georgelien
Registered
I think so.
What's your take?
What's your take?
Mac mini the first to go Intel?
- Thread starter georgelien
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Mikuro
Crotchety UI Nitpicker
I don't think they'll do it one single line at a time. I think it's more likely that they'll move 2-4 lines first, and then the rest later.
However, if they do just do one line to start with, I doubt it will be the Mini, because that would create a discrepency in their lineup. Right now, the Mini is essentially an eMac without a monitor (although the eMac has been upgraded since the Mini's introduction, so now it has a more powerful graphics card). If they moved only the Mini, where would that leave the eMac? It would be more expensive, yet weaker (or at the very least seemingly less advanced). That wouldn't be good.
If they started with only one line, it would have to be the PowerBooks. That's the only one they could change alone without casting a serious shadow on their other products. They couldn't change the iBook without changing the PowerBook, because it just wouldn't do to have the consumer model use a more advanced chip than the pro model.
Personally, I expect to see both the PowerBook and iBook to be updated simultaneously, probably in mid-2006, but possibly earlier. Then I expect to see the Mini and eMac follow shortly, the iMac near the beginning of 2007, and the Power Mac in mid-2007, in keeping with Apple's aim to complete the transition in two years.
Just my guesses.
However, if they do just do one line to start with, I doubt it will be the Mini, because that would create a discrepency in their lineup. Right now, the Mini is essentially an eMac without a monitor (although the eMac has been upgraded since the Mini's introduction, so now it has a more powerful graphics card). If they moved only the Mini, where would that leave the eMac? It would be more expensive, yet weaker (or at the very least seemingly less advanced). That wouldn't be good.
If they started with only one line, it would have to be the PowerBooks. That's the only one they could change alone without casting a serious shadow on their other products. They couldn't change the iBook without changing the PowerBook, because it just wouldn't do to have the consumer model use a more advanced chip than the pro model.
Personally, I expect to see both the PowerBook and iBook to be updated simultaneously, probably in mid-2006, but possibly earlier. Then I expect to see the Mini and eMac follow shortly, the iMac near the beginning of 2007, and the Power Mac in mid-2007, in keeping with Apple's aim to complete the transition in two years.
Just my guesses.
ElDiabloConCaca
U.S.D.A. Prime
Jobs said in the Keynote, IIRC, that the mini and iBooks would be the absolute first to go Intel-based.
Shookster said:
iBooks, Powerbooks and the Mini all lag behind PCs in performance, while the desktop running G5s does not really lag yet. This is why they would upgrade those ones first.
Jobs did _not_ say which products would get the intel processors first at WWDC. The Mac mini and the iBook were _assumed_ to be the first products. Apple, btw., has in the past done strange things like updating the iBooks to levels that rivalled the PowerBooks - and the PowerBooks took _months_ before widening the gap again, so the eMac is probably the least of Apple's problems, should they update the mini first (it'd give them more Mac mini sales, less eMac sales, what Apple really cares about is sold units as well as profits, and the profit per eMac isn't necessarily _that_ much higher than a mini's...).
RacerX
Old Rhapsody User
Well, the reason I would guess that the Minis and the iBooks are going to go Intel first is that I haven't seen anything from Intel that would rival the G5 line currently.
And unless native software is going to be available at the release of the first Intel based Macs, I highly doubt that pros are going to be the first to transition. Intel would need a spectacular new processor to run something like Photoshop in Rosetta at speeds similar to Photoshop on a G5.
Besides, I fully expect Apple to continue selling PowerPC based Macs will into 2009 (along the same lines as how they kept selling Mac OS 9 bootable Macs long after the main lines had all gone Mac OS X only).
So I expect the following waves of transition:
And unless native software is going to be available at the release of the first Intel based Macs, I highly doubt that pros are going to be the first to transition. Intel would need a spectacular new processor to run something like Photoshop in Rosetta at speeds similar to Photoshop on a G5.
Besides, I fully expect Apple to continue selling PowerPC based Macs will into 2009 (along the same lines as how they kept selling Mac OS 9 bootable Macs long after the main lines had all gone Mac OS X only).
So I expect the following waves of transition:
Mac Mini, iBook
iMac, PowerBook
PowerMac
And if there is still a market out there for eMacs, I would guess they'll switch around the same time as the PowerMacs.iMac, PowerBook
PowerMac
georgelien
Registered
I like this coversation we are having.
Please keep it going.
Any educated guess is a good guess.
