[Mac Write]

I am finally about to get a new Mac to replace my venerable Beige G3. I had him maxed out with 768MB RAM, 200GB HD (80GB, 120GB), Radeon ME, OrangeMicro Firewire/USB, Yamaha Firewire CDRW 16x10x40x, Intellimouse Optical, 100baseT Ethernet (only just got it in prep for my new G5 and to allow my moms iMac on the net when at her place last month).

It works well, and doesn't work well at the same time. As I really get into working, doing my website, and working with my Photo's, this thing is getting slow, and evening grinding to a halt.

So I am going to be upgrading when the Rev B's come out in January.

Now what do you think they will have?

I think

• Dual 2.5GHZ at the high end
• 512MB at the high end (1GB should be at the high end)
• 200GB HD
• Radeon 9600 (we can only hope for the 9800 Pro int there)

I will be be getting the Dual 2.5GHZ with min 250GB HD (the largest one offered), 1.5GB RAM if the 2GB kits (2x1GB) aren't out yet and under $500, Bluetoothe (I strongly recommend getting it since it's embedded onto the motherboard).

[MindFad]

Sounds about right to me, I imagine. Then that dual 3GHz "within 12 months." If they come through with that, there are going to be a lot of happy Mac users in about a year. A dual 2GHz is a beast in itself ... can you imagine a dual 3!? *drool*

[DrBoar]

How the speedbunps will occur is anyones guess. However, the current setpu were the high end model offer more bang for the bucks than the low and midrange is really odd thing.

It seems likely that the mid range and perhaps also the low range will become dual as well. But when and how?

[Elderloc]

I know they were getting something like %5 yield of the 2.8 under current production from what I saw in the yield specs that were posted. Wonder if they can bring that up to atleast the level of the 2.0

[BrunoBruin]

Since Steve publicly committed to 3GHz in a year, they must be very confident. I can't remember Apple EVER announcing where they plan to be that far in advance.

I get lightheaded thinking of a 3GHz Mac with a 1.5GHz bus. That's almost TEN TIMES faster than the fastest bus in the G4s.

As for other revisions, I think we'll have to wait until people are actually using the machines to see where they might be improved. I certainly hope there's a dual option in the mid-range.

[Eug]

I still think the memory on the top end model might be 512 MB, unless RAM drops in price. It makes the machine's price look more attractive.

While a 1.5 GHz bus may be possible, there is also a possibility it would run a 1 GHz bus. IBM already said the chip is not limited to a 2X multiplier. 3X, 4X, 5X are also possible. What I'm wondering about is if 2.5X, 3.5X, 4.5X multipliers will be allowed. Thus:

In 6 months (2.5X):
Dual 2.5 GHz G5 with 1.0 GHz bus
One 2.25 GHz G5 with 0.9 GHz bus
One 2.0 GHz G5 with 0.8 GHz bus

Then in a year (3X):
Dual 3.0 GHz G5 with 1.0 GHz bus
One 2.7 GHz G5 with 0.9 GHz bus
One 2.4 GHz G5 with 0.8 GHz bus

Or else in 6 months (2X):
Dual 2.4 GHz G5 with 1.2 GHz bus
One 2.2 GHz G5 with 1.1 GHz bus
One 2.0 GHz G5 with 1.0 GHz bus

Then in a year (2.5X):
Dual 3.0 GHz G5 with 1.2 GHz bus
One 2.75 GHz G5 with 1.1 GHz bus
One 2.5 GHz G5 with 1.0 GHz bus

The other question is when 90 nm will happen, and if 3 GHz with IBM's design will need it. (Perhaps like Intel, IBM will be able to achieve 3 GHz with 130 nm.)

I also wonder if memory speeds will reach DDR500 in a year and if DDR500 will be reliable, approved, and affordable. (It will be tough to accomplish all of that in a year methinks.) Or will Apple switch to DDR II?

