some people are REALLY good at reading the thread so that they know the guy has been shown his mistake, has admitted being mistaken, and apologized.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
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IBM Preps for Apple Announcements
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some people are REALLY good at reading the thread so that they know the guy has been shown his mistake, has admitted being mistaken, and apologized.
You want to kill current PowerMac G4 sales?
Then announce in the next 3-6 months Apple will be shipping the G5. Everyone and their mother would wait. I would seriously doubt that Apple would just announce their future plans with IBM and set a future time frame for realease. They know that every Mac head would wait. Did they announce the new iMac and say we wont ship for another 6 months, but we just wanted to share our future plans with you?
PowerMac sales are terrible and just announcing plans and not introducing the new machines would put the final nail in the coffin for the next 3-6 months until the new ones come out.
My money is on new machines Monday, I have no idea what the specs are but the ones posted by "mistake" could happen.
burger
Then announce in the next 3-6 months Apple will be shipping the G5. Everyone and their mother would wait. I would seriously doubt that Apple would just announce their future plans with IBM and set a future time frame for realease. They know that every Mac head would wait. Did they announce the new iMac and say we wont ship for another 6 months, but we just wanted to share our future plans with you?
PowerMac sales are terrible and just announcing plans and not introducing the new machines would put the final nail in the coffin for the next 3-6 months until the new ones come out.
My money is on new machines Monday, I have no idea what the specs are but the ones posted by "mistake" could happen.
burger
Re: Re: No, they're not talking about another update...
Sorry this is a bit off topic, but in response to a lot of the questions and comments that have been posted. The problem with Apple and customization the likes of Dell (this is in response to another later post) and continuous speed updates that you speak of in the PC world is that Apple is only selling thousands of PC's a year while the Windows world is selling millions. Apple being the sole manufacturer for MacOS products cannot afford to upgrade processors every month or two. Nor can they afford to mass customize the way that Dell does. It's all about economies of scale. Apple needs to maintain it's profit margins in order to stay alive as a company. The reason Apple limits the number of processor configs is that every option that they offer means more R&D, more manufacturing expenditure and less overall profit. I mean I think it is a HUGE testament to Apple's ingenuity and quality of product that they are still around. I mean think of the PC world as it stands now... how many other PC manufacturers have their own OS, Software, monitors, peripherals (iPod, mouse, keyboard)? None.
Sorry this is a bit off topic, but in response to a lot of the questions and comments that have been posted. The problem with Apple and customization the likes of Dell (this is in response to another later post) and continuous speed updates that you speak of in the PC world is that Apple is only selling thousands of PC's a year while the Windows world is selling millions. Apple being the sole manufacturer for MacOS products cannot afford to upgrade processors every month or two. Nor can they afford to mass customize the way that Dell does. It's all about economies of scale. Apple needs to maintain it's profit margins in order to stay alive as a company. The reason Apple limits the number of processor configs is that every option that they offer means more R&D, more manufacturing expenditure and less overall profit. I mean I think it is a HUGE testament to Apple's ingenuity and quality of product that they are still around. I mean think of the PC world as it stands now... how many other PC manufacturers have their own OS, Software, monitors, peripherals (iPod, mouse, keyboard)? None.
Re: Re: Re: No, they're not talking about another update...
I feel the same way. Everyone was trying to figure out a way to discount what they had to say, and they were more or less right (especially with timing) Now I hope this "mole" they have in Apple can provide some more info into future projects.
I feel the same way. Everyone was trying to figure out a way to discount what they had to say, and they were more or less right (especially with timing) Now I hope this "mole" they have in Apple can provide some more info into future projects.
Googling around for information on the Power4 (which the 970 is based on) and Power5 (IBM's next generation chip, and presumably the foundation for the 980), and I ran across this source:
https://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/05/20030509020831.shtml
After reading a number of other articles on Power5 at IBM and other sites, these numbers seem reasonable. Pretty remarkable!
I think we're going to see the new machines rather quickly, before the college school buying frenzy. AsI've said before here, sources I have inside IBM say .09 by the end of the year - and maybe up to 3.5 GHZ.
Makes no sense to who? I for one would love to have the optical audio out capability to hook up to a real 5.1 or better amplifier instead of using these cheesy Klipsch THX setup I have now. I am sure a lot of the folks at the Home Theater Mac Users Group
http://www.htmug.com/phpBB2/index.php
would agree.
Why would you need copy protection/ DRM for this? Optical in/out has been available on high (and most not so high) end stereo components sense at least 1989 with no type of "DRM."
