As Mac fans who watched today's MWSF keynote address are no doubt aware, the new Powerbooks that were introduced both feature Nvidia GeForce4 Go chipsets for their graphics acceleration. With the 12" PowerBook sporting the 420 model and the 17" PowerBook containing the 440 model, these are the first chips by Nvidia to be included with Apple-branded laptops.

Nvidia was kind enough to give us a small presentation on the GeForce4 Go series, elaborating on the differences as well as the strengths. Both chips contain a wealth of features, including High-Res Anti-Aliasing (HRAA), PowerMizer power-management technology, and low heat dissipation. The only major difference between the two chips lies in the memory management, with the 440 boasting a 128bit 64MB DDR setup, and the 420 containing a 64bit 32MB DDR setup.

Of particular note is the fact that both the 420 and the 440 feature the same chipsize and pin set. What this means is that, for manufacturing purposes, either upgrading or downgrading can be accomplished with a simple chip swap rather than a motherboard redesign. In addition, Nvidia hopes to keep the same standard format for its future chipsets, again making it easy for manufacturers (not end-users) to upgrade with minimal cost or hardware change.

We're hoping to get our hands on the 12" PowerBook in a few weeks. If we do, we'll be sure to post some performance reviews of it and the GeForce4 Go 420. In the meantime, convention-goers are encouraged to visit the Apple booth repeatedly and drool over the new PowerBooks.

NVIDIA

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