![Technology (Apple) Technology (Apple)](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicaptech2.gif)
![Businesses Businesses](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/business_64.png)
![Desktops (Apple) Desktops (Apple)](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/mac_64.png)
![Technology Technology](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/technology_64.png)
![Apple Apple](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/apple_64.png)
![Hardware Hardware](http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/hardware_64.png)
Apple's Dev. Tools Hint @ Dual-core G5 & Quad Mac 421
Eug writes "Apple just released a new version of its CHUD tools, which provides clues about dual-core G5s and quad core Macs (dual dual-core).
The clues include a reference to the 970MP, which is dual-core G5 with increased L2 cache. Also, there is now support for 4 CPUs, whereas previous versions of these Mac OS X tools only supported 2.
This likely means we'll see dual-core Macs by WWDC, and possibly quad Macs based off these dual-core chips by then too."
Why rumors? (Score:5, Interesting)
So, while it is interesting to speculate [utah.edu] on what Apple may be doing and where they may be going with various products, I have never really understood the rabid nature of the fan sites and rumor sites. What is the point with rumors? Can anybody explain that to me?
I am going to be practical here: It has always amazed me that people say "I am going to wait to buy XXXX until they come out with the new one". Buy what you need for the job you need it for and realize that whenever you buy something computer related, it is likely already obsolete and will be replaced with the next shiny thing in a couple of months. There are very few times where waiting will recoup your investment. Get what you need for the job and start being productive now. If something comes out that will make you more productive, then sell off the previous system and get the new one if 1) it will pay off the investment or I suppose, 2) if you simply like shiny things.
Don't get me wrong. Apple builds some sexy hardware and software, but I prefer to use their stuff for my work and research because it simply allows more productivity and is more pleasurable to work with, but somebody, please explain to me why the rumor sites are so popular? I understand why business analysts might be interested, and competitors, buy why the obsession of fans with these rumors?
Oh, and is not it time for the Slashdot Apple desktop icon to be updated to reflect the current desktop line? i.e. G5.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2, Insightful)
Sure the current model might be what you need, but when the new models come out, the older model usually drops in price - saving you a decent amount of money.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Informative)
Sure they do. Go to the Apple Store [apple.com] and you'll find a link to sale items on the right side near the bottom. You can pick up a new previous revision 12" PB for $300 off. Got last rev iPods as well. There are links to refurb, promo, and rebate items as well.
(tig)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Funny)
Good thing you Linux guys don't succomb to that "cult like following" stuff...
Why rumors? Because they feel a need. (Score:4, Insightful)
Apple is a live player and everybody who can't DO like to play at pre-guessing on ones who can as to what they're actually going to DO.
If they're right, they can claim guru-hood and if they're wrong, they bury the evidence in the
Re:Why rumors? Because they feel a need. (Score:5, Funny)
I hate it when adults spell things out in order to keep us from knowing what they're talking about.
Hate it!
Hate it!
Hate it!
Re:Why rumors? (Score:4, Insightful)
Main Apache Apple AskSlashdot 5 more Books BSD 1 more Developers 4 more Games 19 more Interviews IT 2 more Linux 1 more Politics Science 5 more YRO 2 more Help FAQ Bugs Stories Old Stories Old Polls Topics Hall of Fame Submit Story About Supporters Code Awards Services Broadband PriceGrabber Product Guide Special Offers Tech Jobs Why rumors? Why rumors? (Score:1) by BWJones (18351) on Friday March 11, @12:06PM (#11911436) (http://prometheus.me...b/pubx_pubx_bwj.html) So, while it is interesting to speculate on what Apple may be doing and where they may be going with various products, I have never really understood the rabid nature of the fan sites and rumor sites. What is the point with rumors? Can anybody explain that to me?
Well, for one, why do people like to reada about Linux? people want information on the stuff they're interested in and since Apple is pretty closed lip about such things the only news are rumors. Two, Apples updates happen fairly less frequent than general updates in the PC world. With things less fluid, it becomes advantageous to perhaps wait a few weeks or months before makign a large purchase, especially for a business if you might get 25% preformance boost for doing so. Since the upgrade cycle is longer on Macs typcially, that means more work out of those machines for a longer time. Paying attention to such release schedules can pay off even if you are planning to get current models. If you find out that a new release is coming out, that usually means the current one will be discounted. While it's possible to a refund if the change happens very near you purchase date, sometimes it's less hassle to simply wait.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:5, Informative)
Right now we are suffering from a bottle neck in rendering. We typically make new hardware purchases every major Apple upgrade typically about every 6 months. The former top of the line machines get intergraded as render nodes, with older machines going off the render farm for general business use like for the secratary. (G3 400'sand G4 500's still run MS office just fine).
