PowerPC RoadMap from Motorola

[MacRumors]

Several readers have noted this PowerPC core roadmap announced by Freescale Semiconductor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola.

According to the press release, Freescale detailed newly announced e300, e600 and e700 PowerPC cores. The e600 processor is described as "an enhanced version of the high performance G4 core used i nthe award-winning, high performance MPC74xx family of PowerPC host processors" and is expected to scale beyond 2 GHz as well as implement Altivec. The e700 core is expected to scale beyond 3GHz.

Freescale's implementation of these processors appears to be for specific system-on-chip (SoC) implementations, but presumably the technology could find its way into future Apple products as well. Apple presently uses MPC74xx processors to power their portable line.

 

[SuperChuck]

A day late and a dollar short, IMHO.

 

[Laslo Panaflex]

See, competition does drive inovation, or at least evolution. It took Apple to drop Motorola from thier high end machines for them to see that they need to make newer and faster chips. I can't wait to see what this holds for future Apple portables, 2ghz g4 ibooks anyone?

 

[virividox]

unless motorola comes out witha 4 ghz NOW then i don't think its worth it. give me g5!!!

 

[Koodauw]

unless motorola comes out witha 4 ghz NOW then i don't think its worth it. give me g5!!!

I agree somewhat, but as Laslo Panaflex some 2.0 Ghz portables would be very nice. If they game out fairly soon that is.

 

[fukuhela]

64 bit?

Freescale Semiconductor also disclosed today at SNDF its plans to develop the next-generation 32/64-bit e700 PowerPC core and corresponding e700 platform.

I know it isn't developed yet but are actually planning on making a 64-bit processor??? Or is it just me who doesn't know what they are talking about ?

 

[dead_parrot]

it's over

I'm thinking that Apple is looking solely to IBM these days. I think they want to distance themselves away from Motorola as soon as possible. The real winner out of the Power PC relationship seems to be the 970.

buh bye Motorola

 

[gekko513]

Freescale Semiconductor also disclosed today at SNDF its plans to develop the next-generation 32/64-bit e700 PowerPC core and corresponding e700 platform.

I know it isn't developed yet but are actually planning on making a 64-bit processor??? Or is it just me who doesn't know what they are talking about ?

Or, more likely, it's they who don't know what they are talking about

 

[rastalin94]

Keeping the lines separate

Actaully keeping the G4 line alive and increasing the speed could help Apple keep the consumer and pro line different.

Pro Line = G5
Consumer Line - G4

a 2GHz iBook would be a very nice little machine.

 

[crenz]

There've been many roadmaps posted by Motorola. I'm curious to see whether they'll actually be able to come up with the new processors, or whether they are vaporware.

 

[Frisco]

I hope they do make these processors and Apple uses them. Competetion is good thing. We need choices. Hopefully this will help lower the prices on low end Macs.

Motorolla has been unreliable in the past. Apple putting all of its eggs in one basket is not a good idea, whether Motorolla or IBM. Most seem to have confidence in IBM, but so far they haven't been reliable either--in terms of upgrades to their chips.

We the consumer need as many companies making chips as we can get!

 

[sabbath999]

I for one am VERY concerned about the "all the eggs in one basket" thing Apple is getting into with the Fishkill processors. Already we have seen major delays in the G5 line. Even though I hate Motorola with a passion, I hope they keep developing the G4 through the next couple of years "just in case",

 

[minstryoffunk]

I'm thinking that Apple is looking solely to IBM these days. I think they want to distance themselves away from Motorola as soon as possible. The real winner out of the Power PC relationship seems to be the 970.

buh bye Motorola

I disagree…while I'd put much more stock in IBM's development projections, I think that Apple realizes the importance of leaving their options open in order to always have the best hardware possible. Look to their implementation of the new G4 in the pBook revision - while people on the boards dismissed it as too little too late, its stil progress. An 80mhz increase and further refinement is, after all, better than nothing. Any chance Moto has gotten their act together? I guess we'll see. As for distancing, I wouldn't expect that any time soon.

Personally, I'm hoping for the continued success and improvement of the 970, but if Moto can deliver, even if its far down the line, than I look forward to it.

 

[mrsebastian]

come on, it's the same ol' [bleep] from moto. always a day late and a dollar... err, ghz short. g5 across apple's entire line, with the high end chips in the towers of course.

 

[minstryoffunk]

I for one am VERY concerned about the "all the eggs in one basket" thing Apple is getting into with the Fishkill processors. Already we have seen major delays in the G5 line. Even though I hate Motorola with a passion, I hope they keep developing the G4 through the next couple of years "just in case",

Chalk the delays up to the new process. Intel has had a hell of a time with 90 nano and their technology doesn't shrink as well. Unless something radical happens in the semiconductor industry, every subsequent process migration will get much more difficult. From what I read, Intel tech has reached its limit sizewise, but IBM/Moto have another migration yet.

There is tremendous pressure on IBM, so things should be coming along soon, or I suspect they will be in trouble.

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

unless motorola comes out witha 4 ghz NOW then i don't think its worth it. give me g5!!!

