[MusicalTone]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/32945.html

Reseller 'leaks' iBook G4 specs

By Tony Smith

Posted: 22/09/2003 at 09:39 GMT


A major UK reseller may have inadvertently pre-announced Apple's intention to migrate the iBook consumer notebook line to the G4 processor.

Dabs' latest computer magazine off-the-page sales advert refers to a "iBook G4". The machine is equipped with a 500MHz processor, 60GB hard drive, 256MB of memory and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive. It also sports a 15in display, the ad says.

The price for the machine is £859 ($1408) excluding sales tax.

The iBook currently ships with a G3-class processor, the IBM PowerPC 750FX, in 800MHz and 900MHz versions. It is the only member of Apple computing product line not based on a G4-class CPU or above. Dropping back to 500MHz may seem as a retrograde step. While the G4 is faster than a G3, clock for clock, it's unlikely that a 500MHz G4 will match a 900MHz G3.

In any case, with the PowerBook line now at 1GHz or more, would Apple want to risk shipping a machine with a lower clock speed than previous iBooks? For all it likes to talk about the megahertz myth, enough consumers still use it as a rule of thumb to measure performance and may balk at an apparent reduction from 900MHz to 500MHz.

This assumes, of course, that the ad is correct in this regard and that even if it is, higher clocked models will not also be made available.

That said, while the ad makes no reference to motherboards, a G4-based iBook is likely to ship with upgraded internals, presumably boosting its memory support to faster DDR memory.

Also interesting is the reference to a 15in screen. The iBook currently comes fitted with either a 12.1in display or a 14.1in version. Aligning the latter with the recently updated 15in PowerBook G4 would make sense, primarily by reducing the number of different screens Apple has to buy. It would also more clearly stress the iBook's role as a consumer version of the pro-oriented PowerBook line.

The 60GB hard drive and 256MB of memory are logical enhancements to the capacities already offered.

The price, however, pitches the new model right where the current 12.1in combo drive-equipped iBook sits, suggesting only one, bottom-of-the-range 12.1in model will be offered with bigger screen versions in the mid-range and top end of the line. Or Apple is planning to push prices down to the £500 ($819) market. ®

[RevEvs]

I wouldnt think much of it, its just Dabs...

[Scooterboy]

IBM's newest G3's are actually faster than the G4 clock for clock except in Altivec enabled applications. They are lower power chips and produce less heat than the G4's. I know OS X is Altivec enabled but it runs fine on my iBook 600, and that's with the older 750CXe.

The next IBM G3 is the "Gobi" also called the 750GX, running up to 1.1 GHz on up to a 200 MHz system bus with a full 1MB level 2 cache. This will be much faster than a down-clocked G4 (even the new 7447) in most every real world use. It would most likely hold it's own even in Altivec enabled tasks as the very slow clock speed of these rumored G4's will subtract from Altivec's benefit.

Now if only Apple will produce an iBook that takes full advantage of the Gobi (read 1.1 GHz on 200 MHz bus) and includes an up to date video GPU (Radeon 9000 or similar).

[amazing]

There's a second rumor from the Paris Expo floor, primarily because there were no ibooks or emacs on the display floor:

http://www.apple-zone.com/

With the new 12" PB, I'd have to think that ibook sales will be dismal. Apple must know that, as well.

[Sosa]

Posted separate topic.

[Eriamjh]

No way would Apple drop the iBook to 500MHz just to use a G4. No effing way!

I don't buy that the G4 is faster "clock for clock" than the G3. Everything I've read says that if you don't use an app that is altivec enhanced, then the G3 and G4 are pretty much the same (within a few %).

The leak is a fake.

[sniffer]

A 500 mhz g4 with DDR? Ha! It has hardly no benefits at all as the bottle neck would not be in the memory.

[Scooterboy]

Originally posted by Eriamjh:
No way would Apple drop the iBook to 500MHz just to use a G4. No effing way!

I don't buy that the G4 is faster "clock for clock" than the G3. Everything I've read says that if you don't use an app that is altivec enhanced, then the G3 and G4 are pretty much the same (within a few %).

The leak is a fake.

I'd wager that the 750GX G3's will be faster clock for clock than the G4's. The full 1MB level 2 cache is twice that of the PowerBook's G4, and the G3 is capable of sitting on a 200 MHz bus, compared to the G4's max of 167 MHz