the laptop business and make Apple even less dependent on intel.

If I can't do my work on a regular size iPad, how will things change with a larger iPad?

 

[Mattsasa]

What will be the advantages of Broadwell? Is there anything really revolutionary here or is this just a spec bump?

it will be a revolutionary spec bump =)

all joking aside. I think it is basically speed boost, more battery life(energy efficiency), and significantly faster graphics.
even though it is just a spec bump I am still very excited for broadwell computers.

I am actually super shocked by this! I thought there was no way broadwell would be ready until 2015

 

[Mattjeff]

Dropping it would make sense. Or, combining the aTV with a mini.

Every time I was doing the math for a mini the iMac was the better deal.

Also, these days I want everything portable .

Having to be "chained" to a desktop is no longer appealing.

It may be better with the math on that first purchase but when it comes time to update the desktop its a substantially cheaper option when you don't need to purchase a screen with it.

For me it was the ability to be able to swap out or easily move my whole setup. I also have an extra screen for a laptop when needed. I recently went on a trip to overseas and was able to bring my mini in my backpack like I would a laptop... kinda awesome! To each their own though, there are advantages of both.

 

[Weaselboy]

Interesting that Intel felt the need to make any kind of public statement. As others have noted, Intel's main clients have presumably been informed along the way.

Maybe they want to reassure stockholders.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

What will be the advantages of Broadwell? Is there anything really revolutionary here or is this just a spec bump?

Broadwell is a die shrink to 14 nm which means improved battery life. There is no new cpu architecture so performance wise it will be comparable to Haswell.

Gpu wise however will see massive improvements, the Iris Pro 2 is said to be 40% more powerful than Iris Pro. That alone is worth Broadwell.

If you want a new cpu architecture then wait for Skylake next year.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Will this bring a quad core CPU for the 13" rMBP?

And for the iMac - I would like a 4K Display.

 

[pubwvj]

I don't understand this shift towards smaller screens. We've lost the 17" laptops which were great machines. Apple appears to be abandoning the 15" and shifting down to 11", 12" and 13" screens. For real work I want the 15" screen, at the very least, and a 17" screen would be really nice.

What would be useful is if Apple merged iOS and MacOS so that we still have the full power of the MacOS but gain the touch ability along with pressure sensitive brushes and pens. I've had drawing tablets since the 1990's to work with my Mac but it would be so much better to just have that built in. Having the screen be the basic computer with the keyboard base station having the other functionality (I/O ports, keyboard, trackpad, more memory/drive, etc) would be great. Then people could have as much mobility or functionality as they wanted.

Little screens... Blah.

 

[WallToWallMacs]

Still that's not much time for companies like Apple to roll out new products, even if he promises that its not going to be the last second of the holiday.

Depends on whether by 'launch' he is talking about products with Broadwell CPU's rather than the availability to OEM's to get the CPU for their products. What ever the case maybe it'll be interesting to see what the options will be when it comes to dedicated GPU - will Apple go for AMD/ATI or Nvidia for their iMac and MacBook Pro 15" range.

 

[2457282]

If I can't do my work on a regular size iPad, how will things change with a larger iPad?

I dont know why you cant do your work on an ipad so it is difficult to answer. for me, I only have two issues with the ipad (other than size for work). One is the lack of an integrated keyboard, but the third party keyboards are getting to be quite good. second is the inability to run multiple windows at the same time. Again, rumor has it that this will be addressed in an up comming iOS release.

So, I already do 80 percent of my work on the iPad and the rest on my iMac. with a larger ipad and resolution to the two issues above, I do not expect to upgrade my imac, just my ipad.

 

[mabhatter]

No Love for the mini

Maybe there going to drop it all together

We go over this every time... Basically the only thing you get from these new chips is battery life.. And even then maybe only 10%. The CPU increase is only 10% for a cost increase and supply shortage.. When a Mac mini is just plugged into the wall anyway.

"New" Intel processor upgrades since the Core 2 updates have only been 10% performance /battery boosts at the best conditions... There's no value in the 18-month upgrade anymore. Unless you NEED a new feature like thunderbolt 2 or bluetooth 4 there just isn't a lot of REAL improvements versus the Core 2 days... In fact Intel still sells those old Core 2 chips as NEW to poor schmucks which is why the PC market is shrinking.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

I don't understand this shift towards smaller screens. We've lost the 17" laptops which were great machines. Apple appears to be abandoning the 15" and shifting down to 11", 12" and 13" screens. For real work I want the 15" screen, at the very least, and a 17" screen would be really nice..

Abandoning the 15" screen? Where did you get that?

 

[kazmac]

...

Binary code crossed my 2010 iMac can limp along until new machines are released (hopefully) later this year.

At least, Safari feels a bit faster in 10.9.3. Hope this nicks beachballs and kernel panics too. Until then I may have to keep saying:

"You hear me sweetheart? Hold together!"

 

[G4DP]

I dont know why you cant do your work on an ipad so it is difficult to answer. for me, I only have two issues with the ipad (other than size for work). One is the lack of an integrated keyboard, but the third party keyboards are getting to be quite good. second is the inability to run multiple windows at the same time. Again, rumor has it that this will be addressed in an up comming iOS release.

So, I already do 80 percent of my work on the iPad and the rest on my iMac. with a larger ipad and resolution to the two issues above, I do not expect to upgrade my imac, just my ipad.

