What are the chances of a powerbook update in October

[Over Achiever]

Ok, some are saying september at paris...thats just plain stupid...its only 5 months and apple doesn't update at expos anymore...well only one computer a time.

And its true that january will a long time away, but hey, it may increase the expectations like the powermacs

So someone has said october is the month of the powerbook update. They say superdrive and 1 GHz...i don't think the superdrive is possible...but what about the 1 GHz.

I want to buy a pb this week for fall semester, but I sorely want a faster processor, a better graphics card, and maybe better ram (no DDR hacks). I have no need for a superdrive (at this time;))

Now, a faster proc and better graphics card, is this possible for October? Should I wait?:confused:

[edesignuk]

Worth referencing this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10120) thread, check the post by kuzelnik.

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by verbose101
Worth referencing this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10120) thread, check the post by kuzelnik.

Yeah, thats the post that got me jittery. So should I believe that post?

[edesignuk]

I'm not sure, I think it's perfectly possible to see a 1Ghz this soon, but the SuperDrive? ...I'm not so sure.
Lets see if his other predictions about iPhoto 2 and 10.2.1 span out.

[bousozoku]

I doubt seriously there will be any PowerBook updates until early 2003 since they already went out of their routine to give the spring updates to the line. The only thing which prompted them to do that was the extremely poor sales of PowerBooks at that time.

Maybe if the sales fall off, they'll do something.

[kuzelnik]

My source is internal at Apple in the "right department"-- I can't be any more specific than that otherwise there will be a witch-hunt at Apple.

My source is a good friend and is very tight-lipped about Apple's upcoming product announcements. We were at a party last night together and this person (notice how I'm avoiding saying "he" or "she"?) gave me something to nibble on. This person also has a TiBook (not a prototype or anything) so he/she is very interested as well in the nextgen TiBook. The new TiBooks *should* also have at least a 16MB video card for hardware support of Quartz Extreme. This will have an incredible effect on overall system performance.

I currently have a 500Mhz (1st generation) TiBook and I don't want to update until there is a SuperDrive in one. Pioneer has already introduced a thin-model DVD-R drive for notebooks so this really isn't a stretch of the imagination--it's already a reality. Dell has already announced DVD burners in their laptops this fall (I believe DVD+R).

If I can find out more, I will . . . :)

[soilchmst]

Originally posted by kuzelnik
The new TiBooks *should* also have at least a 16MB video card for hardware support of Quartz Extreme.

Just as a note, the new TiBooks already have 32 MB DDR video cards and the iBooks have 16 MB. And they are incredibly fast.

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by kuzelnik
The new TiBooks *should* also have at least a 16MB video card for hardware support of Quartz Extreme. This will have an incredible effect on overall system performance.
As soilchmst has allready said, the current TiBooks allready have 32Mb cards, so why are you sounding so excited about 16Mb?
You start to loose credability with mistakes like that :rolleyes:

Originally posted by kuzelnik

Pioneer has already introduced a thin-model DVD-R drive for notebooks so this really isn't a stretch of the imagination--it's already a reality.
Do you have any links to further info on this drive to back this up?
I havn't seen anything that would lead me to believe that Pioneer have anything near small enough to fit into a laptop.

[Megaquad]

If they release new PowerBooks now I'll be pissed off!
Because I am buying new ones in february..so,San Francisco is fine for me.

Tell me about PB's screen,some ppl said it is not good..is that true?
And..the most important,whats GUI speed on 800 MHz model (in jaguar)?
how much fps do you get with iTunes fullscreen?
Do you notice any lags when running iTunes in background and few more apps while running Flash MX? Anyone tried that? If Flash MX ,Dreamweaver,Illustrator etc. are slow on Titanium,I cannot buy it.

[King Cobra]

Probably October sounds right. Remember last year, when Apple managed to squeeze in the Combo Drive versions a month or so after the DVD Ti books came out? I don't think Apple wants to go that route again. I would say that the Superdrive rumors are true. I also would say we have DDR-RAM, possibly a faster bus, and 1GHz coming.

I think the downside of all this is that there will not be much of a price reduction. Unfortunately, I would be VERY surprised if the new Powerbooks top out at anything below $3000 or even $3200. :(

But I am extremely certain of an October update, since I first saw these rumors... :p

[KaitlynT]

When there is an update, what is the usual shipping time? For the higher (new) G4s, it seems to be 6-8 weeks. Good grief, that's a long time. I'm willing to wait for October ... but I can't wait 2 months to receive my computer. Any previous experience out there?

Thanks in advance,
Kate

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by King Cobra

But I am extremely certain of an October update, since I first saw these rumors... :p
I might just hold you to that, lol! :D I really want the next gen PowerBook, and October would be a perfect time for their release for me financially, I’d order straight away!

[King Cobra]

Muhahahahaha! :eek: :D :D

Kate, when my father is looking for a new Mac, he usually goes straight to www.smalldog.com and gets a deal on them (mostly older Macs). My father placed an order for the top of the line Cube, a 15 inch LCD, and a Pro Keyboard (at the time, the one on my iMac didn't last that long), all, which were delivered in less than two weeks.

