Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.01.26
This Week's Macintel 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.
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Advice
Other Intel News
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Intel Anticipation Slowed Mac Sales in Holiday
Quarter
silicon.com's Ina Fried reports:
"Apple executives confirmed on Wednesday that some buyers put
off Mac purchases last quarter in anticipation of new Intel-based
Macs - although that slowdown was masked somewhat by strong iPod
sales.
"In the holiday quarter that ended 31 December - which this year
included an extra 14th week - Apple sold 1.25 million Macs. That
was just a one per cent increase from the prior quarter and below
what many analysts had originally predicted.
"Apple acknowledged that it saw some customers hold off on
purchases ahead of January's Macworld Expo as they waited for the
company to start making Intel-based Macs. However, Apple said it
was pleased the stall in sales wasn't more pronounced."
- Link: Apple
Confirms 'Waiting for Mactel' Sales Pause
Rosetta Likes Lots of RAM
HardMac's Lionel says:
"...most non-universal binaries application running via Rosetta
on a MacIntel will request between 1.5 to 3.77 fold more RAM than
when running on a PPC-based Mac
"Safari that runs fine with 14.8 MB RAM on OS X PPC, will use
53.52 MB when being emulated via Rosetta on a MacIntel.
"So, if you move to MacIntel but still rely heavily on PPC-based
applications, you rather get as much RAM as possible."
- Link: Rosetta Likes RAM .
. . a Lot!
Apple's Component Cost for New iMac
ExtremeTech's Mark Hachman reports:
"Apple Computer's hardware costs to create the new $1,299
dual-core Intel iMacs total
about $898, according to analyst firm iSuppli, which released
teardown results on Thursday.
"The firm opened up one of the new iMacs, which were officially
announced at Apple's recent Macworld show, inventoried the
contents, and came up with an estimated cost for the parts. The
teardown did not include the mouse, keyboard, or other
documentation included with the iMac, and not attempt to estimate
Apple's cost of developing its operating system and related
software."
- Link: Analyst:
What Apple Pays to Build the New iMacs
Core Duo's Errata List: 34 Known Problems
maconintel.com reports:
"Geek.com has just posted an article that's not a highly
enjoyable read.
"Within, they observe that in the less than 20 days since the
Intel Core Duo was officially released, Intel's Errata
documentation for the processor already shows 34 known problems
with the chip...."
- Link: Core Duo's Errata
List
Macintel Crosses a Broad Architectural
Chasm
tgdaily.com's Scott M Fulton III reports:
"When Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented his company's new Intel
Core Duo-based Macintosh computers at Macworld Expo in San
Francisco..., behind him on the big screen were the imposing
characters, 2 - 3x. According to company tests, Mac
applications can run two to three times faster on a Core Duo-based
Mac than on a PowerPC G5-based Mac. But Jobs was sure to predicate
that remark with a word of both caution and fairness; he said those
gains are realized when applications are produced for those
processors using the best compilers available for each.
"For the Intel Core Duo, the compiler used for Apple's test was
made by Intel, confirmed James Reinders, Intel's director of
marketing for software development products, in an exclusive
interview with TG Daily. IBM, Reinders said, made the compiler used
for the G5 benchmarks.
"The shift in both hardware and software architecture to the
Intel platform represents the second great exodus in the
Macintosh's wandering, colorful history. The first came in 1994,
about a decade after the Mac's initial introduction. At that time,
under the stewardship of Michael Spindler, Apple successfully
engineered a move away from the Motorola 680x0 platform to the RISC
instruction set-based PowerPC platform, conceived along with
Motorola and IBM. Being able to accept IBM - the former enemy - was
made easier for Mac supporters with Motorola codeveloping the new
processor, even though that company would later back away from the
deal as it exited the CPU business altogether.
"This year's exodus from PowerPC (or Power, as IBM refers to it)
to Intel's Core Duo requires the crossing of a much broader
architectural chasm...."
- Link:
How Intel Expects Macintosh Software to Change
Intel, Micron Inside Apple's New iMac
EE Times' Mark LaPedus reports:
"Apple Computer Inc.'s first desktop PC based on Intel Corp.'s
microprocessors also includes other devices and displays from ATI,
LG.Philips, Maxtor and Samsung, according to iSuppli Corp.
"Sources also reportedly believe that the new Apple machine
includes a CMOS image sensor from Micron Technology Inc. This
enables the PC to support an integrated PC camera, which provides
video conferencing and related functions, according to sources.
Apple's so-called iSight camera is built into the thin bezel just
above the display."
- Link:
Intel, Micron Inside Apple's New iMac
IBM to Update Notes for Tiger, Support Intel
Macs
CRN's Barbara Darrow reports:
"IBM is ready to plant a big wet kiss on Apple Computer.
"At Lotusphere next week, the IBM Software Group is poised to
announce updated Mac OS X support in the latest Notes client.
In addition, the company will pledge big-time support for the new
Intel-based Macs due later this year, sources said.
"IBM's Workplace Portal and Collaboration group, often known
simply as Lotus, fields the Domino collaboration server, Notes
client and Workplace portfolios.
