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iBook 12" 1.2 Ghz NOW? or 10th Jan?

liketom

liketom

macrumors 601
Original poster
ok so looking at the buyers guide says mid cycle on the current iBook , but is there any more room for an upgrade to the iBook with the PowerBooks being so close in specs !

so i am thinking of walking down to the nearest PC World and picking one up for £739 ( £10 off )

what you lot think?
 
You can pretty much bet that there will not be any upgrades to the iBook line at MWSF, considering where the PowerBook line is now.

I'd bet my lunch money on it, and I'm hungry.
 
I agree. I dont think the ibooks will be upgraded until after a few(3-5) months after MWSF. Also the macrumors buyers guide hasn't been very accurate in my experience.
But the simplest answer is if you need the machine now, go buy it and if you don't wait. I understan waiting is hard(been saving up for 2 years for a powerbook 15") but in the end you will be thankfull you did. But then again I do see the ibooks quite far from upgrades, so if I were you i'd go out as soon as possible and buy it!
Good Luck

PS: Dont skimp on the RAM (buy non-apple)
 
The iBook line has recently been upgraded and will most likely not be touched over MWSF. There is always a slight chance of something, but looking at the line that *something* had better hit the PB line fast because iBooks are and PB are seperated by little less than aesthetics at the moment.

My advice would be to get it if you need it now, but otherwise you might as well wait a couple weeks until MWSF and also after-Xmas stuff. You never know, Steve might throw in a *free* micro-iPod or something with a new *Book purchase 😀 (haha, chrismahanakwanzaka miralce here)
 
Thanks , i am now replying on my new iBook 12" it seems snappier and more responsive then my PowerBook G4 1.33 .

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MACRUMORS MEMBERS!!

tom
 
I would have waited.

Apple only had a slight speed bump recently and built in airport for the holiday season. But other then that, Im pretty sure apple will be upgrading their ibook line in january.
 
I'm not saying that an iBook update will happen. Although the design has been the same since 2001. It will be 2005 in a couple days. I am thinking Apple has a new design in store for the iBook. But this is only a guess.
 
A bit offtopic, but if we look at the same question for the iMac G5. Is it smart to wait, or are there not huge chances for upgrades coming January 10th? In case of upgrades, what will be upgraded?
 
iMac update

StylePower said:
A bit offtopic, but if we look at the same question for the iMac G5. Is it smart to wait, or are there not huge chances for upgrades coming January 10th? In case of upgrades, what will be upgraded?
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat, the funds are saved up, but I am waiting for an update before purchasing...hopefully we will see some more from the gpu and a possible speed bump. I'm honestly hoping there is not an update at MWSF, I'd prefer it in a few more months...right when Tiger shows up, so I can get a zippy little mac that has tiger loaded up already.
 
Is there any chance that there will be a price drop in the iBooks? I have about $820 saved up and am waiting to buy one.
 
drive428 said:
Is there any chance that there will be a price drop in the iBooks? I have about $820 saved up and am waiting to buy one.
Click to expand...

There will not be a price drop on the iBook line since it has already seen one as of recent.

iMac G5 will not be updated in Jan and neither will the iBooks.

PB will be updated in Jan since the line is way too old as is.

PM will see an update as well at or after the Expo.

Xserve will also see an update at or after the Expo.

The iBooks are currently a very good deal, can't say the same for the iMac G5 unless it had a better GPU then again the PM low end of the lineup also has the same crappy GPU so I am not expecting much. 🙂
 
m a y a said:
iMac G5 will not be updated in Jan and neither will the iBooks.
Click to expand...

Allright, sounds like I'm gonna buy one as soon as possible. But just wondering, how do you know that there not will be an iMac update? 🙄

Maybe it's smart to buy now, since if there where som bugs, they have corrected them 😛
 
StylePower said:
Allright, sounds like I'm gonna buy one as soon as possible. But just wondering, how do you know that there not will be an iMac update? 🙄
Click to expand...

iMac G5 was released in Aug-Sept you will not see Apple update a product in 4.5 months though the iMac G5 was released Aug 31 it did not ship until mod Sept and there is no way in history Apple has updated ANYTHING in such a short time. Besides there is no place to go other than 1.8-2.0GHz on the CPU and with REVISIONS they always upgrade the processor not just a GPU. With the PMG5 still hanging around the 1.8-2.0GHz shipping normally and 2.5GHz having delayed shipments there is no way that the iMac G5 will see an revision this soon.

Unless there were some fairies that work at Apple and we will see a 3.5Ghz PMG5 released in january. 🙂
 
Okay, but what du you think about when a new graphic card will come? Are small tings like graphic cards included in the product cycle?
 
StylePower said:
Okay, but what du you think about when a new graphic card will come?
Click to expand...

iMac G5 rev B, which should be around end of March-April 2005. Since the rest of the PMG5 line up has to see an upgraded GPU soon and the imac has been using the same old GPU since it was a G4 as well.