I'm not too sure the G5 would be the best chip for portables. Would you rather have a 1.6 or 1.8 Ghz G5 or a dual-core 2GHZ G4 with Rapid I/O and an SOC design? Some stuff I've read indicates that the 2GHZ dual core chip FreeScale is working on runs @ 25W dissipation. To me, it's pretty clear that FreeScale's chips, if they can deliver the e600s in the near future, are a better alternative than the G5. I actually think you can split up the chips over portable and desktop lines:

Apple Desktops: G5
Apple Portables: G4

And the e700 would give Apple a 64bit mobile processor when it comes out. Granted, we'll have to wait and see, but if FreeScale can deliver these things on time (and the 7447A came in ahead of schedule) then Apple will have two viable chip manufacturers.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Actaully keeping the G4 line alive and increasing the speed could help Apple keep the consumer and pro line different.

Pro Line = G5
Consumer Line - G4

a 2GHz iBook would be a very nice little machine.

Nice to know that the Powerbook is a consumer product. You should tell Steve that, 'cause he doesnt know it!

 

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Chalk the delays up to the new process. Intel has had a hell of a time with 90 nano and their technology doesn't shrink as well. Unless something radical happens in the semiconductor industry, every subsequent process migration will get much more difficult. From what I read, Intel tech has reached its limit sizewise, but IBM/Moto have another migration yet.

There is tremendous pressure on IBM, so things should be coming along soon, or I suspect they will be in trouble.

Apple and Motorola actually have two migrations left in their fabs. The new Crolles plant, as well as Fishkill, are set up to go down to 45nm. Crolles is set to start at 90nm (this summer) and is set up for a migration to 65nm and to 45nm. Fishkill will also go down this far.

http://www.semiconductors.philips.com/products/asic/partners/jdp/

Plus, Crolles has allied Moto with Phillips & STM. We'll have to see what FreeScale comes up with at this new fab. I think we'll be impressed.

 

[rdowns]

I'm thinking that Apple is looking solely to IBM these days. I think they want to distance themselves away from Motorola as soon as possible. The real winner out of the Power PC relationship seems to be the 970.

buh bye Motorola

Would be Apple repeating a mistake again. Not that they haven't done that before.

Competition is good and means innovation. Would be nice to have Motorola and IBM trying to leap frog each other. (Of course, that would mean Motorola taking a huge leap forward) Apple would be smart to have 2 chip suppliers, especially if Motorola can modernize the G4. Look what having a single supplier did to Apple's line and Motorola's innovation.

 

[rdowns]

Nice to know that the Powerbook is a consumer product. You should tell Steve that, 'cause he doesnt know it!

Nice to know people love to post things without any regard to what was actually written.

He said a 2GHz iBook would be nice. An iBook is not a PowerBook.

 

[fukuhela]

Or, more likely, it's they who don't know what they are talking about

LOL

Actually I think you're on to something there. In their advertizing dep. they've read that the new thing is 64-bit processing. So they just say that what they gonna make without knowing what it involves.... This way they are on to the 'beat'

 

[LaMerVipere]

Apple needs to diversify it's portable product line

I think that apple needs to diversify their portable market the same way they have, of late, attempted to with their desktops.

They should have at least 4 different types of portables to choose from:

•Desktop Replacement - Not necessarily 1-inch thin, it is allowed to be physically larger and at the same time deliver far more power, as it is for users who probably won't be taking it outside the home or office much, and it could be used to implement technology such as the G5 into the portable line much faster

•Mid-Range System - The size and power of the current PowerBooks is fine for this

•Budget System - The current iBook is fine for this

•Sub-Notebook - Less than 1-inch thin, ultra-portable, speed is not the overriding issue here, but rather size and weight

I think Apple needs to stop putting "all of its eggs in one basket" if you will, not necessarily with the processor makers, so much as their own product line, because as it is right now, it doesn't allow for much flexibility.

 

[Windowlicker]

Actaully keeping the G4 line alive and increasing the speed could help Apple keep the consumer and pro line different.

Pro Line = G5
Consumer Line - G4

a 2GHz iBook would be a very nice little machine.

I didn't read the roadmap article, but I could think there's a good use for the coming chips in portables.. g5 isn't gonna be on a powerbook for a while. that's a fact. and the point when it reaches the iBooks (and iMacs/eMacs) is even further. also we don't want the portables stay as they are now forever.

this can only be a good thing. i can't understand why some people have rated this as negative :Q

 

[Rower_CPU]

Nice to know people love to post things without any regard to what was actually written.

He said a 2GHz iBook would be nice. An iBook is not a PowerBook.

But if you're differentiating pro and consumer lines based on the processor, PowerBooks are "consumer" machines.

I don't think he was referring to the iBook part.

 

[areyouwishing]

I have never had a problem with Moto, I mean, they are slow (in producing faster chips), but it seems that they are the tried and true horse at this point. Their BIGGEST problem is bus speed.

What everyone isn't realizing is that moto has gotten really close to the G5 with the new portables... a 1.5ghz chip is only 100mhz slower than the 1.6 apple is currently selling in their desktops. Coupled with the more efficient use of altivec than the g5... and you have a rather nice processor.

Its almost refreshing to see that everyone is realizing that its quite hard to produce faster chips, and moto isn't the only one thats not good at it.