"The older Notes 6.5 client supports Mac OS 10.3 but thus far
the current Notes 7 client has not. While Macs comprise a small
percentage of business desktops, their users constitute a very
vocal and influential minority, solution providers said. 'Mac
support for Lotus is a check-box item,' said Jim Murphy, practice
manager for Strategic Computer Solutions, a Syracuse, NY-based IBM
partner. 'We have a lot of healthcare customers and maybe 1 percent
of a company's research department is on Macs but they have 99
percent of the influence.'"
- Link:
IBM Software Arm to Update Support for Mac OS X, Pledge Support for
Intel Macs
Roland Supports Intel-based Macs
PR: Roland has announced compatible drivers for the
recently announced Intel-based iMac and MacBook Pro. Along with
Roland/BOSS/EDIROL branded products, Roland has been developing
Intel-ready USB drivers months in advance of the release of Apple's
Intel Macs.
Roland developed and tested new USB drivers with OS X on Apple's
Intel Developer Kit. Recent months of testing results have been
stable with no problems. These drivers are now in final stages of
qualification with the new iMac and MacBook Pro. When these final
tests are completed, drivers will be released on the Roland web
site.
In addition, FireWire Audio class drivers that EDIROL FA-66 and
FA-101 use and USB mass storage drivers that Roland Fantom-X and
other Roland/BOSS/EDIROL products use are already included and
fully supported on Intel-based Macs.
Roland is committed to offering the latest and most robust
driver technologies. Musicians and producers can be confident using
Roland/BOSS/EDIROL products connected to Apple's Intel-based
Macintosh computers.
Roland is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and
distribution of electronic musical instruments, professional audio
equipment, multimedia products, and music accessories.
- Link: Roland
Advice
No Classic Support on Intel-based Macs
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"Classic applications do not work on Intel processor-based
Macs.
"For best results using Mac OS X, upgrade your Mac OS 9
applications to a Mac OS X version. Check with the
manufacturers for more information."
- Link: Intel-Based
Macs: Do Classic Applications Work?
Startup Key Combinations for Intel-based
Macs
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
These are the startup key combinations you can use on
Intel-based Macs:
Keystroke Description
- Press C during startup Start up from a bootable CD or DVD, such
as the Mac OS X Install disc that came with the computer.
- Press D during startup Start up in Apple Hardware Test (AHT),
if the Install DVD 1 is in the computer.
- Press Option-Command-P-R until you hear two beeps. Reset
NVRAM
- Press Option during startup Starts into Startup Manager, where
you can select a Mac OS X volume to start from. Note: Press N to
make the the first bootable Network volume appear as well.
- Press Eject, F12, or hold the mouse button Ejects any removable
media, such as an optical disc.
- Press N during startup Attempt to start up from a compatible
network server (NetBoot).
- Press T during startup Start up in FireWire Target Disk
mode.
- Press Shift during startup Start up in Safe Boot mode and
temporarily disable login items.
- Press Command-V during startup Start up in Verbose mode.
- Press Command-S during startup Start up in Single-User
mode.
- Press Option-N during startup Start from a NetBoot server using
the default boot image.
- Link: Startup Key
Combinations for Intel-based Macs
Other Intel News
Business Desktops Slow to Adopt Dual
Cores
eWeek's John G Spooner reports:
"Business desktops are bringing up the rear in the dual-core
processor transition.
"The deskbound business machines, which are usually architected
to offer businesses stability versus providing them with new
technology, won't move en masse to chips such as Intel's new
Pentium D 900 until at least the second half of this year, the chip
maker predicts.
"Whereas Intel's dual-core chips now come in some mainstream
consumer desktops and earlier this month began selling in
notebooks, following the introduction of its Core processor, they
mainly populate corporate workstations."
- Link: Business
Desktops Slow to Adopt Dual Cores
Intel Stuns Market with Q4 Sales
Miss
The Register's Ashlee Vance reports:
"Lower than expected PC chip sales forced Intel into a rare
revenue miss during its fourth quarter. Investors then punished the
chip-maker in the after-hours markets, sending Intel shares down as
much as 10 per cent.
"Intel's Q4 revenue rose six per cent to $10.2bn. That figure,
however, fell below a previous forecast provided by the company of
fourth-quarter revenue between $10.4bn and $10.6bn. Such a miss
indicates that Intel unexpectedly saw sales drop off at the tail
end of the fourth quarter....
"In the first quarter of 2006, Intel expects to pull in between
$9.1bn and $9.7bn. For the full year, Intel is looking for revenue
to rise between six per cent and nine per cent. Despite winning
Apple's 'massive' computer business, Intel does not appear to be
feeling terribly bullish about the year to come."
- Link: Intel Stuns
Market with Q4 Sales Miss
Intel's 2005 Revenue Undercuts
Expectations
eWeek's John G Spooner reports:
"The problem of chip-set sales haunted Intel Corp. during the
fourth quarter.
"Despite putting out record shipments of desktop, notebook and
server processors during the fourth quarter, the Santa Clara,
Calif., chip maker said supply problems, something it's been
grappling with all year, affected its ability to get its desktop
chips into PCs."
- Link: Intel's 2005
Revenue Undercuts Expectations
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.
