Jim, AppleInsider is now reporting a 6 month delay in G4 intro. This would be
consistent with earlier reports from Apple itself during the WWDC that G4
would be available this time next year. Apple's fallback is to use IBM PPCs
and ramp the Mhz to keep parity with Intel. Downside, if any, is that Mac
software developers that have invested heavily in Altivec won't be pleased.
I'm concerned about the implications of this. We've heard stories of the AIM alliance disintegrating, IBM pulling out of the Somerset research center, and of course the diverging paths of IBM and Motorola in the AltiVec arena. Can this further delay be anything but the result of Motorola's declining resource commitment to the PowerPC and Apple's lack of desire to keep AIM together? For how much of this is Apple to blame, and how much Motorola? We need AltiVec G4 processors now, not in a year. Once again I feel Apple is letting whatever leads they could have had over the Wintel camp slip away. Intel's Merced will be close on the heels of G4 now, and Windows 2000 will already be shipping.
Apple needs this like it needs, well, John Sculley back at the helm.
"Please, speak comfort to me Jacob." |
