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Intel Launching 'Merom' Notebook Processor

Hans Pecheston writes "Merom, Intel's notebook processor, will be joining in the festivities at their upcoming launch event. This chip will continue to use the Core 2 Duo brand and should display additional improvements in performance and power consumption over the current chips. Intel has already begun to ship Merom processors to its PC customers and systems with Merom should begin to appear around the end of August."

201 comments

  1. And in the first week of August... by Jerk+City+Troll · · Score: 2, Funny

    They will be announced in a new line-up of MacBook Pros.

    1. Re:And in the first week of August... by arachnoprobe · · Score: 1

      I think Apple will provide a new PowerMac line first.

    2. Re:And in the first week of August... by thermopile · · Score: 2, Funny

      This will open up at least two new ways to win in John Siracusa's bingo...

      --

      "Diplomacy is something you do until you find a rock." --Richard Pound

    3. Re:And in the first week of August... by Moby+Cock · · Score: 1

      Probaly all together. The Xeon and the Core 2 Duos (Conroe and Merom) are all being unveiled at the same time. Speculation is rife that the new MacPros will have the new Xeon (which is really a Core architechture processor too). Apple will make a big hooplah about the Mac Pro at WWDC, but I expect the upgrade to Core 2 to the existing line will just happen in due course without much fanfare.

      The Macbook and Mini will keep Yonahs, Macbook Pro will get Meroms, the iMac will have a Conroe and the MacPro will have a Xeon. That's my guess, for what its worth.

    4. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More bogus Intel marketing compiler SPEC scores for Jobs to lie about!

      Jobs does not lie, he is just differently abled regarding truth.

    5. Re:And in the first week of August... by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 0

      and extra heat sink paste at no extra charge! =)

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    6. Re:And in the first week of August... by TomHandy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't get it, do you not like Macs, or do you not like the Core Duo (and Core 2 Duo) processors? Also, how overpriced do you really feel the Intel Macs are? At least from what I've seen, the pricing difference between the MB and MBP and comparably eqipped PC laptops aren't really so far off.

    7. Re:And in the first week of August... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It seems unlikely that the Macbook and Mini will keep Cores while the Pros get Core 2s, since Intel is going to be phasing out the Core in favour of the Core 2 relatively quickly.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    8. Re:And in the first week of August... by Moby+Cock · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Really? Do you have a reference? I heard that the Yonahs were here to stay as the 'low end' or 'consumer' option.

    9. Re:And in the first week of August... by highbrow · · Score: 1

      LOL and this comment gets +1 insightful vs the original's score of 1, troll ?

    10. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "LOL and this comment gets +1 insightful vs the original's score of 1, troll ?"

      Don't worry, some idiot who wasted a bunch of cash on an Intel Mac with modpoints just granted your wish...

    11. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      At least from what I've seen, the pricing difference between the MB and MBP and comparably eqipped PC laptops aren't really so far off.

      Is that why the only clothes you Mac guys can afford is black turtle necks and jeans?

    12. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      "the MB and MBP and comparably eqipped PC laptops aren't really so far off."

      It is hilarious how all through the late 1990s and early 2000s x86 people would rush off to the Apple Store and config 5000 dollar Macs to prove how 'expensive' they were compared to x86 PCs.

      And now those very same people who are buying x86 Intel Macs are doing the very same but in reverse by heading over to the Dell store and configing the most expensive model they can find to prove x86 Macs aren't really that overpriced.

      If you are paying more than 50 percent the price of an x86 Mac for a HP or Dell - you are getting reamed.

    13. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 3, Informative
      At least from what I've seen, the pricing difference between the MB and MBP and comparably eqipped PC laptops aren't really so far off.

      That's not true at all. Here goes:

      MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display
      1024MB 667 DDR2 - 2 SO-DIMM
      Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
      SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
      2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
      AirPort Extreme Card & Bluetooth
      80GB Serial ATA drive @ 5400 rpm
      Price: $2099.99

      AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro/PowerBook (w/or w/o Display) - Auto-enroll
      Price: $349.99

      Total: $2497.95

      Inspiron E1505
      Intel® Core(TM) Duo Proc T2500 (2GHz/667MHz/2 X 1MB L2 Cache)
      Genuine Windows® XP Home
      15.4 inch UltraSharp(TM) Wide Screen SXGA+ Display with TrueLife(TM)
      FREE 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
      256MB NVIDIA® GeForce(TM)Go 7300 TurboCache
      80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
      Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
      8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
      Integrated Audio
      Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Internal Wireless and Bluetooth
      85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
      3Yr Ltd Warr,At-Home Service,and HW Warr Support plus Nights and Weekends
      Free SKIN Promotion 15 - Free Promotion for 15 inch Skin

      Price: $1,766.00 (before 30% off coupon, which is practically always available.)
      Price after coupon: $1,236.20

      There are a few things the Macbook Pro has that the Dell does not. For one, the Macbook is lighter, thinner, and more aesthetically pleasing, which is no small thing. It also has a much more robust software suite--OSX is clearly a more complete OS than XP, and the pre-installed software package on an Apple computer adds value as well. In contrast, the Dell supports higher resolution, a more powerful video card, and a higher battery life.

      With all of that said, do you really think one Macbook Pro is worth two Dell E1505s?

    14. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 2, Informative

      It also bears mentioning that I tried to make them as equivalent as possible in this scenario. I could have easily stuck another $200 worth of upgrades into the machine (XP Pro, bigger HDD, more RAM), and then used a $750 off of $2000 to get to the same price. In that case the Dell would be a clearly superior (from a hardware standpoint) machine.

    15. Re:And in the first week of August... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I thought the MacBooks were fairly good value, but it turns out that you can get Clevo laptops for a bit less, with more RAM, and bigger hard disks. No FireWire though.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    16. Re:And in the first week of August... by 10Ghz · · Score: 3, Informative

      I believe that Inspiron is more or less consumer-laptop. If you want to compare a Dell-laptop, you should be using Precision or Latitude-laptops. Here's such a comparison:

      Dell Latitude D820 with following upgrades:

      2Ghz Core Duo
      1GB RAM
      256MB Intel Quadro NVS
      80GB HD
      DVD+/-RW
      Bluetooth

      Total price: $1823

      MacBook Pro with 1GB of RAM costs $2099. So it's about $270 more expensive. For that money you get all-aluminium construction (as opposed to plastic), backlit-keyboard, OS X, A LOT nicer overall design (everyone lusts after MacBooks Pro's/PowerBooks, no-one lusts after a Dell), slot-loading optical drive. MBP also has optical audio in and out and FireWire, I don't know about the Dell.

      I honestly don't think that the Apple is THAT expensive.

      --
      Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
    17. Re:And in the first week of August... by frankie · · Score: 2, Informative
      Surely joking. That comparison is way off.
      • MBP has 667 RAM, Dell has 533
      • MBP has Pro OS, Dell has Home
      • MBP has Gig-E, Dell has 100bT
      • MBP has powered Firewire, Dell has mini iLink
      • MBP has DVI, Dell has VGA
      • Nvidia 7300 (TurboCache? Sheesh!) is a match for ATI X1300, not X1600
      • Dell has two advantages: 2L DVD, and a modem
      • Dell lacks the following: internal camera, internal microphone, digital audio in/out, MagSafe cable & backlight
      • Dell weighs a pound more

      BZZT! Thank you for playing.

    18. Re:And in the first week of August... by why-did-I-wakeup · · Score: 1

      Every one just assumes the OS that is put on dells are windows. If you put linux on the desktop then you get a complete software suit. For about two thirds the price of a Mac with comparable features. Also, the "aestetics" of a Mac are what people who try and justify the cost of a Mac say. Who cares what it looks like, what matters is whats under the hood.

      --
      Most people would rather be certain they're miserable than risk being happy.
    19. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      Sigh, why do you even bother? This has been done to death. No a pro laptop from Apple with a dozen features you neglect to match up will not be the same price as the cheapest piece of junk you can get from Dell. I think we all know that. Now go get the full specs for the Macbook and try to build it at a reputable computer company (you know not Dell, the one consumer reports rates has having the worst reliability and customer service in the industry). Apple consistently ranks at the top of that list, usually with Sony and IBM/Lenovo. Others have already pointed out the point by point failures to match up features, but really that is less important than overall quality. Dell builds cheap junk. You have to not only compare the same features, but make sure it is from a reputable vendor, not one where companies keep 15% extra gear so they can swap out all the failures they have.

      With all of that said, do you really think one Macbook Pro is worth two Dell E1505s?

      To me it certainly is, because I won't be constantly dreading when the Apple laptop will die and I don't have to carry a spare with me all the time.

    20. Re:And in the first week of August... by kotj.mf · · Score: 1
      I bought the following Inspiron from Dell this morning for $1043:
      • 2.0 GHz Core Duo
      • 1GB RAM
      • 120GB HDD
      • 1440x900 14"
      • 9-cell battery
      • XP MCE, which'll be relegated to a 5GB partition. The rest will be Ubuntu.
      The equivalent white Macbook, with a smaller screen and weaker battery, runs at $1650.
      --
      hang brain.
    21. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whilst not disagreeing with your main point (I own a Dell Latitude myself), I think there may be a difference in build quality. I've never owned a Dell consumer notebook (an Inspiron), but I've owned/used business and consumer laptops from other vendors, and I know there's a huge difference in build quality for HP/Compaq and Fujitsu-Siemens (and I think for Toshiba as well, though I've never used a Toshiba consumer model). From my limited experience with Inspirons (I know some people who own them), I'd say the build quality is also substantially worse than that of my Latitude, which ranks with the best I've owned/used (the others also having been business models).

      I don't know if the build quality of Mac notebooks is closer to consumer or business PC notebooks (maybe there's a difference between the MacBook and MacBook Pro), but if the latter, a more appropriate comparison would be with a Dell Latitude, which will set you back a bit more than an Inspiron, but is well worth it in my opinion.

    22. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
      For that money you get all-aluminium construction (as opposed to plastic), backlit-keyboard, OS X, A LOT nicer overall design (everyone lusts after MacBooks Pro's/PowerBooks, no-one lusts after a Dell), slot-loading optical drive. MBP also has optical audio in and out and FireWire, I don't know about the Dell.
      I recently bought a Dell D820 (having also considered a MacBook Pro), and the case isn't plastic. The important bits are made of magnesium alloy, as per the following from the Dell website:

      The Latitude D820 was conceived, designed and built with the rigors of the road in mind. Every Latitude notebook is stress-tested in extreme conditions to be sure that it can withstand the physical challenges it will meet in the course of any business day. These shock and fatigue tests, along with the D820's magnesium-alloy casing and steel hinges and patented Dell StrikeZoneTM technology, mean that you get a notebook that is designed to last, no matter how bumpy the road gets.

      The superior build quality described above is one of the reasons a Latitude costs more than an Inspiron, and I'd honestly be surprised if the Apple build quality is as good (much less better), especially with all the reported heat issues. As to the design, well, I honestly prefer the D820 to the MacBook Pro. It doesn't look as flash when it's closed (i.e. when you're carrying it around), but I prefer the look when it's opened (i.e. in use): I prefer a blackish finish to a silver one, and think the Dell looks a wee bit more professional too.

      The main thing that drove me away from the MacBook Pro was the lack of flexibility in terms of system options. I like high-resolution screens, and with Dell was able to choose WUXGA (1920x1200), amongst a wide array of options (including inbuilt fingerprint and smartcard readers for logon, which are quite nice to have). The 15.4" MacBook Pro, on the other hand, offers only one screen resolution, and a mediocre WSXGA (1440x900) one at that. On top of that, there's only a trackpad (the D820 has both a trackpad and a 'nipple', and I like to have both), and with only a single button (I can't fathom why Apple continue with this brain-dead design). I also prefer the feel of the keyboard on the D820 (even if it's not illuminated).

      On the whole, even if the MacBook Pro (including Windows XP -- some software I use isn't available for Mac OS X) had been the same price as the D820, I'd still have gone with the latter, for the simple reason that, in my view, it's a better machine. As it was, the Dell was cheaper to start with, and Dell were offering a coupon discount of about 25%. Given that, it was dead easy to pick the Dell over the Apple, and I can't understand why any rational person would have gone with the Apple.

