Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Snow Leopard in September, Xserve in June, Mac Pro Speed Boost, and More?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
No, an "April Fool" would be "Snow Leopard to be released at WWDC".
After the MWSF'09 keynote ended and there was no 10.6 demo in the keynote, the first thing that I thought was that "it's slipping, not before fall".
Yeah I can see it now:Nehalem Mac Pro Gets Speed Bump to 3.2GHz, Now Shipping (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 20 60 90 150 319 500 750 ... Last Page)
Or maybe that's the "Mac Pro Now Uses Agere FireWire Chipset" thread.
I really couldn't care less about QT or Grand Central, Since 10.6 is focused on function and not features, I just want 10.6 for the performance.
I do hope there is a Logic update. Particularly I hope Apple really works at making 3rd party AUs more stable. I always thought the idea was that an AU that has any issues would not hang Logic, this is simply not so, maybe it's me, but I would expect to see something, even just a stability update.
I got my Mac Pro back in Sept. of '06, and it will be the last desktop I buy from Apple. I can see the update really pissing people off. I mean my machine is already over 2 years old and Apple only did one real update in that time, increasing the cost along the way. Then less then a year later pop out an new one, when Apple could have simply held off until the official Intel release.
I do hope there is a Logic update. Particularly I hope Apple really works at making 3rd party AUs more stable. I always thought the idea was that an AU that has any issues would not hang Logic, this is simply not so, maybe it's me, but I would expect to see something, even just a stability update.
I got my Mac Pro back in Sept. of '06, and it will be the last desktop I buy from Apple. I can see the update really pissing people off. I mean my machine is already over 2 years old and Apple only did one real update in that time, increasing the cost along the way. Then less then a year later pop out an new one, when Apple could have simply held off until the official Intel release.
From a strategic perspective, I wonder what Apple feels is the best way for Snow Leopard to compete against Windows 7. Even if Apple feels OS X is already leading Windows, there is no doubt the common feeling will be to pit Snow Leopard and Windows 7 against each other.
Would it be more advantageous for Snow Leopard to launch before Windows 7 or after? There are no doubt advantages and disadvantages either way whether you want to be seen as leading the market before Windows 7 or having the advantage of being a strong response once the initial Windows 7 launch and euphoria is done. The Apple-Microsoft near launches may well single-handedly revive flagging newspaper and TV advertising revenues. Whatever the case, Apple shouldn't be pressured into rushing Snow Leopard and launching before it's ready since that would be terrible after MobileMe.
Grand Central is performance. It's provides the Multicore APIs for applications to become OpenMP compliant.
They've done that plenty of times. The 9600s, the Beige G3s, the B&W G3s, the G4s, etc.
Anyway, I really REALLY don't wanna wait till November for Nehalem MBPs. I'll be a month away from 23, ugh. Old as ****. Anyway, w/e. . .
Since much of Nehalem's architectural improvements are focused on floating point and vector performance (it's practically an Itanium replacement, especially considering its much higher clock), my bet is not much.
What's your point? Apple's always done that... literally, before Intel, before even PowerPC... That's just the way they've done things.
Heck the Mac Mini went about 1 and a half years without an update, at the same price, and it had terrible specs to begin with...
Wouldn't that be the idea. Instead of making a southbridge per say, nVidia make a GPU that hangs off the 16 Lane PCI bridge of these CPUs that also has built in to it all the southbridge functions like USB and other bus support.
Maybe there isn't a need for a southbrigde at all.
The nvidia chip maybe be able to power up it graphics core on demand and over take the Intel IGP which is likely to be bad.
It depends what Apple has up the sleeve if SL can dynamically work the switches of differnet power settings better than Leopard can with the MacBookPros.
Of interest is nVidia comment about a change where the GPU becomes the main processor. If they add in a ARM core to this centralised GPU then the Intel Processor could become the on demand processor. Imagine what that could do for Battery life.
I *never* understand this argument. They are also in the computer and OS business. These days bluray is a big part of that, and as a 'premium' brand, Apple would be risking a lot to not support it simply because one part of their company sells movie downloads.
