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PowerMac and Xserve Revisions at MWSF 2004?

Originally posted by ethernet76
I hope for the day when speed bumps aren't taken as huge advancements in the mac community. I find myself saying, "Oh, they have a 3.2 Pentium now, how cute."

As opposed to the 2 month hype here.
Click to expand...


Things are going to be changing with respect to that, and we will now be seeing more frequent updates and quicker progression, in my opinion. Mac users are far too used to Motorola's slow development and release times, and now that Apple is with IBM, we will be noticing quite the change.

The next couple of years are going to be very interesting times!

(What was Moto's longest record, anyway? Going an entire year and only bumping up speeds by 450 MHz? Something like that?)
 
I had originally planned to wait until Rev. B for buying my PowerMac, but with the 980 on the horizon I'm convinced it's best to hold off until Summer 04 (unless you REALLY need a computer right away).

A 2.4Ghz 970 doesn't seem all that exciting when compared to a 3Ghz 980 PLUS whatever other random goodies Apple will throw in with the 980 (perhaps a slightly modified case, included bluetooth, and included wireless keyboard/mouse [crossing fingers anxiously]).
 
Originally posted by Maxwell Devine
I had originally planned to wait until Rev. B for buying my PowerMac, but with the 980 on the horizon I'm convinced it's best to hold off until Summer 04 (unless you REALLY need a computer right away).

A 2.4Ghz 970 doesn't seem all that exciting when compared to a 3Ghz 980 PLUS whatever other random goodies Apple will throw in with the 980 (perhaps a slightly modified case, included bluetooth, and included wireless keyboard/mouse [crossing fingers anxiously]).
Click to expand...

Fair enough, if you don't mind waiting. But who knows, come summer 2004 Jobs might announce plans for the 3.5 GHz G5s due out a couple months afterwards, or other improvements just around the corner! My point is, if you're always waiting for the next best thing, you'll always be waiting. But by all means, if that 3 GHz PM is the machine you want no matter what, and you don't mind waiting, (even if Jobs releases the G6 two months afterwards!) then by all means, get the machine you want. :)
 
How come these rumors are not reported to macrumors and usually only to appleinsider or think secret?
 
This is all well and good, but do you think we'll be finally seeing the release of the iPal? I saw screenshots of it a couple of months ago and personally can't wait!

It has been brought to my attention that the font used on the iPal packaging differs from their other releases. Could this possibly be a fake?
 
I'm convinced the predicted 2.0, 2.2 and 2.4 speeds are correct. But I greatly doubt they'll put a dual configuration in the 2.0 base model. Apple generally makes moves like this when they're desperate (for speed, and can't get higher-clocked processors), which they currently obviously aren't. I'm pretty sure we'll see a single 2.0, but dual 2.2 and 2.4 models.
 
Apple Store G5 Price Drops?

Originally posted by AirUncleP
I wonder how far the current G5 models will drop in price?
Click to expand...
$1,999.00
Dual 2.0 GHz PowerPC G5
1GHz frontside bus
512K L2 cache
512MB DDR400 128-bit SDRAM
Expandable to 8GB SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA
8x SuperDrive (new)
Three PCI Slots
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro
64MB DDR video memory
56K internal modem

$2,499.00
Dual 2.2 GHz PowerPC G5
1.5 GHz frontside bus/processor
512K L2 cache/processor
512MB 533MHz DDR II RAM
Expandable to 16 GB SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA
8x SuperDrive (new)
Three PCI-X Slots
ATI Radeon 9600 Pro
64MB DDR video memory
56K internal modem

$2,999.00
Dual 2.4 GHz PowerPC G5 XServe
1.5 GHz frontside bus/processor
512K L2 cache/processor
1 GB 533MHz DDR II RAM
Expandable to 16 GB SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA
8x SuperDrive (new)
Three PCI-X Slots
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
64MB DDR video memory
56K internal modem

:rolleyes:

$9,999.00
Dual 2.6GHz PowerPC G5
2MB L3 cache per processor
2.0GB 533MHz DDR II RAM
4x180GB serial ATA (720GB)
Mac OS X Server (Unlimited client) 10.2.3
Dual Gigabit Ethernet
CD-ROM slot load drive
ATI graphics card with VGA
AppleCare Premium Support Plan
Mac OS X Server Maintenance

:p
 
Originally posted by ~Shard~
Ah, I can't wait to hear all the complaining.
Click to expand...

