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Here Comes the Irony: G4 Errata

Remember a while ago when ‘errata’ in Intel’s Pentium processors would make a good joke in front of your Mac friends? According to a recent MacWeek article (“‘Errata’ delay 500-MHz G4s“), fate has a twisted sense of ironic humor.

Motorola’s Semiconductor Product Sector in Austin, Texas, is reportedly working to resolve “errata” that affect its new G4 processor when run at speeds of 500 MHz or higher. And according to Motorola’s own schedule, a fix isn’t due until December.

Motorola tech support said that Revision 2.8 will fix this issue when it arrives in December.Sources said that the problem — which only arises when the G4 is run at speeds of 500 MHz or higher — can result in some corruption in the processor’s data cache. Motorola’s recommended workaround is to enable the “GlobalWaitR” register in the processor, which, while preventing the problem, slows timing throughout the chip.

According to the article, Apple has declined to comment.

By Jason O'Grady

Founded the PowerPage in 1995.