Mac-Life.de - PowerMac Boxes Opened?

[moosecat]

Originally posted by dietsoda
it does seem a little odd there is no photo, and for me this is what makes the rumour doubtful.

There are several reasons to doubt this rumor, but I don't think the absence of a photo is one of them. It's one thing for some random employee to run into a back room, while on the job, and sneak a furtive glance at the contents of a box. It's quite another to go back there with a camera and snap pictures, likely requiring a flash.

If I were in that position, I probably wouldn't risk it by taking pictures. I'd already be risking my job so a small group of lunatics on Mac websites can have some information a few days earlier -- no need to risk it further.

 

[beefstu01]

Re: Mac-Life.de - PowerMac Boxes Opened?

Aluminum scroll wheel?!? Unless I'm missing something, what good is an aluminum scroll wheel?! All of 'em that I've seen have been rubber. This is unless the "scroll wheel" is the jog dial we've seen in past rumors, sorta like what the iPod has on it. My bets on this one, however, are that it's false. We'll see Monday... wouldn't it suck if they didn't release anything then?

 

[rubikcube]

Sketchy

This is pretty sketchy to me. Why does he open a box and not start one up? What's the deal with the usb 2.0? You don't have separate 2 and 1 ports because 2.0 is backwards compatible. This faker obviously has not done his homework. Cheers to arn for page 2.

 

[Eric_Z]

From http://www.mactechnews.de/vote_news_comment.php?id=3371

Hallo leude, war gestern bei einem Kumpel der bei einem grossen MacShop arbeitet - Stadt und Shopname darf ich nicht sagen, sonst issa seinen Job los. Die haben vorgestern neue Rechner gekriegt und es handelt sich tatsächlich um die neuen 970-Rechner mit warscheinlich Mac OS X 10.2.7.
Ich also nach gestern nach feierabend sofort da hin:
Aufm Gehäuse steht aber nix von G5 oder so - einfach nur Power Macintosh 970. Die Rechner gibts in grauem plastik mit Aluminium oder in weiss mit Aluminum, wobei das graue plastik die gestreifte optik aufweiist und das weisse völlig weiss ist. Das Bild das hier kursiert ist definitv ein Fake.
Die rechner sind nicht so rechteckig und weisen auch nicht geschlitzte Lufteinlässe auf, sondern löcher oben und unten auf der frontseite nach oben ausgewölbt, ähnlich derer des eMacs.
Die rechner laden nach vorn und oben auf der Fronseite bauchig aus und haben ALLE ein DVD-Writer!!
An den Flanken sind sie mit Aluminium verkleidet, wobei die rechte verkleidungen nach unten weggeklappt werden kann. Oben und unten hat der Rechner jeweils 2 Polierte trapezförmige Stahlbügel.
Die schächte für die Laufwerke sind in einer herausziebaren quatratischen Box (auf der sich das Logo und die Aufschrift Power Macintosh 970 befindet) eingebaut die um 90 Grad gedreht werden kann um den rechner als Desktop oder als Tower zu benutzen. Diese Schublade enthält incl. DVD-Writer 4!!! Schächte.
Auf der vorderseite befinden Sich ein Firewire 800 / 400 Bus sowie Kopfhörer USB (2??) und Mic und eine kleine Halbkugel mit dem Bluetooth logo drunter. Dadrüber bfinden sich die 3 appletypischen Knöpfe und ein verchromter lautsprecher. Auf der rückseite befinden sich 1 Firewire, 1 Frewire 800, 2x USB, 1x USB 2, Netzwerk, ADC, DVI, sowie 4 schräg !!! angeordnete Blechverkeidungen für die PCI-Steckplätze sowie Lautsprecher, Mic, etc.
Das Gehäuse ist ca 15 cm breit 65 cm Hoch und 40 cm tief.
Dabei ist eine neue Alu/weisse tastatur und eine optische 2 tastenmaus mit einem wirklich ungewöhnlichen Scrollrad aus Alu, allerdings ohne Kabel aber mit der gleichen halbkugle vorn darann wie auf dem PPC-Gehäuse.
Von meiner mitgebrachten Mac OSX 10.2.6 Firewire-Festplatte startete der rechner allerdings nicht, so dass wir ihn leider nicht anmachen konnten (man hätte das system ja personalisieren müssen), daher gehe ich davon aus das da mindestens 10.2.7 drauf sein muss oder sone art enabler für den PPC 970 Prozessor.
Leider hatten wir nicht genug zeit die Kiste voll auszuchecken,da der wachdienst bald kommen sollte, aber sie ist SCHÖN!!!! besonder aber wenn man sich die neuen Displays daneben vorstellt - die haben jetzt auch diese Polierten Stahlbügel als Ständer und sehen irgendwie i-Mac-Massig aus, haben aber zusätzlich einen feinen ALU-Rahmen. Witziger weise sind auf der linken Flanke des PPC-Gehäuses kleine Nuten eingestanzt in die dies Bügel exaxt hineinpassen, so dass man wenn man den rechner als Desktop mit einem Apple Display benutzt dieses auf den rechner gestellt werden kann ohne zu verutschen!!!!
Leider kann ich keine Aussage über die taktung des Prozessors machen, es war aber nur ein Prozessor drin. Auf dem Kühler stand Dual-Core / Hypertransport, allerdings weiss ich nicht was das bedeuten kann.
Es war bei genauerer Betrachtung nur ein Prozessor darunter so dass hier wohl der Kühler des Dual-Prozessors verbaut wurde.

