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PowerMac G5: World's Fastest Desktop Computer

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Doctor Q:

The era of the "megahertz myth" is clearly over. But now we have the same thing as the "gigahertz myth". We still have an uphill battle to convince casual shoppers that a dual 2GHz G5 really is faster than a 3GHz Pentium.
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In selected benchmarks. Also, when speaking about mhz vs ghz, the difference is 1000, not 1024. 1024 only applies to binary-based things like memory.

ejb190:

I was looking at the speed comparisons posted on the Apple's G5 page. They are showing how the Dual 2 GHz is faster than the current top of the line single processor Intel and ADM offerings.
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They brought a dual 3.06ghz Xeon over to play too. :)
 
Originally posted by Wonder Boy
2 things-

1. are they 970's or not

2. what the hell is a g6? didnt we wait long enough for the g5?
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1. Yes, it's the 970. Apple's calling it the G5 because it fits with the existing name scheme and because the specific chip (i.e. 970, 980) will change more frequently than Apple wants to change the name.

The 980 should come out some time next year. Apple doesn't want to have to call that something else. They'll just call it the Dual-Core G5, or something like that (assuming Apple even uses the 980).

2. That person was probably talking about the 980, or some other successor to the 970.
 
Okay, I'm not good at math, but
166MHz * 1.60 = 265.6 MHz.
166MHz * 6.02 = 999.3 MHz.
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LOL ..that's an understatement.


Midrange is nice. High end is nice. Low End is poor.

2 Drive Bays seems fine to me. HD are so big nowadays using more than 2 drives is not a good idea internally. No need to stress the PS when you can just toss in a new drive at double the capacity.

One optical drive. Kinda sucks but DVD Burners are taking over and their decent for CD Burning as well. Might as well save the space.

Panther. Nice features. I honestly expected more but I don't think Apple has showed it's full hand.
 
Re: Re: Nice. Very Nice.

Originally posted by Flowbee
You have to add memory in pairs??
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Yep...

This should confuse the average user. :p

Along with having to take the fans out to access the memory slots.
 
Originally posted by ejb190
I was looking at the speed comparisons posted on the Apple's G5 page. They are showing how the Dual 2 GHz is faster than the current top of the line single processor Intel and ADM offerings.

I always cringe when I see things like this. Part of the story is always left behind. But alas, that's marketing!

But I wonder what happens to those results when you use a dual Intel or ADM chip or a single G5.

"First gather your facts, then contort them at your leisure." - Mark Twain
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happy to say your wrong mofo :D their comparing to a single pentium cause they suck and only make single processors....so apple took their best and reemed them....then, next they called up the DUAL (not single) Xeon and crushed that just for fun :D

ok ok, i'll stop, it was just so much fun to be able to say that....:)
 
Originally posted by pyrotoaster
It looks fantastic. Apple really didn't disappoint us with this. The machine is uberpowerful and actually reasonably priced (shocking!).

That said, it looks like August isn't an incredibly realistic release month. At the Apple Store Woodfield they read a memo from Cupertino stating the G5s would arrive some time in September.

It's still an amazing machine, though...
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I was there too!!! It was awesome :)
BTW, I thought that early September was the date they were expecting machines available at that store, not the date they will be shipping. I could be wrong though!
 
Originally posted by ejb190
I was looking at the speed comparisons posted on the Apple's G5 page. They are showing how the Dual 2 GHz is faster than the current top of the line single processor Intel and ADM offerings.

I always cringe when I see things like this. Part of the story is always left behind. But alas, that's marketing!

But I wonder what happens to those results when you use a dual Intel or ADM chip or a single G5.

"First gather your facts, then contort them at your leisure." - Mark Twain
Click to expand...

Dual AMDs or Intels are rare indeed, and mostly servers or ultra high end workstations. The PowerMac G5 is a machine for a much broader market. Ergo, the dual G5 vs. single P4 (the most common iteration of the P4 by far) is a fair comparison. If Dell, for example, were to put out a line of Dimension desktops with dual processors as a regular option, and they were a significant part of the model line, then dual P4 comparos would be warranted.
 
Looks cool and after Keynote and no PB it looks even better !!

I can imagine what we will see in New York Keynote next month ...

All Power Books move to G5 ? Range 1,2 - 1,4 GHz ?

I think yes

PB 15" -- nearly a year no update !!!
PB 12 & 17" over 6 Months ! so need a update or speed bump !

But I think we wil lsee all this model Speed Bumped !

And on MWSF04 we will see biggest SHOW ever I think PB moving to G5 updated Speed bumped G5 PM and till May next year at the latest we will see all Apple Product running on G5 IBM Processors !! Range from 1,2 --- to 3 GHz
So the have so much space in MHz to spot all products with this amazing Chip !


Looks very well the FUTURE i still cant belive !
 
I ordered mine like 45 minutes after the end of the keynote. I had to get one...I just couldn't wait....I've got college coming up....so I thought "why the hell not", and I ordered the top of the line machine. Yup, I'm going to college with a dual 2 ghz G5 :)

The cost was a bit steep for me....but I think I'll be able to handle it. ($3269.25, this was with student discount, tax, and applecare protection plan)

I wish August was here already!
 
Well some of the rumors where correct, it looks like they have a nice machine on their hands. It is a to bad though that they couldn't keep the price on the lower end under control. It is also a shame that this much CPU power is going to be throttled by a cheap graphics card at the low end. It would have been nice if the midrange was a dual processor model also. The aluminum handles do look a bit flimsy.

