MWSF Announcement Details?

[ncbill]

eMac G5 for sure as next revision, but timing?...

eMac 1.6 G5 for sure, but availability will be later than January.

It will use the lowest-end iMac G5 motherboard, and so will have the same specs, including the same graphics.

That simplifies Apple's need to stock replacement parts - with the change, they only have to source/stock two "consumer" motherboards - 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz.

 

[Cyberpawz]

Semi-BS on the Laptops

I have a G4 17" Laptop, and the belly of the beast gets overly hot, unless they found a way to liquid cool the processors and the other components, you will not be seeing a Dual G4 laptop.

 

[beatle888]

Every single model that is not a DP G5 is trounced by PC competitors that cost less. When I go into the Apple store, the DP G5s are the only ones that make me think, 'wow this is fast.' When I play with the PBs and ibooks, I think, 'what is wrong with this thing and why is it so slow to react?.

the models in the store only have 256mb of ram. with a gig of ram you wouldnt ask why its so slow to react.

my girlfriend got an imac and loves it. even if you can get a pc thats cheaper you'll have to understand that she gets more use out of the imac and likes using it. guess what, she doesnt have any problems with the mac. shes not a computer pro and doesnt want to be. she just wants a computer thats friendly and another thing, she loves it so much she calls it her friend. shes developed a relationship with this little gem, what non computer pro pc user do you know who can say that?

she doesnt sit around trying to fix a computer, she sits in front of her computer using and loving it.

and another thing, im a graphics professional who works on photoshop files over 1.5gigs....i know about system performance and i can tell you that im not at all disappointed with this imac...why would i want a cheap headache labeled a PC.

 

[wdlove]

the models in the store only have 256mb of ram. with a gig of ram you wouldn't ask why its so slow to react.

my girlfriend got an imac and loves it. even if you can get a pc thats cheaper you'll have to understand that she gets more use out of the imac and likes using it. guess what, she doesn't have any problems with the mac. shes not a computer pro and doesn't want to be. she just wants a computer thats friendly and another thing, she loves it so much she calls it her friend. shes developed a relationship with this little gem, what non computer pro pc user do you know who can say that?

she doesn't sit around trying to fix a computer, she sits in front of her computer using and loving it.

A very interesting story. Does your girlfriend have a name for her Mac?

 

[beatle888]

A very interesting story. Does your girlfriend have a name for her Mac?

MeowMeow, but i dont see how that story is interesting, unless your some kind of perv taking it out of context.

 

[Mord]

there is not way the emac g5 will have a 9600 not unless the imac has one or something better, if it's to go g5 it may get a new form factor but i doubt it i think it will be like when the ibook went g4, a few cosmetic changes nothing elce.

the guy who posted this has no inside info apple would never call quicktime "quicktime NG" sounds too much like windows NT.

 

[zach]

Hector, I don't think the idea was that it would be NAMED Quicktime NG...

I think it was just the "next generation" version of Quicktime, thus the poster stuck the NG moniker on it. It probably will be just plain Quicktime 7.

 

[spaceballl]

The 9800m (and its X800 sucessor) is designed specifically for the DTR segment.

the 9800m is based off of the x800, not the 9800 desktop part.
-kevin

 

[spaceballl]

That simplifies Apple's need to stock replacement parts - with the change, they only have to source/stock two "consumer" motherboards - 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz.

the iMac and eMac motherboards are shaped quite differently.
-Kevin

 

[nek]

I agree with the 1.6GHz G5 and 533MHz bus for the eMac, but I think the graphics card will just be the GeForce FX 5200 Ultra that is currently used in the iMac and Powermac. The Radeon 9600 or GeForce 6200 are possible but unlikely.

And since this would make the eMac a little too competitive with the iMac, (yes the iMac has LCD, but still) the iMac will then move to 1.8 and 2.0GHz and the Radeon 9600 possibly with 128MB VRAM. This will happen either at the same time as the eMac or within 1 month. Hopefully Apple will also offer a graphics upgrade for the iMac, the Radeon X700 Pro, either as a separate model or much better as a BTO option just like internal Bluetooth.

I don't think that the Powerbooks will be limited to 1.67GHz, but Apple may not have a choice for now. I would also like for the Powerbooks to get the Mobility Radeon X800, but that will likely have to wait for the Powerbook G5 in the summer.

Something else I expect in January are faster Xserves. The 2.5GHz chips seem to be still in short supply, so maybe 2.3GHz like the ones at Virginia Tech.

