[Bubba Jones]

Okay got a pismo 400 w/192 megs OS 9.0.4 and canon elura. I have been capturing and editing away for months. Was doing it a couple of nights ago and then in the morning, no more firewire. Final cut says my DV or Firewire enablers are missing. Firewire enabler extension is right where it's supposed to be. Ran hardware test and i get error "fire/1/-50000". Never updated my firmware or anything like that. Am i just screwed weeks before my new G4(hopefully)powerbook? Any help? Thanks in advance.

[TazmanDman]

I suggest running the firmware update... otherwise i might try to reinstall system base using your bootCD.... firmware update from the apple site; just follow instructions...

hope that helps...

-taz

Boy I can't wait to buy the brand new G4 Mercury PowerBook this January. The current PB G3's will be too slow for Mac OS X and my needs (as in Windows 98 can run, but is too slow, on an Intel 80486).

Imagine a SUPERCOMPUTER laptop!

Will I have to declare my Mercury @ Customs? Supercomputers are considered 'munitions' subject to technology export controls.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ortables.shtml

[Don Pickett]

Boy I can't wait to buy the brand new G4 Mercury PowerBook this January. The current PB G3's will be too slow for Mac OS X and my needs (as in Windows 98 can run, but is too slow, on an Intel 80486).

The current PowerBooks will run OS X just fine - I have seen OS X running smoothly on a Wallstreet and a beige G3.

Calm down.

Don

[BMWDrum]

OS X PB is alot slower than the final release (or so I've heard) and I have X PB running on my Pismo 400, and it runs like a champ. I'm completely happy with it.

drum

i'm with you Sam! you don't want to get caught holding a lumbering lumbard just when the pismo came out last january.

think PRODUCT CYCLES.

the g3s are pass�--the core is the same as the 603s! technically you want the AltiVec engine built with the G4s plus that 16 MB nVIDIA GeForce2Go graphics.

apples gonna WOW and AMAZE us, you'll see!

i'm not here to tell YOU what to do with YOUR OWN HARD-EARNED MONEY, but just a little patience, mate, and i'll wager you that it'll be well worth the wait, and you WILL save you alot of heartbreak and disappointment with the new Mercurys.

Best regards

oh yeah don't forget the new Java Virtual Machine (JVM) which will be supported in MacOS X but not classic and which WILL REQUIRE G4's AltiVec.

Apple Employee writes "The next version of MRJ for
MacOS X will support Altivec acceleration and blow all
other Java VMs AWAY. We expect that some Java
apps running under the Altivec VM will be faster than
non-Altivec optimized native apps. "

http://www.macrumors.com/

whoooie! faster than a CRAY and it'll fit your bookbag!

[Don Pickett]

The 603 is the best PowerPC core to date, being superscalar and all. Besides, as far as I know, the G4 and the G3 share the same core.

Don't buy the hype about Mercury. Will it be faster than the Pismo? Yes. Dramatically so? Probably not. My Pismo is as fast as a 400 MHz G4, Altivec stuff aside.

Wait if you wanna wait, but don't expect to get a machine that's that much faster than the Pismo. G4s run about 25% faster than G3s at the same clock speed. There are other advantages to the G4, and, I assume, Mercury, but the Pismo will still fly. In a year, pop a G4 upgrade in the sucker and it will be good for another few years.

Don

[This message has been edited by Don Pickett (edited 12-28-2000).]

[tooki]

I VERY seriously doubt that the OS X Java VM requires AltiVec. While it's probably been written to take advantage of it, I can't imagine that Apple will put G4s in all their machines so soon (in fact, since there has been no word about a low-power G4, I doubt Mac notebooks will have G4s for quite a while).

Umm, all PowerPCs are superscalar, if I'm not mistaken. I really doubt that the 603 is the best core - the 603 was, per MHz, the slowest PPC in existence. The 604e is in fact faster, per MHz, than G3s in some floating-point math operations.

Also, Don, except in AltiVec enhanced operations, G3s are just as fast as G4sn (the G4 is nothing but a G3+AltiVec), although the AGP G4s do benefit from a faster memory bus.

tooki

[Don Pickett]

I VERY seriously doubt that the OS X Java VM requires AltiVec. While it's probably been written to take advantage of it, I can't imagine that Apple will put G4s in all their machines so soon (in fact, since there has been no word about a low-power G4, I doubt Mac notebooks will have G4s for quite a while).

There is a low power G4 - it's the 7410, and it's been out for a month now. All the rumors I've seen say the new PowerBooks will use the 7410.

OS X is written to take advantage of Altivec as much as possible, especially in the Quartz layer.

Also, Don, except in AltiVec enhanced operations, G3s are just as fast as G4sn (the G4 is nothing but a G3+AltiVec), although the AGP G4s do benefit from a faster memory bus.

Not entirely true. The G4s have some improvements which give them a bit of a kick over the G3. I don't remember what they were (been a while since I read the article) but at the same speed a G4 is about 25% faster than a G3 - i.e., my Pismo 500 is about as fast as a G4 400.

