Will you buy a Mac AFTER they switch to Intel processors?

[BornAgainMac]

All my Macs easily have over 2 years of life in them but when it is time to upgrade again then I will want one of those Pentium M Macs. Now I know why Intel calls it the Pentium "M".

I wonder what products Steve was thinking about with the roadmap of Intel processors. iBook Mini? Tablet Book? 20 inch Powerbook? Video iPod mini? Mainframe in your pocket?

 

[zelmo]

I picked #1, but #2 would serve even better as long as VPC runs smoothly enough for most Windows apps (aside from games). Two reasons - my wife needs a PC for a lot of the homeschool and EDU software she uses, and it's also prudent to raise our kids with a working knowledge of both platforms. Makes it easier to explain why Daddy hates Windows so much.

It'd be nice to only need one box, and I'd rather use VPC than have to dual boot.

 

[thequicksilver]

Option 1.

An amazing thought - I can get a Mac notebook and dual boot between OS X and Windows. Keep OS X for pretty much everything, but mean I can sell my desktop PC, yet still have Windows for the odd occasion where I need it? I am sold.

 

[MacTruck]

Nope, only the first choice for me. That way if apple pulls more switching crap I can just say see ya and go back to windows but still be on the nice apple hardware.

 

[aussie_geek]

I'll have one with Windows option please

I voted option 1. The only thing I would use Windows for would be games. But on the other hand, the Playstation 3 will be out by then and there may not be any need for games on computers any more!!

Another reason would be so that I could show it off as being faster than a regular PC box. Apple making the new Mac's like this could be good. imagine a Mac that could open pretty much anything!!!

aussie_geek

 

[takao]

i voted 1 because i like to game (i could save a screen)
on the other side having a second screen for icq/browsing/listening to music while playing is comfortable

on other side i just bought a mini so i'm save untill summer 2007 (still deciding about apple care next spring)
2,5 years are my estimated period where i'm happy with a computer (the mini wasn't a great performance increase over the amd athlon 2000 but it has superdrive ,wireless and bluetooth..things i really wanted)

next on the list is either a monster tower (insert grunting noises here) or a gaming laptop

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I have nothing to prove to myself by running Windows on my future Intel-based Mac. Therefore, I voted option 2.

 

[Eidorian]

I just got my iMac G5 last week and I love it. I'll be ready to buy aonther Mac in 3-4 years. I want to get the most out of this one. I just use it to listen to music, web browse, and type. I love the screen and HD space though. I'm not complaining about the switch since I'm happy with the software that's already preinstalled. I'll need to get Office though. That's already known to be well supported on the PPC for Office 12.

 

[kgarner]

I'll take the hybrid solution of #1 and #2. I intend to only use Mac OS X, but I hope that VMWare or VPC will be dramatically faster and i can run some few Windows programs (not sure what, but something) in a virtual system. Much more convenient than dual booting.

 

[Flynnstone]

OS X is OS X is OS X.
They could run it on a turbo charged 6502 if the performance is there.
With "C" and Unix, the processor is irrelevant. The performance is relevant though.

 

[mac-er]

These poll options make no sense.

There will only be two options:
1. Mac with Mac OS X
2. PC

Apple is not going to be selling a PC with Windows on it. (You could install it yourself, but you cannot buy it).

 

[wordmunger]

Option 3. I'll have to see what kind of DRM they're packaging into this thing before I decide. If Apple sticks to its relatively open, middle ground position, I'll stick with Apple. If they're not going to let me copy my own files, then I'll probably switch to linux.

 

[dukeblue91]

I'll go with option 2
I don't want that filth called Windows on my computer.

As far as the Intel Chips go, where is all that pentium crap coming from?
knowing SJ I would think he'll have some hybrid version coming from Intel.

 

[Angelus]

Definitely. The chip they use doesn't bother me since my main motive for being a mac user is Apple's design and OS X. I'm currently using a 667 tibook which i got in 2002 and i intend to get about another year and a half to 2years out of it. By that time we will hopefully have one or two rev B machines going around.

 

[atszyman]

I lean towards #1.

Too much of my work software only works on Windows/Linux so I'd have to have it for the occasions when I do work at home/on the road. However if Mentor Graphics, Altera, and/or Xilinx would port some of their tools to OS X I could probably eliminate Windows from my repertoire.