The Powermacs will be upgraded in March or April. I expect single 2.0GHz on the low-end, along with dual 2.3, 2.5, and 2.8GHz. Faster RAM at 533 or 667MHz. Space for 3 or 4 harddrives, up to 400GB each. And the Radeon X850XT will be added as the highend graphics option.

And the iBook won't be upgraded until the Powerbook G5 arrives in the summer.

 

[SiliconAddict]

Oh goody. No PowerBook updates. *shrugs* I've stopped giving a damn simply because Apple has. And before someone tells me that it isn't Apple fault its about long term strategy something Apple has NEVER had. I truly believe that Apple can’t see 1-2 years in front of their face. Otherwise they would have been working with IBM on an alternative to the G4 in the PowerBook when they were working on the G5 for the desktop. Be that a revamped G3 or a scaled down G5. Don’t know. Don’t give a freaking care. The fact of the matter is Apple boxed themselves in and I hope to hell it bites them in the butt this spring/summer with craptastic sales. Yah if you can’t tell I’m a tad jaded.

 

[Sun Baked]

eMac 1.6 G5 for sure, but availability will be later than January.

It will use the lowest-end iMac G5 motherboard, and so will have the same specs, including the same graphics.

That simplifies Apple's need to stock replacement parts - with the change, they only have to source/stock two "consumer" motherboards - 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz.

Problem is, while the design is the same the layout changes -- as does the new cooling system specifics, so they're unlikely to use the same part numbers.

While the all G4 DDR iBook/PowerBooks/eMac/iMac used the same basic unified motherboard architecture -- Apple needs to "fit" the board to the computer, and give the board the defining characteristic to differentiate it from the rest (FW800, spanning, audio in, etc.)

Expect a eMac G5 to use the current iMac G5's consumer motherboard architecture, but Apple could have something up it's sleeve that makes it different -- or simply just have a new motherboard shape that fits the odd eMac shape.

Also consider the SP PowerMac is using the iMac G5 architecture, and featurewise it's quite different from the iMac.

 

[nek]

the 9800m is based off of the x800, not the 9800 desktop part.
-kevin

The Mobility 9800 has 8 pipelines, is AGP, and uses DDR2 memory. The Mobility X800 has 12 pipelines, is PCI-Express, uses GDDR3 memory, and has better power management.

 

[mklos]

I agree with the 1.6GHz G5 and 533MHz bus for the eMac, but I think the graphics card will just be the GeForce FX 5200 Ultra that is currently used in the iMac and Powermac. The Radeon 9600 or GeForce 6200 are possible but unlikely.

And since this would make the eMac a little too competitive with the iMac, (yes the iMac has LCD, but still) the iMac will then move to 1.8 and 2.0GHz and the Radeon 9600 possibly with 128MB VRAM. This will happen either at the same time as the eMac or within 1 month. Hopefully Apple will also offer a graphics upgrade for the iMac, the Radeon X700 Pro, either as a separate model or much better as a BTO option just like internal Bluetooth.

I don't think that the Powerbooks will be limited to 1.67GHz, but Apple may not have a choice for now. I would also like for the Powerbooks to get the Mobility Radeon X800, but that will likely have to wait for the Powerbook G5 in the summer.

Something else I expect in January are faster Xserves. The 2.5GHz chips seem to be still in short supply, so maybe 2.3GHz like the ones at Virginia Tech.

The Powermacs will be upgraded in March or April. I expect single 2.0GHz on the low-end, along with dual 2.3, 2.5, and 2.8GHz. Faster RAM at 533 or 667MHz. Space for 3 or 4 harddrives, up to 400GB each. And the Radeon X850XT will be added as the highend graphics option.

And the iBook won't be upgraded until the Powerbook G5 arrives in the summer.

I think the eMac G5 will arrive at MWSF 05 running at 1.6 GHz with the 533 MHz FSB, 40GB SATA HD, 32x Combo Drive, with the same 17" Flat CRT. I think it should have a new design. IMO, the current design is butt ugly and I can't see how well it would cool a G5 processor. I'm hoping that they still sell the low end one for $799 instead of the rumored price of $899. $900 for your cheapest Mac is a little too much. By the time you spend $200 more for the high end eMac you might as well by an iMac G5. Apple also needs to really make sure that the eMac G5 doesn't ruin the iMac G5's selling pace. If they do what they did before and make the eMac and the iMac the same besides the display then iMac sales will once again fall as people opt for the cheaper eMac.

