Wednesday August 30, 2006

- Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo - Lionel - 21:24:05

Two days after the official introduction of the Core 2 Duo Merom, the mobile version of the Core 2 Duo Conroe (not currently used in Macs yet), many websites have published tests.
The first good news is its price, identical to Yonah CPU at equivalent clockspeed. Intel will of course in the coming days decrease the price of Core Duo CPUs.
Second good news: if the Merom TDP is 34W instead of 31W for an identically clocked 2.16GHz Yonah, the Core 2 Duo sports improved energy management, a doubled cache memory and 64-bit addressing support. Performance are also improved compare to the Yonah by at least 10%, but can reach more than 20%.
So overall the battery lifespan might really be improved with a Merom-based MBP compared to a Yonah-based MBP.

So, this new mobile processor from Intel, is not a revolution, but a good evolution. For Apple, it will simply be the first notebook-dedicated CPU supporting 64-bits to find its way in MBP (and maybe in other hardware models); the question being: when will Cupertino announce it? There are enough events in a near future (such as Amsterdam-IBC, Paris AppleExpo) to be a good opportunity to upgrade the current MBP models.

It is also for us Mac users, a revolution, because we might see our Macs evolving much faster at the CPU level than it has never been in the past during the PPC era. This does not mean that the average lifespan of our Macs will be shorter, if Apple use the best CPU from Intel, performance will always be there, and decay will be slow down. It will anyway be strongly compensated by the possibilityoffered with most desktop MacIntel to upgrade CPUs ourselves (when it is possible).

If you wish to read some tests comparing Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo: http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808 and http://www.hothardware.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=864&cid=10

[translation by Eric]

- Microsoft and Apple DRMs Cracked [update] - Lionel - 16:55:43

Convincing Music Majors that DRM-protected music tracks were the way to go to sell music on the net, while being a rock solid and un-crackable protection, was probably the most difficult task for Microsoft and Apple representatives. This is also the reason why Apple has always been quick in modifying iTunes every time the FairPlay DRM was bypassed.
Within the last days, we have receive reports proving that one can efficiently bypass DRM-protected WMA or AAC files. Of course Microsoft and Apple will quickly react in the coming days.
Eventhouhg Apple own over 70% of the market of online music business, Microsoft is probably more in danger than Apple if they can not quickly correct their DRM on WMA files. Indeed, many providers of DRM-protected music, with unlimited download but monthly fee required to listen to music, such as Napster, use DRM-WMA system; so a user can massively download the music catalog, then unlocked all tracks. It would be the fastest way to get a very large music collection for a ridiculously low cost.

[update] On August, 30th, Microsoft has already modified its DRM system Playsforsure to patch the problem.

[translation by Eric]

- Google CEO Joins Apple's Board - Lionel - 12:22:14

This news will be for sure shake the IT business: Eric Schmidt, Google CEO will join Apple's Board of Directors; he will deeply be involved in Apple's future.

This news might re-ignite a previous rumor concerning Steve Jobs departure from his current Apple CEO position. Indeed, following his surgery 2 years ago, Steve jobs has been publicly less active (might not translate to his active involvement internally at Apple).
Of course many analysts would claim that Apple's future is linked to Steve jobs' one, and assuming that his departure would sign the end of Apple. This might have been true 2 or 3 years ago, but not anymore to our point of view.
If the iPod has been the catalyzor of "Apple's comeback", Intel transition will build the future, preventing any fire back as Cupertino experienced it with Motorola and subsequently with IBM. Even if Intel had problems in R&D or production of CPU, it would affect the entire IT/semiconductor industry; something really different from the situation when Motorola could not clock the PPC G4 over 1GHz...

Will Eric Schmidt be a good CEO for Apple?
Probably, his records and success at Novell and Google, couple to his vision, closed to the one (it used to be) at Apple, would make it a good candidate in case of Steve Jobs departure. But, this is officially not a current topic.

On the other side, it could also strengthen interactions between Apple and Google, making them stronger to compete with Redmond' Giant Microsoft.


[translation by Eric]

- MacIntel: what's next ? - Lionel - 11:33:43

Apple kickstarted its Intel transition 8 months ago with the iMac. This transition was successfully achieved two weeks ago with the MacPro. Meanwhile, Intel hasn't stopped announcing ever newer CPUs, and Apple has no choice but follow this crazy pace. Let us try to guess what is to come (an easier task now than during the PPC era):
- The MacBook Pro should be the first to be revamped. As a high-end laptop, it has to switch to Merom. If Apple is to keep its habits, there should be an high-end 15" and a 17" both shipping with a 2.33GHz CPU, and a cheaper 15" equipped with a 2.16GHz Merom.
Forecasts are harder to make with the other products. While there was no other choice a the time than using the "Core" technology for all, Apple can now mark the difference between Merom/Xeon high end machines and Yonah lower end ones.
- And it's probably what they'll do with the Mac mini and the MacBook. The former's outdated Core Solo will be replaced with a Core Duo (and probably one with a higher frequency for the high-end). As Intel Yonah's price is to decrease significantly, so might that of Apple computers. While the margin on a MacBook is a tiny one, there might be enough room to play with the Mac mini's. A Macmini under $500 would be a hit. And while we're at it, a $999 MacBook would strike even harder...
- What we can hardly guess is the iMac's destiny. Many possibilities can be considered indeed. It could remain Yonah-powered, and see a further decease of its price, or it could switch to Core2Duo. Then there would the choice between Conroe and Merom. The former is faster and much cheaper, but as a CPU aimed at the desktop market it dissipates far more heat. Provided that the cooling issue is solved without the iMac being turned into a buzzing fan, the Merom would conciliate high speed with an interesting pricing.

In the PPC era, Apple used to be faced with stagnation. Now they will have to make clever choices in a sea of novelties...

[translation by Greg]

- Radeon X1900 Now Cheaper in non-US AppleStores - Lionel - 10:50:12

As expected, the price cuts applied by Apple on the Radeon X1900 XT, as a BTO or a retail product, has now been applied to all worldwide AppleStores.
For European countries the Radeon is now 100 Euros cheaper (all taxes included).

[translation by Eric]

- iTMS: A Real Competitor to Come by the End of the Year? - Lionel - 09:26:52

Source : PC Inpact

It is not a secret, Music Majors are really annoyed by apple iTMS success. It goes from the huge market share own by iTMS on this market, to the recent victory for Apple for maintaining the same price/track format.

It could well be the reason why Universal Music has signed an agreement with SpiralFrog, to prepare a website proposing free music tracks originating from Universal Music catalog. Of course, nothing is really free, and advertisements on this website is expected to cover the costs.

This service should be launched just before Christmas time. If the music tracks will be free to download, it does not mean that they will not be protected by DRM.


[translation by Eric]