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PowerMac and PowerBook Updates?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Updates to Apple's "pro" line of computers -- the PowerMac and PowerBook -- remain two of the most anticipated hardware updates.

IBM's new PowerPC 970FX provides hope for upcoming updates for both product lines. While information on the web related to the PowerPC 970FX was relatively sparse after IBM's presentations at ISSCC last week... this Japanese report provides some basic specs with speeds ranging from 1.3GHz - 2.5GHz, and this German report offers some details of the PowerTune technology from IBM. The PowerTune technology is reportedly capable of stepping down speed to 1/2 or 1/4 of the processor's top speed, thus reducing the power consumption.

The most recent hints have pointed that PowerMacs will not be updated in February... but the new processor suggests that the new machines will top out at 2.5GHz when they do arrive.

Meanwhile, whispers have suggested that Apple is continuing to investigate liquid-based cooling techniques for both PowerMac and PowerBook lines. Whether/When this technology will be delivered as a shipping product is unclear.

 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2004/02/23/powermac-and-powerbook-updates/
And, if they do update them before the Summer, I wonder if the "Pro Audio" noise issues that have been discussed at length regarding the dual units will be solved.

That's stopping me from buying a G5 at all. :(
 
I wont be upgrading until the G5 PowerBooks come out. I have the money ready to buy one, I just need Apple to release them.
 
Nice rumor recap Arn! Let's hope that these new products Apple is undoubtedly working on get announced soon... a G5 PowerBook is all I'm waiting for... and I love to see how the performance gap between Apple/IBM and WinTel increases steadily :)

-Dr. D.
 
This week... another vague rumor, tune in next week for... more vague rumors. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict, by the end of 2004, Apple will have one of their pieces of hardware quite possibly maybe slightly faster in speed than it is as of today... but don't hold me to it.
 
Originally posted by Dr. Distortion
Nice rumor recap Arn! Let's hope that these new products Apple is undoubtedly working on get announced soon... a G5 PowerBook is all I'm waiting for... and I love to see how the performance gap between Apple/IBM and WinTel increases steadily :)

-Dr. D.
Click to expand...

Somehow I'm hoping that this makes it to the first page because of more information/rumor received by Arn to confirm this...
 
I think that the reason we haven't seen the updated PM G5s (and perhaps PB G5s) is IBM.

Take note of the following facts:
1. Apple's xserve G5s are shipping in "6-8 weeks".

2. InfoWorld quotes an IBM spokesman, Feb 13, 2004 (http://www.infoworld.com/article/04...bmblends_1.html) that says "Samples of the chip have already shipped, and production volumes are increasing." Note, they are producing, but if they were producing at full capacity they'd have said so and not used the language they did.

3. There was an article here (http://www.reed-electronics.com/ele...mp;doc_id=30982) that said this:
"IBM is about to deliver its very first volume production of an SOC on 90nm, said Reeves. This will be a design for Apple."
Note that it says "about to".


So, I think it is safe to say they are producing them in some volume, but it is not yet enough to handle xserve G5s, PM G5s (updated with the 970fx of course), and PB G5s all at once.

Thus, I would expect Apple to catch up on the xserve G5s (or at least know *when* they will be able to do so) and then announce upgraded PM G5s at that point to ship as soon as they can after xserve G5 orders.

Until they can handle demand for those two, I doubt you'll see PB G5s. There may be other factors delaying the PB G5s, but 970fx chip supplies may be one of them.

I am waiting for both - a want to replace my Dual 800 G4, and get a PB G5 (I can wait however long it takes though for it, but I don't WANT to have to!).
 
Wow.. Nicoman.. nice.. very nice!! that's a very difficult spell error to track! I had to read trought it for 4 times before I saw it!

that's like.. you know what it has to be so you assume it is there..

another famous example..:

Time is
is running out!

but you have to ad a sand thingy.. don't know the english word for that one.. litery translated it's a sandwalker.. (like the windows version of the spinning beachball)
 
here's my question

if this new chip tops out at 2.5 and if it were to go in G5 desktops released in the next month or two, wouldn't a processor bump from 2.5 to 3.0 come June seem a bit soon. I think since Apple skipped Jan and Feb for Powermac upgrades they should hold off until June and do the juge leap.

On that note there are no rumors of chips hitting the 3.0 ghz mark. Are they even going to make good on their promise:mad:
 
Re: PowerMac and PowerBook Updates?

Originally posted by Macrumors
stepping down speed to 1/2 or 1/4 of the processor's top speed, thus reducing the power consumption.
Click to expand...

Consequently decreasing heat production.
 
G5!

Oh man, wouldn't that be nice... Imagine www.apple.com, updated.

"NEW! PB G5!" followed by a nice, long article about its features, speed, how chill it is, a few switching people, a glance at the hi-tech insides, some jabbering about AltiVec, about beeing the first portable 64 bit for consumers, and some UNIX-links inside and beyond apple.com.

That would make my day!

A headless iMac, as well... :rolleyes:
 
Centauratlas: I think you may be on to something here... something, somewhere in the realm of apple, something is going to be updated. I really do think that right now, Apple has something big... well atleast 4 months ago they did... when the AFX was the only contender... now it's the A64 3400+ and the soon 2.4GHz AFX-53 which will be a very good contender; however, a 2.5GHz 970FX will be a scorcher, and not literally... i'm amazed by the heat specs that this thing puts out... By the way, did you guys know that right now, the G5 has a 600Watt Power Supply? That's huge!! I mean. the G5 needs some major cooling and power requirements now!! I can't wait to hear what the PC zealots have to say about this... "oh, yea... well too bad apple has only 5% of the marketshare.." I just say, well 5% of one billion is 50,000,000... that's a lot of computers... i'd like to have 5% of a total market, cause 5% is a lot if you really think about it... and the PC marketshare is divided up into Dell, Gateway... etc..
 