Currently I'm of the Apple Laptop/Windows Desktop frame of mind, since the opposite route leaves you with 2 machines with limited upgrade options since even Windows Laptops aren't that upgradeable. If VPC would be fast enough I'd probably suffer with that, but maybe someone will come up with a nifty application that would somehow let you boot both simultaneously and switch via some sort of fast user switching type interface that would put the unused OS to "sleep" and you could switch almost instantaneously (and be sure to have it default to the other OS when either crashes).

 

[dubbz]

#1

As long as dualbooting will be possible, I'll consider buying a Mac instead of building my own system.

 

[FoxyKaye]

The Dark Side of the Force is the path to many abilities, some considered to be...un-natural.

I'd be inclined to option 1, but only because it could be done. Goodness knows I can list on one hand the number of apps for which I actually need Windows.

[Edit]: Actually, as I've stated in other threads, I'd also be inclined to pick up a lightweight, ultra-fast laptop once Apple switches to Intel and the Rev. B models come out.

 

[Silver Apple]

For Sure!

I will get a Ibook or Powerbook M series (Pentium M) as soon as it's available (I'm betting January 2006)

I have personally built many (over 100) homebrew PCs in the past few years to friends and acquaintances and have "unoficially" presold at least 50 - 70 of them to get an Intel-based Mac as soon as its available!!! About half of them like the idea of a Pentium M Mac Mini or Imac, the other half are interested in the ibook or Pbook. The idea of virus free, spyware free, and stable operating system does it all the time.

Dam! I should be working for Apple!!! and a commission or something!


** I'm going on a limb and say that apple will get quite a few new customers because of this switch ... 10% -15% market share by 2010!!!! ***

P.S. There will be a 64bit Yonah Dual Core Pentium M next year!
I guarantee it!! And It will be on an Apple machine first!

Cheers!

 

[cal6n]

None of the above.

I doubt the Intel based macs will adequately run my VJ Apps. Quicktime 7 is bad enough. These apps are so optimised to QT 6 it'll take a while for the relatively small software outfits to sort them out let alone port them to x86.

I'll probably be buying the baddest PPC based powerbook and powermac I can before the transition and then relying on Sonnet or Powerlogic (and any "reverse rosetta" translators that will spring up) for as long as possible.

I expect I'll eventually have to ditch PPC but who knows what the future holds? I'd switch to a RISC based alternative in an instant if one was available. Maybe if I give up on the club-scene I'll even go back to Acorn/Castle and RISCOS.

One thing I won't do is run windows except in the most basic way, like I do now with an ancient stinkpad, and I won't use x86 unless very real improvements are made to it's implemenation.

If that makes me a sad old hippy-geek then so be it!

 

[Apple]

I will probably buy the first revision of the first powerbook that comes out. OS X only.

 

[MyLeftNut]

Im so glad I purchased my Powerbook 17 last year (Rev C). Its been great except for a little accident I had dropping it on the floor . Anyway, Im so impressed with all the stuff in Tiger and all that, the hardware issue isnt one at all for me...I had always planned to purchase a new Mac 3-4 years from last year so by the time I get around to it there should be a Rev B or C PB available.

Really guys, nothing changes. Keep to your same plans. Look for value where it lies (Mac OS X) and Stevo will take care of you...world domination or not...

 

[GodBless]

...maybe someone will come up with a nifty application that would somehow let you boot both simultaneously and switch via some sort of fast user switching type interface that would put the unused OS to "sleep" and you could switch almost instantaneously (and be sure to have it default to the other OS when either crashes).

That sure would be cool. The only problem would be that there would need to be ram allocated for each OS because I think both OSes (or at the mac OS X) still uses the ram while it sleeps. It should work seamlessly though. If only all memory could be sent to virtual memory on the hard drive.

Maybe you could have a switch on the computer (or maybe even the keyboard) that made the computer switch from OS X to Windows or
vise versa that automatically puts one OS to sleep and then wakes up the other.

 

[GodBless]

I will probably buy the first revision of the first powerbook that comes out. OS X only.

Yes! Finally a fast(er) PowerBook!