      If you want to carry around a fashion item, or for some reason need OS X, I can see buying a MacBook Pro over a Latitude, but apart from that, I can't understand why any rational individual would pay substantialy more for a machine that's arguably inferior.
    23. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That 256mb Quadro adds significantly to the price and is a lot nicer graphics card than the x1600.

    24. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 2, Informative

      The reason Latitudes cost more is for two reasons--business-class support (which Apple DOES NOT provide for their Macbooks, and it's ridiculous to claim that they do) and modular interoperability. Latitudes are the only officially supported "upgradeable" notebooks from Dell: the D-line uses all of the same interfaces for their optical drives. Until the Dx20s, there was very little functional difference between Inspirons and Latitudes. But all Latitudes come with standard 3 year warranties, a business-class support team (that is not based in India), and guaranteed part-interoperability. They're a different class of machine altogether, and certainly should not be compared to Macbook Pros unless you can show me that Apple provides the same level of corporate support.

      As far as build quality goes, nowadays there is a slight difference in quality between an Inspiron and a Latitude--and it's mostly just the chassis. But the components they use are functionally the same.

    25. Re:And in the first week of August... by mccalli · · Score: 1
      On top of that, there's only a trackpad (the D820 has both a trackpad and a 'nipple', and I like to have both), and with only a single button (I can't fathom why Apple continue with this brain-dead design)

      On a MacBook Pro's single button, you can right click and perform a scrollwheel-like operation. Two-fingers and click = right click, two fingers and drag = scrollwheel. Works in Windows via Parallels too, though I haven't tried BootCamp so don't know.

      Cheers, Ian

    26. Re:And in the first week of August... by diamondsw · · Score: 1

      Ha - I've seen this bull before. I'm not going to go through the whole configuration again, but I'm pretty sure it still stands.

      --
      I don't know what kind of crack I was on, but I suspect it was decaf.
    27. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Ok, let's run with this.

      MBP has 667 RAM, Dell has 533

      Ok. The difference in performance is mild, but there.

      MBP has Pro OS, Dell has Home

      There is no "Pro" OS for Apple. There's one OS--OSX. XP Pro's enhancements are notable, but since SP2 the only real difference between Home and Pro is networking capability. I addressed this in my first post. Still, for the sake of argument, tack on an extra $100 (150-30%) for XP Pro.

      MBP has Gig-E, Dell has 100bT

      You've got to be kidding me. Ok, show me a home user with a gigabit switch/router, or a broadband connection capable of transmitting at anywhere functionally near that speed, and I'll admit this is a point.

      MBP has powered Firewire, Dell has mini iLink

      Wow. You got me. There's the extra $1000. It's right there. How could I not see that?

      MBP has DVI, Dell has VGA

      Unless you're doing graphics-intensive work (in which case you're not going to buy a Dell, period), this is not an issue.

      Nvidia 7300 (TurboCache? Sheesh!) is a match for ATI X1300, not X1600

      The X1600 in the MBP is underclocked. The Turbocache 7300 is actually the most expensive card Dell lets you throw into the machine. Looking at the tests I can find online (there's very little literature surrounding the 7300), it looks to be about neck-and-neck with the X1400. But hey, throw in the X1400 instead, and subtract $30. Then factor in that the gaming library for Apple computers is much smaller than the Windows platform. If you want to game, Apple is never going to be a good choice, even with more powerful hardware.

      Dell has two advantages: 2L DVD, and a modem; Dell lacks the following: internal camera, internal microphone, digital audio in/out, MagSafe cable & backlight; Dell weighs a pound more

      The weight issue is one I addressed. The comparative value of the other items is questionable, but I'll certainly admit that they do have value. But the sum of all the points you have made does not add up to nearly $1250.

      I did not write my original post with the intention of bashing Apple. I think they make quality products. But there can be no doubt that there is a huge price difference between the two, and it is not quantifiable if you look at the hardware. You pay for the experience of an Apple, more than anything else. If you like it, fine, do your thing. But don't try and make it sound like the Apple offers more value than a Dell: with the numbers out, it clearly does not.

    28. Re:And in the first week of August... by cnettel · · Score: 1

      (Not the original poster, but what the heck:) I think they might stay as ULV, and possibly for some low end. You can still buy quite a lot of Pentium Ms, as well. Some things going against keeping Yonah is that it's using the same 65 nm technology, and that the stocks aren't as huge as for the desktop parts (leaner operations all the way as they mainly go directly to OEMs). The platforms are compatible, so the switch wouldn't be too complicated for most vendors.

    29. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1
      No a pro laptop from Apple with a dozen features you neglect to match up will not be the same price as the cheapest piece of junk you can get from Dell. I think we all know that. Now go get the full specs for the Macbook and try to build it at a reputable computer company (you know not Dell, the one consumer reports rates has having the worst reliability and customer service in the industry). Apple consistently ranks at the top of that list, usually with Sony and IBM/Lenovo. Others have already pointed out the point by point failures to match up features, but really that is less important than overall quality. Dell builds cheap junk. You have to not only compare the same features, but make sure it is from a reputable vendor, not one where companies keep 15% extra gear so they can swap out all the failures they have.

      I have a Dell 600m that I've owned for two years. I took it with me to Japan, and part of my time there was spent ferrying between the islands of Ogasawara, which has very choppy water. I've basically beat the living crap out of it. It's still performing quite well. Do I think Dell makes high-quality parts? No, not really. But I don't consider their main competitor, HP, to make any "better" computers. Lenovo/IBM's dominance is in the business arena--they compete very poorly in the home-user segment, and Lenovo is trying to turn that around. (Whether they'll be able to is the subject of many an investor's meeting.) Meanwhile, Apple's marketshare has declined since last year, and is now at 5.3%. (Source.) So really, as far as the average home computer goes, Dell is in line with the rest of the market.

      Apple makes a niche product. Dell mass-produces machines. Does Apple make better "quality" laptops than Dell? Well, their marketing apparatus has certainly succeeded in convincing the world it does. But until I can see numbers on MFT, I'm not really inclined to believe Apple computers are built to this mythical higher standard. If it's worth an extra $1250 to you, great. But to act like it should naturally be worth the same to everyone else is to be very naive. I've been very pleased with my 600m. It's a travel laptop, and in that role it has succeeded admirably. For my heavy lifting, I use a rig I built. And I know that's high quality, because I bought the parts.

    30. Re:And in the first week of August... by frankie · · Score: 2, Insightful
      show me a home user

      The MacBook *Pro* is not for home users, it's a *Pro* laptop. Gig-E, Firewire, DVI, weight, etc, all matter in that environment. Basically you should redo the entire comparison with a more appropriate base model. For example, an E1505 with stock GMA950 IGP vs the MacBook Amateur. Or the MacBook Pro vs an actual pro-level Dell.

    31. Re:And in the first week of August... by ceoyoyo · · Score: 1

      The MacBook Pro isn't aimed at home users. That's what MacBooks are for. I've used the GigE (fibre to the desktop) on Powerbooks and now the MPB for years. The GigE in the MPB seems to perform quite well too, unlike the first iteration from Apple.

    32. Re:And in the first week of August... by DRM_is_Stupid · · Score: 1

      Seems like the non-upgrade versions of Windows XP costs more than many of the supposedly "expensive" iPods as well.

    33. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      The Macbook Pro doesn't fit into the same level as the Latitude. There's an entire apparatus of corporate support than Dell has designed around the Latitude line that the Inspiron does not qualify for. This is the primary reason Latitudes are more expensive. The Macbook Pro is a luxury computer--it is clearly too expensive for a home user, but to place it on the same level as a Latitude would imply that Apple is capable of providing the same level of corporate support that Dell is, and that's not true. Unless you can show me that the Macbook Pro is advertised for businesses, and not simply as a souped-up Macbook for the people who can afford it, I don't think a Latitude-Macbook Pro comparison is valid.

    34. Re:And in the first week of August... by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

      I wonder if Intel OEMs can get away with calling an Intel® Core Duo T2400 an "Intel Pentium M Dual Core T2400 1.83GHz Processor"

      If I were Intel, I'd set the Bunny People on 'em. And nix their allocation for Merom too. OEMs, especially small ones without that bastard Jobs in charge need to learn some damn Respect.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    35. Re:And in the first week of August... by geekoid · · Score: 1

      except most corporate support is not used.
      Sure, if something goes wrong with the original setup, but how do they help you when the access app your company has been using since '98 crashes? or your server goes down?

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    36. Re:And in the first week of August... by bnenning · · Score: 1

      Price: $1,766.00 (before 30% off coupon, which is practically always available.)
      Price after coupon: $1,236.20


      If we're bringing discounts into this, Amazon has perpetual $150 rebates on MBPs, so you can get the 2.0GHz base model for $1850. Also, there's no reason to pay Apple $100 for a 512MB upgrade when you can get a 1GB stick from third parties for the same amount. Finally, like any extended warranty AppleCare isn't a good buy unless you know that your usage patterns are unusually likely to lead to failures.

      --
      How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
    37. Re:And in the first week of August... by Fluk3 · · Score: 0

      Horseshit! Linux as the desktop is in no way comparable to OSX. Absolute nonsense. Linux is fucking useless as a desktop.

      --
      I've been upgraded to "bad"!
    38. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      I have a Dell 600m that I've owned for two years...blah blah

      Anecdotal evidence is mostly worthless. If you want anecdotes, my 7 year old mac tower is still my PVR and we had a RMA rate of 18% a year on the hundreds of Dell towers I bought at a previous job.

      Dell is in line with the rest of the market.

      Not really. Consumer reports buys laptops every year, anonymously, without any donations and tests them. They also perform random surveys. They may not be 100% the best methodology ever, but they are the most impartial and reliable numbers I've been able to find. Dell ranks near the bottom for customer satisfaction, support surveys, and hardware reliability almost every year, significantly worse than even HP or Gateway. You can buy 100 of the same machine from them and find a wide variety of parts in them because they buy whatever is cheapest at the time with no regard for compatibility or reliability. Their vaunted supply chain lets them undercut many competitors, but it comes at the expense of reliability. Apple ranks near the top of these rankings alongside other, professional grade manufacturers. To try to compare a bottom of the barrel machine from a company that specializes in cheap, unreliable machines to a higher end one from a more credible manufacturer is to ignore the evidence.

      But until I can see numbers on MFT, I'm not really inclined to believe Apple computers are built to this mythical higher standard.

      Independent testing and surveys from a company who makes it their only business and whose reputation is their only real asset say Apple machines are better quality. I'll put that above your random guess.

      If it's worth an extra $1250 to you, great.

      The reliability, longevity, and the dozens of hardware elements that were missing from your comparison are certainly worth that to me. For those of us in front of a machine 8-14 hours a day and who lose that much money in time saving every day our machine are nonfunctional, yeah it makes a lot of monetary sense.

      But to act like it should naturally be worth the same to everyone else is to be very naive.

      You can do a general comparison of two pieces of hardware taking all factors into account or you can do a focused evaluation for a specific purpose like (just the tasks I do daily). Your comparison purported to be the former, but now you're claiming it is the latter. For the former, the comparison was junk because it neglected quality, reliability, and dozens of features. For the latter it might be wonderful. I don't know because I don't know what you do, but neither do I care, since that information is pretty useless to anyone but you.

    39. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Dell similarly overcharges for upgrades--you could easily buy a 1 GB stick for the same amount for the Dell. I just wanted to make the two machines as similar as possible, and since Dell currently offered 1GB for the price of 512, I factored that in.

      Without the warranty, the Macbook Pro only has a 1 year warranty. If we take the Dell down to a one year warranty, the price difference remains roughly the same.

    40. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fine. Then do an Inspiron vs MB Amateur matchup. Apples to Apples, so to speak.

    41. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It depends on why the app crashes, or the server goes down. In the first case, it's likely your own fault, but in the second, a hardware failure or device driver bug is very likely the cause, and these sorts of things are covered by support (I've even known Microsoft to debug corporate server crashes, when the finger has been pointed at a Microsoft driver, instead of the typical case where the driver is from a component manufacturer).

