Posted on 06/09/2004 10:12:59 PM PDT by Swordmaker
JUNE 09, 2004 (MACCENTRAL) - Apple Computer Inc. today announced three new dual-processor Power Mac G5 configurations, with the fastest model topping out at 2.5 GHz and using a new liquid cooling system. The new high-end systems miss the 3 GHz mark that Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company would achieve at last year's Worldwide Developers Conference, but Tom Boger, Apple's director of Power Mac product marketing, said it came down to a technology challenge that was bigger than expected.
Boger also said today that users shouldn't expect to see a PowerBook G5 before the end of the year because of the challenges of putting the G5 in a small enclosure.
Anyone that has seen the heatsink from a Power Mac G5 knows that it wouldn't fit in a portable computer. This is the challenge that faces Apple as it tries to move its product line to the new fast processor technology.
"I think it's important to realize that the technical challenges are not trivial putting that G5 in a PowerBook or anything else and not to expect a G5 anytime soon in a PowerBook -- certainly not before the end of the year," said Boger.
While Boger didn't give a time frame for an iMac G5, he did say the company faced similar challenges getting a G5 to work with their consumer desktop.
"It's the same story -- the challenges are obvious when you look at the G5 and the size of the heatsinks and the enclosure; that would be a heck of a challenge as well."
When Apple's CEO took the stage at last year's Worldwide Developer's Conference, he wowed the attendees with the new Power Mac G5 dual 2-GHz design and technology. Jobs further excited the crowd when he said that Apple would release a 3-GHz model within a year. Now, with two weeks to go before that deadline, Boger said Apple won't meet the 3-GHz promise.
"It's actually quite simple," said Boger. "When we made that prediction, we just didn't realize the challenges moving to 90-nanometer would present. It turned out to be a much bigger challenge than anyone expected."
"All-in-all, no, we are not getting to 3 GHz anytime soon, but what we are announcing today is a very significant upgrade in performance, and its something that are customers will be very happy with."
All systems share some common traits: an 8x speed DVD-R/CD-RW "SuperDrive," a single FireWire 800 port, two FireWire 400 ports (one in back, and one in front), three USB 2.0 ports (two in back, and one in front), Gigabit Ethernet and 56K modem, AGP 8x Pro graphics card slot, ADC and DVI video interfaces. They're ready for AirPort Extreme wireless networking cards and can be ordered with internal Bluetooth support as well. Analog and optical digital audio inputs and outputs are supported as well.
The low-end Power Mac G5 sports dual 1.8-GHz processors and a frontside bus clocked at 900 MHz per processor. The system comes equipped with 256MB of DDR SDRAM memory expandable to 4GB, and an 80GB Serial ATA hard drive. It ships with an Nvidia GeForceFX 5200 Ultra graphics card equipped with 64MB of memory, and it's also equipped with three full-length 33MHz 64-it PCI slots for further expansion. It costs $1,999 -- $200 higher than the previous low-end model, which features a single-processor configuration.
The midrange model ships with dual 2-GHz processors and a 1-GHz frontside bus. It ships with 512MB of DDR SDRAM memory, expandable to 8GB, and a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive. The system also ships with a GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics card, and features three 64-bit PCI-X expansion slots (one clocked at 133 MHz, the other two at 100 MHz). It costs $2,499.
The forthcoming high-end model will feature dual 2.5-GHz processors operating on 1.25-GHz frontside buses, 512MB DDR SDRAM, and a 160GB Serial ATA hard drive. Like its midrange sibling, the top model will feature three PCI-X slots, one at 133 MHz and two at 100 MHz. It uses an ATI Radeon 9600 XT graphics card with 128MB of memory. The 2.5-GHz system also features a liquid cooling system that Apple says helps reduce temperature without increasing fan noise. The 2.5-GHz model will cost $2,999 when it's released in July.
"The top-of-the-line model uses a new cooling system -- it's a state-of-the-art liquid cooling system that's only available on the high-end model. It's a closed-loop system, and basically, liquid runs by each processor, pulling heat away from the processor, and it's returned back to a grill that fans are blowing air over, returning the liquid to its original temperature. It's completely maintenance-free and is very quiet, which is important for this product line," said Boger.
