Upcoming Releases: PowerMacs, iMacs, iTunes?

[Analog Kid]

Question... if FireWire can power devices, and charge... can Wireless Firewire do that too? THAT would be interesting!

No. The problem is the radiation pattern. If you want it to work anywhere in the room, the power in the signal goes down by the square of the distance to the transmitter.

Imagine all the power painted on the surface of a sphere centered at the transmitter-- it's a really small sphere at the source but by the time the sphere grows to reach the receiver the paint will be pretty thin. Maybe the skin of an expanding balloon is a better analogy.

That's why you might hear your local radio station talking about mega-Watts of transmission power. They need that much at the tower so you can still get micro-Watts (actually probably much less) at your radio miles away.

You need surprisingly little power to receive data, but if you're trying to charge a battery you'll want Watts and that's just too hard to do at any distance.

 

[MacFan26]

I can’t get excited about Apple since there isn’t anything out there to get excited about.

Are you saying that if there wasn't anything to get excited about, you wouldn't buy from Apple? No offense, but I haven't heard about anything more exciting from Dell or any other company for that matter. As far as market share, why should market share really matter to a consumer? So it's not 95% of the computer market, that's not stopping me from buying a machine from the company. If I may be permitted the analogy, no one shys away from a Porsche because of their market share.

 

[Windowlicker]

:: offtopic ::

I just had a dream I bought a shiny new 12" PB with max ram and everything.. i was so glad.. I just don't know if it was a g5pb because it was so superb 😉 ...if it was, let's BRING ON THE G5PB RUMORS! ;D

:: less offtopic ::

back to reality. I almost accindentally found myself at this page that has illustrations of imagined apple hw, wallpapers and such. there was this damn cool hiMac. It was pretty much just an aluminium display that had all the usb/fw/whatever ports and optical drive on the sides. it also could be dragged around. that would be a computer I'd want on my desk.

anyone who knows the site i'm talking about please feel free to input the address. can't find it anywhere.

:: ontopic ::

tomorrow will be a good day. so will be the rest till 28th. can't wait.

 

[slooksterPSV]

Just thinking out loud, but how cool would this be?:

One main tower/rackmount/server...whatever, in a strategic location somewhere in your house. This thing has some serious Wi-Fi antennae built in, huge hard drives, a few CPU's and it served out information to Displays and little portable tablets that you could use around the house. You could add an inexpensive tablet at any time (it would leave most of the storage to the central unit). Sync your iPod anywhere in the house over Firewireless, print, record with a Tivo program....damn..the possibilities are endless. You could probably pull this off now if you could afford a few Powerbooks and a G5 or two, but a well thought out version of this could be hot.

Thats so weird cause guess what, Windows has something like that. You have you're main XP server in the basement with Wireless and you can take tablets (shows screen and that) anywhere. Sync stuff automatically from the tablet since its Wireless and that and you can have TV's with Windows XP Media Center Edition to save shows and all that. Mac needs something like this though. (if you watch TechTV they showed it a while ago for XP) It may cost alot, but they do have it.

 

[Windowlicker]

Another application-- before I checked here I was sitting on my couch playing with iMovie. Powerbook doesn't have a big enough drive so I've got an external firewire drive plugged in. Stood up and the cable got wrapped around my leg and yanked out of the PB. Yeah, I'm clumsy, but just having the drive plugged into the wall and sitting on the couch next to me would be a lot easier.

Analog Kid, aka Jar Jar Binks (me's a... clumsy).

Then there's the whole rats nest behind my iMac. Such an elegant machine but by the time I've got my Firewire CD burner, two FW hard disks, printer, flat bed scanner, film scanner, XD card reader, microphone and iPod plugged in it looks like it's sitting in a pile of rubberized Easter grass...

If everything communicated wirelessly it would cut the cable load in half.

my thoughts exactly. I needed more usb ports.. my father was nice and solved the problem for me before I did. the only bad thing was that he got an usb hub. I would much more have liked a pci card. later i bought a pci card and ditched the hub. hmm maybe i should sell the hub and get another card too... would have use for it. I also might want to change my Griffin iMic to an PCI sound card -- because I need the sound in, but 1. the iMic's sound quality is terrible and 2. it takes space on my desk.

 

[MacinDoc]

Rumor roundup

How's this for tying these all together:

Before WWDC: iTMS Europe (and hopefully Japan and Canada, too).

