I want my 2.16GHz iMac!
Posted by Lab Rat
Yesterday we all heard the news. Not only is Apple shipping MacBook Pro’s with faster-than-expected chips, they even added a 2.16GHz build-to-order option! (for an additional $300). Now, while the logic of spending $300 for an extra 0.16GHz is debatable, the fact remains that for some reason Apple has decided to NOT make the 2.16GHz chips available in its Intel iMacs.
One of the things that personally excites me about Apple’s move to Intel is the frequency that Intel updates its chips. The aforementioned 0.16GHz bump, while not major, came even before Apple shipped its first MacBook! THAT is a sign of company that has the competitive “Eye of the Tiger� (or Leopard) spirit in my opinion.
Now, while I am pretty sure the Core Duo chips used in Mac portables are different than the Core Duo chips used in Mac desktops, desktop chips have historically ALWAYS been faster than portable chips. This is due to the restrictions of battery life and heat being a relative non-issue in desktops compared to portables. The odds are there is a faster-than-2GHz Core Duo desktop chip out there waiting to be slapped into an iMac.
So the question is, “Where is the 2.16GHz (or faster) iMac?”
Screw the iMac.
I think Apple should release a quad Intel PowerMac now!
Even if it wont run Adobe apps great yet, they launched the Intel iMac alongside the G5 iMac. Let consumers buy what they want.
I for one want the expandability that a PowerMac offers, but I use mainly Apple apple apps like Final Cut and iPhoto. (yes, I know Final cut is not out yet for Intel).
But I would like to start seetting up my ssystem now.
At the very least, I think they should release the PowerMac in April with the Intel Pro-Apps. Don’t make us wait until friggin’ December Apple!
When you start talking in Gigahertz, the bad thing is that the numbers look small, as in .16 Gigahertz. Terahertz would ‘look’ worse, .016.
Remember though that this is 160 megahertz and that’s times two, since there are two cores, so an extra 320 megaherz!!
It used to be that 50 megahertz would cost hundreds extra, so this is a relative bargain.
not really.
it is 160 MHz for almost every app.
the operating system is threaded for symmetric multiprocessing. so for the majority of your user experience, Way Cool, it would be 320 MHz.
“Engineers”, show me a benchmark proving both processors work even close to equally. I saw iPhoto benchmarks on Ars, tat showed almost no difference with one core turned off.