Rosetta to see "significant performance enhancements" in 10.4.8

[Swad]

AppleInsider is breakin' someone's NDA again with news that 10.4.8 will bring some big boosts to Rosetta and other OS X components.

Apple Computer this past weekend released to its developers the second external builds of Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update, a stability and performance upgrade to its Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system.

 

It's reported that on Friday, the Mac maker seeded Mac OS X 10.4.8 Update build 8L2122 for Intel Macs and build 8L122 for those systems with PowerPC processors.

 

Once again, Apple asked developers to focus their testing efforts on system components such as AFP, DVD Player, Graphics, Fonts, iCal, iPhoto, Mail Printing, Networking and Safari.

 

It also asked that developers extensively test scientific applications under the Rosetta PowerPC emulation environment, which has seen significant performance enhancements.

 

With the latest seeds, Apple is reported to have addressed issues with Image RAW, ImageIO, ColorSync, Xsan, Xsan File Manager, CoreImage and web images.

 

Mac OS X 10.4.8 is reportedly one of two maintenance updates that will be made to Mac OS X before the end of the calendar year.

[dtm3dd]

This is awsome news!! Although I have to say the speed improvements of my MacBook compared to the ibook has made it hard to tell the difference, but compared to UBs they are clearly slower.

I'm sure pro users will be more pleased but for them nothing less than a UB will do really.

[Omega01]

Yes! - one of the best news lately.

Adobe CS and M$ Office will be hopefully significantly snappier. :censored2:

[Korrupted]

Yes! - one of the best news lately.

Adobe CS and M$ Office will be hopefully significantly snappier. :censored2:

 

One of the comments on there said that Photoshop is a hell of a lot faster than before, so I guess we'll see.

[Colonel]

I'm looking forward to see the Rosetta improvments. Hopefully Photoshop will be a bit fast.

[troisd]

1) PPC binary --> Rosetta translator --> Intel/Mach binary

 

2) Intel/Windows binary --> Parallels virtualization --> Intel/Mach binary

 

Which is faster? I would think (2) is.

[Korrupted]

What's your point?

[troisd]

I often debated this issue about Photoshop performance on OSX. Run PPC version or run Windows version inside Parallels.

 

In any case, if Rosetta is greatly improved and becomes comparable or faster than running Parallels (if that is indeed faster now), then using PPC version is defnitely more elegant.

 

Just that. Photoshop issue.

[Takuro]

If you're using a hackint0sh, don't be too excited though. Without the 10.4.8 kernel, most of the performance updates won't affect us. *sigh*

 

Still, it's interesting to see how they constantly improve on Rosetta. It shows a clear dedication to helping people run PPC apps, even though uni-bins are very dominant now.

[DeathChill]

If you're using a hackint0sh, don't be too excited though. Without the 10.4.8 kernel, most of the performance updates won't affect us. *sigh*

 

Still, it's interesting to see how they constantly improve on Rosetta. It shows a clear dedication to helping people run PPC apps, even though uni-bins are very dominant now.

Well, the people are excited about the Rosetta updates, which aren't contained within the kernel. However, people COULD run the 10.4.8 kernel if they had a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo CPU; it'd only be a matter of editing out the TPM check.

[troisd]

Well, the people are excited about the Rosetta updates, which aren't contained within the kernel. However, people COULD run the 10.4.8 kernel if they had a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo CPU; it'd only be a matter of editing out the TPM check.

 

TPM check

LPIC timer

improved power management

and possibly EFI stuff as well?

 

I know the first three are required for any kernel above 8.4.1

[DeathChill]

TPM check

LPIC timer

improved power management

and possibly EFI stuff as well?

 

I know the first three are required for any kernel above 8.4.1

The LPIC timer and improved power management are in relation to features in the CPU, are they not? With a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo CPU you would then have access to these features..o.O

[domino]

Does this news give MS and Adobe a reason to stall Intel binary production until they feel the right time to release? I would think so, and would also benefit Apple sales at the same time.

[milesce]

Living with Dreamweaver MX for about 12 hours a day, I'll be delighted to see some speed improvement. Wonder what the timeline is for release.

[lord_muad_dib]

happy to see some inprovements on rosetta!

[troisd]

The LPIC timer and improved power management are in relation to features in the CPU, are they not? With a Core Duo or Core 2 Duo CPU you would then have access to these features..o.O

 

Yes, the features would be available on the CPU, but the kernel 8.4.1 and above *only* supports those. The old timer and power management are no longer compiled into the production kernel. Maxxuss' mentioned that we would have to add it ourselves. Not a trivial feat.

[DeathChill]

Yes, the features would be available on the CPU, but the kernel 8.4.1 and above *only* supports those. The old timer and power management are no longer compiled into the production kernel. Maxxuss' mentioned that we would have to add it ourselves. Not a trivial feat.

I never said it was, I said people with Core Duo and Core 2 Duo CPU's could use the newer kernels.

[INFNITE]

people run PPC apps, even though uni-bins are very dominant now.

 

until the day major apps such as Adobe CS and MS Office go universal, I wouldn't call UB "dominant"

[Arsenicson]

until the day major apps such as Adobe CS and MS Office go universal, I wouldn't call UB "dominant"

 

damn right, man!

[sigxcpu]

Actually, Leopard's Rosetta is a lot faster than 10.4.7 one, so I assume that they've backported improvements in 10.4, too.

[Pu7o]

Well, this is the loading time for Photoshop on an iMac (Core Duo) running Leopard:

 

http://pu7o.planetaclix.pt/photoshop-rosetta.mov

[RobNyc]

I sure hope so.. .