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PPC 970 PowerMac in May?

Originally posted by york2600
30% is always what Apple offers to employees. I bought an iMac through a network admin in Sac. 30% off retail for a 15incher.
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Well, unless Apple offers different deals to different employees, it is 25% on one system per year, 10% on all others ... at least, that's what my friend gets unless he's gyping his family members of that extra 5% for himself ... :)

He hasn't mentioned any bigger deals (ie, 30% off power macs, which is generally what anyone I know would be looking for) on employee purchasing, though, and I know that he hasnt used his one 25% off deal this year yet, so I'd think he'd mention it ...

FWIW, most other companies do this (heavy employee discounts) as well. I mean, Gateway even offers UPS drivers a 15% discount just because they have a special deal with UPS ...
 
where does it say powermac?

the article in question never mentions "powermac".
this article takes every precaution to avoid saying types, such as powermac or powerbook.

this 1.4 GHz chip could be for either of the pro-type models. i do believe that apple will release a 970 in either the powerbook and powermac together ( at different speeds of ciourse), or in just the powermac model first.
the imac will not get a 970 chip. there is just no reason to put a 64-bit (though 32-bit compatible) in a consumer desktop. the 64-bit functionality of the chip would be useless. people would be paying for something that they don't even use, or know is there.
the 970 chip will be for the "pro" line only. better distinguishing the separation between the pro and consumer lines. the current high-end imac and high-end powerbook are way to similar. i am of course, mostly referring the speed of both. i know they have different memory bandwidth, FSB, L3 cache, and the fact that one is a desktop and one is a portable...etc. but the speed is too similar in perception of the public's eye. a little more separation between the two wouldn't hurt.

the discount offered to apples emploees is for "pro G4 models" which could be either powerbook or powermac.
(this is all assuming that the article is translated correctly.)

just some thoughts......

-dornball
 
A 64 bit chip running a 64 bit optimized OS (10.3?) would not be useless, even to consumers. I mean really, who here wouldn't want one?

Regards,
Gus
 
Man.. i cant wait, if they release them in May or some time this summer then id definatly buy one!:D
 
Hey, I gotta chime in on this. I've read that the sales for the PowerMacs have been abysmal. With this in mind, and the fact that the apple line is way behind (in terms of technological advances, i.e. bus speed, processor speed, etc...), I would think Apple wants to get the ball rolling with the G5 (or whatever it will be called). So maybe this rumor has some merit to it.

I can only hope that the 970 rumor comes true, because I am jonesing for a new machine. I was going to get the 1.25 DP, but decided against it, as it is already almost 4 months since it was released, and a new tower must be coming along in the next few months. Instead, I upgraded my Pismo 400, to the Powerlogix G3 900Mhz upgrade. Can't wait! Very affordable, and will tide me over fine until new PowerMacs are released.

Hoping its soon,
Adam
 
ouch

I just bought a dual 1.4 (and 20") - hasn't even shipped yet.

I was planning on selling it before the 970 came out anyway.

I've been burned before by buying according to rumor site timelines, but -

any suggestions?
 
Wow, this is great news. The best part is that it is May already.....so we are talking like 3 to 4 weeks here? :)
 
The sooner the better I say. I'll have to tell my dad who may be in the market for a new machine come June if he can sell his old Powermac.
 
I am definetly going to be ready to buy one of these babies, I have been waiting for a decent chip in an Apple machine for 3 years. I am probaly going to go for the mid model, if the low model it 1.4, most likely the mid would be DP 1.6 and high DP 1.8 or DP 2.0's. We will see, this is what I am buying:

Dream Machine:
DP 1.6 PPC 970
1gig of Ram
120 gig hard drive
Superdrive
ATI 9700 128mb

Hope these powermac's are the same price's or less, or I am going to break the bank.

I think they are going to lower prices a bit, maybe just be $100 on each end to really entice people to make the jump to PPC 970's
 
Re: where does it say powermac?

