Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.05.11
This Week's Macintel News
Intel's next generation dual-core CPUs are just around the
corner. Now known as Core 2 Duo processors, the CPUs formerly known
as Conroe (desktop) and Merom (mobile) will begin shipping in July
and August, respectively. Don't be surprised to see these at the
heart of Power Mac and Xserve replacements, as well as more
powerful versions of the MacBook Pro.
Core 2 processors will be available in ultralow power, low
power, "regular", and extreme versions, the latter especially for
gamers, servers, and other power users.
Anyone taking odds on a Power Mac G5 replacement shipping by the
end of July?
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.
Core 2 Duo
Boot Camp
Core 2 Duo
Intel to Call 'Conroe' and 'Merom' Core 2
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel's upcoming next-generation architecture processors
'Conroe' and 'Merom' will be branded 'Core 2 Duo', online reports
allege. The gamer-friendly version of Conroe will ship as the 'Core
2 Extreme'.
"The claim, made by Reuters yesterday, was not confirmed with
official comment, but the presence of chip logos in other reports
suggests the story is accurate and probably represents an
officially sanctioned leak."
- Link: Intel
to Call 'Conroe' and 'Merom' Core 2
Intel's New Processor Brand: Core 2 Duo
News Factor's Walaika K. Haskins reports:
"With a unified PC and notebook brand and microarchitecure,
'everyone will have a simple way to choose' processors, said Eric
Kim, an Intel spokesperson. 'And developers will be able to more
easily write optimized software just once for a variety of
computing segments.'
"Taking a page from the marketing playbook of the Pentium
processor, Intel executives announced that 'Core 2 Duo' is the new
brand name for the chip giant's upcoming processor families for
desktops and laptops.
"Formerly codenamed Conroe and Merom, the Intel Core 2 Duo chips
are based on the newly designed Core architecture and will include
two processing cores - or brains - per chip, hence the 'Duo.'"
- Link: Intel's
New Processor Brand: Core 2 Duo
The Second Coming of Intel's Core Duo
CNET News.com's Tom Krazit reports:
"Intel has decided to borrow the sequential naming scheme it
used for its famous Pentium brand and apply it to the new Core line
of chips, the company is expected to announce Sunday. Earlier this
year, Intel released the Core Duo processor, and in a few months it
will unveil Core 2 Duo processors. The Core 2 Duo name will be used
for desktop chips based on the Conroe chip, as well as for notebook
chips based on the Merom chip. Merom processors consume less power
than Conroe chips, but they're otherwise very similar.
"Each Core 2 Duo chip will also have a model number that will
indicate how much power it consumes and its relative performance,
said Intel spokesman Bill Kircos. The Conroe processors will fall
into either the 4000 series or 6000 series, while Merom processors
will use either the 5000 series or 7000 series numbers, he
said.
"Conveniently, the Conroe numbers match up well with the model
numbers used by Advanced Micro Devices on its current generation of
dual-core Athlon 64 X2 desktop processors. AMD's highest-rated
Athlon 64 X2 processor as of Friday is the X2 4800+. Kircos
declined to comment on whether Intel chose the new scheme to line
up with AMD's model numbers."
- Link:
The Second Coming of Intel's Core Duo
Core 2 Duo Unified Brand Name for Upcoming
Intel Processors
PR: The Intel Core 2 Duo processor is the new brand for
Intel Corporation's upcoming powerful and more energy-efficient
processor families for desktop and laptop computers that will
arrive in the third quarter, the company announced today.
Formerly codenamed Conroe and Merom, the Intel Core 2 Duo
processors for desktop and notebooks PCs respectively are based on
the newly designed Intel Core microarchitecture and will include
two processing cores - or brains - per chip, hence the "Duo"
addition. Intel will also call its highest performing processor for
enthusiast and gamers the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor.
These groundbreaking processors will be built on Intel's
advanced 65-nanometer design and manufacturing process technology
that shrinks a processor's circuitry and transistors. This
combination will deliver higher-performing, yet more
energy-efficient processors that will spur more capable, stylish,
silent and smaller mobile and desktop PCs while saving on
electricity usage.
"With this unified PC and notebook brand and microarchitecture,
everyone will have a simple way to choose the most powerful and
energy-efficient processors in the world, and developers will be
able to more easily write optimized software just once for a
variety of computing segments," said Eric Kim, Intel senior vice
president and chief marketing officer. "We want these processors to
be the heart and soul of computers that are increasingly bringing
magic to our digital lifestyles."
Having a common microarchitecture for the consumer, gaming,
notebook and business desktop market segments makes it easier for
computer developers to create more efficient software applications
and can share capabilities across all categories if necessary.
The dual-core processors will include the industry's largest
integrated cache or memory reservoir called Intel Advanced Smart
Cache that includes a unique design for faster performance on
memory intensive applications. The products will also support such
features as enhanced security, virtualization and manageability
built right into the processors.
Consumers and businesses will also be able to purchase these
processors as part of Intel's market-focused platforms, a
collection of Intel hardware and software technology innovation
designed and tested together and tailored to specific computing
needs. Intel offers wireless computing, in-home entertainment or
business productivity platforms through the company's Intel
Centrino Duo mobile technology, Intel Viiv technology and Intel
vPro technology brands respectively, all of which are powered by
versions of these new processors.
Starting with these new brands, the "2" will signal the arrival
of a new generation of technology to the Intel Core processor line.
In order to be consistent with current Intel Core processor naming,
Intel will continue to use such terms as "Duo" to creatively and
effectively indicate the number of processing cores per
product.
Boot Camp
Boot Camp: Apple Bobs for Suckers
PCMag's Jim Louderback says:
"Don't get too excited about the whole Mac/Windows dual-boot
thing. Although a wide range of starry-eyed experts - including
some in our very own lab - have lauded Boot Camp (aka BC) in tones
not heard since the days of OS/2, it's really nothing to get
excited about. Here are my top reasons why - at least to real
computer users - 'Boot Chump' is a snore.
"Design: The more effete among us have embraced BC because now
they can run all their favorite Windows apps on a saucy, sexy Mac.
The underlying assertion embraced here is that Apple machines are
just so much cooler than their PC counterparts. Hogwash. There are
dozens of better-looking notebooks out there than those tired,
industrial-looking iBooks and PowerBooks that dribble out of
Infinite Loop...."
- Link: Boot Camp:
Apple Bobs for Suckers
Column on Boot Camp - Genius Satire or
Madness?
Cult of Mac's Leander Kahney and Pete Mortensen say:
"The Mac blogosphere is frothing after the publication of a
column by PCMag columnist, Jim Louderbeck.
"The piece, titled 'Boot Camp: Apple Bobs For Suckers,' is
pretty inflammatory to any diehard Apple user:
"Apple's not interested in a DIY Mac, nor is it concerned with
the case-mod culture of the PC. Oh, I guess that doesn't matter;
lemming-like Apple fans aren't interested in actually doing
anything different with their cookie-cutter computers that aspire
to 'Think Different' but, like that old Pete Seeger song about
little boxes, 'all look just the same.'
"But it's only inflammatory if you don't have a sense of humor.
I'm almost positive the column is a work of satire, collecting the
lamest, most obvious excuses a hardcore PC user would offer for why
a Macs are no good. The point then becomes to show that these
excuses are totally irrelevant to the average user....
"It's either incredibly sophisticated satire or totally
insane."
- Link: PCMag
Column on Boot Camp - Genius Satire or Madness?
