“Freescale – Motorola’s soon-to-be-spun-off chip division – [is] set to detail their… dual-core processor designs this autumn, Tony Smith reports for The Register. “Freescale’s dual-core PowerPC is expected to sport an on-board memory controller, this one capable of supporting DDR 2 SDRAM, along with a Gigabit Ethernet controller. It is also expected to use the Rapid IO bus, according to past Motorola pronouncements, though MPX bus support is also anticipated to maintain backward compatibility. The dual-core PowerPC may also mark the next major leap in Mac notebook G4 processors before Apple gets G5 chips from IBM that are capable of integration into a top-spec portable computer.”
Full article here.
Does this feel like laptop G5 feet dragging? I mean, you gotta do what cha gotta do, but, come on! Someone’s droppin da ball here…
Next laptop update will sport upgraded G4s, not a G5.
The laptop G5 announcement might not the light before end 2005.
It is called physics. The wall is approaching and everyone is running around getting creative.
It’s good to see MOT/Freescale getting serious about competing on the processor front again. If another faster G4 gets put in our notebooks instead of a G5 that isn’t suited, I’m happy. G4 is a decent core, once the terrible bus speeds are fixed it’ll look pretty again.
I also think it’s called economics.
Apple has constantly said the G5 laptop wouldn’t be ready this year. Why don’t you whiners pay attention? With IBMs troubles getting current G5 chips made an updated G4 isn’t necessarily a step backward. How much speed do you scientists need for all you extensive computations? With the PC press raving about Apple laptops, it’s only the continued drone of supposed Mac fans that is negative. Geez what a bunch of……
If it is not 64 bit then nobody wants that.
a dualcore or just dual G4 powerbook is just what I need for my music work.
One guy from Finland,
Very few software programs now available take advantage of 64 bits. Unless software is optimized for it then it doesn’t matter. Check your software library and tell us which programs you use are 64 bit specific…. Probably none. Hell, Panther isn’t optimized for 64 bit, that won’t happen until Tiger.
There won’t be any PB G5s anytime soon, so no use continuing to live in a fantasy world. Like it or not, G5 processors are just too damn power hungry and hot for the mobile environment. A dual core G4 might well be the future as that would translate over much better to a notebook. Intel has learned this the hard way when trying to put desktop processors in notebook machines so they introduced the Pentium M. Apple is going to have to be creative as well because the days of slapping desktop processors in notebooks computers is slowly going away. Unless you want an 11 pound behemoth notebook anyway…
sounds good to me!
While Intel had to slice and dice up their CPU (creating the Pentium M) to squeeze it into a laptop, Apple will be able to take their CPU, DOUBLE IT, and still make it fit rather easily. The performance difference will be huge, and Intel will have no way to counter it.
But if you need G5 portability, the Mac G5s do have handles on the top.
It looks like the iPod Motorola cell phone deal is already paying dividends!
Until the G5 runs cool enough to scrap the hi-tech liquid cooling system, we won’t see it in a laptop.
I’d buy one, and like it too. Desktop for power and laptop for versatility, that’s what I do (and i know, not everyone can have that luxury). But think about it, do you really want a G5 in a laptop before the common use of fuel-cell batteries? Li-ions are great, but they wont cut it soon.
JB (and others complaining about G5 Power/Heat),
A dual core G4 will consume ~2x as much power and generate ~2x as much heat as a single core G4. At this point, you have the same Power/Heat problem as the G5.
I don’t think my laptop could handle anymore heat, with one 1.5 the thing cooks. Having two processors, hmmm… I could heat my house, keep my coffee hot.?
I don’t think my laptop could handle anymore heat, with one 1.5 the thing cooks. Having two processors, hmmm… I could heat my house, keep my coffee hot.?
My Question is whether Moto can get the FSB above 167 mhz, thats what kill G4s. If they sported 400 mhzs, it would be a perfect laptop chop. Especially since Apple laptop sales are huge now maybe Moto will put some time into making them better.
“A dual core G4 will consume ~2x as much power and generate ~2x as much heat as a single core G4. At this point, you have the same Power/Heat problem as the G5.”
David,
One word: nope. The dual-core G4 will be fabbed using the 90nm process, and according to the G4 roadmap from June 2003 will feature “25W of power dissipation at 1.5GHz. By contrast, the upcoming 7457 dissipates 30W at 1.4GHz.”
Do the math. That’s 5W less than a slower-running single-core chip, not twice as much. I’ve said before that in my opinion we won’t see the G5 in a portable any time soon, and that improved G4’s make a lot more sense.
hmmmm… shoulda coulda woulda.
Why the **%&$#% didn’t they do this 2 years ago (at least)!!
Do agree tho – need faster buses.
AMD is already developing Mobile Athlon 64 chips for laptops. Where are IBM’s mobile, low power G5 chips?
“Until the G5 runs cool enough to scrap the hi-tech liquid cooling system, we won’t see it in a laptop.”
Has anyone noticed the distance between the fans and the heat sinks in the G5 towers? In typical PCs, the fan sits right on top of the heat sink. But in the G5, there are a couple of inches clearance. Why is that? I would think that putting the fan closer to the heat sink would provide better cooling.
‘Has anyone noticed the distance between the fans…’
You would wouldn’t you but then that is probably why we arn’t engineers I suspect. When the first propellors were produced for ships they were like archimedes screws, cos surely the more screw area the more efficiency yes?. No, it was only when one of these screws broke that its inventor discovered that the boat went faster, it was markedly more efficient with half the screw area per shaft. I suspect similar complex mathmatical factors may be at work here. Or they may have drilled the screw holes in the wrong place I suppose.
The wall is… Well how about being ABLE TO ADD as many G4, g5, Processors AS YOU WANT? Add them thru the pci-x slots. What can third parties do? What is the limitation of the OS? Both Atari, and Commodore had systems where you could add as many as 17 cpu’s to the system! Can I do this NOW? The transputer concept used other types of cpu’s, but so what? EACH BOARD had 4 cpu’s on it, AND you could ADD as many as 4 boards. Can I do this NOW? NO!! If you ADDED the 4 boards THAT’s 17 cpu’s. That was THEN, this is NOW. 17 cpu’s even at 1 GHZ is 17 GHZ total processing power! Anyone?