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Dual-Core PowerMacs, New G4 PowerBook, and G5 Mini?

mrhoratio said:
If this rumor is true it would be quite an exciting set of updates. Although, is it really worth buying and of these new updated products, with the imminent MacTel Macs? I suspect a lot of people will hold off buying anything until the Intel chips are in place. For me, and for many Mac enthusiasts, I have to have to latest and greatest. Knowing that Intel Macs are coming out makes me hesitant to buy anything anymore PPC Macs, because it essentially means I would be buying an already outdated computer.

Horatio
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It wouldnt be outdated for at least a year and on top of that it would be the latest and greatest if indeed you only wish to stay with Mac
 
922 said:
New Mac minis - haha NO. We just had an update, and when a Mac mini is more powerful than a Powerbook, something is wrong. These will go Intel before the end of '06.
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Isn't that what we said when the iMac G5 rumors surfaced? It was impossible for a product line starting with the `i' to have a G5, because the Power line of laptops didn't have a G5!

And yet it happened. And besides, the G5 is slower than a G4 clock for clock. 1.4 GHz G5 isn't going to beat a G4 at 1.42 GHz, other than having better aggregate bandwidth.

EDIT: I researched a bit and a few friends informed me about my misinformation above. While the G4 may be better clock for clock in SOME ways, the G4 still has capability for simulateous 16 inflight instructions, and the G5 200 more than that. But I still don't think the new G5 Minis, if true, are going to blow away in performance compared to the PowerBooks. Comparable, sometimes slower, sometimes faster.
 
dornoforpyros said:
G5 mini? no, Now a g5 cube! Seems to me that when the mini came out apple was doing everything they could to avoid comparison to the cube.
Maby they plan to reserect the cube....
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You just barely beat me to it...

I was thinking the "G5 mini" rumor might actually be a G5 cube -- i.e. a headless iMac. Rather than being an update to the mini (which just got updated, remember?) it would be a whole new product.

I'm imagining a desktop product line where the Mac mini is the headless version of the eMac, the theoretical G5 Cube is the headless version of the iMac, and then the Power Mac sits at the top by itself.

All Apple really needs to make all this work is a low-end display (or line of displays)! As has been mentioned many times in the past, it doesn't make a lot of sense to buy a $500 Mac mini and then have no displays offered in the Apple Store except the Cinema Displays starting at $800. It wouldn't make much more sense with a G5 Cube.
 
OCOTILLO said:
A G5 mini with 1GB memory and improved graphics is an obvious evolution of the mini. Assuming the rumors are correct and the IBM chip will be low power there should be every reason this is a possibility. If Apple expects the mini to continue in the product line it must make the system appealing to current Apple customers as a primary computer. I am a recent switcher from Windows. I would probably not have switched if I wasn't hooked by the mini. I had problems with the display I had used with my Windows machine, so I eventually purchased a Apple 20" Cinema Display. Now if I had to do it all over again I would probably buy a Powerbook. However, now that I have an expensive display ($799), if I want more power, the only choice is a Power Mac. I don't want a tower and I don't want to spend that much money. So, if Apple did truly upgrade the mini as I suggest, I would buy it in a minute.
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A 1 GB RAM chip, better video card and G5 processor for the same low price? I don't think so. Remember, Apple launched the Mini to get new customers, not to please power users. It needs to be affordable. 1 GB of RAM won't be useful to 90% of Mini users, it won't happen. G5 processor? We are all having problems with this concept. However, the only real-world experience we have with G5 power-consumption and price is based on the 970GX, the new 970FX might be more affordable (if mass produced) and might not require a mega-fan.

I say G5 Mac Mini is possible; I don't know if you saw the specs on this site when IBM released the info on the 970FX and 970MP, but speeds were kinda disappointing (lower than current 970GX) for a CPU that is comparable in performance MHz for MHz. This could mean Apple intends to drop prices in single processor models, as it seems 970FX will not be in powerbooks. Of course, lower speeds for the 970MP is not a real problem as you get two cores, which would ultimately translate in four cores in a Power Mac.

This is getting confusing... What's the plan, Apple?
 
SiliconAddict said:
I call BS on this rumor:



Something is coming in January. We don't know what but something x86 based. I would stake my life on it. The first products won't be high end ones with the exception of the PowerBooks because they are in such dire need of an update.
But lets forget the high-end stuff for a second. The non pro-consumer grade hardware will be the first to move over. Why? Simple. The average Mac Mini Windows switcher is using the mini for the basics. Which means a good % of the people buying a mini aren't going to be looking for high end apps to run on it. High end apps that prob won't be converted yet. So I'm calling BS on at least that aspect to that rumor. The very first products to move to x86 will be the Mac Mini, eMac (If they don't just discontinue it altogether), and the PowerBook. Those in some fashion or another will make an appearance 1H of 2006. If I believe in nothing else I believe in that.
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I'm with you on this one. I could see a PowerMac update but not the other 2. At least not right now. (or next month) :rolleyes:
 
yellow said:
A G5 Mini? I find that to be a dubious rumor at best. Maybe if it was a regular mini sandwiched between 2 colosal fans. :)
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And it doubles as a toaster oven and hot plate using the G5 as a heating element... Alternatively you can get the home heating accessory. :)
 
I wonder how these potential releases would impact what is being released/announced at MWSF in terms of MacIntels. Surely if we see some significant updates in September, we would be less likely to see Intel updates to the same machines in January. Interesting...
 
achmafooma said:
You just barely beat me to it...