If Apple places the 5200 GPU in the iMac G5 rev B that would just be them being cheap and squeezing the card for all its worth. 🙄

Just hold off on the iMac G5 unless you really really really need it. Its a fine looking computer both 17 and 20" however it has some issues that should be worked out in the next revision since it is using the 130nm that was used in the Rev A PMG5 thus its running hotter. 🙂
 
Hmm, when I look at the recent iMac updates, they're not updating things like CPU much higher between the upgrades, unless the upgrade from G4 to G5.

But I'm still wondering, how much job/money is it to upgrade the graphic card later, if I buy a iMac now?

The programs I use is mainly Photoshop, Illustrator and other webprograms. I'm also watching DVD's and that kind of stuff. Is it correct that i don't need a better card for that use?

Sorry for asking so much... 😱
 
StylePower said:
Hmm, when I look at the recent iMac updates, they're not updating things like CPU much higher between the upgrades, unless the upgrade from G4 to G5.

But I'm still wondering, how much job/money is it to upgrade the graphic card later, if I buy a iMac now?

The programs I use is mainly Photoshop, Illustrator and other webprograms. I'm also watching DVD's and that kind of stuff. Is it correct that i don't need a better card for that use?

Sorry for asking so much... 😱
Click to expand...

It if quite alright if you ask much better to be informed than sit in the dark clueless. 🙂

No the iMac G5 GPU (graphic card) is not upgradable its soldered onto the motherboard. 🙁

Only this you can upgrade is the Ram, AirPort Extreme (WiFi card), and adding a BlueTooth dongle if you do not get this as a BTO (built-to-order) option when placing an order via the Apple Online Store at time of purchase.

For what you do the iMac G5 is quite fine even the GPU, some games you might see slight slow performance on high settings and dense graphic areas in the game however all it all it will be decent overall performance.

256MB of ram stock should also be fine however I would recommend upgrading it to at least 512MB total, the more the better however that is according to your budget. 🙂

It truly is a nice machine I had a faulty one and it turned me off the rev A for now, I might consider it again if the rev B is appealing to me and some issues well at least to me have been corrected. 🙂
 
I see it's a long time to wait for OS X Tiger, and since it's good enough for my use, I'll buy one now. I will buy it with 2x 512 ram, and think that should be enough.
 
Im telling you, once they start talking about Tiger, Steve will announce they bumped up the ibooks and iMacs with better graphics card and slight speed bumps to run CoreImage. (Although the iMacs can already use coreImage, in all honesty its geforce fx 5200 is pathetic at the resolutions its LCD runs at.)



And, iPod updates!!!! I hope!
 
jadam said:
Im telling you, once they start talking about Tiger, Steve will announce they bumped up the ibooks and iMacs with better graphics card and slight speed bumps to run CoreImage. (Although the iMacs can already use coreImage, in all honesty its geforce fx 5200 is pathetic at the resolutions its LCD runs at.)



And, iPod updates!!!! I hope!
Click to expand...

Have you even owned the iMac G5, that you are talking from experience if not please save your comments, I have owned the iMac G5 and have used it to know that your comments are BS. 🙄 Given the 5200 is garbage the entry level PMG5 also have then yet people will still buy those machines and the card is usable it will support the lcd resolution if not Apple is not a fool to package the iMac G5 with it. 🙄


And you are also wrong the iBook will not be upgraded this soon even to FULLY support Core Image since its a Pro Level user purpose not to say that Core Image is not usable on the current iBook just not 100% all this means is that the CPU will be doing most of the work rather than use the GOU as a coprocessor. Given that the iBooks have been updated recent do not expect it to be upgraded until end April-May 2005.

Stop given false information to people, read or attend some Apple conferences. 🙄

Given the budget the iBook is a great consumer notebook at present can't say the same for the PB's.

The iMac G5 is also a good bargain if you do not game its fine for this persons needs and requirements. 🙂
 
m a y a said:
iMac G5 was released in Aug-Sept you will not see Apple update a product in 4.5 months though the iMac G5 was released Aug 31 it did not ship until mod Sept and there is no way in history Apple has updated ANYTHING in such a short time. Besides there is no place to go other than 1.8-2.0GHz on the CPU and with REVISIONS they always upgrade the processor not just a GPU. With the PMG5 still hanging around the 1.8-2.0GHz shipping normally and 2.5GHz having delayed shipments there is no way that the iMac G5 will see an revision this soon.

Unless there were some fairies that work at Apple and we will see a 3.5Ghz PMG5 released in january. 🙂
Click to expand...
Well they did replace the entire PowerBook line with a form factor change shortly after a speed bump.