I wouldn't recommend ordering directly from Apple, if you are afraid of something like this.

[kuzelnik]

Sorry about the slip on that previous post . . I meant 32MB VRAM, not 16 . . .
(up too late . . dead tired . . blah, blah, blah) . . . Call "into question" whatever you want . . . I'm just the messenger . . .

Here's the story on the Pioneer laptop drive . . .

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-947250.html

I can't seem to find the one about Dell putting them in their laptops this fall . . .

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by kuzelnik

Here's the story on the Pioneer laptop drive . . .

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-947250.html

I can't seem to find the one about Dell putting them in their laptops this fall . . .
Ok, that cool, thanks for the link....maybe...just maybe...you could be right...I HOPE!

[Multimedia]

100% certain. Powerbooks were just declared "end of life" today in Europe and domestic supplies are rapidly thinning. More likely to be declared during Paris and Seybold San Francisco.

[formasfunction]

I am in the same boat as you. I just sold my G4 533mhz in anticipation of the new powerbooks coming out. I also happen to be a college student and it pains me to be without a computer to call my own but I can wait. I think one of the biggest signs that apple is going out with the old and in with the new is that the $200 educational discount special that they are running ends on 9/25/02, hence an early october release. Cross your fingers, I can't wait (just hope I have the money by then)

--greg

[jia_zhuang]

I have a Tibook 500 1st gen. Looking to upgrade, should I wait??? To buy or not to buy!!! HELP! I dont want to spend £2900 on a G4 800 and 1 month down the line to have a new Tibook been released:(

[evoluzione]

me, i heard september. a photography store, in nyc, that buys a lot of macs told a friend of mine to wait until then before buying a powerbook. just what i heard.

[DannyZR2]

I'd wait, but remember these are rumors.. and rumors for a release in October, (1.5 months approx)

so, actually, you should be prepared to wait at least 2 - 4 months since these rumors typically seem to stretch out a couple months before they materialize....

[makkystyle]

so here is what I have been able to gather from the pain of waiting for the new PB......

Educational discount ends 9/25

Employee discount ends 9/30

Amazon.com out of 667 with note that it is to be replaced with 800

Some guy in Holland couldn't buy a new PB because they were out of stock and could not get any more (this is a tough one to put faith in)

Some uni's have additional discount until 9/30 (namely san jose state)

Pioneer has dvd-r notebook drives to be released in 4th quarter

ATi has released new mobility 9000 graphics chip to be released next month (although compaq is slated to be the one releasing these next month, we can hope PB's have them though).

So???....???? now we just wait and see.

[formasfunction]

ooooo, I can't wait! Assuming the frames are basically the same, what is the chance that an existing PBTi owner could swap out their combo drive and put in a dvd-r? Is that even possible in a notebook?

looks like I am going to be working overtime to save enough to buy one of these bad boys.

--greg

[SilvorX]

theres a good chance powerbook updates to be announced at mw paris, but it could be released in oct for customers

[Rajj]

Well when ever it is released, I do know there will be a superdrive in it!!;)

I just hope it is faster than the current ones!!

[gopher]

Originally posted by jia_zhuang
I have a Tibook 500 1st gen. Looking to upgrade, should I wait??? To buy or not to buy!!! HELP! I dont want to spend £2900 on a G4 800 and 1 month down the line to have a new Tibook been released:(
One thing is for certain, the prices of the new TiBook are going to be just as high as the current. If you wait 6 months their prices will drop. I rarely buy when the new models come out on any Apple machine. Instead I wait 6 months for an improved model to come out, or at least a price drop before buying the second best model. The exception was the Flat Panel iMac G4 800 as it was such a good deal.

[makkystyle]

Silvor....

Why would apple want to announce new PowerBooks at their Paris show??? It makes no sense because it would undermine the discounting that they are doing in the educational store. Why would someone by a notebook they know will become the "old" model in only a few weeks time? The only way I could see that happening is for apple to further discount at that point and that would erode their profit margins too much and set a precedent that people might wait for in the future i.e. they know if they wait till the end of the product life they can get the machine DEEPLY discounted. This scenario would be horrible business practice. That being said, this is just my opinion, but I think everyone is going to have to wait for another month before the announcement of new PB's.

NOTE: Remember how Apple is trying to get away from computer releases at shows and how the new PowerMacs were released a month after the NY show on the back end of a discounting program.

[MacUser1]

Originally posted by kuzelnik
Sorry about the slip on that previous post . . I meant 32MB VRAM, not 16 . . .
(up too late . . dead tired . . blah, blah, blah)


but the powerbooks currently utilize the ati mobility 7500 with 32 MB of DDR video ram. do you mean 64 MB??:confused:

[SilvorX]

Originally posted by makkystyle
Silvor....

Why would apple want to announce new PowerBooks at their Paris show??? It makes no sense because it would undermine the discounting that they are doing in the educational store.
uh..i'm not predicting anything, one of my friends has sources close to apple n hes telling me that nothing much will happen at mw paris, cept a good chance of a new powerbook then...