Don

Yes thanks. I'll definitely wait for MWSF which is only a couple days away. The new FASTER 650 MHZ G4s which are optiimised for multiprocessing the new Quartz engine of MaxOS X are coming out plus new THIN and LIGHTWEIGHT polymer batteries. Macrumors and Appleinsider--THE SOURCE that have a nearly 99.99% relaibility record says Steve is going to announce new hardware (read: MERCURY).
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ortables.shtml

Peace of mind that macos X compatibility and supercomputing power spells MERCURY. Its gonna KICK BUTT!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

[tooki]

Originally posted by Don Pickett:
Not entirely true. The G4s have some improvements which give them a bit of a kick over the G3. I don't remember what they were (been a while since I read the article) but at the same speed a G4 is about 25% faster than a G3 - i.e., my Pismo 500 is about as fast as a G4 400.

Don

But Don -- test after test have proven beyond doubt that a G4/400 is the same speed (when other factors, like disk speed, are removed) as a G3/400 on non-AltiVec enhanced apps. Nowhere close to even 5% improvement.

tooki

tooki is right (as always).

BUT Apple itself says the G4 AltiVec is a SUPERCOMPUTER.

MERCURY = QUICK SILVER

Just another name for the new G4 PBooks with liquid flowing lines and silver Cube-like colour and speed.

I think Apple should rechristen the brand new PBooks as SUPERPOWERBooks in honour of their awesome supercomputer power.

[Don Pickett]

But Don -- test after test have proven beyond doubt that a G4/400 is the same speed (when other factors, like disk speed, are removed) as a G3/400 on non-AltiVec enhanced apps. Nowhere close to even 5% improvement.

All the tests I've seen show a G4 to be about 25% faster at the same clock speed. Interesting.

BUT Apple itself says the G4 AltiVec is a SUPERCOMPUTER.

MERCURY = QUICK SILVER

Just another name for the new G4 PBooks with liquid flowing lines and silver Cube-like colour and speed.

I think Apple should rechristen the brand new PBooks as SUPERPOWERBooks in honour of their awesome supercomputer power.

You're either pulling our legs (very possible) or you're taking Apple's advertising way too seriously. Calling the G4 a supercomputer is silly. Is it a nice, nice chip? Yes. Supercomputer? No.

Don

[tooki]

Well, according to [antiquated] computer terminology, the definition of supercomputer is a comp that does 1 gigaFLOP* or better. The single-proc G4s already do 2.2 GFLOPs and higher.

Of course, what are marketed as supercomputers today perform hundreds or thousands of GFLOPs.

tooki


*FLOP=floating point operations per second

[jaguarandi]

It's always nice to see cooler heads prevail in these forums

Originally posted by Don Pickett:
The 603 is the best PowerPC core to date, being superscalar and all. Besides, as far as I know, the G4 and the G3 share the same core.

The 603's only problem was that, more often than not, it was hobbled by other factors (low bus speeds, etc.) that gave it a bad rap.

Don't buy the hype about Mercury. Will it be faster than the Pismo? Yes. Dramatically so? Probably not. My Pismo is as fast as a 400 MHz G4, Altivec stuff aside.

Being that I own both machines, I can confirm this. The Pismo has more RAM (192 vs. 128), so in some instances it is a little faster. It definately can have more applciations open at once.

Wait if you wanna wait, but don't expect to get a machine that's that much faster than the Pismo. G4s run about 25% faster than G3s at the same clock speed. There are other advantages to the G4, and, I assume, Mercury, but the Pismo will still fly. In a year, pop a G4 upgrade in the sucker and it will be good for another few years.

Don

The Pismo is the best bang-for-the-buck Apple deal going right now, especially if you can find one of the older models (6 or 12 GB HDs) for cheap. Since Mercury is widely expected to be a complete revamp, case and all, there will likely be production issues at the beginning of it's lifetime (remember the iBook debacle?) You may be faced with the possibility of getting a defective or otherwise incomplete unit, or not getting one at all for quite a while.

My 2 yen worth.

//e

[Don Pickett]

It's always nice to see cooler heads prevail in these forums

Ya know, I've been looking for my cooler head. Now where'd I put it. . .

Don

[tooki]

I think it might be in the lounge behind the blue sofa.

tooki

[ged]

> I think it might be in the lounge behind the blue sofa.

or in the pink pussycat boutique (unfortunately, it looks like they're not on the web)...

anyway, i think the u.s. government eased export restrictions on (or perhaps upgraded the legal definition of) supercomputers very soon after the g4 came out. so the 'tank' ads were moot almost as soon as they were made...

-ged

[Don Pickett]

r in the pink pussycat boutique (unfortunately, it looks like they're not on the web)...

No - I checked the Pink Pussycat (which is on Bleecker Street, just west of Sixth Ave). No cooler heads in there.

Don