Die leute in dem shop haben im übrigen strickte anweisung keine Infos nach aussen zu tragen - sonst droht fristlose entlassung - darum bitte ich um verständnis für die schlechte quellenangabe!!!

===============

Arno: Woran würde man Sound 5.1I/O erkennen? In der Verpackung waren zumindest keine Boxen oder sowas drin. leider bin ich technisch nicht so versiert, und es ist durchaus möglich, das ich einige der von mir beschriebene Anschlüsse falsch interpretiert habe. Allerdings kann ich eins mit bestimmtheit sagen: dass dort mehr anschlüsse dran waren als an meiner bald hoffnungslos veralteten Dual 1,25 - Kiste.

Loet: Tut mir leid, wenn ich hier die Spekulationen zur nichte gemacht habe - aber es gibt ja NOCH keine Bilder von der Kiste - so dass über das genaue Aussehen ja noch weiter spekuliert werden kann.

===============

ob da nun power mac, powermac oder power macintosh draufstand, weiss ich natürlich nicht so genau, die 970 im namen ist mir aber fotografisch in der erinnerung geblieben; hätte mir vielleicht was zu schreiben mitnehmen sollen. G5 stand auf jedenfall nirgends auf der kiste!!!

===============

Burma: Die höhe ist ca 55 cm incl. Bügel, hatte leider die falsche taste getroffen so das im beitrag 65 cm stand, was ja riesig wäre.
Ohne Bügel schätze ich die Höhe auf ca 40 cm. Alle Masse sind Schätzungen, da ich weder Zeit noch Möglichkeit hatte nachzumessen.

Meinst Du das "rmf" wirklich von Apple D kommt? Ich hoffe ich krieg hier kein Ärger, weil ich Industriespionage betrieben hab oder so....

===============

Liebe Leute,
Angesicht der rapiden Verbreitung der von mir geposteten Infos, werde ich mich nicht mehr an diesem Thread beteiligen - Am Montag seht Ihr ja dann alle was ich gesehen hab!

===============

Hab das in einem anderen Forum gesehen, hört sich plausible an und scheint kein Wichtigtuer zu sein:

HILDE schrieb:

Also, irgendwie hat dieser Jens offensichtlich ein kleines Poblem mit der Abschätzung von Längen. Was die Beschreibung der Geräte betrifft, hat er entweder die richtige EINGABE (dann muss er Hellseher sein) gehabt, oder er hat das Ding wirklich gesehen...

