Processor specialist Paul DeMone van RealWorld Technologies heeft een interessant artikel gebouwd rond de geschiedenis van de PowerPC architectuur en de performance van PPC processors in vergelijking met x86 RISC CPU's. Uit de cijfers in het artikel blijkt dat het PowerPC platform over de afgelopen jaren de leiding heeft kwijtgeraakt in zowel de MHz, SPECint als SPECfp race. Het verschil in de prestaties van de snelste x86 en PPC processors is vooral het afgelopen jaar sterk toegenomen door de zware concurrrentie tussen AMD en Intel. Paul denkt dat de komst van de G4+ (G4 met on-die L2 cache, een langere pipeline en 2 extra integer units) weinig verandering in deze situatie zal brengen. Apple zal volgens hem door achterblijvende PPC architectuur achter blijven lopen op het gebied van kloksnelheid en prestaties:
The immediate question that should be posed is whether or not this performance gap will affect the viability of the Macintosh as a desktop computing standard. The answer is, probably not. The current performance bonanza in the x86 world is far more driven by the egos and cutthroat competitive nature of Intel and AMD than any perceived need by computer buyers. Although the bleeding edge CAD and gaming enthusiast markets will embrace any level of performance with open arms, the fact is that majority of computer uses can be happily serviced by x86 processors in the 600 MHz range. The key for Apple is the tall task of convincing the great, unwashed masses of computer buyers to not automatically worship at the altar of clock frequency.Apple will likely need to continue to concentrate on marketing their wares on the basis of industrial design aesthetics and intangible factors such as design "coolness", while shying away from quantifiable characteristics like clock rate, bandwidth and performance (or price). A key competitive advantage of PowerPC is its relatively low power consumption, which stands in sharp contrast to the leading x86 designs that can dissipate up to a blistering 65 Watts. Apple must ruthlessly exploit this advantage to create unique form factors employing passive cooling techniques for desktop computers that are simultaneously appealing, compact, quiet, and difficult for x86 system manufacturers to duplicate (aside from look-and-feel lawsuits). The combination of unique form, a stubbornly loyal user base, and the simple fact that PowerPC may lag x86 performance but is still sufficient for the vast majority of applications, should allow Apple to keep most of its tiny market share intact over the next few turbulent years. However, Apple should drop silly and misleading ads campaigns like the G4-as-supercomputer or Pentium-as-snail, it just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Indeed, the less attention Apple draws to performance comparisons the better.
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