Powerbook G4 1GHz/Superdrive

[arn]

MacOS Rumors (http://www.macosrumors.com/) claims that updated Powerbooks up to 1GHz in speed with a Superdrive option is due in a matter of weeks.

This repeats previously unconfirmable reports of 1GHz PowerBooks due in October. (which may be the same sources)

Much speculation falls on Powerbook updates with low supplies (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2002/08/20020827095203.shtml) and educational discounts driving rumors. The Powerbook is Apple's oldest model with its last revision in April.

[mac15]

thats so cool, but damn they are to expensive for me, Its a wonder people can afored to go out a buy one after each update

[chibianh]

*sigh*

I knew this day would come... my powerbook 800 is "old" now.. don't get me wrong, it still kicks ass!

[Arcady]

I hope it is true. Then I can get a decent deal on an 800. My 500 is showing its age now...

[scem0]

That is really tight, I only wish that I had the means to pay for it. A 1 GHz powerbook - I would think - would get to hot, but I'm sure that has been argued over many, many times. I cant wait to test those and dual 1.25's at CompUSA later.. :D:D:D

[iGav]

Well I'm more than willing to trade a few thousand of my notes in exchange for a 1Ghz PowerBook G4, with SuperDrive.......... :D

[Blackcat]

Metoo.

My Pismo is lovely, but 1Ghz +Superdrive will make it worth moving on.

I won't whinge about prices until they are released.

[blankcell]

I've been waiting for a new PowerBook upgrade for a while. I hope they add Bluetooth this time around.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by blankcell
I've been waiting for a new PowerBook upgrade for a while. I hope they add Bluetooth this time around.

Rumour has it the Belkin PC card works with 10.2, so no more D-link dongle!

[Tue12]

To believe that web site is to be a fool. That site has no credibility.

[ugru]

i am waiting for it but it will cost far too much for me.

i will probably buy a 800 one but only with an improved video sub-sistem (i hope rumors about ATI 9000 will be confirmed) faster RAM and an integrated bluethoot capability.

my ti 400 is old and it's right time for an update.

looking at past revision how long is a life cycle of a Ti rev 6-8 months or more?

[robguz]

If this is true I know I'll be getting either the new 800 or the old 800, possibly a refurb if one can be found and sell my Ti 550 while it's still worth something. I don't expect any earth shattering breakthrough on the next Ti, but it's gotten long in the tooth and pretty silly for Apple to ask $2500 for a 667 Mhz machine. Also, it's too much to ask for the 800 Ti to cost the same as a dual 1.25 Ghz desktop.

Even at 1Ghz, a Ti would be mostly slower than Apple's slowest desktop offering. The Ti has fallen behind since it's intro. Originally at 500 when the lowest desktop was at 466. When it went to 667, the desktop was 733. When the Ti 800 came out, the desktop was 800 too but sans L3 cache. Let's hope they keep the prices reasonable and return to the $3000/$2300 level pricing if no SuperDrive.

[mcrain]

I've got a PC at home and a new one at work, so I don't really "need" a computer, but I'd like something that I could take with me. I'd also like to dump windows (windoze!) and the increasingly intrusive stance of microsoft.

What I have been wanting to do is buy a powerbook, but due to a rumored speed increase (right before they jumped to 800 with the better screens), I held off. Then, moving and other expenses have tied me up, and just when I start looking again at a tiBook and external firewire superdrive, this rumor pops up again.

What I've always wanted is a superdrive+laptop+OSX. If they can all be in one little package, I'm sold.

If not, I'll probably still be sold, those tibooks are just so nice.

[Kilchzimmer]

Originally posted by arn
Powerbooks up to 1GHz in speed with a Superdrive option is due in a matter of weeks.

Ohh...if it were but true! :o
I am back in the States until Nov. 30 and had planned/saved for over a year to purchase a PowerBook and take back with me, but have been playing the "waiting game". I set a personal deadline for ordering one around the middle of October to give room for delayed filling of orders (nothing new with Apple...).

My dream was for a PB with a superdrive to run my FCP3 and be able to produce DVDs on remote locations for video projects (Russia, Yugoslavia, etc.). A Ti PB with SuperDrive is the only way I could do it.

