Multiprocessor Macs — Apple\'s \"Next Big Thing\"

Last week we published a report on a rumored multiprocessing Power Macintosh project underway at Apple, code-named 'Mystic.' Judging from the reports submitted by sources shortly afterwards, the project is very real, and said by some to be the "Next Big Thing" to come out of Apple.

Further more, multiple sources have reported that Motorola is quietly preparing multiprocessor PowerPC G4 boards that will begin shipping to Apple sometime early in the year 2000. Initially sources say that Apple will begin selling 2 and 4 processor configurations of the Power Mac G4.

Earlier last week, Apple also seeded developers with a major upgrade to their multiprocessing software developer's kit (SDK) — version 2.0 — providing even further evidence that multiprocessor systems lie in Apple's future.

Due to the current delays in PowerPC G4 production, it is not expected that Apple will be ready to ship these units by the break of next year, but rather at February's Seybold Seminars conference or shortly there after. Mystic systems will obviously bring tremendous speed improvements over the current line (when software can take advantage of it) and will ship with Mac OS X Client, sources said.

Updates will follow.