Future Powerbooks and iBooks

[johnbro23]

I hope I picked the right subforum to put this in. I'm new here, so fogive my ignorance. If I made a mistake feel free to move it.

I was wondering, where does everyone expect the Powerbooks and iBooks to be at in 2 years? Do you think they'll have a G5 processor? Maybe 2.0GHz?

I'm a softmore in high school and have two years to think about getting an Apple laptop for college. I'm pretty much sold already and fed up with my Dell desktop.

 

[Sun Baked]

The PPC970FX isn't the problem, they are now within the ballpark of the G4.

The problem is that Apple has to build a new chipset for the iMac/PowerBook/iBook -- the dual CPU U3/K2 (UniNorth3/KeyLargo2) is too big and hot for the portables and all-in-ones.

With the U3 running at half the clock of the CPU, it's cranking out a lot of heat and sucking down some Watts.

Hack off the 2nd processor connector, go single channel on the memory, and get rid of the extra stuff used for the XServe variant.

And if Apple stuffs it all into a single chip, they won't be able to say it uses HyperTransport -- since Apple is using it to link the K2, PCI slots and U3 together.

 

[jxyama]

in two years, PB will definitely have a G5. i'd bet that iBook will too by then.

beyond that, i imagine dvd burner will pretty much become a standard, just like the combo drive. maybe double layer dvd burner for PB, single layer burner for iBook?

i'd love to see optical storage devices that are smaller profile than CD/DVDs but i don't see that trend changing in just a few years. it's a shame because laptops could be made even smaller/lighter if CD/DVD drive didn't take up so much space. (or increase the battery size for longer life...)

it would also be nice to see a 12" iBook/PB with greater than 1024x768 resolution. (and similarly improved screens for 14" iBook and 15/17" PB.) OLED displays, perhaps?

memory up to 4 GB, HD up to 250 to 300 GB... FW 800/1600...

 

[johnbro23]

The PPC970FX isn't the problem, they are now within the ballpark of the G4.

The problem is that Apple has to build a new chipset for the iMac/PowerBook/iBook -- the dual CPU U3/K2 (UniNorth3/KeyLargo2) is too big and hot for the portables and all-in-ones.

With the U3 running at half the clock of the CPU, it's cranking out a lot of heat and sucking down some Watts.

Hack off the 2nd processor connector, go single channel on the memory, and get rid of the extra stuff used for the XServe variant.

And if Apple stuffs it all into a single chip, they won't be able to say it uses HyperTransport -- since Apple is using it to link the K2, PCI slots and U3 together.

I hardly understood any of that you said. What is PPC970FX, the dual CPU U3/K2 (UniNorth3/KeyLargo2), HyperTransport, K2, PCI and U3?

Sorry, I dont know as much about computers as you guys do. But what I do know is that 4GB of memory and a 300 GB hard drive would be amazing. You think they'll fit that on a laptop? And whats FW 800/1600 mean?

 

[Sun Baked]

The PPC970 is the G5 used in the PowerMac, the PPC970FX die shrunk G5 used in the XServe G5 and hopefully the Rev B.

The XServe and PowerMac G5 use 3 chips in the chipset (U3, K2, and PCI-X bridge)

Block diagram of the Powermac G5

Block diagram of the XServe G5

But these chips include "extra" stuff that isn't needed in a iMac (like a 2nd processor port).

The chipset in the iBook is 1 chip...

iBook G4 block diagram

Just click one of the G5s and the iBook, lot's of stuff needs to be dumped to fit inside the iBook case...

 

[jxyama]

Sorry, I dont know as much about computers as you guys do. But what I do know is that 4GB of memory and a 300 GB hard drive would be amazing. You think they'll fit that on a laptop? And whats FW 800/1600 mean?

i imagine that 2 GB SODIMM RAM modules will be available in two years. they may be expensive, like 1 GB ones are now, but i think they will be available.

300 GB might have been a stretch. i imagine 100 to 150 GB might be more realistic...

FW 800/1600 is firewire that operates at 800 or 1600 mbps instead of the standard 400 right now...

 

[johnbro23]

The PPC970 is the G5 used in the PowerMac, the PPC970FX die shrunk G5 used in the XServe G5 and hopefully the Rev B.

The XServe and PowerMac G5 use 3 chips in the chipset (U3, K2, and PCI-X bridge)

Block diagram of the Powermac G5

Block diagram of the XServe G5

But these chips include "extra" stuff that isn't needed in a iMac (like a 2nd processor port).

The chipset in the iBook is 1 chip...

iBook G4 block diagram

Just click one of the G5s and the iBook, lot's of stuff needs to be dumped to fit inside the iBook case...

Theres a lot I need to learn about computers. So basically, they wont fit a G5 into a PowerBook til they get 3 chips to fit in it? When do you think that'll be? Also, whats FW?

 

[leftbanke7]

Also, whats FW?

Firewire. Essentually USB on steroids.