Let me start it off for you then. Ahem.

We just ordered a dual 2 GHz G5 for work, + 23" cinema + a maxxed out Xserve RAID. I CAN'T BELIEVE APPLE IS SCREWING US OVER BY ALLEGEDLY RELEASING RUMORED FASTER MACHINES AND NEW DISPLAYS IN JUST ONE MONTH!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: Apple HOW COULD YOU??? And if you even think about updating the Xserve RAID with more capacity or Serial ATA I WILL PERSONALLY GO UP THERE AND SMACK STEVE JOBS! I will never buy Apple again!! Apple sucks!!! AAAHHHH!!! :mad: :mad:

Hehe. :rolleyes:

I actually would have waited a month if I could. This machine will be doing major data processing / number crunching, so every extra MHz would have helped a bit. But our fiscal year is ending, and after that, the money turns into a pumpkin and disappears. So it was now or never. Plus our lab is running out of disk space quickly as we process current data, and we need that extra 2.5 TB in the RAID as soon as possible.. Can't wait to get it! :D
 
Originally posted by bankshot
Let me start it off for you then. Ahem.

We just ordered a dual 2 GHz G5 for work, + 23" cinema + a maxxed out Xserve RAID. I CAN'T BELIEVE APPLE IS SCREWING US OVER BY ALLEGEDLY RELEASING RUMORED FASTER MACHINES AND NEW DISPLAYS IN JUST ONE MONTH!!! :mad: :mad: :mad: Apple HOW COULD YOU??? And if you even think about updating the Xserve RAID with more capacity or Serial ATA I WILL PERSONALLY GO UP THERE AND SMACK STEVE JOBS! I will never buy Apple again!! Apple sucks!!! AAAHHHH!!! :mad: :mad:

Hehe. :rolleyes:

I actually would have waited a month if I could. This machine will be doing major data processing / number crunching, so every extra MHz would have helped a bit. But our fiscal year is ending, and after that, the money turns into a pumpkin and disappears. So it was now or never. Plus our lab is running out of disk space quickly as we process current data, and we need that extra 2.5 TB in the RAID as soon as possible.. Can't wait to get it! :D
Click to expand...

Heh heh - nice one. :D The scary thing is though, there will be people who post messages like that and will be completely serious. And oh what fun I will have with them... :cool:
 
Re: Apple Store G5 Price Drops?

Originally posted by MacRAND

$9,999.00
Dual 2.6GHz PowerPC G5
2MB L3 cache per processor
2.0GB 533MHz DDR II RAM
4x180GB serial ATA (720GB)
Mac OS X Server (Unlimited client) 10.2.3
Dual Gigabit Ethernet
CD-ROM slot load drive
ATI graphics card with VGA
AppleCare Premium Support Plan
Mac OS X Server Maintenance

:p [/B]
Click to expand...
Only two gigs of RAM for 10K... Jackasses. :p
 
Just ordered a dual 2 GHz G5 for work...can't wait

Originally posted by bankshot
Let me start it off for you then. Ahem.

We just ordered a dual 2 GHz G5 for work, + 23" cinema + a maxxed out Xserve RAID.
I actually would have waited a month if I could.
... our fiscal year is ending, and after that, the money turns into a pumpkin and disappears. So it was now or never. Plus our lab is running out of disk space quickly as we process current data, and we need that extra 2.5 TB in the RAID as soon as possible.. Can't wait to get it! :D
Click to expand...
Talk to Apple Enterprise. :) Get the Xserve now. But see if you can CANCEL and reorder the G5 order on the 31st for shipping on January 12th...with the understanding that you plan to upgrade in a week.
Then upgrade the G5 & Cinema 23 based on what happens a week later on January 6th. It's not just the $1000 loss in one week, it's not having the extra teeth to crunch with.
If you do nothing, then you get what you ordered. :cool:
But, if you at least try, then you could win a bonus. :D

btw, good post, funny. ;)
 
Re: Re: Apple Store G5 Price Drops?

