> From: Mac Duff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > On 11/21/02 11:09 AM, "Eric D." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> I suspect that all the optimisation stuff will only affect G4s with large >> enough video cards. >> > I'm running Jaguar on a G4/450 with an ATI Rage 128 Pro. With that GPU, I'm > not even getting Quartz Extreme support. It's performing acceptably for me, > anyway. I do have LOTS of RAM, however.
You've got AltiVec. That makes a world of difference in terms of GUI and audio work (which is why for graphics/audio a G4/350 can match or even beat a G3/450 if it's running optimised software). >> They'll never fix that. It's in Apple's bones to do bone-headed things and >> leave good features wallowing in the dirt (why do you think I find that the >> Dock is a half-assed solution to app switching!!!!!!!!!). >> > Man, why oh why did both you and John Christie jump on the app switching > facet of the Dock when rebutting my post. I WAS NOT REFERRING TO APPLICATION > SWITCHING; I WAS REFERRING TO POPPING UP THE CONTENTS OF DOCKED FOLDERS AND > DRIVES. I experience NO delay when switching applications via the Dock, so I I don't care about response time, or rebutting your Dock post (the Dock ain't perfect ON ITS OWN) -- I was using the Dock as an example of a half-baked, potentially great idea that's wallowing in the dirt b/c Apple is catering to the lowest common denominator, and has _abandoned_ good ideas it implemented in the past, e.g. f-key app launching, Apple switcher menu). The Dock is neat, and can do some good stuff, but without the Apple switcher menu, it's a lame-duck solution to app switching (and, until we abandon the concept of separate apps altogether one of the most important function the OS can provide is effective, smooth and seamless switching (Windows does it reasonably well (Alt-Tab (Win style/MS Office 4.2.1 style) works much better than command-tab), OS 9 was 95% of the way there, OS X is only 80% of the way there (98% when ASM is installed... command-tab & the Dock need work)). Command(-shift)-tab is great if you have to switch to the next/previous app, but if you have ten apps open it can get rather irritating to have to type the exact number of cmd-tabs. Comparably, the dock is also a useless piece of !@#% as an app switcher b/c there are extraneous apps, and you cannot see a NAME or easily figure out what apps are open (I tend to run a lot of apps & I have much quicker word recognition than icon recognition). As such, a LIST is much more efficient for me, ergo Apple switcher menu. Thus, the Dock is the perfect example of a potentially great tool that is wallowing in the dirt because Apple isn't interested in fine-tuning its GUI, but more interested in keeping "the OS X experience consistent". As I have stated before, I really don't care whether or not other people can use my computer. In fact, I prefer it if they CAN'T!!! > IMHO, the Dock, while not perfect, is BETTER than OS 9's > Apple Menu/Application Menu combo. It's *worse* than the Application switcher menu/Application switcher combo as an app switcher. OS X needs (1) a functional (i.e. modifiable) Apple menu (I don't use it... there's _nothing_ in that menu I need to use (other than recently used items); (2) the Application switcher menu built-in again (it doesn't take away from your precious Dock, it supplements it); (3) trash can OUT OF THE DOCK (even Winblows doesn't do something this boneheaded); (4) smart Dock (i.e. can tell the difference between clicking to switch/launch an app and to display a pop-up menu (ctrl-click should NOT be necessary)); (5) ability (in an APPLE-supplied preference pane) to set the Dock to stick to the top (beginning?) of the right-hand-side of the screen (i.e. top-middle-bottom (not top-left-right-bottom)). Anyway, obviously with Steve Jobs around customisability of the OS is being sacrificed for his precious "consistent user experience". Apple-supplied customisability is what made the Mac OS distinct and better than its Winblows counterpart. Rigid, one-mould-fits-all does not work or sit well with Mac users. Some may be sheep, but I hope the majority aren't. > Frankly, the Mac platform is in a real pickle as far as processors are > concerned, and I would suggest being much more concerned about the high-end, > rather than the low-end (other than the low-end's price). Apple's BIG > problem is Motorola. They are bleeding > red ink out of their books and the G5 seems to be vaporware. I > doubt that Apple will ever go x86 (AMD), and I hope they never have to I really do wonder what will happen to our precious Macintosh. A friend of mine worked in the trouble-shooting PPC dep't at Moto and bailed last year (they were the group that would trouble-shoot production line problems). He saw no future (no advancement opportunities) in staying with the PPC group (especially since they weren't getting properly funded, and there were constant delays in production) so he jumped ship. The PPC isn't going to be Apple's saviour. Apple will have to boost speeds by going dual, even triple or quadruple processor, rather than rely on increased clock speeds. >> Apple already has G4 iMacs and it's only a matter of time (6 months?) before >> they drop the G3 line altogether. >> > I agree with that date on dropping THE USE of the G3; but that's not the > same as THE SUPPORT of the G3. But I still say that dropping the G3 is > >> It didn't take Apple long to stop supporting the 604e after they finally >> stopped using them in their product line! >> > The last 9600 was discontinued in March of 1998. OS X went (prematurely) > Golden Master March 25th, 2001. That's three years. Less than my guess of > five, but not as abrupt as you seem to be > putting it. Obviously support and production are different things, but they're not that distantly related. I'm not entirely sure what legal requirements Apple has to support sold products (for some years 5 years came to mind, but perhaps that was just for hardware repairs). They'll at least have to do three years since extended AppleCare is that long (& I think a consumer who'd purchased a machine would be livid to find her machine wasn't supported next year, or two years later). So, I'm guessing we'll see *some* form of G3 support until 2006, but it may be contingent on having enough video RAM (i.e. the Beige G3s may be SOL). >> 3. OS 9 boot support (that will allow for a major shift in mobo >> design/optimization... I suspect the no-boot OS 9 machines will see a speed >> gain greater than faster CPU/bus speed would allow for) >> > You kidding? We already have a healthy boost in front side bus, PLUS, we're What I meant is that Apple could then redesign the mobos from the ground up. Right now they still have to provide "legacy" (which is effectively what it is b/c OS 9 hasn't seen a *real* upgrade in nearly 3 years) support for OS 9 which they wouldn't under a no-OS 9 boot setup. The PPC will still be there so you can run OS 9 apps but through the hardware abstraction layer you avoid having OS 9 talk directly to the hardware. New chips could be optimised for OS X or old ones upgraded (since Apple could now focus on writing new drivers for OS X-only hardware) thus allowing for a speed boost only available with newer technology. >> 5. G5 (if it ever comes to a Mac near you) >> > See above. Bets on that happening (I haven't heard on an update on that front that didn't come from a rumour site ;)? Now if only I could write my thesis as quickly as I write an e-mail like this (perhaps I should've done my thesis on Macs ;) L8r, Eric. -- Mac Canada is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 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