More PowerMac G5 Details...

[FlyNolJ]

Bitchin'

Let's just hope the next report tells us that the new Power Macs are coming in hot pink and lime green...

Oh yeah, that would be classy.

Everyone chill! I agree with the people who have said Apple is feeding rumor sites s***. If this report turns out to be true, Apple is screwed. With that said, I think we all need to expect Dual Dual-core 3.5 Ghz in a ProMac with 2MB L2 per each core, hyperthreading, blu-ray, pci-express, base memory of 1 gig, and another drive that burns dvds at 32X. Prices? $999. www.apple.com/store

 

[Blue Moon]

... at least, that's what I hope.

This gives me another reason to blow off purchasing a PM until I'm 1) Done with college, 2) Done with OCS at the Air Force... which will both be done in about two years.

This is ridiculous.

Those Wintel trolls are probably having a laugh at us right now. It kind of makes me embarssed to own a Mac because aren't we supposed to be on the forefront of personal computing technology? Has Apple stuck all its stakes on selling great MP3/MP4 player and chosen to lay its true calling of advanced personal computing to the cheap, generic plastic PC assemblers just to sell a few iPods? Good thing I didn't decide to buy any Apple stock.

Yeah, good thing you didn't get in on an investment that has jumped over 200% in the last year. You narrowlly avoided disaster there buddy.

 

[GFLPraxis]

If I was CEO of a company that released an update to a product - and then released an update to an updated product a month later, I would expect my ass to be hauled to the nearest field and be shot - quite frankly
webobject

Not an update a month later.


Release an update, and then release a fourth model a month later.

I'm saying update the $1500, $2000, $2500, and $3000 model now, and then when it is physically possible (when dual cores come out a month later) introduce a $3500 and maybe a $4000 model, NOT update the existing ones.

 

[ManchesterTrix]

Didn't actually realize that. However, I have one question; How long did it take Apple to adopt AGP?

I don't have the answer to that one, but someone else will.

As it is now, Intel boards got PCIe first, then AMD, Apple could be next. PCIe is still fairly rare though even in the PC world.

Not really, most currently shipping PCs have PCIe.

Further, it would take a bit of work- NVidia and ATi don't make ONE Mac-compatible PCIe card (obviously), so Apple would have to take steps to make them start producing cards before they add the slot.

It wouldn't really take a bit of work. nvidia and ATI are on the verge of not making AGP cards anymore and to make a PCIe Apple card just requires new firmware as they're already making PCIe cards for PCs. In the grand scheme of things it'd probably be easier to get ATI and Nvidia to support a PCIe Mac card than an AGP card.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

If they drop them a couple of hundred bucks vs the previous models and still have dual-layer dvd±RW burners, I will be plenty happy. I need power but I am not rich. Hook me up!

I will gladly pay 2200 -2300 for the midrange. Any more is criminal. It leaves more money for RAM and wireless stuff for me. BOO YA!

Think if they revealed a multi-button mouse! Deflect some of that anger...

 

[rockthecasbah]

Expectations

Was anyone actually expecting Blu-ray?

No, but I was expecting PCI Express and Dual-Core for the Power Mac. Yet again, we must remember this is A RUMOR and not fact. Fingers are crossed the Apple was screwing with Think Secret .

 

[GFLPraxis]

No, but I was expecting PCI Express and Dual-Core for the Power Mac. Yet again, we must remember this is A RUMOR and not fact. Fingers are crossed the Apple was screwing with Think Secret .

Very good point, if Apple got TS to reveal their sources in court they could be feeding false info...

 

[Josh396]

My guess is there has to be an update pretty quickly after this. For example, WWDC. I know it's not smart for a company to update a product and then decide to update it a month and a half later but this almost has to be the case this time. If I remember correctly the Keynote is 2 hours long, so what else could Steve possibly talk about for that time? No new iMacs, eMacs, Mac mini's or iBooks. Possibly iPods but that's worth what, 20 minutes? We know Tiger will be out and shipped by then for at least a month so they won't spend much time on that. That gives a bare minimum of an hour left. Maybe talk of a future OS but I doubt that. In that time they could announce both Dual Core Powerbooks and Dual Core PowerMacs. Even a G5 powerbook could be announced. Even if they were announced then, they may take a few months to ship, which wouldn't be the first time. This would give the new revisions at least 6 month shelf life, and then the Dual Cores would ship. If this was the case Apple would only make a limited number of this new PowerMacs knowing the Dual Core announcement would slow down the current PowerMac sales. I'm not saying this is going to happen but it is possible. I sure hope so.

 

[FlyNolJ]

Well put.

Yeah, good thing you didn't get in on an investment that has jumped over 200% in the last year. You narrowlly avoided disaster there buddy.

I agree with Green Moon, I have enough money in Apple stock from '01 to buy PowerMac revisions 3 years in a row. Why am I upset? Ehh...

