Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
New POWER7 machines
- Thread starter thunng8
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The second I see a Power7 machine running Leopard I'll buy a desktop model if they ever exist. I wish IBM would make desktops and laptops based on Power and maybe try with Warp OS again.
ahhh lol... that will not happen, POWER7 machines are server end implementations.
Well, our beloved G5s (aka PowerPC 970) are POWER4 server processors, with modified cores to be able to run 32Bit-PPC code and two added AltiVecs.
As most stuff is still PPC universal binary, it would be the best time NOW to release G6 Macs, as they run the PPC64 code from the G5s, plus are that fast so they could run Rosetta for PPC code instead of doing it in hardware.
You may get a POWER7 tower server/workstation for $6835, though. (Quad-Core 3GHz with 8GB RAM and 2x75GB hard drives. And you mowl about the PowerMacs?) As it's the Linux-Edition, it should be able to boot from MBR or GPT, anyone just would need to alter the BIOS/EFI/OpenFirmware to boot off APM.
I just saw: IBM already works on it for you: They are called PowerPC A2 and PowerPC e5500, both POWER7-based, the later being the kind-of-successor to the G5 (e600 is the continuation of the G4). It is also known as the e700, a couple of years ago people rumored here that it will become the G6.
As most stuff is still PPC universal binary, it would be the best time NOW to release G6 Macs, as they run the PPC64 code from the G5s, plus are that fast so they could run Rosetta for PPC code instead of doing it in hardware.
You may get a POWER7 tower server/workstation for $6835, though. (Quad-Core 3GHz with 8GB RAM and 2x75GB hard drives. And you mowl about the PowerMacs?) As it's the Linux-Edition, it should be able to boot from MBR or GPT, anyone just would need to alter the BIOS/EFI/OpenFirmware to boot off APM.
I just saw: IBM already works on it for you: They are called PowerPC A2 and PowerPC e5500, both POWER7-based, the later being the kind-of-successor to the G5 (e600 is the continuation of the G4). It is also known as the e700, a couple of years ago people rumored here that it will become the G6.
Well, while Freescale developed it, Apple moved since 2004 from G5 over Intel Core and Core 2 to i7.
No need to modify the POWER4 cores to run 32bit-PPC. POWER4 can run it fine. Also - POWER6 and POWER7 have Altivec units
No need for any emulation to run PPC code. POWER7 is fully backward compatible. Like how 64bit Core i7 can run 32bit x86 code.
Nice machine .. but I'd rather have this one
http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/hardware/740/configs/8205e6b7l.html
16 core 3.55Ghz POWER7 with 64GB RAM expandable to 256GB .. if only I had 43k to spare
The original poster said "show Leopard", not snow leopard
Yes. Leopard should be no problem to run on POWER7.
However, I am sure Apple could release a PPC version of Snow Leopard if they wanted to. Some parts may need to be altered or disabled but they have to have an alpha version running in the labs already based on early builds. It's just sitting on a shelf somewhere in case it is ever needed. It's way more work than it's worth for Apple to make it run good enough to release. I can dream though.
I also think a version of Snow Leopard designed for legacy systems would be really cool (both intel and PPC). Have the installer only enable what a given computer can handle. Even a G3 based Mac should be able to handle it if you restrict it to 32bit mode and cut out all the fancy features. The benefit being a more secure and modern OS that is similar to the standard instead of being stuck with an obsolete OS with your obsolete hardware. Again not worth it though it would make gifting old computers more practical to those who don't have access to one such as in some developing countries.
The original poster said "show Leopard", not snow leopard
Oh, wow. Hahaha... I must have been more tired than I thought.
It won't be that easy if Apple actually signed a timed contract with Intel... unless Stevie did leave a backup route for a better alternative (P7 in this case) just in case.
Steve Jobs said something about the PowerMac G5 "hitting 3GHz by the end of the year" on the PowerMac G5 introduction in 2003.
According to the IBM-Roadmaps from 2004, this is exactly this CPU (PowerPC e700 aka e5500), available in late-2010(!).
It is nothing new and comes 6 years too late for Mac.
I rather hope that Apple does the transistion to AMD soon, so we can expect our Macs to ship with 750GB 2.5" hard drives and double the RAM for the same money, as AMD CPUs are much cheaper. I would even appreciate only low-end Macs to use AMD CPUs, as long as they ship with better specs.
