archer75
Apr 5, 05:05 PM
Not again..
NAB is for broadcast professionals - its doubtful there will be computer releases here.
They don't have to announce the new hardware there. It's very unlikely they would have an event to announce the hardware upgrade. But there's no reason a refresh can't take place that day.
There are many reports of supplies of imacs and minis drying up as of a week ago so a refresh is certainly imminent.
NAB is for broadcast professionals - its doubtful there will be computer releases here.
They don't have to announce the new hardware there. It's very unlikely they would have an event to announce the hardware upgrade. But there's no reason a refresh can't take place that day.
There are many reports of supplies of imacs and minis drying up as of a week ago so a refresh is certainly imminent.
RebootD
Mar 31, 04:44 PM
Ironically, most of the people on this forum said iPhone on Verizon would be game over for Android.
This 'game over for Android' reminds me a lot of the 'this is the year of desktop linux' stuff that has been said every year for the last 9.
Ah linux trolls are my favorite :rolleyes: I lost count how many times I've answered a question and/or posted on something to have the random linux guy show up and spout "Or just toss out your mac/pc and install linux on a new machine". Of course no one asked about linux.
This 'game over for Android' reminds me a lot of the 'this is the year of desktop linux' stuff that has been said every year for the last 9.
Ah linux trolls are my favorite :rolleyes: I lost count how many times I've answered a question and/or posted on something to have the random linux guy show up and spout "Or just toss out your mac/pc and install linux on a new machine". Of course no one asked about linux.
Zadillo
Aug 27, 04:50 PM
Another person who grasps it.
Again, come on now...... it's not a question of whether people grasp it. It's question of who finds it funny and who doesn't. It's possible to "grasp" a joke and still not find it funny once it has been done to death. Just because someone doesn't think it is funny doesn't mean you have to insult their intelligence by saying they just don't "grasp" it.
Again, come on now...... it's not a question of whether people grasp it. It's question of who finds it funny and who doesn't. It's possible to "grasp" a joke and still not find it funny once it has been done to death. Just because someone doesn't think it is funny doesn't mean you have to insult their intelligence by saying they just don't "grasp" it.
Willis
Jul 28, 05:46 PM
I appreciate the thoughts on my quandry whether or not to return my 20 " iMac and purchase after the WWDC. Of course my decision is not any easier with one vote for and one vote against.
Thanks Grokgod and Multimedia for the thoughts...
bare in mind that iMacs might not even get updated at wwdc. it could be at the paris expo.
go with what you feel suits you best.
Thanks Grokgod and Multimedia for the thoughts...
bare in mind that iMacs might not even get updated at wwdc. it could be at the paris expo.
go with what you feel suits you best.
amols
Aug 5, 11:26 PM
No Macbook Pros?? I hope there won't be any. My MBP gets to stay top of the line for few more weeks ;) . Besides, and correct me if I'm wrong, but when was the last time that any notebook was mere updated at WWDC ??
atari1356
Jul 27, 09:51 AM
Yes. I believe people who have gotten their hands on Core 2 Duo beta chips have put them in their mini's with no difference (except a massive speed boost)
It's no problem in the Mini's, however, in both the MacBook and MacBook Pro the chips are soldered onto the logic board... so they're not upgradeable.
(although I expect some company like Daystar will eventually offer a "mail your computer in and we'll upgrade the processor" service like they do the PowerBook G4's)
It's no problem in the Mini's, however, in both the MacBook and MacBook Pro the chips are soldered onto the logic board... so they're not upgradeable.
