Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2005.10.27
This Week's Macintel News
Apple's decision to switch to Intel CPUs means we live in very interesting
times.
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered
in The iNews Review.
Anticipating Apple's 2006 Lineup
TechNewsWorld's Rob Enderle says:
"We are anticipating that many of Apple's laptop products will
simply no longer have an optical drive of any kind but instead will
have a multiple format flash reader slot and an iPod docking port.
When docked, future iPods will have access to some notebook
functions and be usable as a secondary display.
"...While PowerBooks are beginning to look somewhat dated
because they have been around for so long with little change, in
many ways they still look more advanced than many of their WinTel
counterparts...."
Other Topics Discussed
The Beginning of the End for Optical Drives
"As Apple has been first to move to 3.5-inch floppies and then
away from them we are expecting Apple to be the first to move
aggressively away from optical drives to other alternatives. Some
of those alternatives will be the more integrated use of iPods,
other flash-based devices, and an updated iTunes."
2006 Apple Laptops
"...A stronger tie-in to the ever more PDA-like iPod and
stronger ties to iTunes like backend services should be present as
well. This is where Apple will be taking its biggest gambles and,
at least for now, those gambles look like good ones to me."
'06 iBooks
"As we have seen with the iPod, black is the new white. Expect
Apple to begin the iBook's color transition next year. The black
iPods out now give us a sense of what they'll be looking to
accomplish....
"Expect screen sizes in the 12-inch wide and 14-inch wide format
sizes....
"...Prices should start in the US$850 to $950 range and cap out
around $1,200 for the line."
2006 PowerBooks
"PowerBooks will likely shift to a darker metallic or graphite
finish.... The new PowerBooks line should also expand to the first
19-inch wide screen format product in the segment and the
possibility of the first dual processor dual core laptop as well in
this format.
"PowerBook displays will probably be among the first to get LED
backlighting...."
Desktop Lines
"Desktop hardware will be visibly changed as well as Intel
favors BTX designs for cooling and noise containment. What's new in
this area is small form factor, high performance products...."
2006 Mac Minis
"Starting with the Mac Mini we will see improved graphics
performance which will be exploited in the Mac OS updated designed
to run against Windows Vista."
Death of the eMac?
"CRTs aren't working well in education anymore thanks to
disposal fees and weight issues. Expect a Mac Mini variant to move
into this space...."
2006 iMacs
"Moving on to the iMac, expect another design change...."
2006 G?
"The new G5 desktop, which will get a name change, will drop a
little in size and get the biggest performance jump of any of the
platforms...."
'06 Apple Monitors
"I'm expecting Apple to expand their line to include a 45-inch
LCD display with LED lighting...."
Intel Talks Up Merom and Yonah at IDF
Taiwan
DigiTimes.com's Vyacheslav Sobolev reports:
"This week at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in Taipei, Intel
has been discussing its next-generation dual-core mobile processor,
known as Merom, which will come out in the second half of 2006.
Merom will succeed Yonah, Intel's first 65nm processor, which is
the main part of the Napa mobile platform and is scheduled for
launch in January 2006. At the event in Taipei, Intel also
introduced its future mobile platform technology codenamed Robson.
The technology, which is now under development, aims to extend
battery life, accelerate system boot-up and provide user-visible
responsiveness, said vice president of Intel's mobility group and
general manager of the mobile platforms group Shmuel (Mooly)
Eden."
Intel to Pump $650m into US Fab
300mm wafer output boost
The Register reports:
"Intel is to spend $650m upgrading its Rio Rancho, New Mexico
300mm-wafer plant the chip giant has announced.
"The expansion of Fab 11X will create more than 300 new jobs at
the facility, the company added.
"The cash will be used to increase the fab's capacity, allowing
Intel to punch out even more 90nm and, soon, 65nm processors than
before. It's all about increasing chip volumes which, in turn,
allows Intel to reduce prices.
"Intel said the work will see the construction of new clean
rooms taking place next year with a view to beginning production
early in 2007."
Apple's Transition to Intel in Question
eWeek's Roger L Kay reports:
"Opinion: Apple is moving forward with its Mactel plans. But
which machines will be the first in line for a processor refresh?
Consumer or pro? The release of new multicore Power Macs may make
some wonder."
Clueless Apple Store Employee
ehMac says:
"OK, it is a little anecdotal, I admit . . . but here
it is. My Dad, who has never owned a Mac, finally got sick of
viruses and marched off to the Apple Store (he lives in Dallas) to
pick up an iBook. Before buying it, though, he asked one of the
workers there if there would be any issues surrounding the 2006
release of the Intel chip equipped Macs. The worker shrugged his
shoulders and says:
"'Um, to be honest, we know absolutely nothing specifically
about the new Macs.'"
More Mac News
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is covered
in The iNews Review.
