Kentsfield (Quad-core Intel) by end of 2006?

[DrFrankTM]

C2Q product announced today? I'd be (extremely happy but) surprised...

Multimedia, in the Sept.12th thread, you said:

"I now predict a 50% chance the C2Q Mac will be unveiled tomorrow. And if not tomorrow no later than early November."

I guess that's what people disagreed with (although I haven't finished reading the whole thread yet). I agree with you that it is indeed really big news and I still can't quite wrap my mind around the idea, but I'd be extremely surprised if Apple announces anything Kentsfield later today. (It's already the 12th here in South Korea.)

 

[Multimedia]

My Enthusiasm For News C2Q Ships To Stores In October Got Me Carried Away

Multimedia, in the Sept.12th thread, you said:

"I now predict a 50% chance the C2Q Mac will be unveiled tomorrow. And if not tomorrow no later than early November."

I guess that's what people disagreed with (although I haven't finished reading the whole thread yet). I agree with you that it is indeed really big news and I still can't quite wrap my mind around the idea, but I'd be extremely surprised if Apple announces anything Kentsfield later today. (It's already the 12th here in South Korea.)

I agree. I let my enthusasm for the surprise Core 2 Quadro would be ready for retail shelves mid October swept my logic away. I've changed that post since coming to my senses.

 

[Manic Mouse]

I want Apple to release a stupid "mid-mac" just to shut you and everyone else up.

Professionals buy Mac Pros or laptops. Consumers buy iMacs or laptops. That's a sound and successful strategy for Apple. And if you need a cheap Mac, you can buy a mini.

Yes, lets just ignore the huge performance, upgradability and price gap in Apples product lineup, shall we. It can be the elephant in the room when we all swoon over our "laptop on a stick" desktop while PC users get to play with the REAL hardware.

Sounds good to me. After all, it's not like Apple wants to actually sell more computers. That's crazy talk!

Does anyone think a slightly bigger version of this would be a fantastic desktop?

 

[DrFrankTM]

Does anyone think a slightly bigger version of this would be a fantastic desktop?

I, for one, would be happy to spread the Word to the ignorant masses if Apple came out with a cute little white tower to match everyone's cute little white iPod. The Mini's nice, and the new iMac is nice too, but I think this thing could help Apple a lot in the desktop segment. I'd say something like that's bound to come out at some point, but when is the big question.

Also, it's probably been mentioned earlier in the thread, but does anyone know how long after Kentsfield Clovertown is supposed to come out? I heard "early 2007" a while ago, but with Kentsfield coming out so early, I would think Clovertown won't take that long.

P.S. Is it my connection, or is the Mac web starting to slow down as it struggles to handle all the traffic generated by the upcoming Apple event?

 

[Multimedia]

Clovertown Ships In November As Far As I Can See

I, for one, would be happy to spread the Word to the ignorant masses if Apple came out with a cute little white tower to match everyone's cute little white iPod. The Mini's nice, and the new iMac is nice too, but I think this thing could help Apple a lot in the desktop segment. I'd say something like that's bound to come out at some point, but when is the big question.

Also, it's probably been mentioned earlier in the thread, but does anyone know how long after Kentsfield Clovertown is supposed to come out? I heard "early 2007" a while ago, but with Kentsfield coming out so early, I would think Clovertown won't take that long.

In two weeks at the Intel Developer's Conference in San Francisco, I think Intel will tell us exactly. But from what I've read recently, looks like Clovertown will be shipping no later than November. So looks like worst case scenario will force Steve to have to introduce 8 core Mac Pros in four months at the MacWorld Expo San Francisco SteveNote January 9, 2007. I don't see how he could wait any longer than that.

Sure they will cost more than any previous Mac ever has, $4k is my guess, but to imagine there isn't a market for such a goliath is myopic in the extreme.

 

[Erasmus]

PCI Express, not Extreme.

Note that there's a multiplier as well - a PCIe x16 slot is twice as fast as a PCIe x8 slot, and 16 times faster than a PCIe x1 slot.

http://www.pcisig.com/home

Hmmm... OK, My bad.
Two 16- lane PCI Express slots.

Basically take Mac Pro and cut it in half, metaphorically of course.

So, Multimedia, my Cube really has a spot for a fan?
Who would have thought it? Not me, that's for sure.
Seems to me most of the groundwork's already done. All Apple have to do is take the old cube, and integrate the ease of expandability of the existing Mac Pro, add the missing fan, and some other fans inside, and we suddenly have a computer that is able to cool some seriously hot hardware, and will cause a small thermonuclear explosion if you ever put a book over its top vent.

I have decided that I think it is highly unlikely that a kentsfield will find its way into an iMac, however I hope I am mistaken. Very much hoping the Mini Mac Pro is created.

BTW, What is with all the Anti Mini Mac Pro hostility??? "I'm sorry, you can't have a Quad 2.67 Ghz CPU and a top of the line graphics card. I'm sure a Mac Mini will more than fulfil your needs, with its Dual 1.86 Ghz Yonah processor and Integrated Graphics. As long as you de-emphasize on productivity, you should find a Mac Mini is plenty fast enough. After all, Apple is perfect, and anything they don't offer should be wanted by you."

 

[DrFrankTM]

Quads and octos in sixty days...

@Multimedia: Ok, but if Clovertown is available as early as November, I can't imagine Steve making Santa angry and not updating the Mac Pro until January. It's not a great time to buy a computer... yet. Things are moving too fast right now. In sixty days, we'll be looking at quads and octos... I still can't believe that it's coming that fast.

 

[Manic Mouse]

BTW, What is with all the Anti Mini Mac Pro hostility??? "I'm sorry, you can't have a Quad 2.67 Ghz CPU and a top of the line graphics card. I'm sure a Mac Mini will more than fulfil your needs, with its Dual 1.86 Ghz Yonah processor and Integrated Graphics. As long as you de-emphasize on productivity, you should find a Mac Mini is plenty fast enough. After all, Apple is perfect, and anything they don't offer should be wanted by you."

Indeed. It's as if there's something wrong with asking for something you want. How dare we suggest the Apple lineup isn't perfect!

 

[whatever]

Yes, lets just ignore the huge performance, upgradability and price gap in Apples product lineup, shall we. It can be the elephant in the room when we all swoon over our "laptop on a stick" desktop while PC users get to play with the REAL hardware.

Sounds good to me. After all, it's not like Apple wants to actually sell more computers. That's crazy talk!

Does anyone think a slightly bigger version of this would be a fantastic desktop?

Apple doesn't want people spending a few hundred dollars every year on 3rd party computer upgrades. They want you to buy a new computer every 2 years for $1,500. As an Apple shareholder I want you too!

People do not want to hook something that looks like a computer their Home Entertainment Centers. Something streamlined, smaller than a cable box, that looks kind of like a game system, yes.

Like the iPod, Apple will be targeting the consumer market with such a beast. There are other cool media products on the market (TiVo), which are really cool, but just never caught on, because they appear to complicated.