(although I expect some company like Daystar will eventually offer a "mail your computer in and we'll upgrade the processor" service like they do the PowerBook G4's)
generik
Sep 18, 11:09 PM
APPLE I NEED A NEW MACBOOK PRO. I NEED FIREWIRE 800, I NEED A DL SuperDrive, i'd like MEMROM. If you had to releace a half-assed Prosumer laptop in the first place to start your transition for the love of god PLEASE update it now. Its been a LONG time since we've seen any updates. Apple is now competeing in INTEL land, were they need to keep their laptops current. Releace the laptops (notebooks in your case as you like to call them) i'll place the order and wait for them to ship. PLEASE.!
mike
Eh what choices do you have if Apple doesn't wish to play by your needs... buy from another vendor? Let the "free market" decide? Oh wait, I forgot, for Macs there is no free market, it is basically a monopoly.
mike
Eh what choices do you have if Apple doesn't wish to play by your needs... buy from another vendor? Let the "free market" decide? Oh wait, I forgot, for Macs there is no free market, it is basically a monopoly.
DeVizardofOZ
Aug 26, 05:57 AM
in my experience, their support has always sucked..even from day 1 with my first PowerMac G5 back in 2004.
Let's see...
PowerMac G5 arrived with a defective superdrive, miscalibrated fans. The genius 'couldn't hear the fans', and accidentally put the repair in someone else's name, so when I tried to pick it up, I had to haggle to get it. Oh, and when I did finally get it, the superdrive was still broken. Super...
Cinema Display arrived with 7 dead pixels...I know this is a touchy issue, but the problem with their support regarding it was that none of them knew the actual number to replace it at. The phone people told me 5, the store (after the 45 minute drive there) told me 15, and another rep (who finally replaced it) told me 3.
iMac G5 had a defective power supply on arrival--would shut off randomly, some times not turning on. They refused to acknowledge this the first time we were there...the second time we were there...third time...fourth time they gave in--by saying "we'll keep it overnight." They still.."couldn't find a problem." When they gave it back, it worked for..two weeks, then the fans started being wonky. They couldn't hear that the first or second visit, on the third visit they took it overnight, "couldn't hear any audible issue", but it shutdown on them. I guess taking our word for it, they replaced the fan assembly, logic board, and power supply. Worked for a month, now it still shuts down.
MacBook Pro had the defective battery (random shutdowns), now fixed. Also, I had the screen buzz (now fixed), CPU A Whine (now fixed). They basically fixed all the issues in this machine, but were four days over their expected return time.
I'm not saying their support is totally crap, but they're certainly not consistent in performance, technical knowledge, friendliness, or even coverage. I was talking to a friend about "what I'd do if I were Steve Jobs," and the first thing we agreed on was to fire the entire AppleCare department, and all the genius', because they all seem to suck.
But hey, my iBook G4 and MacBook are fine...
There shouldn't be LUCK involved when buying ANYTHING, including an APPLE:p
Let's see...
PowerMac G5 arrived with a defective superdrive, miscalibrated fans. The genius 'couldn't hear the fans', and accidentally put the repair in someone else's name, so when I tried to pick it up, I had to haggle to get it. Oh, and when I did finally get it, the superdrive was still broken. Super...
Cinema Display arrived with 7 dead pixels...I know this is a touchy issue, but the problem with their support regarding it was that none of them knew the actual number to replace it at. The phone people told me 5, the store (after the 45 minute drive there) told me 15, and another rep (who finally replaced it) told me 3.
iMac G5 had a defective power supply on arrival--would shut off randomly, some times not turning on. They refused to acknowledge this the first time we were there...the second time we were there...third time...fourth time they gave in--by saying "we'll keep it overnight." They still.."couldn't find a problem." When they gave it back, it worked for..two weeks, then the fans started being wonky. They couldn't hear that the first or second visit, on the third visit they took it overnight, "couldn't hear any audible issue", but it shutdown on them. I guess taking our word for it, they replaced the fan assembly, logic board, and power supply. Worked for a month, now it still shuts down.
MacBook Pro had the defective battery (random shutdowns), now fixed. Also, I had the screen buzz (now fixed), CPU A Whine (now fixed). They basically fixed all the issues in this machine, but were four days over their expected return time.
I'm not saying their support is totally crap, but they're certainly not consistent in performance, technical knowledge, friendliness, or even coverage. I was talking to a friend about "what I'd do if I were Steve Jobs," and the first thing we agreed on was to fire the entire AppleCare department, and all the genius', because they all seem to suck.