Several times today I have doubted if people have a clue what optical audio is. So here is the quick and dirty. It is simply a connection that allows a digital signal to be sent from one component to another. It frees the first component from the digital-analog conversion that is necessary with other types of connections. Otherwise it is just another inter-component audio connection.
Didn't MacBidouille discuss a MOBO connector mod that no one could figure out the purpose of? It looks like the optical audio connector may have been predicted by them.
bd
A simple question
One always hears "no, Apple can't announce the new {fill in the blank} or else they will hurt the old {fill in the blank] sales."
I don't buy it at all. If they promised a Sept 1 delivery and the DP 2ghz tower was $3499 with AMD/Intel-crushing stats, how many preorders could they sell right now? Audio, video, and print businesses which can directly benefit from much faster processing (and who have been DYING to upgrade but are not enticed by 1.42 G4s) would pony up the dough in a New York minute.
It seems to me a good business model to take someone's money IN ADVANCE and deliver the product in three months, rather than wait to offer it and therefore force people to be "switchers" going the wrong way in order to have faster systems.
Example:
Scenario #1. Man needs fast system and tends to love Macs. Man must wait--Apple is not ready and isn't doing preorders, giving no clue as to a release date. On August 31st, Intel releases the MEGA-ENTIUM 5 gig processor. Man feels he cannot wait any longer and buys the Intel CPU from Dell. September 1, 970 Macs are available, but Man already blew his wad on Intel monstrosity. Man loses and Apple loses.
Scenario #2. Man needs fast system and tends to love Macs. Apple announces new G5s and takes his money, promising a September 1 ship date. On August 31st, Intel releases the MEGA-ENTIUM 5 gig processor. Man doesn't give a tinker's damn--his 970 PowerMac is bought, paid for, and on the way. Man wins, Apple wins.
Where am I wrong here?
One always hears "no, Apple can't announce the new {fill in the blank} or else they will hurt the old {fill in the blank] sales."
I don't buy it at all. If they promised a Sept 1 delivery and the DP 2ghz tower was $3499 with AMD/Intel-crushing stats, how many preorders could they sell right now? Audio, video, and print businesses which can directly benefit from much faster processing (and who have been DYING to upgrade but are not enticed by 1.42 G4s) would pony up the dough in a New York minute.
It seems to me a good business model to take someone's money IN ADVANCE and deliver the product in three months, rather than wait to offer it and therefore force people to be "switchers" going the wrong way in order to have faster systems.
Example:
Scenario #1. Man needs fast system and tends to love Macs. Man must wait--Apple is not ready and isn't doing preorders, giving no clue as to a release date. On August 31st, Intel releases the MEGA-ENTIUM 5 gig processor. Man feels he cannot wait any longer and buys the Intel CPU from Dell. September 1, 970 Macs are available, but Man already blew his wad on Intel monstrosity. Man loses and Apple loses.
Scenario #2. Man needs fast system and tends to love Macs. Apple announces new G5s and takes his money, promising a September 1 ship date. On August 31st, Intel releases the MEGA-ENTIUM 5 gig processor. Man doesn't give a tinker's damn--his 970 PowerMac is bought, paid for, and on the way. Man wins, Apple wins.
Where am I wrong here?
Good call...yeah that's probably it. Most people haven't seen a toslink before.
Also, I agree on the optical input...no need for so-called "DRM". My extigy (PC USB soundcard) has optical input, through which I can record whatever I want. Nice to see it coming to the Mac, built-in.
A bit off-topic, but sort of further to the digital audio output thing...DRM is seemingly only an issue for the record companies when it relates to digital audio transmitted as Linear PCM at 24bit/96 KHz upwards (DVD-A) and consumer single-bit DSD (SACD), i.e. the middle and upper reaches of hi-definition audio, not for 16bit/44.1KHz sampling frequency, as spec'd for CDs.
The contents companies are ...er.... terrified that people will copy for free stuff that can be sent digitally at such high quality. Obviously no-one's pointed out to them that people can't even be arsed to copy at CD's far-from-elevated audio standards any more.
The contents companies are ...er.... terrified that people will copy for free stuff that can be sent digitally at such high quality. Obviously no-one's pointed out to them that people can't even be arsed to copy at CD's far-from-elevated audio standards any more.
my Apple Store inquisitions
tonight @ counter (northshore mall store) (peabody, ma):
me: "so how many times have you been asked today for a sneak peek of the back?"
them:"a few but honestly you would be disappointed if you saw what was back there."
me:"you got your shipment of stuff already didn't you?"
them:"we haven't gotten anything."
me:"you are expecting some boxes though right?"
them:"maybe..."
me:"if they aren't here by now they must be arriving tomorrow morning or something?"
them: <big smile>
me:"so when are you re-arranging the store?"
