[Ozmodiar]

If starting in January all new Apple Hardware will only be able to boot OS X, does this mean new processors that will only be able to handle OS X? How else could you make hardware to only boot one operating system?

[daimoni]

.

[voodoo]

Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't take a new processor to prevent OS9 from booting. Apple is my company!

[file]

Just Wondering:

For Apple to form a deal with a new Chip Maker other than Motorola...isn't that too big a news to keep secret?

You can't hide this type of info right? IBM is a bigger company than Apple (if it goes that route) and they HAVE to share this info with a lot of people like manufacturing, marketing, publicity, shareholders and etc.....right?

I think when Apple and the future chipmaker strikes a deal, then they will announce it publicly and then we can start to speculate about the partnership and the chip in question...right?

[G4ME]

we can always hope

[macvillage.net]

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,543317,00.asp


I highly doubt new processors will be ready before MWNY. Remember, January is 3 months away (less really).

Not enough time.


Will just be minor changes to the ROM or something.


And I'm sure someone will create a patch like a "System Enabler" to get those computers running.

[arrested502]

I honestly don't see classic going away for a while (talking years here). If the ability to boot into OS 9.x goes away, that's one thing, but there's still far too many that are running stuff that will only run under classic mode.

Sure, the "big" applications are mostly carbonized, but everyone has some stupid little appy they can only run under classic, inclusing several businesses.

As for processors, I'm not sure why they'd make a move to something else. Of course, if they could move to something faster than the G4 that would be a nice merger.

But again, too many little shareware/freeware and other smaller applications still requiring classic mode. Booting into OS 9.x may not be necessary, but they'll need classic for a while longer.

[driven]

Short term ( < 1 year ) no.

Long term ( 2-3 years ) maybe.

[Jutaro]

You just don't know with Apple. Since they already have a relationship with IBM, there is no reason to believe that they would announce it early.

They may disappoint, or blow us away.

[driven]

Originally posted by Jutaro:


They may disappoint, or blow us away.

A good blowing erases many disappointments.

[Subzero Diesel949]

Originally posted by macvillage.net:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,543317,00.asp

Arrrggghh! Ye matey beat me to it! Arrgghhh!

[ringo]

Isn't there a rumor that Apple keeps an updated version of OSX under development that will work with Intel processors?

Short answer: Maybe. Go ask motorola.

I'd guess that making the developers recompile and optimize for a different chip would be a huge pain in the ass...a task that would take time and require apple to notify their big developers well in advance of any change.

I'm guessing that if the big developers knew, then something would have leaked by now....so Apple is probably not going to change anytime soon. If processor speed starts to be a big problem (and I don't think that it is, yet) then I'm sure Apple will do whatever they need to so they can stay competitive...even if it is a huge pain in the ass for everyone involved. Getting rid of 9 from boot probably just makes it less of a pain...hope for the best, plan for the worse.

[thunderous_funker]

The only change to processor I can see happening in that short time frame would be the advent of the 7470 G4 (IIRC) which supports DDR.

I think that is the "model" #, but I can't find moto's roadmap to confirm it. IIRC, it's the next step G4 and is actually overdue.

Luckily Apple pushed ahead and made the rest of the chipset DDR ready in anticipation of the overdue G4.

[voodoo]

I am sooooo sick of Motorola. There is something seriously wrong with that company. Man!

[Millennium]

I've always thought the problem wasn't with the chip, but rather the chip maker. IBM has had better chipmaking facilities than Moto for years. More power to them -and to Apple= if they do this. Lets us keep the superior PPC architecture, without being bound by Moto's ancient fabs.

[MindFad]

I'm past getting my hopes up with Apple, but we shall see. Here's hoping for that IBM thing to come through (Apple announces Power4 in January and it comes out in March/April). *Sigh* Damn it, quit getting your hopes up!

[Tigerabbit]

Originally posted by driven:
A good blowing erases many disappointments.

Gay or straight, they all want to be blown.

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by macvillage.net:
I highly doubt new processors will be ready before MWNY. Remember, January is 3 months away (less really).

The other desktop Power4 is ready now. This new one could be reserved for the PowerBooks. Apple could very well announce the chip in MacWorld reserving it for desktops and iMacs. PowerBooks might not see an update for a while.

And I'm sure someone will create a patch like a "System Enabler" to get those computers running.

Man, I hope so. I've been wanting to get MacOS 8.5.1 on a G4 for soooo long.

[schep]

Originally posted by Ozmodiar:
How else could you make hardware to only boot one operating system?

Firmware

[Evangellydonut]

the problem starts with the chip before the chip maker...Cache problem with the original G4 (745x) is a design bug that can't be fixed 'til a new revision, kinda like the cache problem P4 had/has... Keep in mind ATI 'hand picked transistors' to make 9700 perform the way it did, meaning they hand optimized transistors in the layout, not in the manufacturing process...Layout is also where problem comes in with dye shrink, to my knowledge...so blame the engineers (I will be one...) first, then the fab...

As for new chip that won't support OS 9 period, I wouldn't be surprised...not at MWSF03 though...although it's said that all 32 bit apps will run okay on a 64 bit chip for Apple, the OS isn't your "normal" program...I pity Intel (and AMD)...Itanic is a step in the right direction, the x86 instruction set is soooooo old and soooooo horrible that legacy support will drag down efforts of future development...or a lot higher cost at making bigger dye...I think Intel's approach is the best for the industry, but since it's the worst for software companies and end users, it won't fly Too bad for them...gives Apple a little more time/room to catch in the near future. We'll see...

[Evangellydonut]

Man, I hope so. I've been wanting to get MacOS 8.5.1 on a G4 for soooo long.

i'm pretty sure my sawtooth came with 8.6...but later firmware flash made it bootable only from OS 9 or above...

[Ozmodiar]

Never mind schep everyone, he just has some sand in his vagina.

[olePigeon]

It's 90% of the fab, about 10% of the chip. The G4 had some cache problems, but they were able to work around it. Since the cache is no longer an excuse, it's all fab problems. Motorola doesn't give a damn about the desktop market, that's not where they make their money. They couldn't care less if Apple went out of business.

Probably why IBM looks so scrumpcious. They have the manufacturing facilites in place already AND IBM relies on their own processors. So to just sort of not care which way the processors go isn't a reality for IBM. Plus, when their new fab building goes into operation, Apple will be sitting in fat city (so will AMD.)

Originally posted by Millennium:
I've always thought the problem wasn't with the chip, but rather the chip maker. IBM has had better chipmaking facilities than Moto for years. More power to them -and to Apple= if they do this. Lets us keep the superior PPC architecture, without being bound by Moto's ancient fabs.