We were seriously considering purchasing some Mac Mini's and adding to the group for about $600. (Base model with 512MB of Ram). Why? Well for the base price of one entry level G5 we could purchase about 4 Mac Minis. 4 versus 1 machines, so even if one fails we still are at 75%. Typically we figure that if the Mac Minis took 1 hour each per frame and a G5 Tower could do 2.5 we'd still be rendering 4 frames per hour.
We currrently have 6 Mac Mini's on order to test them out. If all else fails, the the none Graphics people will be getting nice new upgrades on their desks.
Having this kind of information though is nice because it plays a role in determining when we make major hardware additions (we're talking spending $50k+ at a time). The thing is, we don't typically purchase first generation Apple anything. We purchased 12 new Dual G4's two weeks after the release of the first G5's just to make sure the bugs were worked out. We just figured we'd play a hunch and buying $3,000 worth of new computers isn't a major purchase to us (2 copies of Lightwave in our business).
Re:Why rumors? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
The rumor sites are popular because *gasp* people like to know what's coming out. Especially people who like certain things.
I know. It's shocking.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Insightful)
If you need the processing power, just build a cluster of quite-new-but-not-spanking-new boxes. In this case, you don't even get the benefit of improving the performance of single-threaded programs.
Unless you really need the shiny thing to feel like a macho, you can as well wait until they get cheaper.
"Always out of date" fallacy (Score:2)
if something new is about to hit the shelves you should wait a bit to see because even if you don't buy it you'll at least get a discount on the stuff you were just about to buy anyway.
just in the last few months there have been cases of Apple refeshing (new Powerbooks, iPod minis and iPod photos) and discounting (iBooks).
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Well, Spock, it's kind of for the same reason we try to make predictions on emerging technologies in the future, and say how cars will look in oh I dunno 2025.
There's really no pragmatism in it, it's more of an oooh-ahhh factor.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:5, Insightful)
I have what was the lastest and greatest thing a year and a half ago: The PowerMac G5 2.0ghz dual processor system. It's been through a revision or two since then, but nothing earth-shattering.
You would be right about wanting to buy the system you need today, but if you already have a system that's working well, such as my 2.0ghz dual processor G5 I bought a year and a half ago, things are different. Do I want to get the 2.5ghz revision, or do I want to wait until it gets to 3.0ghz? This is particularly interesting since I do work that would enormously benefit from a quad-processor system.
So in this respect, rumors are valuable since they help us see ahead, even if through an Apple-created fog. Apple hates them because they want me to buy my 2.5ghz system today. At the same time, I had decided at the time the system was introduced that the small performance improvement probably wasn't worth it. So I'm stuck, but rumor sites give me something to look forward to.
Hope that helps.
D
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
I'm going to risk blowing a fair amount of karma here and say that a huge bunch of the people that are like this with Apple hardware actually have just about zero real need or use for it. They just like it cos it's new and shiny...
Re:Why rumors? Simple Answer. (Score:3, Insightful)
If you have an interest in where desktop computing is going, it's good to know what Apple's got in the oven.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Aside from that simple anecdote, this particular rumors has a practical side:
Today I can buy 2 processors running at 2.5 GHz. In a couple months I can buy 4 processors running at 3.0+ GHz. Unless I _need_ a machine now because I don't already have one, then it's a simple waiting game. Since I alread
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
I take a slightly different approach based on that same idea of inevitable obsolescence. Know that some day, the computer you buy will be unable to run the the
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Most technology companies give you a roadmap so you can plan your technology budget. Apple plays Cloak & Dagger games instead. The rumors sites fill a small part of that gap. And when Apple does give a roadmap, they miss it.
If you're a big account and about to drop Apple you might get some advance information - otherwise, wait & see.