      I had a summer job in IT support at a fairly large financial services firm (with laptops taken on the road by consultants), and though we handled software issues relating to applications, the vendor support was quite heavily used (in my opinion) for the sorts of things mentioned above, so I don't buy your claim that it's rarely used. At the end of the day, management within most corporations keep a very close eye on the bottom line, and wouldn't pay for premium support services if the IT department didn't make use of them.

    42. Re:And in the first week of August... by colmore · · Score: 1

      Dell is a volume producer. Macs are better compared to Toshibas, Lenovos, or Sonys, all of which run more expensive than similarly equipped HPs, Dells, and Gateways.

      I don't think Macs are the best deal on the planet, but but Apple isn't gunning for the absolute minimal cost for a given set of hardware features market. They've got a pretty sweet niche hollowed out for themselves. They aren't trying to be everything to every computer purchaser.

      It's curious how angry people get about corporations releasing products that aren't specific to their needs or wants. You don't like or use macs... fine...neither do I, really (though I find the OS superior to Windows). Do BMW people get spitting mad every time there's an article about a new Cadillac? Geeks can be such opinionated whiners...

      --
      In Capitalist America, bank robs you!
    43. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      There isn't really an equivalent Inspiron to a Macbook. We either have to go with an XPS 1210 (which is targeted as an enthusiast notebook and therefore grossly overpriced) or a 710M, which doesn't come in a Core duo flavor. The regular Macbook is a fair deal, though--and one I've considered purchasing. If my current laptop dies, my next machine will probably be an Apple, unless some other manufacturer can make a reasonably priced thin-and-light notebook. But the fact is, pound-for-pound, the hardware costs for an Apple notebook are significantly more expensive than any PC manufacturer. That has not changed with Apple's switch to Intel. People will justify this cost as they see fit--claims of quality, durability, etc. (and if they link statistical studies that show that Apple computers actually fail less than PCs, then their claims may be grounded)--but almost inevitably it is a matter of personal taste. We buy what we like. Don't bother trying to justify spending 2500 on a Macbook Pro. You obviously valued the Macbook enough to warrant the extra cost, and the argument ends there. Just because there is a cheaper alternative doesn't mean it's an alternative for you, which is fine. I don't get why people are so defensive in these debates. Apple is more expensive than any similarly-spec'd PC. This is not a condemnation; it's just a fact. Big deal.

    44. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Against my better judgment, I'm going to respond to this, even though you've once again descended into being a rude asshole.

      Dell ranks near the bottom for customer satisfaction, support surveys, and hardware reliability almost every year, significantly worse than even HP or Gateway... Independent testing and surveys from a company who makes it their only business and whose reputation is their only real asset say Apple machines are better quality. I'll put that above your random guess.

      Not true on both counts. Unlike you, who decided to reference a study and then not provide a material link to it, I actually did your work for you and found the latest Consumer Reports statistics here and here. And you'll note in both studies that Dell is either at the top, or neck-and-neck, with all of the other major players in the PC arena., with regards to their technical support. (The major players here being HP, Lenovo, Gateway, and Compaq.)

      As far as quality, reliability, etc. goes, the only mention of this I can find is that those surveyed claimed to have to submit their Apples machines for repair "much less" than those who had Windows PCs. I don't see any numbers, and more importantly, there is no mention of what constitutes a repair. I have worked for Dell as a hardware technician, and I know for a fact that their techs get called to do "repair" on software-related issues all the time. This does not prove Apple machines fail less--it proves that for whatever reason, Apple machines are sent in for repairs less frequently. I'm glad you know little enough about statistics that you think the two are equivalent, but they are not.

      Further, the next time you reference a study--ANY STUDY--either back it up with a link or don't bother. Your method of argument makes the baby Jesus cry. I'm not going to take your word on anything, especially not when you have the arrogance of beginning your reply by truncating my points to "blah blah" like some smug asshole. I did a point-by-point comparison of two equivalent machines, and I did not leave out "dozens of hardware features." I took exactly what Apple shows you when you go to their site and choose to buy a Mac, and CUT AND PASTED. If this leaves out "dozens of great features," take it up with them, because I didn't do any selective editing. I fully admitted that Apple's software suite is more robust than the Dell's. Any value you seek to add to one or the other is purely subjective until you can link a study that proves otherwise. You think the Macbook Pro is higher quality? Fantastic. You like OSX more? GREAT. It doesn't matter. In the end, people buy what they like. Trying to justify it objectively is pointless; Apple hardware is more expensive than the equivalently-configured PC, in almost all cases, end of story. The severity of that gap varies, but it is always there. It's just a fact, and to act like it doesn't exist, or that the price difference is magically made better by X-that-is-not-quantifiable is stupid and pointless. If you like Macs, buy a Mac. I will buy a Mac Mini and possibly a Macbook (non-Pro) myself soon. But I'm not kidding myself--I'm buying them because I like Apple's style, not because of some falsely-objective points that I desperately cling to in order to justify the price.

    45. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't own one, actually. Still waiting for Merom.

      Yes, Apples probably are more expensive. But you didn't show a "similaryly-spec'd PC". This is not a condemnation; it's just a fact.

    46. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      Not true on both counts. Unlike you, who decided to reference a study and then not provide a material link to it, I actually did your work for you and found the latest Consumer Reports statistics here and here. And you'll note in both studies that Dell is either at the top, or neck-and-neck, with all of the other major players in the PC arena., with regards to their technical support.

      I can't link to the consumer reports numbers, since they are a pay service. You linked to an article that quotes them, which you apparently did not bother to read. In just the tech support category for laptops we have Apple (82), Lenovo (69), and at Dell (56). You're claiming this supports your assertion that Dells don't have inferior tech support statistics as compared to Apple? If you do pay for the consumer reports for the last several years you will see that Dell has been near or at the bottom of the heap consistently for support, reliability, and customer satisfaction, well behind Apple, Sony, and Lenovo/IBM. They have occasionally had a number similar to HP for their consumer models, or Gateway, but in general have lagged behind overall.

      I have worked for Dell as a hardware technician, and I know for a fact that their techs get called to do "repair" on software-related issues all the time.

      So do all computer manufacturers, what is your point?

      This does not prove Apple machines fail less--it proves that for whatever reason, Apple machines are sent in for repairs less frequently. I'm glad you know little enough about statistics that you think the two are equivalent, but they are not.

      Sigh. So you have no numbers that support your belief, but you'd like to try to pick at the numbers that do exist and try to figure out a way they could be interpreted to not be damning to your beliefs so you have to change your mind. Okay, enjoy that.

      Apple hardware is more expensive than the equivalently-configured PC, in almost all cases, end of story.

      Except they're not. Claiming that how many features are highlighted in marketing materials is a good way to judge all aspects of two different products is foolish. This argument has played out here on Slashdot and other places dozens of times over the last few years. Apple has fewer configurations than all other PC manufacturers combined, thus you're more likely to be able to find a system that is exactly what you need at a lower price elsewhere. However, if you build a machine from another vendor with exactly the same hardware as an Apple machine, from a quality vendor, with even close to the same levels of support and reliability, even ignoring the software, you get very similar prices in the range plus or minus 15%. Your half-assed comparison of two very different machines, which you tried to foist upon others as some sort of proof that Apple machines cost double what a comparable PC does are misleading in the extreme. Your methodology was sloppy and because of your ego, you can't admit that you were wrong.

    47. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      I did as far as I can tell. The hardware specifications on the two laptops are functionally equivalent. The question at hand is now whether or not the two laptops are in the same category of sale. I'm still not entirely convinced that the Macbook Pro is intended for a business audience. I can't show that the Macbook is more expensive than a PC counterpart, although if you look at the absurd price difference between a white Macbook and a black Macbook, you can't help but think that Apple really puts more emphasis on style than guts. They demand $200 extra to change the color from white to black, and to add 20GB of HDD capacity. There's no denying that the black Macbook is a beautiful machine, but the mere fact that they're willing to attach such a dramatic price difference to that style alone (a 20GB upgrade in space is worth $30, at the most) reflects heavily on Apple's philosophy.

    48. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Jesus Christ, read what I write.
      This is what I said: "Dell is either at the top, or neck-and-neck, with all of the other major players in the PC arena". This DOES NOT EQUAL: "Dells don't have inferior tech support statistics as compared to Apple." Apple is not a major player in the PC arena--they have 5% market share in the US. And even then, they don't technically make "PCs"--even in their own marketing campaigns, they constantly compare how much better an Apple is than a "PC." So yes, my assertion remains: Dell is in line with the rest of the big players. Sony is right there next to Dell in this year's report. Lenovo edges ahead in laptop support, but is right in line with Dell's desktop support. You can reference "years past" all you want; you were wrong about this year's, in claiming that Dell was bottom of the heap (they are not), and you're probably wrong about the past years. You provide me links showing Dell always being at the bottom, and not smack-dab in the middle, and then your point might be valid.

      So do all computer manufacturers, what is your point?

      Simple stats. The only thing the study says is that Apple machines have less "repairs" done on them. But if we don't know WHAT a repair is, then we can't actually say that Apple machines are "of a higher quality" than any random PC. If "repairs" constitutes virus removal and spyware cleanup, then it has absolutely no reflection on the quality of the machine, and is instead a reflection on the Windows OS. This directly references your next point:

      Sigh. So you have no numbers that support your belief, but you'd like to try to pick at the numbers that do exist and try to figure out a way they could be interpreted to not be damning to your beliefs so you have to change your mind. Okay, enjoy that.

      Which I hope now you can recognize as flawed. Unless the data explicitly defined "repair" as "replacement of failed hardware component" and discounted user misuse/abuse, the number cannot reflect on the "quality" of the respective machines in any meaningful way. We could interpret this data a number of ways and none would be scientifically valid.

      Except they're not. Claiming that how many features are highlighted in marketing materials is a good way to judge all aspects of two different products is foolish. This argument has played out here on Slashdot and other places dozens of times over the last few years. Apple has fewer configurations than all other PC manufacturers combined, thus you're more likely to be able to find a system that is exactly what you need at a lower price elsewhere. However, if you build a machine from another vendor with exactly the same hardware as an Apple machine, from a quality vendor, with even close to the same levels of support and reliability, even ignoring the software, you get very similar prices in the range plus or minus 15%. Your half-assed comparison of two very different machines, which you tried to foist upon others as some sort of proof that Apple machines cost double what a comparable PC does are misleading in the extreme.

      You have yet to mention all of the supposed "features" I've missed that are actually reflective of the machine. If we're talking about hardware, I didn't leave anything out. You're insane if you think the components Dell and Apple uses are any different when it comes to base hardware--they get the same chips, motherboards, and RAM as everyone else. As far as "support and reliability" go, I have already shown that there is little quantitative data on the subject. People seem to be happier with Apple tech support. That's great. If that's worth $1250 to you, wonderful--but it's a purely subjective thing. Reliability is still completely up in the air: we have nothing conclusive, and if you think we do you need to take a statistics class.

      I took two machines with equivalent hardware and showed that one was twice the cos

    49. Re:And in the first week of August... by MojoStan · · Score: 1
      It seems unlikely that the Macbook and Mini will keep Cores while the Pros get Core 2s, since Intel is going to be phasing out the Core in favour of the Core 2 relatively quickly.
      Do you have a reference? I heard that the Yonahs were here to stay as the 'low end' or 'consumer' option.
      If you think DigiTimes is a reliable reference, here's an article about Yonah's rumored quick phase-out: From that article:
      • Intel's latest plan will reduce production of its Yonah processors in the fourth quarter, and by the end of the 2006, Yonah processors will only account for 30% of Intel's notebook processor shipments, down from the current 50%, the sources revealed. By the end of the first half of 2007, Yonah processors will total less than 10%, the sources added.
      • Intel's initial shipment goal for Merom after its launch is 15% of its notebook processor shipments, and the proportion will increase to 30% in the fourth quarter, the sources said.
      • Intel also plans to launch Core-based Celeron M processors with 945GM and 945PM chipsets in the fourth quarter of 2006, the sources noted. That means, Intel will be offering 64-bit dual-core architecture for notebooks across all market segments from the high end to the low end, the sources noted.
      I have no idea whether or not Apple will adapt Merom-based mobile CPUs for the mini and Macbook, but they will have the option. They might delay adoption of Merom on their "non-Pro" products so that they can clearly justify the price premium of their "Pro" products. Maybe they'll use Merom-based Celerons (64-bit single-core) and drop the price of the mini and Macbook to pre-Yonah levels.
      --
      TO START
      PRESS ANY KEY

      Where's the 'ANY' key? I see Esk, Kitarl, and Pig-Up...

