Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

mac freak · Oct 19, 2002, 06:01 PM

I'd very much like to purchase one now (since I have some money to burn) to use in my current, old G4 until I buy a new machine after the updates in January (which I'll order with a craptastic video card, since I'll just insert the 9700).

It's available for PC if I'm not mistaken, and I know a Mac version is supposed to exist, but I could not find any mention of it on ATI's site.

Does anyone know anything I don't? Is it supposed to ship this year? And does it have ADC like the Radeon 9000?

Thanks.

mac freak · Oct 27, 2002, 02:22 AM

Does this mean no one knows, or no one CARES?

a2daj · Oct 27, 2002, 03:20 AM

No one knows. I'm not even sure if ATI has a clear picture of what their Mac RADEON 9700 will have. Well, I would hope they would by now since it's been a few months since they were announced. Some target days were end of the year, but more realistic target dates were first quarter 2003.
One of the delays are the drivers. Since it's a different architecture than the 8500 and 9000, they have to create a whole new driver set. And since they're continuing work on Rage 128s Radeons, Radeon 7500, Radeon 7000, Radeon 8500, and Radeon 9000s at the same time as 9700 driver development, it can be a slow process.
So basically, no one has any new news yet. Maybe next month we'll start to hear things.

mac freak · Oct 27, 2002, 10:44 AM

I don't know if I can believe that -- it was announced at MacWorld (which SHOULD mean a Mac version quickly), and the PC version is OUT (indicating that the card is complete), so why the hell would writing Mac drivers take an additional 3-5 months?!

Am I wrong in saying that the GeForce5 family could be available in early 2003? Which would INVALIDATE the 9700, assuming we don't get drivers until then? I want to support ATI, but at the core I just want whatever's fastest for my new machine... and if that nVidia, it's nVidia.

I scoured the internet after initially posting this thread, and more or less every site talking about the announcement of the card said "Fall." However, none gave more details than that. Your reply did, but frankly it sounds like BS to me -- 5 months for drivers my ass!

blizzard · Oct 27, 2002, 12:45 PM

The man knows his stuff. It's a new architecture so they have to re-code the drivers from scratch. Last I heard, they were gunning for a post-Christmas release...they said they'd be thrilled if it were out before Christmas, but that they didn't think it was at all likely to happen.

So Q1 2003 looks about right. If nVidia has released something faster at that point, then buy it by all means.

a2daj · 01:26 PM

Originally posted by mac freak:
I don't know if I can believe that -- it was announced at MacWorld (which SHOULD mean a Mac version quickly), and the PC version is OUT (indicating that the card is complete), so why the hell would writing Mac drivers take an additional 3-5 months?!

Am I wrong in saying that the GeForce5 family could be available in early 2003? Which would INVALIDATE the 9700, assuming we don't get drivers until then? I want to support ATI, but at the core I just want whatever's fastest for my new machine... and if that nVidia, it's nVidia.

I scoured the internet after initially posting this thread, and more or less every site talking about the announcement of the card said "Fall." However, none gave more details than that. Your reply did, but frankly it sounds like BS to me -- 5 months for drivers my ass!

I get much of my information regarding ATI from ATI employees. How about you?

And since it seems you're looking in all the wrong places:

http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/view.php?ID=151

It's an interview with ATI's Chris Bentley who works on the Mac 3D stuff.

SteveJobs · Oct 27, 2002, 02:35 PM

I can second that. ATi actually has to problem that it has to keep their drivers up to date for every card for every new version of Mac OS X that comes out. This causes lots of time that is basically just wasted to be able to keep up with Apple.
Well, anyway, I would hope for a pre-christmas release, but I think that MWSF is more likely (and only two weeks later). The NV30 won't be ready that quickly, be sure of that - AND the ATi card is better in terms of drivers anyway.

Steve

mac freak · Oct 27, 2002, 10:16 PM

How sad

I was hoping he was wrong...
(in case you couldn't tell!)

