Whats new here is that these Nvidia graphics are built into the basic chipset. So mainstream Mac users will get the benefit of improved visual performance without having to pony up for a separate chip. Its an acknowledgment that these chips can lead to a better experience for everyone, not just gamers and video geeks. (And Nvidia managed to keep this chip from being a heat-making power guzzler; otherwise, it never would have fit into the svelte MacBook Air.)
Could this endorsement from techs hottest company finally put graphics processors on the map for the mainstream? The folks at Nvidia certainly hope so. The day after Apples announcement, I caught up with Drew Henry, general manager of Nvidias media communications processor business unit, and he was practically gushing.
I think this is the beginning of the era of visual computing, he said. I believe that Oct. 14, 2008 will be remembered as the moment when an inflection point happened. He said other computer makers have already expressed more interest in the chipss. Youll see other designs over the next few weeks and months, in time for the holiday season, he said, though Apple won the opportunity to release it first.
