Intel Powerbook and iMac in January?

[Romanesq]

This time it's different

Just a gut feeling but there may be a surprise with an intel release by January or even right before Christmas, something more like an announcement with shipping shortly after to get the masses aroused.

Even with these new signposts pointing to the imac and pb, I just can't get out of my head that the mini has to fit into that somewhere. It's just so perfect for the new wave.

Regardless of accuracy on that, there's little doubt that this is coming sooner than later in one form or another. Apple has had a lot of time to play with the architecture. At this point they must be far along with the software drive and the early compromises needed to bring something to market.

It's pretty exciting actually. The whole speed issue is about to be reduced to rubble. Then we will be looking at software efficiencies and other aspects all driven by software.

And that's the way it should be.

 

[tiramisu]

rosetta performance

ok. if there'll be an intel board for the pb on january, apples ilife and pro application will be ready for that. but the other apps like photoshop, flash, etc. guess for some month will be only running on rosetta.

i really wounder how slower an application like photoshop is running on a super 'fast' intelmother****ingboard? more cpu but then EMUlation?

well, the transition to the new application will be fast, well fast in kind of evolition, i guess one year.

my powerbook is damn old. i wish to buy a new one.

 

[pionata]

I have the feeling the pro apps are already working on x86 and that they are just trying to optimize them and fix some issues.

The intel switch has been announce for a while.

 

[hayesk]

I have the feeling the pro apps are already working on x86 and that they are just trying to optimize them and fix some issues.

The intel switch has been announce for a while.

Apple's pro apps, maybe. But the Mac market is full of applications written in CodeWarrior, and full of endian code dependencies which will take a long time to fix and test.

Also don't forget, some of the Apple Pro apps were bought from other companies - they weren't necessarily written with Intel ports in mind.

 

[mac-er]

ok. if there'll be an intel board for the pb on january, apples ilife and pro application will be ready for that. but the other apps like photoshop, flash, etc. guess for some month will be only running on rosetta.

i really wounder how slower an application like photoshop is running on a super 'fast' intelmother****ingboard? more cpu but then EMUlation?

For all we know, the major developers like Adobe and Microsoft could be finished compiling their code and informed Apple of that fact. Steve said it didn't take that long.
Mathematica was done over a weekend.

A lot of the smaller companies will be left behind and have to fix their codes after the transition. Quark will have their code compiled 3 years from now.

 

[pionata]

Apple's pro apps, maybe. But the Mac market is full of applications written in CodeWarrior, and full of endian code dependencies which will take a long time to fix and test.

Also don't forget, some of the Apple Pro apps were bought from other companies - they weren't necessarily written with Intel ports in mind.

But they will run through emulation right?

 

[RobHague]

Have to look at the benifits of this move to x86, what will it mean for people buying the systems?

I can't think of any at the moment. It would appear that Apple are going to be using off-the-shelf Intel CPU's, so unless they drop the prices they are going to be in with the PC specs rat-race no? Meaning they will be refreshing their products very quickly or face looking very poor value. I'm going to imagine the 'transition' isnt going to have a positive effect on software (at least in the early stages) which isnt a exactley a 'pro' of the switch. What about these smaller programs? are they just going to die?

Ok i thought of some advantages while writing that...

1) You can install Linux or Windows for x86 -- Yay, but then what did i buy the Mac for?

2) Apple will be able to make faster and smaller laptops.... and maybe Intel will be 'ahead' again by that time. Actually when was the last time Intel was ahead ive forgotten?

3) In the long-run (2007/2008?) we might get more software ports, especially games (it seemed to me that things were just starting to take off in software terms before this 'move' though).

Dunno so i guess i don't know what im talking about really, im missing something that everyone else knows and thats why they are extatic about the move? Can someone let me know :/ im sure the next generation Intel CPU's will be 'wondeful' and 'faster' than the current G5's but then thats obvious, they are going to be released after.

 

[gkarris]

Have to look at the benifits of this move to x86, what will it mean for people buying the systems?