And people wonder why businesses are largely not on the Apple bandwagon. When Apple grows up the bus
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Interesting)
Your other comment, Buy what you need for the job you need it for is something of a strawman. You are putting words into people's mouths when you say there is a "need." Most people don't work at NASA, where X is needed now at whatev
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
So many people are holding off on a PowerBook purcahse because they just feel that a G5 is right around the corner.
With any technology, you can wait until you purchase until the next best thing comes along, because there will always be a next best thing.
Just buy what you need to get your job/interests done! If you wait for another
Re:Why rumors? (Score:5, Funny)
So, while it is interesting to speculate on what Apple may be doing and where they may be going with various products, I have never really understood the rabid nature of the fan sites and rumor sites. What is the point with rumors? Can anybody explain that to me?
Dude, if the though of not one but TWO dual-core 64-bit processors sitting on your desk doesn't get you engorged and/or moist, then it is simply impossible for you to call yourself a geek in good standing.
Two 64-bit *multi gigahertz* dual core CPUs. On your desktop. Running OS X.
*shifts in chair*
Yup, I'm in the in crowd. Kickin.
Re:Why rumors? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why do bored housewives care about what was on Paris Hilton's handheld ? Why is Michael Jackson's trial big news ? Who are Brad and Jen and why do so many people care?? How many people read US Weekly?!?
God help us, I don't know why, but reading tech rumor sites is the geek equivalent, what's so hard to understand? It beats doing actual work... I don't care what happens to hollywood celebs, and politics is just painful to watch, so reading up on my favorite tech is great entertainment. Probably a lot of the folks reading these sites are checking CNet and /. and google news as well. I know I am.
But by any standard, Apple is one of the more interesting tech companies out there, definitely one of the more unique ones, so it really shouldn't be hard for you to see why it's so popular as a rumor subject. Almost nobody is really checking rumor sites to make purchasing decisions. It's just our form of US Weekly.
is not it time for the Slashdot Apple desktop icon to be updated to reflect the current desktop line? i.e. G5.
Is that really the thing /. needs to work on the most?? I'm sure there are more important features of the site that could use some attention... but most important of all, what should the icon be? A G5 PowerMac? A Mac mini? A G5 iMac? An Xserve? I guess it should be a G5 PowerMac, but a Mac mini or G5 iMac might be the more common machine...
Re:Why rumors? (Score:2)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why rumors? (Score:3, Insightful)
For several valid reasons.
It's not like they're promising some features they won't implement later and get people upset. That's the nice thing about rumors, if they're wrong nobody cares!
Some people hear all the hype based on rumors, and buy stocks in the company. Then the announcement comes out, people are let down because it's not as good as the rumor, and the stock price falls. A person with a chip on their shoulder could make a few st
powerbook g4.. dual core. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:powerbook g4.. dual core. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:powerbook g4.. dual core. (Score:2)
He doesn't care, because it's unused potential. If he was getting some kinetic action, he might be concerned.
Re:powerbook g4.. dual core. (Score:2)
hey... if its only temporary that sounds like a plus to me!
Dichotomy (Score:2, Interesting)
I can't help thinking that this is bad timing on Think-Secret's part. To raise your profile by doing (again!) the thing you're being sued for, at the very time you're being sued means that (if he loses), the penalties are going to be that much worse (reckless, showed no remorse, uncontrollable, etc. etc.). Lawyers will have a field day.
On the other hand, there's the case that if he's not doing anything wrong, why not continue doing exactly that. And let's face it, if this turns out to be true, it's definit
Re:Dichotomy (Score:5, Informative)
I can't help thinking that this is bad timing on Think-Secret's part. To raise your profile by doing (again!)
The reason is that Nick Ciarelli is making beaucoup cash from Think Secret. It has been a cash cow for him.
On the other hand, there's the case that if he's not doing anything wrong, why not continue doing exactly that.
The blog world is having a field day with this case but the reality is that Apple is not trying to limit what blogs report, and they do not consider Think Secret to be a blog site. It is a rumor site that has broken the law by soliciting confidential information and compensating those who choose to divulge confidential proprietary information. Good write up on the reality here [daringfireball.net].
Um, Note the Byline Date (Score:3, Informative)
July 23, 2004
SteveM
Re:Dichotomy (Score:3, Informative)
READ!
