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New Motherboard Details?
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well, that's assuming that the multichannel decoding is being done by the mac itself.
But, like all dvd players, if the multichannel bitstream is NOT being decoded in the mac, you could use optical or spdif digital cabling to send the signal to a decoder. which would be the best way to go, anyway. the less time the audio spends inside that noisy mac case, the better . . . .
Video output is not going to be on the Mobo unless it has built-in video. Unlikely. If you want S-video or composite or component video out, you'll have to ask ATI and/or Nvidia.
Video input...that would have to mean the Mobo has built-in analog vid capture (hardware mpeg or DV encoder on the Mobo). Again, unlikely.
Seems interesting to me that there is no mention of:
1) Ethernet
2) Modem
3) Airport Extreme (though, this isn't really a "connector", but a mini-PCI, so I don't know if this is really something that they'd talk about, but they also mention RAM slots again...)
Although, I have to say, there are possible explanations for this:
1) No ethernet == Airport only? Not likely, but possible. Bundle an Airport Extreme base station & card with every Power Mac, and you don't need no stinking ethernet connection... The reason this isn't plausible is that 54 Mbps < 1 Gb ethernet...
2) Could be a USB modem, like in the iMac.
3) May not be talking about this 'connector', but just the serial/FW/audio connectors.
Whatever. These details are getting sketchier and sketchier.
1) Ethernet
2) Modem
3) Airport Extreme (though, this isn't really a "connector", but a mini-PCI, so I don't know if this is really something that they'd talk about, but they also mention RAM slots again...)
Although, I have to say, there are possible explanations for this:
1) No ethernet == Airport only? Not likely, but possible. Bundle an Airport Extreme base station & card with every Power Mac, and you don't need no stinking ethernet connection... The reason this isn't plausible is that 54 Mbps < 1 Gb ethernet...
2) Could be a USB modem, like in the iMac.
3) May not be talking about this 'connector', but just the serial/FW/audio connectors.
Whatever. These details are getting sketchier and sketchier.
the "mystery ports" don't say much.... they say a cluster of 3 and of 2..... i would assume there is a small pop off card for a modem and maybe ethernet..... and in the past prototype boards almost always have "mystery ports" for testing reasons..... they generally go away for production (though the Rev A imac kept it's testing slot).
3 audio connectors doesn't say a lot.... as posted above the current machines have: audio in, headphones and digital out (for pro speakers).
if there was going to be built in 5.1, it could be run out of the digital port, right? ie: signal sent to iSub and then the other speakers split off that. i think that's how some others do it now.
3 audio connectors doesn't say a lot.... as posted above the current machines have: audio in, headphones and digital out (for pro speakers).
if there was going to be built in 5.1, it could be run out of the digital port, right? ie: signal sent to iSub and then the other speakers split off that. i think that's how some others do it now.
Eniregnat
macrumors 68000
They suppose that it's a 970, but I am just stating that the 970 looks so far off. If the 970 is due out this year they wouldn't be doing prototyping now, unless this is for something beyond the next motherboard set.
I would guess that the digital hub would have to have some sort of mother board, and while I want the 970 to be a reality, the rumors about software manufacturers making their applications 64bit compliant is sparse at best.
I am just trying to provide a different explanation for the reports about this motherboard. Supposition on a rumor, what could be more useless.
As far as the 56k modem, I think that Apple is going to junk that at some point. I can hear Jobs now, "Dial up is like the floppy..."
I would guess that the digital hub would have to have some sort of mother board, and while I want the 970 to be a reality, the rumors about software manufacturers making their applications 64bit compliant is sparse at best.
I am just trying to provide a different explanation for the reports about this motherboard. Supposition on a rumor, what could be more useless.
As far as the 56k modem, I think that Apple is going to junk that at some point. I can hear Jobs now, "Dial up is like the floppy..."
NavyIntel007
macrumors 65816
Re: dual GBCU ehternet?
Probably not so much dual gigabit Ethernet as it would be a integrated dual fiber channel (drool).
The three ports could be proprietary ports for the new 5.1 apple pro speakers that were also rumored.
Probably not so much dual gigabit Ethernet as it would be a integrated dual fiber channel (drool).
The three ports could be proprietary ports for the new 5.1 apple pro speakers that were also rumored.
Re: Re: dual GBCU ehternet?