Originally posted by pgwalsh
Only two gigs of RAM for 10K... Jackasses. :p
Click to expand...
Actually, the cost of RAM would be part of any Sales Price regardless of the original package offered. Also, if single 2GB RAM chips are available then the Buyer may want to fill the 8 slots by installing after-market chips for a 16GB total (assuming Apple does not offer either the size or a good price), and the Buyer may want to remove any installed RAM in the package, if Apple fills 8 RAM slots with 256MB RAM chips to get 2GB - what a waste.

Apple says there is an "8GB limit" on the total of 8 slots because 2GB RAM chips are not readily available at the time of the offer, the current max is a 1GB chip.

You do realize that my post was a prognostication and not a realization. Right?
Fiction not fact.
:p
 
Why it must have DDR2

Originally posted by willmg
I dont understand the need for DDR2 memory, in fact that may be a mistake as DDR2 is quite rare at the moment and most is being used only with High end graphics boards like 5700Ultra/5950Ultra. There is DDR1 memory currently at 533MHz sold by high end memory companies like OCZ and Mishkin, which could be used in these systems and would be much more resonably priced.
Click to expand...

Bandwidth. Never again will Apple let these machines and their processors sit idle waiting on data to come from anywhere. Before it was the FSB of the G4, they won't let it be the memory.

Besides, 533MHz DDR2 is just about to be common place.

Elpidia and Micron are shipping DDR2 1Gb modules

:)

Dharvabinky
 
Re: Why it must have DDR2

Originally posted by DharvaBinky
Bandwidth.
Never again will Apple let these machines and their processors sit idle waiting on data to come from anywhere.
Before it was the FSB of the G4, they won't let it be the memory.
Besides, 533MHz DDR2 is just about to be common place.
Dharvabinky
Click to expand...
Exactly!
The IBM G5 PPC chip has "server" heritage in its design, and we have only begun to see what this line of PPC chips can do with bandwith and throughput.
Just wait until Apple unleashes 64-bit capability through OS software activation.
Clock speed isn't everything.
Plus, think beyond "dual" chips in one build, and
think clusters... no longer a dream after VT's Big Mac G5 SuperComputer.

My dream is 4 G5 chips in a cluster interconnected microscopically on the same disc of silicone!
My fantacy is 9, then 16, or 25...
:p
 
There's so much focus in the rumor world on hardware. Really... my dream at the moment is to see Steve pace around the stage at MWSF, going on at length about the joys of plug and play clustering in the then-new update to OS X and OS X Server. Geez... the joys of scaling up my computing power by just plugging new machines into the network. Wow!

I have several machines around the office, all on a 1000baseT LAN. I keep dreaming of being able use my Dual 2GHz box for regular work, but then, when I have a heavy rendering task to tackle, just popping open a System Preferences pane, select ever how many of the other machines I can see there on the LAN, and add them into an on-demand cluster. <goosebumps appear on arms>

A little off-topic for the thread, but it popped into mind.
 
Cluster...mmmmm!

Originally posted by MacWhispers
...the joys of plug and play clustering in the then-new update to OS X and OS X Server. Geez... the joys of scaling up my computing power by just plugging new machines into the network. Wow!

A little off-topic for the thread, but it popped into mind.
Click to expand...

System Preferences >
Network>
Ethernet>
Cluster> ZOOM!
:p
Right on... topic!

;)
 
DDR2

"I dont understand the need for DDR2 memory, in fact that may be a mistake as DDR2 is quite rare at the moment and most is being used only with High end graphics boards like 5700Ultra/5950Ultra. There is DDR1 memory currently at 533MHz sold by high end memory companies like OCZ and Mishkin, which could be used in these systems and would be much more resonably priced."

While DDR II isn't common in systems now, Intel's chipsets are going to move DDR II later on in 2004. Also, DDR II may be resevered for the Xserves as it would be more beneficial there. They don't know exactly how it's going to perform in comparison to DDR, since DDR exceeded expectations. DDR II doesn't have the same latency times that ultra fast DDR chips have, but the way the data is transmitted is also slightly different. The core clock of a DDR II 400Mhz chip is only 100Mhz, making it cheaper to produce. The slight differences expand on the way DDR works in comparison to SDR. I don't know it well enough to explain it, but DDR has its advantages over DDR II and vice versa. However, DDR II slots should be backwards compatible with DDR chips. This could mean a couple different things for the ram configurations in the next power mac and Xserve updates.

