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Powerbook vs. Dell Mac OS X Boot
This is way off topic, but I found this video extremely interesting and exciting. For those of you who aren’t tech geeks like myself and didn’t know this already, Apple announced a while back that it would be switching from the IBM Power PC architecture (G4, G5) to Intel processors starting next year. This was huge news…nobody ever imagined in a million years that Apple would go the Intel route. An even bigger suprise was that Apple has a version of OS X that runs on Intel machines, and has shipped this version to developers along with a development kit based on Intel hardware. This version is supposed to be locked to only run on the development kits, but folks around the world have been working to get the OS booting on any old PC box. So anyway, here is a video of OS X booting on both a Dell Dimension 8250 and a 15″ Powerbook G4. As if the shock of seeing OS X running natively on a Dell PC isn’t enough, you’ll notice that the Dell easily beats the Powerbook to the desktop. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me. I just hope Steve Jobs decides to go head-to-head with Microsoft and release a version of OS X that can be installed on any x86 PC. I’ll be the first in line to fork over my cash.
about 5 years ago
Run Lightwave 8.3 on a 3.4Ghz P4… then compare it against a dual 2.7Ghz G5… sorry boys… the G5 not just beats the P4… but blows it socks off… twice as fast in most cases… particularly when rendering Radiosity.
about 5 years ago
HAHAH All of this is funny, mostly due to the fact that their are so many PC NERDS desperate to run MacOSX on their PC after calling Mac hardware and software trash for years and years. Windows must suck bad even by PC NERD standards.
I have a Mac now and I will have a Mac when the X86 Macs come out and yeah P4 DOES SUCK. Thats why the new Intel Macs will be based on Intel’s next gen architecture and not P4. Lots of empty MHZ in a P4 and still spanked by sub 3GHZ AMDs, those are facts.
about 5 years ago
Anyone book up a MacOS X on a AMD Opteron based machine? Now that would serious kick ass!
about 5 years ago
Yes, just put your computer in sleep mode. I used to boot up every time. Why?
about 5 years ago
Once Apple makes the switch all the comparisons will likely not involve relative speed, except for the hardware variations utilized. Apple’s waiting for the next generation of Intel chips and will likely have a motherboard of their own design on most if not all their products. That’s likely the major hardware difference. They also have designed their own controller chips in the past. What software acceleration compilers Intel furnishes for Apple’s programmers will not be a comprehensive at first so there might be some measurable performance differences. What would techies argue about if not technology? The Apple vs. PC arguments won’t end soon. Hopefully they’ll become more relevant to customer’s choices.
about 5 years ago
just wondering… shouldn’t it be Intel vs IBM instead?
wonder if it would work on an AMD…
about 5 years ago
Hmmm… Let’s see….
Powerbook FSB speed 167MHz
Dell FSB speed 533MHz
Powerbook HD speed 4200 rpm
Dell HD speed 7200 rpm
Powerbook processor speed no higher than 1.67GHz (not sure which model or processor speed, so will assume highest)
Del processor speed 3.06GHz
Powerbook OS X with full driver support (printers, real graphics, PCMCIA, etc…)
Dell OS X with beta OS X without full driver support (yet)
Powerbook unplugged (cannot assume that performance was set to maximum (ie not the standard setting), considering that the point of the video was to show the Dell booting faster than the Powerbook)
Dell with full processor performance available
I wonder who will boot up first?
about 5 years ago
correct me if I am wrong but doesnt a real ppc mac have to load more items during boot up, including classic and drivers for the many mac models firewire, apple displays etc. while the windows version loads a lot less, for instant no real video drivers etc. if this is true than of course the pc would when, i say disable 1 processor in the dual 2.7 G5 with 2 GB memory make sure you have the same firewire hard drive and make sure each loads up exatly the same thing compare it to a 2.8 P$ or 2.8 Athlon 64 and then let us know.
but a 1.67 G4 powerbook will always be beat by a 3.0 P4 laptop with the faster hard drive and more ram.
The G4 would only win on things that are optimized for the velocity engine and ppc multithreading when running multiple apps simutaneously.
about 5 years ago
The cracked version of OSX for intel boots into ‘safe’ mode. It doesn’t load nearly as many items at boot time. Boot the mac in safe mode too for a fairer comparison.
Anyway, Apple are switching to Intel because the G4 in the powerbook can’t compete with Intel chips and the G5 doesn’t look like getting cool enough for a laptop anytime soon. if the results were that the PC was very slow, then there’d be something to worry about.
Chill…
about 5 years ago
So impressed of what you guys being talking about! So where can i get the MacOS? How should i start to load it to my Dell PC???
about 4 years ago
nice… can u tell me how did u do it. cuz i’ve been trying for quite some times and it still does not work..
about 4 years ago
I like my mac mini. I don’t have a virus protection running in the background eating my computer power, have had this comp since june 08 05. I didn’t like windows xp and having to run a virus scan every second day coupled along with system crashes, not to mention those things called “cookies”. So thankful I am HM? Windows needs all that DDR SD RAM, and 3.4 GHZ processor power to accomodate their virus protection, this keeps their systems’ semi-stable.
about 4 years ago
Guys these are the facts:
1. Apple WILL be changing chip manufacturer to run on x86 archietecture.
2. The Linux Kernel is the best the world has to offer ANY harware.
3. Intel based harware is cheaper and more versitile to build to your own requirements.
4. Hackers will ensure hardware is never an issue over personal preference or freedom to choose – blessed is the geek!
Forget for a second the machines and consider what is approaching from the future – more choice – freedom to choose! I think this is fantastic news. I love using computers irrespectie of hardware or software.
