Alitvec for OS X?

[Abakadoosh]

A while ago, i heard that the new 10.1 update was finnaly suppose to use multi-processors and alitvec (in which case it would be fast enough to run nice on my g4 400), but i have yet to hear/find anything about this. Does anyone else know for sure if the new update(/official release) is going to include Altivec? would be helpful. thanks.

 

[tsmith]

I dont think the voting otions are very fair as if you were to vote for Altivec to be an option would that not mean you want it to be faster. If you vote for faster response would not the further addition of altivec code achieve this??

 

[mattyb77]

Originally posted by Abakadoosh
A while ago, i heard that the new 10.1 update was finnaly suppose to use multi-processors and alitvec (in which case it would be fast enough to run nice on my g4 400), but i have yet to hear/find anything about this. Does anyone else know for sure if the new update(/official release) is going to include Altivec? would be helpful. thanks.

If memory servers, OS X already has AltiVec code within it and I'm pretty sure that is something the compiler handles automatically.

 

[simX]

OS X already uses multiprocessors very efficiently. Darwin is configured for up to 2 processors. As for AltiVec, I'm not sure, but I would think that Apple would eke every little thing they can get out of the OS, and use every feature of the CPU.

 

[Abakadoosh]

Originally posted by tsmith
I dont think the voting otions are very fair as if you were to vote for Altivec to be an option would that not mean you want it to be faster. If you vote for faster response would not the further addition of altivec code achieve this??

well, the reaseon i put those two up there is this. Faster response would not exactly be faster by Altivec. If someone has a slow video card, the very visual OS would certainly bog it down. I dont think that Altivec would help much in that aspect.

But in running applications, it doesnt exactly work as fast as i'd like on my g4 400 (sawtooth). With the use of Altivec, i think that it would go much faster. But now that i think of it its the people who make the apps, doh. Well, if it does use Altivec, it sure doesnt seem to use it all that much.

Anyway, the Altivec option is different than faster response. When i say faster response im really talking about useing menu's, resizing windows, opening and moving windowz, ect. ect.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
What I have heard is that the reason 10.1 is so smooth and quick is becuase Apple is removing all debugging code and they have an updated compiler which does a much better job. I do believe 10.0 and up are multiprocessor and AltiVec enhanced.

 

[kilowatt]

I'm no expert,

but doesn't altivec only make a difference in certain calculations? Like floating-point multiplication or something?


Ahh... its 7:50am... not awake.....

 

[Fahrvergnuugen]

Altivec is a co-processor that handles fun stuff like mpg decoding, video rendering, etc. Every aspect of OSX that CAN use altivec ALREADY DOES.

As far as multiprocessor support....well. Duh.
I would be willing to bet my G4 that you could run OS 10.0 on a quad processor system. Once something is multithreaded, it makes use of ALL the processors.

10.1 is optomized. That doesn't mean that all of a sudden it takes advantage of altivec, 10.0 already does that. This poll doesn't make any sense. We all want more periferal compatibility, speed etc.

 

[Abakadoosh]

Originally posted by Fahrvergnuugen
As far as multiprocessor support....well. Duh.
I would be willing to bet my G4 that you could run OS 10.0 on a quad processor system. Once something is multithreaded, it makes use of ALL the processors.

10.1 is optomized. That doesn't mean that all of a sudden it takes advantage of altivec, 10.0 already does that. This poll doesn't make any sense. We all want more periferal compatibility, speed etc.

from what i had heard, Altivec wasnt yet included in 10.0, but obviously from what everyone keeps telling me, it was. Then a question... why is 10.0.x so slow on my Sawtooth? its not even worth it on my comp. Is 10.1 going to be that big of a change that i will finnaly be able to ditch OS 9 as my primary system?

as for the poll... if i could change it, i would.

Thanks for everyones input, much appriciated

 

[mailseth]

I would be willing to bet my G4 that you could run OS 10.0 on a quad processor system. Once something is multithreaded, it makes use of ALL the processors.

You just lost your G4. Tho OS X is designed to support a great number of processors and probally could without too much trouble, i have heard that the shipping version of 10.0 and 10.1 support only 2 processors. (That is all that they need)

 

[Fahrvergnuugen]

I just lost my G4 over something you heard??

 

[kilowatt]

LOL!!!

But seriously, I don't think the system its self currently uses the altivec. I mean, sure, individual programs can, but the finder, as well as the kernel (could it?) don't currently. I'm almost positive.

 

[nobody]

Originally posted by Fahrvergnuugen
I just lost my G4 over something you heard??

Sorry, dude but that was a really stupid bet. The man is right, and so is the one above (simX) him that says Darwin is made for up to two processors now.
As you know, Mac OS X is based on Darwin. Support for more processors could be added relatively easily, from what I've read. However, there is currently no such support.

So which one of us gets your G4?

OS 10.1 should be tons faster, even on your G4 400 Abakadoosh. Tons faster! I doubt you will go back to OS 9 so often after getting the update.

What I really want from 10.1 is full support for my PowerBook G3. I want the volume and brightness buttons to work, and I want the graphics accelerator to work!

 

[Abakadoosh]

Originally posted by nobody
OS 10.1 should be tons faster, even on your G4 400 Abakadoosh. Tons faster! I doubt you will go back to OS 9 so often after getting the update.

ahhhh, comforting to know. thanks for the info

 

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Yes (good goin on the research, I hate people that pull stuff out of their bums). But the current Darwin is set for up to two processors, and is AltiVec, and will be 1000% faster with the 10.1 update. I might be over doing the percent but still. And I stated why above. I will try to find some hard evidence (links) but until than we are right.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Send that free G4 my please guys!

 

[Abakadoosh]

ooooo, ganna crap my pants cause 10.1 sounds so good when is it supposed to come out? i heard that it was supposed to be the 25th and at the paris expo, but since that was cancelled......... anyway, cant wait!