Fresh News from the Intel Front

Within a week?

Somehow I doubt that they will get shipping next week.

However, I think by end-February, we'll all have Intel-Macs, is some form or other.

So I'll say that they MAY announce something at Macworld, but they will only release that product end-January. Hence, by end-February, Intel-Macs will be readily available and universal binaries will start becoming common.

Although that would be another issue: how many x86 mac apps do we know of (big apps, mind you) that are currently being made universal binaries? I hope Apple really did make it simple for other companies to do it, because if I were Microsoft or Adobe, the products i already HAVE on shelves would be universal. I just don't think it would be right to release the Intel-Macs without all the major third-party apps ready for them in every sense of the word. But still, Apple has gone totally uni-bin, so my prediction stands.

-Urby

No, I agree, I don't expect anything within a week, but Macworld is in exactly 6 days. That's what I meant by the week, and that's only if they want to really knock the wind out of the sails of Acer and others.

If they announce an Intel anything at MacWorld based on either of these chips, that will be the only Intel news for awhile, I suspect. It'll be big news and it would be the kind of surprise Steve loves.

How ironic, though, that a company who trashed Intel for so long could be the first to sell a laptop with its newest processors? Ah, the irony.

Wow that Acer is smoking!!!

Yeah, soon is right! I got a lot of spending money for Christmas, and I want to get a nice Intel Powerbook (that hopefully supports Windows fully!) before the summer. That means they have to release it, and people have to test it out - and write tutorial on how everything works, etc. - so that I won't have any problem switching to Mac (yes! it's true I'm switching, and I'm still using windows - would be using mac if they would have switched to Intel sooner - like when Centrino came out!)

I can't wait for the Macworld - and of course the video that will be on the site very soon afterwards!!!!

I can definetaly see Steve Jobs announcing this. Like the video Ipod (which wasn't even expected). I mean - they will probably release it with an updated OS (from those floating on the web) since we (at least nothing I haven't read about) haven't seen any activity lately.

KublaKhan

I REALLY WANT A MACTEL - NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (breathes in again) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. For those of you who like a good laugh about illegal activities check out this site (by a couple hacking kids). Click: The Broken Link

or copy and paste this in your browser: http://thebroken.org

I thought the third file was the best (burning computers!)

I do find it odd we haven't seen 10.4.4 yet. Don't you?

I'm just wondering about the dates. If the article is correct, then Intel will be making its ViiV announcement on January 9th; which just happens to be the first day of Macworld.

So, it that is true, is it a coincidence, or is it planned?

After all Intel wouldn't make an announcement that involves Apple before Apple does.

That Acer can't have GDDR3 system RAM. Obviously they meant graphics memory.

The lack of 10.4.4 is a bit odd to me. I seriously was thinking we'd see 10.4.5 before the x86 Macs came out. So I am not holding my breath, although I'm still hoping.

Why is a lack of 10.4.4 bad news? Let's assume the last PPC build of 10.4.4 came out on the 15th Dec and had only one known bug. Okay there have been holidays but before that the builds had been coming out more frequently than once a week usually meaning it's almost ready.

So if it was almost ready where is it? Perhaps it's not being updated publicly (or at least to devs) and not been released officially yet because the work that's going on now is getting it ready for Intel. Why does 10.4.5 have to be what will be running on the first Intel machines.

Perhaps 10.4.4 is now completely ready but won't be released until the Intel machines are public since that's what they'll be running.

It does seem like a week is just a bit of a stretch. But then again, Apple has suprised us before with other products, and faced mass shortages as a result (Can anyone say iPod mini?). Even if they did announce something in the coming week, I doubt they'll have enough supply to meet the demand.

True, MrBond. And apple has made announcements without product availability more than once.

True, MrBond. And apple has made announcements without product availability more than once.

Say that in a blofeld voice..go on!

Anyway i'm going to stick my neck out and say we will definitely see intel powered mac mini's at macworld. All the recent news points to them being the first to get an intel inside (can we still say that?)

I'd say any other intel hopes are just wishful thinking. But i could be wrong.

The first shipping version of OSX for intel is likely to have specific product drivers, so i find it very unlikely you'll see it released to developers before hand. As for the software issue, one would think shipping machines would be a good incentive for the software companies to get their butts in gear.