I was thinking the "G5 mini" rumor might actually be a G5 cube -- i.e. a headless iMac. Rather than being an update to the mini (which just got updated, remember?) it would be a whole new product.
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I like the idea of a G5 cube, it could be the middle-end model we've all been waiting for (the performance of a Power Mac with less expansion; as in one drive bay, one PCIe/X slot, 2-4 RAM slots, and of course, at a way more affordable price).

But please stop referring to the recent Mini's repackaging/price drop. It is not an update, and does not count towards determining if the Mini is due for an update or not! THE MAC MINI IS WAY DUE FOR AN UPDATE! If anything, this repricing strategy is helping to clear the inventory of remaining first gen Minis.
 
I dont think they'll release 5 mac minis yet. They just updated that line about a month ago and yes it is an update. Powermac and Powerbook, definitely....
 
G5 mini?

While everyone thinks a Mac mini can't handle even a low-power G5, nobody knows if the form factor won't change. After seeing the half-a-dozen hubs appear on the market, perhaps Apple really will make the "G5 mini" the next "Cube".

Think of two Mac mini G4 on top of one another. Then, merge the two casings to make a single computer. Voila, "G5 mini" a.k.a. "Cube 2".

That way, the current hubs can be used (so people will sell their current Mac mini and get this new G5 mini).

Even if it's not a G5, getting a Freescale G4 into the next Mac mini revision would be a good thing (along with that Radeon 9550... only wish it were 64MB, but seeing the new iBook we all know the next Mac mini will be a Radeon 9550 with 32MB).

What would differenciate the G5 mini? More RAM slots, 3.5" HD (or a 2.5" at 7200RPM, maybe even two drives in Raid 0 for more speed?), better GPU with more VRAM (Radeon 9600/128MB).

Anyone has the last sales numbers for the Mac mini, vs iMac/etc?
 
The ease and the logic

Yes, having recently purchased a G4 pb, I would be quite sad to see the mini's get G5 upgrades, however...isn't the reason the pb's dont have G5s because of heat??? since the minis arent carried on your lap...they can get as hot as they want without being a problem...what I'm trying to say is that Apple can easily make G5 minis and cant do the same with pbs. Now...the remaining question is should they make their lowest of the low-end macs (minis) better in speed than their really pricy and supposedly powerful PowerBooks? We'll get that answer at the expo.
 
Wow. The possibility of all these updates are just so awesome...

Dual Duals would certainly stir up tons of commotion and IMO would be enough of a BANG to make us stop complaining about poor "updates". Way better than whatever Apple could do with a G4 PB or low power G5 Mini...

...or is it? I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I'm proven wrong. PPCs going out with THREE bangs would be sweeeeet.. :eek:
 
I would highly doubt a dual dual PowerMac as that would, at least as far as I know, put the PowerMac's processors way ahead of Intel's roadmap. Weren't they supposed to be spec'd at 2.7 GHz per core?
 
G5 Mini? :rolleyes:
That sounds nice. If they still will be sold for $499, I will definetly buy one with 23" ACD. Till second revision of PowerMactels.
Will those dual 970MP PPCs make a PM the word's fastes computer again?
So laptops will be the only once stuck on 32bit computing?
 
MacCoaster said:
EDIT: I researched a bit and a few friends informed me about my misinformation above. While the G4 may be better clock for clock in SOME ways, the G4 still has capability for simulateous 16 inflight instructions, and the G5 200 more than that. But I still don't think the new G5 Minis, if true, are going to blow away in performance compared to the PowerBooks. Comparable, sometimes slower, sometimes faster.
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The conclusion is correct. Comparable, sometimes slower and sometimes faster. As for the inflight instructions ... the number of inflight instructions alone isn't very important, but the number of inflight instructions divided by the length of the pipelines is quite important. The G4s have a very short pipeline, which is one of it's biggest advantages, whereas the G5 with it's longer pipeline (kind of like the P4) needs more inflight instructions to be able to keep up. What matters in the end is the average number of simultaneously completed instructions, which depend on a lot of factors. From anandtech:
"[The G5] can theoretically sustain up to 5 instructions (4+ 1 branch) per clock cycle. The Opteron can sustain 3 at most; the Pentium 4's trace cache bandwidth "limits" the P4 to about 2 x86 instruction per clock cycle."
The G4 can theoretically sustain up to 4 instructions (3+ 1 branch).
 
So, maybe Minis and PowerMacs get significant G5 upgrades, and the PowerBooks don't, however they are then the first ones to receive Intel chips as of MWSF, with the PowerMacs, etc. coming further down the road (and the consumers having this major update to tide them over)

Ah, speculation is fun... :cool:
 
The G5 Mac mini.

macmini.jpg
 
If any of you base your purchasing descisions off of this, you deserve to be slapped. These predictions are nonsensical minus some sort of update to the Powerbook, but don't expect it to be an exciting update.
 
This is getting Weird!

If Apple releases a G5 Mac Mini, a dual dual core G5 PM, and a HD 2 Ghz PB in September, it will make me think that the Intel transition is much further away than I thought.

The PM wouldn't go Intel until 64 bit high performance dual cores were available say mid 2007.

The PB would go Intel Merom say Jan. 2007

The mini may not go Intel Yonah or equivalent until at least 2nd half 2006 or Jan 2007.

The iMac will probably see an update to dual core G5 Jan. 2006.

That leaves the iBook as the most probable first Intel. Most likely low-end Pentium-M announced Jan. 2006. :eek:
 
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