On Mon, 2005-06-06 at 15:29 -0400, Daniel wrote: > On Jun 6, 2005, at 15:02, Stephen Jonke wrote: > > See: > > > > http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/06intel.html > > > > New Intel-based Macs to make their appearance next year. Software will > > be distributed in a "FAT" fashion to run on either. Existing PowerPC > > binaries will actually be able to run on the Intel-based systems via > > something called "Rosetta", which is described as "dynamic binary > > translation" or something like that. > ><snip> > Am I the only one who is completely perplexed by this > switching-to-Intel announcement? I don't get it. I see it as a move > of desperation, done only in order to upgrade the PowerBooks. And > Wintel laptops aren't *that* much faster than top-of-the-line > PowerBooks... > > There are a few specific points that make no sense to me: > - it seems to me that Intel is nearing the end of the line with the > Pentium 4s. > - the future is (was) looking very bright with the G5/Cell processor > - the G5 is a 64-bit CPU; the Pentium 4 is a 32-bit CPU. Yes, the > end-user machine might be an Itanium, but the developer machine is a > Pentium 4, so that's all we have to go on. > > It seems to me that this will make it harder to sell Apple hardware: > > Buyer: "So this new $1,000 iMac has an Intel CPU in it?" > Seller: "Yes." > Buyer: "So why should I buy it instead of that $300 Dell? They both > have the same CPU, Hard drive, and RAM specsi, and they have the same > USB, Firewire, ethernet, and modem ports." > Seller: "Uhh....." > > How are we going to explain to Joe and Jane Sixpack why they need to > spend the extra money on our beloved Macs? Is Steve Jobs going to turn > Apple into another NeXT - software only? If so, it seems to me he runs > the risk of turning OS X into another OS/2. Consider this > conversation: > > Buyer: "So this new $300 Dell comes with Windows right?" > Seller: "Yes." > Buyer: "And to get OS X I have to spend another $130?" > Seller: "Yes." > Buyer: "Why should I spend another $130, more than one-third of the > cost of the computer, just for an OS?" > Seller: "Uhh....." > > I just don't get it.
Nope you're not the only one, although I am beginning to see this as a move forced on Apple by poor relations with IBM. I've been looking round at alternative hardware platforms for Linux (my primary OS) and at MacOSX as a desktop platform that interests me (partly because of its BSD roots and partly its PPC platform). I've been on a selection of the LEM lists for quite a while now, and warmed to the community behind the platform (no such thing on Wintel - you don't have communities behind TVs or cookers do you?!). As a result I came very, very close to getting a Mac Mini (having been on the lookout for a B&W G3 or better going fairly cheap). The end result of this announcement for me is to make the platform less attractive, on one hand I'll not pay anywhere near as much for a Mac now (new or s/h), and I am more likely to hold off and see what the new systems are like. This sort of thing I would have thought would seriously dent Apple's revenue for a while. I must admit I was hoping that the Mac would move on to the new IBM Power chips (Cell) that are going to be used in all the next generation consoles. I was beginning to think that Intel, like Microsoft, were peaking and in for increasingly tough competition. Apple seem to be becoming more of a commercial proving ground for the concepts behind open source, Linux, BSD, etc.. - cross platform compilation, *nix based OS with a nice desktop. If they are not careful they'll end up having nothing but the desktop bit! I'm going to have to sit back, watch and think this one through. At the moment I'm surviving on a mere hours sleep last night and its late again already (nearly midnight here), so my brain may not be working at full capacity :) -- Paul Tansom | Aptanet Ltd. | http://www.aptanet.com/ -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