I can't think of any at the moment. It would appear that Apple are going to be using off-the-shelf Intel CPU's, so unless they drop the prices they are going to be in with the PC specs rat-race no? Meaning they will be refreshing their products very quickly or face looking very poor value. I'm going to imagine the 'transition' isnt going to have a positive effect on software (at least in the early stages) which isnt a exactley a 'pro' of the switch. What about these smaller programs? are they just going to die?

Ok i thought of some advantages while writing that...

1) You can install Linux or Windows for x86 -- Yay, but then what did i buy the Mac for?

Better design, OS X Capability, stuff that "works", computer support staff that speaks and understands Egnlish fluently...

 

[plinden]

2) Apple will be able to make faster and smaller laptops.... and maybe Intel will be 'ahead' again by that time. Actually when was the last time Intel was ahead ive forgotten?

You may have missed the 5000 posts mentioning this since the transition announcement, but Intel make the best mobile CPUs.

 

[pionata]

As long as I can have a dual-core laptop with osx and support for the 30" cinema display I'll be Extremely happy.

I think most mac users dont mind being a bit behind the speed of windows machine if they can get something stable that look better and is thinner with an OS that js actualy working, etc...

Fact is, get the machine that does what you need to do for your work or creation, and a console if you want to play games. Apple is too late to jump on the game market anyway, its a dying market anyway (with all the piracy and the new consoles costing so much less than games machine). I say this, becose the new processor that would outrun the macs', after they first intel gen release, will be made essentialy for gamers, they will be noisy and huge (And you'll be much better with a nice powermac if performance is what you need, since most of the time the top end powermac is more powerfull in pro app than any windows machine). They will also cost like twice the price for a 20% increase in speed.

Hey, we are talking about new powerbooks wich could be up to 3 times faster than the current ones, with osx, probably a better screen and a new design. What more could we ask?

Edit: that was in reply to Rob Hague)

 

[RobHague]

You may have missed the 5000 posts mentioning this since the transition announcement, but Intel make the best mobile CPUs.

That's great if you want a laptop.

 

[Melkor]

Is the only difference between the current PB's and the new intel ones speed? Or will the intel PB's also be more compatible with windows software and such?

 

[iEdd]

Is the only difference between the current PB's and the new intel ones speed? Or will the intel PB's also be more compatible with windows software and such?

lol. Have you read any of this thread or information about intel? (No offense.)
Reasons it's going intel:
-Faster speeds
-Being able to boot x86 apps and operating systems.
-Less heat
-More power per watt (in other words, less electricity consumption)
-Wider, more developed range of CPUs

 

[heartsglory]

Dual booting is a NICE convenience

lol. Have you read any of this thread or information about intel? (No offense.)
Reasons it's going intel:
-Faster speeds
-Being able to boot x86 apps and operating systems.
-Less heat
-More power per watt (in other words, less electricity consumption)
-Wider, more developed range of CPUs

Dual booting is a NICE feature I'm looking forward to. I do some system-level programming and to be able to do dual boot I can FINALLY be able to do so without using VPC for mac ( way too slow and quite the resource hog! )

 

[oskar]

lol. Have you read any of this thread or information about intel? (No offense.)
Reasons it's going intel:
-Faster speeds
-Being able to boot x86 apps and operating systems.
-Less heat
-More power per watt (in other words, less electricity consumption)
-Wider, more developed range of CPUs

I believe he was referring if besides better performance, speed, etc., if whether Windows software will be able to run on new Intel Macs? AFAIK the answer is no, if you're thinking about running Windows software directly on OS X. The code should a little more similar as long as both versions of an app (Windows and OS X) utilize the same x86 architecture, but this won't make your Windows games or software run on OS X any easier than they do now with Virtual PC.

The big difference is that Intel Macs will supposedly be able to boot from a Windows OS installation which will allow you to have a Mac that runs both OS X and Windows.
As for this being a reason to change to Intel? Well... who knows? Maybe an unofficial reason.

 

[pubwvj]

It doesn't really matter which comes out and when. Just remember, you do not want to bleed on the edge of the knife of advancing technology.

