Jump to content

Apple First With 64-bit Processor (g5)


Sip

Recommended Posts

Apple Unveils G5 Computer, Doubles Power

 

Doubles power? hahahaha that's the headline from Reuters! These people are funny ... so catchy!!! "doubles power" :D But I have to say it's a very interesting development with Apple coming out with the first 64-bit processor based PC (IBM G5). Not a very smart move if they are going after the normal home/business PC market but who knows what they are after. I have to say it's very "cool" though.

 

But $3K for a 2GHz G5 PC? Hmmmmmm .... I don't think so. I'll just wait for AMD. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... But a normal home user, still pay the prize to have a Mac, so I don't think that will stop them.

I think a normal home user will continue to do what a normal home user has done for the past decade ... i.e. now go out and pay $600 for a 2.2Ghz PC with a 17" monitor with store shelves FULL of entertainment, multimedia, and game titles and a CD burner than to pay 3x that much for a Mac with very very limited support in the market. I can't believe how cheap PCs are getting these days.

 

Now for very data intensive things like image/video processing, CAD, scientific computing, simulations, etc, a G5 may make sense (after custom software and an operating system has been developed for it). But I don't see any game developers putting any effort to optimize anything for G5 so that means the game market is dead for G5 ... so who else is going to buy it for their home or small office? Especially at 2-3x the price of a regular 32-bit PC?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not many people. But that's also not the "audience" these Macs are targeting, are they?

Probably not ... a 64-bit processor is a serious piece of computing equipment. If you imagine a CPU as being a "pump" for processing and pumping data, a 64-bit processor compared to a regular 32-bit processor (most current ones) is like having a much bigger pump with pipes that are twice as large in diameter ... that means even though the speed with which it can pump (process) is not faster (such as 2 GHz), it can go through a LOT more data due to the much wider width of the "bus".

 

So the problem is, right now, software and operating systems are all written for 32-bit processing. In order to really take advantage of a 64-bit processor, eveything has to be rewritten.

 

But the most obvious benefit would be for very data intensive types of applications ... like video processing ... when you do work on digital video, a lot of data goes though the processor (video requires a lot of data). My gutt feeling is that Apple is going to try to get the desktop video editing market ... much like it had a big share of the desktop publishing and image processing markets a few years back (and still to some extent today).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My gutt feeling is that Apple is going to try to get the desktop video editing market ...

Don't they already run this market? Or are you talking about home users?

 

I was thinking about the entertainment business: isn't that where mainly Macs are used (movies, music etc.)? Surely a new model, faster and more powerful would be beneficial for them. Or not?

 

My brother tends to use both Mac and Microsoft for sound engineering and recording because both have programs that the other doesn't have (or so he claims). But the Mac still has most of the programs and power that my brother needs for his "goals" (:)). I doubt he has the money for a G5 yet (he doesn't even have a G4!), but I'm sure he could do quite a bit with it, more than he could with a regular PC and G3 Mac.

 

God, I almost sound like a pro!! :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...