Was die Dimensionen anbelangt:
h:35/42,5 (ohne/mit Bügel)
t: 40
b: 17

Ausserdem heisst es: PowerMac 970

Taktung:
2 GHZ Single und DualCore
Hypertrans BusSpeed: 500MHZ
oder 2,4 GHZ DualCore
Hypertrans BusSpeed: 600MHZ

Caches:
128KB level 0 oncore.
512KB level 1 onchip (Dualcore=2x512kb).

(DualCore=2Prozessorkerne auf einem Chip - gibts aber erst ab Sebtember)


Die Laufwerks-Schublade lässt sich nur um 90 Grad nach links drehen, wenn das Gehäuse aufgeklappt wird und diese Herausgezogen werden kann.
Der rechte Seitendeckel wird inklusive der oberen Hälfte des Gehäuse ausgeklappt.
im Desktopbetrieb kann dann der Linke Gehäuseteil nach oben geklappt werden.
Die Metallbügel sind so mit dem Gehäuse über einen Metallrahmen verbunden, dass sie in beiden Betriebsarten (Tower /Desktop) beim Aufklappen stehen bleiben (Schwingtürmechanik).

ADC-2: Komunikation mit dem Disply (Systemeinstellungen:Monitore) über Bluetooth oder USB.

AppleAdvancedMouse: Bluetooth 2-Tasten-Mouse mit Drehscheibe zum Scrollen, etc.

AppleAdvancedKeyboard2: Über Metalbügel höhenverstellbare Tastatur mit Sound und Display-Funktionen über BlueTooth ODER!!! USB.

AppleBlueToothConnector: Kommunikation mit Geräten (Tastatur, Maus, Display(s), etc ) über Bluetooth auf propitärem Steckplatz auf der Hauptplatine (Antenne in kleiner Kugelförmiger Ausbuchtung an der unteren Frontseite des Gehäuses (auch bei den Displays und den Eingabegeräten).

Betriebssystem:
MacOS X 10.2.7 (ADC-2 enabled, ABTC (AAK2, AAM) enabled, Hypertransport enabled, 64 bit enabled)

Den Rest könnt Ihr euch dann am Montag bei Apple.de selbst anschauen.

--------------------------------------------------

Dualcore 970 in september... riiiight.

 

[Frobozz]

Originally posted by pivo6
I had the same reaction. Why diagonal? It can't be to save space. It makes little sense to me.

Well, if the whole machine can be a desktop or a tower (horizontal or vertical), then the compromise for hard-wired internal PCI slots could be diagonal. Now, I'm not sure WHY either.... but it could be possible. I'd be much mroe include to say that would be horizontal if the machine was vertical, just like they are today.

 

[arn]

I guess I should point out that the article is more likely to have been pulled for being false than true.

but makes for fun reading

 

[e-coli]

Originally posted by Jeff Harrell
I don't buy it. It's possible, certainly, but it just doesn't sound right to me. The dimensions are wrong. I mean, they could be just estimates made from looking at the thing, but they seem too precise for that.

15cm is about 6 inches. Assume that's the width when the machine is set up as a deskside.

65cm is about 25". That's the depth. Sounds shallow. Xserve is 28" deep. They could maybe get rid of a few inches by reorienting the midline fans, but I'm not sure about it.

40cm is a mere 15.7". That would be the height dimension when the machine's a deskside. But that's too small to be a rackmount. Rackmounts are 19" wide from rack ear hole center to rack ear hole center, or about 17-1/2" wide overall.

I guess I'm nitpicking, but it just doesn't sound right to me. The width is wrong, and the height is wrong; the machine would be either 5-1/4" high (3 RU, 13.3 cm) or 7" high (4 RU, 17.8 cm). 15cm is almost exactly wrong.

Plus... diagonal PCI slots? Why? It's not like the machine (even at 3 RU) wouldn't be big enough to accomodate ordinary ones.

I disagree with your reasoning for thinking these are fake dimensions. If you ask me, this case is HUGE. It's a few inches narrower, the same height, but it's EXTREMELY deep compared to the MDD G4's.