    50. Re:And in the first week of August... by kimvette · · Score: 1

      2cc ought to be enough heat sink compound for anyone! :D

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    51. Re:And in the first week of August... by kimvette · · Score: 1

      To be fair, to get the same level OS, you need to choose XP pro in place of OS X, so the XP Pro upgrade is necessary for an apples-apples comparison (no pun intended).

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    52. Re:And in the first week of August... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Is that why the only clothes you Mac guys can afford is black turtle necks and jeans?
      Nope. Only HIs Steveness can afford that (he gets paid the giddying salary of $1 per year.)

      The rest of us get by with a faded t-shirt and a crumpled jacket.

    53. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      This is what I said...

      Your original assertion was that "...the pricing difference between the MB and MBP and comparably eqipped PC laptops aren't really so far off" is "not true at all." Thus, you claimed the pricing difference between a Macbook pro and was very far off. You then provided two machine listing with abbreviated feature sets as "proof." Except, because you did not take into account the quality of the components used in the machines or the quality of the engineering in integrating them or even the complete specifications of the machine in question, your proof was flawed.

      ...they don't technically make "PCs"...

      It is irrelevant what names you want to call them. We're talking about comparing a Mac laptop to other laptops based upon the hardware, service, and price.

      Sony is right there next to Dell in this year's report.

      For this year, which does not indicate long term reliability and only for desktops, not laptops, which is of course what we're talking about. More important to our core point, Apple scores and 82 and Dell only a 56 for laptops. That is a pretty clear indication that there is a significant difference. You can tell because 82 is bigger than 56.

      You provide me links...

      What part of "pay service" did you not understand?

      If "repairs" constitutes virus removal and spyware cleanup, then it has absolutely no reflection on the quality of the machine, and is instead a reflection on the Windows OS.

      Since one includes OS X and the other Windows, how does it matter? Do you not think the included and paid for OS is part of what you're buying in each case and makes up part of the value?

      You have yet to mention all of the supposed "features" I've missed that are actually reflective of the machine. If we're talking about hardware, I didn't leave anything out.

      Please a half dozen people already replied to your post pointing out all the hardware and features you failed to take into account. They include better RAM in the Mac, a pro OS instead of a crippleware one, GigE, firewire, DVI support, graphics card, microphone, webcam, digitial audio ports, light sensors, and backlight. More importantly, you fail to take into account the quality of the parts. Did Apple use the cheapest hard drive they could buy that week or did they use the same one they have been using for testing right along and which has held up to those tests? What about every other part?

      Dell and Apple uses are any different when it comes to base hardware--they get the same chips, motherboards, and RAM as everyone else.

      This is garbled but I think I get the gist. Dell and Apple do not have the same process for selecting hardware. Dell doesn't even have just one process for selecting hardware. A maxtor drives and a seagate drives may have the same size and theoretically are interchangeable, but that does not mean Apple would use one of them or even that Dell would in their pro laptops, while they almost certainly do in their bottom of the line machines like you provided as an example.

      I took two machines with equivalent hardware...

      Wrong. You took two machines with very different hardware, designed for different markets, but with some specifications in common and other specifications completely different. That does not make for equivalent hardware.

      You are making a qualitative argument, and I am not... Price is a purely subjective thing.

      Price is a number. It is quantitative, not subjective. You can compare the price of an Apple laptop and non-Apple laptops with very similar hardware in both spec and quality. You did not do that. You compared two very different laptops and tried to imply that the differences did not matter because they don't matter to you. The problem is, that contradicts your original assertion that they are comparably equipped.

      Apples are more expensive.

      This is an empty assertion and you'v

    54. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1
      What part of "pay service" did you not understand?

      Ok, in that case, I read a series of article in Scientific American that had a lot of studies about your mother's number of genital warts. Every year they put out new numbers on "mothers with genital warts," and every year your mom topped the charts. I can't provide you with any way of confirming this claim--after all, it's a pay service--but trust me, they're there, and the data totally supports me. Really. And don't bother arguing--I'm going to believe Scientific American over you.

      I should have said "value" instead of price. Besides that, my post is crystal clear. You have a fundamental lack of understanding of the difference between qualitative and quantitative. All of the things you think make Apple worth more money are all qualitative. The hardware features--powered firewire, a built-in camera, digital audio, all of these add very little quantitative value--a few hundred dollars at most, which is being generous, and factoring that in the difference between the two computers is still near $1000. All of this "market" and "quality" bullshit you're spouting is irrelevant, because it is all qualitative. There is no single way of measuring the worth of reliability, or of a backlit keyboard, or of better technical support. It is qualitative. Every consumer decides, individually, if the cost associated with it is warranted. But hardware is quantitative. The jump from a Core Duo 1.83GHz to a Core Duo 2.0GHz is measurable. I acceded the point of the RAM a few posts ago. Buying the upgraded RAM would cost $100, at most. The digital audio is $20. A Gb ethernet card? $50. A powered firewire card? $50. A digital audio upgrade? $20. But the value of "quality," "reliability," and "a pro OS?" It's not quantifiable. Get that through your thick-ass skull. You're wasting my time. You can rant and rave about how the shit you think matters makes an Apple worth more, and that's great--but none of it is objective. Hardware is objective. The hardware you've mentioned, at most, narrows the price difference from $1250 to $950.

      That's still $950 that you claim "quality" and "reliability" are worth. Again, qualitative values. Worth that to whom? To you? To me? This is my point. All of the things you have said add value require a "worth to..." statement at the end of them. I am not disagreeing with you that Apple makes better laptops than Dell. That's not the point, because the term "better" is subjective. From a quantitative standpoint, the two laptops are the same, and you can't seem to recognize that. I'm not claiming that I wouldn't take an Apple over a Dell any day of the week. I'm claiming that you have no fucking idea what you're talking about. You're referencing qualitative data and trying to act like it can be treated quantitatively. It cannot. Take a stats class before you have to debate something important and really embarass yourself.

    55. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      Ok, in that case, I read a series of article in Scientific American that had a lot of studies about your mother's number of genital warts.

      Whatever turns you on...

      You linked references to the data including numbers yourself. If you don't believe you, well I guess I don't care.

      I should have said "value" instead of price.

      Value is subjective. Price is not. Thus in a comparison we have to consider the latter, not the former.

      You have a fundamental lack of understanding of the difference between qualitative and quantitative.

      You know just because you don't understand something, doesn't mean someone else made a mistake.

      All of the things you think make Apple worth more money are all qualitative.

      How many digital audio ports on the mac? One. How many on the Dell? Zero. Are one and zero quantities or not? More important to this comparison, how much does each component cost in the market?

      ...factoring that in the difference between the two computers is still near $1000.

      How many times will you assert this with no proof. Where can I buy a machine with all these built in for $1000 less than the macbook pro? Just send me a link. You won't because you can't. The market value of these features integrated and the whole thing built with the quality of parts that go into a pro grade notebook is more than you are guessing.

      All of this "market" and "quality" bullshit you're spouting is irrelevant, because it is all qualitative.

      Not at all. Higher grade parts cost more money. Money is quantitative. The market judges the quality and assigns a quantity.

      Every consumer decides, individually, if the cost associated with it is warranted.

      That is qualitative and has no place in an objective comparison. Otherwise, I can buy a broken macbook for $100 bucks and it looks cooler than any Dell on the market. Since that is the only feature that matters to me, the macbook is 1/10 or less the price of the Dell.

      The hardware you've mentioned, at most, narrows the price difference from $1250 to $950.

      Great, just show me where I can buy one at that price.

      Take a stats class before you have to debate something important and really embarass yourself.

      You're the one dredging up the same old crap that has been disproved over and over again for several years now. You still can't find a machine with the same features from a reputable company for significantly less. Until you can, you're just dancing around the issue.

    56. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Sorry it took me a bit longer than normal; yesterday was a busy day at work.

      You linked references to the data including numbers yourself. If you don't believe you, well I guess I don't care.

      I believe me when it comes to 2006, which shows that, contrary to your assertion, Dell is not at the bottom of the PC market for tech support. It is squarely in the middle for both laptops and desktops. Which was my original point, way back then, you know, before you decided to ignore it: customer satisfaction of tech support of PCs (and this is why I distinguished between PCs and Macs) is very low. Is Dell exceptional in its low customer satisfaction? No, it's just right in line with everyone else. Your claim, and I quote, was: "Dell ranks near the bottom for customer satisfaction, support surveys, and hardware reliability almost every year, significantly worse than even HP or Gateway." My counter-claim is that no, in 2006 Dell was neck in neck with the other companies. So, your claim was patently false for 2006. Yes, you were wrong. Very wrong. Say it with me. I know you can. Now, you say that you have more data (from years past) that you cannot provide that asserts that Dell is near the bottom. I say (by way of analogy) that your asserted claims are as good as my corresponding claims about your mother's case of genital warts. Until you link me to more numbers that show Dell near or at the bottom of the satisfaction charts for PCs, you're wrong. They're not. The problem is industry-wide, not Dell-specific.. until you can prove otherwise.

      Value is subjective. Price is not. Thus in a comparison we have to consider the latter, not the former.

      That is my point in its entirety. It was my fault for wording it badly--I meant to say that the value of an Apple laptop is subjective, but it is exactly what you are arguing makes the Apple laptop cost more, in terms of price. This value you attach to an Apple is purely subjective--it is no way quantifiable beyond what I have already listed, which is the market price of all of the components in separate add-on cards. (The sum total of which is less than $300.) All of the things that can be qualitatively measured have been accounted for. That difference of price is something you are taking subjective issue with, not objective. Objectively, the two machines are as close to the same as can possibly be. No two computers are ever going to have all of the same components if they're built by separate vendors, but we can align as many of the performance-determining components as possible, which I've done. You state: "The market value of these features integrated and the whole thing built with the quality of parts that go into a pro grade notebook is more than you are guessing," but it's not, simply because it's not quantifiable. The value of integrating these features is not something we can put a price on--it depends totally on the user. You then say: "How many digital audio ports on the mac? One. How many on the Dell? Zero. Are one and zero quantities or not? More important to this comparison, how much does each component cost in the market?" From a hardware standpoint, the monetary value of the associated hardware is a few hundred dollars, if I'm being generous. I listed out how much the separate components cost--and we can even get the digital audio integrated for 13 more dollars. An integrated motherboard never costs more than the separate hardware does, period. (For an example, go look at a high-end mobo for an A64, and then price out a budget board and buy all of the associated PCI cards it would take to bring it back up to speed.) So, quantitatively, the difference is a few hundred dollars. But how much does someone value the integration? How much extra are they willing to pay? That's subjective. You then go on to say: "Not at all. Higher grade parts cost more money. Money is quantitative. The market judges the quality and assigns a quantity

    57. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      I believe me when it comes to 2006, which shows that, contrary to your assertion, Dell is not at the bottom of the PC market for tech support.

      The ratings, especially for laptops, show it well behind Sony and Lenovo and even further behind Apple. They do nothing to support your position that Apple machines and Dell machines are of comparable quality.

      Is Dell exceptional in its low customer satisfaction? No, it's just right in line with everyone else.

      Except Apple and Sony and Lenovo and other manufacturers of mostly higher quality gear.

      Your claim, and I quote, was: "Dell ranks near the bottom for customer satisfaction, support surveys, and hardware reliability almost every year, significantly worse than even HP or Gateway." My counter-claim is that no

      Dell does rank near the bottom every year. Who is lower than they are?

      You know, I'm not going to waste my time even reading the rest of your post. You're going to believe whatever you want, no matter what evidence is presented. You can't find any store where you can buy a machine with the same specs as the MacBook Pro, for significantly less or you would have done so. No one has been able to do so when challenged on this for several years now, and many people have tried. No, configuring a cheap ass system and then claiming you can add on a bunch of extra third party gear in USB ports and whatnot does not count. If you'd like to prove me wrong, just find me the machine, otherwise, you're just blowing smoke up your own ass.

