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Skaar · Oct 22, 2003, 08:27 AM

I was checking the specs on the new iBooks and it looks like the G4 used in them does not have Altivec (Velocity Engine).

Can someone confirm this?
Are they using IBM's G4?

icruise · Oct 22, 2003, 08:31 AM

Hmm. It's true that the specs don't list it, while they do for the Powerbooks. I always thought that the main point of the G4 was having the Velocity Engine. Is there any real difference between a G4 without it and a G3 if they are at the same processor speed?

Eug · Oct 22, 2003, 09:04 AM

It has Altivec.

NeXTLoop · Oct 22, 2003, 09:57 AM

Originally posted by Icruise:
Hmm. It's true that the specs don't list it, while they do for the Powerbooks. I always thought that the main point of the G4 was having the Velocity Engine. Is there any real difference between a G4 without it and a G3 if they are at the same processor speed?

Actually, if I remember correctly, a comparable speed G3 is actually a bit faster at integer operations than a G4. It's the Velocity Engine that gives it its teeth.

But I'm pretty sure that the iBook has it.

Eug · Oct 22, 2003, 10:25 AM

Originally posted by NeXTLoop:
Actually, if I remember correctly, a comparable speed G3 is actually a bit faster at integer operations than a G4. It's the Velocity Engine that gives it its teeth.

The last few G3s had 512 KB cache, something that the G4 didn't get until the latest revision in the newest AluBooks.

vvedge · Oct 22, 2003, 10:29 AM

Perhaps they dont list it anymore just because its redundant...

A G4 without altivec tho would be no better than a G3...

so it has to have it.

Skaar · Oct 22, 2003, 10:56 AM

Originally posted by vvedge:
Perhaps they dont list it anymore just because its redundant...

A G4 without altivec tho would be no better than a G3...

so it has to have it.

I had thoought that too, but on the new AL PowerBook spec pages they make it very clear that it does have AltiVec, and tout it. Also on the new eMac pages they make mention of it. No where on the new iBook spec pages do they even mention AltiVec.

wilsonX · Oct 22, 2003, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by Eug:
It has Altivec.

jbelch3 · Oct 22, 2003, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by Skaar:
I had thoought that too, but on the new AL PowerBook spec pages they make it very clear that it does have AltiVec, and tout it. Also on the new eMac pages they make mention of it. No where on the new iBook spec pages do they even mention AltiVec.

They don't have to mention it anymore because all of their computers now have AltiVec. The only reason they mentioned it before was so people would feel better about themselves for buying a powerbook with "Velocity Engine"...wow that sounds fast

antisonne · Oct 22, 2003, 04:35 PM

The new g4 ibooks only have 256 l2 cache, same as the older powerbooks. My 800 g3 ibook with 640 ram to me feels faster and more powerful than a 867 pb g4 with 1 gig of ram.

This reason alone holds me back from getting a g4 ibook. 512 l2 feels soooooooo much better.

Scooterboy · Oct 22, 2003, 05:39 PM

And just think that if the iBooks were using IBM's latest G3 they'd have a full 1MB level 2 cache!