Now I wonder whether Apple would introduce any Intel-inside machines next week when it updates the iBook and the Mac mini?
Please keep it going.
Any educated guess is a good guess.
Now I wonder whether Apple would introduce any Intel-inside machines next week when it updates the iBook and the Mac mini?
serpicolugnut
OS X Supreme Being
While anything is possible, I doubt that Apple will sell PPC Macs one day longer than they need to. Although demand could extend the availability of PPC Macs past the 2007 mark, I don't see it happening. By the end 2007, 3/4's of the Mac line will be Intel, and the transition will be mostly complete as far as software goes.
It does make sense for the Mini and iBooks to go first. Remember, Jobs said the first Intel Macs will be showing up around June 2006. This is traditionally the time that Apple refreshes it's education offerings, in time for the back to school buy.
I see the iBooks, Powerbooks and minis going first before the end of 2006. iMacs will go probably in late 2006/early 2007, and the Power Macs will go sometime in 2007. The xServe will probable be the last to go. It's design usually incorporates some of the lessons learned by designing the Power Mac, so I expect it will be post Power Mac.
As for the eMac, I don't really see the purpose for this machine now that the mini exists. It costs alot for Apple to produce (because it's the only CRT in the lineup, Apple doesn't get the big quantity discounts it got for the CRTs when they were more of their business), and it is expensive to ship. The only thing that will keep the eMac in the lineup is anemic sales of the mini, which seems to be doing quite well, for now.
The only problem with the elimination of the eMac at the hands of the mini is this: Schools. The mini, while cheaper and more attractive to schools because they can reuse their CRT monitors and kb/mice, is harder to secure from theft. You can lock it down, but it takes about 5 seconds to use a bic pen to break most of these locks. The eMac, on the other hand, is much harder to stick in your backpack and walk out of the school with.... ;-)
It does make sense for the Mini and iBooks to go first. Remember, Jobs said the first Intel Macs will be showing up around June 2006. This is traditionally the time that Apple refreshes it's education offerings, in time for the back to school buy.
I see the iBooks, Powerbooks and minis going first before the end of 2006. iMacs will go probably in late 2006/early 2007, and the Power Macs will go sometime in 2007. The xServe will probable be the last to go. It's design usually incorporates some of the lessons learned by designing the Power Mac, so I expect it will be post Power Mac.
As for the eMac, I don't really see the purpose for this machine now that the mini exists. It costs alot for Apple to produce (because it's the only CRT in the lineup, Apple doesn't get the big quantity discounts it got for the CRTs when they were more of their business), and it is expensive to ship. The only thing that will keep the eMac in the lineup is anemic sales of the mini, which seems to be doing quite well, for now.
The only problem with the elimination of the eMac at the hands of the mini is this: Schools. The mini, while cheaper and more attractive to schools because they can reuse their CRT monitors and kb/mice, is harder to secure from theft. You can lock it down, but it takes about 5 seconds to use a bic pen to break most of these locks. The eMac, on the other hand, is much harder to stick in your backpack and walk out of the school with.... ;-)
TWRayer
Registered
The low end will be the first to go Intel. This is because of the low performance of the G4 based Macs (mini, iBook, eMac) and the fact that the G4 is 32bit, like the P4. Putting in a 3.x GHz Pentium4 will be a huge speed increase for these machines. Also, look at the front side bus; the G4 is currently stuck at 167 MHz. Putting in a Pentium 4 will increase this to at least 533MHz and maybe faster. The FSB has a huge effect on the 'snappyness' of OSX.
This will give Apple and Intel further time to develop a 64bit processor (Itanium 2?) for the Powerbook/PowerMac/xServe lines.
I personally can't wait.
This will give Apple and Intel further time to develop a 64bit processor (Itanium 2?) for the Powerbook/PowerMac/xServe lines.
I personally can't wait.
Macaholic G5
Tech
Mac mini and iBook will likely be first built around the Pentium M (Dothan). I've built my own desktop using the Dothan processor and it is a very quiet, low heat, powerful, green machine. Got the watt meter readings if anyone is interested. 
Followed shortly after that would be the PowerBook line using Pentium M Dual Core (Yonah). A speedy, low heat, dual core processing dream! Then move on to the iMac and PowerMac lines. Just my thoughts.
Followed shortly after that would be the PowerBook line using Pentium M Dual Core (Yonah). A speedy, low heat, dual core processing dream! Then move on to the iMac and PowerMac lines. Just my thoughts.