Originally posted by dornball
the imac will not get a 970 chip. there is just no reason to put a 64-bit (though 32-bit compatible) in a consumer desktop. the 64-bit functionality of the chip would be useless.
Click to expand...

so i guess according to your logic apple has peaked its manufacturing of consumer computers and will stop increasing its performance? wow do you have like inside info or what?

even if at the moment consumers dont need a 64bit chip, what about all the other benefits that come with the 970? personaly i think your 100% wrong. but we will see.
 
64-bit optimized

Originally posted by Gus
A 64 bit chip running a 64 bit optimized OS (10.3?) would not be useless, even to consumers.
Click to expand...


Gus does make a good point. "useless" may have been too strong a word, and maybe just having the OS alone as 64-optimized would be enough. i just don't think it makes sense to put a new, high-end, chip (the PowerPC 970) in a consumer model right away. i think that it will hit the pro line and then eventually hit the imac. though, i honestly don't know what they would put in it for the next revision, the 1.25 Ghz that the Pmacs are using? who knows.

-dornball
 
I don't buy it

I'm with everyone here when I say that I can't wait to see the 970s debut.

One little "glitch" I see in this article mentions 1.4Ghz chips leaving Hon Hai....I remember IBM saying quite clearly these chips would be made in the New York facility.

Not trying to burst any bubbles...just what I remember reading.

In any event, if it's true....I'd gladly admit I'm wrong. Just don't want to get my hopes up too far.

Tim
 
Re: I don't buy it

Originally posted by TMJ1974
I'm with everyone here when I say that I can't wait to see the 970s debut.

One little "glitch" I see in this article mentions 1.4Ghz chips leaving Hon Hai....I remember IBM saying quite clearly these chips would be made in the New York facility.

Not trying to burst any bubbles...just what I remember reading.

In any event, if it's true....I'd gladly admit I'm wrong. Just don't want to get my hopes up too far.

Tim
Click to expand...


Did it say chips or systems leaving that location? At this point, to release a new platform this soon, they would need systems, not just the chips.
 
What's with dissing the iMac users?

You know, just because someone owns an iMac it does not mean they don't want or use power. I happen to use Photoshop on my iMac, and it is quite a bit zippier than my last model. I know it doesn't compare to the powermacs, but I can't afford a freakin powermac right now.

And please remember it is the ""consumer"" market where Apple is lacking customers right now. Introducing the 970s in the low-end will give them time to work on their dual or quad (dream, baby...) formations for the pros, while offering people with less free cash some more incentive to fork out for a mac instead of going to one of those $800 3Ghz Dells.

Plus, I believe it has been theorized in previous threads that Apple will try to stop using G4s as quickly as possible to distance themselves from motorola. So until the G3 gets a hell of a lot faster, this is what they've got, unless they go all 64-bit, in which case they're both obsolete.

Does anyone here have the same grudge against Mercedes drivers I do, that because they seem to have this belief that since they spent more on their car than you (assuming you don't drive an 80k+ vehicle) that you should just get out of their way and recognize how much they've paid to be on the road with you?

'nuff said.
 
Re: Re: I don't buy it

Originally posted by dguisinger
Did it say chips or systems leaving that location? At this point, to release a new platform this soon, they would need systems, not just the chips.
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agreed. i think its the chip that was manufactured in the NY facility, and a system that's leaving Hon Hai now. at least, thats what seems to make the most sense, given the rumor. and if apple does in fact plan to release it in a matter of weeks, then it would have to be assembled systems leaving the Hon Hai location.

either way, i can't wait to get a 970 machine.

-dornball
 
Originally posted by Freg3000
so we are talking like 3 to 4 weeks here? :)
Click to expand...

