1.25 GHz PowerMacs Shipping

[arn]

The 1.25 GHz PowerMacs appear to be shipping. Both ClubMac and MacMall mail order houses are reporting that PowerMac G4 1.25GHz machines are finally shipping this week.

Apple's own online store, however, still reports a 2-3 week ship time.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

this can't be a bad thing.....

took a bit longer than i'd have thought, but i haven't done the math to see how it compares to the announced shipping timeframe...

good to see they're getting them out at least. now to see some real world benchmarks...

 

[iwantanewmac]

That's good news!
But still im hoping they will be replaced again early next year.
Im thinking of buying a dual 1.25 but.......what willl happen?
who knows

 

[alex_ant]

Apple would be right on schedule...

If it were July 2000.

 

[P-Worm]

Now, don't flame me, but does anyone care about these things? I got caught up in all of the 1.6 ghz thing. I didn't really think that i twould happen, but all of the dreams built up inside of me and when I saw that it was "just" 1.25 Ghz, I didn't really care. i thought to my self, bring on those Power 4's and I'm still waiting today.

So really, i just want to know if anyone is interested in these things.

P-Worm

 

[ryan]

Originally posted by P-Worm
So really, i just want to know if anyone is interested in these things.

I sure don't. Just this past weekend I became sorely disappointed in the performance of Apple's current generation of hardware/software. I was helping my grandfather setup a new 800MHz G4 iMac (after his original 233MHz iMac died a couple of weeks back). He wanted to stick with OS9 which was fine with me since that is what he was use to and he didn't have any OSX native applications. I could not believe how stupidly fast OS9 was on that machine. Scrolling of windows, opening folders, launching apps all happened instantly. Thinking that this one fast computer I booted it to 10.2 Boy, did that show me what a slow performer OSX is. Now I really like OSX because it allows me to actually use my Mac for work (Java/web/database development) but it is so slow when compared to OS9 on the extact same hardware.

Apple needs to make great strides in their hardware or software (or both) for me to consider sticking with the Mac when I'm ready to upgrade my iBook in the next 12-18 months. (this is coming from someone who has been using the Mac Plus days)

 

[Microsift]

Re: 1.25 GHz PowerMacs Shipping

Originally posted by arn

Apple's own online store, however, still reports a 2-3 week ship time. [/B]

So what? the question is has anyone who ordered one from Apple gotten one!

 

[scem0]

I would not buy the new 1.25, I would wait till Jan. It sounds like something good is coming out in Jan. SOmething good better come out (that emiticon is suppost to be a threatening look )

 

[jbmelby]

Re: Re: 1.25 GHz PowerMacs Shipping

Originally posted by Microsift
So what? the question is has anyone who ordered one from Apple gotten one!

I don't know--but I was told by an Apple Store employee this morning that my machine would ship on Friday, and another Apple Store employee told me this afternoon that I wouldn't get it until somewhere around October 9th. I hope that this morning's report was right--because October 9th is the day I'm scheduled to have knee replacement surgery. Fun, fun!

 

[nixd2001]

Originally posted by ryan

I sure don't. Just this past weekend I became sorely disappointed in the performance of Apple's current generation of hardware/software. ...
Apple needs to make great strides in their hardware or software (or both)

How much memory did the machine have? I think there's enough random snippets of observation around to make it a reasonable safe conclusion that OS X can fly, but it needs plenty of memory to make this happen. If you had 128MB, I imagine performance stank. If you had 256MB it might have been Okish. If you had 512MB it should have got interesting.

However, OS X may never be as fast as OS 9 on the same system simply because it's doing more. Just as there was a time that actually moving the entire window contents when you dragged around a window was slower than dragging an outline of the window.

Sourcing a decent amount of memory from PC commidity suppliers (hey - people catching on to one sensible reason for Apple choosing DDR yet?) is not a major cost - Jaguar costs about the same as another 512MB US$ I believe.

 

[oldMac]

Mac OS X Slowness

No doubt about it...

After using OS X for a while, you install OS 9 on a machine and it feels *A LOT* faster.

