Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

TampaDeveloper · Jun 6, 2005, 04:53 PM

Ok. Setting aside any questions we have about the advantages of Intel processors over PowerPC processors, what the heck is Apple going to sell for the next YEAR while waiting???!?!?!!?!

I was going to buy a 15 inch powerbook. But I'll wait, now, thank you very much. And I'm willing to bet at least 50% of their customers are going to say the same thing. Stupid. And if its just a simple recompile of most software applications, they should have made the announcement simultaneously with the introduction of the low end hardware. That would have made more sense to me.

Really. What are they going to sell while the world waits for Macs with Intel processors?

DaKiwi2788 · Jun 6, 2005, 04:57 PM

I would be in that 50%. I am also wanting to get a Powerbook, but now I don't know when. I was originally holding onto hope that they would announce a G5 powerbook, but I guess that can't happen now? Steve has really confused me.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jun 6, 2005, 05:00 PM

I think steve mentioned today that they still have big plans for PPC and great upcoming stuff. i wouldn't bet on a G5 laptop though as that is a lot of work for something that will be canned shortly after.

Since EBCDIC · Jun 6, 2005, 05:02 PM

Ohh, I hate to say "me too", but my 800 MHz TiPB is getting long in the tooth (and at the end of its AppleCare period) and I was looking around to get something new. The 1.5 GHz looked good, and a good deal cheaper than the 1.67, but now I'm not sure. Can I get this box to limp along for two more years? Yesterday I would have thought not, but now I'm thinking I might just be game to give it a try.

I, too, am surprized that the Steve didn't first roll out the hardware (perhaps the extreme low end) and simultaneously tell developers. Unless he thought he couldn't keep the secret that long. Pity, that.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jun 6, 2005, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by Since EBCDIC

Ohh, I hate to say "me too", but my 800 MHz TiPB is getting long in the tooth (and at the end of its AppleCare period) and I was looking around to get something new. The 1.5 GHz looked good, and a good deal cheaper than the 1.67, but now I'm not sure. Can I get this box to limp along for two more years? Yesterday I would have thought not, but now I'm thinking I might just be game to give it a try.

Get in iBook in the mean time.

Randman · Jun 6, 2005, 05:07 PM

Or a mini.

Sosa · Jun 6, 2005, 05:08 PM

He would also have been accused of hiding critical facts and deceiving customers who purchased macs months before that low end Intel mac is sold. Its a no win situation. I wonder what sort of discussion occurred behind the scenes between Apple - IBM - Motorola that finally caused Apple to abandon the PPC - x86 fight just when things appeared to get better.

Anand · Jun 6, 2005, 05:08 PM

People. What was Steve's message to the developers? Get your apps ready to run on both Intel and PPC chips. Your machines will still be supported and will work fine. Rosetta will be amazing and you won't even realize that you are using a Mac with an Intel chip inside.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jun 6, 2005, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Or a mini.

Not much of a portable replacement though is it. Plus if you add a keyboard, mouse and LCD screen you could pretty much have yourself an iMac.

Randman · Jun 6, 2005, 05:17 PM

Well, a min is basically a monitorless iBook. And the low cost makes it less of an investment if one decides to upgrade to an InteliMac in two years or so.

Randman · Jun 6, 2005, 05:17 PM

Ack. DP. Stupid site is slow.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jun 6, 2005, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Well, a min is basically a monitorless iBook. And the low cost makes it less of an investment if one decides to upgrade to an InteliMac in two years or so.

yes but it is not a portable.

TampaDeveloper · Jun 6, 2005, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by Sosa

He would also have been accused of hiding critical facts and deceiving customers who purchased macs months before that low end Intel mac is sold. Its a no win situation. I wonder what sort of discussion occurred behind the scenes between Apple - IBM - Motorola that finally caused Apple to abandon the PPC - x86 fight just when things appeared to get better.

I feel a little better after reviewing some of the details... and it looks easy enough to dual compile... BUT, who is psychologically prepared to spend $2000 on a machine with a dead archietecture?

Voch · Jun 6, 2005, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Since EBCDIC

Ohh, I hate to say "me too", but my 800 MHz TiPB is getting long in the tooth (and at the end of its AppleCare period) and I was looking around to get something new.

Same here. I was thinking about a 12" iBook to tide me over...

Voch

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jun 6, 2005, 05:59 PM

iPods.

Seriously.

Since EBCDIC · 06:06 PM

I may start trolling eBay* to see what I can get a reasonable PB for these days and weeks, and if so I'll get something to hold me over for 2 years, which is my usual window anyway. I may hold off a month or two longer than I would have otherwise, but BFD. It's not like I don't plan on computing until the Mactel boxes are here, nor was I planning on holding a machine more than 3 years anyway.

* Reminder: only morons don't use ESCROW when buying expensive toys!

The folks who are buying a new machine annually must have more money than I.

turtle777 · Jun 6, 2005, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

iPods.
Seriously.

Beat me to that. They are already making more money of iPods than anything else...

-t

spacefreak · Jun 6, 2005, 06:06 PM

I'm going to hold off from buying a new system as well.

Apple Pro Underwear · Jun 6, 2005, 06:08 PM

what does this mean for us that just bought new computers? my new dual g5 2ghz will be great for this next year... and for another year after...

but then i suppose i would get a new comp in 3 years when all the dust has settled.

spacefreak · Jun 6, 2005, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Beat me to that. They are already making more money of iPods than anything else...

Yeah, I have no doubt that present iPod sales, coupled with booming forecasts, were a huge, comforting factor in making this move to x86.

Apple knows that PPC-based system sales will surely drop significantly due to this announcement, and iPod sales are what's going to keep the revenue stream flowing.

turtle777 · Jun 6, 2005, 06:11 PM

It's still quite a bet Apple is taking...

-t

DeathMan · Jun 6, 2005, 06:12 PM

Are we like most mac users, though? Does the average Mac buyer have any idea that they're buying into a "Dead Architechture" or care? I'm not sure they do. I know what it means, and I'm not sure I even care. I'd buy a G5 Powerbook right now if they had one (assuming it ran cool enough).

Are people going to stop buying the mac mini or the imac because of this? I'd be willing to buy an iMac anytime up until the new ones are released.

Existing Apps are still going to Altivec optimized. Photoshop is still going to run great on PPC for a long time into the future. I think this is all very premature.

What I am looking forward to is the possibility that a WINE port could eventually be a reality, and we'll be able to play PC games (at pc prices) on a mac, as well as get video cards for normal sane prices.

ironknee · Jun 6, 2005, 06:14 PM

^^

agreed...ipod is apple's way out of the ppc. without ipod, apple may not be in a great shape with this transition