Also, in reference to another comment, RAID refers to different configurations of multiple harddrives, not CPUs nor distributive computing setups (aka clusters). Apple is using HyperTransport technology for the CPU interconnect I think.

My only hope for Apple is that they keep up this faster pace on the motherboard architecture. Hell, maybe they'll even have built in Serial Attached SCSI and SerialATA II channels eventually. I'm sure they'll pick up PCI Express and the new graphics card offerings. With that kind of bandwidth and speed one could probably play PC games at decent speeds through VirtualPC.

I don't see why people are yawning at this rumor of speed up dates, or complaints for that matter. 2.4GHz?? Apple was stuck at 1.4GHz until IBM saved the day. Now there's talk of a 4Ghz machine a year and a bit down the line. Let me remind you that with the chip upgrades from G5 to G6 there will be quite a few changes and clock for clock those chips will be even faster than their predecessor. At least Apple has a definite future now. The closest chip to compare a G5 with would be an AMD64 chip. They've just reached 2.2GHz. By the time the G5 updates come out, it'll be on par with that speed. I could care less about Intel's inflated speeds and prices.
 
RAID prob RAIN

The poster could have meant RAIN where disk or drives is replaced by nodes. A few companies refer to RAIN 1 and RAIN 5 like EMC.
 
Re: Re: Re: Apple Store G5 Price Drops?

Originally posted by MacRAND
.

You do realize that my post was a prognostication and not a realization. Right?
Fiction not fact.
:p
Click to expand...
Obviously... Though it's still a hight price for only 2 Gigs of RAM..and if they offered it for that much, I'd say Greedy Bastards!
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: Apple Store G5 Price Drops?

Originally posted by pgwalsh
Obviously... Though it's still a high price for only 2 Gigs of RAM..and if they offered it for that much, I'd say Greedy Bastards!
Click to expand...
The RAM is free (and I guessed at the cost and everything);), it's the G5 chips that cost so much. Besides, buy it through MacMall and they'll double the RAM for a $35 installation charge. Tell 'em I sent you. :p
 
Originally posted by MacWhispers
I keep dreaming of being able use my Dual 2GHz box for regular work, but then, when I have a heavy rendering task to tackle, just popping open a System Preferences pane, select ever how many of the other machines I can see there on the LAN, and add them into an on-demand cluster. <goosebumps appear on arms>
Click to expand...
you can already do network-based rendering with many 3-d programs. i think some (maya?) even take advantage of rendezvous to do that.

but i get the thrust of what you're saying. actually, what'd be really cool is all this clustering happened dynamically, 'behind-the-scenes' so to speak. os x should be able to automatically sense which computers on a network are idle and then distribute work to those idle computers.
 
Originally posted by B-CarnageSelf
This is all well and good, but do you think we'll be finally seeing the release of the iPal? I saw screenshots of it a couple of months ago and personally can't wait!

It has been brought to my attention that the font used on the iPal packaging differs from their other releases. Could this possibly be a fake?
Click to expand...

Maybe something like this:

giken9.jpg
 
Originally posted by Gimzotoy
If I understand you correctly (and I'm not sure that I do, given the overabundance of negatives in that sentence), you do realize that there are a multitude of Athlon64 laptops out, don't you?
Click to expand...

There have been 64-bit laptops for years now, yes years. AMD was not first in that market.
 
Originally posted by x86isslow
it strikes me that there are no rumors about new moto chips, so if we get a chip with 1.6 Ghz clock, it will come in the form of the 970, or the mythical new750.

and coolkamio- do you really think that apple could get better battery life than tadpole's and voodoo's?
if both of the existing mobile64-bit chipsets: amd and sparc yield a poor 1.5hrs battery life, apple's desktop-style 64bit chip will not have better battery life

as for weight- the wallstreet was 7.8 lbs..
Click to expand...

What about the dual core G4 or the G4+? The dual core probably won't be available until later in the next year, but would be nice to see in all of the systems that don't have the G5. The G4+ will be at .10 micron so a speed bump will be seen. I would forget about seeing a 750 processor, a 7450, yes.
 
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