    58. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1
      The ratings, especially for laptops, show it well behind Sony and Lenovo and even further behind Apple. They do nothing to support your position that Apple machines and Dell machines are of comparable quality.

      Here are the official numbers: Apple also scored an 82, with Lenovo at 69, Toshiba 57, Dell at 56 and the rest below 55. First, these numbers are for tech support, NOT build quality. Tech support. Furthermore, you have shown me two laptop PC manufacturers that are better than Dell at tech support. That is not the majority of the market. So, AGAIN, you are wrong--Dell is not at the bottom of the barrel for technical support. And for the last fucking time, the statistics here do not reflect on the quality of the machines. These are tech support figures. TECH SUPPORT. There are NO statistics for hardware quality--only this: "Repair history showed the same general trend, with Apple desktops having the fewest repairs by far, according to Consumer Reports readers." A blip, saying Apple desktops are repaired significantly less, according to users, than any PC manufacturer, and the survey does not define repair.

      Dell does rank near the bottom every year. Who is lower than they are?

      This year? HP, Gateway, eMachines, Compaq, WinBook, and more--according to the numbers, they all scored less than Dell this year on laptop tech support. 2006 does not support your statement. Last year, year before last? I don't know. You're the one who claims Dell is terrible; you link me some data that proves they're actually worse than major PC manufacturers--or even near the bottom.

      You're going to believe whatever you want, no matter what evidence is presented.

      You're accusing me of this?! After you blatantly misinterpret inconclusive data as though it was a double-blind study that demonstrably shows Apple makes better laptops? I'm sorry you can't find studies to back up your idiotic assertions. I don't claim things that can't be proven. Does Apple make better machines than Dell? I don't know, but there's no data to show that they do, so I must conclude that no, they do not. You, on the other hand, are willing to take survey numbers on tech support satisfaction and make a blanket-fucking-statement about the quality of the company's machines.

      No, configuring a cheap ass system and then claiming you can add on a bunch of extra third party gear in USB ports and whatnot does not count.

      Cheap-ass according to you. To anyone with half a brain, the features you think are so amazing only have a stand-alone market value of $300 at best, and there's an established market precedent that shows that integrated features always cost less than the separate components. That other $950 is still not accounted for. If you value the integration of those features so much, great. The average home user clearly does not, because Dell is selling a shitload more laptops than Apple. Apple hardware is more expensive, and objectively, this cost cannot be justified. There is no conclusive data that shows that the Dell is of lesser build quality than the Apple (no, NONE), the core hardware is as close as it can get to being equivalent, and their warranty coverage is the same. Any value you add after that point is subjective. You're wrong, and the only one blowing smoke up his ass is you.

    59. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah, and the E1505 has four more onboard (ZOMG ONBOARD THAT MAKES IT WORTH A HOJILLION DOLLARZORZ) USB ports than the Macbook Pro. Shit, according to my mythical integrated worth calculator, that just made the Apple like fifty thousand dollars more expensive than the Dell. Shit.

    60. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      Oh wait, it's only two extra. That closes the gap to only twenty-five thousand dollars. My mistake.

    61. Re:And in the first week of August... by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 1

      No link is provided to the system you claim exists. Thus, I'm not bothering to read any more of your evasions. I'm not wasting my time rereading the same crap again.

    62. Re:And in the first week of August... by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

      It's ok. In the magical world where studies say only what you want them to, and all of your opinions can be counted as cold hard facts, I'm sure things are going well. Maybe next time you'll not be so forthcoming with claims when the data clearly does not support you.

  2. Inquirer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Interesting notes in Inquirer.

    http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=23 055

    The unlimited RAM option looks like an interesting feature

    1. Re:Inquirer by another_fanboy · · Score: 1

      stupidly large amounts of RAM on it

      How much is "stupidly large"?

    2. Re:Inquirer by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      640KB of course.
      Don't you know, its enough for everyone.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    3. Re:Inquirer by antime · · Score: 1
    4. Re:Inquirer by cerberusss · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Me too :-(

      --
      8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
    5. Re:Inquirer by friedman101 · · Score: 1

      Now all that's left is to perfect my infinite volume case

    6. Re:Inquirer by Vaystrem · · Score: 1

      The story that you are citing is from May 2005 based upon initial speculation about these CPUs back at that time. I would suggest the following would be more appropriate starting points for information. There are many more articles available, of course, but these are current, relevant, and informative.

      From Anandtech:
      http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx? i=2795 Intel's Core 2 Extreme & Core 2 Duo: The Empire Strikes Back
      http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=280 0 Conroe vs. AM2: Memory & Performance
      http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2797 Conroe Buying Guide
      http://www.anandtech.com/IT/showdoc.aspx?i=2793 Intel Woodcrest: the Birth of a New King
      http://www.anandtech.com/IT/showdoc.aspx?i=2772 Intel Woodcrest, AMD's Opteron and Sun's UltraSparc T1: Server CPU Shoot-out

      From XBit Labs:
      http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2 duo-preview.html Getting Ready to Meet Intel Core 2 Duo: Core Microarchitecture Unleashed
      http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2 duo-e6300.html Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 + ASUS P5W DH Deluxe: Ideal Mainstream Platform?
      http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2 duo-shootout.html Contemporary Dual-Core
      Desktop Processors Shootout
      http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2 duo-64bit.html Conroe and EM64T: Is There a
      Problem?

      From The Inquirer:
      http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32 842US government unit throws Intel out over RAID problems
      http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32 818Conroe shows dodgy RAID performance anomalies
      http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33 102Intel Merom to launch early
      http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33 229Intel 965GM is considerably hotter than its predecessor

  3. Wait until Thursday for the details! by mgblst · · Score: 2, Informative

    Thursday... Intel plans to announce details about the branding strategy and systems that will appear with Merom processors
     
    So no actual details, so don't bother reading the article. This is not worth an article!

    1. Re:Wait until Thursday for the details! by frankie · · Score: 1

      Sheesh. I submitted a more detailed article than this one on Friday. And Wikipedia has been on it for longer than that.

    2. Re:Wait until Thursday for the details! by tribentwrks · · Score: 1

      I can see you're from the old school ... here at slashdot, us new kids NEVER read the article. The snappy and informative summaries are enough to start coming up with +5 funny replies, so why bother?

  4. Meromonics by digitaldc · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess the 'Moron' processor name was already taken

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
    1. Re:Meromonics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As was Duron.

    2. Re:Meromonics by BCW2 · · Score: 1

      I think "Moron" is the person who thinks up names for all Intel processors. There hasn't been a name that made sense, since the 486. I think someone just found a dictionary of the most obscure and goofy words in existance that make no sense to anyone.

      Every time I hear "Celeron" I think celery, thats about as boring as it can get!

      --
      Professional Politicians are not the solution, they ARE the problem.
    3. Re:Meromonics by digitaldc · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Every time I hear "Celeron" I think celery, thats about as boring as it can get!

      That's exactly what everyone I know calls them.
      Even adding the ubiquitous 'X' to form 'XCeleron' would have been better ;)

      --
      He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
    4. Re:Meromonics by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Well, technically, he's a Latter Day Saint. Oh, wait. You said "Moron", with an "N". Never mind.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    5. Re:Meromonics by Durandal64 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Since it's one processor with multiple cores, "Mormon" would be an appropriate code name. ;)

    6. Re:Meromonics by houghi · · Score: 2, Funny

      I thought it was talking about the (note)book of Mormons.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    7. Re:Meromonics by Plammox · · Score: 1

      Intel takes its product names from U.S. geographical locations, as no one can trademark these names under U.S. law, apparently. Merom is (or could be) right here.

    8. Re:Meromonics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      IIRC this generation of chip was designed in Israel.

    9. Re:Meromonics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The laptop chips (including Merom, Banias, Yonah, Dothan) come from Intel's shop in Israel and have code names from geographical locations there.

    10. Re:Meromonics by metushelach · · Score: 2, Informative

      Meron is the name of the highest mountain in the Galilee in Israel, which is the area of Israel where Haifa is located, which is where the Intel R&D center that created this processor is located. Clear enough, or should I draw a flow-chart?

    11. Re:Meromonics by metushelach · · Score: 1

      True enough. My apologies.

    12. Re:Meromonics by Plammox · · Score: 1

      Yes, that's true, but these project names would never become approved, if there weren't north american locations with the same name. Check for yourself.

    13. Re:Meromonics by PHPfanboy · · Score: 2, Informative

      Just to clarify further:

      Meron is the mountain. Merom (with an M or mem) just means "Upper" as in Upper Galilee (Merom HaGalil). Very nice area in any case (though best to wait until our Lebanese friends have got bored with their fireworks display).

      Banias is a freshwater spring/ glade on the Golan Heights and site of an old greek temple . Well worth a hike in summer, though best to time it with a ceasefire.

      Yonah is the Hebrew version of Jonah (in Greek which was the first transliteration from the vernacular Hebrew, J is a Y sound), it's not a place (or a plaice ;))

      Dothan was a town in Northern Canaan/Judea/Palestine/Israel in biblical times. IIRC it's where Joseph's brothers go off to before they feign his murder and sell him (in the Old Testament).

      --
      29 mpg. YMMV.
    14. Re:Meromonics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Gah! So I wasn't the only who read that as the "Moron" processor. Reminds me of a guy who formed an IT company and blessed it with the inventive name of "Lemmix". The picture that comes to mind with that name is just, well, silly. I hope they didn't all decide to start drilling holes and falling down platforms... :p

    15. Re:Meromonics by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1
      Even adding the ubiquitous 'X' to form 'XCeleron' would have been better

      I predict that in 20 years, all products will simply be called 'X'. There will be a lucrative business in replacing the 'X' key on keyboards. Then, all English words will be replaced by the trendy 'X'. X, x x x x x, x x x x x x x-x x. X!

    16. Re:Meromonics by c_forq · · Score: 1

      Can you give me a refrence to Banias? I can't find that one anywhere in America.

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    17. Re:Meromonics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought it was My Mom's processor.

    18. Re:Meromonics by Plammox · · Score: 1

      Hey, good catch. I thought I had them all covered.
      Maybe that's why Intel stopped using the project code name, in favor of the product name, Centrino....

    19. Re:Meromonics by Pope · · Score: 1

      Because they can't trademark numbers for their product names, pure and simple.

      --
      It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
  5. iMac by Jerom · · Score: 1

    I've been holding of on buying one of them shiny nice new iMacs until they get a new processor. I very much doubt they will upgrade the macBookPro (as some suggest) befor they update the iMac, that remains their flagship product.

    I keep my fingers crossed for a core duo 2 iMac announcment on WWDC (eventhough I know it's unlikely).

    Regards,

    J.

    1. Re:iMac by Moby+Cock · · Score: 1

      I think a big announcement is unlikely, but I think the upgrade of the iMac is a lock. They will put Conroes in the iMacs. I expect this will happen with much fuss, just a small note on their webpage and some signage in the Apple Stores. The big deal at WWDC is the new MacPro (with a Xeon (I figure) and OS X 10.5

    2. Re:iMac by agentmouthwash · · Score: 2, Insightful

      not necessarily. The Macbook pro is their pro laptop. They're going to try to make that on par with the Pro Mac as much as possible. Plus Apple is selling more laptops then ever now. I can see them both updated at the same time, but if the Core 2 Duo is in limited supply, it will go in the Macbook Pro.

    3. Re:iMac by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Last year, Apple's laptop sales passed their desktop sales. This year, they are projected to do so by an even larger margin. How, exactly, is a desktop their 'flagship' product?

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    4. Re:iMac by samkass · · Score: 3, Informative

      I very much doubt they will upgrade the macBookPro (as some suggest) befor they update the iMac, that remains their flagship product.

      From last week's quarterly conference call:

      "Apple sold 529,000 desktops during the quarter and 798,000 notebooks."

      --
      E pluribus unum
    5. Re:iMac by Jerom · · Score: 1

      Actually I agree.

      I had conroe and merom confused for a while.

      I still hope you (we) are right and the iMac gets bumped up to a core 2.

      .

    6. Re:iMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am waiting for OS X 10.5 and Core 2 chips in the iMacs then I will switch over. I originally planned to do this last year but they went and switched to Intel damnit so I held off until Rev1 or Rev2 iMacs with Intels are out, then I decided to wait for 10.5 so it keeps getting pushed back more and more, the funny thing is it will be about the same time as Vista.