I'm not too optimistic about the SuperDrive (my ultimate Ti Book wishlist item) but I'll wait a few more weeks to see what pans out!:rolleyes:

I still have flashbacks to when I purchased my present "Wallstreet" PB in Nov. 98(?) and 2 weeks later Apple dropped the price by over $1,000 due to pre-Christmas overstock AND included the DVD kit!! :mad:

- Tim S.

[jefhatfield]

again, time will tell, but these are logical upgrades to the tibook

but i think by the time tibook goes to 1 ghz, 1 ghz will be the bottom speed for the powermac line so i actually expect the next speedbump for tibook in january at mwsf, especially if tibook also gets superdrive

steve jobs can really play this one up and make it look like apple's most must have piece of gear in a couple of years

either superdrive alone or a slightly faster powerbook at nine hundred-something mhz would be welcome if it happened in october of this year

[mcrain]

Originally posted by jefhatfield
either superdrive alone or a slightly faster powerbook at nine hundred-something mhz would be welcome if it happened in october of this year

Why not both?

[kishba]

Originally posted by chibianh
*sigh*

I knew this day would come... my powerbook 800 is "old" now.. don't get me wrong, it still kicks ass!

i feel the exact same way... my 800 took every cent i had at the time... and now the possibility of a new tibook has me feeling like i should have gotten the 667... i wouldn't have felt too bad when the top of the line became the bottom of the line :P

but i still love this sleek, sexy machine....

[sparkleytone]

Originally posted by Tue12
To believe that web site is to be a fool. That site has no credibility.

[Rajj]

I just hope the superdrive in the TiBook be faster than the current models:confused: :D

More then likely not!!:mad:

[Rocketman]

Originally posted by ugru
i am waiting for it but it will cost far too much for me.

i will probably buy a 800 one but only with an improved video sub-sistem (i hope rumors about ATI 9000 will be confirmed) faster RAM and an integrated bluethoot capability.

my ti 400 is old and it's right time for an update.

looking at past revision how long is a life cycle of a Ti rev 6-8 months or more?

All your old Ti 400 are belong to us.

:)

Send me your old Ti 400's guys. We are making a portable supercomputer farm.

You can log on remotely and still use it (and its bretheren) :)

Rocketman

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by xrhajj
I just hope the superdrive in the TiBook be faster than the current models:confused: :D

More then likely not!!:mad:

I think I read the slimline Pioneer drive was double the speed of the current Superdrives, but it's the conversion which really slows things down.

Here's hoping the price drops by $500, so that we can afford DVD SP!

[Yosh]

Originally posted by robguz
Even at 1Ghz, a Ti would be mostly slower than Apple's slowest desktop offering. The Ti has fallen behind since it's intro. Originally at 500 when the lowest desktop was at 466. When it went to 667, the desktop was 733. When the Ti 800 came out, the desktop was 800 too but sans L3 cache.

That's not really true. A 1 Ghz TiBook would perform all non MP aware tasks as fast as a Dual 1 Ghz tower and, as it stands, MOST applications do not take advantage of dual processors. With respect to the 800, I'm not sure what you mean. The 800 Mhz TiBook DOES have a 1MB L3 cache. If you are saying the desktop 800 did not, you are correct. However, the desktop 800 was not Apple's fastest offering when the 800 TiBook arrived - the dual 1Ghz Quicksilver was released about 3 mos before the 800 Mhz TiBook and the dual 1Ghz had 2 MB of L3 cache per processor.

It is unrealistic to expect Powerbooks to ever rival the fastest desktops in speed in light of the other requirements (small size, portability, low energy consumption, lower heat). But, the fact is, the current 800 Mhz TiBook performs exceptionally well - much better than 800 Mhz iMacs and rivaling the older 800 Mhz single and dual processor towers.

On another note, I agree with what others have mentioned about this TiBook rumor. MacOS Rumors has ALWAYS been full of crap. They don't know jack sh-t about what's coming out. They have been 100% WRONG at every single product introduction the past 18 months. Other more reputable websites such as ThinkSecret have indicated not to expect any new hardware until 2003. While I hope Apple does release something next month, I highly doubt they will.

