Montevina Not In the New Mac Refresh, Apple's Using a Custom Chipset Instead

If you've been waiting for a Montevina refresh for the Mac lineup, you'll have to keep waiting. Keep waiting as long as you want. You'll be waiting forever. Why? Apple is going back to their PowerPC days when they designed the chipset used in the Mac lineup. Apple expects the new technology to be impossible for their competitors to match, while featuring the best battery life, power efficiency, performance and tons of unique features that aren't found in other chipsets.

Apple has said that there won't be new products until the third quarter of the year. Apple usually keeps up with hardware releases, so if they wanted to add Montevina, they would've planned to do it this quarter. Last press conference Apple also said that they would be releasing revolutionary products at prices that their competitors can't match.

From all of the interesting rumors about what Apple is doing, I think that this will be the next major computer revolution. Remember the PowerBook? Apple revolutionized laptops with a design that almost every, if not every, computer manufacturer has been basing their designs on for the last few years. I'm really interested to see what happens with Apple's Mac lineup, I doubt that any of us will be disappointed.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...to_have_something_special_under_the_hood.html

 

i dont think so,cos now PP is far behind intel...

 

I doubt they're going back to PowerPC, I was just using that as an example, they used to design their own chipsets back then. It's rumored that they'll start something new or develop something groundbreaking with a different company. One thing I forgot to mention in the first post was that they were investing in a lot of hardware that they might use in future products.

 

That's funny, in another article at macrumors, they claim Apple will use AMD or some other chipsets along with intel processors. :laugh:
I take these rumors with a grain of salt, I'll believe it when it's officially announced from Apple.

 

I'm not sure I got the same impression from the article that you did, Michael, but wouldn't mind a new PowerBook (I still have 12" and 15" machines and both are running fine, though they're pretty slow by today's standards).

I just ordered a new Windows machine a few days ago, but if Apple offers a new 12" PowerBook, I'll order one as soon as it becomes available. I won't believe PowerBooks will be back, though, until I actually see them offered, but hope you're right.

 

yeps. this is most likely not true as it is just more cost effective to design intel based computers.

 

You do know that it's the third quarter now, right? 3rd Q=July, August, September.

And I can see this happening. But only in putting a new IGP in the macbook for more performance. Because otherwise, the Intel chipsets are quite powerefficient as well as heat efficient. In contrast to the old PPC ones (even compared to the centrino chipsets from those days).

 

do you guys think apple's new chipset will allow windows to run? i know a lot of people who bought macbooks (myself included) felt more secure with our purchases knowing that if we needed to run windows, we could!

 

Why would you want to run Windows? the purpose to own a Mac is to avoid Windows. I have 2 Windows laptops and I simply cannot stand them anymore...I am buying a Mac laptop soon.

 

There is a misconception that Windows is pure evil. There is a equivalent misconception that OSX is evil. Both assumptions are false. It's strictly a preference.

Please don't open up a flame war between Windows and OSX fans, as these forums aren't about that.

 

No. That is not the purpose of a Mac. Believe it or not, some people find it a very positive thing to be able to run Windows when they need it, instead of limiting themselves to 1 OS, no matter how much better that OS is

EXAMPLE: The MBP has a pretty good GPU, and I'm glad I can run windows so I can actually use it. Also when I find an app I want, and it's not for OS X, I can still use it. Placing limits on yourself can only make things worse, not better.

As far as I know, the GPU is still an Intel GPU, although it's a different chipset, so I'd say windows will run. Don't quote me on that though.

 

would be nice if they used the puma platform amd,that way the macbook can play bluray on external players as they get cheaper and keep the cpu usage down like in the demos weve seen

 

only when i absolutely need it.. say if i needed a windows only program for work/school. it is a great assurance to know that my macbook can run windows when i need it without a problem. thats why i was wondering if these new chipsets developed by apple will allow windows to be installed on the system

 

I've been thinking on purchasing a MBP for some time now, because I really like how Adobe CS3 performs in Leopard. But for me, running Windows at native speed is a must since I also need to use 3D CAD software not available for Macs (specifically Rhinoceros, Autodesk AliasStudio, Autodesk ImageStudio...), and that's what's been keeping me from making the move to Mac. Not to mention I also like to game every now and then, and let's face it, PC games are a Windows affair.

So there are many reasons for wanting to run Windows on a Mac, Leopard is not some kind of panacea to cure all MS ailments.

 

Sure, that explains the batch of Mac systems my store just got in yesterday.

 

Well, it runs natively on Mac hardware right now. Anyway: sort of off topic, but aren't they in progress of making Rhino for Mac? I'd like to get my hands on that. I got to use it in Comm Tech class in high school and fell in love with it.

