Apple adds more power to G5 line

Apple on Wednesday introduced upgraded models in its Power Mac G5 desktop series.

The new Power Mac G5 systems can use up to 8GB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM and graphics card support of up to 256MB of video memory, the company said.

The top model in the series has two 2.7-gigahertz processors, each with an independent 1.35GHz front-side bus for bandwidth of up to 21.6 gigabytes per second, it said. The computer, which supports Apple's 30-inch cinema high-definition display, comes with a 250GB hard drive and starts at $2,999.

Prices start at $1,999 for lower-end systems with dual 2GHz processors and a 160GB hard drive, Apple said. A single-processor machine is priced at $1,499.

The machines, due this week, will come loaded with Apple's Tiger operating system, which will be officially released Friday.

The new Power Macs' 16x SuperDrives can burn up to 8.5GB on a single digital video disc, Apple said.

Separately, the company announced lower prices for its wide-screen, flat-panel Cinema Displays. The 20-inch model is now priced at $799, while the 23-inch one will sell for $1,499. The 30-inch Cinema HD Display is available for $2,999.

[Thomas, David]

Question

"Apple on Wednesday introduced upgraded models in its Power
Mac G5 desktop series with 64-bit processors."

I thought mac processors were already 64 bit. In addition,
according to specs, the G4 processor uses a velocity engine to
double the data processing rate in 128 bit chunks.

I checked out the specs on a measly ibook, at this link:
http://www.apple.com/ibook/processor.html

[Jon Skillings]

Answering the 64-bit question

You're right. The G5 line has had 64-bit-capable processors for about two years. The wording in the story's first paragraph was a bit awkward. The 64-bit reference is now in the second paragraph, with a bit more context.

[Thomas, David]

Followup Question - 64 vs 128

"Apple on Wednesday introduced upgraded models in its Power
Mac G5 desktop series with 64-bit processors.

The new Power Mac G5 has a 128-bit memory architecture, up
to 8GB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM and graphics card support of up
to 256MB of video memory, the company said."

The top paragraph is the section used for the headline, but the
article clearly states that the processors are 128 bit. What and
why is the discrepency?

[aabcdefghij987654321]

128 vs 64

That's a 128 bit *Memory* architecture vs a 64 bit *Processor*. Essentially it means that each request to the memory hardware returns 128 bits of information. It's a trick that hasn't been used for a while because memory started getting fast enough to keep up with processors but now with memory speeds no longer improving dramatically the old bag of tricks (to reduce the amount of time a processor will end up waiting on memory) has been re-opened.

Bottom line, it's a good thing because it improves overall performance.

[catchall]

A quick look on Apple

seems to say it is a 128-bit 400MHz DDR Memory Architecture. The processors are 64-bit.
Although having 2 64-bit processors, you get to 128 all over again, so maybe I'm just guessing.

[Llib Setag]

Typical weak response to Apple by CNET

www.apple.com/powermac

go to the source for ALL the news on Apple.
This impotent article by CNET slouch is way off the mark (as usual)

Also, DUAL LAYER DVD + dual 64 bit G5 2.7ghz IBM PowerPC chips! 64 Bit Tiger OS on Friday. Up to 8GB SDDDR RAM!

[catchall]

Try weak release

Well, not weak performance wise, but a basic, straightforward update. Nothing surprising. No dual cores, nothing out of the ordinary. Why should anyone be jumping up and down?

[mortis9]

I'm sorry, but this is just wrong...

why are there so many dumb question linked to this story. every story about windows or microsoft has at least 50 posts by over-zealous apple fanatics and yet no one seems to understand what the article said.

64-bit processor (doesn't matter how many you have) makes reference to what size address space the processor can utilize (hence exponentially more than 32-bit (2 to the 64th vs 2 to the 32th (huge difference)))

ddr has a 64 bit memory interface (doesn't matter if you've got a 32-bit processor, 64-bit, etc.) dual channel is two 64bit memory interfaces linked together to provide twice the data in the same clock cycle. Rdram is memory is 16-bit and damn fast (much faster ~high bandwith than ddr). dual channel = 32bit and quad (via's makes a chipset) 64-bit interface in total (16bit x4).

sorry if i sounded like an *******, but i'm sick of apple fanatics posting garbage on every windows and microsoft article. for the mac-heads who don't know, in 1984, it turned out there wasn't a real big brother, so accept it, bill gates isn't the equivilant!

[Thomas, David]

DOH

If you read some of the previous posts, you would notice that
the opening paragraph was changed/corrected, in the article.

The previous paragraph is what raised all of the questions.
Hmmmmm. Now WHO is over-zealous?

Thanks, and no thanks

First, I'd like to say thanks for clearing up the *bit issue. I
already knew this, but many don't.

Most PC users don't either. It's not just Mac users that are
confused.

Secondly, there are way more M$ loving PC bigots than Mac
zealots. You may be tired of us Mac users and wish we would go
away, but that isn't going to happen, so deal with it.

And Bill Gates may not be Big Brother, but he is definitely not
your friend either. Look at what he said earlier today about
wanting the government to ease restrictions on visas so he can
import cheap labor into the US again. All this at a time when the
tech sector is experiencing higher unemployment than the
national average.

So enjoy your virus infested Windows XP, while us Mac users are
enjoying features this Friday that your beloved OS won't see until
late 2006 if you're lucky.

[Llib Setag]

Citizen Gates Black Box & US ID Card

Thanks for the clarification on the tech issues, you are correct.

See the CNET article about MS Black Box:
http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+add+black+box+to+Windows/2100-1016_3-5684051.html?tag=nefd.ac

Also Mr. Gates has also made several trips to D.C. to convince the Government that a National I.D. Card & digital tracking system (via MS) is the answer for tracking people, illegal aliens, terrorists, etc.

Same OS that has had numerous security breaches, viruses, worms, BSOD & is used on military ships & aircraft...

So 1984 may be here & gone, but Citizen Gates is not to be trusted & the DOJ / EU have revealed this to be true.