dual 2.7 sluggish?!

[zach]

First, the mini and iBook/Powerbook use the same G4 processors; there is no "mobile variant" per se, the G4 simply doesn't use a lot of power (PPC is used in a lot of embedded applications, so low power has been a design goal). Second, the G5 doesn't consume "obscene power". When I brought my DP G5 @ 2.5 GHz online, Folding 24x7 (100% processor load), my electric bill went up about $5 a month. When I brought my DP Opteron @ 2.0 GHz online, Folding 24x7, my electric bill went up over $20 a month. The G5 out performs the Opteron by a small margin. The Opteron sounds like a jet taking off, while the G5 whispers, which is the reason for the G5 being water cooled. Anyway, I'm just making this point because it seems to be a common misconception.

Yeah, I didn't mean to say obscene, I think I meant to use some other word. Regardless, the G5 has the speedscaling feature mostly due to the heat it produces.

The G4 used in PowerBooks and iBooks ::is:: different. The architecture and die size, etc, are the same, but it does have this feature enabled, unlike the mac mini.

 

[daveL]

Yeah, I didn't mean to say obscene, I think I meant to use some other word. Regardless, the G5 has the speedscaling feature mostly due to the heat it produces.

The G4 used in PowerBooks and iBooks ::is:: different. The architecture and die size, etc, are the same, but it does have this feature enabled, unlike the mac mini.

I stand corrected. The mini uses the 7457, while the laptops use the 7447A which, as you said, has the clock scaling and thermal diode. My bad.

 

[Rincewind42]

The reasoning why Apple set Automatic as a default eludes me.

Because it will make your computer quieter (unless you live in Florida with a roommate who refuses to use the air conditioner...). When set to automatic, the computer slows down (and produces less heat) when the processors are less consumed, which enables the fans to slow down an even saves energy .