Well, it had BETTER be out by MWSF. I don't wanna be forced into a relationship with a GeForce4.

EDIT: Interesting interview. How did I miss that? Ah well.

sleepyrenderer · Oct 27, 2002, 10:44 PM

I think the card the PCs have had for a while was the 9700 _Pro_. The regular 9700 was just launched a few days ago.

http://mirror.ati.com/companyinfo/press/2002/4556.html

CIA · Oct 28, 2002, 12:38 AM

So the nVidia Geforce 5 ships at the same time ATI ships the Mac 9700. You think the _Mac_ version of the Geforce 5 will come out at the same time as the PC version? I wouldn't bet on it!! How long has the PC 9700 been out? No mac ver yet. Yet nVidia will ship to retail the Mac gforce 5 with it's PC brothers? Maybe Apple build to order will get them, but you won't see them on the store shelves any time soon! Don't bitch at ATI, it's not 1999. They have gotten MUCH better at drivers then they were in the old days. Would you rather have the card today and have it be all buggy and crappy? All that would do is provide these forums with another thread:
"My ATi 9700 Card Sucks.. Does Yours?" Posts: 200

ksuther · Oct 28, 2002, 06:41 AM

Originally posted by CIA:
So the nVidia Geforce 5 ships at the same time ATI ships the Mac 9700. You think the _Mac_ version of the Geforce 5 will come out at the same time as the PC version? I wouldn't bet on it!! How long has the PC 9700 been out? No mac ver yet. Yet nVidia will ship to retail the Mac gforce 5 with it's PC brothers? Maybe Apple build to order will get them, but you won't see them on the store shelves any time soon! Don't bitch at ATI, it's not 1999. They have gotten MUCH better at drivers then they were in the old days. Would you rather have the card today and have it be all buggy and crappy? All that would do is provide these forums with another thread:
"My ATi 9700 Card Sucks.. Does Yours?" Posts: 200

You're ignoring the fact that the GeForce 3 AND 4 AND 4 Ti have been available for the Mac a couple of months before any PC's. Apple seems to have a pretty close relationship with nVidia, and I wouldn't be suprised to see the NV30 out for the Mac before the PC, and at worst, very soon after.

sleepyrenderer · Oct 28, 2002, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by ksuther:

You're ignoring the fact that the GeForce 3 AND 4 AND 4 Ti have been available for the Mac a couple of months before any PC's. Apple seems to have a pretty close relationship with nVidia, and I wouldn't be suprised to see the NV30 out for the Mac before the PC, and at worst, very soon after.

Actually, for both it was _announced_ by SJ for the Mac first but it actually ended up shipping later than the first PC versions. But at least it was relatively close which is a positive improvement -- It's just too bad they don't ship the whole line (MX420/440/460 and Ti4200/4400/4600)... the Ti4200's go for like $115 and their performance isn't that far off from the expensive 4600.

SteveJobs · Oct 28, 2002, 07:59 AM

Originally posted by sleepyrenderer:

Actually, for both it was _announced_ by SJ for the Mac first but it actually ended up shipping later than the first PC versions. But at least it was relatively close which is a positive improvement -- It's just too bad they don't ship the whole line (MX420/440/460 and Ti4200/4400/4600)... the Ti4200's go for like $115 and their performance isn't that far off from the expensive 4600.

No, this is crap. The GF 4 Ti was not announced by Apple, nor by Steve Jobs, but by Nvidia at a special launch event in San Francisco. Apple had put in the GF 4 MX into their PowerMac line already, but no word on the GF 4 Ti 4600 at this time. AND they both shipped after the PC versions did.

Steve

HitByASqurrel · Nov 10, 2002, 10:30 PM

i was told by an inside source (apple) that thers gonna be a major upgrade to the powermac line in MWSF.... if i wrote any more, i'd have to kill anyone who reads this thread, and i am sooooo serious

CIA · Nov 11, 2002, 03:11 AM

Quick, call MacOSRumors...... Have them chat with this guy.....