    7. Re:iMac by mrxak · · Score: 1

      The term "flagship" has been a bit altered in the last century or so. Nowadays, it seems to mean the most prestigious/poweful model of whatever. Going by that definition, I'd say the Mac Pro will be the flagship of the desktop line, by nature of its superior stats. Still, one could say that the MacBook Pro is the flagship of the laptop line. But this is all just semantics, the iMac is the most sold desktop for Apple right now (as far as I know), and that's mostly what the guy was saying, I believe.

    8. Re:iMac by olip · · Score: 1

      Armies usually don't have so many flagships, do they ?
      Being a flagship is more about size than numbers...

      Most would've used this term for the Powermacs.

    9. Re:iMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      It's true, armies don't usually have many flasgships. Navies, on the other hand...

    10. Re:iMac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Apple's flagship is sinking. Most people's "main general-purpose home computer" is a non-Pro desktop. The iMac is Apple's only product in this category and it is looking increasingly unappealing to buyers. This should concern Apple and its fanbois.

      I, for one, am hoping Apple introduces an alternative to that ridiculous-looking, big-chinned "Jay Leno" iMac design. An all-in-one should be an option, not the only "mainstream" desktop. How about a small (no laptop parts) desktop, tower, or cube with NO INTEGRATED MONITOR.

  6. Use on an ITX board? by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1

    Any chance of anyone making an ITX board to use one? It seems it would be well suited for that task too.

    --
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
    1. Re:Use on an ITX board? by cnettel · · Score: 2, Informative

      Probably, as the current Meroms are close to compatible with Yonah, for which you can already buy ITX equipment. A new socket ("socket P"), FSB frequency and so on is coming in January.

    2. Re:Use on an ITX board? by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1

      Sweet. Now I wonder if it will possile to underclock a meron enough to go fanless?

      --
      "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
  7. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AMD launches the MoreOn processor, successor to the famous DurOn line...

  8. What about retail Merom CPU? by nxtw · · Score: 3, Interesting

    My laptop came with a Core Duo (Yonah) T2300. The CPU is a little weak at times, so I'd like to upgrade to Merom when available. (The requisite BIOS update has been available for a few months now.) Does anyone know when I'll be able to buy one from a reseller such as Newegg?

    1. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Be careful with d/ling an "updated" BIOS, especially from Dell. There has been talk in the forums about the latest BIOS update locking out the possibility of a Memron upgrade instead of enabling it. And from what I have heard, it's incredibly difficult to roll back a BIOS update. Just FYI.

    2. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by nxtw · · Score: 1

      My laptop is Acer. There are already people using Merom with this notebook and the BIOS update.

    3. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by redragon · · Score: 1

      People are already using a CPU that's being released at the end of August?

      --
      - Sighuh?
    4. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 1

      I gather from this in the article blurb:
      Intel has already begun to ship Merom processors to its PC customers and systems with Merom should begin to appear around the end of August.

      That the GP poster has been speaking to some system administrators lucky enough to have some.

      --
      liqbase :: faster than paper
    5. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Someone has to test them to make sure they work. RFQ (when the design is finished) usually happens about a month to a month and a half before public release. They make test runs in their fab and hand the processors out to trustworthy people to bug test, validate software, and in general make sure everything is perfect.

    6. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by diamondsw · · Score: 1

      Depends on your laptop - they are pin-compatible, but most laptops solder the processor to save space.

      --
      I don't know what kind of crack I was on, but I suspect it was decaf.
    7. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by nxtw · · Score: 1

      There are many people that use this laptop that have upgraded the CPU, mainly to a faster Yonah, but at least one to a Merom.

    8. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by ElliotLee · · Score: 1

      Which laptop is it? I like having an upgrade option. I've never upgraded a laptop CPU, so it might be good experience, too-- when I choose to upgrade down the line.

    9. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by Knux · · Score: 1

      I have a Mac Mini Intel Core Solo. Since I know I can change my processor for one more powerfull Yonah Core Duo, like 2.16 GHz, I was thinking if I'll be able to change my core solo 1.5 GHz for one of these Core 2 Duo Meron...

    10. Re:What about retail Merom CPU? by stevo3232 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I've heard talk of them out there for about 10-15 days now. :)

      --
      s.clementmonkey@sympatico.ca, remove the 'monkey'.
  9. Why this is Apple-relevant by jht · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Traditionally, Intel chip announcements are "no-big-deal", but this is the first one of any significance in the Apple Era since the original iMac/MacBook Pro announcement in January. Traditionally, IBM and Motorola/Freescale only announced a G3/G4/G5 processor whenever Apple was ready to introduce a new model using it - since Apple was the largest PPC system maker, they had some clout in that area.

    In the Intel world, Intel announces a chip family and that day the big Wintel vendors are already showing off their prototypes of "about-to-ship computers using it. Apple can't be as close to the vest as they traditionally have been regarding their plans anymore - for instance, it's a no-brainer that they'll speedbump their systems anytime Intel ships speedbumped versions of the same chip. Also, the announcement of a Mac Pro is now seen as inevitable at WWDC, since the chips to power it are officially on the market. Unlike years past, the speculation is focused this year on the little details - Xeon or Core 2 Duo? Completely redesigned case or minor refresh? The fact of the machine itself is more of a done deal.

    Because this is the first WWDC in the post-Intel era, it'll be interesting to see what the buying trend is - for instance, I have one client who is holding off the two weeks until WWDC before buying either a G5 tower or Xserve - based on the system configs in play, that's about $40k in deferred revenue (on the other hand, another one just bought a G5 Quad). Part of the reason that Apple used to be so tight-lipped about announcements was to avoid these deferred purchases, so it'll be interesting to see what happens now.

    --
    -- Josh Turiel
    "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    1. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Only a complete idiot would spend 40k on Intel based Macs.

      If performance is the need, then quad-970 Macs will beat the crap out of anything coming out of Intel or AMD this year.

      If existing Mac software needs to be run, the paltry amount of native Intel apps makes PPC Macs the only choice.

      If neither of those, then there is little reason not to save a huge amount of cash and buy from Dell or any other x86 OEM.

    2. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by wateriestfire · · Score: 0

      it would be interesting if Apple continued to use PPC for its Power Macs. With the PowerPC G6 starting to be completed which will be double the speed of intel and sun, the power macs could still use them in it's power line. Maybe they could also use a Cell processor from IBM which hosts many processors. Only time will tell.

    3. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by dloose · · Score: 1

      Got sources for any of this?

    4. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BS. The only significant non-Universal software still out there is Adobe CS. Everything else that matters is either converted or non-intensive.

    5. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Apple could still turn to AMD if Intel truly shafted them...

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    6. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Deliveranc3 · · Score: 1

      But the Apple engineers will have more free time to... I dunno make the iPod even smaller (What's smaller than nano? Quantum?)

    7. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Speare · · Score: 1

      deci, centi, milli, micro, nano, pico, femto, atto, zepto, yocto...

      --
      [ .sig file not found ]
    8. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Frumious+Wombat · · Score: 1

      iPod Pico: 4GB storage, doubles as an eyebrow ring. This will be closely followed by the iPod Femto; same storage, but it's applied at the store with a roller as a temporary tattoo. It washes off when the warranty expires.

      --
      the more accurate the calculations became, the more the concepts tended to vanish into thin air. R. S. Mulliken
    9. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I don't know about OS X and Cell - although it does sound insanely cool.

      There have been multiple interviews with IBM about their decision to drop Apple as a customer. The main one was with the main PPC exec responsible for dealing with Apple. Although IBM appears to have taken the high road and let Jobs spin things in public. I don't think IBM really cares about the less than 4 percent of their chip business that Apple represented.

      There was another informal interview with one of the mid-level IBM PPC guy who gave a laundry list of stupid things Apple did to IBM with chip orders. It sounded like it was a nightmare to work with Apple and IBM had a 'good riddance' attitude after the decision was made a couple years ago to drop them.

      There were article earlier this year that talked about Apple going to PASemi after IBM dropped them looking to bail Apple out, but I guess PA wasn't going to be ready in time. Although looking back over the past year and the Intel mess and Apple begging them to move their chips plans forward, PA would have been much better move for Apple.

    10. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by jht · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I feel like I'm troll-feeding here, but unless your workflow is CS2-based, odds are your productivity app of choice is universal already. And if it is, you'll get a big performance boost from a Intel Mac vs. the same Mac's PPC-based predecessor. Why wouldn't a quad-Xeon Mac Pro be likely to blow the doors off a G5 quad, or at least be competitive/faster?

      Besides that, since you generally don't pay a huge speed penalty in running apps through Rosetta (depends on the app, of course), if you need a newer Mac, why not buy the technology that's going to be shipped/supported far longer down the road, suck it up a little for now and use Rosetta, and get a big improvement when the universal upgrade ships? I really don't see that as enough of an deterrent to convince a diehard Mac user to change to Windows. With rare exceptions, Mac people are Mac people, period. The only thing that would get them to Windows is either force or no more Apple. And if I actually thought they'd be better served by generic x86 hardware and Windows, and I pushed them that way, the easiest thing my clients would do is probably find someone else who wouldn't push Windows on them.

      Look, I don't hate Windows. And I've built most of my own x86 boxes over the years. I even own six Dells, including my home gaming PC and what's in my office. But c'mon - to really assert that there's no reason to buy an Intel-based Mac because G5 quads are faster with pre-universal software is silly. And to call anyone spending $40k on Intel Macs an idiot - that's just a troll, and a bad one at that.

      And on a related note, I see no problem with delaying a non-time critical Xserve purchase to see what will replace it in Intel equivalent products. I've told the client that unless the Intel-based Xserve turns out to have a compelling feature (like onboard video freeing up both PCI slots, or on-board RAID for the built-in drive bays), to stick with the PPC version during the transition period that's likely to occur (there's usually an interval of a couple of weeks when you can order both models).

      --
      -- Josh Turiel
      "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    11. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by asuffield · · Score: 3, Informative
      Traditionally, IBM and Motorola/Freescale only announced a G3/G4/G5 processor whenever Apple was ready to introduce a new model using it - since Apple was the largest PPC system maker, they had some clout in that area.


      Well, that's wrong somehow... I think you either meant to say "Apple was the largest G3/G4/G5 system maker" or "Apple was the largest user of the PPC in desktop computers". The largest PPC system maker would be hard to pin down, but my bet would be either one of the car or printer manufacturers. PPC is all about embedded systems, Apple's use of them was just convinient fallout.

      Obviously IBM/Motorola only bothered to announce the G3/G4/G5 chips when Apple was ready to introduce a new model using them, because those are names for variations on existing PPC chip designs that were designed and produced on contract with Apple explicitly for their use. While they do refer to unique chips, they were all fairly minor variations (mostly just increased specs) on chips that the relevant maker had already created. The G5 is just a variation on IBM's established POWER4 line, for example. Apple chips have always been evolutionary, not revolutionary (even back in the 680x0 days).

      The only thing that's changed here is that you happen to be reading the press in which Intel chip announcements are published, while I'm betting that you never heard about all the developments in PPC chips over the past 20 years or so, except for the ones published by Apple.

      There's a big list of some of the stuff that uses PPC over here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerpc#Implementatio ns. It's probably a toss-up between PPC and ARM as to which is the most common microprocessor architecture on the planet (this is notoriously difficult to estimate with any precision and there's the perennial question about whether or not you should count the PICs - but if you don't, most people will agree that it's one of those two, although they'll often argue about which). Apple has never been as important as their fanboys would like people to believe.
    12. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by DrDitto · · Score: 2, Informative

      since Apple was the largest PPC system maker
      This is false. Apple's use of PPC was/is small compared to their use in embedded systems.

    13. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Because this is the first WWDC in the post-Intel era
      This is not the post-Intel era. This is the post-PowerPC era, you jackass. If it were the post-Intel era then Apple would no longer be using Intel processors.
    14. Re:Why this is Apple-relevant by Fluk3 · · Score: 0

      "There have been multiple interviews with IBM about their decision to drop Apple as a customer." Apple dropped IBM. Not the other way around.

