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Reality News Is Updated Every Monday And Thursday
Remembering PowerExpress Power Macintosh G3 333MHz MT
Note: Images are of an actual production unit; Not a prototype.
Power Macintosh 333MHz MT Clock Speeds
Contrary to previous reports, the new models to be introduce at
Seybold will contain Motorola's newly announced low voltage chips,
as opposed to IBM's copper LoneStar chips. Apparently the copper
chips are not shipping in large quantities and have yet to be
announced by IBM. In addition, the copper chips currently have
an average cost of about 10% more than current G3 chips and do
not provide a direct performance advantages over the Motorola
low voltage chips in desktop models. For more information check out the Apple Hardware Information Archive. If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us. |
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1)Seybold Apple Pro Models Revealed |
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| Yosemite Hardware: Some Powerful Stuff... |
Yosemite
With the plan for Seybold pretty much crystal clear, our energies
will now be focused on Silk and Yosemite; the next two versions
of the Power Macintosh G3 motherboard. While 'Silk' is expected
to be a Gossamer II derivative, Yosemite is expected to be a huge
leap forward in terms of logicboard design and components.
AGP & Yosemite
Sources claim that Apple will couple an advanced graphics port
(AGP) with the Yosemite logicboard which is expected to run at
a bus speed of at least 100MHz. On the other hand, it's almost
guaranteed that we will not see an AGP slot inside a Macintosh
without at least a 100MHz bus.
Yosemite Features
Yosemite is also expected to mark the beginning of Apple's single
unified Macintosh architecture that will run throughout the entire
product line. Apple believes this will improve the development
process of third party hardware, and will in turn lead to a greater
number of third party hardware products in a shorter time frame.
It will also allow third parties to have add-ons ready for a simultaneous
announcement with the new Apple hardware.
In addition to a faster system bus and an advanced graphics port,
Yosemite is also expected to mark the introduction of a full 66MHz
PCI bus, Ultra2 drives, and onboard FireWire; which will replace
SCSI.
Additional memory slots and a fast RAM are among other rumored
Yosemite features. As mentioned in previous reports, Yosemite
may possibly feature SLDRAM as opposed to SDRAM.
Yosemite Time Frame
Since we first broke the ice on Yosemite late last week, whispers
have been heard on and off as to its introduction. As mentioned
earlier, Yosemite is only in the EVTA (Engineering Validation
Testing) stage, or the revision of the hardware. Though we previously
stated that this board should be ready for inclusion in the El
Capitan casings in the first quarter of 1999, sources have stated
that these units may not ship until March. March would mark a
Seybold Boston introduction- perfect for the introduction of these
graphics power houses, and would give Apple a larger window period.
We'll stick with March for now, and maybe if we're lucky, Apple
will prove us wrong. ;)
USB
Sources report that USB has gone Golden Master at Apple as of
three weeks ago. The USB hardware is expected to make its way
into the desktop models before Yosemite; most likely in Silk -
if this board ever sees the light of day.
For additional Apple Hardware Insider News check our Apple Hardware Information Archive, which has been updated over the weekend. More on El Capitan below.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| iMac Under HEAVY Production |
In an effort to prove the media wrong and ensure a smooth iMac
roll-out, Apple has begun the unthinkable. According to well placed
sources, all three of Apple's production plants, including their
Sacramento plant, have halted production of desktop and PowerBook
models in way of the iMac. Yes sir, you heard that right. Sources
claim that for the next two weeks Apple will churn out nothing
but iMacs in every one of their production facilities.
Apple is surely betting the world on this consumer machine. The
iMac has helped spur everything from "oooooowwhs" and "ahhs" to
last nights feature on CNN (Real Audio compliments of MacOSRumors).
There won't be much of a cooling down period. Once the demand
for the iMac settles, the Consumer Portable will be sure to keep
the production plants busy. More on the Consumer Portable coming
on Monday. Wow is this thing going to blow some minds...
iMac Update : CNBC iMac Special?