The most likely time for the rollout would be Steve's keynote at WWDC. That's the end of June, so about 7 weeks.
 
another note...

assuming the 1.4 Ghz chip is for the low-end Pmac, why would apple introduce this chip without refrshing the whole lineup.
they would have a 1.4 GHZ 970 (single processor), 1.25 GHZ G4 DP, and then for the high-end a 1.42 GHZ G4 DP. it doesn't make sense.

the more that i think about it, the more this rumor, in of itself, has many holes.

-dornball
 
Re: another note...

Originally posted by dornball
assuming the 1.4 Ghz chip is for the low-end Pmac, why would apple introduce this chip without refrshing the whole lineup.
they would have a 1.4 GHZ 970 (single processor), 1.25 GHZ G4 DP, and then for the high-end a 1.42 GHZ G4 DP. it doesn't make sense.

the more that i think about it, the more this rumor, in of itself, has many holes.

-dornball
Click to expand...

Well, the reason you think the rumor has "holes" is because you are making an invalid assumption in my opinion. I think a 1.4 G5 would almost definetly be the high end model-NOT the low end. Even if it is only a single processor, a G5 will need to be top dog in a mixed G4/G5 Powermac line.
 
Re: Re: another note...

Originally posted by Freg3000
Well, the reason you think the rumor has "holes" is because you are making an invalid assumption in my opinion. I think a 1.4 G5 would almost definetly be the high end model-NOT the low end. Even if it is only a single processor, a G5 will need to be top dog in a mixed G4/G5 Powermac line.
Click to expand...

i agree with the G5 needing to be the top dog, but most people wont understand why going from a DP 1.42 Ghz to a SP 1.4 Ghz is an upgrade. well come to think of it, they are doing it with centrino....selling lower numerical speed machines as better and faster machine than the previous versions. maybe it will work, with a big help from marketing.

-dornball
 
It's not a G5 people, this isn't SpyMac...

OK, I need a tech buff here. The above post (edit: two up) raises a question: would a single 1.4 970 ;) be higher end than a dual 1.42 G4 just because it's 64 bit -- assuming you are using 64 bit optimized software?

I don't think so, I think you would need at least a 2.0 GHz (which we have heard is not coming yet) or a dual of the lower processors to catch up to a DP G4, but I'm not the guy to ask...

Someone with some real technical knowledge of how much of an edge optimized 64 bit processing is over 32, please share...
 
Slow That Roll People...

I'd like to see a new 970 system debut in the next few weeks as much as anyone out there, but... Is it possible that these, slower than anticipated, chips/systems are for developers & not the public? I'd don't expect Apple to bring out a half-ass system.

Make it - give it to the developers (with a solid and immediately available yet slower 970 proc) - perfect it (including faster than 1.4 970 procs) - and then bring it out to the public in the next 4-8 months with full 64-bit support.

I don't even know if dev systems get built in Hon Hai, just a theory. Anyone who really knows have any thoughts?

Going to buy/order an iPod in about a half hour...
 
Re: It's not a G5 people, this isn't SpyMac...

Originally posted by BaghdadBob
OK, I need a tech buff here. The above post (edit: two up) raises a question: would a single 1.4 970 ;) be higher end than a dual 1.42 G4 just because it's 64 bit -- assuming you are using 64 bit optimized software?
Click to expand...

Look through the archives of these foums for more detail, but the quick summary: no, a single 64-bit CPU is not better than dual 32-bit processors.

However a single 970 has a lot more going for it than just 64-bit integer processing: it also has a massive front-side bus (as big as the FSB that Intel finally put on their latest P4 after a recall and much delay), and is altogether a much more advanced CPU than the G4. On SPECInt numbers (heavily skewed towards server-type CPU usage, but still useful here), the GHz G4 gets around 300, while the 1.8GHz 970 tops 1000 (i forget the exact numbers). In other words, the 970, clock for clock, is about twice as fast as the G4. And it has a much bigger pipeline feeding it (the major bottleneck in the G4 design).

So, no, a 64-bit chip is not equivalent or better than two 32-bit chips. A single 970 running at 1.4GHz, however, is definitely better than dual 1.42GHz G4s.
 
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