Why would a rackmount mess with having USB and FireWire on the board? Kinda useless, wouldn't ya think? It wouldn't need them to be stacked on top of each other IMHO.
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Quicksilver Server?
- Thread starter arn
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prototype board
I haven't a clue about Apple's engieering practices. That said, I have some points to make and questions to ask.
As this is presumably a prototype board, mere physical differences in how components are mounted or positioned do not exclude it from being a prototype board or suggest that a new form factor is afoot.
Does anyone know what Apple's Advanced Computing Group and/or the engineers that actually build prototype boards how they do or do not employ bread boards? Why go to the trouble of soldering components for prototyping when one could simply use a bread board? I guess a board as depicted would be as it is so that Apple can ship it abroad and/or test it for environmental factors.
This board could be a year or more old for all we know. When would Apple, a major computer maker that is renowned for employing cutting edge components, first have access to DDR components?
Also, I should think that Motorola cranks out many different flavors of CPU's for prototyping and sprint development efforts. So, if the posts regarding G4's lack of support for DDR is true, then it seems to me that it would not be unrealistic for Apple to receive experimental or prototype variations of the G4 that do support DDR.
Other than the DDR, are any of the other features different or unusual, such as the pre-fetching feature. Also, what is the deal with the floating point unit? Like the vector processor feature mentioned, is this simply part of the G4 itself?
What I would find really interesting about this so called prototype board would be if something really unusual were to be found on it. Does anybody really think that Apple doesn't have prototypes with DDR? Come on! If they didn't, Apple would be one seriously ****ed up company.
Something really interesting and unsual to be found on a prototype board would be some special ASIC (proprietary) that serves as an OS X accelerator for various functions. Something like this might suggest an x86 move, for example, because it would help prevent hackers from simply porting MacOS X to any white box or Dell rather than by Apple hardware.
So, in short, I find this so called prototype board very disappointing. A 133 MHz motherboard!!! If that were what we are to see in the next motherboard, Apple's future would seem awfully grim to me.
Eirik
I haven't a clue about Apple's engieering practices. That said, I have some points to make and questions to ask.
As this is presumably a prototype board, mere physical differences in how components are mounted or positioned do not exclude it from being a prototype board or suggest that a new form factor is afoot.
Does anyone know what Apple's Advanced Computing Group and/or the engineers that actually build prototype boards how they do or do not employ bread boards? Why go to the trouble of soldering components for prototyping when one could simply use a bread board? I guess a board as depicted would be as it is so that Apple can ship it abroad and/or test it for environmental factors.
This board could be a year or more old for all we know. When would Apple, a major computer maker that is renowned for employing cutting edge components, first have access to DDR components?
Also, I should think that Motorola cranks out many different flavors of CPU's for prototyping and sprint development efforts. So, if the posts regarding G4's lack of support for DDR is true, then it seems to me that it would not be unrealistic for Apple to receive experimental or prototype variations of the G4 that do support DDR.
Other than the DDR, are any of the other features different or unusual, such as the pre-fetching feature. Also, what is the deal with the floating point unit? Like the vector processor feature mentioned, is this simply part of the G4 itself?
What I would find really interesting about this so called prototype board would be if something really unusual were to be found on it. Does anybody really think that Apple doesn't have prototypes with DDR? Come on! If they didn't, Apple would be one seriously ****ed up company.
Something really interesting and unsual to be found on a prototype board would be some special ASIC (proprietary) that serves as an OS X accelerator for various functions. Something like this might suggest an x86 move, for example, because it would help prevent hackers from simply porting MacOS X to any white box or Dell rather than by Apple hardware.
So, in short, I find this so called prototype board very disappointing. A 133 MHz motherboard!!! If that were what we are to see in the next motherboard, Apple's future would seem awfully grim to me.
Eirik
Hey!!! now yer thinking!!
Yes, Apple proto's boards to test new variations all the time. Some things can't be tested on a breadboard reliably.
Yes, Apple proto's boards to test new variations all the time. Some things can't be tested on a breadboard reliably.
I can see it, especially FireWire 2, for RAID arrays. Faster then SCSI, and more flixible too. USB is good for input devices, you could even attach wireless keyboards and mice to the server and work on it from a distance (6' +/-). I would rather see those options on it, then have them removed. Many people use FireWire on a daily basis. It would also facilitate faster file transfer if you needed to put several GB of data onto the server. Plug in the FireWire drive and dump it all fast. Otherwise, you will be waiting for the infrastructor/network to funnel it all in.
The size, shape and indent on top of that mystery connector sure looks similar to the Firewire 2 connector in the PDF file Arn attached.
I hope it's firewire 2, that's a technology I'm looking forward to. That would make connections to external drives absolutely scream.
I hope it's firewire 2, that's a technology I'm looking forward to. That would make connections to external drives absolutely scream.
It would take an awful lot of effort to fake this, and make a red mobo. still, I think this guy is in big trouble.
Just my 2 cents.
naughty naughty, but I like him!
Just my 2 cents.
naughty naughty, but I like him!
used less than 12 hours
The eBay post says that it was used for less than 12 hours. Doesn't that seem odd, especially for a server where you want to test it under load for days and days if not weeks?
If this board is legit, maybe it suggests that one of Apple's other proto boards was markedly superior and this one was abandoned.
Eirik
The eBay post says that it was used for less than 12 hours. Doesn't that seem odd, especially for a server where you want to test it under load for days and days if not weeks?