But hey, my iBook G4 and MacBook are fine...
There shouldn't be LUCK involved when buying ANYTHING, including an APPLE:p
faroZ06
Apr 27, 08:46 AM
Did you read ANY of the news articles.
With location services turned off, this data was still be collected. And Apple says this was a "bug"
So you're wrong.
Ok then show me where it says that turning location services off will not stop the tracking. I've scanned the articles and did not find anything that said that. If it does still track when you turn it off, I'd like to know.
With location services turned off, this data was still be collected. And Apple says this was a "bug"
So you're wrong.
Ok then show me where it says that turning location services off will not stop the tracking. I've scanned the articles and did not find anything that said that. If it does still track when you turn it off, I'd like to know.
notjustjay
Sep 19, 08:38 AM
All you people who keep whining about "But I want 64 bit!!!" need to step back and think about what possible benefit a 64-bit system will give you. Those of you who need to address more than 4 gigs of RAM are excused. The rest of you, tell me WHY you need 64-bit computing.
When they go Merom I want the MBP's and MB's to have useful, practical features. More ports, user-removable hard drive, better battery life, better video card, stuff like that. I'm waiting just as impatiently as everyone else, but the hype needs to be toned way down.
When they go Merom I want the MBP's and MB's to have useful, practical features. More ports, user-removable hard drive, better battery life, better video card, stuff like that. I'm waiting just as impatiently as everyone else, but the hype needs to be toned way down.
KnightWRX
Apr 6, 07:26 PM
Totally depends on what tools you are using. Sure, when I'm at home working on a light webapp running nothing but Emacs, Chrome, Postgres, and using, for example, Python as my server-side language, 4GB of RAM is more than enough, hell I could get by with 2GB no problem
You'd need 2 GBs for that ? My Linux server with about 384 MB of RAM runs that web/db environnement without breaking a sweat, with a load average of about 0.1, and that's not even a quarter of what runs off of it.
No, seriously, people overestimate their computing ressource needs these days. Xcode is pretty light, Eclipse ran on computers from 10 years ago, so did Netbeans. Tomcat has been around and hasn't changed much from its 5.0 release, back in the early 2000s.
The MBA is fine for running the tools you describe and would make a fine software development station for the needs you expose, don't ever doubt that.
By "run everything", you can't possibly mean run games at "higher than medium" settings, nor edit lots of HD footage in something like Final Cut Pro. Though that's not what YOU use YOUR MacBook Air for
I'd argue the needs I described are shared by much more people that the needs you claim aren't filled by a MBA. I doubt Final Cut Pro movie editing is anything but a small niche of what computer buyers do with their machines and "higher than medium" settings is not something I use to describe gaming. I value games for their playability, not how they look on my screen. Of course, I come from the era of EGA graphics and Adlib sound systems, when games were about gameplay.
Still, the MBA does fine with iMovie and I can play Civilization IV at full screen on my external monitor of 2048x1156 pixels without breaking a sweat. It is a very capable machine, contrary to what you believe. Use one and see for yourself before you diss the thing. I can understand why you wouldn't be interested in one, I can't however understand the venom you spit at the thing.
please, please, P...L...E...A...S...E - Can we have an integrated Cellular data chip
Get a USB adapter. That way, your 2000$ laptop won't be tied to a single carrier the way Apple does 3G in its devices. I'm fine with my iPhone and tethering, I'd rather Apple sell the MBA on the cheap and leave the 3G option up to the users.
It's not like you can't use a MBA over 3G networks right this day (or any other Mac for that matter).
Wait, so MacBook Air has a TN panel? That makes no sense, the iPad 2 has an IPS panel...
Anyway, I'd like to see backlit keys and an IPS display before I buy a MBA :cool:
Very, very few laptops have IPS displays. The only one that comes to mind is the HP Elitebook with the DreamColor screen option (the standard screen on it is a TN panel).
Apple does not install Flash Player on newer machines, so this is not a problem.
