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Radeon HD 3870 for Mac coming end of May

Since AMD(ATI) has been doing so poorly, against Intel & Nvidia, I cannot imagine that delay tactics work in their interest.


From a business standpoint, releasing it when it is ready is # 1.


They could just make a big show at WWDC, after the fact.


Everyday that they delay, if that is the case, is one more day that users purchase the 8800GT. [ Those that are not aware of ATI's work on the 3870 ]


So, either it isn't ready or they are stupid for waiting.


I honestly have no idea which it is :confused:
 
just because it wasn't announced at the most boring keynote in the history of keynotes doesn't mean it won't be announced at WWDC. It's just the sort of thing they could release once all the dust has settled around the iPod announcement. Perhaps Wednesday?
 
yeroen said:
Maybe they'll give us the 4870, FireGL, together with a GPGU stream processing API.

Then again, maybe not.
Click to expand...

As badly as I want those, I'm thinking probably not. It's no longer Apple Computer. No headless macs, no non-glossy imacs, limited choices of video cards, no blu-ray, no $600-$800 mid range laptops, un-updated minis and ACDs for years. Seems I picked a bad time to switch, when computers are not the prime focus. I applaud Apple's, but it's sad to see the computers become the redheaded stepchild after such a glorious history.
 
Bubba Satori said:
As badly as I want those, I'm thinking probably not. It's no longer Apple Computer. No headless macs, no non-glossy imacs, limited choices of video cards, no blu-ray, no $600-$800 mid range laptops, un-updated minis and ACDs for years. Seems I picked a bad time to switch, when computers are not the prime focus. I applaud Apple's, but it's sad to see the computers become the redheaded stepchild after such a glorious history.
Click to expand...

Blame it all on the iPhone.
I sometimes wish Apple hasn't made the iPhone because it looks like they lost a lot of interest in their computer stuff. :rolleyes:
 
kabunaru said:
Blame it all on the iPhone.
I sometimes wish Apple hasn't made the iPhone because it looks like they lost a lot of interest in their computer stuff. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I can't complain. I love the Mac Pro.
I look at it this way, as long as iPhone is making money for Apple, then Apple is happy and I'm happy.:)
 
kabunaru said:
Blame it all on the iPhone.
I sometimes wish Apple hasn't made the iPhone because it looks like they lost a lot of interest in their computer stuff. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

The iPod-->iPhone trend seemed to divert a lot of Apple's attention; however, they may be looking at it as customers gained for their computers.

The iPhone just got a lot more affordable (for the first time I'm actually considering getting one), has plenty of mass-appeal new features, AND the integration/sync with their computer counterparts is the greatest it's been.

The iPhone was an industry breakthrough in "coolness" but not revolutionary for Apple as a company. NOW it can really penetrate the market, build its iPhone base (all those people that couldn't afford an iPhone before and all the people who couldn't justify the price of an iPod for its limited-by-comparison functionality), and convince all of them that their Mac OS X is just as innovative and user-friendly as the "iPhone OS X" as Apple called it.

This could be the case. I don't know if it was the plan, but hopefully it will turn things back towards the computers.

All the same, when will they announce the HD 3870 ALREADY!!!! You're killing me Apple!
 
So am I to understand that NVidia writes the Mac video card drivers? I thought it was Apple, or at least collaborative.
 
Bubba Satori said:
As badly as I want those, I'm thinking probably not. It's no longer Apple Computer. No headless macs, no non-glossy imacs, limited choices of video cards, no blu-ray, no $600-$800 mid range laptops, un-updated minis and ACDs for years. Seems I picked a bad time to switch, when computers are not the prime focus. I applaud Apple's, but it's sad to see the computers become the redheaded stepchild after such a glorious history.
Click to expand...

During what time period in Apple's history did they embody most of the qualities you're talking about..?

When did they ever have a $6-800 lappy? Macs are the cheapest they've ever been by far.... the first PowerBook G3 (running on the old architecture- 50 MHz bus, EDO RAM, not 66 MHz/SDRAM- cost what.... $4999?

They've never been quick (or cheap) about upgrading their display lines... remember how much the original "HUGE!" 22" Apple Cinema Display cost? $3999! For something like 1600x1024 res?

And Apple's choice of video cards has always been limited. There was a time the only kind you could get was ATI... and by ATI, I mean a Rage IIc or a Rage Pro... later a Rage 128, then finally we got 3dfx and ATI.. and of course 3dfx went out of business, lol.

