PowerBook To Get Dual-Core G4?

[MacRumors]

The Register posted a story today that outlines a previously rumored new G4 chip from Freescale, a wholly-owned division of Motorola. Alongside AMD, both processor companies are expected to debut their new dual-core chips at the Microprocessor Forum this October in San Jose, California. From The Register:

Freescale's dual-core PowerPC is expected to sport an on-board memory controller, this one capable of supporting DDR 2 SDRAM, along with a Gigabit Ethernet controller. It is also expected to use the Rapid IO bus, according to past Motorola pronouncements, though MPX bus support is also anticipated to maintain backward compatibility.

The dual-core PowerPC may also mark the next major leap in Mac notebook G4 processors before Apple gets G5 chips from IBM that are capable of integration into a top-spec portable computer.

According to the MPF schedule, Freescale's dual-core chip will scale beyond 2GHz. The chipmaker's roadmap indicates that the part will be a member of the e600 series. It is also working on a G5-style e700 processor that combines 32-bit and 64-bit operation.

Freescale also has a faster successor to its top-end G4, the MPC 7447A - used in Apple's PowerBook G4 notebooks - in the works.

IBM's dual-core 'Antares' CPU, possibly set to ship as the PowerPC 970MP, will be available around the same time, as will Intel's Smithfield dual-core Pentium 4, it is believed. Neither IBM nor Intel are set to discuss their dual-core plans at MPF, but Intel is likely to reveal more at Intel Developer Forum in early September.

 

[jhu]

don't hold your breath

 

[narco]

Prepare yourselves for the no powerbook G5 whine-fest in 3, 2, 1...

.narco

 

[jamesfowler2k]

that would be wicked

 

[toughboy]

lets see the specs and the benchmarks

 

[keysersoze]

that would be wicked

64-bit? What's Motorola's deal? Is Apple sticking with them for laptop solutions?

 

[Mudbug]

lets see the specs and the benchmarks

let's see the chip first...

 

[stoid]

Apple works with Motorola, and IBM starts doing neat stuff whilst Motorola spins in the toilet. Apple jumps ship. IBM goes into a tailspin. Motorola starts doing neat stuff. Murphy's law. You switch lanes in traffic, the faster lane you switched to will grind to a halt and the lane you just got out of starts moving.

 

[Darwin]

Well I guess not every Mac will be getting a G5 at the moment so this would be a good idea

But as it is Motorola that is doing this it seems to good to be true, the G4 has been touched for ages and when it was the best we could get development on it was slow, but since the PowerBook G5 is a bit far away this seems to be a way to keep the G4 going

Lets hope it gets here before the G6 comes along

 

[toughboy]

let's see the chip first...

yeah sure... but there should be a beta tester somewhere out there who tested the chip and could tell us the difference..

 

[stoid]

How does dual-core compare to dual processors?

 

[toughboy]

Prepare yourselves for the no powerbook G5 whine-fest in 3, 2, 1...

.narco

Let me be the first...


I WANT MY POWERBOOK G5!!!!

 

[chuckzee]

It's the G4.5!

 

[Laslo Panaflex]

Ok lets get this out of the way. . .

1. When will they be released?
2. How much will they cost?
3. Will it have the new Radeon 9800 with 256vram?
4. Will it be liquid cooled?
5. Will it be fuel cell powered?
6. How much can I get for my old toilet seat tangerine?

Etc, etc, etc . . .

I guarantee there will be a thread on this soon, too soon.

 

[edesignuk]

If they can't fit a G5 in there, then this sounds ok, 64bit is next to useless at the moment anyway

 

[stoid]

Let me be the first...


I WANT MY POWERBOOK G5!!!!

Here's the only Powerbook G5 you are going to find for awhile.

 

[henryblackman]

How does dual-core compare to dual processors?

Usually better - faster interconnects between the processors. This is a really good thing - the G4 has plenty of life in it should Freescale actually breath it back in. It's a pity it couldn't be sooner.

 

[maddav]

So it's dual core G4 Powerbook next Tuesday, and the G5 Powerbook Tuesday after

Seriously though, i wonder how a dual core G4 (it rhymes) would compare to a single processor G5.

 

[maxvamp]

OK, Which is faster?

According to the MPF schedule, Freescale's dual-core chip will scale beyond 2GHz. The chipmaker's roadmap indicates that the part will be a member of the e600 series. It is also working on a G5-style e700 processor that combines 32-bit and 64-bit operation.

Assuming to be based on power consumption ( if the G4 holds true as an embedded proc ),

If at 30W you could have a dual core G4 2 GHz, or a single G5fx 1.8, what would you want in your Powerbook?

** Note** These spec are based on nothing but speculation. I am not trying to say that these numbers are real, but instead trying to see what people's perception of performance is or would be.

Max.

 

[Xerocs]

Maybe...

there will be dualcore-dualboards manufactured by gigadesign and others for the mdd/quicksilver too? (2x 2core 1,6ghz g4s?)

 

[FuzzyBallz]

If you can't take it to the next level (G5 PB), just double the current offering and make it like it's fresh. Wonder how many G5 PBs they melted in the test lab.

 

[KingJobs]

Finally, Motorola is going back to work...woohoo my hometown of San Jose, California...

 

[mikeyredk]

You guys don't give the g4 enough credit. Its a great chip!!! all its missing is the massive bus speeds if it had a 400 bus it would rock. but, it doesn't it has a 167 bus and it stinks.

hopefully this bus isn't like the old p4s and be 200 bus double pumped

 

[titaniumducky]

That would be awesome! Imagine - a dual 1.8 GHz (starting) PowerBook! Yeah, dual core is different than dual processor, but it's close.

 

[1macker1]

I'm getting a powerbook next year, G5 or dual core G4. As long as it's fast and able to handle the new OS apple is planning to release. A 2.5G dual Core PB sounds nice to me.