Earlier this month, we talked about the arrival of the new CAMM2 memory module standard, specifically designed to make replaceable memory modules as fast and capable as soldered memory. There’s technically no reason for CAMM2 to not also be beneficial to desktop use, and it turns out MSI is experimenting with this.
MSI on Thursday published the first image of a new desktop motherboard that supports the innovative DDR5 compression attached memory module (CAMM2). DDR5 CAMM2 modules are designed to improve upon the SO-DIMM form factor used for laptops, alleviating some of the high-speed signaling and capacity limitations of SO-DIMMs while also shaving down on the volume of space required. And while we’re eagerly awaiting to see CAMM2 show up in more laptops, its introduction in a PC motherboard comes as a bit of a surprise, since PCs aren’t nearly as space-constrained.
↫ Anton Shilov at AnandTech
This MSI motherboard is a bit of an experiment, as it also contains other more experimental choices like back-mounted power connectors. While CAMM2’s space savings won’t mean much for most desktop builds, it does leave more room for CPU coolers, and it looks a bit cleaner, too.
I’ve been a Mac person since I bought a 1998 Bondi Blue iMac. Steve Jobs and Jony Ive’s first computer together with Steve Jobs back at Apple after being forced out in 1984 by the person he brought into Apple.
Don’t worry, I have a reason why I’m posting.
Apple hasn’t built a new iMac larger than 24″ since the last 27″ iMac with an Intel processor. I’m not going smaller and as people MAY know, I HATE cables. So for the first time since 1998, I don’t plan on rewarding Apple for going away from the computer that I have wanted and have always bought the largest iMac as far as screen sizes go and I’m not turning back now.
Another issue I have with Apple is them taking away the ability for me to upgrade memory later. Combine those two things and Apple has pissed me off, not to mention MacOS in the last six years that I’ve not been happy with either. And Apple’s 12.9″ iPad Pros? iPadOS has just not evolved enough over the last eight years for me to want to buy a new one.
And VisionPro? If you want a new iPad with a new type of Vision and you’re happy with iPadOS, then you might be thrilled with VisionPro, even with the price. But I’m not happy with iPadOS so I’m not going to buy a Vision Pro or any other Vision just because they have a few cool apps that aren’t stake holders for what I use an iPad for.
So what is a guy to do when Apple doesn’t build a computer for me anymore? I’m seriously thinking about buying an ArcaOS computer. What is ArcaOS? It’s the latest version of OS/2 with drivers for a few (percentage wise) 2023 and maybe 2024 computers.
I fell in love with the Beta of OS/2 2.0 back in the mid ’90s. There wasn’t an OS that excited me nearly as much BeOS did but Microsoft made sure that Be Inc had no road to being profitable and BeOS died (although check out HaikuOS which I would dual boot with if I buy an ArcaOS computer. Actually, for the price that I paid for my last iMac, I could buy two much cheaper (as compared to less expensive) computers. One for ArcaOS and one for Haiku. So I’m thinking about that.
What’s all this got to do with this article? Removable/upgradable RAM. Not that this would be an inexpensive (as compared to cheap) computer. It most likely would be out of my price range. But there are lots of options with replaceable/upgradable motherboards that would run either OS I’m considering.
Why not Linux? I’ve used literally dozens of Linux distributions over the years searching for the holy grail of a Linux distro hoping to fall in love with one of them. And while I could compile the OS and programs and have written programs for personal use for twelve different OSs over the last 43 years, I just never fell in like with Linux.
Windows? Windows is the used diaper of OSs FOR ME. I’d no sooner use Windows voluntarily after supporting MSs OSs from DOS 1.x and Windows 1.x through last year when I retired and touched my last Windows computer at ANY price.
So what’s left? There ARE other OSs out there but I’m just not in like with them. So while my wife will probably stick with iMacs. There is only about 5% that I will be IN PART, and not a small part, because you can’t upgrade RAM in M series Macs. If that changed AND they brought back a larger iMac I MIGHT consider it. But I’m pretty sure if I leave Macs I won’t be going back.
Size matters. But so does replaceable RAM.
There’s a lot to like with Haiku. I’d honestly give it a go. Whilst i daily drive Win11 now, having had a Macbook in recent years, the only other OS i’ve ever used that i actually felt was solid, stable, and consistent, was Haiku OS.
Despite Thom’s shitting-on-it article from a few weeks back, i still think that the Linux ports just feel better on Haiku than they do on Linux. It’s sad that Haiku doesn’t have more native apps, yes, but damnit even the ports feel better on Haiku
Sabon,
IMHO upselling linux to those who aren’t that interested in it isn’t a good promotional strategy. Users want to be respected but way too often I’ll see OS zealots come down against people’s preferences as though they are stupid for not choosing one operating system…these occurs with all platforms and is such a turn off, and sometimes it comes from my own camp. Fortunately I haven’t seen much of this lately. That’s good, people can make the choice on their own terms when they are ready.
Honestly, I don’t think macs are going back. Their non-serviceability is by design and this is their future.
Why do people spam with Mac this and Mac that? I’m sorry, I dont get it. There’s life out there, with hardware able to be expanded easily.
I tought CAMM2 was only for laptops…
Honestly dont know… personally i am a mac person brcause it suits me better. Linux would be great but unfortunately running photolab on it is not an option and i left IT after a “windows reinstall burnout” long ago so ms products for me are a big no no to begin with…
Going the mac way i know i trade flexibility for predictability and plan accordingly. A diverse ecosystem exist to support different use cases. Diversity is key to adaption and resilience, it is a strength not a flaw. (2¢)