 

yeah, they've been working on a Mac version of Rhino for quite some time now, but it's progressing very slowly. There's even a functional build for download, but most tools haven't been implemented yet.

if you wanna check it out here's the link
http://community.irhino3d.com/

 

it is much more likely that Intel will be developing custom chipsets for Apple. or this is JUST A RUMOR, and none of us have any idea what Apple is going to do, and that is ok.

 

I like this move from Apple. Even if they don't go through with it it shows that they are still thinking outside the box.

 

i think that would be too expensive for both apple and intel,maybe custom platform based on montevina?

 

actually i can see this happening. Look at the processor in the Air, that was a custom chip made for that notebook.

 

I personally hope they'd go with a custom chipset. If they chose the Radeon HD3200 instead of the GMA 4500HD (with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU of course), I'd get a Macbook in a heartbeat.

 

Apple designing a complete custom chipset now is a waste of resources since the FSB is going to be replaced when Nehalem comes out. The most life it would get is a year. This is especially true for designing a northbridge since the memory controller needs to be well tuned for good performance, but with Nehalem coming up, the memory controller is going to be integrated into the CPU anyways, so another dead end. Integrating a IGP is even more complicated since you have to link someone else's GPU core to your memory controller, figure out the memory sharing logic, not to mention figuring out how to integrate a foreign architecture into your die. Granted Apple could have AMD design the whole northbridge instead of trying to integrate an AMD IGP into an Apple northbridge, but I doubt Intel will be very supportive of this. And again, the northbridge is a dying breed with Nehalem.

The sensible option if Apple is designing something custom is to make a custom southbridge. This is where all the USB and PCIe links are to connect peripherals. Things like firewire and ethernet which currently use external controller chips hanging off USB and PCIe links can be integrated into the southbridge. Some audio subsystems are currently handled by the southbridge and this can be expanded for better voice recognition support. The trackpad controller to handle multi-touch logic can also be integrated. Basically, other than visual display, most user interaction functionality goes through the southbridge and user interaction is something Apple focuses on so a custom southbridge is something that seems a natural things to make yourself. What's more, the southbridge isn't as closely tied to the CPU as the northbridge so it's something a third-party could develop, while the northbridge is better to let Intel develop in tandem with the CPU for the best optimization.

What's more, the southbridges use a DMI link to connect to the northbridge. In mainstream desktop Nehalems, and in particular most mobile Nehalems except Extreme Editions, the northbridge will be integrated in the CPU. This means that the main PCIe links for GPUs, the memory controller, and an IGP will be built into the CPU. Northbridges will no longer be needed as separate chips, but southbridges will remain and will attach to Nehalem using a DMI link as it does now. So an investment in a custom southbridge will carry forward to Nehalem, while an investment in a FSB northbridge won't lead very far. High-end Nehalems will still use a northbridge, but those will be over Quickpath instead of FSB. For best performance though, it'll make sense for Apple to let Intel build the northbridge for high-end parts and just attach their southbridge on it afterwards.

 

meh, its a rumor. apple would be stupid to switch to custom chipsets when their sales increased after they switched to intel cpu.

 

it'll still be an intel cpu (or at least an x86 cpu that can run windows)

this is something that 99% of people won't notice and won't care about. and it won't be advertised...

its really not that big of a deal, only techies care about this type of thing.

 

Possible chipset makers include Intel, AMD, Via, and the one that Apple recently did business with that I can't remember the name of. Apple might be experimenting with making a Power PC chipset that provides emulation for people to run Windows on Macs.

 

More speculation in the form of Nvidia as the chipset/IGP/GPU provider:

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/07/31/apple-looks-nvidia-chipset

 

apple is not going back to powerpc. guaranteed. they are looking into getting a CHIPSET (read: "CHIPSET") that is not made by intel.

that means they might get an nVidia chipset matched with an intel processor (most likely)

Via, SiS, Nvidia, and Intel ALL make chipsets designed to work with Intel processors. There can still be a dedicated gpu (made by nvidia or ati)

on notebooks with integrated gpu's, the intel x3100 would be replaced with an nvidia, via, or sis integrated graphics chip.

the whole point was that the new OS (Snow Leopard) is going to rely on performance improvements from the graphics chip, and the intel one is no good. the x4500 intel includes with montevina is STILL no good, its just a faster version of the x3100. so they are looking to nvidia most likely for a decent integrated graphics solution for the next macbook.

thats all. no big change. no big deal, really, except that macbooks are going to get better (read: non-intel) integrated graphics.

 

ah, i see now. it makes sense for apple actually to look at other manufacturers chipsets. wonder if they'll do hybrid graphics with some sort of low-power nvidia integrated graphics chip (i.e. 6100) plus a 9000 series nvidia card. Or... NVidia 6100 + ATI 4000 series mobile GPU.