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by
Ted Landau
January 24th, 2006
It's official. The first Intel Macs were announced on January 10 at Macworld Expo. An Intel-based iMac is already shipping and a 15" MacBook Pro will ship next month. Perhaps you are already chomping at the bit, anxious to get one of these new speed demons for yourself. I understand. In fact, I ordered a new iMac the same day they were announced. But it's my job to jump into the deep end of the new technology pool. Before you rush out and order a new Mac, take a deep breath, pause and consider the following:
• If there is any guaranteed axiom about purchasing a Mac, it's this: Don't buy a Mac during the holiday season. Major announcements are always made at Macworld Expo in January. That means there is a good chance that any Mac you buy prior to New Year's will immediately be replaced by something newer, cheaper and twice as good.
Still, if you were eyeing the iMac, you might have thought that this was the year to assume an exception to the rule. After all, it was only October 12 that Apple unveiled a significant upgrade to the iMac (with a remote control and built-in iSight camera). What were the odds that Apple would replace it in less than 3 months? Very good, as it turned out. Apple surprised nearly everyone by releasing an Intel-based iMac.
I know. This advice is too late to help you for 2005, but it's something to remember for 2006.
• Speaking of everyone being surprised, the rumor sites pretty much got it all wrong this time around. As a group, they predicted Intel-based iBooks and Mac minis. Instead, we got Intel-based iMacs and the MacBook Pro. At least they were right that an Intel-based something would be released. But that's not saying too much. Which is why you shouldn't depend on rumors to make your purchasing decisions.
• Many pundits have tried to minimize the significance of Apple shifting to Intel processors. You read things such as: "Who cares what's running inside the machine, as long as everything still works the same?" This logic works well if we are discussing shifting from one DVD drive manufacturer to another. But a processor shift really is a big deal.
For starters, not everything works the same on Intel Macs. In particular, for your current software to run on an Intel Mac, it needs either to be upgraded to a "universal binary" version or be able to run in Rosetta (the PowerPC emulator included as part of Mac OS X for Intel Macs). Some notable software does not yet fit in either category. This includes Apple's own Pro apps (e.g., Final Cut Studio, Aperture, and Logic). Apple says updated Pro apps will be out by April.
Similarly, Microsoft's Virtual PC will not run on Intel Macs. Microsoft says that it is studying the feasibility of an upgrade, but has made no formal commitment as yet.
[As noted by a reader and by my own subsequent testing since I first wrote this column, AppleWorks does work on Intel iMacs. Accordingly, I have edited out comments indicating that the contrary might be true.]
Many shareware and freeware utilities will also need to be updated to run on Intel Macs. Check out sites such as VersionTracker.com to see if your favorite utilities are in this category.
I don't want to be an alarmist here. Many, many programs will work just fine on Intel Macs (although, if the program uses Rosetta, it will likely run slower than on a comparable PowerPC Mac). And those that do not work today will likely be upgraded soon. Still, if you can afford to wait awhile before buying a new Mac, you can bypass even these minor transition headaches.
• There is no more Classic environment in Mac OS X for Intel-based Macs. If you used Classic at all, for any programs whatsoever, it's time to bid them adieu.
• Don't expect a new Intel-based Mac to have the 2X to 5X speed boost (as compared to the latest G5 iMac and PowerBook G4) touted in Apple's ads. These claims are based on benchmark tests. While such tests are a useful way to make relative comparisons of different computers, they don't simulate real world usage — where factors such as the speed of your hard drive and the nature of the software you use play a bigger role. These can be a bottleneck, slowing down the otherwise indicated speed. Steve admitted as much at his keynote.
Still, you should see a noticeable speed improvement. And if you are going from a G3 or G4 iMac, you will likely be very impressed by how much faster a new iMac is.
• If, despite all of the above, you are still determined to buy an Intel Mac before the day is over, I recommend sticking with the iMac for now. It is basically the same machine as the current G5 iMac, except for the shift in processors. So, aside from potential problems due to the Intel processor itself, you can be confident that there won't be any "new model" glitches and bugs to be worked out.
The 15" MacBook Pro, in contrast, although similar in design to the current PowerBooks, is a fundamentally new architecture. As such, there is a much greater potential for as-yet-undiscovered problems. Especially as it isn't even shipping yet. Hardware design issues usually get addressed in a revised upgrade that comes out about 3-4 months later. So you might want to wait for that.
But there's an even more compelling reason to wait: It is virtually certain that a 12" and 17" MacBook Pro are waiting in the wings, set to replace the current PowerBook models of the same size. My money says that these notebooks will have significant new features not included in the current 15” MacBook Pro. When these models get released, the 15" model will be similarly upgraded so as to maintain feature parity. I'd wait to see these "real" MacBook Pros before I bought one. Remember, it's a fact, not a rumor, that every Mac will be transitioned to Intel processors before the end of 2006 (probably well before the end). So you know they are coming.