Views
I think windows 7 will come before snow-leopard or it will be a close call there are some advantages of being last. The initial hype will have calmed and some comparisons can be made .EDIT maybe not as microsoft stated a 3 year time frame in 2007 for 7. Steve compared leopard to vista once before on stage this could happen again. The later snow leopard is, the more of a chance an incremental mac pro speed increase will be. The published snow leopard benchmarks will be done on a 3.2. The 2.26 octo will be dropped they will keep the 3 options and keep it simple. The quadro is a no brainer although the price remains questionable as apple dropped their premium ram prices (wishfull thinking) . The card will be a silent update and could happen anytime.As a long shot the lack of activity from nvidia recently could mean they are preparing something mac pro specific and designed for open cl (something like that special photoshop card they are working on). I expect there is a lot of work writing the drivers which is down to apple. The quadro platform i believe has always favoured windows users in performance, hopefully this will level things out. If this workstation is going into the 2D,3D & CAD field then full quadro support is warranted. The only real question i still have is when will the mac pro have 12 ram slots ? This i think involves a larger case as they would have done it last time if possible.
I think windows 7 will come before snow-leopard or it will be a close call there are some advantages of being last. The initial hype will have calmed and some comparisons can be made .EDIT maybe not as microsoft stated a 3 year time frame in 2007 for 7. Steve compared leopard to vista once before on stage this could happen again. The later snow leopard is, the more of a chance an incremental mac pro speed increase will be. The published snow leopard benchmarks will be done on a 3.2. The 2.26 octo will be dropped they will keep the 3 options and keep it simple. The quadro is a no brainer although the price remains questionable as apple dropped their premium ram prices (wishfull thinking) . The card will be a silent update and could happen anytime.As a long shot the lack of activity from nvidia recently could mean they are preparing something mac pro specific and designed for open cl (something like that special photoshop card they are working on). I expect there is a lot of work writing the drivers which is down to apple. The quadro platform i believe has always favoured windows users in performance, hopefully this will level things out. If this workstation is going into the 2D,3D & CAD field then full quadro support is warranted. The only real question i still have is when will the mac pro have 12 ram slots ? This i think involves a larger case as they would have done it last time if possible.
I just hope SL is an improvement on a quad-core... even though my MP is for home use, I wouldn't mind another year or so before it goes to media server dutys!
On the rumored new MacBook later this year? FINGERS CROSSED!
I trialed a BlackBook and returned it due to a terrible screen and the fact it was so horribly slow to use, it was click, then **** happens, where even though my MP is old(ish), it was significantly snappier... soo
All i want by christmas is a macbook as "snappy" as my MP, hopefully the elimination of the FSB solves this!
On the rumored new MacBook later this year? FINGERS CROSSED!
I trialed a BlackBook and returned it due to a terrible screen and the fact it was so horribly slow to use, it was click, then **** happens, where even though my MP is old(ish), it was significantly snappier... soo
All i want by christmas is a macbook as "snappy" as my MP, hopefully the elimination of the FSB solves this!
That's a recipe for a bug-filled release, of course. Nobody tests "hidden" features.
The MP quad 2.66 is $800 more than a better Dell Precision Workstation T3500 configuration.
Dell offers the W3570 3.2, but it's pricey:
Quad Core Intel® Xeon® W3570 3.20GHz, 8M L3, 6.4GT/s Turbo [add $1,390]
If Apple charged $600 for the W3570, then it wouldn't be a rip-off. If they charge $1400, the Apple will still be $800 more than the Dell.
I don't understand the concern about a "new model" with the 3.2 GHz. It's just the same model with another CTO option for processor speed.
It's not a "new model".
I don't think it is a big deal, but with Apple I also don't think anything is a certainty. I'm really just interested to know why it wasn't an option at launch.
Too bad. That's the industry. Always has been and always will be. This is true with any computer manufacturer.
vs. dell
Actually, the T3500 speced out like the Mac Quad (2.66)
w/ 3GB of ram and a 500GB drive is $2129, only $370 less than the Mac Pro, which is closer than I thought, but for $2579 dell gives you the 2.93.