Re:Dichotomy (Score:3, Insightful)
They'ved DEDUCED information from publically available information from Apple.
bravo apple (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:bravo apple (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:bravo apple (Score:2)
Add multithreading to the mix, and you would have a real killer system.... Each core would be capable of handling two threads, two cores per chip, two chips per system...
Re:bravo apple (Score:3, Informative)
An "hyperthreading" CPU performs much worse at multi-threading than a real dual-CPU architecture. Typically you'll only see a 30% improvement in performance on parallel algorithms such as rendering, whereas a true dual-CPU machine will achieve near 100% improvement under the same conditions.
That's just wrong. (Score:3, Informative)
SMT has nothing to do with "dual input pipes" and absolutely requires more than "a single execution unit." The essential features include storage for more than one processor state (data and status registers, program counter, etc.), the ability to mix instructions from multiple threads within the CPU, and multiple execution units.
The Pentium 4 processor with
Re:bravo apple (Score:2)
Actually, rabid Mac fan though I am I find myself routinely pulling for AMD. Love those guys.
Excellent marketing (Score:5, Funny)
To get to the point where fans will scan random binaries for strings that give clues as to the features of upcoming products, write their speculations in blogs, and where these blogs then make the front page of the world's most popular news site for geeks...
I'm impressed.
Now if only I knew what CHUD, 970MP, or WWDC meant...
Re:Excellent marketing (Score:5, Informative)
970MP = new G5 processor with dual cores (mentioned in TFS no less)
WWDC = Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference
Um, no. (Score:3, Funny)
I thought everyone knew that. I also have reservations about the direction Apple is going with this new CHUD thing they're doing. I presume this has something to do with the word "lickable".
Re:Excellent marketing (Score:2)
it's been happening with graphics card drivers for ages.
No, just obsessive/compulsive users. (Score:2)
Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
I just spit soda on my monitor!
But I think the real question is: How will it Performa?
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Quad Mac (Score:3, Funny)
--Andyvan
Re:Quad Mac (Score:2)
kekeke.
What's wrong with 'Quadra' (Score:3, Funny)
Totally offtopic (Score:2, Informative)
Great... (Score:2)
Re:Totally offtopic (Score:3, Informative)
we'll see (Score:3, Informative)
Re:we'll see (Score:5, Informative)
Good Stock? (Score:2, Insightful)
They seem to be sort of like Google in that they are constantly experimenting with new ideas, and coming out with new products/services and business models.
Unfortunately, I didn't get in on either stock on the ground floor, and even though they went up pretty high now I think they both might still be great buys for the future
Re:Good Stock? (Score:5, Insightful)
Even though Apple Computer's stock is pretty high in regards to the P/E ratio (ever since the iPod got the investors' interest), I still think it might be a good buy for the future.
I agree. You won't make any money off of dividends, but my own belief (and Wall Street's consensus, for what that is worth) is that AAPL is a good buy. I'm hoping that when Apple holds their next earnings call that we will find out that the Mac mini has sold absolute gangbusters, and that it will allow the market's focus upon the success of the iPod to be somewhat psychologically replaced by the success of the mini.
Unfortunately, I didn't get in on either stock on the ground floor, and even though they went up pretty high now I think they both might still be great buys for the future.
Apple, yes. Google, not so sure. Apple is consistently coming out with products that make money, and their recent stock split have brought their stock back to more reasonable levels. Google is still trading at around $180/share, and that to my mind is far too high a price to pay given their current revenues. They're profitable, I just don't know about $180/share profitable.
Difficult to see, the future is. *shrug* For whatever reason my inner Warren Buffet says "buy AAPL, wait on GOOG".
WAIT... (Score:3, Interesting)
Before you work yourself into a tizzy of excitement that requires you to wipe off your keyboard, remember that quad processor mac rumors have been around for a long time.
If we ever do see A quad processor mac it will likely be in a server configuration such as the xServe, not in a PowerMac.
Re:WAIT... (Score:2)
Re:WAIT... (Score:2)
Quad processors in servers...? (Score:2)
Re:Quad processors in servers...? (Score:2)
We needed processing power when we chose ours.
Dual Dual Dual ??? (Score:4, Funny)
blakespot
Slashdot's New Title (Score:5, Funny)
Stuff that may or may not be true!
the IIfx effect (Score:5, Insightful)
I am convinced thay have missed the boat until now. They need to make a PC crusher at the top of their line, something that is so much faster than any PC for creative work that no one would dare say any PC is faster.