Try youtube.com/html5 (http://www.youtube.com/html5) or ClickToFlash (http://rentzsch.github.com/clicktoflash/) or other HTML5-Safari extensions (http://www.macupdate.com/find/mac/html5%20extension)!
Youtube is not the only source of content out there and until all video provider sites are HTML5, computers without VDA framework support will be slower, run hotter and have lesser battery life than those with VDA support.
And HTML5 won't be on all video sites until you can graft DRM on top of it. Think of the paid-for streaming providers like Hulu.
BTW, my MBA runs Flash without any problems. I don't need Apple to pre-install it for me.
You obviously know nothing about OpenCL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCL). OpenCL is not hardware dependent. OpenCL programs can run even on old 300 MHz PowerPC processors, if someone writes a OpenCL-compiler for this platform.
And you obvioulsy don't understand what a GPGPU API is for. What good is running code through an API whose purpose is to offload your CPU by using ... your CPU. It makes no sense to emulate OpenCL in software, other than providing OpenCL on computers without a hardware implementation.
In the end, you haven't achieved the purpose of OpenCL, which is to offload the CPU, since you haven't offloaded the CPU at all.
The point is, the Intel 3000 HD on Mac OS X cannot run OpenCL code, so it's up to the CPU to do it.
You failed to even counter my points. Your attempt is only about dismissal, which proves my points are very valid.
You'd need 2 GBs for that ? My Linux server with about 384 MB of RAM runs that web/db environnement without breaking a sweat, with a load average of about 0.1, and that's not even a quarter of what runs off of it.
No, seriously, people overestimate their computing ressource needs these days. Xcode is pretty light, Eclipse ran on computers from 10 years ago, so did Netbeans. Tomcat has been around and hasn't changed much from its 5.0 release, back in the early 2000s.
The MBA is fine for running the tools you describe and would make a fine software development station for the needs you expose, don't ever doubt that.
By "run everything", you can't possibly mean run games at "higher than medium" settings, nor edit lots of HD footage in something like Final Cut Pro. Though that's not what YOU use YOUR MacBook Air for
I'd argue the needs I described are shared by much more people that the needs you claim aren't filled by a MBA. I doubt Final Cut Pro movie editing is anything but a small niche of what computer buyers do with their machines and "higher than medium" settings is not something I use to describe gaming. I value games for their playability, not how they look on my screen. Of course, I come from the era of EGA graphics and Adlib sound systems, when games were about gameplay.
Still, the MBA does fine with iMovie and I can play Civilization IV at full screen on my external monitor of 2048x1156 pixels without breaking a sweat. It is a very capable machine, contrary to what you believe. Use one and see for yourself before you diss the thing. I can understand why you wouldn't be interested in one, I can't however understand the venom you spit at the thing.
please, please, P...L...E...A...S...E - Can we have an integrated Cellular data chip
Get a USB adapter. That way, your 2000$ laptop won't be tied to a single carrier the way Apple does 3G in its devices. I'm fine with my iPhone and tethering, I'd rather Apple sell the MBA on the cheap and leave the 3G option up to the users.
It's not like you can't use a MBA over 3G networks right this day (or any other Mac for that matter).
Wait, so MacBook Air has a TN panel? That makes no sense, the iPad 2 has an IPS panel...
Anyway, I'd like to see backlit keys and an IPS display before I buy a MBA :cool:
Very, very few laptops have IPS displays. The only one that comes to mind is the HP Elitebook with the DreamColor screen option (the standard screen on it is a TN panel).
Apple does not install Flash Player on newer machines, so this is not a problem.
Try youtube.com/html5 (http://www.youtube.com/html5) or ClickToFlash (http://rentzsch.github.com/clicktoflash/) or other HTML5-Safari extensions (http://www.macupdate.com/find/mac/html5%20extension)!
Youtube is not the only source of content out there and until all video provider sites are HTML5, computers without VDA framework support will be slower, run hotter and have lesser battery life than those with VDA support.
And HTML5 won't be on all video sites until you can graft DRM on top of it. Think of the paid-for streaming providers like Hulu.
