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macintologist · Nov 13, 2005, 11:07 AM

Remember how Steve Jobs demo'd Rosetta at WWDC and he showed Photoshop being run on his 3.6Ghz P4 Intel machine. Rumor has it that the iMac will be upgraded to Intel at MacWorld Expo.

Now if (and I mean IF I mean this is hypothetical!!) those iMacs were to materialize at MacWorld with new Intel processors like say at 2ghz or more, and let's say Photoshop is an app I use a lot, not professionally but enthusiastically, would its performance on Rosetta be a big Let Down™?

dazzla · Nov 13, 2005, 01:22 PM

Considering the machine being demoed was at least the 3.6GHz dev machines they're been offering, the performance wasn't spectacular. Starting the app took a while, a lot longer then say opening it on a 3.6GHz Windows PC. If I was pushed to guess it looked about as fast as the last gen iMacs (aka 1.8/2.0 G5 iMacs).

wtmcgee · Nov 13, 2005, 02:50 PM

I think it's going to depend on what speed processors we see inroduced, etc. It's too early to tell until we see some sort of specs.

gururafiki · Nov 13, 2005, 02:58 PM

I bet the difference will be similar to that of a G3 vs G4. Usable, but not in any sort of professional setting.

macintologist · Nov 14, 2005, 09:49 PM

I hope adobe releases a univeral binary of Photoshop soon after the first MacTels come out.

moonmonkey · Nov 14, 2005, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by macintologist

I hope adobe releases a univeral binary of Photoshop soon after the first MacTels come out.

Thats planned for CS3, won't happen for a year or so, the first mactels will be out in a few months.

Thinine · Nov 15, 2005, 01:07 AM

With no AltiVec, many filters will be much much slower.

dru · Nov 15, 2005, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by dazzla

If I was pushed to guess it looked about as fast as the last gen iMacs (aka 1.8/2.0 G5 iMacs).

If the Steve demo is any valid indication, you're looking at G3 performance, not G4 and certainly not 1.8 GHz G5 via Rosetta. The portion of the video makes me cringe!

SMacTech · Nov 15, 2005, 01:29 PM

I have been perfectly happy with Rosetta speed emulation of my application. Of course, that very much depends on the app you intend on using. On the Intel dev box, in Rosetta, my app ran almost as fast as it did on the Dual G5. I can live with that, since I am using it on a dual 867.

If it requires AltiVec then plan on finding another solution.

Oh, I don't think you will see the iMac being the first Intel-Mac. I vote a new PowerMac Mini.

JLL · Nov 16, 2005, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by SMacTech

If it requires AltiVec then plan on finding another solution.

Perhaps not. As of Build 8F1111A:

- Rosetta now supports applications that rely on Velocity Engine

CaptainHaddock · Nov 16, 2005, 09:09 AM

Rosetta now supports applications that rely on Velocity Engine

Yeah, but does it translate Altivec instructions into SSE3 instructions, or just x86? That would be a major slowdown.

JLL · Nov 16, 2005, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by CaptainHaddock

Rosetta now supports applications that rely on Velocity Engine

Yeah, but does it translate Altivec instructions into SSE3 instructions, or just x86? That would be a major slowdown.

I don't know but the point is that it seems that you can at least now run PowerPC apps that require AltiVec on x86.

andgarden · Nov 16, 2005, 10:30 AM

So, which devloper with an altivec required app informed apple that its Dual Binary version wouldn't be ready for January????

SMacTech · Nov 16, 2005, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by JLL

Perhaps not. As of Build 8F1111A:

- Rosetta now supports applications that rely on Velocity Engine

Wonderful. My associate in NY has the development IntelliMac. I couldn't see the need or expense to purchase one myself. I haven't been paying much attention to what is going on, as I have been to wrapped up in coding.