 

[e-coli]

Originally posted by Freg3000
Yes that does sound a little screwed up. Also the article says "1 FW 800, 1 FW 800." It is most likely a typo, but it still makes me suspicious.

Additionally, the 90 degree rotatable Apple logo sounds really strange, but who knows.

Everything else checks out for me.

I think he meant the drive bays were rotatable, not the logo, silly.

 

[MikeH]

Ahhh, joy. These 'reports' are getting more and more interesting and so many people are being worked up into a frenzy over mere rumors - 700 comments at the last count on the aledged PowerMac photo!!! I think the photo is a fake - I reckon Apple can come up with a better design than a box with slots on the front.

And back to the point at hand:- This version sounds great, but I'm taking it with a pinch of salt. A two buttons mouse would be fantastic (for me), but I'd be suprised if Steevo allows it.

I'm really looking forward to next week, just to see whether any of these rumors are accurate - and then to sit back and watch sparks fly as people bitch about their wet dreams not coming true.

Not long now...

 

[RHutch]

What about this?

Originally posted by rubikcube
This is pretty sketchy to me. Why does he open a box and not start one up? What's the deal with the usb 2.0? You don't have separate 2 and 1 ports because 2.0 is backwards compatible. This faker obviously has not done his homework. Cheers to arn for page 2.

Try this scenario:

A current Mac user has several USB 1.1 peripherals and 2 USB 2.0 peripherals. They connect everything to a USB 1.1 hub they have had for a while. Currently it doesn't matter, since they can't take advantage of the increased speed of USB 2.0 on their Mac anyway.

Now new Macs come out with only 2 USB 2.0 ports and no USB 1.1 ports. They connect one of the 2.0 peripherals to one of the USB 2.0 ports. They connect the rest of their peripherals to the hub and connec the hub to the other USB 2.0 port on the machine. The USB 2.0 peripheral connected to the hub will not get USB 2.0 speed. But if you plug the peripheral into the other port on the machine, what do you do with all of the USB 1.1 peripherals?

I suppose that you could plug and unplug everytime you wanted to use a different peripheral. But I think that there might be reason to leave a regular USB port on the machine.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by arn

but makes for fun reading

It makes for fun reading!!! It screws with my emotional status! ARGHHHH!!!!

Originally posted by e-coli
I think he meant the drive bays were rotatable, not the logo, silly.

Yeah, that was pretty dumb. I am silly.

 

[jxyama]

if the story is not true (which i think is the case), it's one heck of a mind twisting job by some prankster, as far as the audience of MR is concerned... it was fun and somewhat exciting to read, nonetheless.

2-button mouse kinda did it for me. i really doubt that apple would "cave" in and make it a standard after all these years.

just being ignorant here, but can you just "look" and tell the difference between usb 1.1 and 2.0? if 2.0 is backward compatible, won't they have the same plug shape? (i guess fw800 is backward compatible with 400 but has different plug shape...)

 

[evil]

these rumors get more andmore out of hand. i cant wait until monday so they will die down (for a while)

 

[Haenk]

Translation

[rough translation]

HILDE wrote:

Somehow, Jens has a little problem with the dimensions [note: he later posted that his dimensions contained a typo]. Considering the description, he either had the right intuition or he did see it by himself.

Concerning the dimensions:

height: 35cm/42.5cm (w/o - w/ handle)
depth: 40cm
width: 17cm

titled "PowerMac 970"

Speed:
2GHz single and DualCore with Hypertransport 500MHz
2.4GHz DualCore with Hypertransport 600MHz

Caches:
128kB level 0 oncore
512kB level 1 onchip (DualCore = 2*512kB)

(DualCore = 2 CPU cores on a chip, available starting september)

it is possible to rotate (and pull out) the drive tray, when the case is opened
right case part will open with the upper part of the case attached
while using it as a desktop computer, the left part of the case can be opened (upwards)
the metal handles are attached to the case with a metal frame, so that in both operating modes (tower / desktop) they will stay in position while openeing the case [I don't excatly understand this]