Kind of defeats the point of an iPad when you have to have a second piece of hardware to work doesn't it? Kind of makes it a laptop really.

 

[lawrencewinkler]

Actually apple did this very thing. They went from a 64 bit G5 2.7ghz to a 32 bit Intel core duo 2.3 ghz which was a little slower than my dual G5. To match the speed of my G5 I had to buy a quad core macpro 1,1 32 bit system at that time.

True the A7 isn't ready but give it a few more revisions and the A10 may be ready for prime time as Intel keeps slipping delivery dates.

Knowing apples track record to switch CPUs I'm sure in some back room they have osx mavericks running on an assortment of boxes from an A8 multi core to a Power 7 or 8 multicore and others.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall and heard the yelling and screaming going on when these other chisp are now out performing their current lineup. ;-)

No chance. Compatibility with Intel's architecture is a must. Apple is more likely to buy AMD to build their own compatible chips than move to A-series chip. However, if Apple could design a micro-programmed CPU that would execute the Intel instruction set, then we might see Intel dropped.

 

[Crosscreek]

It would be nice to see some benchmarks on Broadwell to see if all the hype from Intel is true.

 

[Eadfrith]

Lets wait for Skylake or even Cannonlake

 

[Parasprite]

We go over this every time... Basically the only thing you get from these new chips is battery life.. And even then maybe only 10%. The CPU increase is only 10% for a cost increase and supply shortage.. When a Mac mini is just plugged into the wall anyway.

"New" Intel processor upgrades since the Core 2 updates have only been 10% performance /battery boosts at the best conditions... There's no value in the 18-month upgrade anymore. Unless you NEED a new feature like thunderbolt 2 or bluetooth 4 there just isn't a lot of REAL improvements versus the Core 2 days... In fact Intel still sells those old Core 2 chips as NEW to poor schmucks which is why the PC market is shrinking.

Reduced energy use also means less heat produced as a byproduct, which I'm definitely okay with.

This isn't to say I'd upgrade just for that.

Edit: I agree about the Core 2 bit. It was around then where owning a laptop started to mean something other than having a crippled version of your full sized tower.

 

[proline]

You forgot 'MagSafe 3'.

"Once again, we made stuff even thinner, and didn't think ahead with MagSafe 2. So we're selling yet another proprietary connector and making our chargers less durable in the process."

I hate all the whiny bullcrap that this site fosters. MagSafe 1 was used for SIX YEARS (coming out in the era where Apple's thinnest Mac was a 5.6lb 1" thick MBP) and the 30-pin connector for NINE YEARS. Compare that to efforts led by other companies or standards bodies such as the micro-SIM which lasted all of two years or the disaster that is Mini A / Mini B / Micro USB and any reasonable person would say that Apple thinks ahead a lot further than most. The fact is, things change. Get that through your head and you'll be a lot happier.

 

[Parasprite]

Binary code crossed my 2010 iMac can limp along until new machines are released (hopefully) later this year.

At least, Safari feels a bit faster in 10.9.3. Hope this nicks beachballs and kernel panics too. Until then I may have to keep saying:

"You hear me sweetheart? Hold together!"

I think I've had a kernel panic...maybe once since 10.5. Even then it was still my fault (experimenting with deleting files). If you didn't mess with something you are probably having a (faulty) hardware issue.

 

[theluggage]

I don't understand this shift towards smaller screens. We've lost the 17" laptops which were great machines. Apple appears to be abandoning the 15" and shifting down to 11", 12" and 13" screens.

Is there any evidence that the 15" rMBP is in danger? If anything was in danger it would be the 13" rMBP which would be heavily canibalised by a 13" Retina Air - but it sounds like the rMBA is going to be 12", which makes for a sensible delineation.

I have a 17" MBP and its a great machine... but its still a hell of a lump to carry c.f. the smaller macs - both in terms of weight and fitting it in a bag. The more I look at the 15 and 15" rMBPs the more sense they make: a scaled mode that gives the same resolution as the 17" and the ability to drive 2 external displays. I'll be ready to switch to one once Broadwell comes out.

What would be useful is if Apple merged iOS and MacOS so that we still have the full power of the MacOS but gain the touch ability along with pressure sensitive brushes and pens.

Sorry, but I'm with Steve and Tim on the whole "gorilla arms" thing: touch/pen input only makes sense on a hand-held tablet, not a laptop, and both interfaces need their own UI. Try to merge them and, well: Windows 8, Gnome 3, Ubuntu Unity... I rest my case.

A laptop needs a touchscreen like a tablet needs a keyboard.

Pro-tip: a retina MBP and an iPad will, together, weigh less than the 17" MBP...

An application to use an iPad (with a decent stylus) as a cut-price Wacom Cintiq would be good, though.

(* if I did, I might have to give up my pet air travel peeve: 'if its got wheels it ain't hand luggage' ).

 

[Parasprite]

I hate all the whiny ******** that this site fosters. MagSafe 1 was used for SIX YEARS (coming out in the era where Apple's thinnest Mac was a 5.6lb 1" thick MBP) and the 30-pin connector for NINE YEARS. Compare that to efforts led by other companies or standards bodies such as the micro-SIM which lasted all of two years or the disaster that is Mini A / Mini B / Micro USB and any reasonable person would say that Apple thinks ahead a lot further than most. The fact is, things change. Get that through your head and you'll be a lot happier.

Reducing durability is thinking ahead? For whom?