Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2005.11.23
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.
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Tech Developments
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Intel 65nm 'Yonah' to Ship at 2.16 GHz
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel's upcoming 65nm, dual-core notebook chip, 'Yonah', will
ship as the Pentium M T2600, computer manufacturer moles have
claimed.
"The sources, cited by Japanese-language website PCWatch, claim
the T2600 will be clocked at a mere 2.16 GHz. It will be
accompanied by the T2500, T2400 and T2300 - all dual-core parts,
hence the '2' -clocked at 2 GHz, 1.83 GHz and 1.66 GHz,
respectively....
"Low-voltage Yonah's are on the cards too, model numbered the
L2400 and L2300, clocked at 1.66 GHz and 1.50 GHz. Ultra-low
Voltage Yonahs will appear as the U1400 and U1300, clocked at 1.2
GHz and 1.06 GHz, respectively, the sources allege."
Yonah is widely expected to be the heart of Apple's Intel-based
iBooks and PowerBooks - and possibly the Mac mini as well.
Link:
Intel 65nm 'Yonah' to Ship at 2.16 GHz
Revealed: Your Future Mac With Intel.
Maybe
mac360.com's Tera Patricks says:
"Change is the one constant most relevant to many Apple users
the past few years. Change is here to stay.
"Apple plans on a flurry of Mac products in 2006, starting with
a unique iBook using Intel chips. Can we keep up with the changes
Apple has in store for us?
"Notice that I used the term 'Apple users' instead of the more
typical 'Mac users?' That's a subtle but significant difference as
Apple branches out and extends product branches to non-Mac
users.
"Over the past few years, Windows users have bought and own many
more iPods than Mac users, though, as usual, Mac users were the
pioneers; first iTunes, then iPod, then iTunes Music Store.
"The changes of the past two years show us that Apple is
expanding the market for Apple-branded products to the other
90-percent or so of the computer world.
"Deeply embedded in the Windows world are Intel chips and Apple
wants Intel's chip-making capability to show up in future Apple
products.
"Notice that I used the term 'Apple products' instead of 'future
Macs.' That's a subtle but significant difference, too. Why?
Because Apple is changing. Rapidly. Mac users will be required to
change, too."
Link:
Revealed: Your Future Mac With Intel. Maybe
Intel iMacs Won't Have a Any Type of Disk
Drive
Applle Matters' James R. Stoup says:
"The year is 1998 and Apple is in trouble. Steve Jobs has come
back and started to work his magic but never the less pundits are
loudly proclaiming that soon Apple would exit the business all
together. But wait, suddenly the iMac comes out and everything
changes. Sales go up, profits increase, and as the ref gets to the
count of 9 Apple gets up off the mat and sucks in a breath of air
and just like that they are back in the fight.
"And yet, the critics were not silent. It has no floppy drive,
they howled! How could anyone be so stupid as to forget something
like that? How will people move their files? What will they do? How
will we ever live without that drive? THE WORLD WILL END!
"As it turned out it wasn't that bad, Apple was just ahead of
the curve. Maybe a little too ahead but not by much. Jobs realized
that floppy drives were an old technology that would soon become
obsolete. Between accessing data via a network or with a USB
device, the need for a floppy disk was fading....
"When Apple finally releases the new, Intel iMac it won't have a
disk drive in it. No CD drive, no DVD drive and no HD/Blu-Ray
drive. Those technologies will be obsolete. What it will have is
the next generation of Bluetooth and wireless technology. It will
have plenty of ports to dock an iPod, flash drive or other portable
media drive. And it, along with the rest of Apple's lineup, will
get a redesign...."
Editor's note: Interesting theory, but I think not.
cm
Link:
The Intel iMacs Won't Have a Disk Drive
Virtualization in Intel Macs and the Art of
Fast User Switching
Architosh Staff reports:
"Intel has launched this week the beginnings of its future line
of processors that will support 'virtualization'. These new chips
are known as Intel Pentium 4's 672 and 662. Essentially
virtualization technology (or VT) enables a processor to run
multiple operating systems or applications in independent
partitions, or what is often called 'containers', on the same
chip....
"However, what is new is this type of technology inside of a
typical personal computer. And this begs the question: was this
part of the consideration in Apple choosing Intel?
"Today Apple has mastered the art of moving from one computer
user's space to another with its graphic cube effect. This is
commonly known as Fast User Switching and is a system preference in
Mac OS X. This feature, unique in OS X, allows a truly
graceful way in which multiple users can utilize one shared
computer, and Apple's Expose technology is at the heart of this
interface transformation.
"But imagine a world wherein you can cube the cube? Imagine that
each user account can have multiple instances of operating systems
(perhaps OS X and Windows, or Linux and OS X) running
simultaneously. From the Apple menu a user would select an OS
environment and an Expose cubic switch would literally swing around
a different OS environment, just like today's Fast User
Switching."
Link: Virtualization
from Intel in Future Macs and the Art of Fast User
Switching
Tech Developments
Intel 975X Multi-GPU Chipset Slips Out
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel this week quietly launched its anticipated 975X Express
desktop chipset, pitched at the dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition
processor.
"As expected, the 975X builds on the company's existing PEE
chipset, the 955X. Like its predecessor, it has support for twin
graphics cards, this time connecting to the North Bridge across two
PCI Express 8x slots. The 16 PCI-E lanes can also be configured
into a single 16x slot. The 955X has a single 16x slot and a 4x
slot."
Link: Intel
975X Multi-GPU Chipset Slips Out
Intel Files for 'Intel Core' Trademark
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel has formally applied to trademark the phrase 'Intel
Core', a key component of what is believed to be its forthcoming
move to re-brand its processor product lines.
"The trademark registration request - serial number 78714166 -
was filed on 15 September 2005, but according to the US Patents and
Trademarks Office website is 'not yet assigned to an examining
attorney'."
Link:
Intel Files for 'Intel Core' Trademark
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.
