Apple to update Mac Mini, iBook Tuesday..

[mshan]

Is the 9550 a derivative of the 9600 or 9700?

Also, how power hungry is this video card compared to the old 9200?

 

[ai42]

So that is odd. The new Mac Mini lineup makes it so that there is no need to order it specialty from the website (ie options) so its more out the door sales kinda thing (smart in my opinion). However they dropped the 56k modem from the 2 upper models. (Who uses a 56k anymore anyway?!) But I find it curious becuase the 56k is really built into the motherboard so they would have had to change the motherboard design which likely costs more in the end.

Also I have to commend Apple for bumping the RAM up to 512mb on the line as 256mb was very anemic.

I may have to get another Mini

(heh j/k the hardware changes is rather insignifigant over previous gen)

 

[ValuedCustomer]

Originally posted by: ai42
Who uses a 56k anymore anyway?!

answer: in the US? a little less than half the population. That's around 150,000,000 people for those keepin' count

 

[bluemax]

When I saw "updated Mac mini" I though it'd be faster and with better video, not a mere RAM upgrade. Boo!

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: ValuedCustomer

Originally posted by: ai42
Who uses a 56k anymore anyway?!

answer: in the US? a little less than half the population. That's around 150,000,000 people for those keepin' count

Useful not just for dialup, but also for sending faxes too.

Originally posted by: mshan
Is the 9550 a derivative of the 9600 or 9700?

9600 I think, but I'm not sure.

Also, how power hungry is this video card compared to the old 9200?

Dunno. My guess though is that it's made on a 110 nm process, which might mean a bit of power savings over what it would have been on the 130 nm (150 nm?) process.

 

[bluemax]

The 9550 is a little slower than a 9600 Vanilla, based on the same core with a lower clockspeed. Hope it's the full 128 bits, and not 64-bit castrated.

 

[Fox5]

Mac = iPod

Who cares about the guts of the iPod?(dual arm7s btw) You buy it because it offers the style, the features, or the ease of use you want. There are better sounding and better featured mp3 players than ipods, but ipods continue to sell well. Well that's the Mac, the guts don't matter, if it offers something you have decided you must have, you don't really have any other choice. Ipods however are not for hardcore power-hungry professionals and niether are Macs.(unless they're someone who has fallen into the same trap that keeps people using windows, "it runs all my software!")

Still, it seems silly to get any Mac now when there will be vastly superior models in 6 months. It'd be like if Apple was coming out with an iPod with 50% more storage, 75% the weight, and 50% more battery life in 6 months and you decided you needed an ipod now. Sure, it'll still be everything you want, but it's going to be better!

Is the 9550 a derivative of the 9600 or 9700?

Also, how power hungry is this video card compared to the old 9200?

9550 is a 9600 with a 64 bit memory bus and lower clock speeds.
And I'd imagine it is equal or less power consumption to the 9200.

 

[mshan]

"Still, it seems silly to get any Mac now when there will be vastly superior models in 6 months."

Could you elaborate with details, please.

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
I'm waiting for Apple's Intel-based computers before I give OSX a try.

I've been using my Dad's G4 Powerbook for a week and it's a blast... I'll take the plunge once they switch

 

[Fox5]

Originally posted by: mshan
"Still, it seems silly to get any Mac now when there will be vastly superior models in 6 months."

Could you elaborate with details, please.

Well, let me rephrase, I should have only appied that to their laptops as their PowerMacs will be around for quite a while.
Apple is switching to Intel, the P-M is at least a cpu generation beyond the G4 used in the current Macs(which are mostly hindered by their 32 bit memory bus, but they have other inadquecies too), and will deliver quite a bit more performance in programs compiled natively for it, most likely better battery life as I believe G4s are not yet on 90nm, and may never be, and still offer the same OSX you know and love.
I'd expect Mac Mini will get an Intel update as well, but since it's not mobile it might get a Celeron M instead of a Pentium M.

Anyhow, the laptops are supposed to start switching hardware some time from the beginning to middle of next year. Normally new products start with a trickle supply, but since all the hardware that will be in the new ibooks(and powerbooks I suppose) is already in mass production, it might be readily available early in the year. The wait is basically 6 months at the minimum, to probably 9 months at the maximum.

The PowerMacs are in a better situation, the G5 is a much more up to date cpu(with some horrible problems that don't exist on x86 cpus, but it is at the very least competitive, if not superior in some ways) and it will be a while before Apple replaces them.

 

[bluemax]

Originally posted by: Fox5
Mac = iPod

Is the 9550 a derivative of the 9600 or 9700?
Also, how power hungry is this video card compared to the old 9200?

9550 is a 9600 with a 64 bit memory bus and lower clock speeds.
And I'd imagine it is equal or less power consumption to the 9200.

It's not always 64-bit. There are plenty of 128-bit versions out there that will overclock to 9600 speeds, not that that's a big deal.