Apple is reportedly working on a plan to bisect the desktop Power Mac line into two streams later this year: high-end systems will use the upcoming PowerPC 604e chip and entry-level models will be based on the PowerPC 603e.
Sources close to the company said Apple wants to use the fastest PowerPC processors wherever possible to better compete with Intel-standard PC systems.
At the center of Apple's high-end plans is a group of CPUs code-named Montana, a project that reportedly aims to use 604e processors running at speeds as high as 225 MHz. One source said Apple chose the code name because Montana "is the only state without a speed limit."
The Montana line is expected to cost between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on speed and configuration, and is scheduled for a November introduction under the Power Mac Pro name.
Apple is reportedly considering releasing the Power Mac Pro systems in 166-, 180- and 200-MHz speeds. It is also looking at using a 225-MHz version of the 604e chip in a high-end Montana box.
Some Montana Macs will reportedly come in a new, larger enclosure that includes four 5.25-inch drive bays, three 3.5-inch bays, six PCI slots and the capability to add multiple processors. Other offerings in Montana may include an 8x CD-ROM drive, multiple processors, and video-in and -out.
Sources were less clear about Apple's plans at the low end of the spectrum but said a key component of Apple's entry-level system plans for the short term is a machine code-named Instatower, reportedly due to ship in July.
Apple has reportedly increased the Instatower's speed from its original 120-MHz plan to 140-, 160- and 180-MHz 603e-based versions. Aimed at both consumers and entry-level business users as a multimedia tower, Instatower configurations will cost between $2,000 and $3,000.