      --
      I've been upgraded to "bad"!
  10. Friday 06 May 2005, 10:15 by Visaris · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Friday 06 May 2005, 10:15

    Way to post an article that is over a year old. The is just silly. The article lists the old order of product releases; the new order is actually reversed. Move along, nothing to see here. Google news will do much better.

    --

    I am a viral sig. Please help me spread.
    1. Re:Friday 06 May 2005, 10:15 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's funny. This is what I see:

      Merom crashing Intel's Core 2 Duo launch event
      By Tom Krazit, CNET News.com
      Monday , July 24 2006 10:48 AM


      Fucking moron.

  11. Waiting for the dust to settle by tomstdenis · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I do want to try out this "AMD killer" architecture but I'll wait for the dust to settle. Probably wait for Dec/Jan before getting a kit to use in my benchmarks.

    That and the name sucks. At least when you say T6600 or whatever you can get a sense of what it is [provided you know the model numbering which also changes too much]. Core 2 Duo ... how's that different from Core Duo?

    Also it's getting harder and harder to find official optimization guides/pipeline descriptions out of Intel. Or maybe I'm not looking in the right places. What do they have to hide?

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  12. Hey /. - update the Intel logo. by blcamp · · Score: 1
    --
    The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
  13. Merom has 64bit support by pathological+liar · · Score: 3, Informative

    While I doubt anyone's going to have enough ram in a laptop to need 64bit pointers anytime soon, the extra general purpose registers will be nice.

    1. Re:Merom has 64bit support by TheRaven64 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      I don't need 64-bit in a laptop. I do, however, fairly frequently need 33-bit or 34-bit pointers (virtual address space for mmap'd files). A 36-bit CPU would be enough, but a 64-bit CPU means you don't need to change the ISA every few years.

      This is the same philosophy as ZFS; no one is ever likely to need a 128-bit filesystem. Without resorting to quantum storage, you would need a hard drive the size of a planet if you encoded one bit per atom. If you used electron states for storing data then you could maybe shave some of the size off, and reduce it to the size of a small moon. It is likely that within the next 5-10 years, however, that a lot of people will start needing a 65-bit filesystem.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    2. Re:Merom has 64bit support by Dalroth · · Score: 1

      If you write software for 64-bit machines and need a development laptop, even though you may not have the ram, this is going to be a killer chip.

      Bryan

    3. Re:Merom has 64bit support by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's no moon...

    4. Re:Merom has 64bit support by _typo · · Score: 1

      Having >4GB of memory is easy today and 64 bit pointers makes that transparently usable to a single process without jumping through hoops. In a laptop chip it's going to take longer to get there but the current ones can already take 2GB so it should actually be pretty soon.

      --

      Pedro Côrte-Real.

    5. Re:Merom has 64bit support by dilvish_the_damned · · Score: 1

      Not to nitpick but 64bit aint all about stuffing more ram in the box, its also about using the larger numbers without all the fiddling with them in your application. Generally, I admit, you dont have to use the large number support, but when you do its really super keen nice. Especially on my laptop.

      --
      I think you underestimate just how much I just dont care.
    6. Re:Merom has 64bit support by Chazmyrr · · Score: 1

      Memory size commonly used in desktop computing has increased around 3 orders of magnitude in the last 15 years. 2MB->2GB. HDD size has increased less than that. 1GB->500GB. I think that expecting a 10 order of magnitude increase in the next 5 years might be a bit optimistic.

    7. Re:Merom has 64bit support by timeOday · · Score: 1

      It seems to me that memory size has plateaued. 1 GB was fairly big, but feasible 4 or 5 years ago. I just checked Compusa's website, and it looks like 1 GB of RAM is exactly the same price it was 2 years ago. And many mainstream systems are still shipping with 256 megabytes, which is pathetic but has been standard for about 4 years now, it seems to me.

  14. Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by everphilski · · Score: 3, Funny

    Core 2 Duo ... how's that different from Core Duo? from gur3d.com
    The key differences of the new architecture [Core 2 Duo] from the "ideologically closest" Intel Core Duo (Yonah) are as follows:
    * Improved instruction decoder extended to 4 decoders of x86 macroops (vs. 3 of Intel Pentium M / Core Duo)
    * 128-bit SIMD instruction performance of 1 instruction per clock in each execution unit (twice as faster as Yonah)
    * Improved memory operation and hardware prefetch mechanisms
    * L2 cache is dynamically shared by both cores depending on load (as seen in Intel Core Duo)
    * Further improved energy saving
    * A new SIMD instruction set SSE4.

    1. Re:Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      I said "official". As in where are the optimization guides from Intel? Heck they barely cover PentiumM let alone Core and Core 2 processors.

      "L2 cache dynamically shared" is known as a "LRU scheme" over a fast front side bus [hint: both cores talk to the same cache ... they're going to bump into each other, even if the thing is dual ported].

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    2. Re:Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1
      "L2 cache dynamically shared" is known as a "LRU scheme" over a fast front side bus [hint: both cores talk to the same cache ... they're going to bump into each other, even if the thing is dual ported].

      I was under the impression that the cache used a hybrid LRU/LFU scheme, but I could be wrong. As to the cores bumping into each other, a single core can bump into itself if it runs out of cache space. Sharing the cache doesn't mean that there is less, it means that it can be more efficiently used. If both cores are running threads in the same process and accessing the same data, then it only needs to be in the cache once, so less total cache space is needed. Additionally, message passing (ITC) between cores can go via the cache, rather than via main memory, making some things a lot faster.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    3. Re:Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      ok first off, there can only be so many buses to the cache, chances are there are two, one for one half and one for the other half. They probably split the cache along ways that go into each others space [e.g., first use a way local to you then use the other].

      They're going to "bump into each other" when both cores try to access cache that is attached to the same bus.

      Also, while for a single process a shared cache sounds all nice and fancy, for many HPC tasks it's not such a hot idea. This alone will make scientific work a bit of a challenge on it.

      Of course can't say much until I get one in my hands I guess...

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    4. Re:Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by McLoud · · Score: 1

      Funny? I think I may need some better acid or something. Beyond that, I'm waiting to see AMD cores with equivalent caches being benchmarked againts the new intel chips, iif they survive the new 65nm chips that are expected next year or so.

      --
      sign(c14n(envelop(this)), x509)
    5. Re:Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo by mczak · · Score: 1

      If you're going to mention the really not that significant new SSE4 extension, you'd better mention EMT64 too, which is a much more important extension (definitely in terms of transistor count). And Core 2 Duo not only has internally twice as wide SSE units, it also has one unit more (3 instead of 2, though not every unit can do everything).

  15. CORRECTION by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

    Please subtract $49.99 from the Apple price. I had a carrying case in my cart and did not notice it.

  16. I wonder.. by metushelach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Considering their R&D center for this processor is in Haifa, is this what the Hizbollah are REALLY after? (Or rather - Can it be that the true culprit behind the latest clashing in the middle east is, actually, AMD?) One has to wonder..

    1. Re:I wonder.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Huh?

    2. Re:I wonder.. by metushelach · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Merom was developed in the R&D center of Intel in Haifa, Israel. Hizbollah is shooting rockets from Lebanon into all of northern Israel, but paying special attention to Haifa. So I was wondering, if AMD was the one who was paying Hizbollah, to attack the biggest R&D center Intel has outside the US. (and there goes my attempt to making this sound funny)

    3. Re:I wonder.. by kahei · · Score: 1

      Heh heh. Why else do you think the company is secretly called 'Arafat Must Die'? Of course, if some idiot ever made that fact public, I wouldn't give two pins for his life -- he'd be hunted down and aosn23 9f8lretn@#@@

      --
      Whence? Hence. Whither? Thither.
  17. marketing foobar by sgt+scrub · · Score: 0

    I saw an Dell/Intel commercial last night. "Now with the new core solo!" I'm back to being pissed at Intel. These gay naming schemes designed to confuse newbies has got to stop. So, yay for them on yet another processor. I hope it, and Intel stock, bites the dust. Go Turion or whatever etc... etc...

    --
    Having to work for a living is the root of all evil.
    1. Re:marketing foobar by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      AMD Nomenclature is a bit simpler if you include the full title.

      If I told you I got a 3800+ in my box, what cpu is that? Unless you work around AMD gear a lot you wouldn't know it's a AMDx2, etc...

      But yeah if I told you it's a AMDx2 2.4Ghz 4800+ processor you'd have a decent idea what it is. You can do this with intel too... e.g..

      "Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13Ghz" gives a decent idea that it's a dual-core 2.13Ghz 2nd generation Core processor. Of course Dell and the like will say things like "Intel Core 2 Duo!" or "Core Duo" or whatever...

      The devil is in the details. The trick is to check model numbers against the descriptions on the providers website. So if they say it's and Intel E6300, you should go to the Intel website and look up what E6300 means.

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    2. Re:marketing foobar by The+Mayor · · Score: 1

      Yes. After all, it's so difficult from the naming convention to tell that the Solo has one core, and the Duo has two cores. Yes, the naming convention is pretty confusing. With a name like Turion, it's so obvious that it has only one core. (OK, so I'm ignoring the Core 2 Duo name...that one *is* pretty f'ed).

      --
      --Be human.
    3. Re:marketing foobar by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      AFAIK the tenative name for dual-core Turions is TurionX2 (but don't quote me on that...). I think Turion vs. TurionX2 is pretty easy to distinguish. Just like AMD64 and AMDX2 are easy to tell apart.

      The problem I have with their names other than too many references to numbers [2 Duo?] is that Core and Core 2 are not related products. Core is a Pentium M, Core 2 is more like a K8 than a PM.

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    4. Re:marketing foobar by jawtheshark · · Score: 1

      Wikipedia agrees with you

      I'd like to have a Turion 64 X2 laptop, but I don't know where to buy one where I live :-(

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    5. Re:marketing foobar by tomstdenis · · Score: 1

      Step 1. Overcome Intel Monopoly
      Step 2. ???
      Step 3. AMD Laptop.

      Your best bet is to try pinging Acer, Asus and Fujitsu. Failing that HP.

      Tom

      --
      Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    6. Re:marketing foobar by jawtheshark · · Score: 1

      I already looked at Acer.nl (serves BeNeLux... it's the "Lux" part where I live and it's a bitch to get new tech here) I'll check out the others. It's not for today anyway. My father in law wants a new company website, and I'm writing it for him. Thing is that I have no VAT number and we agreed that he'd simply buy me a laptop for the effort. He'll just have to cough up for the Turion X2 that I can find ;-)

      As for "Overcome Intel Monopoly": I have 4 Intel machines left: the server at my parents (P-III 800Mhz/768Meg), my old laptop (P-III 600Mhz Mobile/512Meg), my dads laptop (P-III 733MHz/256Meg) and my wifes computer (P-IV 2.6HT/2Gig RAM). I have 3 AMD64 machines (two 2800+, and one 3400+), 1 Athlon XP 2800+ machine and 1 Athlon MP 2400+ (two CPUs of course). Considering that the Intel machines are all well over 3 years old, and my AMD machines are much newer (only the MP is over 3 years old), I'm pretty much switched to AMD completely. Of course, if Intel keeps on kicking AMDs butt, I might make the switch back ;-)

      --
      Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
    7. Re:marketing foobar by TeknoHog · · Score: 1
      After all, it's so difficult from the naming convention to tell that the Solo has one core, and the Duo has two cores.

      But other than that, it's my humble opinion that the 'Core' naming is utterly dumb. As if they were the first/only processors with cores in them. Which leads to the inevitable Core 2, and so on. I can imagine some marketing guy overhearing a bunch of engineers discussing 'processor cores' and getting the brilliant idea. They'll probably have to change it after Core !!! and Core 4 for something else ;)

      I also don't see what the fuss is about dual cores anyway -- we've had multiproc machines for ages, and the possibilities/challenges of using them are unchanged now that we're putting multiple processors on the same chip (Except for cache and memory access issues, though, but it's a minor detail IMHO). Of course, if multicores are the only way of getting multiproc machines mainstream, that's great, but let's not pretend multicores are somehow revolutionary.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  18. Where is this chip being developed? by elessar12 · · Score: 0

    I am just wondering as the word Merom sounds like hebrew and I know Intel has a large R&D center in Haifa. Consequently I wonder if the current hostilities there could cause delays in this chip developement. Of course I base it all on the name of the chip which may mean nothing.