They got a lot of attention and doubting when they introed "The World's Fastest Personal Computer" when they came out with the G5. What they need to do is actually make that come true beyond anyone's doubt, and then keep up with it. To hell with what it costs - if they sold those IIfx's for 10K back in 1993 they can do the same thing today but even better for far less money.
This time, make that boast true, and shove it straight down the naysayers throats.
Re:the IIfx effect (Score:2)
Maybe someone else called them "wicked fast", but since calling everything 'wicked' is a Bah-stahn (pahk the cah by tha hahbah) thing, I doubt it was His Steveness.
Re:the IIfx effect (Score:2)
Re:the IIfx effect (Score:2)
Also, by '93, Apple was making the transition to PPC, so I'm not sure if your dates are correct.
Re:the IIfx effect (Score:2)
Right now I can go out and buy a machine with a quad AMD-Opteron board from Tyan. They cost a lot, but are here today, and well under your limit for price. AMD will go dual core sooner than Apple too.
Sorry, the PCs have the MAC crushers right now, and will for some time to come.
Dual Core vs. Dual Processor (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Dual Core vs. Dual Processor (Score:5, Informative)
John.
Re:Dual Core vs. Dual Processor (Score:4, Informative)
Add to this that mutli-core chips usually have better memory interconnects with each other, improving speed to a small degree...not to mention that either there are more memory coherence interconnects for all chips involved (assuming a point-to-point design similar to AMD aka Hypertransport) or a shared memory bus like Intel (and reduced memory throughput per chip)
In short 2xDual is better than 4xSingle.
Re:Dual Core vs. Dual Processor (Score:2)
Re:Dual Core vs. Dual Processor (Score:2)
Testing Doesn't Mean Products (Score:5, Insightful)
What's likely happened is that Apple will get hot under the collar about the way these tools can inadvertantly indicate possible future plans. They used to release WWDC sessions on Quicktime CD's for free (back in 98 or 99). They used to not make developers sign their life away in non-disclosure agreements. They used to allow more access to developer docs, tools, and seeds to the dedicated hobbyist. Now these are all restricted because of leaks that have come from eager fans searching resource forks, out of context remarks, and misunderstood uses as "evidence of Apple's future plans".
If no quad processors are actually in the production pipeline, this rumor will be forgotten. If there is something that has been revealed by the Chud tools, it's more likely that Chud tools will be even more restricted and difficult to get hold of. Slowing down development as developers fear for their jobs for accidentally including a reference to a product they may know nothing about (e.g. Asteroid, a cpu number, a code name, etc.)
It's not like these strings tell you any useful information. Since Apple has a lengthy design, testing and production pipeline all it really says is we might have some new tech in a couple of years if it seems like a good marketing move. There's no pricing, case design, release dates, or anything marketing related in these leaks. In fact, since Apple is strongly dependent on a suprising and innovative marketing aura these leaks and speculations probably worsen that marketability.
One other example: the rumors sites have seen some "evidence" in seed releases that Apple will be making a push to release OS X on x86 chips. That may be the case, but more than likely they're confusing efforts to make a Window's user's transition to a Mac easier as "evidence" that Apple is moving to x86. All that happens is that OS X users will be disappointed that future releases don't run on the x86 line as their speculative "evidence" promised.
Get over the obsession with the rumors; you're only setting youreself up for disappointment.
Quads probably won't be desktops... (Score:2, Interesting)
Really, these two features are the last things keeping Xserves out of my datacenter... (Our corporate IT policy is that all servers have dual-PS.) You can't imagine how much it sucks to have the Macs for the design team saving data to Windows servers, because Microsoft's AFP implementation blows, and so does Apple's SMB implementation. I know you can't see, but I'm doing the happy dance now.
Re:Quads probably won't be desktops... (Score:3, Interesting)
Number of power supplies I've had to replace: 0.
Excluding perfectly good servers because they don't have a particular feature that's needed so seldom the odds have to be discussed using scientific notation: stupid.
