“Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday announced three new dual-processor Power Mac G5 configurations, with the fastest model topping out at 2.5GHz. The new high-end systems miss the 3GHz mark that Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the company would achieve at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, but Tom Boger, Apple’s Director of Power Mac Product Marketing said it came down to a technology challenge that was bigger than they expected. Boger also said today that users shouldn’t expect to see a PowerBook G5 before the end of the year because of the challenges of putting the G5 in a small enclosure,” Jim Dalrymple and Peter Cohen report for MacCentral.
“Anyone that has seen the heatsink from a Power Mac G5 knows that it would not fit in a portable computer. This is the challenge that faces Apple as it tries to move its pro product line to the new fast processor technology,” Dalrymple and Cohen report. “‘I think it’s important to realize that the technical challenges are not trivial putting that G5 in a PowerBook or anything else and not to expect a G5 anytime soon in a PowerBook — certainly not before the end of the year,’ said Boger.
“Apple CEO Steve Jobs, at last year’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference, …excited the crowd when he said that Apple would release a 3GHz model within a year — with two weeks to go before that deadline, Boger said Apple will not meet the 3GHz promise,” Dalrymple and Cohen report. “‘It’s actually quite simple,’ said Boger. ‘When we made that prediction, we just didn’t realize the challenges moving to 90 nanometer would present. It turned out to be a much bigger challenge than anyone expected. All-in-all, no we are not getting to 3GHz anytime soon, but what we are announcing today is a very significant upgrade in performance and it’s something that our customers will be very happy with.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Get ’em while they’re hot, folks. You won’t be knocked off the top of the performance heap for awhile, so now’s the time to buy if you’ve been waiting and hoping. Today’s PowerBook G4 and Power Mac G5 (July for top-of-the-line model) are going to be Apple’s flagship portable and desktop Macs for awhile, so now’s the time to buy.
If they can’t release 3GHz x 2 then why not 2GHz x 3? Or would this be no faster than 2 x 2.5GHz? Steve? Are you there?
Quad 1.8GHz?
<irony>This simply isn’t good enough! We were promised 3Ghz, and 3GHz is what we should have. I think this Jobs fellow should be publicly flogged and then keelhauled from Larry Ellison’s yacht for deliberately lying to us, the Macintosh faithful.
And then after the flogging and the keelhauling, he should be immersed in a vat of margarita mix before being rolled in salt, whilst being forced to listen to Ricky Martin albums.
That’ll teach him�</irony>
Dual 2.5GHz in Oz says, “Subject to agency approval.” Anyone have a clue what that means?
Long arms of the CIA?
One problem for Apple is they make their products just too darn good. I am on a 667 Tibook and although I would love to have a G4 Albook that would lock me into 32 bit for the next several years. The Tibook runs all the latest greatest software great (except maybe a game or two but I am not a big gamer) and so I will have no problem gutting it out until the G5 comes along. Sorry Apple, I really really really want to give you some more of my money so please please please hurry on the G5 laptop.
My G4 is doing just fine for right now, so I’m in no rush for a G5, therefore I don’t care if whether they’re at 2.5 or 3 GHz right now or not. I’ll spend the money on a new Mac once the one I have is no longer able to run the newest version of OS X and other apps efficiently. Therefore there is no point for me to worry about what the fastest Mac available today is. I’m sure the majority of Mac users fall into that same group too.
Even though I don’t need a G5 to make it with the ladies, it does get them all extra-excited when they see one in my bedroom. Oh, yeah!
I’ll wait for Steve to make the announcement, one way or the other, at the WWDC in a few weeks. A quad, liquid-cooled 2.0 Ghz (Mac and Xserve, an 8.5 Ghz equiv), would pretty much knock every manufacturer out of the race. Place a bank of 1,100 of those in your college running Tiger, and the word “Roar” will have to be redefined.
…and NOT ONE VIRUS to make this kitty cough!!
just when you thought the mhz myth was dead.. thurrot thinks his new 12″ PB laptop is a wimp compared to a 1.8Ghz Dell..
is that relevant? yes..
dual 2.5 g5 is incredibly fast people!!!
I agree with ScottB. I have a rainy day fund for a powerbook G5. I’m ready to buy, and while I can buy the top of the line powerbook G4, it just isn’t what I want for the next 3-4 years.
So I’ll run mine – powerbook G4 400 mhz — until (a) it can’t run the latest version of any mainstream app or until (b) it falls apart. And then I’ll make an informed decision based on what’s available.
And to Studly …. You don’t need a G5. Just an iSight. Women love those things.
Ordered my PB today. maxed specs. It will fit me for a long time (that is till PB G5 comes
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> )
I bought my PowerBook G4 1 gig just over a year ago – great to see it is still near the top of the performance table. I dont think my bank account could handle a G5 PB right now. Next year maybee yes!
Quad G5 at WWDC. What do ya think all that empty space in the G5 box is for?
if I wanted to upgrade now, I’d get the dual 1.8 – man that is a ton of power for the money. I currently have the D2Ghz and it is sickenly fast, I can’t imagine the D1.8Ghz is that much slower, and for $1000 less than what the D2Ghz was last week, that’s a hell of a bargain…
If only the dual 1.8GHz were based upon the same architecture as the dual 2.0GHz! Why did they have to carry the old low-end architecture through to this update release?
MDN: “Get ’em while they’re hot, folks.”
Is that a pun?
Why! does! Thurrott! put! exclamation! marks! after! every! sentence! on! his! crappy! “SuperSite!” for! Windows!
Thur-idiot is a complete tosser, he even has the audacity to say he treats Apple and Micro$oft the same. Yeh, right Paul.
God I want to punch him so badly, and take his Macs off him because he is without a doubt the biggest tosser the world has ever seen.
2004 will be the year that goes down in history for Stevie. I’ll bet you won’t be able to see a documentary on Stevie that does not mention his future telling flubs. Poor rich man…with a jet.
Not doing anything until I’m under the influence of Steve’s RDF … just in case.
WWDC is after few weeks. I am still not going to buy anything before it.
Can some one please tell me how does the chip on the 2.5 GHz machine differs from the one on the 2.0 GHz?. Disregarding the liquid cooling feature. Thanks.
Tango, it’s about 500Mhz faster than the 2.0. just so you know
It’s so funny to hear all this whining! I have a dual 2.0 G5 and it is screamingly fast and amzingly stable. However, I am old enough to remember getting a brand new Quadra 650 with a blazing 40 Mhz processor. Yes, that’s Mhz not Ghz!
Stop complaining and buy a new G5 so my stock will go up.
For the first time, in a long time, Apple is only 700mhz away from the top PC processor. Even though the design and functionality of the 2 are Completely different it is still enough to catch the eyes of the PC world. Try getting a dual 3.2 ghz loaded gaming system. Now let’s try and compare prices. There is over a $500 dollar difference in the dual 2.5ghz G5 (which the cheaper model) vs. the 3.2ghz dual xon. It won’t be long apple is tops on all aspects. Largest bus speeds, fastest cpu, most ram, and the list goes on and on…