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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=967
Rumors of a 64-bit IBM CPU in Macs get new life
By Michael Flaminio, Insanely Great Mac
September 19th 2002
A fresh round of rumors of upcoming IBM CPUs making their way into Apple desktops.
In August a little buzz started in the Mac Web of new CPUs coming out of IBM. The
processors are expected to be introduced next month at the Microprocessor Forum. The
processors are believed to be based on IBMs Power4 processors, designed for desktop
systems. Speculation is that the processors could give Apple''s desktop line a strong
shot in the arm in terms of performance and future growth. Cold water was thrown on
those rumors about a month later in the form of an insider stating that Apple wasn''t
interested in the said processors.
The circle of rumors continue with an eWeek report stating that Apple and IBM are
indeed working to bring this upcoming CPU to Mac desktops. Called the GigaProcessor
Ultralite (GPUL), the IBM chip is pretty much as earlier described -- a multi-core
64-bit CPU with 32-bit backwards compatibility based on the Power4. The chip is
confirmed to have a 162 instruction vector processor, dubbed VMX, which seem to match
specs to the G4''s AltiVec/Velocity Engine. Such vector support would almost be
required in a new Apple CPU, considering Apple''s dependence on it over the years to
help performance. The eWeek article states that says VMX unit is from Motorola, but a
source states that "VMX and Altivec are highly compatible, if not identical."
Other tidbits worth noting include that the chip may be a ways off yet. eWeek notes
that the IBM project is not expected to finish until summer 2003. Likely we''ll have
more details on the chip''s timetable when it is introduced. eWeek also indicated that
Apple is currently testing the GPUL to ensure compatibility with future Mac designs.
Finally, eWeek states that the GigaProcessor Ultralite is expected to start out
between 1.4 and 2.0 GHz. Reportedly tests of a 1 GHz GPUL came in twice as fast as a 1
GHz G4 processor.
Analysis:
Apple''s new PowerMac G4 systems made a pretty minor splash when announced. While
impressive on paper, new additions such as DDR memory and a faster system bus only add
the slightest margin of performance in tests. The problem is compounded as Intel
continues to crack out faster CPUs, and while MHz is not a perfect indication of
speed, relative advancement of Mac performance has been sorely lagging. For a change,
keeping pace with the PC platform would be nice, but a break out product, like the
PowerPC and G3, is needed to infuse life back into Apple''s professional line.
While the GPUL looks promising, they may not make their way into Apple computers at a
minimum of 12-18 months, if the timelines by eWeek are accurate. Provided these rumors
are correct, can Apple and Motorola come up with some compelling products between then
and now?
[ Article revisions with corrections and updates are available on the Web site.
Read and post article comments at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=967 ]
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may not be republished in part or whole without explicit written
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