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Full Laptop Refresh By Holidays?

ccroo said:
4 MB L2 cache does sound cool. But I want a machine that's future-compatible with 64 bit releases of the Mac OS X. Even if I keep waiting I still won't have a machine that can run Leopard at 64 bits, right? That's a serious bummer.

I think Tuesday may be my last Tuesday of waiting, especially given these theories about LATE NOVEMBER. I'll go crazy waiting for my laptop until late November!

I'm kinda stunned no one has mentioned that yeah, Merom is a 64 bit chip, but it can't run at 64 bits until the new chipset (Santa Rosa?)!
Click to expand...

I had the impression that it can run at 64 bits, but can't do full 64 bit memory addressing.
 
Merom not 64-bit?

If that Business Week article is correct, then is the following Apple page wrong? Link

Apple.com said:
iMac has always made it fast and easy to do the most amazing things. And now the fast and easy part comes via the Intel Core 2 Duo. A single chip that consists of two processors, the Intel Core 2 Duo processor gives iMac up to 50% faster performance than it had previously, executes 64-bit instructions, and is available at speeds up to 2.33GHz.(1)
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jericho878 said:
If that Business Week article is correct, then is the following Apple page wrong? Link
Click to expand...

I think Business Week is wrong, since it is written by business people. Then again it is not like false advertising is new to Apple... Notice how it says the Intel Core 2 Duo processor... executes 64 bit instructions?

When they get sued they can always say "Hey, we didn't say the iMac executes 64 bit instructions"
 
so silly, the core 2 duo really is only about 7% faster than the Core 2 Duo.

Not that big of an advance. but hey any improvement is still an improvement.
 
I think it's really important to establish if the upcoming Macbook really functions as a 64 bit machine.

Does Dell claim it to be so?
 
ccroo said:
I'm kinda stunned no one has mentioned that yeah, Merom is a 64 bit chip, but it can't run at 64 bits until the new chipset (Santa Rosa?)!
Click to expand...
Is that so? In that case, there is no point waiting for Core 2 Duo chip as Santa Rosa chip set is not ready till early next year. My rationale for waiting for C2D is to have an option to run 64 bit application down the road (I admit the current MBP or MB would be obsolete when 64 bit apps start showing up).
 
promotions end 10/16 hint at release date?

Being new to the Mac crowd, I do not know if history might serve to suggest that the new release MacBook might be right after the current free printer and discounted .mac software promotions end? Since those promos end on monday, 10/16/06, and since I get the drift that Tuesday's are normally the release date for new Apple things (right/wrong?) might Tuesday 10/17/06 be a good date - no need to give away free stuff if you are bringing in a bunch of sales by a new release.

By the way, having been a Mac Mini user (actually I bought it for the computer phobic wife who is no longer computer phobic - thanks apple) for all of two weeks after 2 decades of being a Windows user, all I can really say is WOW - what took me so long!

Now I am itching to get my first Mac laptop and dump my Sony Vaio laptop and I am torn - buy the MacBook now or wait to the C2D MacBook. The salesperson at the local apple store hinted that it would be good to wait for the C2D because 64 bit vs 32 bit and Leopard is designed for 64 bit. Does that make any sense on a practical use it for internet, mail, music, photos but not games user? Again, being new to Mac's, is there any material risk of the C2D MacBook being less stable than the current MacBook?
 
ccroo said:
I think it's really important to establish if the upcoming Macbook really functions as a 64 bit machine.

Does Dell claim it to be so?
Click to expand...
I think it does matter because Apple may have some 64-bit goodies in Leopard that next gen MBP buyers may like to use. There's no doubt that Merom is a 64-bit chip, the question is whether it is fully 64-bit capable.

Maybe Apple's hold up (and close collaboration with Intel) relates to early adoption of the Crestine chipset. That way, a simple firmware update (Leopard, anyone?) can unlock the chip's full power. As an example. Apple certainly didn't mention that its iMac's contain 802.11n capable wifi cards, and as HardMac proved, the MacPro has a truly outstanding optical drive that "unlocks" with a few firmware tweaks.
 
generik said:
At least on Windows all these issues do not exist, and once you get a decent AV installed (like AVG) and take some prudent steps it is all bliss.
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Where did you get that idea from?
 
whoah i just noticed that someone said that the Core 2 Duo wont run at 64 bit until Santa Rosa Chipset?

is that true?
 
mdntcallr said:
whoah i just noticed that someone said that the Core 2 Duo wont run at 64 bit until Santa Rosa Chipset?

is that true?
Click to expand...

Ummm, I have a 24" iMac with a Merom chip in it. Is there any way I can test if it's doing 64 bit?
 
YS2003 said:
Is that so? In that case, there is no point waiting for Core 2 Duo chip as Santa Rosa chip set is not ready till early next year. My rationale for waiting for C2D is to have an option to run 64 bit application down the road (I admit the current MBP or MB would be obsolete when 64 bit apps start showing up).
Click to expand...
My guess that the right chip set for a 64 bit chip is Santa Rosa is just that -- a guess.

Now, is your follow up comment correct? Does a C2D run 64 bit applications or not?

It seems it does not. Maybe it can do some 64 bit stuff (memory functions?) -- but it can't run 64 bit applications at 64 bits.