Dell charges 450 for the upgrade, Apple charges 500. Same chip.
Intel charges $278.
What I don't undstand at all is how or why dell can offer the Gainestown processors in single chip configuration. Less power consumption?
Surprisingly, the 8 core from dell t5500 is more expansive than the 8 core mac pro, but of course, the dells include a monitor
They can also apparently can hold a lot more memory.
Its weird that dell doesn't offer a 64 bit OS BTO.
Actually, the T3500 speced out like the Mac Quad (2.66)
w/ 3GB of ram and a 500GB drive is $2129, only $370 less than the Mac Pro, which is closer than I thought, but for $2579 dell gives you the 2.93.
Dell charges 450 for the upgrade, Apple charges 500. Same chip.
Intel charges $278.
What I don't undstand at all is how or why dell can offer the Gainestown processors in single chip configuration. Less power consumption?
Surprisingly, the 8 core from dell t5500 is more expansive than the 8 core mac pro, but of course, the dells include a monitor
They can also apparently can hold a lot more memory.
Its weird that dell doesn't offer a 64 bit OS BTO.
I would believe a September release of SL, maybe even an October release. Windows 7 is not going to be the pile of crap that Vista was on release, and Apple knows it.
They need a polished, high performance OS with minimal issues to launch against Win7. If SL is not ready, and doesn't have a heavy coat of shellac on it (Marble interface, Blu-Ray support, etc) then the press is going to have a field day showing how "advanced" Win7 is compared to Snow Leopard.
Also, there are very few quad core Macs out there so there's no rush on getting an OS out there that will bring the most out of them.
I just hope that now that Sony has greatly simplified Blu-Ray licensing that Apple will bring Blu-Ray support, with at least a Blu-Ray reader DVD burner super drive to the entire Mac line. Win7 will have Blu-Ray support baked in, and Steve is going to continue to call Blu-Ray a "bag of hurt"? I just don't see it, and I don't see Win7 giving kernel support to Sony DRM implementation for Blu-Ray, so not sure why this is an issue with Apple.
They need a polished, high performance OS with minimal issues to launch against Win7. If SL is not ready, and doesn't have a heavy coat of shellac on it (Marble interface, Blu-Ray support, etc) then the press is going to have a field day showing how "advanced" Win7 is compared to Snow Leopard.
Also, there are very few quad core Macs out there so there's no rush on getting an OS out there that will bring the most out of them.
I just hope that now that Sony has greatly simplified Blu-Ray licensing that Apple will bring Blu-Ray support, with at least a Blu-Ray reader DVD burner super drive to the entire Mac line. Win7 will have Blu-Ray support baked in, and Steve is going to continue to call Blu-Ray a "bag of hurt"? I just don't see it, and I don't see Win7 giving kernel support to Sony DRM implementation for Blu-Ray, so not sure why this is an issue with Apple.
My Dell quote is:
I used a 750 GB disk, to make it bigger than the MP.
Also note that since the Dell has a 3 year next-business-day onsite warranty, you should at least add Applecare to the MP, bringing it to $2748. That's a $768 difference.
They do - see my quote. Note that the 32/64 choice is made on an earlier page - since that choice affects the set of options.
It look like you only get the 64 bit option if you select "large business." Also, by going through small business, the same specs cost 2050. Strange.
If Apple was getting pre-full run capacity production chips, then the ones with the highest Hz will have the lowest yields. So perhaps not even enough for Apple's relatively limited requirements. Plus, I bet might help with relations with the other vendors who didn't get to launch for weeks a consolation prize if Apple is at the end of the line for these parts.
And it gives Apple another "Oh and more thing " to just add another configure-to-order option at WWDC (or some other event).
This really shouldn't be a big deal. Just for the folks who "need" to buy MacPro at the far end of the scale should this make a difference to. There are likely a very small number who have pressed their brand new 2.93 into a fully 100% utilized state.