After-Montevina launch timeframe?

[raymondu999]

Let's say Montevina comes out sometime this final quarter. Now, Nehalem & Calpella, according to the MacRumors Guides wiki, is debuting Q3 2009. That would mean that if it were to go from Montevina, straight to Nehalem, it would be another at least 3 quarters before we see another update? Or is there something after Montevina+Penryn, and yet before Nehalem+Calpella? Sorry if there are threads that have been posted on this before. I couldn't find any (through the search function).

Thanks.

 

[raymondu999]

anyone?

 

[CWallace]

That would be correct. There would be nothing but maybe CPU and GPU spec bumps in the interim. Intel is in the process of transitioning their product line from Core 2 to Core i7 and that will take about a year.

Also, there is no guarantee Apple is going with Montevina for their systemboard chipset. There have been many rumors that Apple will move to nVidia systemboard chipsets, instead. We might see some more movement between Core 2 and Core i7 there...

 

[raymondu999]

But what would there be to "bump" in the middle? I mean, Montevina is the last Core 2, then the first Core i7 would be Calpella... So There's not gonna be anything at all in the middle?

 

[godfreyhk]

1. It's the platform/chipset, not CPU
2. It's already there
3. No there won't be anything new from intel in between (okay, I mean nothing MAJOR; there're minor stuff like quad-core mobile processor etc)

There should be an update for MB/MBPs coming soon, though

 

[Firefly2002]

That would be correct. There would be nothing but maybe CPU and GPU spec bumps in the interim. Intel is in the process of transitioning their product line from Core 2 to Core i7 and that will take about a year.

Also, there is no guarantee Apple is going with Montevina for their systemboard chipset. There have been many rumors that Apple will move to nVidia systemboard chipsets, instead. We might see some more movement between Core 2 and Core i7 there...

An nVidia chipset would certainly explain the delay... but I hope it's not that.

 

[raymondu999]

Yeah, but post-Penryn and pre-Nehalem is... what? And there's nothing from Intel post-Montevina and pre-Calpella also... so they'll just stick with Montevina for almost a year? (barring any wildcard events such as nVidia suddenly coming into the game). Ah well... if the next rev has an ATi card, I'll probably be buying... again....

 

[raymondu999]

Hmmm... how about others? Anyone have anymore thoughts on this? If it does happen like that, wouldn't this be the longest time Apple has gone between refreshes?

 

[CWallace]

Yeah, but post-Penryn and pre-Nehalem is... what? And there's nothing from Intel post-Montevina and pre-Calpella also... so they'll just stick with Montevina for almost a year?

Apple - along with most every other PC maker - is at the mercy of Intel's release schedule. And Intel operates on a roughly annual update schedule when it comes to chipsets and a two-year schedule when it comes to CPU microarchitectures.