I have a question for you tech people out there. What exactly does the ghz part of specs mean like 2.3 ghz for example. I know the MBA has 1.6ghz where the MB 2.4ghz. What exactly does that mean and does it change the speed programs open etc?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pros Spotted?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
CPU power is definitely not as important as it used to be. At least, not the clock speed. As an example, a 2.0ghz penyrn chip can easily over take a 2.4ghz merom. A lot of it is its memory cache, supporting chipset, and manufacturing. Hard drive speed and RAM quantity and speed have a lot to do with performance as well.
Its the frequency to which the CPU operates. The more "gigahertz" the more operations per second. 1.8ghz means 1,800,000,000editted CPU cycles/second (clock cycles), whereas 2.4ghz is 2,400,000,000editted cycles per second. Generally, the faster this number is the faster the computer will operate.
There were two MASSIVE exceptions to this rule in recent history however:
1) Apple's use of PowerPC chips which were "RISC" based (Reduced Instruction Set Chip) whereas Intel chips are "CISC" (Complex Instruciton Set Chip). A RISC chip can do far more work per cycle due to the "better" engineered instruction set. Chips now are so fast/powerful that CISC works damn well for consumer use. For a good, yet basic overview: http://cse.stanford.edu/class/sophomore-college/projects-00/risc/risccisc/
2) AMD Athlons vs. Intel Pentium 4. This is when AMD changed over to the 2400+ type nomenclature. It was because an AMD running at a clock speed of 2ghz could do the work of an equivalent Pentium 4 with a clock speed of 2.4ghz (example, maybe not the correct speeds exactly) This was because the Pentium 4 was horribly inefficient and needed multiple clock cycles to do what the AMD could do with less clock cycles.
This is the primary reason Intel more-or-less left the Pentium4 style CPU cores behind. The early "Centrino" chips in laptops spanked the P4's of the time. A 1.8ghz centrino would top a 2.6ghz P4 in many respects, despite the Centrino chips of the day were actually re-engineered Pentium3 type cores.
As far as for computers now:
-L2 cache is WAY important. This is why the AMD Turion64 X2's get torn apart by the Core Duo/Core 2 Duos, because the Intel chips have 3MB cache/core whereas the Turions only have 512KB/core.
-RAM is huge now too. Prime example here would be Windows Vista (Home Premium and above especially). Running on 1GB of RAM, even with a good CPU, it can be a total DOG. Upgrade to 2GB+ and it runs quite nicely actually.
-Also, generally, but not always, a higher clock speed equals more heat output from the CPU.
A lot of people use the term "funnest," but it is not really a word. The appropriate way to express that sentiment is "most fun." But that doesn't have quite the same ring to it, I guess... It's usually young people using the term "funnest" (I refuse to call it a word), and since the iPod is marketed mostly to young people, I guess it's an attempt to appeal to them.... And the lowest common denominator of them, to boot...
Time to pull you down off your high horse good sir:
This is like the funnest thread eva!
Here's my views:
Redesign (MacBook, MacBook Pro): Extremely low.
If last-minute rumors appear: Kinda high
If no last-minute rumors appear: Basically 0
Update (MacBook Air): Very low.
If last-minute rumors appear: High
If no last-minute rumors appear: Extremely low
So I'd say it all depends on the rumors coming in the next nine or so hours.
I'm also interested in your views on this.
Give any somewhat probable date and I'm sure at least two people will say something is coming on that date.
Say, aren't you that guy who does the color-coded terrorist threat thermometer?
I'll still have a quick look at 1am tonight to see if anything is released even if no further rumors are released
"Funnest" is NOT in the Oxford English Dictionary, therefore it is not a word. Merriam-Webster is bullsh*t, my friend.
Oh, and I'm not a "sir."
Whatever...
I agree. Nothing is confirmed about the 14th unless there is a keynote invite.
Whatever...
If you don't want to believe me, fine. No *hit off my back.
Not true. There have been product launches without annoucement events. (iBook--> MacBook, Mac Pro's)
I'm done for the night on here...peace.
No, I agree that there doesn't necessarily have to be a keynote but there hasn't been any confirmation other than rumors that it going to be the 14th
Yes. Look at the 'buyer's guide' on this website for an accurate list of when products are released. MBs are almost never released the same month as MBPs.
Sorry mam, my mistake but I was right about your high horse.
Its called the evolution of language. New words & variations are added every year whether you or Oxford likes it or not. So put that "bling*" in your pipe...
*added to the Oxford English Dictionary circa 2006
Never said I didn't believe you, I just don't see an Apple reps opinion as insider information. I don't think reps know jack before an announcement and she's probably going on the same rumours everyone is. Could happen on the 14th and probably will, we shall see.
As I said, I just have this feeling either the MBs or MBAs could be updated tomorrow and the MBPs on the 14th. If something was happening tomorrow, most likely the MBAs would get a speedbump. The MBAs have gone the longest without an update and they wouldn't be getting a major redesign. No insider info, just a hunch. And mowingdevil are you in canada or aus at the moment?
My answer feels so....bare now
I appreciate both of you answering me. Let me see if I have this right, a couple of years ago I had a 2.0 Ghz MBP CD. So the 1.6 GHZ MB Air would beat it right?
I lied, not done for the night.... whoops
I figured I'd give him all I could in a couple minutes..
Edit: That's what SHE said....
