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• If it wasn’t the fake SMBIOS that was causing the problem, our next thought was to look at the AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext hack. This kernel extension is disabled on all Hackintosh installations including so-called “vanilla installations” by either by removing the file itself, or adding another file to disable this feature. Once we re-enabled the kext, things returned to normal speeds. Deleting the file completely resulted in slower speeds once again. AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext enabledNormal speedAppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext deleted18% slowerAppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext installed but disabled via secondary kernel extension18% slower With such a performance hit when running a hacked Macintosh, the Apple Tax takes on new meaning. Other notebooks may have similar performance penalties due to power management idiosyncrasies--the difference was never noticed because no one tried creating a “Hacked Mac on a Mac.” When Wired Magazine tried running Mac OS X on their MSI Wind, they noted that OS X ran faster on the netbook than Windows XP did. Earlier, we mentioned that the MacBook was extremely responsive. If the MSI Wind was experiencing the same performance deficits that we saw when running “Hacked Mac on a Mac” when the AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement kernel extension is disabled, then an official Apple Netbook would be well worth the Apple Tax…

• ”Winning” would be a good word to describe how we feel about the Ion platform Nvidia has put together. They’ve come up with the ideal complement to the Intel Atom processor—putting the two together results in a system that’s extremely compact, very affordable, and impressively flexible. In the space taken up by a carton of cigarettes, they’ve put a complete PC (except for the external power brick) capable of handling the vast majority of the tasks we want today’s computers to perform. This includes Web browsing and office applications, of course, but also occasional games—even recent, demanding titles—and even HD video playback. From this point of view, Ion is not very far from being the ideal home theater PC—one that can finally find a home in most living rooms without being an eyesore because of its size, and without being a nuisance because of its noise level. And remember, our judgment is based on a reference platform, with all the rough edges still on it, and with no particular visual-design effort behind it. You can easily imagine what an inspired manufacturer could do with these basic components. Indeed, the rumors we’ve heard that Apple may be planning to use Ion as the foundation of the next Mac minis or Apple TVs are very interesting. Let’s hope that many other manufacturers are thinking along those lines, and that they will launch innovative products too. Let’s hope. Because Ion’s future is not as rosy as we may have made it sound. That’s not because of any technological shortcomings, but rather because of the position Nvidia is in, where Intel is concerned. By launching Ion, Nvidia has just stirred up the tranquil waters of the placid pond Intel has planned for itself this year. The netbook wave in 2008 was really more of a tidal wave, and it filled Intel’s pockets, since they were the exclusive supplier of the components. Even during an economic crisis, 2009 is looking like another good year for netbooks and nettops, and Intel won’t want to let anyone else have a piece of this very large pie. According to certain persistent rumors—which Intel is denying—Intel is trying to put a lock on the market by refusing to sell Atom processors independently of its 945GC (or GSE) chipsets (Ed.: although, to be fair, Intel insisted to us at CES that it'd absolutely sell Atom by itself). So, for each Ion computer built, the manufacturers would have to pay for an Intel chipset they wouldn’t use. That additional expense might be enough to dissuade manufacturers from getting on the Ion bandwagon, especially in the netbook market, where every dollar counts. And that’s not all. Intel also plans to renew its basic Atom platform, dumping the weak 945 chipset and replacing it with the GN40, derived from the G45. With its 45 nm fabrication process and resulting low power consumption, HD video decoding capabilities, better 3D performance and more, this new platform could pull the rug out from under the Ion platform. Well, it’s time for us to put away our crystal ball. Only the future will tell whether the Ion will be the Atom’s best friend.

• Nvidia's Ion: Lending Atom Some Wings

  Nvidia’s GeForce 9400 launch garnered the company a lot of publicity. After all, the chipset provided exactly what the market had been waiting for: It’s compatible with Intel processors; with all due respect to AMD fans, up until Phenom II launched, these offered the best performance and lowest power consumption. It’s built around modern graphics circuitry that’s as powerful as an entry-level GeForce add-in, and can decode HD video. It does all of this with relatively low power consumption and a small footprint. The GeForce 9400, and its mobile version, the 9400M, offer a lot more than Intel’s mobile chipsets. That’s particularly true in the area of graphics performance, be it for entry-level desktop PCs, multi-use computers, “home cinema” boxes, or laptops/notebooks. Apple, by the way, made its position clear, going so far as to totally abandon Intel’s integrated chipsets in its MacBook line of notebooks. But beyond standard desktops and notebooks, Nvidia is aiming at the netbook and nettop market—a lucrative one in tight economic times like these. To go after that market, Nvidia developed its Ion platform. Unveiled a few weeks ago, the Ion reference platform consists of a case containing a pico-ITX motherboard with an Nvidia 9400M chipset and the de rigueur Intel Atom processor.  Does Atom + 9400M add up to the best compromise between sufficient performance, flexibility, and lower energy consumption? Is the classic Intel platform really outmoded? To find out, we tested the very first Ion platform we could get our hands on, and compared it to the first Intel Atom board: the D945GCLF.