The iMac is all over the place! Mark just passed on this transcript
of a CNBC iMac Special that aired at 1:35 EST this afternoon.
Reader 1
I'm sure you've already heard about the very positive segment
on CNBC about 15 minutes ago. The interviewee was form the Wall
Street Journal (Walter Mossberg?) and he reviewed the iMac (including
video of him using it),. He described a " five minute setup time"
of the "coolest desktop computer he has ever used". He also spoke
a bit about comparing 'apples and oranges' with regard to cpu
speed (Pentium vs Power PC). He said that it was a return to leading
the industry in terms of industrial design, and he spoke highly
of the importance of going to USB to make it easier and cheaper
to get faster peripherals.
The interview was during CNBC's Power Lunch (12 noon to 2 pm).
I would guess it aired sometime between 1:30 -1:45 and lasted
about 3 minutes or so. When asked if he thought the iMac would
'save' Apple, he said he thought is was an important, "positive"
move towards recovery (I'm paraphrasing). I cannot be sure, but
the case of the iMac looked like a different color than the Bondai
Blue I've previously seen. His comments about USB were in response
to a question from the interviewer (Bill Griffiths of CNBC) that
whether the new architecture would be another example of Apple
choosing a format that would be isolationist. Moossberg acknowledged
that in the short run there would be few perifpherals to choose
from, but that later this year and beyond it would prove to be
a good decision.
Also of note, right after the interview with Mossberg, Bill Griffiths
noted that Mossberg's opinions and reviews carry a lot of weight,
and can make or break a product. I'm not sure, but as a WSJ techology
writer, it's possible that Mossberg has written critically of
Apple previously. On the other hand, he is quoted with a positive
review of the Powerbook on Apples's Powerbook home page (http://www.apple.com/powerbook/).
Reader 2
Some highlights of the CNBC interview:
Walter Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal reported on Apple's
latest offering , the iMac. He touted it as the coolest looking
computer ever made because of its curvy shape and all-in-one design.
Apple built their reputation on the fact that they were always
innovators in cutting edge technology, but lost their focus in
the past until the iMac. Mr. Mossberg said that the iMac has lots
of power despite its lower clock speed. The iMac is faster then
most Pentium systems because of the PowerPC architecture. Its
components are not sluggish either. The iMac had fast cd-rom,
modem and ethernet interface. Also, the iMac was very easy and
fast to setup. Bill Griffith, the interviewer asked whether it
was adaptable. Walter pointed out the USB ports on the iMac. He
said that although these ports will be a problem for users of
the computers in the short term - because of the lack of devices
- it should come around soon. (The lack of a floppy was noted
in the text on the side of screen.) The Wall Street Journal representative
said that Apple is moving away from its isolated connectors (proprietary
interfaces to connect Macs) found on other Macs for USB on the
iMac. In the last part of the interview, the Wall Street Journal
representative said that the iMac will not single handily save
Apple, but it is definitely a positive factor for the company.
In another segment about colors and their marketing potential,
Bill Griffit mentioned how Apple is using different colors on
computers, and what the adverse effects of that are. The woman
being interviewed said that it is great to catch people's eyes
and helps with marketing. After the interview with her, Bill made
a joke about how the original creators of Macs picked out beige
because of its popularity as a color in the 80's. He then thanked
those people for the beige computing era and how they pioneered
it.
If anyone has a copy of the CNBC iMac Special and is interested in converting it to QuickTime format, drop us a line.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Apple's Consumer Portable |
The Consumer Portable
The Consumer Portable due to make its introduction some time during
the first calendar quarter of 1999 is said to be in some respects
reminiscent of the Newton (or eMate), but in PowerBook style and
fashion of course. Aside from its futuristic look and easy handling,
the consumer portable will boast a number of the Newton's qualities,
making for a true consumer product, so our sources say. It's not
every day that you attempt to unravel the mysteries that lay behind
such a prestigious project, so here's our latest stab at it.