• Don't try to boot an Intel Mac from an external hard drive that was formatted with a version of Mac OS X 10.4.4 installed from a PowerPC Mac. It won't work. The converse is true as well. It turns out that there are two separate versions of 10.4.4 and each one is machine specific. Apple promises to eventually release one universal version of Mac OS X, but it is not there yet. If this is a cause for concern for you, it is yet another reason to consider waiting before you purchase.
• Don't buy any devices that require FireWire 800. Apple dropped the 800 port from the MacBook Pro (and it was neither on the old or new iMac). When I asked Apple about this, they replied that customer feedback indicated a lack of demand for this feature, so they dropped it. The Intel-based replacements for the desktop Power Macs may still sport this port, but it is otherwise gone.
• If you still use a dial-up connection to the Internet, now is an especially good time to think about moving to broadband. The new Intel Macs do not come with a built-in modem (although you can buy an external modem as an accessory).
• The built-in iSight camera, included with both the iMac and the MacBook Pro, is an excellent idea overall (eliminating the extra bulk and cost of a separate camera). However, there is one notable downside: You can't move the camera separately from the display. This means you cannot position the camera to the side of the display (to perhaps get a better angle on your face), turn the camera to face the display (useful to show someone else what is on your screen), or conveniently hold it in your hand to scan barcodes (as you might want to do with the popular Delicious Library program).
All of that said, the new Intel Macs are great looking machines, with an impressive range of features and significantly greater speed than the models they replace. Over time, you will need an Intel-based Mac just to keep up with the latest software and hardware (just as Macs with PowerPC processors eventually replaced the 68xxx Macs). Intel Macs are undeniably the wave of the future. You may not want to ride the wave just yet, but you will be riding it soon enough. 2006 is shaping up to be a very interesting year.
Ted Landau is the founder of MacFixit, and the author of Mac OS X Help Line, Tiger Edition and other Mac help books.
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Observer Comments
Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:02 pm Subject: Waiting on the iBook & the WOW
It's the new iBook that'll turn this tale, especially if the rumors of a 13.3" widescreen, new design, and lower price point are true. I have no problem buying an early-gen Intel Mac as a transition machine, but it's the thought of a spiffy little laptop that'll have the kids in here hounding me for something to hook up their nanos to. Glad to see the IMs come early, but where was the WOW?
Tue Jan 24, 2006 8:05 pm Subject: Speaking of rumors ...
Ted wrote:
QuoteI have also heard that AppleWorks won't run at all on any Intel Mac and that Apple has no plans to update this program. So if you have come to depend on AppleWorks, your luck may have just run out.
That's just plain wrong. On the AppleWorks (well, ClarisWorks--they can't change the name) list, several people have said that they have installed and run AppleWorks on an Intel iMac. Here's what one said, without identifying the person:
QuoteIt is true that AppleWorks is not bundled on the new Intel iMacs. However, I just got back from my local Apple Store where I copied my AppleWorks folder that I had put on a flash drive onto the hard drive of a low-end 17" iMac. I then opened a very large, 39+ MB, AW database with photo. Both the Apple Store employee & I were amazed at how well AppleWorks did. This database opened & saved much faster than it does on my dual 2.3 G5. So, AW may not be bundled, but it definitely works.
It is usually better to check facts before spreading rumors, especially those that might be harmful. Please change your article or add an editorial note so that readers won't get the wrong idea.
I almost get the feeling these were products released out of perversity to prove the rumour-sites wrong. Anyway, the biggest thing for me is that the original schedule coincided with the release of Intel's 'next-gen' CPU - Merom/Conroe.
The Yonah (used in both Intel Macs so far) is a dual-core design based on Pentium-M, which is essentially the same microarchitecture Intel have been using since 2000.
The Merom/Conroe, still scheduled for mid-2006, is a bottom-up re-design, targeted on the power-per-watt performance Steve has cited as his main reason for the move. This is probably one reason the battery life is currently unclear. If you're looking to actually gain from the Intel shift, I'd wait for these. My suspicion is that this is also the point where there will be a real re-design - something that says 'hey, these are the NEW Macs'. Having launched a new iMac case in October, rather than holding that back to be the first Intel iMac, is like they're currently trying to send a different message.
I wouldn't really let the apps bother me - the existence of Intel Macs in the marketplace is likely to speed up the transition to Universal binaries. It's possible this is why Apple have put these out so early - so that they can get the Power Macs out earlier in the year and NOT have to wait for Adobe to spend another 4 months to release Intel binaries.