 

[hadlock]

Dual windows/OS X boot capability is the number 2 reason why I'd buy an intel mac; now I'll finally be able to play all the games my friends keep telling me about. Primary reason is that the new laptops will be 100% compatible with future apps, while emulated PPC apps will still run faster than my current powerbook (emulated PPC speed is ~800mhz w/166mhz frontside bus, my powerbook is a 550mhz w/ 100mhz frontside bus!).

 

[generik]

Is the only difference between the current PB's and the new intel ones speed? Or will the intel PB's also be more compatible with windows software and such?

I don't foresee it being more compatible with Windows.

Why would there be windows drivers for something like.. airport?

 

[Roller]

Dual booting is a NICE feature I'm looking forward to. I do some system-level programming and to be able to do dual boot I can FINALLY be able to do so without using VPC for mac ( way too slow and quite the resource hog! )

Yeah, but would you use VPC if it let you run Windows apps at native (or near-native) speed alongside OS X? It should be possible with Intel Mac, but will MS do it?

 

[rosalindavenue]

How much physical ram you have?

I have 512mb installed, and with the following apps running in the background it just can't keep up

1) Mail.app
2) Azureus
3) 2 Safari Windows
4) 1 Terminal Window
5) 1 preview Window
6) Adium
7) Skype

and of course DVD player.
!

I have the stock RAM -- 512
When I watch a dvd I usually have:

Thunderbird, Firefox with a bunch of tabs, netnewswire, safari (I think Netnewswire uses safair as its included browser; thus 2 browsers) 5 widgets. I suspect (as do others who posted before me) that Azureus is the culprit.

 

[heartsglory]

Yeah, but would you use VPC if it let you run Windows apps at native (or near-native) speed alongside OS X? It should be possible with Intel Mac, but will MS do it?

That's true. If Microsoft will develop and release VPC for Mac-intel then I would use it instead of setting up a dual-boot system. It would be MUCH easier to do it that way instead of dual-booting.

 

[skinEman23]

I don't foresee it being more compatible with Windows.

Why would there be windows drivers for something like.. airport?

Yeah, why would Microsoft add drivers to sell more copies of Windows?(sarcasm) If Microsoft doesn't do it, someone will, because where there's demand there will be supply. I think there will be a lot of demand from those of us who occasionally need to run Windows.

 

[pubwvj]

Dual windows/OS X boot capability is the number 2 reason why I'd buy an intel mac; now I'll finally be able to play all the games my friends keep telling me about. Primary reason is that the new laptops will be 100% compatible with future apps, while emulated PPC apps will still run faster than my current powerbook (emulated PPC speed is ~800mhz w/166mhz frontside bus, my powerbook is a 550mhz w/ 100mhz frontside bus!).

A major problem with the MacIntel machines is they will not run Classic applications. There a lot of users with gigabytes of data only accessible through Classic applications. There are no upgrades for this legacy software. That makes the MacIntel's useless for many businesses who have years and even decades invested in their data. Apple is making a horrible mistake to abandon Classic.

 

[generik]

Yeah, why would Microsoft add drivers to sell more copies of Windows?(sarcasm) If Microsoft doesn't do it, someone will, because where there's demand there will be supply. I think there will be a lot of demand from those of us who occasionally need to run Windows.

Erm, you are mistaken. Microsoft is not in the business of writing drivers.

In case you miss the point let me repeat myself.

Microsoft is not in the business of writing drivers, at all.

If what you are claiming were remotely true there'd be no hardware unsupported by XP, but fact remains is every so often *manufacturers* cut support for old products when a new Windows is released and customers are SOL.

I do *not* see why Apple would go into the relatively dirty business of writing drivers and even promoting the existence of a competing OS.

 

[pubwvj]

I have the stock RAM -- 512 When I watch a dvd I usually have: Thunderbird, Firefox with a bunch of tabs, netnewswire, safari (I think Netnewswire uses safair as its included browser; thus 2 browsers) 5 widgets. I suspect (as do others who posted before me) that Azureus is the culprit.

Interesting, I'm running a PowerBook Pismo G3 500MHz with only 512MB of RAM and it does fine with a lot more running than that. 1GB is certainly better (my 2nd memory stick went south this summer) but 512MB does the job well enough that I haven't bothered replacing the dead memory.