Oh, you don't even know! Last week I was writing a review, which I hadn't saved in a while. I was using Word as usual, and at one point I was writing about Windows 8. Except, typing quickly I accidentally hit the CTRL key instead of SHIFT for the W. Guess what happens when you press CTRL+W followed by the "n" in Windows a split second later.
Seriously? CyberPowerPC has been around for quite some time... and PowerPC hasn't been used outside of Apple for a long time (and not even in Apple for what, four or five years now?)
PowerPC is still hanging around. Since Apple completed the Intel transition in 2006, several new PowerPC cores have been released. The PPC 476 for embedded use is one. The PowerPC A2 was at one time rumored to be the basis for next-gen consoles.
In a bit of irony, Apple bought PA-Semi which designed PowerPC chips in 2008. Those chips are still being sold by Apple generally due to military contracts. A few have landed into odd ball systems like Amigas.
They're still around in the embedded market but that rarely generates headlines. IBM had let PowerPC be the low end brand and for the most part stopped developing PPC cores on their own initiative and focusing on custom parts.
The architecture is still making news under the POWER title though. The POWER7+ chip at 5 Ghz tops Intel's best server efforts.
Well, a laptop that offers 4 DIMM slots, a single high end GPU configuration, 2 mSATA slots, 2 2.5" hd slots, and a high end CPU suggests a certain weight class that may not be size-appropriate for something smaller.
That said, < 8lbs is pretty good for a computer with this many options.
MSI does have 15.6" models, eg the GT60. Newegg's model has: i7-3630, GTX680, 12 GB ram, but is hobbled by lacking an SSD. You should be able to find flexible configs from whitebox vendors though.
I like that thin is in and it is the new chic, but I also think there is a place for bigger laptops. I'm glad someone's still catering to that market. I mean, I'd kill right now for a laptop with 4 DIMM's, a high end video, 2 mSATA and 2 SATA ports. That it's got a matte screen is awesome, too.
Thing for me is I'd wait for Haswell at this point. It's just got way too many advantages that will directly translate to laptops. It'd boost battery life, it'd cool the whole thing down, it'd offer superior performance, it'd offer better use of idle states...
It's just too incredible for mobility PC's. Even for giant laptops would benefit from superior battery life and less heat with more performance. Plus, the future proofing would be great. I mean, look how long the basic architecture underlying Sandy Bridge (through Ivy Bridge with its mostly similar layout) has lasted because of the lack of real AMD competition and the slowdown of the tick-tock cadence.
Now imagine how long the Haswell tech will last you if the rate of slowing continues apace. As long as you don't want minor improvements to the CPU with more major improvements to the iGPU, Haswell could last you through Broadwell and give you a long future of improvements via Intel drivers for the underlying motherboard, etc.
Stop dual HDD/SSD RAID 0 configurations in notebooks please, it just seems and is quite stupid to me. It wastes space, offers no benefit adds insecurity and it's better with just a large mSATA or 2.5" SSD or mSATA SSD plus a 2.5" HDD if you need the storage, use the space for other uses like slimming the computer down, larger battery, better gpu, cooling or whatever. Or just replace the ODD with a multibay solution of you really need to offer lots of drives.
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Quizzical - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
I think you mean a GTX 580M, not a 579M.JarredWalton - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
Curse this new keyboard! LOLhttp://www.anandtech.com/show/6682/first-impressio...
HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
It's a revolution in keyboards. Typos get far more interesting than typical!JarredWalton - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
Oh, you don't even know! Last week I was writing a review, which I hadn't saved in a while. I was using Word as usual, and at one point I was writing about Windows 8. Except, typing quickly I accidentally hit the CTRL key instead of SHIFT for the W. Guess what happens when you press CTRL+W followed by the "n" in Windows a split second later.Kevin G - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
By the name I was expecting se IBM or Freescale chip for the CPU.prasanth - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
Hahahahaha I was thinking the same, rushed over here when I saw the Facebook post.Kevin G - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
*expecting to seeJarredWalton - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
Seriously? CyberPowerPC has been around for quite some time... and PowerPC hasn't been used outside of Apple for a long time (and not even in Apple for what, four or five years now?)Kevin G - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
PowerPC is still hanging around. Since Apple completed the Intel transition in 2006, several new PowerPC cores have been released. The PPC 476 for embedded use is one. The PowerPC A2 was at one time rumored to be the basis for next-gen consoles.In a bit of irony, Apple bought PA-Semi which designed PowerPC chips in 2008. Those chips are still being sold by Apple generally due to military contracts. A few have landed into odd ball systems like Amigas.
JarredWalton - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
I know they still exist, but they haven't been in the news for quite some time (as far as I've seen).Kevin G - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
They're still around in the embedded market but that rarely generates headlines. IBM had let PowerPC be the low end brand and for the most part stopped developing PPC cores on their own initiative and focusing on custom parts.The architecture is still making news under the POWER title though. The POWER7+ chip at 5 Ghz tops Intel's best server efforts.
Landspeeder - Monday, February 11, 2013 - link
Drats - neither 680m SLI nor a 3D screen - Clevo/Sager has the corner on this market stillkanabalize - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
I thought i saw fagbook... lolkent1146 - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
You see what you want to see.HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
You think what you want to think.You conclude what you want to conclude.
You know what you want to know.
Hrel - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
If only they offered these in 15" models... I like where MSI is going with this, but 17" laptops are just too big.HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
Well, a laptop that offers 4 DIMM slots, a single high end GPU configuration, 2 mSATA slots, 2 2.5" hd slots, and a high end CPU suggests a certain weight class that may not be size-appropriate for something smaller.That said, < 8lbs is pretty good for a computer with this many options.
DanNeely - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
MSI does have 15.6" models, eg the GT60. Newegg's model has: i7-3630, GTX680, 12 GB ram, but is hobbled by lacking an SSD. You should be able to find flexible configs from whitebox vendors though.http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
Wolfpup - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
*sigh* Of COURSE I see this NOW a day after ordering a different notebook lolHisDivineOrder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
They did it on purpose. They waited until you ordered and then said, "Okay, guys. Wolfpup has ordered. Unleash the press release!"HisDivineOrder - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - link
I like that thin is in and it is the new chic, but I also think there is a place for bigger laptops. I'm glad someone's still catering to that market. I mean, I'd kill right now for a laptop with 4 DIMM's, a high end video, 2 mSATA and 2 SATA ports. That it's got a matte screen is awesome, too.Thing for me is I'd wait for Haswell at this point. It's just got way too many advantages that will directly translate to laptops. It'd boost battery life, it'd cool the whole thing down, it'd offer superior performance, it'd offer better use of idle states...
It's just too incredible for mobility PC's. Even for giant laptops would benefit from superior battery life and less heat with more performance. Plus, the future proofing would be great. I mean, look how long the basic architecture underlying Sandy Bridge (through Ivy Bridge with its mostly similar layout) has lasted because of the lack of real AMD competition and the slowdown of the tick-tock cadence.
Now imagine how long the Haswell tech will last you if the rate of slowing continues apace. As long as you don't want minor improvements to the CPU with more major improvements to the iGPU, Haswell could last you through Broadwell and give you a long future of improvements via Intel drivers for the underlying motherboard, etc.
Penti - Friday, February 15, 2013 - link
Stop dual HDD/SSD RAID 0 configurations in notebooks please, it just seems and is quite stupid to me. It wastes space, offers no benefit adds insecurity and it's better with just a large mSATA or 2.5" SSD or mSATA SSD plus a 2.5" HDD if you need the storage, use the space for other uses like slimming the computer down, larger battery, better gpu, cooling or whatever. Or just replace the ODD with a multibay solution of you really need to offer lots of drives.