Apple splutters after man says AMD first to 64-bit desktop

The Inquirer ^ | Friday 18 July 2003, 08:02 | Adamson Rust

[Timesink]

I remember loading games into the computer with an audio cassette - that just makes me laugh.

Me too, with my Apple ][ Plus! What a nightmare that was.

[aomagrat]

I don't miss my Tandy 1000EX.

[Timesink]

There are still some reporters out there that swear by their Tandy 100s.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I'm on Mac clone bought back in '97. I really need to upgrade, so I'm thinking about a new machine. I will run graphics programs like PhotoShop and Illustrator, as well as heavy 3D applications like Ashlar Vellum. Poser, and Lightwave. I will be doing animation and lots of rendering. Any suggestions? I will stay on the Mac platform.

[Old Professer]

Well, there should be some knowledgeable people here so it's time to ask a question I've been pondering since reading an online ad about a downloadable program that's supposed to speed-up my tired, old computer: namely Activespeed from ascentive.com, anybody know if this is worth installing and what the downside might be?

[js1138]

64bit desktop's are whole-heartedly UNEEDED right now. Sure the games might benefit, but other than that, desktop users are not going to gain much. They might actually lose some in the long run.

I soppose the cad 3d renderings that take a week on a dual processor machine don't count.

[savedbygrace]

Can you hold out until the 1st quarter of 2004? The 2nd generation G5s should be out by then, and the dual 2GB is a good bet. If not, the 1st gen G5s are due to ship next month. If your need is more immediate, Apple is still selling G4s, with the dual 1.25 being the best pick. In the Apple Store, select the single 1.25, then click on the processor pull-down and select dual 1.25. Cheaper that way, unless you want the souped up package they've got under the dual 1.25 button.

[dogbyte12]

From what I understand, with tweaking, the Pentium 4's and G-4's can address 64 GB of RAM, but once you switch over to a 64 bit processor, the theoretical limit on RAM is 17 billion GB... that is B with a billion. You could literally start to just put everything into RAM, that is in ROM, and have nearly instant access to anything you own.

This will be spectacular for radio stations. Every CD that they want to buy, on one computer, with instant access to dump over the airwaves, in a digital stream in a few years.

I would just love to load all my DVD's for example into RAM and use the computer as a file server for the tv. Instant access to everything I own.

Combine faster processor speed, 64 bit addressing, RAM, sharper displays, and we will get to what I consider the real benchmark in video games. We will have arrived when we can do photorealistic sports and action games.

People are half assed telling the truth when they say we are close. We aren't even 25% there. When you can record say Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis in every possible permutation of their muscles being stretched, with every possible kinetic reaction, then model it into a video game where nobody could tell the difference between your game and an actual fight, it's time to stop upgrading.

If you are playing Quake, and it looks like a $200 million budget sci fi thriller on your screen, we have arrived. 64 bit processing is just one step along the way. I am stoked about it.

[razorbak]

There are some programs that can tweak a few settings and speed up an old computer a little, but not much. New computers, or upgrades are so inexpensive now, you might as well make the jump. The program that I've read most about as far as tweaking your computer is SpeedUpMYPC. You can download the trial version for a 30day trial.

Go to the Dell website and see how inexpensive a new PC can be:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/bsd/products/line_desktops.htm

[Elliott Jackalope]

I've got one rendering that has been running since Wednesday, and another that has been running since Friday. The one I started on Wednesday should be done by Tuesday, and the one started Friday should be done sometime late this evening (faster machine).

What's this about more power not being needed?

[mr.pink]

I will be doing animation and lots of rendering. Any suggestions? I will stay on the Mac platform.

Actually, Lightwave was what I ran on the "Creation Studio" on the Digital 64 bit Aplha box...all I can say is Wow!, and I was a Lightwave novice.

For the animation/rendering programs you plan to run I would not be the best person to get advice from. I would however guess that a higher end G4 loaded up with memory would be more than fine.

I'm running pretty much everything you are, Photoshop, Ill, Flash, Bryce, Poser, and Final Cut Pro on a 466MHZ G4 with close to a gig of memory and am quite happy....but I'd think serious Lightwave work is a whole nother kettle of fish.

I wish I had a reason to really dive into Lightwave...good luck!

[breakem]

Those little computers that look like lamps.

Your the classic soldier. Let's make all computers look the same. Why have a choice when we can perfect 1 design. You can have any color car you want as long as it's black.

Not only has apple determined what your desktop looks like, with what you see is what you get, but MS rushed to copy it dumping dos and still trying to catch up with windows. And now apple leads in hardware design concepts. The fact that you don't care for it or think that's a point needing ridicule, is your problem.

[Glenn]

but other than that, desktop users are not going to gain much.

We'll see. I have several applications I've scheduled to benchmark. Most are OCI based screamers on *nix and Winders. It will either scream or it won't.

[js1138]

I don't know what your two machines are, but you can assemble a dual Athlon 3gig machine with a gig of ECC memory for not much more than 1 grand. I settled on ecc memory after my son lost several weeks work due to bad RAM that passed the power on test, but corrupted his files.

[Threepwood]

Umm-hmm. Now, will I see more or less of those little lamp-ey things?

[Michael Barnes]

All depends on how you want to use the 64 bit space. Itanium does some intersting things with 64 bit, but by and large, the typical user is not going to notice a difference, other than the price tag they paid.

I took a course about 9 months ago on UP-UX Internals. First, let me say I walked out of class everyday with a raging headache (awesome content in the class), next, let me say that I learned that 64 bit will benefit the back-end more than the desktop.

Finally, q4 is my friend!

[Michael Barnes]

re #13

Hehehe..cute.

But I'm still at a loss to find anything practical "right now" for 64 bit on the desktop. Now 5 years from now, possibly, when VOIP is mainstream, Voice recognition (that could use the 64 bit architecture nicely), new paths to "learning environment subsystems"...

Right now, I just can't see forking over the dough. It'll happen though. Intel will force it, AMD will play around with offering 23 bit screamers for a few years following then make the full jump once they've exhausted that.

[Glenn]

let me say that I learned that 64 bit will benefit the back-end more than the desktop.

I use my G4 more like a back-end box now. I'll use my G5 the same way. Right tool for the right job, and all. Any speed boost is a good thing.