If this board is legit, maybe it suggests that one of Apple's other proto boards was markedly superior and this one was abandoned.
Eirik
Actually, rack mounts would be great for clustering macs for CGI and compositing work, in which case, you would still want USB and Firewire ports. It might be intended to work with Cinema Tools and (speculates Nothing Real product in future). Clustered macs would let you edit and composite film at it's native resolution.
Just an opinion, though....
I say instead of all this hokus-pokus, why doesn't someone ASK THE GUY? If you have an eBay account, you can email him about his sale you know, I think that would solve alot of people's questions, including my own
Re: prototype board
I agree, except about the 133MHz bus. That's a 133MHz Double Data Rate bus. Or 266MHz effective speed. Same as an AthlonXP. Anyway, something like this board is exactly what I've been predicting since sometime around MWSF.
I agree, except about the 133MHz bus. That's a 133MHz Double Data Rate bus. Or 266MHz effective speed. Same as an AthlonXP. Anyway, something like this board is exactly what I've been predicting since sometime around MWSF.
Invalid item, huh?
Maybe Apple saw this and had it removed.
Just a guess. And I think that if this was the case, then Apple might not have wanted people to see certain things for that product, possible something new, such as the DDR Ram, or the POSSIBLE Firewire 2?
Wierd, but interesting...
__________________
Any time is a great time for iPod.
Maybe Apple saw this and had it removed.
Just a guess. And I think that if this was the case, then Apple might not have wanted people to see certain things for that product, possible something new, such as the DDR Ram, or the POSSIBLE Firewire 2?
Wierd, but interesting...
__________________
Any time is a great time for iPod.
Re: Is it me?
Oh, I am SO glad I got a look at that thing straight away because now:
"The item you requested ( 2020903080 ) is invalid or no longer in our database. Please check the number and try again. If this message persists, the item has expired and is no longer available."
It was good while it lastest.... all hail the "mothership"
Oh, I am SO glad I got a look at that thing straight away because now:
"The item you requested ( 2020903080 ) is invalid or no longer in our database. Please check the number and try again. If this message persists, the item has expired and is no longer available."
It was good while it lastest.... all hail the "mothership"
Re: used less than 12 hours
Sounds like it to me.... if you had a prototype Apple board with DDR before such a board was even released, would you sell it if it was any good?
It would surely be full of bugs.
Sounds like it to me.... if you had a prototype Apple board with DDR before such a board was even released, would you sell it if it was any good?
It would surely be full of bugs.
It seems wierd to me that Arn posted up information about this eBay product and the Firewire 2 possibility within it. These threads may go together.
I would carefully assume that Apple has some sort of Firewire 2 product under development, or that the product is finished.
Any other assumptions?
__________________
Any time is a great time for iPod.
I would carefully assume that Apple has some sort of Firewire 2 product under development, or that the product is finished.
Any other assumptions?
__________________
Any time is a great time for iPod.
Photo on eBay is correct (with proof)
I believe that the photo on eBay is correct.
The image posted in this thread was reversed un-necessarily.
for those that want to see the photo, here is the link to the item in question.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&showTutorial=0&ed=1020723326&indexURL=0&rd=1
Proof that the eBay photo is not reversed:
Look at the battery.
I am holding an identical battery to the one in the photo.
The color pattern is not reversible into a mirror image to match.
I believe that the photo on eBay is correct.
The image posted in this thread was reversed un-necessarily.
for those that want to see the photo, here is the link to the item in question.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&showTutorial=0&ed=1020723326&indexURL=0&rd=1
Proof that the eBay photo is not reversed:
Look at the battery.
I am holding an identical battery to the one in the photo.
The color pattern is not reversible into a mirror image to match.
Originally posted by iH8Quark
It would take an awful lot of effort to fake this, and make a red mobo. still, I think this guy is in big trouble.
Just my 2 cents.
naughty naughty, but I like him!
Well, I am not so sure that, if he wanted to fake it, eBay would be the place to do it. Realisticly, if he got away with the sale, he would still have to send something when the sale was finished or he would be really screwed. eBay is for the real thing, SpyMac is for fakes.
More fuel for the fire!
Truly amazing stuff, especially if this is an early prototype and later models have moved to faster FSB/DDR...MWNY is looking more and more exciting with every passing day! Maybe Apple wants to make up for last years "yawner" of an expo...hmmmmm.
Truly amazing stuff, especially if this is an early prototype and later models have moved to faster FSB/DDR...MWNY is looking more and more exciting with every passing day! Maybe Apple wants to make up for last years "yawner" of an expo...hmmmmm.
Re: Photo on eBay is correct (with proof)
That would be good if the item was still available to look at.
I think there are few excited kiddies here and I am one of them.... It has been years since I giggled with excitement like such a child.
That would be good if the item was still available to look at.
I think there are few excited kiddies here and I am one of them.... It has been years since I giggled with excitement like such a child.
heh...they took it off ebay.
apple legal and mischief tag-team i suppose.
That sounds like an admission that it's real, to me.
apple legal and mischief tag-team i suppose.
That sounds like an admission that it's real, to me.
Tell me about it.... not only 4 DDR and Firewire 2 but also 64 bit PCI.
Not too happy about the 133MHz bus, though..... that is just wrong. If Apple released a 133MHz board with DDR all my happines will be gone. What good is having fast RAM if it is then bottlenecked to 133?
I wonder what the planned AGP is? I would LOVE to take full advantage of the Ti card instead of having a cut back version.