(If the target is April for Apple to complete Universal binaries of their pro apps, does that point to a similar date for the first Intel MacPro??)
QuoteGuest wrote:
Yes, this is not a huge surprise. But, it still stinks. They have Transitive's cool translation technology in Rosetta, so why not apply some of that expertise to getting Classic to run? Or, better yet, to making a better, more transparent Classic environment that is more like Rosetta?
Yes, most software runs on OS X. Still, without classic Mac OS compatibility, it feels like the Macintosh has lost part of its soul.
Maybe a 3rd party will make some sort of program to replace classic and allow you to run OS9.
Wed Jan 25, 2006 5:27 am Subject: IT IS possible to execute MacOS Classic apps on Mac Intels!!
Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:35 am Subject: RE: Transition to Intel still not worth it to buy a Mac.
Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:54 am Subject: Re: Blase Peripheral Manufactuers
QuoteGuest wrote:
If the original manufacturer is blase about driver updates, then the work arounds may be expensive: 3rd party software, a new hardware purchase or maintaining a 2nd PPC Mac just for that hardware.
Like UMAX did with the transition to OS X?
Those blase mfr's will be losing a lot of customers (and a lot of respect from the community) if they don't keep things moving along. In the case of the transition to OS X, many found the cost of a replacement peripheral was well worth it for the benefits of OS X. If the Intel Macs grow into what they are made out to be, then we'll be facing similar issues. Especially when you think of the fact that the "replacement peripherals" will likely carry updated/enhanced features (higher resolution, wider gamut, etc.), possibly increased speed, as well as lower price tags.
Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:19 pm Subject: Don't buy any . . . firewire 800? Uh, yes you can!
Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:47 pm Subject: Re: Don't buy any . . . firewire 800? Uh, yes you can!
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
Article Author Quote: "Don't buy any devices that require FireWire 800"
As sad as it is that there is no 1394b port included(video editors use these) it's pretty safe to say that there are already the pcmcia type of cards available now or in the near future that will provide this functionality.
Yes. Today's MacFixIt even has a posting about one such ExpressCard/34 card. I did not mean to suggest otherwise. I suppose I was taking a bit of "dramatic license" in how I stated it. Still, for most people, who are unlikely to want to bother with getting these cards unless it is essential for their needs, they are better off avoiding FireWire 800.
Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:36 pm Subject: Re: RE: Transition to Intel still not worth it to buy a Mac.
QuoteGuest wrote:Quoteapple boy wrote:
Gee...there's a well-reasoned and insightful statement.
If you don't understand the value of a Mac...then don't buy one. Moron.
Wow, you can't leave a negative comment alone, insecure apple lunatic.
Apparently you can't either (and clearly, neither can I
).
QuoteGuest wrote:
Broadband via satellite is available everywhere.
Not strictly true. One needs a clear view toward the south, if one is in the Northern Hemisphere--to the North, if one is in the Southern Hemisphere. Mountains, buildings, and trees can block that view, especially for people who live at higher latitudes, where the elevation of the satellite is more toward the horizontal.
I have a friend who lives on the north side of a hill. She can't get satellite TV and she lives out in the boonies where the population density is too low for cable TV providers to run lines. She's also too far out for DSL.
Tue Jan 31, 2006 9:38 am Subject: Re: Same aas G5 with new CPU?
QuoteAnonymous wrote:
To say that the only change is in the processor is insane. New wifi, new motherboards, new graphics card, new faster memory, faster busses, different heat coming off the cpu's and boards, different fans (the intel imacs are a lot less noisy), different HDDs.
When talking about "new" in this context, I was referring to the sort of changes that represent a high potential for unexpected problems etc. To me, things such as a new graphics card, new memory, etc. are not in that category. But your point is well taken. Thanks.
Tue Jan 31, 2006 12:17 pm Subject: A note on satellite broadband.
Companies are now offering true 2-way satellite broadband. Having had it for 2 years, I can say that it should only be considered as a last resort. First, most of the providers require you to purchase the equipment (a $600-$800 investment). Second, while your download speeds can be fast, and I mean REALLY fast (Speakeasy tests showing DL speeds equal to or greater than T3), this is VERY inconsistent and it fluctuates wildly throughout the day depending on how many other satellite users are online. Third, even when you are getting ridiculously fast download speeds, your BEST upload speed is 56k...They may have freed their users form the burden of a land-line, but you still get land-line performance on the upstream. Fourth, assuming you are getting T3 downloads and 56k uploads, the latency is high...ALWAYS. What this means is if you want to play any type of online game (particularly FPS or MMORPGs) you will find the experience frustrating at best and unacceptable in the end. No matter how much bandwidth there is, you can't fight physics. Your signal has to go from house to satellite then back down to a receiver then out to the internet and even at 186,000 miles/second it creates problems.
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