Wait for 64-bit Conroe this July?

[excalibur313]

For a while I had an Athlon 64 and running the beta of the 64 bit version of windows versus 32 bit I noticed significant gains. Internet explorer windows, for example, would just snap right on the screen with the 64 bit version while it would think for a second or two with the 32 bit one.

 

[slb]

The 64-bit increase in speed comes from the extra registers on the chip and increased data bandwidth. The trade-off is increased cache bloat and pointer size. 32-bit code often negates the 64-bit performance advantage when the code is optimized using SSE instructions, which is good for Intel iMacs since the baseline (Core Duo) will always have at least SSE3. Nonetheless, I'm sure hardware makers are going to push for 100% 64-bit eventually.

 

[jhu]

The 64-bit increase in speed comes from the extra registers on the chip and increased data bandwidth. The trade-off is increased cache bloat and pointer size. 32-bit code often negates the 64-bit performance advantage when the code is optimized using SSE instructions, which is good for Intel iMacs since the baseline (Core Duo) will always have at least SSE3. Nonetheless, I'm sure hardware makers are going to push for 100% 64-bit eventually.

except that there are also 8 more xmm registers in 64-bit mode.

 

[~Shard~]

Yeah, as if... Ah whatever, as long as DVDJon cracks the copy protection again I don't care.

Oh, it's just a matter of when, not if.

 

[gnasher729]

I'd be surprised if Apple didn't refresh the iMacs and MacBook Pros with the new Intel processors when they come out. Especially the Merom with its greater power usage enhancements.

Merom won't have any advantage in power consumption compared to Yonah. It will have an advantage in being a 64 bit processor, and doing more instructions per cycle (up to 4 instead of up to 3). So power consumption will _not_ be the reason to switch to Merom, but there will be good reasons.

It also allows Apple to put Yonah into iBooks and have a better chip for Powerbooks

 

[cnakeitaro]

Conroe and Merom

I want Intel to do excellent jobs on Conroe and Merom, but I must say I want them now. Most websites I have read call for a fall release, which is quite far away as I am looking to replace my iBook G3 with a new MacBook Pro 64-bit. The most optimistic timeline I have seem for the intel chips came from geek.com and it was found here.
If this timeline turns out to be accurate, it definitely makes waiting feel like the right choice. Getting a 32-bit processor now, after Apple made the push to 64-bit just seems wrong. Don't get me wrong, it was a great move for apple, to raise sales in a seemingly lagging line of laptops, but I do feel developers might have to pay for it, with being forced to design 32-bit apps for the next few years. Would they even bother making a 64-bit version?

 

[~Shard~]

I want Intel to do excellent jobs on Conroe and Merom, but I must say I want them now. Most websites I have read call for a fall release, which is quite far away as I am looking to replace my iBook G3 with a new MacBook Pro 64-bit. The most optimistic timeline I have seem for the intel chips came from geek.com and it was found here.
If this timeline turns out to be accurate, it definitely makes waiting feel like the right choice. Getting a 32-bit processor now, after Apple made the push to 64-bit just seems wrong. Don't get me wrong, it was a great move for apple, to raise sales in a seemingly lagging line of laptops, but I do feel developers might have to pay for it, with being forced to design 32-bit apps for the next few years. Would they even bother making a 64-bit version?

One could also argue along those lines, that even if you picked up a 64-bit Mac in the fall, what apps would be optimzed/coded for 64 bits anyway? You would just end up running 32 bit apps on your 64 bit machine anyway, negating a lot of the benefits, no? Perhaps I'm missing something.

Optimizing for x86 (universal binaries, etc.) is one thing; 64-bit apps is another, the way I see it.

 

[Diatribe]

One could also argue along those lines, that even if you picked up a 64-bit Mac in the fall, what apps would be optimzed/coded for 64 bits anyway? You would just end up running 32 bit apps on your 64 bit machine anyway, negating a lot of the benefits, no? Perhaps I'm missing something.

Optimizing for x86 (universal binaries, etc.) is one thing; 64-bit apps is another, the way I see it.

Yeah, I think the main reason for wating for Merom is the incredible speed difference this processor will bring over Yonah. If people think Yonah is fast Merom will blow them away.
But besides this there are other things to wait for...
- Ati will introduce their new graphics chip RS600 mid year, which will be capable of decoding HD content
- Fujitsu and the other usual suspects will introduce 200GB 2,5" HD later this year
- First Blu-Ray/HD-DVD drives, maybe even burners (though I doubt that)
- 802.11n used in the Aiport cards

So there is a lot of good stuff coming this year. More than ever before. So if there ever was a good time to wait, it is now.

 

[~Shard~]

Yeah, I think the main reason for wating for Merom is the incredible speed difference this processor will bring over Yonah. If people think Yonah is fast Merom will blow them away.
But besides this there are other things to wait for...
- Ati will introduce their new graphics chip RS600 mid year, which will be capable of decoding HD content
- Fujitsu and the other usual suspects will introduce 200GB 2,5" HD later this year
- First Blu-Ray/HD-DVD drives, maybe even burners (though I doubt that)
- 802.11n used in the Aiport cards

So there is a lot of good stuff coming this year. More than ever before. So if there ever was a good time to wait, it is now.

Excellent summary - it definitely makes me feel better about waiting until 2007 - I'm especially interested in the new ATI cards, the Blu Ray drives and 802.11n.

 

[Neb154]

Blueray + 802.11n + RS600 + Memron + 2.5" 200gb HD + New iBooks + Graduation = My 2007

 

[~Shard~]

Blueray + 802.11n + RS600 + Memron + 2.5" 200gb HD + New iBooks + Graduation = My 2007

What the hell is a "memron"?

 

[steve_hill4]

Blueray + 802.11n + RS600 + Memron + 2.5" 200gb HD + New iBooks + Graduation = My 2007

I'd probably be looking to replace/add to my MacBook around 2008 anyway, so hopefully by that time some will start shipping with Blu-Ray burners, 802.11n etc.

I may look to get one of the first 64-bit dual Core iMacs, but for portables I'm not too concerned about buying a 32-bit machine now, after all, the 32-bit MacBook is replacing the 32-bit PowerBook.

 

[kugino]

anyone else saddened by reading this thread? i mean, here i am, a lifelong mac user, now reading a thread that could be found on any windows forums site. sigh...

 

[FFTT]

Any products you see available right now are going to be seriously leap frogged over the next 6-24 months.

Both AMD and Intel are working of Quad Core chips and Intel's CEO already mentioned 8 cores, so if you can get by with the system you have right now, I would wait.

If you simply MUST buy, then do so very conservatively.