Decado
Kallikanzaroi
jobs didnt say they would introduce them in june 2006, he said they would be in the market then. so they would be if they started selling them next week
My take: Intel demonstrated a couple of months ago (mars?) a Mini-computer based around one of their chips (and every apple-loyal man woman and monkey shouted that it was a stinkin' copy). It did look quite a bit like the mini and Jonathan Ive could have fixed the rest while blindfolded if he wanted to.
I think the mac mini will be updated with an intel on macworldSF 06, and preorders will be taken at that time on at least one laptop model that will be intel. as fryke said; apple wouldnt care much if the cheapest or the most expensive computer sold most, jst as long as they make as much money (i.e the cheaper one being cheaper to make so the profit is the same).
but i know nooothing...
My take: Intel demonstrated a couple of months ago (mars?) a Mini-computer based around one of their chips (and every apple-loyal man woman and monkey shouted that it was a stinkin' copy). It did look quite a bit like the mini and Jonathan Ive could have fixed the rest while blindfolded if he wanted to.
I think the mac mini will be updated with an intel on macworldSF 06, and preorders will be taken at that time on at least one laptop model that will be intel. as fryke said; apple wouldnt care much if the cheapest or the most expensive computer sold most, jst as long as they make as much money (i.e the cheaper one being cheaper to make so the profit is the same).
but i know nooothing...
Decado
Kallikanzaroi
the articel i was looking for earlier of anyone is interested in the intel copy:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000577045099/
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000577045099/
Whether he said "in the market" or "introduce": Don't believe Steve Jobs will bring out an intel Mac _before_ 2006. It was quite clear that the year before June 2006 would be the developers' chance (WWDC is a developer conference after all) to adopt the new platform, not the users'. Believing that early next week we'd see an intel Mac mini is naïve to say the least.
georgelien
Registered
fryke said:
I think you're right, fryke.
Steve really threw me off when he confirm the rumor that the Mac is going Intel.
Well, the technology is definitely here.
But, you're right, we're still waiting for the software.
Still, it will be kind of cool if Apple introduces the Mac mini as the first Intel-inside machine.
RacerX
Old Rhapsody User
And very unrealistic...fryke said:
Apple's hardware division was only made aware of this around the same time the rest of us were. They are currently hard at work designing what the new systems are going to be. After that (about the time that they go into production) the developer documentation on the new hardware will be released so third party hardware makers can evaluate the new hardware against their current designs and supporting software.
In most ways, Apple has made the software developers lives much easier than it was even back in the Rhapsody days (even Carbon developers shouldn't really need a year... though I doubt that larger developers are going to change any of the current upgrade schedules for this). So really, the year is to give parts of Apple time to adapt.
And the two years for the transition is to give Intel time for their road map to mature and start baring fruit... in our case, apples.
Intel Macs are going to come when they come... and then they'll be here. But as it stands currently, Apple is a PowerPC based computer maker and they have some cool stuff that we can still look forward to long before the Intel switch is started.
georgelien
Registered
All I can say is: Ready To Be Surprised.
No, I do not have any tip from an insider.
I just think the sooner Apple complete the transition, the more Macintosh computers it will sell.
Many people may pend their orders to see what Apple has to offer with the new Intel-based Macintoshes.
In short, I have prepared myself, so I wouldn't be surprised if the new Mac(s) next week do(es) come with Intel processor(s) inside.
As Decado's hyperlink reminds us, AOpen already produced a mini PC with similar form factor as the Mac mini at this year's Computex. I checked it out while I was there, and thought--"Damn, this is a Mac mini with Intel processor and chipset inside."
However, as many of you reminded me that, software could remain the factor that Apple will keep next week's Macs Power PC-based computers.
We'll just have to wait and see.
Boy, am I excited.
No, I do not have any tip from an insider.
I just think the sooner Apple complete the transition, the more Macintosh computers it will sell.
Many people may pend their orders to see what Apple has to offer with the new Intel-based Macintoshes.
In short, I have prepared myself, so I wouldn't be surprised if the new Mac(s) next week do(es) come with Intel processor(s) inside.
As Decado's hyperlink reminds us, AOpen already produced a mini PC with similar form factor as the Mac mini at this year's Computex. I checked it out while I was there, and thought--"Damn, this is a Mac mini with Intel processor and chipset inside."
However, as many of you reminded me that, software could remain the factor that Apple will keep next week's Macs Power PC-based computers.
We'll just have to wait and see.
Boy, am I excited.