Apple launches the PowerMac G5

Asher · June 23, 2003, 15:53

http://www.apple.com/powermac/

I'll post more once I wade through their marketing...

Asher · June 23, 2003, 15:58

Yeah, once again their numbers are fishy.

For example:
P4 Xeon 3.06GHz: http://www.spec.org/cpu2000/results/...07-02060.html: SPECINTBase: 1089

not 836 like they say on their page.

Apple never changes...

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 16:02

"When we started the G5, we knew we couldn't make it just a little bit faster, we had to make it a whole lot faster"
Damn straight you did!

Asher · June 23, 2003, 16:02

Real benchmark numbers (source: spec.org for the PCs, Apple.com for G5)

Xeon 3.06GHz (533MHz systembus):
int base: 1089 (Apple claims 836 on their page)
fp base: 1053 (Apple claims 646 on their page)

P4 3.0GHz (800MHz systembus):
int base: 1164
fp base: 1229

G5 2GHz:
int base: 800
fp base: 840

Apple, have you no shame?

How can they get away with this stuff time and time again?

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 16:04

So it IS an apple/ibm collaboration! Fa! I'm happy that my dad works at a company working hand in hand with apple.

Asher · June 23, 2003, 17:10

A $3000US computer and it comes with a $100 video card?

The highest-end G5 comes with a Radeon 9600...

And they only have 3 cards for selection: GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (5200 is the cheapest FX, ~$70), Radeon 9600, Radeon 9800. Pretty sad...

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 17:16

We've always been a few months behind on graphics cards... The selection now is better than before. This is an upward trend.

Drake Tungsten · June 23, 2003, 17:17

That's one well designed computer. I think Jonathan Ives has another award in his future.

Asher · June 23, 2003, 17:19

I think he's losing his touch.

The old PowerMacs looked better.

The inside of the case, however, looks very well designed. It just looks fugly on the outside.

The handles are unnecessary and tacky, it's overly metallic, and it's more bland than I'm used to from Apple.

Velociryx · June 23, 2003, 17:21

In other news:

Asher proposes to Bill Gates!

-=Vel=-

Asher · June 23, 2003, 17:23

Silly Vel, for this thread it should read:

Asher proposes to Craig Barrett!

Drake Tungsten · June 23, 2003, 17:24

The outside would look better without all the perforations, but they're necessary for the cooling system to work. I think he did a first-rate job given the constraints he had to work with. It's still light years ahead of anything the PC manufacturers are crapping out these days.

Asher · June 23, 2003, 17:26

I disagree, I could name half a dozen kickass PC cases that do even a better job of cooling.

Granted, they don't ship with OEM computers.

Velociryx · June 23, 2003, 17:27

Asher!

-=Vel=-

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 17:47

OEM?

"I think he's losing his touch.
The old PowerMacs looked better.
The inside of the case, however, looks very well designed. It just looks fugly on the outside."
Wait... you're a pc user, right? I thought functionality mattered more to you than aesthetics!!!

I personally like the new look. I think it's slick.

Cruddy · June 23, 2003, 18:16

Those pictures look terrible!

What ever happened to Apple PR?

You'd think they could at least afford a stuidio shoot and some decent lighting.

MRT144 · June 23, 2003, 18:29

price?

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 18:33

$2,000 - $3,000

MRT144 · June 23, 2003, 18:34

is that for the lowest model or the highest model?

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 18:35

$2,000 for lowest, $3,000 for highest.

MRT144 · June 23, 2003, 18:42

ah i see. still out of my price range.

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 18:43

I'm going to
a) save my pennies and dimes
and
b) wait for the next big release and/or prices to come down...

Asher · June 23, 2003, 18:49

Quote:

Originally posted by monolith94
Wait... you're a pc user, right? I thought functionality mattered more to you than aesthetics!!!

I'm a gay PC user.

'nuff said.

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 19:09

You're a traitor, that's what you are!

But seriously, I think it looks pretty good. I like the shape the sillhouette of it makes...

Wraith · June 23, 2003, 20:36

--"Yeah, once again their numbers are fishy."

Well, this is Apple, so it's only to be expected.

However, the ones you've quoted aren't fishy. You've just failed to notice the compiler used. The Apple numbers used gcc, the Intel numbers used ICC++. It's very well known that gcc sucks for P4 optimizations.
Still, best-available-compiler vs best-available-compiler would have been better. At least Apple should be within a stone's throw of the PC low-end again.

Wraith
I'm really quite pleasant until I'm awake

Asher · June 23, 2003, 21:05

I noticed the compilers. I also noticed the OS.

They intentionally used Linux + GCC because they knew it sucked on the P4.

95% of PC users don't use Linux + GCC, and use apps compiled with either Intel or Microsoft's compilers and run on Windows, so it makes sense to use those.

Cruddy · June 23, 2003, 21:10

Maybe a compiler with G5 optimisations would show an even bigger "leap".

You've got to admit though Asher, the G5 will be very nice for running Mac applications - not that it's a big market but then some people would rather lose their genitals than their favourite operating system.

Asher · June 23, 2003, 21:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Cruddy
Maybe a compiler with G5 optimisations would show an even bigger "leap".

By "G5" optimizations, you mean PowerPC-64 optimizations.

Yeah, GCC has those. IBM engineers have been tweaking GCC for 2 years in preparation for the Power4 (the G5 is a cutdown Power4). Intel doesn't touch GCC, and instead relies on its cross-platform Intel compiler. As such, GCC code sucks ass on the Pentium 4 and is optimized for PowerPC quite heavily.

----

Surprise, Surprise: http://news.com.com/2100-1045_3-1020215.html?tag=fd_top

Apple's charging users, again, to upgrade to OS 10.3.

So that's at least 4 OSes Mac users had to buy in the time period where Windows XP came out and offered free updates.

monolith94 · June 23, 2003, 22:07

That's funny... I can't remember the last time I bought an operating system... And I'm running 10.2...

Hmmmm.

Asher · June 23, 2003, 22:08