Unfortunately, I think it will take some significant upgrades to Apple hardware (and a few OS routine re-writes) before OS X ever feels "snappy".

My guess is that it would start to feel "snappy" at about 2GHz with a serious video card (Quartz Extreme).

 

[Anecdoter]

Responding to P-Worm:

I for one, care about the new dual 1.25 ghz Power Macs. I, like you, have been enticed many times by countless rumors. However, during the course of nearly two years, I finally realized that no matter what they introduce next year, there will always be something faster down the road.
I'd rather enjoy a brand new Mac now, than wait for the inevitable, but ellusive, "super Mac." Besides, the sheer amount of processing power, hard drive space and functionality of any of the new Power Macs are more than I'll (or 99.9% of the computing public) will ever use.
That's why in another month or two, there will be a new dual 1.25ghz sitting on my desk. By the way, don't get your hopes too high about the Power4/G5 , even if they are released. My guess is that for the next several years after their release they will be in a new top tier (above the G4 Power Macs) of high-end video workstations, priced probbly at over $5000 for the entry-level.

Steve

 

[daRAT]

I dunno, I stuck a new seagate drive in my Cube and did a fresh install of Jag, it seems snappy to me. Granted boot up takes longer and askin' me if I really want to shut down is annoying. Overall I find it faster than OS 9. I also has 1.1+ gig's of ram, that may help with another 512 stick enroute :]

 

[skunk]

Yes, but compared to 9...

It IS slow as hell. Very little functionality is added to the UI to compensate for the sluggishness the "extra features" (i.e. eye candy) produce. As of now, it's a bad trade-off. In my humble opinion.

 

[katman]

Mine (1.25ghz) shipped today (from the apple store online)... Ordered it a few days after it was announced..

As for "waiting for something better" .. this will be my first mac (well I've had a powerbook for about a year, but my desktop has still been a pc), and I've been waiting .. and waiting .. and waiting ... for something new(er then the 1ghz moels) to come out .. These offered the ddr ram and ata100 so I decided to stop waiting and just order already ...

There will ALWAYS be something better in "a few months" .. if you keep waiting .. you'll never get anything ..

my 2c

 

[reyesmac]

If this was the Apple of 4 years ago this kind of speedbump would be OK. But in this day and age, is it really? You could just buy the low end system and put in a raid setup and a Gforce Ti card and probably end up with a system that is more usable than the high end one which would come with lesser hardware than your homebuilt system. The 1.25 still might win though only because Apple has crippled the older system by not upgrading the motherboard on it.

What I want to know is, is it worth it to spend $500 for a processor jump from 1gig to 1.25gig or from a $1000 from 867 to 1.25gig? Well, if you need the 1.25gig to make your mac running Maya or Final cut usable without feeling like the system was slow, then yes. But its still alot of money to pay for just the processor.

How much does the 1.25gig processor cost by itself to justify it costing $1000 dollars more than the 867. You cant say the motherboard because it only cost $500 to change the motherboard and the processor to 1gig. That is alot of money Apple gets to keep. Is it worth paying them that much just to own the fastest?

My point is that Apple can afford to sell their products at a more reasonable rate but even in an economy which Apple themselves say is bad they still charge $500 between processors. This was the case back when they sold 50mhz speed bumps as well if I am not mistaken.

I think the dual 867 has got to be the best deal on a Powermac that they have had in a long time. Even though the price for entry is $1,699 instead of $1,599 that they used to be a few years ago.

 

[ddtlm]

reyesmac:

Seeing as how the processors are the bottleneck, the items in limited supply, it seems acceptable that it would cost a lot.

P-Worm, other "who cares" people:

I was certainly interested in the dual 1.25, but I think I'll be putting some minimal upgrades into my dual 800 instead, and be waiting for a Power4-lite (or whatever G5 Apple eventually comes up with).

