Dual core processors

I have heard rumours that the next update for the powerbook is to put in a g4 dual core processor rather than updating to a G5 one. Anyone else heard this?

 

The G4 CPU is made by Freescale Semiconductor, which became independent of Motorola, its former parent company. The original PowerPC w/ AltiVec architecture was designed by an Apple-IBM-Motorola collaboration, giving birth to G3, G4, (both made by Motorola/Freescale) and the current G5 (IBM's own PPC970). IBM's POWER series of chips are designed for high-load server performance, scalable into large clusters, so the G5 CPU was never really designed for power efficiency in a desktop. Case in point--the Dual G5 PowerMac is right now the only mainstream computer that comes w/ standard factory installed watercooling.

Heat issues and power consumption are major concerns when you try to design something as slim as the PowerBook. And this is where Freescale's e600 core comes into play. The e600 is an all new generation of the Motorola-developed G4 processor, with really low power consumption, a lot of integrated on-chip controllers, and can be expanded into multi-core processors. The nifty thing w/ the multi-core is that unlike the new dual-core Pentiums, a dual-core e600 CPU can do asymmetrical processing--that is, each core processing independent of all others. Imagine being able to run OS X and Linux concurrently--it's as if you have two iBooks running inside only one. You could reboot OS X while still typing away on Linux w/out any effect.

Here is an in-depth article on the e600 core from OSNews. It's what first got me really excited about multi-core PowerBooks.

This is Freescale Semiconductor's webpage w/ technical details.

There are several hindrances to keep the e600 chips from making it into Apple computers. Firstly, a dual-core chip would require Apple to design a completely new motherboard platform. The dual-core 8641D and its single core sister 8641 are NOT reverse compatible w/ the current G4 socket. The single core 7448 is a much weaker implementation of the e600 core, but that is completely compatible w/ current iBook/PowerBook/MacMini motherboards. Secondly, the e600 is made on 90 nm fabrication. So far, 90 nm has been a major challenge to even the major players like IBM. Freescale hopes to sample the e600 chips in the 2nd half of this year, so let's all hope that goes well.

Steve Jobs already said at Mac Expo earlier this year that 2005 is the "Year of Digital Video", not of the laptop. So if this thing happens at all, we'll most likely have to look to 2006 for multi-core mobile performance.