News from Great Castle Wilson

Why the Intel iMac is fast

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adminmcq

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We got an Intel iMac at work, and I have to say it is fast. Apps start quickly (one dock icon bounce to get Safari running) and are joyously responsive. Eclipse looks great on it!

Of course, the reason why the apps appear fast is that they were slow before. That’s the joy of developing software on a slow platform: If it’s usable on the G4, it will scream on the new boxes. (Anybody remember the transition from 68K to Power?)

Unfortunately, the downside of this is that developers will now start writing applications that are just “usable” on an Intel Mac, meaning that they will be brutally slow on my G4 laptop. Oh well. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Comments

2 responses to “Why the Intel iMac is fast”

  1. Ken Walker Avatar
    Ken Walker

    I have this small negative feeling towards the switch to x86. It’s like they caved in or something. I realize the G5 chips were not necessarily as powerful as they needed but I didn’t buy a Mac because I wanted a screamer. I certianly hope that the new Intel version of the iMac are as quiet as my G5 version.

  2. McQ Avatar
    McQ

    I’m guessing they are cooler, because of the lower power dissipation, so I expect that they are quieter too. The one in Felipe’s office is definitely quieter than the PCs around it. Not sure how it compares to the old one though.

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