And everyone "says" Apple is going to replace the eMac -- and they just finished a major architecture overhaul on it in April (ie, the type of overhaul that generally comes with a new form factor.) Something that generally doesn't get touched by anything but speed bumps for 18-24 months.

---

As far as the G5s, it all depends on IBM getting their act together.

But it also looks like the 970FX will be ending it's life in the PowerMac without a speed bump -- unless something bad happens with IBM production on the successor chips and Apple is forced to bump the duals to 2.0/2.3/2.5 GHz 970FXs.

The iMac G5 and XServe G5 might squeeze out a singe speed bump to 2.3GHz 970FX CPUs before moving on -- "if" the PowerMacs have a new CPU to move to.
 
Sun Baked said:
Well they did replace the entire PowerBook line with a form factor change shortly after a speed bump.

And everyone "says" Apple is going to replace the eMac -- and they just finished a major architecture overhaul on it in April (ie, the type of overhaul that generally comes with a new form factor.) Something that generally doesn't get touched by anything but speed bumps for 18-24 months.
Click to expand...

Only reason they changed the form factor and materials from Ti to Al was because there were way too many problems with Ti plus they added the 12" and 17" to the line the 15" looked out of place so they made the change to keep the lines in order can you imagine building the 12 and 17" PB line with Al and 15" with Ti that is not cost effective.

Depends what you call new form factor since the iBook white has been using this form factor for quite sometime and I see it as nearly perfect not sure how they are going to improve on this form factor looks quite good and unique at present compared to the x86 notebook line. Some would say the 15" getting the Al casing was a hiccup in the product line revision cycle the Ti though looked good seems to be a bad dream for reasons that I am not going to mention.

Sun Baked said:
As far as the G5s, it all depends on IBM getting their act together.

But it also looks like the 970FX will be ending it's life in the PowerMac without a speed bump -- unless something bad happens with IBM production on the successor chips and Apple is forced to bump the duals to 2.0/2.3/2.5 GHz 970FXs.

The iMac G5 and XServe G5 might squeeze out a singe speed bump to 2.3GHz 970FX CPUs before moving on -- "if" the PowerMacs have a new CPU to move to.
Click to expand...

IBM has already been producing low powered G5 chips or as the rumours go and are expected to be in used by Q1 2005.

The Xserve will see an update to 2.3 or maybe even 2.5Ghz however that depends on these new low power chips if they are in mass production.

The eMac G5 might be going to be released soon however will not happen in Jan 2005 since it would step on the iMac G5 toes even though it has been done in the past there is no real compelling reason for Apple to move the eMac yet to a G5 until the iMac G5 sees a bump with some speed difference between the 2 lines, plus considering IBM has ample supple of 1.6GHz or 1.8Ghz in stock.

The eMac did jump in a few months to jump to a G5 in Jan would be too quick of a jump.

This Expo will focused on the Power line portable, desktop, and server end along with iPod and mini in the mix.

As usual Apple will squeeze as much out of the aging hardware as possible. As long as "Tiger" is not released they have no real reason for current hardware to support it 100% until after "Tiger" is released since all Apple hardware currently sold is Panther and previous supported and that is how Apple works. The iMac G5 was and still is supposed to succeed on the "Halo Effect" of the iPod and mini nothing more or less. 🙂
 
m a y a said:
IBM has already been producing low powered G5 chips or as the rumours go and are expected to be in used by Q1 2005.

The Xserve will see an update to 2.3 or maybe even 2.5Ghz however that depends on these new low power chips if they are in mass production.
Click to expand...
All depends on how the 970GX ramps, if it ramps well in production volume we could see it replacing the 970FX quite quick.

Hopefully the power use at the top end come down along with them fixing that "low voltage bug" the 970FX had.

---

Otherwise, it's use the 970FX until the new chip problems are worked out with meager speed bumps.
 
jadam said:
I would have waited.

Apple only had a slight speed bump recently and built in airport for the holiday season. But other then that, Im pretty sure apple will be upgrading their ibook line in january.
Click to expand...
You are expecting far too much and will be disappointed. iBooks and PowerMacs were just updated a few months ago, as were the iPods. There may be some minor changes here and there, but don't expect Apple to change their entire line. Check the buyers guide, it will give you some good guidelines as to what to buy now.
 
solvs said:
You are expecting far too much and will be disappointed. iBooks and PowerMacs were just updated a few months ago, as were the iPods. There may be some minor changes here and there, but don't expect Apple to change their entire line. Check the buyers guide, it will give you some good guidelines as to what to buy now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I might be wrong on the ibooks, but as long as they upgrade them by february Ill be happy. Or they could always introduce a nice new 13.3" widescreen powerbook. At that point ill be buying a new ibook/powerbook and it will be a showdown between 14.1" ibook/12.1" ibook, and 12.1"/13.3" powerbook.
 
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