WWDC:

1. Displays: widescreen 17, 20, 23 and 30" plasma displays with thin aluminum bevel, hangable or attachable to a desktop stand or (with the exception of the 30") the new iMac arm. Possibly with wireless firewire (great oxymoron!)

2. iMac G5: somewhat larger aluminum base with a similar articulating arm, 1.6 and 1.8 GHz PPC 970FX, 64 MB graphics card, CPU sold separately or together with Apple display (at a discount to match current iMac model pricing), maybe with an online store banner like "Mix and iMac". This would allow buyers to upgrade the CPU or the monitor in the future, but most people would still use the Apple displays for the integrated iMac experience, and Apple could save on the production costs of displays through economies of scale. This would be the Power Mac 8,1 in OS 10.3.4.

3. Power Mac: dual 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6 GHz PPC 970FX, bus speed 50% proc speed, dual channel memory up to 533 MHz DDR II, PCI Express, dual layer 8X SuperDrive. To ship at end of Aug (possibly dual 3 GHz model announced to ship end of Sept). As usual, hopelessly inadequate standard RAM and overpriced RAM upgrades. Same price points as the current models, with the exception of the dual 3 GHz, which would retail for $3999. These models would be the Power Mac 7,3 in OS 10.3.4.

4. Possibly wireless firewire transmitter, 3 foot range.

5. Tiger: to be compiled with IBM's new compiler instead of GCC, with an estimated 30% performance gain. New compiler to be immediately available to developers.

Before year's end: PPC 975, based on Power5 architecture, with improved AltiVec implementation. This would be the chip designated as "Trinity".

Sorry for the length of this post. If any of this is correct, it will be due to the sheer volume of speculation in it!

 

[eric67]

iTMS launch on the 15th of June : official

I have learned that some "VIP" have received their invitation for the inaugural event of iTMS Europe launch which will apparently take place in London. 🙂

 

[Belly-laughs]

I´m expecting a Burton G5 jacket.

 

[adamjay]

::crosses fingers for dual 2.2GHz G5 for $1599 (after -$200 ComboDrive downgrade):: 😀

 

[eric67]

How's this for tying these all together:

Before WWDC: iTMS Europe (and hopefully Japan and Canada, too).

WWDC:

1. Displays: widescreen 17, 20, 23 and 30" plasma displays with thin aluminum bevel, hangable or attachable to a desktop stand or (with the exception of the 30") the new iMac arm. Possibly with wireless firewire (great oxymoron!)

2. iMac G5: somewhat larger aluminum base with a similar articulating arm, 1.6 and 1.8 GHz PPC 970FX, 64 MB graphics card, CPU sold separately or together with Apple display (at a discount to match current iMac model pricing), maybe with an online store banner like "Mix and iMac". This would allow buyers to upgrade the CPU or the monitor in the future, but most people would still use the Apple displays for the integrated iMac experience, and Apple could save on the production costs of displays through economies of scale. This would be the Power Mac 8,1 in OS 10.3.4.

3. Power Mac: dual 2.2, 2.4 and 2.6 GHz PPC 970FX, bus speed 50% proc speed, dual channel memory up to 533 MHz DDR II, PCI Express, dual layer 8X SuperDrive. To ship at end of Aug (possibly dual 3 GHz model announced to ship end of Sept). As usual, hopelessly inadequate standard RAM and overpriced RAM upgrades. Same price points as the current models, with the exception of the dual 3 GHz, which would retail for $3999. These models would be the Power Mac 7,3 in OS 10.3.4.

4. Possibly wireless WiFi transmitter, 3 foot range.

5. Tiger: to be compiled with IBM's new compiler instead of GCC, with an estimated 30% performance gain. New compiler to be immediately available to developers.

Before year's end: PPC 975, based on Power5 architecture, with improved AltiVec implementation. This would be the chip designated as "Trinity".