 

[Val-kyrie]

BOOOOO. At least the stock can't go down any further though, right? Ha.

Perhaps Steve knew way in advance there would be no major update and that's why Apple split its stock when the price was so high--to avoid a catastrophic drop.

 

[neoelectronaut]

Bummer. Seems that the iBook updates will never get here. I'm tempted to get one now, but the week I'll do it they'll release the updates...besides, the Buyer's Guide says "Don't Buy--Updates Soon"

 

[crpchristian]

OK ok ok... First of all, this is information coming from a site that is tangled in a lawsuit with apple, are we really going to get are blood pressure worked up over this? There are so many rumors running around about the specifics of all of this I feel its a bit pointless to believe anything until its announced for this one (what happend to 'tiger only FCP5?)

That said... it is pretty annoying being in this position, however. The last updates weren't as painful to wait for since we were told what was coming (even though it was less than promised ) Now, we have NO information from apple of what to expect and i'm sitting here, uber video work coming up, i practically HAVE to update, we know updates are due so i can't buy now and feel like an arse when the same model 1000bucks cheaper (or better for the same price) shows up.

I can appreciate apples secrecy policy (for an innovatie company, i think it matters) but SOME vague information would be helpful.

I hope they update is huge but i'll buy whatever they are. I can't afford to wait another 9-12 months. Come on apple.. YOU CAN DO IT

 

[plastique45]

6 moths after the G5 came out in 2003, it became clear that something was wrong when the usual half a year speed bump never came. Then in June 2004, instead of delivering the 3GHz PPC970 it had promised Apple, IBM delivered 2.2Ghz chips which Apple had to overclock at 2.5 with major water cooling. 6 months later, no speed bump. Ibm failed to deliver even these chips in enough quantity for Apple to sell enough high end dual 2.0 Ghz PowerMacs, then they had to push the iMac G5's release by 6 months again because IBM could get enough chips out (and for the first time that I can remember, Apple had to announce that a new iMac was coming out but that unfortunately they currently had none to sell).

And now.... this. It is clear that IBM is a second Motorola. In G5 intro video, the IBM spokesperson mentions that IBM is already hard at work on the next generation of PPC chips (2003). Was that the Power5 derivative (nicknamed PPC 980 by many)? Who knows, that seems to be as dead as the Motorola 2GHz G5 of 2001.

I think the PowerPC market is too small for any company to really rival Intel and AMD. Either Macs incorporate x86 chips and they migrate all software and OS and people have to rebuy everything (not very good), Macs are discontinued and OS X released for PC BEFORE Longhorn (Microsoft could be surprised as to how much market it could lose), or Apple buys freescale and invest much $$$ into an all new kind of processor. One that is easy to scale.

 

[Hemingray]

I've got lots of nasty things I'd like to say about the PowerMacs right now, but then I remembered... this is JUST A RUMOR. Once Apple dares to put this on their web site, THEN it'll all come down. Until then... sit back, relax, and forget about ThinkSecret's reliability.

...and pray.

 

[vouder17]

Bummer. Seems that the iBook updates will never get here. I'm tempted to get one now, but the week I'll do it they'll release the updates...besides, the Buyer's Guide says "Don't Buy--Updates Soon"

yeah i am trying to get my aunt to switch..but i keep on telling her that all she needs to do is wait until the end of april cos then she can get better RAM, Tiger and a better iBook...but time is running out, she needs it before the end of april. Well it is Apples loss not mine.

 

[JesterJJZ]

Oh well. At least I feel better about getting my Dual 2.5ghz last summer. It won't be obsolete yet.

 

[ArcaneDevice]

Lets see.... Intel/AMD are just now getting into the multi-core business while Macs have had dual processors on their desktop line for how long?? Yes since the G4!

Add Tiger to this DP PM 2.7Ghz, add a gig of ram.... nothing to be ashamed of at all... and it's got 256MB vram... this computer will be extremely fast, no doubt about that.

While 200Mhz jump isn't that great, the PM still run powerful enough.

Everyone knows the introduction of dual CPUs was Apple's way to keep the G4 looking competitive when it hit the speed barrier.

This isn't purely a CPU speed issue either. It's a PR issue. Technology advances rapidly and right now Apple isn't in step with it. The longer they hold off introducing stuff like PCI-e and DDR2 the worse it looks when stacked up against the competition. How can they favourably compare themselves to BMW with situations like this? BMW don't use the parts from last years models in their 7 series when the competitors are introducing new stuff.