According to the IBM-Roadmaps from 2004, this is exactly this CPU (PowerPC e700 aka e5500), available in late-2010(!).
It is nothing new and comes 6 years too late for Mac.
I rather hope that Apple does the transistion to AMD soon, so we can expect our Macs to ship with 750GB 2.5" hard drives and double the RAM for the same money, as AMD CPUs are much cheaper. I would even appreciate only low-end Macs to use AMD CPUs, as long as they ship with better specs.
im sorry, but are you living in a dream world or something? cheaper CPUs doesnt equal cheaper Macs. apple is in it for profits first of all no matter what, the prices wont drop at all.
if i wanted underpowered CPUs in my computer, i would build an AMD machine myself - i want powerful machines, therefore Intel. the AMD mobile AND desktop line up is crap.
No, the prices won't drop. But people will see the bigger hard drive, the amount of RAM, and thus will think "it's not overpriced anymore", without noticing that the CPU is crappy. That's how it works in the PC world: 1TB drive, 8 GB RAM, Pentium CPU.
And besides, AMD CPUs are not that bad... a while ago they were much better than Intels. Maybe not anymore, but the price for value is excellent.
Well, replacing those 2.4GHz Core 2 Duos with top-of-the-line mobile Phenom II X2 at 2.8GHz with 35W TDP for 1/2-2/3 the $ wouldn't be that bad, would it? Would leave some $ to increase hard drive and RAM with Apple having the same (if not even more) revenue.
Sure the bigger MBPs would keep on using i7's, as they are faster. But those Phenoms don't restrict the chipset, so we can get faster processors with the same or better 320M, with Apple earning more money. Doesn't sound that bad to me.
Besides, the new AppleTV/iTV is said to be using AMDs Llano platform, whose ATI-IGP should be way better than Intels stuff we would get with mobile i3 processors. The graphics core is said to be based on the Radeon HD 5870. I guess an AppleTV would rather use the Ontario SoC than the Llano stuff, though.
there has always been power pc proccessors in new servers, they are cheaper. the xbox360 has a ppc proccessor.
thats a very bold statement - do you want to be shot lol? i hardly see any more pentium CPUs these days. i3/i5/i7 mostly in the stores.
prices are great, performance is slowly getting better. the 6core AMD still doesnt beat a 4 core i5.
RAM wont be increased no matter what - chipset limitations. and many many people still believe in the MHz Myth. they have no idea. what is the use of replacing the C2D? it will therefore start competing with other i5 chips in the MBPs power wise.
dont go around saying things that is not known - i believe that apple will use their own ARM chips in the iTV/
TV, its only logical as they did pay for the company themselves.lol... the xbox does not use a server grade CPU, and therefore is cheap.
No doubt about it. It is not a server grade CPU. It is an interesting CPU nonetheless and has a very solid vector unit which is great for games. As a general purpose CPU, each core would be approximately equivalent to the PPE core (they are very similar in design) in the PS3. PS3 (older ones at least) are able to run linux and for CPU performance using only the PPE is about equivalent to a 1.6Ghz G5 according to geekbench.
So a triple core xbox360 cpu for general purpose code should approx. equivalent to a triple core G5 clocked at 1.6Ghz.
We get to install a 795 later this year... replacing a Power6 595
Not buying the max amount of ram tho! Pricy is an understatement.
Also looking forward to really trying to stress a 8Gb FC setup
Nice ..not sure when we are upgrading our 595 since I'm not involved in the decision process. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
Just check out Intel's website... what they call Pentiums are in fact rebranded Core Solos if my memory is exact. They still sell them, I checked a Staples flyer and they had a laptop with a Pentium CPU.
EDIT: They are not mono-core, but still, they exist.
The PowerPC A2 will range from a low wattage 4-core version to a 16-core version. I would presume that most of these would be very expensive and not suitable for desktop use? Would the 4-core version or a derivative of that without all the other server components in it be suitable for a modern desktop processor?
that sounds about right from my experience, i installed YDL on imne and boy was it slow. there is a new variant that can utilise all cores now though
yaysell them sure, but i dont think they manufacture them.