[Athens]

Ok this is why I think the Powerbook will soon have a option for 2 CPU's.

1 Apple wont be able to release a G5 Powerbook for some time.
They have to tackle Heat issues, power issues, and cost issues.

2 I dont see the G4 going much faster then it has been in the powerbooks because of heat and power issues, but look how far the G3 went, so this is really up in the air.

3 Apple likes to be special or first on things, to date I cant think of any regular consumer 2 CPU Laptops in the market leaving this door open to be filled buy Apple First.

Cons with a dual CPU Powerbook, they will prob reduce the speed a bit to allow for the more heat and power used by 2 CPU's, BUT I can see them using new battery technology to over come the power issue which would be a big problem with 2 CPUs. Creative ways might include on battery mode single CPU only, plugged in dual, using Hydrogen Fuel Cell Batteries as another option. Using 2 CPUs, and upping the speed on the current line should keep the G4 in the Powerbooks for another year at least perhaps 2.

BUT who knows maybe Apple is working on a New G3 based CPU with Altavec (4am im tired ignore spelling)for a more advanced CPU/Chipset that does the same thing as Centrino to provide awsome power savings for super long battery life, call it the G4M or something and brand it as something new for the laptops.

Correct me if im wrong, but isnt the G4's in the powerbooks and now ibooks the same G4 CPU as the desktops?

On another note the iBooks and iMacs will be doomed to the G4 until the G6 CPU is out, Apples history has always been with 2 CPUs, one for highend and one for low end, Example 68030 and 68040, 68040 and 601, then 601 and 603, and 603 and 604 and 604 and G3, and G3 and G4, now its G4 and G5....

ANyways I do want to hear other peoples thoughts about the Dual CPU Powerbooks as a option, when you look at the 17" model, they have more then enough room in there to offer 2 CPUs

[anaphora68]

It's certainly possible, even though I think it more likely to see a speed increase first just because Apple appears to be trying to close the speed gap.

Dual processor laptops would be pretty sweet for apple, provided they can keep the price point down, and the heat issues down as well.

And I agree with what you said about a G5 iMac, there won't be one for a while just because Apple can't draw any steam away from their pro-desktop line.

Was anyone else disappointed by the specs on the 20 inch iMac?

[Athens]

I agree, more speed will be first, but when they hit that Mhz wall of afforable overclocked G4s yelds end I see duals next.

I wasent disapointed in the iMac 20", the price difference between the 17" and 20" is better then the price difference between the 17" and 20" Studio Displays. I do think Apple is being cheap on the Hard Drive speed and memory, but they have always left the memory lower so stores could make money on a memory upgrade.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

If it has never been done before, then there is likely a reason for it. There are those that dare to dream, and then there are those that overlook major technical trip ups.

The heat dissipation of a single CPU is hard enough in the new PowerBooks and it has a CPU that is designed to run cooler.

It isn't a matter of space for the processors, it is a matter of heat sinks, cooling ducts, and then fans and the resultant noise and power usage of all of the above.

They could use the material of the unit to help sink some of the heat, but then that is uncomfortable to the user.

Your battery power over X time, regardless of how great they ever get it, will be dramatically reduced from what it is with a single processor for obvious reasons.

A dual processor system is for something that requires a lot going on - someone that wants a laptop wants portability.
It is an either or situation due to the power and heat issues related to the former.

I would bet my genitals that you won't see a dual G4 laptop ever and you won't see a dual processor laptop until you start to see multi-core processors and I'm not sure those count - or perhaps the hyperthreading that Intel does.

They are going to have a hard enough time with the G5 in a laptop, let alone two G4s.

All of that said - do they use the thin film technique for a mobile G4? Or are they essentially the same chips that are in the desktops?

[Athens]

I think the only real issue is cost and power, Heat I dont see a issue with dual CPUs, specially in a 17" Powerbook. I do see a usage for it, example the film industry. Example I was on set of Cat Woman, being filmed in Vancouver 2 weeks ago, and during there night shot on location they had a few computers setup which could have been Dual CPU laptops. I dont see a use for the home user but I can see a use for it in places like research labs, film, pros that want all the power but also want desk space that would use it more as a desktop.

But once the G4 cant go any higher, and I know the G5 is a long time away from the powerbook, I see this as a option.

[anaphora68]

Alienware puts out dual processor laptops, it is possible, it is just heinously expensive due to cooling and power management. As far as battery life Apple needs a serious wake up on that one, i have a 15 alBook and the battery life is pathetic.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

Originally posted by anaphora68:
Alienware puts out dual processor laptops, it is possible, it is just heinously expensive due to cooling and power management. As far as battery life Apple needs a serious wake up on that one, i have a 15 alBook and the battery life is pathetic.

Is this a recent thing? I don't recall ever seeing this and I used to like Alienware until I actually bought one and not only was it awful, their customer service was the worst I've ever dealt with, not to mention cocky, rude, and ignorant... but that is an entirely different matter.

Alienware just has their name put on Sager laptops (a common thing by all of the brands actually - HP/Compaq are also nearly all Sager, as are some of the Toshibas).

The only chips that I can think of being able to pull off the dual processor design are the thin film Pentium Ms back when they were essentially slow PIII Celerons IIRC - but that would have been a few years back if at all.

[neilw]

The low power version of the 7457 is rated at roughly 8.5 watts @ 1 GHz. Purely from the standpoint of CPU power consumption, they could get two of those in a PowerBook. According to Moto documentation, the low-power version tops out at 1 GHz.

I don't know if a dual-1GHz machine would be a hard sell relative to a single 1.33 GHz machine. I also don't know if it's worth Apple's effort to pursue this route, given that it would have a relatively short lifespan before the G5 models come out.

It sure would be a strange and interesting beast...

[Fellow2000]

Personally I am 99 percent sure it will not happen.

Do you realize how much money it would cost to change the powerbook to allow more room for the second proccessor, deal with the heat and the battery consumption?

If they are going to spend ALL that money on rebuilding the powerbook, they might as well do it with the goal of getting a g5 in there, not 2 g4's. I mean common people, really.

Um.............. no.

[madmacgames]

Originally posted by anaphora68:
Alienware puts out dual processor laptops, it is possible

What are you smoking? From what I can tell from Alienware's site they don't offer dual processor laptops, and furthermore don't even offer dual processors in their consumer level desktops. They only offer a dual processor in their high end "professional" video editing systems, DAWs, and content creation systems - all of which are desktops.

[cenutrio]

It will not happen.