[Ti] Re: IBM introduces new PowerPC processors

[Chris Olson]

On Jul 8, 2005, at 3:16 PM, Dr. Trevor J. Hutley wrote:

>
> Chris - I am sure we would be interested and informed to hear your 
> comments on the new processors that IBM just announced, or do they 
> still consume too much power to be of interest in our Powerbooks?

IBM already stated they could easily build a mobile G5 processor for 
Apple, but the truth is Apple had their sites set on other things.  
I've come to the conclusion that the switch to x86 is all about one 
thing, and one thing only - DRM and hardware based control over what 
you can do with your computer.  It's *really* hard to do that with an 
open spec architecture and firmware, which is why they want to get rid 
of PowerPC.

The new Power cpu's could probably be used in a PowerBook, but I don't 
know if Apple will expend the engineering resources to put them in 
there.  These cpu's will again give IBM the performance advantage, but 
Moore's Law says that's only going to last, at the most. 24 months.  
The big thing is that they're 64-bit.  I can't see Apple offering a 
64-bit laptop, then stepping backwards in time in another 6-8 months to 
deliver a 32-bit x86-based laptop to replace it.

For me, the bottom line is that when PowerBooks are no longer available 
with PowerPC processors there's no reason to buy an Apple machine any 
longer.  Might as well buy a Dell because they can build and sell the 
same thing Apple will be selling cheaper.  Jon Lech Johansen will have 
OS X running on any x86 computer you want to run it on despite Apple's 
best efforts to use hardware-based controls to keep it off cheap Dells, 
so that's not even a consideration.

Apple has a grander scheme and I really don't think it involves 
providing the best products for their customers.  So now that a G5 
PowerBook could technically be a reality, I doubt you'll see it - at 
least not from Apple.  Those processors are being built for the Chinese 
markets and they'll primarily be going into Lenovo-built boxes running 
linux and IBM's linux-powered server line.

If you're a developer and have paid attention to the CHUD tools you 
already noticed some hints that Apple would be using the 970MP in the 
PowerMac but not the PowerBook.
--
Chris