Sources who claim to be familiar with the project have put emphasis
on five key points:
- Low Cost
- Instant Access
- Longer Battery Life
- Lightweight & Easy Handling
- Great Performance
And of course the great industrial design Apple is committed to producing with each and every one of their new products.
Low Cost
Sources continue to tout a $800 to $1399 dollar price range, though others warn that a sub $1000 dollar portable is more of a fantasy than reality; especially considering the engineering that must go into each and every one of these units (see below). Our best bet is on a $1199 to $1299 price tag, possibly more. If there is one thing that is for certain, the consumer portable will be in safe distance from the dreaded $2000 mark.
Instant Access
Instant Access is rumored to be a key feature point of the new Consumer Portable, though how it will be accomplished is completely unknown. Instant Access refers to a bootless medium; users hit the power button and the OS is ready to use; a beloved feature of the Newton.
What makes Instant Access so exciting is that the Consumer Portable is rumored to function on Mac OS Lite, which is the same codebase as Mac OS 8 and basically just a slimmed down version functioning through a couple of enablers. Mac OS Lite is expected to run almost all of the current Macintosh applications without modification. Again, it is important to note that the Consumer Portable is ideal for education, and daily business use, not high-end graphic imaging. The consumer portable will without a doubt be internet ready.
Some have suggested that Consumer Portable could feature an advanced sleep mode, where the power button would act as a proxy to the sleep command. Booting would only occur when system wide changes would need to be put into effect.
Previous rumors on Mac OS Lite include a tailored versions of QuickTime 3.0 (3.1...hint, hint), and QuickDraw, among other things.
Industrial Design
Wait till you see the Consumer Portable....
Longer Battery Life
Battery Life is important, of course, and in a Consumer Portable
even more some. The consumer portable will run Mac OS Lite in
full color on at least an 8 inch passive matrix display, and will
in all likely hood run on a modern PPC 740 chip. AA's (double
A batteries)? - Not in our lifetime. Therefore the Consumer Portable
will in all likely hood use batteries similar to that of the ones
used in today's PowerBooks; lithium ion.
On the other hand, sources claim that the batteries will be much
smaller, and hence not as heavy. Engineers on the Consumer Portable
development team claimed the battery would last a full 'school
day' on a single charge, and noted that students would have no
need to juggle additional batteries. The last statement implies
that the Consumer Portable will contain a battery bay as opposed
to a single internal battery. The logic: If consumers can recharge
their cell phones, they can recharge their laptop.
The average school day ranges from 6 to 8 hours, so where does
the battery life come from? The question would be more appropriately
phased 'Where is the battery life conserved?'. Power conservation
features should be emanate throughout the Consumer Portable starting
with the smaller passive matrix LCD screen, which will draw significantly
less power because of it's size and quality, and ranging onto
the processor which is expected to be cache-less and therefore
draw less power.
In related news, MacOSRumors reported last Friday that Consumer Portable would feature a RAM
controller that takes advantage of one of the unique abilities
of Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM) - the ability
to disable RAM banks that are not in use. This alone would conserve
battery life tremendously.
A customized Apple Energy Saver application is also rumored to
be in the works; specifically tailored for the Consumer Portable.
Lightweight & Easy Handling
A smaller logicboard (I/O board), smaller LCD screen, smaller
battery, consolidated keyboard, and a streamlined architecture
should place the Consumer Portable in close range of the PowerBook
2400 (4-5lbs). In addition, the Consumer Portable is said to feature
a single configuration allowing Apple to tailor its features to
the most compact of enclosures (unlike the PowerBook G3 Series
were those with 12.1" screens contained the same enclosure as
those with 14.1" screens).
The industrial design for the Consumer Portable will be developed
by none other than Jonathan Ive and the Apple Industrial Design
studio which Steve Jobs claims is 'the best in the industry'.
Nothing concrete on this subject at the moment, but sources say
we won't be disappointed. Colored Translucents look like the best
bet.
Performance and Features
Rumored to based around a high performance 740 (or cache-less
750) chip, the Consumer Portable will scream; enough said.