them:"let's just say not until next Friday. I'll be here @ midnight on Friday - boy will that be fun."
me:"are you b.s.ing me?"
them:"nope."
take this for what its worth. whether they have been instructed by apple to say this stuff, who knows til monday afternoon. but they reconfirmed that the broadcast will be there in all it's glory. there were a few laptops around the store with notes on them ("sorry, we are in the process of being upgraded") - but that means squat. the store did look a little sparse on hardware to be honest. There was plenty of room for an extra few desktops in the front sides (pro) area.
tonight @ counter (northshore mall store) (peabody, ma):
me: "so how many times have you been asked today for a sneak peek of the back?"
them:"a few
but honestly you would be disappointed if you saw what was back there."me:"you got your shipment of stuff already didn't you?"
them:"we haven't gotten anything."
me:"you are expecting some boxes though right?"
them:"maybe..."
me:"if they aren't here by now they must be arriving tomorrow morning or something?"
them: <big smile>
me:"so when are you re-arranging the store?"
them:"let's just say not until next Friday. I'll be here @ midnight on Friday - boy will that be fun."
me:"are you b.s.ing me?"
them:"nope.
"take this for what its worth. whether they have been instructed by apple to say this stuff, who knows til monday afternoon. but they reconfirmed that the broadcast will be there in all it's glory. there were a few laptops around the store with notes on them ("sorry, we are in the process of being upgraded") - but that means squat. the store did look a little sparse on hardware to be honest. There was plenty of room for an extra few desktops in the front sides (pro) area.
Have any of you noticed in the Apple Store that you can buy PowerMacs that are specifically OS 9 bootable? Just thought it was interresting... may be OS9's last stand on a powermac!
Also, do any of you have any experience using conecting a powerbook to a TV and using it as a dvd player via the S-video port? If so, is the quality good? If the new powermacs do indeed have optical audio out, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to expect the same thing in the next round of powerbooks, which would really enhance their ability to be used as an auxiliary dvd player.... just pondering the situation for my first year living in the doorms.
Also, do any of you have any experience using conecting a powerbook to a TV and using it as a dvd player via the S-video port? If so, is the quality good? If the new powermacs do indeed have optical audio out, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to expect the same thing in the next round of powerbooks, which would really enhance their ability to be used as an auxiliary dvd player.... just pondering the situation for my first year living in the doorms.
uhh... no, the low end being a 2.0Ghz and the high a 3.2Ghz would be perfect. this is good, but it still may be too little too late.
Clock speed isn't everything you silly little man. It's been proven that a mere 1.6Ghz 970 has better FPU than a 3.06Ghz P4. The P4 is amazingly inneficcient, it takes like 40 steps to do anything.
A 2.0Ghz Dual PowerMac G4 would most likely smoke a single 3.06Ghz P4. Flat.
A 2.0Ghz Dual PowerMac G4 would most likely smoke a single 3.06Ghz P4. Flat.
970
I'm as thrilled as anyone here... But I will personally be waiting for the second generation of the forthcoming machines, let you all test it out for me
I'm as thrilled as anyone here... But I will personally be waiting for the second generation of the forthcoming machines, let you all test it out for me
unfortunately, to the man at compUSA clock speed IS everything. if I was at apple marketing I'd be sticking big 64bit stickers on everything. its always a numbers game.
still, I apologise profusely for bringing any kind of realism or dissent into the holy church of apple worship.
Sinner!
Honestly, these machines are incredible... you'd have to try hard to not like this lineup.
Originally posted by Frobozz
Sinner!
Honestly, these machines are incredible... you'd have to try hard to not like this lineup.
man I know. I've waited for sooo long making do with my 450Mhz G4. I am just a bit of a pessimist and it hurts me that Intels chips still out-clock us.
apple must push the 64bit angle. hopefully average joe will see '64bit computer, 32bit computer' the same way he sees '3.2Ghz computer 1.8Ghz computer'.
2 things: Yield and price.
Apple used overclocked G4 chips which were rated by Moto at 1GHz. To overclock and be reliable at 1.4 GHz, you need the highest quality chips out of the batch. That means a low yield and a lower availability.
Dual processor designs are obviously more expensive than single proc designs.
Apple used the dual proc strategy to bridge the gap till the next gen chip was available, but that would have hamstrung them to make cheaper machines.
Now they have the next gen chip and it looks like IBM are well on the way in developing the 980, Apple have more config options. The best option is to release a lower priced PM by using a single proc config.
Apple will probably limit the configs of single and dual proc machines till they get a critical mass of sales. They may well be able to set-up a 'made to order' config later on, but at the moment it would hurt their margins to implement such a service.