However, what I would like to se in an upcoming computer (I want to build this on my _very_ noisy PC, though my Cube doesn't really have this noise problem) is some kind of solution that would let me remove the optical drives, and have a 15 ft. extension cord between the optical drives and the computer itself. The housing for the optical drives should also feature the connector for the display, firewire ports and USB-ports along with sound in/out and power/sleep-button.
This would help me get all the noisy parts out of the room, and let me sit down in front of my LCD display (that does not flicker, thank you very much) and some kind of speaker system, having a total noise level so low that I could sleep in the same rome simply by turning of the display (that's another feature I'm missing - I can't really _turn off_ the Cinema Display without waiting for the display sleep to kick inn or putting my Cube to sleep).
I don't think that Apple should have it's own standards for transfering audio to it's speakers - preventing you from a) Using other kind of surround-speakers on your computer and b) Using the speakers for anything else than the computer.
I like it. I like it a lot.
However, what I would like to se in an upcoming computer (I want to build this on my _very_ noisy PC, though my Cube doesn't really have this noise problem) is some kind of solution that would let me remove the optical drives, and have a 15 ft. extension cord between the optical drives and the computer itself. The housing for the optical drives should also feature the connector for the display, firewire ports and USB-ports along with sound in/out and power/sleep-button.
This would help me get all the noisy parts out of the room, and let me sit down in front of my LCD display (that does not flicker, thank you very much) and some kind of speaker system, having a total noise level so low that I could sleep in the same rome simply by turning of the display (that's another feature I'm missing - I can't really _turn off_ the Cinema Display without waiting for the display sleep to kick inn or putting my Cube to sleep).
I don't think that Apple should have it's own standards for transfering audio to it's speakers - preventing you from a) Using other kind of surround-speakers on your computer and b) Using the speakers for anything else than the computer.
strider42
macrumors 65816
Why wouldn't apple be prototyping now if its due out this year? The 970 only recently became available, so they could only have just been doing real prototypes fairly recently. The 970 absolutely requires a new motherboard, so they'd need to prototype. Right now seems perfectly right for a prototype to be out (its probably neither the first nor the last prototype they've made)
As for the dialup modem, there is absolutley no way apple is going to junk a 56k modem any time soon. Most of the country is still on dialup, not everyone can even get broadband. Dumping dialup would absolutely, utterly dsetroy apple. Its possible it might be a BTO option ont he high end machiens (didn't they actually have it set up that way in the past), but certainly not on the consumer line. The US is years and years away from doing away with dialup.
deepkid
macrumors regular
Do you want a mac or a Dell? Apple isn't known for just slapping things together and going with the whatever the rest of the industry is doing.
Besides, there are plenty of third party items to satisfy the slot lovers. Most people who bitch about slots on the discussion boards don't even have a use for them. Its so tiring to hear.
Also, there are many different connectors, etc. that's used in the industry. For example some prefer AES/EBU, some coaxial, some RCA, etc. Which to choose?
I look forward to each new product and revision that Apple does to push the envelope.
Let's wait and see what happens.
Eniregnat
macrumors 68000
Somebody has to have the dissident view. I'm not quite the Devil's Advocate, but I do work in her office.
I didn't think that they would ever junk the floppy, but it happened. Most everybody in on dialup, but I could see Apple removing it from it iMac line. I dont think they would pull it from a portable, but they have already done it with the towers.
As for the 970, again I hope its true and we all know it requires a new motherboard, all I am stating is this might be another unrelated device. Heck we are all making educated guesses here. I don't think my idea is any more wacky or correct. It's plausable.
I didn't think that they would ever junk the floppy, but it happened. Most everybody in on dialup, but I could see Apple removing it from it iMac line. I dont think they would pull it from a portable, but they have already done it with the towers.
As for the 970, again I hope its true and we all know it requires a new motherboard, all I am stating is this might be another unrelated device. Heck we are all making educated guesses here. I don't think my idea is any more wacky or correct. It's plausable.
Postal
macrumors regular
Masker:
I suspect that (again, if the rumour is even true) their not mentioning Ethernet has more to do with it being a given than anything else. After all, they didn't make any mentions of the IDE connectors... so iif we took things in an overly literal way, that would mean that there would be no hard disks or optical drives. 😛
It sounds more like someone is describing the features that drew their interest, more than anything.