Sorry for the length of this post. If any of this is correct, it will be due to the sheer volume of speculation in it!

according to IBM specs, a PPC970fx running at 3GHz is not possible...because with a ratio 1/2, the FSB will have to be 1.5GHz...and IBM do not have such a chipset...the last one they have released in February allowed max 1.3GHz, in other word 2.6GHz PPC970fx...
so if we have a PMG5 at 3 GHz, it has to be a PPC975...
now this is based on recent tech info from IBM...maybe there is something new...
what you are reporting (2.2/2.4/2.6) are actually the revision which was planned/expected for February 2004....and never came out...
so forget it...I think apple has extensively delayed the release and killed one revision...at the WWDC we are probably going to see the revision planned for Sept2004/Jan 2005...it has to be something big, because sells are really down now.
same for iMacG5, for which I think your expectation are correct...it will be 970fx with models ranging from 1.6 to 2 or even 2.2 GHz...not problem with PM models, since they will all be dual ranging from 2.5-3 GHz
let's wait for the WWDC

 

[eric67]

probably!!!

::crosses fingers for dual 2.2GHz G5 for $1599 (after -$200 ComboDrive downgrade):: 😀

last week, Director of Apple France (a good friend of Apple Europe Director who is also French) was reporting that Apple will apply more aggressive price politics in the future PMG5 line...
so here we go for a less that 1500 Euro/$ Dual PMG5 @ 2.2 😱

 

[adamjay]

is that, Apple France will be more aggressive, or Apple in general? because i'll take the discount stateside as well. 😉

 

[NOV]

Product releases have come as such a pathetically slow pace that it borders on insane. I know of no company in the PC world that releases a desktop once per year. And the same could be said of Apple’s laptops. Sure they have given us some speedbumps but it’s nothing new. Nothing drastically different. This is supposedly THE innovative company.

Slow pace does not necessarily has to be a too bad thing. It gives people comfort to know that their relatively large investment on Apple stuff is not vaporizing within months.

 

[eric67]

good question

is that, Apple France will be more aggressive, or Apple in general? because i'll take the discount stateside as well. 😉

well the way it was said make it unclear...now that we have higher Tax rate (VAT), but since 1 euro=1.2US$, basically Europe prices copy US price, so I guess the price politics should be for both side?!?!?

but I am pretty sure that the future low-end model will be at least a Dual 1.8GHz...wit ha price probably between the current single 1.6 and the dual 1.8GHz...
indeed the current ADC promotion is restricted to single 1.6GHz...
so we can expect 1.8 Dual being potentially the low-end of the future revision (I personaly think that the low-end will be dual 2 or 2.2 GHz)

[EDIT]
here is a news related to what I was speaking about above regardin G5 pricing in the future[EDIT]
http://www.hardmac.com/niouzcontenu.php?date=2004-06-07#2242

 

[jimboboc82]

Website with exciting designs

I'm pretty sure the website you're thinking of is this one:

http://www.theapplecollection.com/

I check this every now and then coz i'm obsessed with apple's designs, the only problem with the site is they don't see to update the good stuff often.


James


Or to be more specific: http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macdesign/HiMacR12.html

:: offtopic ::

I just had a dream I bought a shiny new 12" PB with max ram and everything.. i was so glad.. I just don't know if it was a g5pb because it was so superb 😉 ...if it was, let's BRING ON THE G5PB RUMORS! ;D

:: less offtopic ::

back to reality. I almost accindentally found myself at this page that has illustrations of imagined apple hw, wallpapers and such. there was this damn cool hiMac. It was pretty much just an aluminium display that had all the usb/fw/whatever ports and optical drive on the sides. it also could be dragged around. that would be a computer I'd want on my desk.

anyone who knows the site i'm talking about please feel free to input the address. can't find it anywhere.

:: ontopic ::

tomorrow will be a good day. so will be the rest till 28th. can't wait.

 

[SirusBodine]

:: offtopic ::

I just had a dream I bought a shiny new 12" PB with max ram and everything.. i was so glad.. I just don't know if it was a g5pb because it was so superb 😉 ...if it was, let's BRING ON THE G5PB RUMORS! ;D

:: less offtopic ::

back to reality. I almost accindentally found myself at this page that has illustrations of imagined apple hw, wallpapers and such. there was this damn cool hiMac. It was pretty much just an aluminium display that had all the usb/fw/whatever ports and optical drive on the sides. it also could be dragged around. that would be a computer I'd want on my desk.

anyone who knows the site i'm talking about please feel free to input the address. can't find it anywhere.

:: ontopic ::

tomorrow will be a good day. so will be the rest till 28th. can't wait.

www.applele.com?

