Apple's Lack of G5 CPU Speed Progress, Deja Vu All Over Again

When Apple introduced the Power Mac G4, it couldn't get many of the 500 MHz versions from Motorola. So Apple had to downgrade the new Power Mac G4 line from 500/450/400 MHz to 450/400/350 MHz in a huge fiasco. We ended up with a 400 MHz Power Mac G4 rather than a 450 and for the same exact price.

Apple went with IBM to supply the next generation CPU, the G5, and now IBM is having difficulty with reasonable yields of its newest 90-nm process G5 CPU according to this Electronics Supply & Manufacturing article. Steve Jobs previously announced that the G5 would reach 3 GHz by this summer. The Xserve G5 with speeds to 2.0 GHz were announced in January with second generation G5 CPUs when most expected the speed to rise to the vicinity of 2.5 GHz. Apple is still delivering Power Macs and Xserves at a maximum of 2 GHz. It's deja vu all over again to quote Yogi Berra. [Dana Baggett]