I suspect that (again, if the rumour is even true) their not mentioning Ethernet has more to do with it being a given than anything else. After all, they didn't make any mentions of the IDE connectors... so iif we took things in an overly literal way, that would mean that there would be no hard disks or optical drives. 😛
It sounds more like someone is describing the features that drew their interest, more than anything.
Doesn't anybody here read french?
From the original "4 des 8 slots mémoire ne sont pas actifs sur la carte" from this we can see a few things
1. There are 8 RAM slots on this MB, shades of the Mac II!!!
2. The OS currently isn't 64 bit which is why 4 of the slots aren't working (addressing problems going past the 32 bit limit).
It's going to be the 680x0 -> PPC transition all over again with the OS retaining large chunks of 32 bit code for quite some time except there will be two advantages this time around
1. Lower speed penalty. 680x0 code never ran as fast on PPC as 32bit PPC code runs on 64bit PPC chips (it's in the design spec and has been for years)
2. Since a significant chunk of the OS is open source via Darwin, the transition to a 64 bit OS will be faster since a lot of the basic plumbing is either already 64bit ready or can be made so without taxing Apple's engineering staff too heavily.
From the original "4 des 8 slots mémoire ne sont pas actifs sur la carte" from this we can see a few things
1. There are 8 RAM slots on this MB, shades of the Mac II!!!
2. The OS currently isn't 64 bit which is why 4 of the slots aren't working (addressing problems going past the 32 bit limit).
It's going to be the 680x0 -> PPC transition all over again with the OS retaining large chunks of 32 bit code for quite some time except there will be two advantages this time around
1. Lower speed penalty. 680x0 code never ran as fast on PPC as 32bit PPC code runs on 64bit PPC chips (it's in the design spec and has been for years)
2. Since a significant chunk of the OS is open source via Darwin, the transition to a 64 bit OS will be faster since a lot of the basic plumbing is either already 64bit ready or can be made so without taxing Apple's engineering staff too heavily.
eric_n_dfw
macrumors 68000
5.1 would rock
Pro-sumer Video editors like myself would liek 5.1 - especially if iDVD were to take it from Final Cut Pro exported media and encode Dolby Digital. (all the "hard work" would have to be done in FCP or a 3rd party audio app, of course) I beleive DVD Studio Pro can handle it today.
Then if a plug in for FCP to encode Dolby Pro Logic II onto tape existed, I'd be in heaven!
Hmmmm - I wonder if there is such a beast today for FCP 3.... Time to start poking around on 2-pop.com!
Pro-sumer Video editors like myself would liek 5.1 - especially if iDVD were to take it from Final Cut Pro exported media and encode Dolby Digital. (all the "hard work" would have to be done in FCP or a 3rd party audio app, of course) I beleive DVD Studio Pro can handle it today.
Then if a plug in for FCP to encode Dolby Pro Logic II onto tape existed, I'd be in heaven!
Hmmmm - I wonder if there is such a beast today for FCP 3.... Time to start poking around on 2-pop.com!
Yeah, I'd be really surprised if Apple didn't come out with USB2.0. They'd be complete idiots for that. How long has it been out?
guh? xserves? why would this be an xserve board? i've heard zero speculation about a 970-based xserve rev coming up, but i have heard a thing or two about a 970-based powermac rev . 😀
if this supposed board is headed for a powermac, i would be very surprised to see fiber channel on board. if apple's going to be adding things to the powermac mb, you'd probably see usb2 or serial ata before fiber channel, wouldn't you?
also, the xserve's fiber channel is on an optional pci card.
elvisizer
NavyIntel007
macrumors 65816
This could be Xserve board. I think it would be a bold and proper statement if the Xserve had an integrated Fiber channel. There would also be no problem in the Powermac getting a fiber channel either. I work for a telecom company and more and more people are doing direct fiber because of the speed and quality of the connections.
Not that I believe this rumor, but Apple doesn't simply do things because they're established on the PC side. PCs had PS/2 ports, why didn't Apple adopt them? ADB perhaps? The reasons for Apple's reluctance to add USB 2 are mainly speculation, but may be similar to PS/2 vs. ADB. Apple already had a preferred solution. (In this case, FireWire.)
What willit take for Apple to add USB 2 to all their systems? Only Apple knows, I thought they might add it to systems once they put FW 800 in.