Finally, those of you who already own an 800 Mhz TiBook and are worried about your machine becoming "old" or "obsolete", GET OVER IT! You are currently holding in your hot little hands one of the best portable computers ever made. A 200 Mhz bump in speed and switch to Radeon 9000 is not going to be a huge performance boost and your "old" TiBook will still be working just as good as it ever has for years and years. I'm typing this on my 800 TiBook w/ Cinema Display and I'd be just as happy with this great system even if Apple comes out with a 1.25 Ghz Tibook.

[CRMarvin42]

I Don't see the Ti-book coming out with a superdrive with-out significant changes to the machine. The biggest problem with the Ti-book (outside of the cost) is heat. The heat prob. is the reason that it is wraped in titanium to begin with. A superdrive runs a lot hotter than a combo drive and would most likely start causing problems with the rest of the computer unless they made some significant changes to the heat production of the rest of the computer.

I hope that they have found a way to put a super drive in the ti-book but i don't see how with out overhauling the ti-book design which wouldn't suprise me either

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by Yosh
On another note, I agree with what others have mentioned about this TiBook rumor. MacOS Rumors has ALWAYS been full of crap. They don't know jack sh-t about what's coming out. They have been 100% WRONG at every single product introduction the past 18 months. Other more reputable websites such as ThinkSecret have indicated not to expect any new hardware until 2003. While I hope Apple does release something next month, I highly doubt they will.

I find rumour snobbery deeply childish. MOSR is as accurate as any other site, that's what the R means. If it was called MacOS Facts then sure, they're crap. I particularly dislike the attacks on Meader himself. People run rumour sites for fun, that's all.

As for new Powerbooks, they are due on Oct 1st according to product cycle. Various other things suggest updates too -

1Ghz parts have been flowing from moto since MWSF
promotions ending Sept 25
Radeon 9000 release (with TiBooks on the ATI site)
slimline Superdrives release
No powerbook image on Apples hardware page despite it selling on looks
many bundles on 667 models at MacWarehouse UK

And remember, Apple no longer release at Expos.

I'm guessing the Ti800 will drop to 667 price but may stay the same specs, but a new Ultimate 1Ghz model with Superdrive will be added. Either on Sept 26 or Oct 1.

[sparkleytone]

Originally posted by Yosh


That's not really true. A 1 Ghz TiBook would perform all non MP aware tasks as fast as a Dual 1 Ghz tower and, as it stands, MOST applications do not take advantage of dual processors.

wrong.


in OS X, all apps can take advantage of MP. thats why dualies are a huge improvement in OS X. Just play with a MP machine with the CPU monitor on, and run any app. SMP support in the kernel.

[Mr. Anderson]

So this would make it a Rev D or E? I've lost track.

I'm thinking I'd like to upgrade mine, but it won't be possible anytime soon, I'll just have to be envious for a while......the super drive would be great - I'm drooling already.

D

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by sparkleytone


wrong.


in OS X, all apps can take advantage of MP. thats why dualies are a huge improvement in OS X. Just play with a MP machine with the CPU monitor on, and run any app. SMP support in the kernel.

No, OSX can't make apps MP aware but it can manage properly threaded apps efficiently. If the app itself is not multithreaded it will gain nothing by having more CPUs.

However, while a single CPU system is running everything on one G4, a dual CPU system won't be slowed down by an app that's not multithreaded because it can use the other G4 for the rest. Run 3+ non multithreaded apps and things might slow again.

Fortunately, most modern apps are multithreaded so OS X can do it's thing.

[iShater]

Originally posted by Blackcat

I'm guessing the Ti800 will drop to 667 price but may stay the same specs, but a new Ultimate 1Ghz model with Superdrive will be added. Either on Sept 26 or Oct 1.

I hope there is some sort of a price drop for the entry level. $2,449!! :eek:

The last configs I believe were starting at 2199 or was it 2299? that was more reasonable.

[dongmin]

Originally posted by Blackcat

I find rumour snobbery deeply childish. MOSR is as accurate as any other site, that's what the R means. If it was called MacOS Facts then sure, they're crap. I particularly dislike the attacks on Meader himself. People run rumour sites for fun, that's all.


I disagree. Yeah they're all "rumor" sites but some are more reliable than others. Some sites, like Thinksecret, are consistently right on and have reliable sources, and some, like MOSR or Spymac, completely make their stuff up.

Personally, I'd wait to see what other sites report before getting too excited about what MOSR is claiming.