 

[paulypants]

6 moths after the G5 came out in 2003, it became clear that something was wrong when the usual half a year speed bump never came. Then in June 2004, instead of delivering the 3GHz PPC970 it had promised Apple, IBM delivered 2.2Ghz chips which Apple had to overclock at 2.5 with major water cooling. 6 months later, no speed bump. Ibm failed to deliver even these chips in enough quantity for Apple to sell enough high end dual 2.0 Ghz PowerMacs, then they had to push the iMac G5's release by 6 months again because IBM could get enough chips out (and for the first time that I can remember, Apple had to announce that a new iMac was coming out but that unfortunately they currently had none to sell).

And now.... this. It is clear that IBM is a second Motorola. In G5 intro video, the IBM spokesperson mentions that IBM is already hard at work on the next generation of PPC chips (2003). Was that the Power5 derivative (nicknamed PPC 980 by many)? Who knows, that seems to be as dead as the Motorola 2GHz G5 of 2001.

I think the PowerPC market is too small for any company to really rival Intel and AMD. Either Macs incorporate x86 chips and they migrate all software and OS and people have to rebuy everything (not very good), Macs are discontinued and OS X released for PC BEFORE Longhorn (Microsoft could be surprised as to how much market it could lose), or Apple buys freescale and invest much $$$ into an all new kind of processor. One that is easy to scale.

LOL uuuummm no. The 2.5 is not overclocked, this has been re-hashed countless times and is a non-issue.

 

[jrv3034]

Wow, I bought my Dual 2GHz in 2003, and it'll STILL be in the lineup of Power Macs two years later! Best investment I've made yet.

Bummer for people in the market for a PM, though. Apple must really be cursing IBM right about now...

 

[finchna]

and since then they have gone up by 700MHZ... In two years....

Actually, if the rumors are correct, 1400MHz--remember they're dual--dual does make a difference on apps that I use.

 

[chevyorange]

My Thoughts Exactly

At this rate, my Revision A will never be obsolete. It must really suck to be waiting for a major update. It looks like 2006 before that happens.

I agree. I can't believe that my Rev A Virginia Tech Dual 2.0 is still nearly state of the art. On one hand, I feel like my value is even added but on the other hand, boy was I rooting for Apple to have a killer machine to go with Tiger (not like my Dual 2.0 won't be smashing).

I see maybe a chance to buy some Apple stock in a few weeks at a half way decent price for the first time in awhile!

Adam

 

[MacSA]

No, but I was expecting PCI Express and Dual-Core for the Power Mac. Yet again, we must remember this is A RUMOR and not fact. Fingers are crossed the Apple was screwing with Think Secret .

I'd be astonished if ThinkSecret got the specs TOTALLY wrong........ I think we're all trying to convince ourselves that Apple are screwing around with the rumour sites beacuse we don't want to believe it might be true - it's a state of denial lol

........However, they appear to contradict one statement in this latest rumour:

Orignial rumour: "Sources were unable to confirm at this time whether the systems will sport the dual-core PowerPC 970MP processor or the single-core PowerPC 970GX, although unconfirmed notes point to the PowerPC 970MP. "

Latest rumour: "and currently indications suggest that the towers will continue to use the single-core PowerPC 970FX processor."

 

[BenRoethig]

then why is IBM having such a problem with providing for apple?

Probably using all its resources on the next generation of game console chips. If this is true, Apple really needs to rethink if the PowerPCs are still viable for consumer computers.

 

[Zigster]

Unless Apple has an uber-ace up it's sleeve that's been sitting in a deep tank that ThinkSecret cannot access, these are p*ss poor updates to a machine that is supposed to be the companies best.

HD+ video editing puts a severe load on a powermac, and rendering times are falling way below that of PC's. We're talking thousands more $$$ to edit big time stuff on a mac.

Too bad, because their softare is ace.

That high-pitched shrill sound you hear is Steve screaming into the IBM support line.

 

[Bubbasteve]

My guess is there has to be an update pretty quickly after this. For example, WWDC. I know it's not smart for a company to update a product and then decide to update it a month and a half later but this almost has to be the case this time. If I remember correctly the Keynote is 2 hours long, so what else could Steve possibly talk about for that time? No new iMacs, eMacs, Mac mini's or iBooks. Possibly iPods but that's worth what, 20 minutes? We know Tiger will be out and shipped by then for at least a month so they won't spend much time on that. That gives a bare minimum of an hour left. Maybe talk of a future OS but I doubt that. In that time they could announce both Dual Core Powerbooks and Dual Core PowerMacs. Even a G5 powerbook could be announced. Even if they were announced then, they may take a few months to ship, which wouldn't be the first time. This would give the new revisions at least 6 month shelf life, and then the Dual Cores would ship. If this was the case Apple would only make a limited number of this new PowerMacs knowing the Dual Core announcement would slow down the current PowerMac sales. I'm not saying this is going to happen but it is possible. I sure hope so.

That's an excellent point...iPod video perhaps or a new lineup of iPods (again)? iPhone? the iHome (or whatever they will call it)? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.