News for Monday, 25 August 2008

While no one released a peripheral able to saturate the maximal data transfer speed of the current SATA II format (around 300 MB/s), SATA 3 is already announced.
Without big surprise, it will double performance level of the current SATA format, with a transfer speed to top at 550 MB/s. Both connectors and cable will remain identical to maintain the compatibility with the current peripherals. First computers to feature SATA 3 ports should arrive at the end of the year.

The future CPU architecture built around the Nehalem has been the key topic during the last IDF 2008. Hereafter is the roadmap of what will change in the future for our Mac.
- By the end of the year, the Mac Pro should evolve to Nehalem Xeon and its associated platform.

Beside the classical jumps in frequency, performances should dramatically increase thanks to several features:
- The QuickPath should replace the current system bus. With a larger bandwidth, it should allow a multipoint communication between all components, and in particular between CPUs.
- The memory bandwidth has also been massively improved by several innovations:
* A memory controller for each CPU, no need to go through a dedicated external chips
* Each CPU will have its own dedicated RAM modules, and could manage up to 9 units via 3 channels that can be used simultaneously.
* The use of DDR3 type memory
For notebooks, one will have to wait till mid-2009 as we already reported it, be here too, changes will be dramatic:

Intel will switch from a three chips-based motherboard architecture to a 2 chips-based model. The memory controller and the video will now be integrated directly in the CPU, thus accelerating their use and access. It will then reduce the number of printed-circuits. Such change will also improve power management. When using the notebook with less demanding tasks, the lower voltage and frequency of the CPU will have a greater impact on the battery lifetime.
The second chips. Beside the CPU will also manage inputs/outputs. For OEM and manufacturers, this new architecture will also make things easier as one will simply need to change the CPU to differentiate models, as the motherboard will have been simplified.
So, Nehalem is not only a new evolution of the Core Duo, it will bring deep changes in the architecture of our computers and should pave the way for the next decade; towards optimized chips, better usage of raw power, improved power management…

During the IDF 2008 that ended last week, Intel demoed new SSD which should offer 80 GB storage space (availability in one month) and 160 GB (Q4 2008). One could think that Intel is just entering the market, following other players without bringing much innovation than just its brand name on the product. Well you are wrong. Those drives can reach 270 MB/s in reading mode, and features amazing access time. To prove it, they compared a RAID 0 volume setup composed of two Seagate Barracuda 7200 rpm drives with their SSD. If the HD-based RAID 0 volume could generate 572 cycles per second, the SSD RAID scored 44500 cycles/s…
With Intel entering the SSD market, it should push other manufacturers to innovate, and not keep adding some NAND chips one over the other to create SSD. Thus, we could finally reduce the bottleneck of our computer, and finally get true performance level allowed by current CPU generations. If one looks carefully, lag time is usually associated with booting time, launching application and transferring/reading/writing data.
With faster storage space, we could experience a dramatic performance gain, with no comparison to those obtained by CPU upgrades.

If one believes all the rumours in circulation, Apple will be very busy during this 'back-to-school' period; summer has not been a time of rest at the campus of the company.
During the net few weeks, one should see new portables:
- MacBook Pro Centrino 2 sporting a new design and equipped with Centrino 2.
- New MacBook also equipped with Centrino 2
- An update of MacBook Air with the new 45 nm processor that will improve the cpu power and increase the battery life.
- Probably an update of the iMac that would also pass to Centrino 2.
It should be said that many long months have passed with the range unchanged, which is not the practice of Apple.
On the side of the iPod one awaits a new iPod Nano that will change form radically, with a design close to the longer aspect ratio of the first models, and equipped with a more comfortable screen.
During this time, Apple has worked hard to accelerate the production pace of the iPhones. Now one speaks of a production of 45 million units in a 12 month period, a figure which will destroy the competition in the market of SmartPhones. We are now very far from the initial hope that Steve Jobs had to get 1% of the market, since the iPhone is on sale in a market consisting of 660 million people.
We thus should be prepared for a 'back-to-school' period rich in topicality, the majority of the innovations will be on show at Apple Expo in Paris, even though Apple is not participating.