New Mac-o-Lantern 76
An anonymous reader writes to tell us that it is that time of year again, time for a new pumpkin computer. This time it can see via webcam eyes (thanks logitech), breathe through its nose using a case fan, and talk out its mouth with a speaker system. The insides are made of a custom power supply and mac-mini Core Duo system. The lighting is made of neon wiring thanks to Startech.com mutant mods. Check out the last page with a video of the pumpkin in action."
Re:Appropriate For Apple's Current Quality Level (Score:1, Informative)
When the PPC first saw light of day, it was the thing. Low power consumption, ran cool and that wondrous promise of scalility to the moon. It had the potential capability of kicking ass and taking names and could eat the lunch of most anything even near to its class (and a few others).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC covers the tech end.
And then AMD's and Intel's new iron started hitting the market. First it was just them being over-revved to full tilt Ludicrous Speed, and then the architectural improvements started going in...
The problem was that Apple was not the major consumer and IBM was not keeping a great many "RSN!' promises it had made to Apple concerning performance increases and production. IBM was aiming for the embedded market (X-Box, anyone?) and had its own plans for what was to be the shape of servers to come. Apple wanted that G5 laptop real bad, or at least one capable of keeping up with the Other's Intel offerings. The companies parted company with no (outward) hard feelings.
You might think them fickle and unfaithful, but the Macheads did have crowing rights about a "consumer supercomputer"- for about four months. Then time marched inexorably onwards and the PPC couldn't keep up. Apple saw the writing on the wall, shrugged, and went where the performance and price they needed was.
And that is how the Mac Pro become droolworthy.