Mac OS X Intel Developer Box Feedback

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider has posted some subjective feedback from developers regarding the speed of the Mac OS X Intel developer boxes which were sold to developers for $999.

The $999 developer boxes house a 3.6GHz Pentium 4 and a standard PC motherboard, allowing it to boot Windows. As has been hinted previously, nothing definitive about the final Mac-Intel design can be gained from the current developer design.

Previous benchmarks demonstrated how well Rosetta (the PowerPC emulator) faired. And the comments by some developers have commented that PowerPC apps run at approximately 60-70% their native speed -- with some apps, such as Firefox, running at full speed.

 

[iDM]

It seems like that have gotten some of the old programs up and running pretty quick on these new intel boxes!

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Good news. I'm excited for the Intel Macs to come out.

 

[iJaz]

Strange that it is so fast already, has Apple really been lying to us all these years?

 

[Mac-Xpert]

Not much news here. I would have like to hear more about compatibility problems with altivec-based programs. I guess we have to wait and see, what will and what won't run in emulation.

 

[mad jew]

Good news. I'm excited for the Intel Macs to come out.

Same. I really can't wait for the laptops to be honest. I reckon they'll be the ones to benefit the most in the short term.

 

[Surreal]

Not much news here. I would have like to hear more about compatibility problems with altivec-based programs. I guess we have to wait and see, what will and what won't run in emulation.

i think altivec is the cause of the 65% speed reductions...

 

[Mac-Xpert]

i think altivec is the cause of the 65% speed reductions...

I don't know. I thought that altivec code would not run at all. So apps like Apples own Logic that depend on altivec would probably not run at all under Rosseta. I would like to hear from developers a bit more on that topic.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Same. I really can't wait for the laptops to be honest. I reckon they'll be the ones to benefit the most in the short term.

Yeah I can't wait for the Power Macs. Im gonna be in the market about two years from now (maybe 3 actually). And I'm veeeeeeeeewwy anxious to get my first Power Mac.

 

[radio893fm]

I knew all this time that Intel Pentiums were better than PowerPC.... next news please...

By this time next year, hopefully, my thinkpad is history and I will have a nice PowerBook running OS X/Intel

 

[SLCentral]

See now, there are two things that are wrong about the article, in my mindset.

1). They say Windows XP is "blazing." Compared to what? Virtual PC? A 3.6GHz P4 doesn't really "blaze" at XP, unless you're doing basic stuff...I can't see how this system would be anything special compared to any other x86 box, so I don't even see the relevance of this comment.

2). There's absolutely no benchmarks/comparions/etc. You can't compare web browsers...that's just stupid. Perhaps they could provide us with some evidence...

Then again, no one has to do anything, so I should stop complaining .

 

[Mike Teezie]

Excellent news. Now bring on the laptops!

 

[Switzermac]

Do you actually think they will make developer laptops?

 

[Thanatoast]

wishfull thinking?

so, when the macintel ibooks come out next year, and they will be able to dual-boot windows, will they have enough oomph to play windows games? i don't do fps, but i'd still like to be impressed by my graphics on say, guild wars. it's possible we could end up with the best of both worlds, if apple plays it right

 

[goof_ball]

Is there any speculation what cpu will be used? I know that the developer box contains a Pentium, but I hope that Intel ahs something new and/or different to offer.

 

[RHutch]

Strange that it is so fast already, has Apple really been lying to us all these years?

About what do you think that they were lying?

 

[idea_hamster]

Probably a substandard idea, but I've got no shortage...

Does anyone who has the Developer Box think that it's worth $1499 as a PC alone?

While I don't need a new Mac right away, I have for some time been thinking about (1) learning some programming and (2) getting a PC for some PC-only applications.

So, query: How would a Developer Box stack up against a general-production $1499 PC?

(I say $1499, because I'd have to pick up the $500 Dev. Membership in addition to the $999 price tag.)

 

[macFanDave]

Previous benchmarks demonstrated how well Rosetta (the PowerPC emulator) faired.

It's "fared," not "faired."

And the comments by some developers have commented that PowerPC apps run at approximately 60-70% their native speed -- with some apps, such as Firefox, running at full speed.

Is that 60-70% of the speed of the app running on a dual 2.7-GHz G5? If the test boxes were dual 2.7 GHz Pentiums, the speed comparisons would be meaningful. I'd say that the clock speed and the number of processors have to be the same to make a valid comparison figure.

 

[orion123]

I love that one of the most touted speed increases in this article is "Web pages seem to just snap onto the screen, like using IE for Windows"

After millions of dollars of development, years of rewriting code, and pushing users yet again to a new platform, could we at long last have found teh snappy!?!?!

 

[dernhelm]

I don't know. I thought that altivec code would not run at all. So apps like Apples own Logic that depend on altivec would probably not run at all under Rosseta. I would like to hear from developers a bit more on that topic.

Altivec is not being emulated, but most applications gracefully handle the removal of altivec, and will run in "G3" mode. The notable exceptions are those programs (like iDVD) that require a "G4 or better" processor to run. And most of those applications will already be ported to "universal binaries".

 

[obeygiant]

About what do you think that they were lying?

well they have had osx running on intel boxes from the beginning which mean sthat the whole "mega-hertz myth" was just a ruse to buy time until they could switch to intel.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Strange that it is so fast already, has Apple really been lying to us all these years?

Not lying. Steve's Reality Distortion Field bubble has moved from the PPC to Intel so the speed performance from that enhancement is gone.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Do you actually think they will make developer laptops?

No.

 

[Wonder Boy]

the macintels look promising. the good feedback is taking its toll on my buying pattern though-

1. i want a new imac soon. i think i'm gonna get the next revision
BECAUSE
2. i don't like rev A machines. i've had problems in the past and don't want to go through that again. there are bound to be issues (fans, buzzing, the usual)

3. by the time my 2.3 or 2.5 g5 imac needs to be updated, 99.99% of the issues with the switch over should be taken cafe of.

I think a lot of people feel this way too. thats why i dont think mac sales will suffer between now and the transition. if you need a new mac, get it.

 

[broken_keyboard]

Does anyone know if these boxes work with the 30" Cinema Display?

Thanks