Given what we know about the specs of the Acer 8200 and current hardware support in OSX developer builds:

How likely is the hardware in the Acer laptop to be well supported in OSX86? That is, will one be able to buy an Acer, grab 10.4.4 from bittorrent next week, and make your own Powerbook?

The clincher for me will be firewire support. This is assuming that Apple is going to come out with universal binaries for Logic Pro anytime soon... Wonder what they're going to charge me for that...

When has Apple EVER released what became a popular product(line) that wasn't constrained by lack of product? Apple has a fear of over producing that goes way back. When I bought my first Mac, the 950, I had to wait almost a month for it. Apple was criticized for that over the years. Commentators had stated that if Apple didn't do that they could have picked up a couple of marketshare points every few years.

There are many developers who have announced these past months that their products are ready for the Mactels. Just last week there were some big announcements. I think there will be sufficient software available if Apple does announce next week.

For most of the rest, Rosetta will likely be sufficient for the time being. Now that it supports the G4 and attendant Altivec, there must be a sigh of relief amongst the developer community who thought that their stuff wouldn't be ready. This, alone, could be sufficient to allow a Macworld announcement - if the machines are ready!

If 10.4.4 is ready, then I can see Apple withholding it from release to the public, if they are using it for the first Mactel's in January. There could be specific code in the x86 version that will give the game away, and we all know how Steve feels about that.

You're right melgross,

Rosetta would be more than enough for me until the product is updated! I would buy an Intel Powermac a few months after its release (hopefully they won't be to expensive - like predicted).

I mean think about it. Alot the programs on Mactel run faster (startup etc.) than on Windows - when running in Rosetta they are about the same speed. I only hope this move will bring more games to Mac as well

KublaKhan

For most of the rest, Rosetta will likely be sufficient for the time being. Now that it supports the G4 and attendant Altivec, there must be a sigh of relief amongst the developer community who thought that their stuff wouldn't be ready.

Is this true now? Does Rosetta really support Altivec (G4 emulation)? I mean, this came up a few weeks ago and I thought the consensus was "no".

EDIT3: Apparently, Rosetta does in fact emulate Altivec G4 (or at least Maxxuss' web page claims it does!)

Uhmm, I'm watching Bill Gates' Keynote at CES right now.... unbelievable. I'm definately getting Vista!!! So Apple better be able to dual boot with Windows!! Or, it could be better the other way around...

Please Apple Computers, let us use OSX on any PC!!!!

Maybe i dont want to switch....

CES Live now....

Vista looks really cool....

Apple is going to do what they always do: make a lot of innovations, sit on their butts using the "come to us" strategy, and then let Microsoft copy those innovations and make money off of them.

Not this time, Steve is not that stupid but rather has an ego that needs to be satisfied. It seems that this forum has failed to grasp the significance of the fact that Intel is designing the x86 PowerMac motherboard (no, I am not talking about the transition kits):

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1431

Just to spell this out again, the switch to x86 has to everything with marketshare and separating OS X from Apple hardware (and very little to do with the technical merits of Intel's chips, performance per watt or whatever). We should expect to see x86 Mac clones in a few years, perhaps even with Intel designed motherboards.

Regarding Vista, I have already heard enough. It is guaranteed to suck ass just like XP. Vista is just more of the same {censored}, a new flavor of candy-covered garbage (and of course, the candy is largely stolen from OS X). Given the related hardware issues (new DRM'd hardware will be required right?), I expect that Vista will be a major failure, specifically the adoption rate will be much worse than XP (which is terrible and even there many businesses refuse to install the service packs because they break stuff).

I think the relavent questions are (1) when is desktop Linux going to be ready for idiotic consumers and (2) how long is it going to be until Windows' marketshare is reduced to about 50%.

to reply to the Yonah release... Acer will not be the only Yonah-installed company in January.

look for Dell to release the Inspiron 9400/E1705.. with Yonah dual-core and 7800 Go graphics.

