InformationWeek

August 4, 1997

Macintosh Systems Movin g In Different Directions

Several architectures on view at MacWorld

akers of Macintosh-based systems will converge this week at MacWorld Expo in Boston, but that's where the convergence ends. Vendors will showcase distinctly different systems.

Apple Computer will introduce the 9600/350, a high-end workstation that includes a 604e chip running at 350 MHz. Motorola Computer Group will showcase the StarMax Pro 6000 line, systems based on the common hardware reference platform and the third-generation PowerPC chip, the 750, which features slower clock speeds but a new design for faster access to Level 2 cache memory. Power Computing Corp., having snubbed CHRP, will announce a 750-based line, the Powe rTower Pro G3, based on Apple's original proprietary platform design.

The rollouts mark the first time Mac users have been presented with this many system architecture choices. "Ultimately, it provides users with more choice and flexibility," says Pieter Hartsook, a Saratoga, Calif.-based Apple analyst. "Users will have to rely on testing and reviews to determine the best machine for particular applications."

The processor in Apple's 9600/ 350 will have the greatest floating point and clock speeds for the Mac to date-a strong attraction for high-end graphics users. Apple estimates a street price for the 9600/350 of $4,799. But some applications may run better on systems from Power and Motorola that feature the Power- PC 750, running at 250 MHz and 275 MHz, which hosts the fastest processor-to-cache memory performance ever for a PowerPC chip. Power's G3 lines starts at $3,695 and is scheduled to ship Aug. 29.

Motorola is scheduled to ship the industry's first CHRP systems in mid-September, starting at $3,895. CHRP lets vendors build Mac systems with a greater number of common hardware parts, making them more com- patible with PC-based peripherals. But these first CHRP systems are a far cry from the original mandate for the platform: Let users run most any popular operating system without modifications or add-on software or hardware.

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