 

[eric67]

almost official

hardmac.com just announced the following info
http://www.hardmac.com/niouzcontenu.php?date=2004-06-07#2241

or a small picture of this invitation:

 

[XForge]

The phrase "Wireless FireWire" makes my verbal cortex ache.

 

[javabear90]

Wouldn't it be cool if you had your 30" firewireless LCD hanging on your wall and you had a video iPod hook up to it and play a movie... wirelessly? Or have a video iPod display your pictures. Then you come home with you PowerBook and it automaticly hooks up to it and you start playing a computer game. Now what I think would be really cool is..... to have adapters. aka. an RCA to Firewireless so that you could hook up a VCR or an adapter to normal firewire - firewireless that hooked in. Or a display thing that hooked into a dvi slot. The posabiltiys go on...... 🙄

 

[crazedbytheheat]

Small office dream.

Just thinking out loud, but how cool would this be?:

One main tower/rackmount/server...whatever, in a strategic location somewhere in your house. This thing has some serious Wi-Fi antennae built in, huge hard drives, a few CPU's and it served out information to Displays and little portable tablets that you could use around the house. You could add an inexpensive tablet at any time (it would leave most of the storage to the central unit). Sync your iPod anywhere in the house over Firewireless, print, record with a Tivo program....damn..the possibilities are endless. You could probably pull this off now if you could afford a few Powerbooks and a G5 or two, but a well thought out version of this could be hot.

If the displays were priced right (<$400) I could imagine this being really cool for offices. One install of all applications, one computer to manage, etc. Just a small drive for caching application data to speed up locally used resources. Definitely some licensing and technical issues to be resolved, but it would be pretty awesome. I'd buy it for my house. It's a pain having to update multiple computers everytime there's a software update.

I know this is basically "the network is the computer" that Sun mentioned years ago that never came about, but I can't help but believe network bandwidth is finally getting to the point that this could work.

 

[Toe]

Hardware iTunes

I predict (randomly, and out of the blue) that Apple will soon release a hardware iTunes. It will look just like iTunes, but it will be a hardware device... like a brushed metal/LCD panel that hangs on the wall.

It'll wirelessly suck MP3s from your Macs, iPods, etc., and be controllable by any bluetooth device. It will also be able to wifi songs directly from ITMS. It will have wireless speakers which can be placed wherever.

Considering how popular iTunes/ITMS/iPod are, Apple would be stupid not to make this device.

Think it's gonna happen in 04?

 

[dopefiend]

Think it's gonna happen in 04?

Yup, it will be released right next to the quad G5 3ghz machines 😛

 

[Toe]

I predict (randomly, and out of the blue) that Apple will soon release a hardware iTunes.

Oh, and they should probably call it wallPod.

😀

 

[crazedbytheheat]

Would you commit your fortune 500 company to a company that has less then 1% of the market? And if you say yes you are a flat out liar.

CEO to IT dude: Are you stupid or what? I can't even believe you'd consider an AS/400 to host our database? Just look at their market share.

(Or maybe not).

The primary reason most companies use windows boxes has nothing to do with market share and everything to do with price, inertia, and compatibility. Buying the best tool for business user's typically isn't a main concern (sad, but true). I was at a client site recently that was still using Win 98 on 386 machines!! An how many insurance company offices have you been to that are still running DOS apps.

Finally, I market share isn't what causes a company to go under or stay afloat, profit is. Truth be told, most computer manufacturers have single digit market share. It's just that people tend to lump all of the x86/Windows computer makers into one big pot. Furthermore, many of the 95% of the wintel manufacturers aren't even making any money. I expect most of them to go out of business well before Apple dissappears.

 

[MacinDoc]

More evidence of Power Mac updates?

All Power Mac models at the Apple Canada store have an estimated 7-10 business day wait for shipping, and CTO models with 9800 Pro video cards have a 4-6 week estimate for shipping. This is much longer than normal for the Canada store, and may confirm a dwindling supply of the current models.

Can't wait to get my hands on one of those new G5s.

Also, expect iPods to get updated to 20, 40, 60 GB this fall at the current or lower prices, and expect a price drop for the iPod Mini (OK, this hardly takes a genius to predict). iPod Minis to have worldwide shipping announced on June 15.

And to Canadians and hockey fans everywhere, Go Flames, Go! (sorry, couldn't help myself).