I know they were getting something like %5 yield of the 2.8 under current production from what I saw in the yield specs that were posted. Wonder if they can bring that up to atleast the level of the 2.0

The consensus about those numbers is that they are false, but who knows.

[blackwind]

As with most people here, I suspect a Dual 2.5-GHz Power Mac G5 as the high-end announced in January (probably shipping by the end of February).

Then, I predict a new version of the PowerPC 970 to be released by IBM. The next revision to the PowerPC 970 will probably be manufactured using a 0.09-micron process. This should be the PowerPC 970 that takes us to 3-GHz and beyond.

In addition to being manufactured on a smaller scale, I predict that several flaws in the current design to be repaired. For example, the current PPC 970's Altivec implementation is a throwback to the days of the original PowerPC 7400 rather than the improved one used for the PowerPC 744x and 745x. Also, the latencies of the L2 cache of the PowerPC 970 may be reduced.

The future revisions of the Power Mac G5 seem to look more and more appealing all the time. I am tempted to wait for the PPC 970-II (or whatever it will be called), but my brother needs a new computer to replace his 75-MHz Performa 5200CD, and I'll be giving him my Dual 1.25-GHz G4 when I get my G5.

[osxisfun]

what happens if they do not get bumped till march?

i feel your pain but it sounds like the boost in speed could come ins handy now...

just something to think about.

there will always be something around the corner. when the rev B come out then of course we will be a few months away from "3 gig" g5s...

but as for your specs. they look about right to me...

maybe PCI - X too.

[awcopus]

No way is the PowerMac getting bumped up in January. These things are only really shipping in quantity by the end of August. Look for the PowerMacs to be upgraded in Feb. or March, without much hoopla.

And to the guy above who speculates that Apple will not put dual processors in the mid-range machines...

.... in other words, I really hope not. For Jobs to say that the G5 and Panther are essentially optimized for dual processors, and then to keep that setup reserved for only the most expensive machine, would just be .... actually it would be scarily like Apple to do something that brazenly inconsiderate. But nonetheless, I doubt they'll do this.

[Superchicken]

3Ghz will probably be announced in august of next year, hence feb or march might be when the 2.5s ship. Then again deppending on how often IBM is ramping up the speed, we could see a boost to 2.2 then 2.5 then 2.8 then 3Ghz who knows.

[osiris]

Originally posted by awcopus:
... For Jobs to say that the G5 and Panther are essentially optimized for dual processors, and then to keep that setup reserved for only the most expensive machine, would just be .... actually it would be scarily like Apple to do something that brazenly inconsiderate. But nonetheless, I doubt they'll do this.

So true - I hope Steve wasn't blowing hot air. The way he was talking, I almost expect all of Apple's product line to be duals by this time next year, even the PB. Oh, excuse me while take another hit off this bong...it seems to be working well for rehashing SteveNote..

[Commodus]

I see Apple mainly making a speedbump revision to the G5 around February. Unlike the first run, there will be more than one dual-processor system; Apple isn't going to willingly repeat the mistake of making the only dual system the one with the greatest production challenges (chip yields and such). Here's what I see, as far as one can guess without knowing about video hardware and other components:

Base: single 2 GHz G5, 512 MB DDR400 RAM, 160 GB hard drive

Mid-range: dual 2.2 GHz G5, 512 MB DDR500 RAM, 250 GB hard drive

High-end: dual 2.5 GHz G5, 1 GB DDR 500 RAM, 250 GB hard drive

Prices would be about the same, but there's the possibility that Apple will be more reasonable and lower the price a notch or two (say $1899 for a 2 GHz with a Superdrive).

[Gul Banana]

Originally posted by Mac Write:
[*]200GB HD[*]Radeon 9600 (we can only hope for the 9800 Pro int there)

The Radeon 9800 Pro is already an option... as are larger HDs (250 GB).

[HotSoup]

Well, definitely a Dual-3Ghz in the high end, about July next year.

Who knows.