Just to spell this out again, the switch to x86 has to everything with marketshare and separating OS X from Apple hardware (and very little to do with the technical merits of Intel's chips, performance per watt or whatever). We should expect to see x86 Mac clones in a few years, perhaps even with Intel designed motherboards.

you are right about that apple hardware division will prolly go out of business in a bunch of years for sure, the x86 world is way different from sj beloved zealotry field

I expect that Vista will be a major failure, specifically the adoption rate will be much worse than XP (which is terrible and even there many businesses refuse to install the service packs because they break stuff).

huh windows xp is over 60% of the whole market i wouldn't call that a terrible adoption rate, and about business xp isn't supposed to be used in a business enviroment, you have win2k3 for that

I think the relavent questions are (1) when is desktop Linux going to be ready for idiotic consumers and (2)how long is going to be until Windows' marketshare is reduced to about 50%.

1) never

2) never, macosx can have a chance to fight if it's released as a consumer os but since sjobs is narrow minded and he will do his best to delay his hardware division to go bankruptcy then never again because hoping that people would start to buy intel power macs is again hopeless ;P

Uhmm, I'm watching Bill Gates' Keynote at CES right now.... unbelievable. I'm definately getting Vista!!! So Apple better be able to dual boot with Windows!! Or, it could be better the other way around...

 

Please Apple Computers, let us use OSX on any PC!!!!

 

Maybe i dont want to switch....

 

CES Live now....

 

Vista looks really cool....

I just watched the keynote also but I still like exposé better than the "3d alt-tab" thing, widgets and the dashboard better than the sidebar and gadgets and the overall look of os x compared to vista.

i guess the quicktab option in ie7 is kinda nice.

Hmmm, yeah... about Windows being a rip off of Mac:

I don't really think so. Mac has gotten many ideas else where - such as consumers, Linux, developers. And so has Windows. I happened to email Microsoft about wanting to be able to move stuff onto my desktop from the longhorn sidebar, and let it snap back on the sidebar whenever I wanted (which they added).

The reason MS is going to be better is because they go above and beyond the call of duty as far as innovations are concerned. I mean saying "Mac is going to all you to watch Television soon" is a rumor. But, Microsoft gives me dates for releases so that I can go "all out" instead of being stuck with something good that's going to be {censored} next month like Mac. And, staying on the topic of television, I don't think Mac will sell HD capable television computers if they do decide to add television support. Also, I want a laptop capable of watching HD T.V. whenever I'm by a T.V. outlet... I don't think I'll see a Mac that will be able to do that anytime soon, but Windows... yeah. Why? because Windows doesn't make their own hardware (and aren't so stupid about people making their own P.C. - and laptops - if you know where to go!

Mac's have a potential - if they supported more hardware, and then released upon any machine. HD video support built in would also be a huge plus for me.

Why do I rant about what I don't like about Mac? Because I will probably be forced to buy one for college anyway in the summer. And would like to know what is in the future for Mac - but I can't. I'm not your average impulse buyer. And that's who Mac's are targeted at. So why should I switch? The only thing I can hope is that dual booting Windows Vista will be no problem (and that support for HD will be built into Vista and will be possible from an Apple computer through a PCMIA card).

Does anyone know if Vista will boot as quickly in the upcoming intel Mac as it's supposed to on Vista supported machines? And, if I will be able to dual boot a Mactel Powerbook with Vista, and then somehow be able to watch HD T.V. through a PCMIA card?

KublaKhan

Lets keep this topic...on topic, please.

Is this true now? Does Rosetta really support Altivec (G4 emulation)? I mean, this came up a few weeks ago and I thought the consensus was "no".

 

EDIT: Since nobody has jumped on my question, I just went through the relevent thread here: http://forum.osx86project.org/index.php?showtopic=4729 (see pages 8-9 in particular).

 

While Mashughly wrote a front pager which suggested that a new Rosetta version supported Altivec, all the evidence presented here is to the contary.

 

Rosetta does NOT emulate Altivec (G4).

Yes it does, I'm using it right now. the 8F1111G (or 8F1111A if you prefer that terminology) update includes the new rosetta which does altivec emulation and is also MUCH faster than previous versions of rosetta. Check out Maxxuss web site (google it) for more info. Everything G4 works, for example, I'm running g4-based 3d games, aperture, and other g4 only apps.

DBK