New Macs using Athlon chip

[DukenukemX]

All you Mac fans should be happy to hear that Apple is looking into using Athlon equipped Macs. Go here (http://www.macedition.com/nmr/nmr_20021112.php) to read it.


Nevertheless, these observers report that Apple has been serious enough about its ace in the hole to seed a few lucky civilians with prototype boxes – delivered heavily swaddled in layers of cloak-and-dagger security, natch. Specifically, recent testers report taking delivery of Athlon-powered boxes that Apple had assiduously welded shut to prevent prying eyes from ogling whatever other gremlins might be lurking inside these nondescript beige chassis.

So how did the Athlon equipped Mac perform?


On the software side, the mystery units have been stocked with current versions of Mac OS X as well as several application packages in various states of preparedness, including versions of Apple’s Final Cut Pro video-editing software and “a popular, Mac OS X-only browser.” While the applications exhibited a few rough edges, eyewitnesses attest, FCP “flew” on the AMD box compared with its performance on current PowerPC hardware

This could be apples way to get new powerful PCs out before the new Power4 chip. Whats more interesting is that Apple made a X86 version of there Mac OSX.

What can I say to all you Mac users but welcome to the dark side with open arms. :hug: :sly:

[AtmaWeapon]

Or it could be a custom Athalon chip with an architecture closer to PowerPC. I doubt Apple would actually make an x86 compatible computer, as it would ruin their monopoly control over Apple computers. Face it. If you have an Apple, you MUST run Mac OS. They like it that way.

[DukenukemX]

There was a rumor about Apple making a X86 version of Mac OS X. This just supports the rumor.

Read the article.


The Blade isn’t the Mac industry’s only wandering Shmoo, according to the latest reports from the front lines of Apple’s sub rosa Mac OS X-on-x86 efforts.

The Blade’s cruise directors aver that the project is aimed at providing an alternative in case of PowerPC Armageddon, not generating an actual shipping product.


So yeah it's X86. I think Apple is just testing systems to see how it performs. Just in case IBM craps out. Here (http://www-3.ibm.com/chips/techlib/techlib.nsf/techdocs/A1387A29AC1C2AE087256C5200611780/$file/PPC970_MPF2002.pdf) is a PDF of the Power 970 chip. Very interesting read for the Geeks.

[LordMagus]

Originally posted by AtmaWeapon
Face it. If you have an Apple, you MUST run Mac OS. They like it that way.

That's not true. Most popular Linux distributions have a PowerPC version.

[AtmaWeapon]

But can you buy an Apple with a clean hard drive or with Linux pre-installed like you can a PC?

(I'm not trying to be sarcastic with this post; I actually do not know the answer to this question, or how to find the answer)

[WarOmnimon]

Years back I purchased a Macintosh, one of the old B&W ones. If the hard disk had the MacOS on it, it would start up. Otherwise it wouldn't. I had MacOS installed on it and even when the hard drive was empty, it ran perfectly.

[Verman]

EDIT: I read the entire topic and releazed that im an idiot...

So Sorry...


Anyhow..I heard IBM is making the newest Mac Chip....could it be true? it could be cool..

or it could be another cyrix.