On the feature front, several of our most reliable sources claim
that Mac OS Lite will support handwriting recognition. They also
claim that Consumer Portable's LCD screen will be a draw-on screen,
like the eMate and Newton, hence allowing users to take full advantage
of Mac OS Lite. These two features have yet to be confirmed.
The Consumer Portable is also expected to include a built-in modem
and a fast ethernet port. A PC Card slot for Type I, Type II,
or Type III PC Cards (PCMCIA) is also a sure bet.
Printing should be accomplished by a single onboard USB port or
the rumored high-speed infrared (IrDA) port .
The rumored introduction dates are Macworld San Francisco or a
later Apple Media event.
Apple declined to comment.
For more information check out the Apple Hardware Information Archive.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| El Capitan Casing Design Revealed! |
Apple's New Casing Designs
There has been much talk of the new casings we first told you
about several months ago. Last week MacOSRumors was able to match the face with a name; El Capitan. El Capitan
appears to be the official code name of the new translucent Pro
model casings that will replace the sharp edged, box like, beige
casings we've become accustomed to in the past.
With many thanks to friends at Apple Recon, and others positioned elsewhere in the industry, we're now able
to disclose further information about the El Capitan casing designs.
It's important to note that the information presented below was
to our knowledge obtained from actual sitings of early casing
prototypes and machine test units. It has been rumored that these
casings have been altered numerous times, though the overall concept
remains the same: Fashion Computers.
Translucent Colors.
Reminiscent of the Apple Studio display, the El Capitan casing
designs will feature sleek X-Files like translucent plastics in
the color of midnight blue, the same color which lines the perimeter
of the Apple Studio Display's LCD screen. The color can be previewed
below on the swatch graphic presented by reality sources. The
left swatch is midnight blue and is said to be the body color
of El Capitan. The right swatch is smokey light-blue and is said
to be present in El Captain's plastic highlights and activity
aware LEDs.
El Capitan Casing Colors
colors will be represented in translucent plastics
Effects
Sources also paint the following picture that can only make you
crave for a glimpse of such a machine: 'Imagine a freshly shaped
Macintosh in dark translucent plastics that has the new Apple
logo and machine name silk-screened inside so that when the box
is started up an interior light turns on giving off a glow that
not only illuminates the box but also displays the Apple Logo
and machine name in extraordinary style.'. A couple of grips are
said to be molded into the plastics for portability issues.
Other sources claim that the interior light in conjunction with
the silk-screened logo and actively flashing colorized LEDs, provide
the most appealing effect for those that appreciate industrial
design and product innovation.
It's no surprise that Steve Jobs has a strong influence on the
new casings, when powered on these new machines raise "Brand Awareness"
to a whole new level.
And lets not forget about the 'other half' of industrial design,
the part you don't see at first glance; the interior and the way
things fit together. Access to internal components of the El Capitan
casings is rumored to have been designed from a different stand-point.
More on this as information becomes available.
El Capitan at Seybold...Maybe Not
Sources on El Capitan at Seybold San Francisco: 'Don't hold your
breath'. While speed bumped Power Macintosh G3 models featuring
the LoneStar copper G3 chip are a definite go, the casings may
have never been part of the plans.
Regardless of the recent rumors of delays with the new casings,
sources state that El Capitan may have never been planned for
98, and there is one simple answer: the iMac, and a more complex
second answer.
New futuristic translucent plastics may interfere with the iMac
roll-out, especially only 15 days after the iMac is due to hit
the shelves. Not only does this pose as a production problem but
as an appeal factor as well. Apple will not jeopardize the iMac
in any way shape or form, be assured of that, and that includes
stealing the show with new hi-tech machines.
The second reason is a project code named 'Yosemite', which we
explain in following article published below. It has been said
on more than one occasion that El Capitan and Yosemite are due
to be introduced as a couple.