    1. Re:Where is this chip being developed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All work on Pentium-M and its descendants has been done in Haifa.

  19. Merom = Israeli by GabrielF · · Score: 1

    Merom is named after Meron, a town in Israel, where Intel designs and builds some of its mobile processors, such as the Core Duo and (I believe) Pentium M. Other mobile processor codenames include Dothan and Yonah, which are also Israeli. Intel has been active in Israel for a very long time, it was the location of their first overseas fab and they recently invested something like $5 billion in the country. Interestingly enough, Meron is in the Upper Galillee, and currently being shelled by Hezbollah. Two people were killed there on July, 14th by rockets.

    1. Re:Merom = Israeli by MrFlibbs · · Score: 1

      You've got a few names mixed up. "Merom" means "high places" and is not named after any township. Also, the Intel design center is in Haifa at an industrial park named "Matam". This has nothing to do with the project name.

    2. Re:Merom = Israeli by octopus72 · · Score: 1

      Does Hezbollah even know what kind of economic damage they can cause if they fire few napalm rockets on the factory?

  20. This is so cool.. by saboola · · Score: 3, Funny

    I just ordered a Core Duo about 10 minutes ago, sweet! Glad to know its obsolete before it even hits my doorstep :)

    1. Re:This is so cool.. by gotgenes · · Score: 1

      Actually, Merom is compatible with Yonah chipsets. In plain English, that means that you can buy a Core 2 Duo processor and drop it into the same slot as your Core Duo processor currently occupies, possibly necessitating a BIOS update. When the Santa Rosa chipset is released in 2007, you will have to be more conscientious of what Merom processor you purchase, but until then, the upgrade is a CPU-swap away. Since this will void your notebook's warranty, though, you should probably wait to make the switch after the warranty expires.

      --
      It's such a fine line between stupid and clever.
  21. Re:Flagships by elessar12 · · Score: 0

    Flagship has nothing to do with sales volume. For example the Mercedes Benz Flagship is the S600 (or whatever 6xx it is now). It is not however their highest volume seller, but the most powerful most luxurious vehicle they offer no matter the cost.

  22. Not to be confused with... by daskrabs · · Score: 1

    ..."meecrob" which, according to Cartman, "is way grosser than 'shit', dude."

  23. Old news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This looks like old news.
      I heard Intel has decided to push its deadlines forward, and Merom should start shipping by the end of july

  24. 64 bits for large file handling by faramir_fr · · Score: 1

    There is an obvious advantage of using a 64 bits system... large files handling. In my case it's the panoramic image stitching that fells free when ran on a 64 bits system.

    1. Re:64 bits for large file handling by Wesley+Felter · · Score: 1

      Unless you are mmap'ing those large files, you don't need 64-bit. Why, I remember back in the 90s when BeOS supported lottabyte files on a 32-bit processor...

    2. Re:64 bits for large file handling by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1
      64-bit doesn't just mean 64-bit pointers, it means 64-bit registers. If you are doing a lot of seeking in a file, then this means a single load to get the offset (as opposed to two loads and a shift) as well as fewer instructions to perform calculations related to the offset.

      Of course, the seek time of your hard disk is still going to be the bottleneck.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  25. Hey, I get it! by 3-State+Bit · · Score: 1
    See, there's the Pentium M , and "Merom" backwards is "moreM". So it's like Intel's flagship mobility-enabling product, but more so! (Oserom).

    May I be the first to predict the following road map:
    1. Merom
    2. Merom Neve
      and finally, after dozens of missed deadlines, project renamings, and changes in leadership, the long-awaited revolutionary:
    3. Merom LLI Total Submersion.

    1. Re:Hey, I get it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Merom Neve

      Actually, both are words used in Israel. Merom (a lake in the Hulah Valley of Israel), and Neve = "oasis" in Hebrew - used in names of some settlements. So, who knows, it might just happen, too.

  26. Power Consumption by aersixb9 · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Since power consumption is one of the biggest turn-offs for me on a laptop, specifically that most last 4 hours at full speed, and when I'm off grid it's usually for more than 24 or 48 hours, much too long even for a big bag of kind of expensive batteries, is there a power saving solution that's better than bringing a bunch of batteries for a laptop, a hi-density battery or an extremely low power usage laptop? One solution is a 12vdc - 120vac inverter on an engine...does anyone have a little gas, propane, or other powered engine that could power a laptop, and is small enough to carry around, either inside the laptop or in a bag with one? Or are laptops mostly for desktop/travel on-grid use, and plugged in, in which case it would make sense to eliminate the power efficiency of laptops and simply use them as portable desktops...

    1. Re:Power Consumption by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      A few companies sell solar arrays that can power/charge a laptop. The new MPBs come with a 85W power supply, but this is enough to drive the screen at full brightness, spin the hard disk and burn a DVD while maxing out the CPU and GPU and still have a little left over to charge the battery, so you probably don't need quite that much. You can also leave the machine charging while you are not using it. I've seen a backpack with a solar array built in for sale. The laptop goes in and charges while you are walking.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  27. Re: GBit Ethernet by stekylsha · · Score: 1

    I've got a friend who's run Gb ethernet in his house - CAT 5e or 6 (I don't remember) and the Gb switch to match. True, he's not the norm but he does have it. He was running wireless and didn't think it was fast enough. The main reason he sited was because of the file server he has; he's using the network drive mounted locally for development.

    Oh, and he has Verizon's fiber to the house so his downstream speed is about 15Mb/sec. Not gigabit, but still fast.

    There's your Gb ethernet home user. :)

    --
    "There is no spoon." - Neo
    "Spoooon!" - The Tick
  28. terrible article... by YesIAmAScript · · Score: 1

    I stopped reading it 1/3rd the way down becuase of the level of technical bullshit, plus the huge amount of unwarranted editoralizing.

    It looks like I'm done with the Register. It's hard to believe at one time they actually had real info on their site.

    --
    http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
  29. What About Mac Mini by Knux · · Score: 1

    I have a Intel Core Solo Mac Mini. I know I can change my 1.5GHz core solo processor for a Core Duo Yonah, like 2.16GHz. And there are some sites over the internet telling they could change their 1.66 Core Duo Mac Mini processor for a Core 2 Duo Meron. My question is: Will I be able to change my core solo 1.5 GHz for one of these Core 2 Duo Meron?

  30. Re:iMac, market share, and iPodiots by FractalZone · · Score: 1

    "Apple sold 529,000 desktops during the quarter and 798,000 notebooks."

    I wonder if Apple will ever bring another really innovative computer to market? It hasn't done so since the Apple II and the orignal Mac lines of PCs. Apple's customer base seems to be the technically challenged artsy-fartsy crowd and people wanting to look hip. There is a reason Apple has never been the market leader with PCs, even back in the Apple II days when it had some chance of doing so. IBM was smart. It went with a non-proprietary, open standard, so everyone was encouraged to not only grab a slice of the pie, but to make the pie larger.

    Apple is well advised to stick to selling MP3 players to iPodiots...the losers who will buy crap if it has an Apple logo on it.

    --
    "You're young, you're drunk, you're in bed, you have knives; shit happens." -- Angelina Jolie
  31. Dell doesn't solder CPUs by unassimilatible · · Score: 1

    And Merom works in Yonah Dells.

    --
    Slashdot "libertarians": Small government for me, big government for those I disagree with. -1, I disagree with you
  32. Re:iMac, market share, and iPodiots by samkass · · Score: 1

    I wonder if Apple will ever bring another really innovative computer to market? It hasn't done so since the Apple II and the orignal Mac lines of PCs.

    Actually, Macs have been innovation leaders pretty much since they were released up through today. They drove widespread adoption of everything from CD-ROMs to USB to wireless networking. It's true they traditionally do not offer as much bang for the buck in terms of processor or polygon-count rendering, and tended to suffer on benchmarks that time those specific items. But in terms of innovation, it's hard to argue that any other platform has brought as much to the table as the Mac has over the years, from the original Mac to the Mac ][ to the various software innovations in the 90's, and through to the iMacs, they've always provided a lot of utility and forward-thinking for the money. I'm kind of of the opinion that Linux is only "free" if your time is worthless, and a Windows install is reasonable to start out with (as long as you don't want to do any of the things in the software packages the Mac ships with) but tends to get "bit rot" awfully fast. The Macs tend to stay clean and usable throughout their life. Obviously if you can't afford them that's certainly unfortunate, but you can't really argue Apple isn't innovative.

    And my iPod works great, too.

    You've obviously got some strange emotional feelings against what is, after all, just a company with some good products.

    --
    E pluribus unum
  33. Re:Buying Intel = helping Israel by Oldav · · Score: 0

    Yep exactly right I Couldn't agree more, anything that supports the residents of occupied Palestine is bad. I will from now on always call that country "occupied Palestine", as that is what it reallt is!

  34. Re:iMac, market share, and iPodiots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    IBM was smart. It went with a non-proprietary, open standard, so everyone was encouraged to not only grab a slice of the pie, but to make the pie larger.
    bzzzzzt! Wrongo bongo! It may have happened that way in a fractal zone far, far away, but it sure as heck did not happen like that on this third rock from the sun. If you wish to get it right, better check your history books baby! But if you were just bashing Apple, then carry on!
  35. Re:iMac, market share, and iPodiots by FractalZone · · Score: 1

    bzzzzzt! Wrongo bongo! It may have happened that way in a fractal zone far, far away, but it sure as heck did not happen like that on this third rock from the sun. If you wish to get it right, better check your history books baby! But if you were just bashing Apple, then carry on!

    Hmmm. I think the success of the original Compaq luggable IBM clone pretty much proves my point.

    IBM's standards for the PC were open enough that clone makers eventually drove IBM out of the PC hardware market. The Compaq machine I am thinking of was about the size of a small suitcase or sewing machine case and weighed in at about 28 lbs unless you added things like a whopping big 5MB removable cartridge drive and a full-length memory expansion card to bump up the memory to a full 640K of memory (1MB of RAM was maximum, but the last 384KB was useful only as RAMdrive or for some quirky system utilities). My early Compaq luggable went through many upgrades, but they were usually very straightforward as far as hardware went, because Compaq quickly got a reputation for making PC clones that were more IBM compatible than IBM PCs.

    BTW, I can't really bash Apple for taking advantage of fools who buy anything the company sells because they want to feel hip or superior, despite the fact that Apple's main claim to fame is selling tech gear that even drooling idiots (and the artsy-fartsy crowd) think they can figure out.

    The sad thing is that the Motorola 68000 series chips that the Mac platform was based on were technically superior to the Intel line of chips that IBM chose to base its PC platform on. The 8088 that was in the original PCs is actually a crippled version of the 8086, but IBM chose the former chip because there was a lot of COTS technology that would work with the 8088's one byte wide data path and the price of the initial base systems was in the $3+K range for any useful configuration -- a 16-bit data path would have greatly improved performance but made the machines way to expensive. If IBM had chosen the Motorola architecture, I suspect microcomputer technology would be at least two or three years more advanced than it actually is. But you really don't want me to get started on the advantages of elegant, orthogonal instruction sets. :-)

    I suspect Apple's success with the iPod will not last for even a decade. Macs had some unique redeeming features and functionality over PCs for many years and there are still some industries (publishing for example) where they are still competitive because they run industry specific software between than other platforms will. Those niche markets have almost all dried up, however. There is absolutely nothing special about the iPod as far as technology goes, and while it is cute from a design perspective, it isn't really much better than the less expensive non-proprietary MP3 players that are flooding the market. Apple's penchant for propriety gear is one of the main reasons the Mac never became a major threat to the Wintel side of the business. Once more people rub the noses of iPodiots in the fact that they are paying too much for mundane technology, I suspect that Microsoft, SANdisk, Toshiba, and many others will cause the Apple iPod to fade into relative obscurity along with the Macintosh computer. Reality yhas a way of setting in...

    --
    "You're young, you're drunk, you're in bed, you have knives; shit happens." -- Angelina Jolie
  36. Correction. by SpecTheIntro · · Score: 1

    Above, I say: "All of the things that can be qualitatively measured have been accounted for." It should read: "All of the things that can be quantitatively measured have been accounted for."