That being said it looks like Apple has an excellent base to grow the machine on. I do hope that the in depth hardware reviews are out before the machines are into general circulation. One thing I'd be interested in is if the 8GB ram limit is just for advertising purposes, that is are these machines expandable beyond that if new ram impelementations make it to market. But for me I think I can get by with 8GB capacity for awhile ;). In the mean time maybe I can accumulate a bit of OT to pay for one of these babies.
 
So much for for boxes being at Apple stores marked with signs not to open..... Oh well, I guess August isn't too far away.... Also, the statement that they wil be 3.0 Ghz in 12 months makes me wonder if we will see more frequent updates to the PowerMac line....

Maybe they could do this:
1.8, 2.0 and dual 2.2's in January.
2.0, 2.2 and dual 2.4's in April

and so on.... that would rule. I would love to see mor frequent updates.
 
I sure hope Apple doesn't screw people on the release date though. I would imagine there are several students/teachers/admins for schools who would really like to be able to have these for the school year.

Oh well, at least Xmas sales should be brisk, 'specially if they get one (or two) of those chips in a laptop. Imagine a 17" laptop that could compete with a high end PC desktop.... I want santa to put one of those under my tree!:D
 
This is great. I am so tempted to upgrade my dual ghz to a 2ghz dp machine!! I am a little worried that if I buy a machine now + then another Ghz is added within a year I will want a 3Ghz machine!!!!
 
Re: A Step Backwards in Expandability

Originally posted by mustang_dvs
Okay, I posted this in the Keynote thread, but as no one has thus far said anything to this effect and I feel it is an important point for discussion, I am posting it in this thread, as well.

I really could care less about the looks of the G5 (though I question the ergonomics of getting rid of the mobo hinge) -- what bothers me is the apparently cramped confines of the interior, which limits us to 1 optical drive and two hard drives, according to Apple's PowerMac 'Expandability' webpage.

Also, it appears that it may be a bit difficult to run cables from PCI cards (e.g., SCSI or ATA expansion buses) into the small hard drive bay.

I just don't understand why Apple decided to take a significant step backwards, especially since PowerMacs have been designed to easily handle more than 2 hard drives since the revision B Blue & White's.
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This is the exact complaint I have. It's ridiculous to have all this power and not have a case designed intelligently to expand.

This case is a whole 4 inches taller than the current G4. How come we just lost an optical drive plus 2 hard drives? I don't understand it. I love the fact my current G4 has 2 optical drives. And I know some people still use zip drives. How about an option for that second drive? Or to keep the same amount of hard drives in this larger enclosures?

Also, why only 1 Firewire 400 port on the back? Jobs mentioned that the iSight only needed a firewire port. Hey, don't you think we'll have more than 1 firewire device (not counting the front port which I would hate to have something permanent plugged into)? That means we'll all have to invest in Firewire Hubs. Plain silly! Since PC's come with 8 USB 2.0 slots. If Apple would have created 8 Firewire slots, I bet more of us would be inclined to purchase more Firewire equipment.

Anyway, the more I read up on the specs, the more disappointed I'm feeling. I think I'll just wait for the Powerbook G5.

Panther did blow me away though!
 
Ugliest damn machine I have seen. Guess I'm going to start hiding my Mac (something I have never done) because it goes without saying that the performance outweighs the design. Still, what were they thinking? Ventilation, of course. Could have been better, though.

Dan
 
I have been dancing around my house...I made a cake in celebration with G5 written in white frosting...(yes this is true...yes I am that strange) I have informed my Peecee loving friends and they don't believe it...they refuse to believe it. They think that the SPEC scores are fakes etc etc etc. I refered them to Slashdot, and they STILL are in awe. I can't wait to play with one of these puppies :) What a great day :)
 
Oh, since i'm venting, the 8gigs of RAM is awesome. However, it'll still set you back $3700. I would have rather used that real estate in the computer for additional drives. I mean 4 gigs of RAM would have equally been impressive; and yet still out of reach in terms of price.

Also, why did Jobs hype the mediocre Nvidia and ATI cards? Those aren't the best out there. At least the Apple Store has an option to choose the ATI 9800 Pro for $300 more. That card should have been standard. 128mb vs. 64mb makes a huge difference in graphics cards.
 
Steradian:

Don't get too excited about SPEC scores. Notice Apple did not invite an Opteron? :) Thats cause Apple would have lost.
 
Originally posted by ejb190
I was looking at the speed comparisons posted on the Apple's G5 page. They are showing how the Dual 2 GHz is faster than the current top of the line single processor Intel and ADM offerings.

I always cringe when I see things like this. Part of the story is always left behind. But alas, that's marketing!

But I wonder what happens to those results when you use a dual Intel or ADM chip or a single G5.

"First gather your facts, then contort them at your leisure." - Mark Twain
Click to expand...


Well he did do a demo with Single and Dual Processor PCs. The half that's misleading is that the Single Processor P4 beat the Single Processor G5 in the tests he showed. That's why they're comparing Dual Processors cause of the system is optimized for the dual processors.

Which means nobody should be purchasing a single processor G5. Those specs weren't impressive at all.
 
Pix

Anyone else notice that the pix of the g5 all look like 3-d renders, not actual photos? What the...? Also, what IS in those purported boxes at the Apple stores that said "don't open until June 23"?
 
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