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Nice One, Steve!

Entry 272, on 2006-01-18 at 16:09:37 (Rating 1, Computers)

I have waited a week since Apple's announcements at MacWorld so that the real impact of the changes could be established away from the initial enthusiasm of the show. OK, I haven't seen any of the new products yet, but I have caught up with a lot of discussion about them on the Internet.

The major point is that the new Intel machines being ready so quickly has got to be a very good sign. First, it means that Apple no longer has a somewhat sub-standard professional laptop (the old PowerBook G4), and second it means that the transition to a new architecture has been remarkably fast, which must say a lot about the general structure and flexibility of Mac OS X.

I'm surprised that the iMac has been converted to Intel so quickly. I had just finished setting up a new iMac G5 and then this happens! It didn't worry me too much though, because the G5 machine is adequate for the person I set it up for, and I know it is compatible with the software and hardware we are using there (including one Classic program),

My PowerBook G4 is probably due to be replaced within a year, so hopefully by then the next generation Intel MacBook Pro will be out, with a faster optical drive, a better screen, and better battery life. The current MacBook is a nice machine, but it does have some deficiencies in those areas.

The major issue for Apple is now to persuade major software publishers to convert their programs to Universal so they will run at full speed on the new hardware. Adobe and Microsoft have already committed to do this, but we want it to happen sooner rather than later. I'd be very happy to use iWork and iLife 06 wherever possible (they are Universal) but I really need Photoshop running as fast as possible.

In summary, I've got to say "Nice one, Steve!" it must be hard to live up to people's expectations of Apple but these announcements were certainly at the most positive end of what I thought would happen.

Comment 1 (170) by mollask on 2006-02-02 at 03:06:31:

Don't you worry, in the least, about the intel chip crashing? Blue screen of death and what not? I notice that your site says you're a MS Free zone, and I truly believe that part of the problem in MS/Pentium machines is that the Pentium can't keep up. That said, and knowing the Unix-esque OSX, being more stable... Don't you worry about PS and Ill apps pushing the chip too far?

Comment 2 (171) by OJB on 2006-02-02 at 17:47:52:

In almost every case, crashes are caused by software problems (including the operating system). By avoiding unreliable junk like Windows crashes can be minimised. There are faults in all processors, including the new Intel chips, but they are documented and compilers can work around them.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the Pentium "not keeping up". Modern operating systems are designed to buffer information and allow for the varying speeds of different devices. Also, since the Pentium is faster than the PowerPC we should expect less trouble in this area, not more!

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