I agree with you the options aren't great... and the Mac Mini hasn't been updated in forever, but you picked pretty much the best time you could have as far as I can tell, especially when it comes to the way they're updating their OSes.

As for Blu-Ray, well, Apple's always been something of a latecomer to technology shifts... think PCI, ATA, SATA, AGP, PCI-E, etc. I've heard they've said they're not going to do it, but then, you have to take everything Apple says with a grain of salt.. possibly block of salt. Half the time they make an absolute statement like that it's completely untrue by the next year. ;)

I hear you on the iPod/iPhone thing, though...

Anyway, it's not so bad as it seems :D
 
I'm glad i bought my 8800gt now. I would be so angry right now if i had of kept waiting for the 3870. I agree with others in that they should just scrap the 3870 plans now and focus on getting a mac 4870 out. They missed the boat on the former.
 
Rankrotten said:
There has never been any official announcement from Apple or ATI regarding 3870 cards.
Click to expand...

Indeed, this pernicious rumor was begun by two sites: Barefeats and xlr8yourmac.com. This story was then reprinted by other websites, many often quoting directly from Barefeats. I suspect that this has had the effect of driving a lot of traffic to these two sites. In the end, I doubt there will be any new card for the MacPro. As others have noted, Apple only introduces new graphics card with the release of a new model of the MacPro. Now that the WWDC has ended, I think that is a moment to reflect on the circulation of "Mac rumors" and to call out those who spread them.
 
zmttoxics said:
It's different for OS X though. You have to keep in track the time lines. ATI has been doing video cards for Mac and Sun based computers for years (yes, a lot of those old ultras and blades have ATI video cards in them). They are very capable of making drivers for those platforms...
Click to expand...

Ah, I see, thanks for the explanation :)
 
H00NER said:
Indeed, this pernicious rumor was begun by two sites: Barefeats and xlr8yourmac.com. This story was then reprinted by other websites, many often quoting directly from Barefeats. I suspect that this has had the effect of driving a lot of traffic to these two sites. In the end, I doubt there will be any new card for the MacPro. As others have noted, Apple only introduces new graphics card with the release of a new model of the MacPro. Now that the WWDC has ended, I think that is a moment to reflect on the circulation of "Mac rumors" and to call out those who spread them.
Click to expand...
I thought everyone knew that "coming end of May" is marketing speak for "shipping by the end of June". That's how it always works. It's coming. Just give it a couple more weeks. Also, it's not Apple releasing a new graphics card. This will be a retail card from AMD/ATI.
 
H00NER said:
Indeed, this pernicious rumor was begun by two sites: Barefeats and xlr8yourmac.com. This story was then reprinted by other websites, many often quoting directly from Barefeats. I suspect that this has had the effect of driving a lot of traffic to these two sites. In the end, I doubt there will be any new card for the MacPro. As others have noted, Apple only introduces new graphics card with the release of a new model of the MacPro. Now that the WWDC has ended, I think that is a moment to reflect on the circulation of "Mac rumors" and to call out those who spread them.
Click to expand...

I don't agree.
Barefeats and xlr8yourmac are both very respectable sites. They don't need this kind of "traffic-generating-fud", and I'm pretty sure Barefeats really was informed that ATi would make a Mac verison of the 3870.
ATi have made retail cards for the Mac before without them being introduced in new Macs.
Cards like the 8500 AGP, 9200 PCI, 9800 Pro, X800 XT are all aftermarket retail cards, with excellent driver support and fun extra features like TV-out and 3D add-ons for games.
It wouldn't surprise me that the 3870 is promised, but (as usual) delayed...

EDIT:
Cheers, yeroen and kabunaru :)
 
H00NER said:
Indeed, this pernicious rumor was begun by two sites: Barefeats and xlr8yourmac.com. This story was then reprinted by other websites, many often quoting directly from Barefeats. I suspect that this has had the effect of driving a lot of traffic to these two sites. In the end, I doubt there will be any new card for the MacPro. As others have noted, Apple only introduces new graphics card with the release of a new model of the MacPro. Now that the WWDC has ended, I think that is a moment to reflect on the circulation of "Mac rumors" and to call out those who spread them.
Click to expand...

That's really paranoid dude.

Also: you're wrong.
 
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