BTW, my MBA runs Flash without any problems. I don't need Apple to pre-install it for me.
You obviously know nothing about OpenCL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenCL). OpenCL is not hardware dependent. OpenCL programs can run even on old 300 MHz PowerPC processors, if someone writes a OpenCL-compiler for this platform.
And you obvioulsy don't understand what a GPGPU API is for. What good is running code through an API whose purpose is to offload your CPU by using ... your CPU. It makes no sense to emulate OpenCL in software, other than providing OpenCL on computers without a hardware implementation.
In the end, you haven't achieved the purpose of OpenCL, which is to offload the CPU, since you haven't offloaded the CPU at all.
The point is, the Intel 3000 HD on Mac OS X cannot run OpenCL code, so it's up to the CPU to do it.
You failed to even counter my points. Your attempt is only about dismissal, which proves my points are very valid.
grue
Apr 12, 01:26 AM
Oh, and here's one I just ran into that reminds me:
Is it so much to ask to have it go to and from the background cleanly? Christ in a cartoon, you'd think backgrounding the application is a huge exercise in resource allocation by how long it takes to bring back all the windows sometimes, if they reappear at all. FCP is bad enough about this sometimes, but Compressor is even worse.
Minor, sure, but annoying as hell.
Is it so much to ask to have it go to and from the background cleanly? Christ in a cartoon, you'd think backgrounding the application is a huge exercise in resource allocation by how long it takes to bring back all the windows sometimes, if they reappear at all. FCP is bad enough about this sometimes, but Compressor is even worse.
Minor, sure, but annoying as hell.
bep207
Aug 15, 01:03 PM
has adobe dropped any hints as to when CS3 will be available
Mattie Num Nums
Mar 31, 02:23 PM
This is a smart move. It had to happen sooner or later.
John Gruber's take:
Can't say I disagree.
John Gruber would eat Steve Job's ***** if he could. His opinion is extremely biased.
John Gruber's take:
Can't say I disagree.
John Gruber would eat Steve Job's ***** if he could. His opinion is extremely biased.
hob
Apr 5, 07:18 PM
A very ignorant post. Especially if you value quality. I hardly call providing the best quality video "sucking money out of home consumers"
Perhaps a little hasty of me, I was simply meant to say that in my experience I've not ever been required to deliver anything on Blu-Ray, and that to my mind it was a purely consumer format.
I don't think blu-ray support is a dealbreaker, but I certainly wouldn't mind exploring the authoring options.
Perhaps a little hasty of me, I was simply meant to say that in my experience I've not ever been required to deliver anything on Blu-Ray, and that to my mind it was a purely consumer format.
I don't think blu-ray support is a dealbreaker, but I certainly wouldn't mind exploring the authoring options.
faroZ06
Apr 27, 08:38 AM
This is a lie
Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location. :mad: Does Apple really think this double talk, where they say they keep a database of location but don't log the location is going to fly?
At least our overlord will now, I hope, stop collecting location data when location services are turned off. It's a disgrace that it took a media storm to shame them into action.
It doesn't keep a log of the "location" but which WiFi spots you have been on. Also, the database is not easily accessible. But really, don't complain if you enabled Location Services...
Keeping a database of our general location is logging our location. :mad: Does Apple really think this double talk, where they say they keep a database of location but don't log the location is going to fly?
At least our overlord will now, I hope, stop collecting location data when location services are turned off. It's a disgrace that it took a media storm to shame them into action.
It doesn't keep a log of the "location" but which WiFi spots you have been on. Also, the database is not easily accessible. But really, don't complain if you enabled Location Services...
ctdonath
Mar 22, 12:48 PM
The models we saw weren't final -- in fact, they didn't even power on
'nuff said (http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/22/samsung-galaxy-tab-8-9-and-new-galaxy-tab-10-1-thinner-than-the/).
'nuff said (http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/22/samsung-galaxy-tab-8-9-and-new-galaxy-tab-10-1-thinner-than-the/).
Thunderbird
Aug 7, 05:09 PM
Like the whole 3ghz thing?