Depends what you mean by "beat." In a CPU benchmark run, it may. If you go download a program SandraSoft it has a bunch of pre-loaded benchmarks. I don't know if they have a Mac version, let me go check. It appears they don't. However, for all intents and purposes, the 1.6 Air, so long as the RAM is equivalent to the Core Duo computer will be just as fast if not faster due to increased bus speeds and increased on-chip cache.
And actually, looking back I messed up at my Ghz to number translations. 2.4ghz is 2,400,000,000 cycles per second. I was off by 10^3 in my first post, which was actually in megahertz, heh
My answer feels so....bare now
I figured I'd give him all I could in a couple minutes..
Edit: That's what SHE said....
Depends what you mean by "beat." In a CPU benchmark run, it may. If you go download a program SandraSoft it has a bunch of pre-loaded benchmarks. I don't know if they have a Mac version, let me go check. It appears they don't. However, for all intents and purposes, the 1.6 Air, so long as the RAM is equivalent to the Core Duo computer will be just as fast if not faster due to increased bus speeds and increased on-chip cache.
And actually, looking back I messed up at my Ghz to number translations. 2.4ghz is 2,400,000,000 cycles per second. I was off by 10^3 in my first post, which was actually in megahertz, heh
I figured I'd give him all I could in a couple minutes..
Edit: That's what SHE said....
Depends what you mean by "beat." In a CPU benchmark run, it may. If you go download a program SandraSoft it has a bunch of pre-loaded benchmarks. I don't know if they have a Mac version, let me go check.
Yup, I'm a girl
When I say "beat", I mean the speediness of opening programs, multitasking etc
Yup, I'm a girl
Hahaha...I wasn't trying to point out your gender as much as playing off some innuendo. Good to see girls exist on the internet afterall
Hahaha...I wasn't trying to point out your gender as much as playing off some innuendo. Good to see girls exist on the internet afterall
That's ok
My colleagues in my masters psychology course call me the IT nerd since I'm obsessed with technology and computers
Sorry mam, my mistake but I was right about your high horse.
Its called the evolution of language. New words & variations are added every year whether you or Oxford likes it or not. So put that "bling*" in your pipe...
*added to the Oxford English Dictionary circa 2006
"Bling" is an entirely new word, and I have no problem accepting that and others like it (those that have been coined to convey a new idea). However, when poorly educated and/or indolent folk take huge, hot, steaming dumps ("funner," "funnest") all over pre-existing, proper ways of expressing things ("more fun," "most fun"), I take issue. Especially when that kind of laziness begins to bleed into the general population. I refuse to kowtow to those who can't be bothered to speak proper English. If that puts me on a "high horse," so be it.
I can say with 100% certainty, though, that if I were to use the word "funnest" in my graduate thesis, I'd be dragged out into the street and shot. That word is not well-received at any self-respecting institution of higher education, or by any person who has attended one. Go ahead, though, keep using it if you want. There are people like me everywhere in positions of power who will judge you for it.
"Bling" is an entirely new word, and I have no problem accepting that and others like it (those that have been coined to convey a new idea). However, when poorly educated and/or indolent folk take huge, hot, steaming dumps ("funner," "funnest") all over pre-existing, proper ways of expressing things ("more fun," "most fun"), I take issue. Especially when that kind of laziness begins to bleed into the general population. I refuse to kowtow to those who can't be bothered to speak proper English. If that puts me on a "high horse," so be it.
I can say with 100% certainty, though, that if I were to use the word "funnest" in my graduate thesis, I'd be dragged out into the street and shot. That word is not well-received at any self-respecting institution of higher education, or by any person who has attended one. Go ahead, though, keep using it if you want. There are people like me everywhere in positions of power who will judge you for it.
Yeah, I think I would have been marked quite harshly if I had funnest in my thesis too
Aaaand this thread has come to a crawl
Its still early out here in California
Yes, still a possibility! :d *crosses everything possible again* put me out of my misery already and at least release the MBs!
Yes, still a possibility! :d *crosses everything possible again* put me out of my misery already and at least release the MBs!
not even going to bother getting up late tonight to check for updates...
bah humbug apple!!!
"Bling" is an entirely new word, and I have no problem accepting that and others like it (those that have been coined to convey a new idea). However, when poorly educated and/or indolent folk take huge, hot, steaming dumps ("funner," "funnest") all over pre-existing, proper ways of expressing things ("more fun," "most fun"), I take issue. Especially when that kind of laziness begins to bleed into the general population. I refuse to kowtow to those who can't be bothered to speak proper English. If that puts me on a "high horse," so be it.
I can say with 100% certainty, though, that if I were to use the word "funnest" in my graduate thesis, I'd be dragged out into the street and shot. That word is not well-received at any self-respecting institution of higher education, or by any person who has attended one. Go ahead, though, keep using it if you want. There are people like me everywhere in positions of power who will judge you for it.
But... to police the non-academic intertubes about how one would "get shot" for putting modern slangified jargon in their thesis is quite the stretch.
The high horse comment doesn't come from the policing, it comes from making sure everyone on the forum understands your level of academic stature... even though this is a world of anonymity (in most cases, anyway.)
It remains quite obvious to most of us that whenever anyone uses those little letters that come after their name in an anonymous environment, they are doing it for their own gratification... which places them on a high horse.
Ironically, nobody is looking back up.
(btw, the hard-space after your sentences is not APA, which suggests you aren't quite as well respected in your thesis as you'd like to believe.)
[/hypocrite graemlin]