 

[Chisholm]

Yes, I agree with the 867 over the 1.25. I've had mine of a few weeks and its great. There are some anoying pauses at times for the OS to do something, but overall its a great box. its a little awkward getting to the main hard drive bay (how DO I get that damn screw back in???) but the rest is well done. Oh, BTW, if you pop the front lip off the cd tray it fits in the new optical slot just fine.

cheers!
John

 

[sparkleytone]

so how snappy does an os feel when it freezes?? how about when you are installing something and you cant do anything else?? exactly.

OS X.2 is a joy to use. It basically works as fast as I do, and I work fast. I also multitask like a biznitch, something OS 9 just plain sucked at.

also, i strongly suggest people thinking about new powermacs in january rethink their position. i would almost guarantee we wont see powermacs until march if they are a new generation of hardware. IF they are still g4-based, I'd still say mid February at the earliest. Apple is doing a pretty stable job of keeping 6 months product cycles.

 

[BigFish]

I wonder if the 1.25's are a new G4 chip, say the 7470. Maybe that is why it was delayed for so long. Does anyone have any info on that?

I agree about there not being any updates to the powermac line until March and then, possibly, a new chip in the September-ish release.

I'm good with my B&W 400 G3 right now, but I'll see if I can wait another year for a possible G5 debut. I am praying!

 

[fourthtunz]

Instead of buying the 1.25 Mac I opted to buy the dual 867 and keep my quick silver 733 too! What a combo! Still cheaper than the 1.25dual and faster with 2 machines! I think X.2 is fast if you have alot of ram,kind of slow if not.
Daniel

 

[teabgs]

so, I ordered mine on the 15th ...2 days after the announcement....I FOR ONE CARE!


I think its great that theyre finally shipping. Im upgrading from a 6500....so Its on hell of an upgrade for me


I sure hope I get mine soon.....

*drool*

 

[ddtlm]

BigFish:

Uh, if they were the often-rumored "7470" then how exactly are they different than the 7450 or 7455? Same FSB, same L2, same L3, in fact all the known specs match a 7455... wow what a nice new chip.

sparkleytone:

No kidding, why in the heck would anyone have any reason to think there would be new towers in Janruary? Despite the endless, and dare I say stupid, "7470" rumors, I don't think there will be any new G4 designs or any higher clocked G4's until Moto or IBM starts making them on either 130nm or 90nm processes. It actually looks like Moto may be planning on skipping 130nm entirely and arriving at 90nm sometime early next year. They are claiming they'll beat Intel, and Intel is almost certainly going to be there in 6 months. We do know that Moto will eventually go to 90nm because they said so, and when they do we know they'll take some form of G4 to it because it's cheaper to make 90nm chips than 180nm chips, in addition to the lower heat output and the higher clock speeds.

Anyway, blah blah blah.

 

[i_wolf]

Its always going to be the case that when you run an old OS on new hardware the new hardware will blitz it. Heck on the PC side of the fence you need a minimum of a 300Mhz P2 to run XP when originally the same machine would run win98 fast as hell. Its probably likely that MS's and Apples next OS revisions/updates/versions will cripple todays hardware..... its the nature of the beast. To the gentleman with the grandfather with the iMac running at 800MHz. Why don't you install yellowdog linux on it. Despite rumors its real easy to set up.... it will run faster that OS X does currently on you grandfathers iMac and will give him the stability that OS X offers also..... there are many other benefits. And before anyone flames me.... its great, ive tried it and its a snappier experience than Jaguar (10.2). Maybe a dual boot set up would be for you????!!! (and its not as difficult as people would make out !)
Best of luck.

 

[BongHits]

Dual Proc PM

im not sure wtf to put this...but i've seen everyone referring to the new pm's as the Mirrored-Drive Bay Power Macs. I was just mulling over apple's os x page...went to the upgrade link...and noticed how u can purchase os 9 for 15.95 (that's why no os 9 with jag)...above this link is the Jag Sys Req...i saw them refer to a picture of the new powermacs with the caption Dual Processor Power Mac...beneath that was the Quicksilver so i know that's their new name (all other compatible macs are pictured with names)

like anyone gives 2 ......