Does anyone really think boot time is more important than choice?
Embrace the facts!
about 4 years ago
ok first off you got to realize how the CPU itself works with the OS.
PowerPC CPUs are RISC this means it puts the wor in the hads of the OS itself, the CPU has less built in commands and their for takes more lines of code to produce the same results.
see here –> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RISC
However, after the OS is running it does have some advantages as the CPU only needs to focus on tasks that are sent to it not interpreting what the OS is triyng to say.
Intel to the path of muscle over brain. (seems some of you followed the same path)
Anyhow with the PowerPC chips you do get more return for the resources requiered to implement the request.
Now if you want a real comparision i think it would best to compare 2 x86 Macs 1 with windows and the other with OSX and compare those. Comparing the functions of RISC and non-RISC. Honestly I dont see right now why Apple is going with Intel over AMD but I am sure if Steve Jobs made that choice he has an ace up his sleeve.
about 4 years ago
1 more thing.
Senario.
Apple finsihes OSX86, co-launches its own office suite based on Open Office (similar to how they base practically all their software on Open Source i.e. Shake was ported from shake for linux (http://www.digitalproducer.com/pages/nothing_real_ships_shake21.htm) then bought by apple, Final Cut Pro was a port of Cinelerra (http://heroinewarrior.com/cinelerra.php3), Safari is based on Konqueror (http://www.konqueror.org/features/browser.php), not to mention the OS kernel itself is based on BSD, asnd practically every other app, even “spotlight” is just a gui for grep really, geez..) and decides to go head to head with Microsoft.
… Their is a chance it might happen cosidering Microsoft will be doing their “silver bullet” killing most of the illegal copies of XP and 2000 OS and Office trying to force those users to buy Vista, and I am sure many users will be looking for cheaper alternatives. I am really curious how Vista will compare to Tiger when the Oses are side by side, so far my trial of Vista puts it far behind Mac Os X and even most Linux desktops…
It has a popularity wave it can ride on that is its man advantage over linux. much better hardware plug-play support, and they have ok relationships with most software vendors who will more than likely already are making software for Mac anyhow.
Personally I love OSX for a desktop, and I love Linux for a server OS, For a server I prefer Linux over BSD simply because everything is freely available and most distros have repositories, all you need to do is tpye either yum install blah blah, or apt get…
about 4 years ago
Um…where do I start?
I’m a filmmaker, and to the nitwit who claims that a liquid-cooled Athlon will beat the pants off a Quad G5, I have only this to say…prove it. In my world, we use Apple hardware because nothing…not one single GD PC…was able to process film footage anywhere near the speed or quality that Apple hardware was able to do. None. Nada. Zip. Period.
Second, Xogger, Final Cut Pro was NOT a port of Cinelerra…not even in your wildest dreams.
Do ANY of you people EVER research anyhting that comes out of your mouths?
And who gives a flying f— about how fast OSX runs on Intel chips? IBM’s new Power6 chip buries everything Intel has on the dock for the next 3 years. Apple made a hugely dumbass move by switching.
about 4 years ago
We don’t need to debate much here….DELL SUCKS…In fact…PCs SUCK….My MacBook can BURN any PC…Super fast start up…like 5-7 seconds…I haven’t seen any computer boot XP faster tahn about 3-4 hours….cause Microsoft BLOWS…OK…yeah…I am gonna go to the Apple store now and bask in the glory of a company that doesn’t screw the daylight out of their users…dumb brainwashed PC users
about 3 years ago
I know you’ll never actually see this Xogger…but Final Cut Pro was originally a Macromedia project called KeyGrip (and later Final Cut). The lead developer was Randy Ubillos. Apple bought the technology in 1998, and unveiled Final Cut Pro in 1999…three years before the first version of Cinelerra was introduced.
Just FYI
about 3 years ago
My Intel iMac 20″ boots about twice as fast as that!
My point is…an equally specced mac would beat the hell out of any Dell PC.
about 2 years ago
Dell rules!
My XPSs would beat any of Macs! found at Freeworlddvd.
about 2 years ago
Okay well i have read and analyzed every comment on here everyone is wrong. Boot up time IS NOT A FACTOR IN PERFORMANCE… Some processors require more instructions during time of boot up. PowerPC processors are risc based and thus are faster then a equally spec’d pc processor. A 1.67 PowerPC G4 is equal to like a 3.2 Ghz Pentium 3 processor and don’t argue that the Pentium 4 architecture is faster then the Pentium 3 by a long shot because its not. Why don’t you look at some tests comparing a MAC VS a PC in some photoshop tests or HOW ABOUT a compression test in winrar i guarantee my 1.67 powerbook beats my 2.8 Pentium 4 laptop in all those tests =D (btw ive already tested this theory)