I can say with COMPLETE certainty that Apple will not release OS X 10.2 as a 64-bit OS that is not compatible with 32-bit chips. Why? Because Apple hasn't even released complete 64-bit processors! Also, Apple is still using G3 chips in their consumer line, and is probably going to get some improved ones that go to 1 GHz from IBM! Why in the WORLD would Apple alienate their consumer market from OS X when they are touting the ease of use of OS X? Simple logic, guys.
And, if G5s DO "come out" early next year, I'll bet it'll be a similar thing to what Jobs did at MWSF '01... he'll announce them shipping in a month or two. Something like that.
And Admiral,
www.maccentral.com would only report on
facts, not rumors. You probably heard it on
www.mosr.com who quoted that one The Register article about the G5. But we ALL know how
outrageously optimistic www.mosr.com is. At least I hope we all do, because MacOSRumors jumps on the gun far too soon far too many of the times.
And yes, the G5 will be a full 64-bit processor, from what I've read. The G4 isn't a 64-bit processor, it just has improvements over the G3 and a 128-bit velocity engine... that doesn't mean the whole chip is 64-bit.