Ok, except for that
Ok, except for that
Piggie
Mar 23, 02:40 AM
When will RIM realize that nothing they can create, have created, or ever will create can be as good as something created by Apple? Some companies: Google, Microsoft, and RIM will just never learn.
Steve Jobs = Genius
It depends how you define "Good" does it not?
For some people an iMac or an iPad would be a useless device, and a PC with a Honeycomb tablet could be the ideal combination for them.
It's all down to what you want something to do.
Steve Jobs = Genius
It depends how you define "Good" does it not?
For some people an iMac or an iPad would be a useless device, and a PC with a Honeycomb tablet could be the ideal combination for them.
It's all down to what you want something to do.
SC68Cal
Sep 19, 12:49 AM
im glad i bought just the other day, itll be within the 14 day return period. i know some people have said they are able to get the restocking fee waived. any tips on this?
I'm almost tempted if they come out with a Merom update. I purchased mine yesterday so I might be in the 14 day period. But, do I really feel like setting up all my stuff all over again? for a 10% increase in speed?
I'm almost tempted if they come out with a Merom update. I purchased mine yesterday so I might be in the 14 day period. But, do I really feel like setting up all my stuff all over again? for a 10% increase in speed?
deconai
Aug 11, 03:59 PM
Well, I had been screwed about 4x as much as a typical cell user... at least when I had the misfortune and poor sense to have a Cingular contract.
I think there are several people who have felt "screwed" by their wireless company, regardless of which company they chose to sign with. I have used Cingular from day one of my cell usage, and I have nothing but good things to say about their service. Of course, you're 4x more likely to get screwed, I guess. ;)
I think there are several people who have felt "screwed" by their wireless company, regardless of which company they chose to sign with. I have used Cingular from day one of my cell usage, and I have nothing but good things to say about their service. Of course, you're 4x more likely to get screwed, I guess. ;)
Dr.Gargoyle
Aug 11, 06:49 PM
Confused.
Can somebody explain me the differences between the cellphone market between the US and Europe.
Will a 'iPhone' just be marketed to the US or worldwide (as the iPod does)?
C.:confused:
The biggest difference would be that in europe we use GSM-system (900 Mhz and 1800Mhz) whereas US use both CDMA and GSM (850MHz and 1900Mhz)
A typical triband GSM phone enables you to call more or less all over the world whereas a CDMA is more or less restricted to use it in US and some countries in Asia. CDMA and GSM are two incompatible system like windows and OSX, i.e they dont "speak" with each other. One difference you notice as a user is that GSM phones has a SIM card which more or less is your identity. That is, if you have an unlocked cellphone you can change operators whenever you feel like it. This is not possible with CDMA cellphones.
Celphones are also much more common in europe and the "typical" cellphone user is not that tied up to an operator as a "typical" US user. Carriers in europe don't cripple the phones like some do in US.
I am sure there are man more differences, but these were the only that came to my mind right now.
Can somebody explain me the differences between the cellphone market between the US and Europe.
Will a 'iPhone' just be marketed to the US or worldwide (as the iPod does)?
C.:confused:
The biggest difference would be that in europe we use GSM-system (900 Mhz and 1800Mhz) whereas US use both CDMA and GSM (850MHz and 1900Mhz)
A typical triband GSM phone enables you to call more or less all over the world whereas a CDMA is more or less restricted to use it in US and some countries in Asia. CDMA and GSM are two incompatible system like windows and OSX, i.e they dont "speak" with each other. One difference you notice as a user is that GSM phones has a SIM card which more or less is your identity. That is, if you have an unlocked cellphone you can change operators whenever you feel like it. This is not possible with CDMA cellphones.
Celphones are also much more common in europe and the "typical" cellphone user is not that tied up to an operator as a "typical" US user. Carriers in europe don't cripple the phones like some do in US.
I am sure there are man more differences, but these were the only that came to my mind right now.
bagelche
Apr 5, 09:36 PM
Heh. looks like foidulus had a similar idea. I missed that post. And MattInOz comes in with a reasonable rebuttal and more technical knowledge than I have.