ADC-2: communication to the display using BlueTooth or USB

AppleAdvancedMouse: 2-button BlueTooth with scrolling wheel

AppleAdvancedKeyboard2: using BlueTooth or USB; adjustable height; controls for sound and display

AppleBlueToothConnector: communication with hardware (keyboard, mouse, display) - using a propriety connector on the mainboard - antenna is mounted inside a small bulb on the lower front side of the case (same as on displays and input devices)

os:
MacOS X 10.2.7 (ADC-2 enabled, ABTC (AAK2, AAM) enabled, Hypertransport enabled, 64 bit enabled) [whatever that means]

since this sounds like some marketing language, it is likely to be real...


[edit: some typos fixed]

 

[Sol]

There are a few interesting twists in this story.

The optical drives can be rotated? That is a neat gimmick.

If the PCI slots are diagonal that would mean heat will float up through the cards regardless of the Powermac's position.

The USB 1.1 & 2.0 bit sounds like Apple. The 17" PowerBook has one FW400 and one FW800 port. What is the point of that? FW800 is supposed to be backwards compatible.

 

[rock711]

Diagonal slots could be a design feature

Think about it; remember the original PC's that were horizontal in orientation? Well the PCI cards looked silly being vertical in that configuration. However, if the cards were in a diagonal orientation then they would look balanced in a tower or desktop position. Perhaps making the new PM look nice as a desktop or tower is one of the key points the designers sought to accomplish with the new design. By changing the PCI cards orientation and having a perfectly square, removable drive bay that could be rotated so that it was upright in whatever configuration you are inclined to use, I feel that it would look impressive and correct in both configurations. This is probably why the name and logo is on the rotatable box as opposed to the tower.

By the way -- first post.

 

[arby]

I can't see this being true. Why would Apple make a brand new case with drive bays which can be rotated so that it can become either a tower or desktop?

All of Apple's displays are designed to stand alone, and considering the average (lying flat on the horizontal) desktop is used to put the display on top, it doesn't seem to work...

Could it be some sort of quasi workstation / server thingy? Doesn't sound like a real Apple design.

Just my thoughts on this.

 

[MikeH]

I notice someone mentioned a rotating logo and that someone else said that this was silly (or that the poster had misread the original artical, and was therefore silly).

Anyway, my Playstation2 has a rotating logo on the disk tray - so the logo stays the right way up if it's vertical or horizontal. Silly yes, but a nice touch. If (and it's a big if) these new PowerMacs really can be horizontal or vertical Apple may well have a rotating logo.

Edit: Just noticed Wardofsky said the same thing. Doh.

 

[gralem]

This page2 article is a prime example of what I like to call COMPLETE CRAP! If he opened the box, where's the photo? Why would someone in GERMANY have access to these boxes? Remember the famous "german" iwalk video from spymac?

We'll see next week.

---gralem

 

[bretm]

Originally posted by davei
Why is the iMac base round? Because it's cool and different?

No. Because it retains it's form factor as you rotate the screen around it. If you had a square base then rotated the screen around 45° then you'd have a corner of a computer jabbing at you, plus a loss of work space.

 

[Squire]

PS2

Originally posted by MikeH
I notice someone mentioned a rotating logo and that someone else said that this was silly (or that the poster had misread the original artical, and was therefore silly).

Anyway, my Playstation2 has a rotating logo on the disk tray - so the logo stays the right way up if it's vertical or horizontal. Silly yes, but a nice touch. If (and it's a big if) these new PowerMacs really can be horizontal or vertical Apple may well have a rotating logo.

I didn't know that the PS2 logos rotated. I'll have to go check it out on mine.

If this thing is real, it sounds like a lot of accompanying stuff will be introduced as well (i.e. mouse, keyboard, BT monitor?).

Squire

 

[e-coli]

Re: What about this?