Push for threaded apps? (Score:2)
Yah .. so? everyone is doing it. (Score:2)
I don't understand why a rumor about yet another chip going dual core is news. It makes a LOT of sense. Multi-processor machines are more responsive, apps that need the speed are designed (generally) to utilize multiple processors and a dual core processor provides the benefits
So where's the OS? (Score:4, Insightful)
This is about Apple's diagnostic and performance tools supporting more than 2 CPU cores. The implication is, whatever prototypes Apple's working on needs these tools *right now.*
Further, Apple is not much of a server vendor. XServe is great, sure, but it's not how Apple makes its money. You can bet that, if Apple's going 4-way, it's going to have 4-way desktops or workstations.
Windows XP, on the other hand, does not yet support more than two logical CPUs. So any dual-core chip used on an XP box would be by itself...a two-way box. 4-way or larger Windows boxes would have to run Server 2003. Windows Server is not usually blessed for use on personal machines. (Though plenty of people do it.)
So what's the point? The point is, four cores on your desk, not in your closet.
quadra, performa, and now... (Score:2)
That sound you hear... (Score:4, Insightful)
You have to do a click-through NDA just to get the -current- version ( 4.0.1 ) of the CHUD tools, I don't want to think about where this guy got his clearly pre-release copy of CHUD 4.1.0.
Are there sites that show off pre-release Microsoft software covered by NDAs? Where can you get the unannounced plans for Intel's next big thing? Why is it that people don't expect Apple to sue their pants off when they report this stuff ??
Don't get me wrong, I'm big on freedom of speech, press, and just about anything else, but... if it was my company whose not-publicly-announced-plans were being outed all over the internet, I'd be pissed, and probably suing, if just to find the source of the leak and fire someone.
Clearly, Apple's not going to make too big a deal out of this, since it's info in an app that anyone can download ( after creating a free account [apple.com] and clicking past an NDA ) , but still... I certainly wouldn't put this kind of stuff up on *my* website without a sure way to keep the lawyers at bay. On the other hand, since the noted version isn't actually available _yet_, they might sue... maybe it wasn't going to go out until after Apple announced quad-processor plans. Given Apple's recent lawsuits ( and court victories ) in this area, I'd think people would be a *little* more careful what they blog, but I guess not. Eug looks pretty annon, I don't know what you have to do to get an EverythingApple blog going, maybe he feels that Apple just can't get to him. For his sake, I hope he's right.
In any event, it'll be interesting to see how long AnythingApple can keep this page up, and I am definitely keeping my eye out for a new CHUD update...
quad G5s?? Damn, I almost forgot to drool about that !! 64-bit number-crunching goodness!!
Re:That sound you hear... (Score:3, Informative)
Um no CHUD tools are not under NDA... it is a freely and publicly available tool from Apple's developer site.
See Apple's Performance Tool Page [apple.com] for the link.
Or just download it from the FTP site [apple.com].
Nothing presents any NDA when installing it either, in fact my already installed version of CHUD prompted me to download the u
might be on to something after all ... (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe those multi-CPU tabs were NOT supposed to be seen after all
Re:How many CPUs are in a dual-core CPU? (Score:2)
Re:How many CPUs are in a dual-core CPU? (Score:5, Informative)
One CPU is always one CPU. A dual core die is two CPUs both in software in hardware. In this context, a CPU is a processor is a core. So they are talking about discovering the ability of the software to handle four processors. That could mean a single quade-core (unlikely), two dual-core CPUs, or four CPUs on four dies (also unlikely).
When you mix hyperthreading in, that gets tricky because then it is a single CPU represented as two CPUs to the OS. The pipeline of a G5 is not designed in a way that would benefit much from hyperthreading, so that will probably be left to Pentium IV processors for now.
Re:How many CPUs are in a dual-core CPU? (Score:5, Informative)
The G5 does have the longest pipeline of any PowerPC processor, but it is still short enough that "bubbles" are rarer and not the enormous penalty that they are on the Pentium. Therefore Hyperthreading is neither needed, nor would it be beneficial.
Saying that the G5 is not designed to benefit from pipelining is misleading.
Re:New Notebooks? (Score:3, Informative)
What you want is a PowerBook that uses the freescale MPC8641D CPU. It's the heart of a dual-core G4 but it's got the memory controller built onto the CPU, which solves the age-old problem of the G4 being bandwidth-starved.
A bona-fide G5 portable would have to be horribly underclocked, and it would be a square peg in a round hol