I would like to think that you'll also see a very small PowerBook update very early in 2005. This should hold everyone until the PowerBook G5 arrives in early to mid-summer, possibly late summer. Since 1.7 GHz G4 processors DO exist I would think that Apple would use these IF and only if they can keep them cool enough. Apple really needs to get the G5 PowerBook rolling though as its falling behind badly. It has a slower processor than the competition, slower FSB, slower HD's. The RAM, and the Graphics Card is the only thing thats currently up to snuff with the competition. The 17" PowerBook should have an option for 2 HD's like other 17" Widescreen notebooks. There's plenty of room for another HD.

I agree that the PowerMacs will be updated with a faster G5 running around 3 GHz, but I'm not expecting 3 GHz to arrive. I'd like to see at least a Dual 2.8 GHz PowerMac with a 160GB SATA HD, 533 MHz DDR RAM, PCI Express, ATI Radeon x800 (DDL?) and make it cheaper, selling at $2799 instead of $2999. I don't think Apple could make it possible to fit more than 2 drives in the current enclosure. Yes, I know there's kits you can buy to put more HDs in there, but they restrict the air flow, which will be very important with 2.8 GHz speeds.

 

[Wonder Boy]

$900 for your cheapest Mac is a little too much. By the time you spend $200 more for the high end eMac you might as well by an iMac G5.

yeah, i'm sure that's an accident.

 

[Super Dave]

Why is it always a goddamn school day? Man! I want to see it. One year I was sick so I got it. LOL.

Dude, skip! ;-)

David

 

[VideoShooter]

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[gekko513]

VideoShooter: Since you're posting here you should know that Macworld San Fransisco is the most likely time for upgrades. When you buy any Apple product a month before the show you buy it because you need it there and then and you also know that what you buy has a big chance of being last generation hardware.

If you think the PB would fill your needs now, then it will still do that after an upgrade, even if there's a better value model that fill your needs even better.

Dells are upgraded from time to time, too, you know


And to the subject in general: I'm hoping that the H.264 codec will be announced along with an Apple Online Movie Store. There hasn't been any rumors about this, though, but that kind of product would be easier to keep secret than most others. Remember where you read it first

 

[Yvan256]

Additionally suspect in the NON proving anything screen capture, since when does a trailer END with a clip of a movie? None do, they end with a dark screen. Notice the play/progress bar on this guys "proof," it's at the very end. A fake is a fake is a fake.

The timer marks 00:00 but the cursor is at the end... People don't even bother making good fakes anymore.

 

[Yvan256]

The emac will not get a better GPU than the iMac G5. So that's out the window for sure.

Is the Radeon 9600 better then the GeForce FX 5200 Ultra?

He didn't say 9600XT nor 9600 Pro, only 9600. And the FX 5200 is the Ultra, not the 5200.

Is the 9600 lower than the 5200 Ultra?

 

[Yvan256]

eMac 1.6 G5 for sure, but availability will be later than January.

It will use the lowest-end iMac G5 motherboard, and so will have the same specs, including the same graphics.

That simplifies Apple's need to stock replacement parts - with the change, they only have to source/stock two "consumer" motherboards - 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz.

Indeed, with the pictures we've seen from the inside of the iMac G5, this would not only make sense, but would also allow Apple to use their current/old stock of iMac G5 motherboards in the eMac G5 when they decide to upgrade the iMac G5.

Even better, they could release another model: a headless consumer G5 box (and please stop pointing that SP PowerMac G5, it's NOT a low-cost option).

iMac G5 : G5 mobo with LCD
eMac G5: G5 mobo with CRT
?Mac G5: G5 mobo in a small box

 

[Yvan256]

I have a G4 17" Laptop, and the belly of the beast gets overly hot, unless they found a way to liquid cool the processors and the other components, you will not be seeing a Dual G4 laptop.

You can't compare your current, years-old design G4 with a brand-new, current technology Dual-core G4.

If anything, the Dual-core G4 could requires half of what your current G4 does.

 

[Yvan256]

the iMac and eMac motherboards are shaped quite differently.
-Kevin

At the moment, yes. But since the iMac G5 has modular parts inside it, nothing prevents Apple from using some parts in the eMac G5.

Heck, If I could purchase all the parts of the iMac G5 except the LCD and fancy casing, I'd like to see what price drop it'd have.

 

[TorbX]

Even better, they could release another model: a headless consumer G5 box (and please stop pointing that SP PowerMac G5, it's NOT a low-cost option).

Ooooh, yes yes yes, I simply LOVE rumoring about the headless non-PM box.

 

[VideoShooter]

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