All systems come equipped with Mac OS X v10.3 and a suite of software, including Apple's iLife applications, Art Directors Toolkit, EarthLink TotalAccess 2004, GraphicConverter, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, Zinio Reader, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment and Xcode Developer Tools.
The new 1.8- and 2-GHz models are available now; Apple expects the 2.5-GHz model to ship in July. Prices range from $1,999 to $2,999. All systems now come equipped with 8x SuperDrives; the high-end system's frontside bus speed has been upped to 1.25 GHz.
The new product line does include some new technology in the processor. The 2.5-GHz G5 now uses the new 90-nanometer processor technology first introduced in the Xserve.
Apple's previous Power Macs came in three configurations, with the top two models having dual processors and the low-end featuring a single 1.6-GHz processor with an 800-MHz frontside bus.
In announcing thenew Power Mac G5 models, Apple indicated that its single-processor Power Mac G4 models have been taken out of production. Since the Power Mac G5's introduction, Apple has continued to manufacture and offer 1.25-GHz Power Mac G4 systems in single- and dual-processor versions.
Apple said the $1,299 Power Mac G4 "will no longer be in production and is available for purchase while supplies last."
Fast Mac Ping!
If you want to be on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
Well, it WOULD help if I included the list...
FAST Mac Ping!
If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.
No portable Mac + fancy liquid cooling = this baby runs a lot hotter than they thought it would. Fun to see the spin, though ;)
My impression is that a G5 Powerbook could let you surf the net at Starbucks AND keep your coffee piping hot!
Finally, a powerbook will have a useful application!
and the price for this is how much?
Earlier thread. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1150833/posts
That's what they said about the G3 when it was running hot... several years ago and many degrees hotter than current G3s. The same was said about the initial runs of the G4...
Since Motorola has absolutely NOTHING to do with the G5, I doubt that your hearsay is at all correct. The G5 is a processor that is manufactured by IBM.
bttt
Yo, Swordmaker...I need some serious counseling...
Look, I am trying, under some financial duress, to break out of the PC HELLHOLE into the Apple World.
Basically, I am driven by...
"What Are You Going To Do TODAY So That TOMORROW Doesn't Turn Out The Same As Yesterday???"
I thought that 2 Grand spent on an eMac G4 with AppleCare, MS Office, +512MB Memory add-on, would be the way to "get the warm puppy in the door".
But, I HATE the eMac Styling, and if I can live with an after-market Trinitron CRT [dirt cheap at Computer Renassance [sp?]]...how do I go???
The implication is that perhaps even the futuristic iMac 17 Inch just might be obsoleted with the G4 Power Mac being obsoleted.
Help, Help, HELP!!!
Thanks in advance!!!
Great quote, it could apply to so mnay things.
My former favorite on that subject has always been, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got".
IBM will likely be fabbing them in Fishkill.
Apparently the clock speed of the PPC 9x0 processor is getting close to its limit, as Intel found out recently when they hit their limit (although a big higher one).
The answer is working smarter, not harder. The POWER5 and the PPC980 ("G6"?) are being designed together, and the POWER5 has its version of Intel's "hyperthreading" which is probably even more useful in the 9x0's architecture, better branch prediction, better instruction management (it keeps 200+ instructions in flight, so this is good), and a better Altivec unit.
All of that should squeeze maybe 20-40% more speed out of the processor without raising the clock. And they may add a second core. It'll likely be more efficient than Intel's dual-core plans because the PPC 9x0 already has a very efficient dual-core heritage (they removed one of the cores when making the PPC970 (G5) out of the POWER4).
My G4 Powerbook already does that. So much for it being a "laptop" when you have to put it on something so it won't burn your lap. ;o)
What are you going to do with it?
Ahhhhhh. This thread is making me happier and happier as I consider my 667mghz G4.
All your upgrades are belong to us!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.