I don't think either foidulus or I were saying they were completely siloed--I'm sure they had some level of access to the A/V code. The question is is it in SL. Possibly.
I don't think either foidulus or I were saying they were completely siloed--I'm sure they had some level of access to the A/V code. The question is is it in SL. Possibly.
gnasher729
Jul 27, 05:59 PM
but is still more productive because it handles more calculations per clock cycle
I'm no processor geek. I have a basic understanding of the terminology and how things work so correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this one of the advantages that the PPC had over Intel chips? Does this mean Intel is moving toward shorter pipes? Are we talking more instructions per clock cycle or what? What does "calculations" mean in this context?
With most processors, especially the Intel/AMD processors, "instructions per cycle" is not a useful number. These processors have both simple instructions (add register number 3 to register number 6) and complex instructions (add register number 3 to the number whose address is in register number 6). A PowerPC has the simple instructions, but not the complex ones. Instead it would need three instructions "load the number whose address is in register number 6, and move it to register 7", "add register 3 to register 7", "store register 7 to the location whose address is in register 6". But the Intel processor doesn't magically do three times as much work. Instead, it splits the complex instruction into three so-called "macro-ops", and does exactly the same work. So in this case, the PowerPC would execute three times as many instructions per cycle (3 instead of 1), but because it doesn't do more actual work, that is pointless. Instead you would count the number of operations, and they are more or less the same.
Intel is indeed moving towards shorter pipelines. They have done that already with the Core Duo chips. Longer pipelines have the advantage that each pipeline step is a bit faster, so you can get higher clockspeed. Shorter pipelines have the advantage that they take much less energy (very important; at some point your chips just melt), they are much faster handling branches, and they are just much much easier to design. Pentium 4 needed absolutely heroic efforts to produce it, and would have needed twice the heroics to improve it. Instead, the Core Duo has a much simpler design, that is just as powerful, and because it was so simple, Core 2 Duo could improve it.
And Core 2 Duo can now execute up to four "micro-ops" per cycle, same as the G5, compared to three for Core Duo, Pentium 4 and G4. It also has some clever features that reduce the number of micro-ops needed up to 10 percent, and some other improvements.
I'm no processor geek. I have a basic understanding of the terminology and how things work so correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this one of the advantages that the PPC had over Intel chips? Does this mean Intel is moving toward shorter pipes? Are we talking more instructions per clock cycle or what? What does "calculations" mean in this context?
With most processors, especially the Intel/AMD processors, "instructions per cycle" is not a useful number. These processors have both simple instructions (add register number 3 to register number 6) and complex instructions (add register number 3 to the number whose address is in register number 6). A PowerPC has the simple instructions, but not the complex ones. Instead it would need three instructions "load the number whose address is in register number 6, and move it to register 7", "add register 3 to register 7", "store register 7 to the location whose address is in register 6". But the Intel processor doesn't magically do three times as much work. Instead, it splits the complex instruction into three so-called "macro-ops", and does exactly the same work. So in this case, the PowerPC would execute three times as many instructions per cycle (3 instead of 1), but because it doesn't do more actual work, that is pointless. Instead you would count the number of operations, and they are more or less the same.
Intel is indeed moving towards shorter pipelines. They have done that already with the Core Duo chips. Longer pipelines have the advantage that each pipeline step is a bit faster, so you can get higher clockspeed. Shorter pipelines have the advantage that they take much less energy (very important; at some point your chips just melt), they are much faster handling branches, and they are just much much easier to design. Pentium 4 needed absolutely heroic efforts to produce it, and would have needed twice the heroics to improve it. Instead, the Core Duo has a much simpler design, that is just as powerful, and because it was so simple, Core 2 Duo could improve it.
And Core 2 Duo can now execute up to four "micro-ops" per cycle, same as the G5, compared to three for Core Duo, Pentium 4 and G4. It also has some clever features that reduce the number of micro-ops needed up to 10 percent, and some other improvements.