The zone isn't beige free yet. More to come on this subject as
we edge closer to that long awaited September 1st date.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Gossamer II - Seybold SF Macs And Beyond |
333MHz Only?
Over the weekend additional information has been gathered on the
speed bumped versions of the Power Macintosh G3 which are due
to be introduced on September 1st during Steve Jobs' keynote at
Seybold San Francisco. Sources have warned that while both 333MHz
and 366MHz versions of the LoneStar chipset are due to be announced
simultaneously, the 366MHz version of the Power Macintosh G3 may
not be readily available till some time after September. 333MHz
versions are a definite go.
The 333MHz version of the Power Macintosh G3 is rumored to ship
with a 83MHz bus speed and an additional PCI slot, previously
rumored to be an AGP slot.
The Forth Slot
Sources who've seen the latest Power Macintosh G3 logicboard have
confidently debunked the rumor that the 4th slot is AGP compatible.
Apparently the slot looks nothing like an AGP slot should (it's
not offset enough), but more like a personality slot of 64bit
PCI slot.
Other sources claim that the 4th slot is indeed a 64bit PCI slot
with a bus speed of 66MHz while the remaining 3 slots are original
PCI slots running at a PCI bus of 33MHz.. Sources claim that once
the 64bit slots are introduced, announcements of compatible cards
will follow almost immediately
AGP in Yosemite?
Sources claim that "Yosemite", the code name for the logicboard
design scheduled to appear in the product line that will follow
the machines introduced in September, has a chance of shipping
with an AGP compatible slot. However there is no way to confirm
this information since Yosemite is only in the EVTA (Engineering
Validation Testing) stage, or the revision of the hardware.
As mentioned above, Yosemite is suggested to be the ideal logicboard
to ship inside the El Capitan casings on their debut. Versions
of Yosemite should be available with Alti-Vec enhanced G3 chips
around the time Mac OS 8.6 is released. Further more, AGP and
Alti-Vec enhanced G3 chips are suggested to debut side by side.
It's a game of mix and match. How all the pieces fit together
remains a mystery.
Yosemite will also feature additional onboard memory slots, for
totals in the range of a Gigabyte.
For additional Apple Hardware Insider News check our Apple Hardware Information Archive, which has been updated over the weekend.
If you have any further information on this subject, please inform us.
| Reality Subsites Revamped |
Over the past couple of weeks we've had time to reflect on the
way we present and archive information here at Reality. Our archive
system is a mess, and valuable information is often lost in the
archives. In addition, we've previously been without a stable
environment to publish those juicy, but sometimes extremely brief
and questionable rumors, as well as those insider tidbits which
are often only whispered in our ear. We've fixed this problem
by revamping our Reality subsites.
The Reality subsites, which we promise to update regularly, will
feature an archive of related insider news as well as new and
unseen rumors and insider tidbits which have yet to be confirmed
or cannot amount for their own feature story on Reality's news
page. The subsites can be accessed from any page at anytime via
the link bars present at the top and bottom of each page.
Though these pages were planned to debut with our new format (which
should be ready by the end of the summer) , we decide to move
on things now while the industry is hot and the rumors are plentiful.
So without further ado, the newest editions and revamped Reality
subsites :
Apple Hardware Page : contains information on new Pro workstations, Consumer Desktops,
Educational Desktops, PowerBooks, and Consumer Portables. Previously
unpublished Apple hardware information can now be seen on this
page. Much more to come by next Monday.
Mac OS X Page : Contains listings of planned features for Mac OS X, an inside
look at the core os, information on the Mac OS X product release
timeline, Mac OS X hardware requirements, and more. This page
will be constantly updated with new information on Mac OS X
Mac OS 8.5 Page : Completely redone! A listing of virtually all of Mac OS 8.5's
features and advancements all on one page, along with explanations
of each feature, links to every report since alpha 1, and screenshots.
This archive will evolve into Mac OS 8.6 and Sonata as time progresses.
We welcome any comments or additions to these pages.
Back To News Index
Go Back To Reality's Main Page
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