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Posted by: news Wed 19 Oct 2005, 22:39

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http://www.macmusic.org/news/view.php?lang=EN&id=3746

Posted by: lepetitmartien Wed 19 Oct 2005, 22:39

After ranting for years after a more than 2 CPU powermac, at last I've got a dual CPU with dual cores. It's great. i don't understand still how Apple can install only 512 MB of RAM on pro computers…

I look forward after the benchmarks to compare the dual-core to the previous models, they must be bombs for our steve to be so confident about them. We'll see.

Posted by: Vincent Online Thu 20 Oct 2005, 04:38

Awesome!!!!! I'm ready to buy one now!

Posted by: arvidtp Thu 20 Oct 2005, 06:10

yeah - looks cool -4 procs... but steve is confident about everything, isnt he? isnt that his/apple's thing? haha.

Anyway, the powerbooks did not get any faster. My now exactly 2 year old powerbook is still in the running with the new ones. That cant be good for apple's portable status... but maybe that will be adequately addressed once they move to intel.

With dual core procs, can a single thread still only be allocated to one half of processor though? Cause for things like MaxMSP, where (i think) all the audio runs in one thread (jitter/the max scheduler being different threads) would dual core 2.5GHz be faster or slower for the audio than dual 2.7 GHz? But maybe this would be a dream machine for running jitter (which is written to take advantage of multiple CPUs now) and MaxMSP at the same time?

Posted by: lepetitmartien Thu 20 Oct 2005, 06:39

The real mojo will be for multithreaded apps.

For the exact speed of these now babies, we'll need some hands on first. a dual core cpu is more efficient at moving data between cores, but less at moving data thru the bus. There are also new cache schemes too, on my part it's difficult to tell how it'll run. We can only bet apple don't issue computer which are slower than the ones they replace.

And we know all the space continuum effect of our Steve

DDR2 means less consumption, less heat, and so more batteries for the powerbook and colder tights for the user. But yea until we have the new freescale G4 (late late late late again) nothing can move this way. Now once they are released, expect some updated laptops

Posted by: lepetitmartien Thu 20 Oct 2005, 20:08

AND AND

PCI/PCI-x cards ARE NOT COMPATIBLE with PCI-express. so we'll have AGAIN to wait till there are some. It means new cards from Digidesign, MOTU, ECHO, RME etc.

WTFH is that?

Why all the PCI are PCI-express?

Posted by: lepetitmartien Sat 22 Oct 2005, 05:23

All right Digidesign was working for some month on a PCIe version of the HD cards with Apple, I hope others like MOTU, RME, Mackie/UA, TC to tell a few were in too.

Posted by: Vincent Online Sat 22 Oct 2005, 08:06

Why not just use a firewire interface?

Posted by: Jsegura Sat 22 Oct 2005, 16:54

So and as they are the things, to use one pci card is very dangerous.

Posted by: lepetitmartien Mon 24 Oct 2005, 02:02

Just because there are some interface that are available only in this form, Digidesign will issue new HD cards. Never be deprived of choice, choice is good and firewire interfaces have their problems too. A PCI card will always be on a bus faster than the available Firewire interfaces. Faster means less errors because you don't have to trust blindly a protocol which convey your audio in digital form, there can be accidents too, even if they are negligible in regard of an analogue audio chain.

Myself I've got a PCI interface (that I should upgrade one day when i'll have time to run in the G5 if only MOTU… [insert rant here]). high end interfaces are all on some flavour of PCI cards save portable solutions.

Apple way well be selling good hardware, but they ask us for another huge step without adaptation time and it mean $$$$ for us to follow because Mr Apple impose PCIx only. We invest sometime a lot in our set up, but the market pressures to force us to upgrade all the time even when it's NOT mandatory save to be only able to use his hard earned hardware in a new computer.

For your information, right now, there is only ONE PCIx card to add FW 400 and 800 ports. we are literally sailing thru a river of choice don't you know

The new G5s may be bombs, but they mean $$$ to upgrade our other hardware. Thanks Mr Apple.

Posted by: lepetitmartien Mon 24 Oct 2005, 02:03

Could you elaborate?

Posted by: beyaRecords Mon 24 Oct 2005, 11:39

Yeah...Mr Jobs was very confident, when the Dual G5 came out, that in terms of audio applications, you would cbe able to run a million and one tracks with unlimited plugins and the machine would not even break out into a sweat! The realaity of this in the real world though is the complete opposite. As for him being coinfident about these new Dual dualcore G5s well what else would you expect, he has to sell them! But he forgets that he let us into a little secret about moving away from IBM to Intel, so so much for confidence in that department!

In regards to whether Lynx would be devloping a pci-e version of their cards, David A Hoatson of Lynx said and I quote:



And in a further reply on the same post said:



The full post can be found here: http://nav.440network.com/out.php?mmsc=forums&url=http://www.lynxstudio.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=702&TPN=1

Beya

Posted by: lepetitmartien Mon 24 Oct 2005, 14:28

Right now all the cards in PCIe save for the ones annouced because of Apple move are all save one graphic/video/3D cards or network/RAID cards.

Until wednesday, the normal use of PCIe was to install high end graphic cards in a PC… So one slot.

We know that PCIe will last longer than PCIx, and certainly as long as PCI, but a move of such brutality is way beyond the normal course of a kind and respectful manufacturer.

And, as I said, it cost us $ € £ in the end for absolutely no necessary use

As a user, I crave for the power of any of those G5, but as a conscious shopper I don't see the point of PCIe save for niche markets even more niche than us. Photoshop, Final Cut Pro or Logic Users (even Word users will like the power, sure, but save network admins and video/3D moguls, nobody needs faster cards/slots. but sure have cards now good for the bin.

Posted by: beyaRecords Mon 24 Oct 2005, 15:43

lepetitmartien,
as you have correctly mentioned, the pci-e dual dualcore G5 will be of no use to any proaudio user unless you have money to throw away by purchasing a pci-e --> to pci craddle which I have seen selling for almost half the price of the Quad G5!!

IMHO thew Quad G5 is at least 6 months too late and with pci-e only interface leaves it viable only for those in the graphics/games/keeping-up-with-the-joneses arena!

Beya

Posted by: lepetitmartien Mon 24 Oct 2005, 16:03

And the Protools|HD guys…

Mind, I have a PCI 324 MOTU, I've still to upgrade it to the 424 mk2 for my G5 in PCIx, and they change the slots again? What if I buy another G5 in six months? sigh

Posted by: Jsegura Mon 24 Oct 2005, 16:36

Is dangerous for my pocket. What will happen with Powercore, UAD, RME, MOTU....etc?

Posted by: lepetitmartien Mon 24 Oct 2005, 16:43

That's the problem, we don't know. As we don't know if they were like Digidesign close enough to be in the confidence early and are soon to release the cards.