Neither Yohah OR Merom can run 64 bit apps at 64 bits. As far as this is concerned there is no difference between these two chips.
 
maverick808 said:
Ummm, I have a 24" iMac with a Merom chip in it. Is there any way I can test if it's doing 64 bit?
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You'd need to try to install either Vista or Windows XP 64-bit. Or try to run a 64-bit application for OSX.
 
YS2003 said:
Is that so? In that case, there is no point waiting for Core 2 Duo chip as Santa Rosa chip set is not ready till early next year. My rationale for waiting for C2D is to have an option to run 64 bit application down the road (I admit the current MBP or MB would be obsolete when 64 bit apps start showing up).
Click to expand...

The real question I have is whether the chip set that Santa Rosa will come with is avaialble sooner than the entire Santa Rosa platform. Isn't Santa Rosa really the Centrino package for use with the current Core 2 Duo mobile chip (Merom) (which includes the new wifi, new chipset, new fsb, and new integrated graphics). I don't see Apple branding anything as centrino (just as they won't brand anything as viiv). I don't see anything incorporating the entire Santa Rosa platform, other than potentially the mb. If Intel is ready to deliver the new chipset, could that potentially be included in the mbp refresh? Intel did seem to say that the last product they worked on with apple was the mbp (unless it was a slip of the tongue and meant mp). If so, it could be mean good things for the mbp refresh.

cheers.
 
ccroo said:
I'm kinda stunned no one has mentioned that yeah, Merom is a 64 bit chip, but it can't run at 64 bits until the new chipset (Santa Rosa?)!
Click to expand...

Now I'm waiting for Ergle2 to chime in. He has a great explanation about chipsets...and Santa Rosa...and how Santa Rosa is a platform, not a chipset. Very informative. Wish I could explain it as well as he can.

Nonetheless...I'm disturbed by this article. What good is a 64 bit capable chip if the platform won't support it?
 
Merom and 64-bit

I'm not sure how this rumor got started, but Merom is 64-bit. To the one offering up the use of their iMac for the cause, easy, go to Ubuntu.com or another linux distro and download the 64-bit live CD. The Live CD will allow you to run in 64-bit mode without actually installing anything...
 
shadowlander said:
Now I'm waiting for Ergle2 to chime in. He has a great explanation about chipsets...and Santa Rosa...and how Santa Rosa is a platform, not a chipset. Very informative. Wish I could explain it as well as he can.

Nonetheless...I'm disturbed by this article. What good is a 64 bit capable chip if the platform won't support it?
Click to expand...
Word!
 
jericho878 said:
You'd need to try to install either Vista or Windows XP 64-bit. Or try to run a 64-bit application for OSX.
Click to expand...

Seeing as I recently installed the 32-bit version of Vista, I'd rather not go through that process again so soon. Does anybody know where I can get a 64-bit OS X app to test with?
 
shadowlander said:
Nonetheless...I'm disturbed by this article. What good is a 64 bit capable chip if the platform won't support it?
Click to expand...

HA!! This is why Apple is waiting. They have known this all along. Apple is laughing at us, it is about ***** time they figured this out.

Or maybe not.
 
Merom and 64-bit

I know this is a rumors site, but I wish people would check things out if they are not sure first...

This is a link to a PDF, but for those interested...

http://www.intel.com/products/processor_number/proc_info_table.pdf

- You want to look for the column labeled, EM64T.

Sigh...

(Updated) For those needing a little more proof, read this on the Intel site...
http://or1cedar.cps.intel.com/isn/c...ult-core_com/archive/2006/09/20/30224178.aspx

- The part you want is from denise.latscha@intel.com
 
If true then this just goes to support my thinking that SR is really where its @, Merom on the Napa platform is useless IMHO. In fact the only reason i was/am waiting for the MBP updates were FW800/DL SD and mabe some other goodies. Not the chip itself.
 
dkoralek said:
The real question I have is whether the chip set that Santa Rosa will come with is avaialble sooner than the entire Santa Rosa platform. Isn't Santa Rosa really the Centrino package for use with the current Core 2 Duo mobile chip (Merom) (which includes the new wifi, new chipset, new fsb, and new integrated graphics). I don't see Apple branding anything as centrino (just as they won't brand anything as viiv). I don't see anything incorporating the entire Santa Rosa platform, other than potentially the mb. If Intel is ready to deliver the new chipset, could that potentially be included in the mbp refresh? Intel did seem to say that the last product they worked on with apple was the mbp (unless it was a slip of the tongue and meant mp). If so, it could be mean good things for the mbp refresh.

cheers.
Click to expand...
I think you are right. Santa Rosa is the entire package (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/16/intel_centrino_roadmap/), which includes the chip, chipset and mobile communication technology. Crestine is the chip set with 800 MHz frontside bus speed. If Apple decides to go with Santa Rosa package on MB, it would need to come up with their own package for MBP, which should be better than MB.
 
maverick808 said:
Seeing as I recently installed the 32-bit version of Vista, I'd rather not go through that process again so soon. Does anybody know where I can get a 64-bit OS X app to test with?
Click to expand...
Follow AVonGauss sound advice on getting a 64-bit Linux distro Live CD. No install required.
 
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