Apple may begin is a new, dual-core version of the chip that will be available in systems in early 2006, just before Apple said it would deliver its first Intel-Macs (by June 2006).
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OK, from now on, we no longer say "snappy"
we say, "freakin' fast!"
Maybe this switch won't be such a bad thing after all. ;)
is during this transition period. The first Macs with Intel chips inside them will be buggy and initial apps written for it will likely have performance problems. Makes more sense to buy the most powerful PPC Macs that you can afford next year and keep them for 3-5 years. By then, Intel Macs will have most of the bugs eliminated and apps written for it will be optimized and you can switch more smoothly.
OSX and iLife would've had more than 5 years to be "optimised" for x86 by The Great Transition of 2006. At least no performance issues there, unlike the previous great transition.
Intel Macs will have matured by 2008-2009 and by then, Intel will be producing far more powerful chips than what is available now or next year. Developers like Adobe and Alias will have optimized their apps by then as well. It therefore isn't in our best interests to buy the first Intel Macs that come out. Rather, we should get the very last PPC models that Apple makes because they will be the most matured computers with the most optimized apps written for PowerPC.
Although I don't necessarily agree that the first gen MacTels will be all buggy, I agree that it's prudent to buy the most up to date PPC you can afford over the next year. I bought the 9600 400 when they were clearing them out to make room for the G3's and it's still the single best computer I've ever owned. I was able to completely skip the G3's and wait for the G4's. My dual gigger is getting old now, so I'll pick up the state of the art G5 to smooth the transition around Christmas time.
Then if the new MacTels are compelling enough, I'll sell the G5 to some bitter ender PPC n*** and move on to the brave new world of little endian h***.
Just remember, that from now on all PowerPC software optimizations will stop because everybody would try to jump on Intel bandwagon to convert their apps.
The only problem with buying "the most powerful PPC Macs that you can afford next year " is that the most powerful PPC that I want is still pretty slow. You see I'm a laptop convert, and don't plan on getting a desktop anytime soon. If a 2.13 ghz Pentium is as fast as a 3.6ghz P4 this is a h*** of a leap from my 1.5ghz G4 PB. I say bring on the Mactels (at least for portables)
This is one sweet chip. It's very fast...
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2003
Sweet
Sweeeeet, bring on the new and improved Mactels. I want a mac to supplement my ibook asap