Originally posted by RHutch
Try this scenario:

A current Mac user has several USB 1.1 peripherals and 2 USB 2.0 peripherals. They connect everything to a USB 1.1 hub they have had for a while. Currently it doesn't matter, since they can't take advantage of the increased speed of USB 2.0 on their Mac anyway.

Now new Macs come out with only 2 USB 2.0 ports and no USB 1.1 ports. They connect one of the 2.0 peripherals to one of the USB 2.0 ports. They connect the rest of their peripherals to the hub and connec the hub to the other USB 2.0 port on the machine. The USB 2.0 peripheral connected to the hub will not get USB 2.0 speed. But if you plug the peripheral into the other port on the machine, what do you do with all of the USB 1.1 peripherals?

I suppose that you could plug and unplug everytime you wanted to use a different peripheral. But I think that there might be reason to leave a regular USB port on the machine.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

USB 2 is backwards compatible. Users will just have to et USB2 hubs, and trash the old ones. Such is progress.

This is way too detailed to be fake. Although mac fanatics have gone to greater lengths in the past.

My vote is on "it's real". But the chip speeds seem awfully high. Not that that's a bad thing. And two cores on one chip>> w00t!!!!!

 

[JBracy]

Re: Re: What about this?

Originally posted by e-coli
USB 2 is backwards compatible. Users will just have to et USB2 hubs, and trash the old ones. Such is progress.

This is way too detailed to be fake. Although mac fanatics have gone to greater lengths in the past.

My vote is on "it's real". But the chip speeds seem awfully high. Not that that's a bad thing. And two cores on one chip>> w00t!!!!!

The problem with USB 2 is that if you have any USB 1 devices on the USB 2 bus then all of the devices will slow down to USB 1 speed. So it sounds very likely that Apple would put both on the MB just like they did with FW.

Jason

 

[MarksEvilTwin]

Originally posted by davei
Why is the iMac base round? Because it's cool and different?

Like the guy before me said, its round because it remains constant no matter how you rotate the screen. my view on why its semi-spherical is that all the heat flows naturally to the very top, no problem, where it can be vented out by that single, quiet fan. keeps noise and heat to a minimum, while making for a damn cool design.

As for the new size, lets say this rumor is true, i can understand perhaps why the new dimensions would be like that. first of all, it fits the rumor of the long thing m-board, secondly, secondly, the diagonal PCI cards would very well help with air ventilation no matter the orientation (Tower or Desktop). Finally, maybe we have to dimensions misinterpreted. what if the long one is not depth, but height (as a tower) so when it lays down as a desktop, its really wide. That would accomodate a 23" screen sitting atop it, would it not? And for those concerned about the monitor being too high then, didn't we hear rumors of more adjustable displays?

Oh well, i agree with the general concensus, that this is way too many rumors we've heard packed into one neat package. I'm just playing a bit of a devil's advocate as to what these things could mean if they ARE true.

Mark

 

[mykuki]

Originally posted by MikeH
I notice someone mentioned a rotating logo and that someone else said that this was silly (or that the poster had misread the original artical, and was therefore silly).

Anyway, my Playstation2 has a rotating logo on the disk tray - so the logo stays the right way up if it's vertical or horizontal. Silly yes, but a nice touch. If (and it's a big if) these new PowerMacs really can be horizontal or vertical Apple may well have a rotating logo.

as someone stated before: it's not that the logo itself can be twisted but the box which hold the drives!

this box holds the logo. like that you can rotate the box/drives correspondingly to your macs orientation (desktop/tower) and the logo will automatically upright.

and by the way:
the original german text sounds much more convincing than the translation. it's correct though.

the answer/correction given by HILDE does seem even more authentic.
though i can pretty well imagine HILDE as a friend of the guy who jumps on the wagon to avoid us uncovering the fake because of too much inconsistencies.

if it's made up, HILDE is definetely the smarter guy of them.(though HILDE is a girl's name, i suppose he's not)

ok. i hope there will be more info when i come back in a few hours.

mykuki

ps: i'm having severe problems translating my thoughts into english today. sorry!