Very accurate viewpoint and take a hint Powerbook Lovers.(not saying i am not one either, but own a Dual 2g g5 and will be getting a pb when the right time comes) Apple has not even shipped the Xserve G5 yet and trust me. Apple is $$$$ driven so they favor Xserve over Pmac. IBM has not delievered as expected and even if they announced a pmac update now i do not believe it would ship until may/june at the earliest. with that in mind i would wait until august-oct when the g5 3ghz will ship. Patience is a virtue we all can use.



Originally posted by centauratlas
I think that the reason we haven't seen the updated PM G5s (and perhaps PB G5s) is IBM.

Take note of the following facts:
1. Apple's xserve G5s are shipping in "6-8 weeks".

2. InfoWorld quotes an IBM spokesman, Feb 13, 2004 (http://www.infoworld.com/article/04...bmblends_1.html) that says "Samples of the chip have already shipped, and production volumes are increasing." Note, they are producing, but if they were producing at full capacity they'd have said so and not used the language they did.

3. There was an article here (http://www.reed-electronics.com/ele...mp;doc_id=30982) that said this:
"IBM is about to deliver its very first volume production of an SOC on 90nm, said Reeves. This will be a design for Apple."
Note that it says "about to".


So, I think it is safe to say they are producing them in some volume, but it is not yet enough to handle xserve G5s, PM G5s (updated with the 970fx of course), and PB G5s all at once.

Thus, I would expect Apple to catch up on the xserve G5s (or at least know *when* they will be able to do so) and then announce upgraded PM G5s at that point to ship as soon as they can after xserve G5 orders.

Until they can handle demand for those two, I doubt you'll see PB G5s. There may be other factors delaying the PB G5s, but 970fx chip supplies may be one of them.

I am waiting for both - a want to replace my Dual 800 G4, and get a PB G5 (I can wait however long it takes though for it, but I don't WANT to have to!).
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Ge4-ce
Wow.. Nicoman.. nice.. very nice!! that's a very difficult spell error to track! I had to read trought it for 4 times before I saw it!

that's like.. you know what it has to be so you assume it is there..

another famous example..:

Time is
is running out!

but you have to ad a sand thingy.. don't know the english word for that one.. litery translated it's a sandwalker.. (like the windows version of the spinning beachball)
Click to expand...
a sandwalker ?? in french? or in flemisch ?
 
Re: here's my question

Originally posted by Trowaman
if this new chip tops out at 2.5 and if it were to go in G5 desktops released in the next month or two, wouldn't a processor bump from 2.5 to 3.0 come June seem a bit soon. I think since Apple skipped Jan and Feb for Powermac upgrades they should hold off until June and do the juge leap.

On that note there are no rumors of chips hitting the 3.0 ghz mark. Are they even going to make good on their promise:mad:
Click to expand...
the jump to 3+ ghz is supposed to happen before the end of the summer, meaning announced in August, shipping in September. A March release would mark six months since the G5s were first released, and six months until next Sept., a perfect timeframe.

The big question is about PowerBooks, since we're starting to approach six months. The WWDC, while still two plus months away, would make a good stage for G5 PowerBook announcements--one year anniversary of the G5 Power Macs.
 
Originally posted by Ge4-ce
[...]
but you have to ad a sand thingy.. don't know the english word for that one.. litery translated it's a sandwalker.. (like the windows version of the spinning beachball)
Click to expand...
zandloper is in het engels sand glass volgens worldlingo.com ;)
kzou zeggen hour glass trouwens
 
Originally posted by NicoMan
a sandwalker ?? in french? or in flemisch ?
Click to expand...

in flemisch.. :)

sherlock translated it as a sand glass.. is that correct? I don't trust sherlock on translations that much.. :)
 
Originally posted by mpopkin
Apple is $$$$ driven so they favor Xserve over Pmac.
Click to expand...
This is absurd, on many levels. Of course Apple is '$$$$ driven'; which company isn't? Power Macs, while cheaper per unit, is WAY more important for Apple's bottom line than the Xserve. Power Macs are a significantly ibgger chunk of the revenue pie. Sure the Xserves probably has the biggest profit margins of any of their hardware, but they just don't move that many units of them to make a huge difference. Now, with the notice that the VT cluster has been serving, Xserves sales may pick up a lot more (who wouldn't want a $5 mil 10-terraflop cluster???) but that remains to be seen.
 
Windows XP 64-bit software and hardware already available

Originally posted by TorbX
about beeing the first portable 64 bit for consumers
Click to expand...

AMD 64-bit portables are shipping (see http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_M6807 for an example).

You can download Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for these from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/64bit/downloads/upgrade.asp. (Note that this is basically the currently shipping Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for IA64, recompiled for the AMD64 ISA.)


You can get both 64-bit hardware (AMD64, IA64, and soon Intel's AMD64 compatible chips) and 64-bit operating systems (Linux, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, Windows Server 2003 64-Bit) on the Wintel side.

Apple has a 64-bit CPU, but there is no 64-bit software capability in OS X (that is, no 64-bit process virtual addressing). Apple has not even discussed when OS X might gain some 64-bit features.


Apple will be able to claim the first Mac 64-bit portable, but any other claims about being first with 64-bit portables will be wrong. (And one doesn't even need to consider any of the 64-bit RISC portables that have been sold....)
 
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