[blackpeter]

Originally posted by iShater


I hope there is some sort of a price drop for the entry level. $2,449!! :eek:

The last configs I believe were starting at 2199 or was it 2299? that was more reasonable.

Yeah, me too. An 667 or 800 would be just fine for me at the right price.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by dongmin


I disagree. Yeah they're all "rumor" sites but some are more reliable than others. Some sites, like Thinksecret, are consistently right on and have reliable sources, and some, like MOSR or Spymac, completely make their stuff up.

Personally, I'd wait to see what other sites report before getting too excited about what MOSR is claiming.

Well, MOSR has been the last to report this, it's been here, AI, SpyMac, ATAT and o'Gradys for 4 months or more. But Rumours cycle anyway, the recent iPhone thread here was copied from AI, ThinkSecret regurgetated a SpyMac story last week etc etc. Nobody knows the truth except Apple.

As for SpyMac, they've become accurate enough for Apple legal to get upset but are mostly a news site now.

[awrootbeer]

lol you guys, let's talk about the actual rumor, not the credibility of the source. As pointed out, the name of the site contains an R, not an F.

I think they will go to 1Ghz, but forget Sdrives.

Peace out.

[robguz]

Originally posted by Yosh


That's not really true. A 1 Ghz TiBook would perform all non MP aware tasks as fast as a Dual 1 Ghz tower and, as it stands, MOST applications do not take advantage of dual processors. With respect to the 800, I'm not sure what you mean. The 800 Mhz TiBook DOES have a 1MB L3 cache. If you are saying the desktop 800 did not, you are correct. However, the desktop 800 was not Apple's fastest offering when the 800 TiBook arrived - the dual 1Ghz Quicksilver was released about 3 mos before the 800 Mhz TiBook and the dual 1Ghz had 2 MB of L3 cache per processor.


As I worded it, I said the 800 tower lacked the L3 , not the Ti. I did not argue portables should be the same speed as the fastest desktop. I argued they should be at least as fast as the slowest tower. A single 800 is a bit slower than the DP 867 in some things, and much slower in anything using DP or even using the finder or multitasking even with non-DP programs.

I was actually just playing with an 800 at the Apple Store an hour ago. And while it's not a slouch, it isn't zippy either. On simple things like using the finder and launching programs, the 800 iMac felt a bit faster (maybe because of the faster HD in it). Because of the 4200 RPM internal drive in the Ti, program launching felt even slower than on my Ti 550 with an IBM 40GNX drive in it. I actually thought iPhoto might have crashed since it took several seconds to finally be ready to use. I'm suprised Apple hasn't done more to spur Ti sales such as dropping the prices in light of 5 months since the last speed bump and the much faster speeds and lower prices of the competition.

[Yosh]

Originally posted by sparkleytone

in OS X, all apps can take advantage of MP. thats why dualies are a huge improvement in OS X. Just play with a MP machine with the CPU monitor on, and run any app. SMP support in the kernel.

Yes. OSX can take advantage of MP, but the improvement is not "huge". Just look at the benchmarks. There are some apps where the dual processors make a significant difference, but not many. Sure MP helps when you are running several apps, with different tasks running in the background. But, when running one single non MP aware application, OSX does not automatically divide the workload between the 2 processors.

[Yosh]

Originally posted by Blackcat
[B]

I find rumour snobbery deeply childish. MOSR is as accurate as any other site, that's what the R means. If it was called MacOS Facts then sure, they're crap.[B]

"Rumor snobbery" has nothing to do with it. MOSR and all the wilder rumors sites can do whatever they want. But, the reality is, when people start believing in their rumors - which have been 100% inaccurate for a very long time - it only ends up causing resentment against Apple and lowers sales as people are waiting endlessly for these alleged super systems which never appear.

OTOH, a site like ThinkSecret has posted rumors which have proven to be fairly accurate and helpful.

Don't you think it's getting ridiculous when people begin to give advice on what systems to buy and what systems to wait for based on completely unfounded rumors? In dispensing this advice some people state these rumors as if they were absolute certainties. That hurts EVERYONE. It discredits the person giving the advice, takes away current sales for Apple, causes the person who is asking for the advice to wait unnecessarily and causes resentment when Apple does not live up to these ridiculous expectations.

[Blackcat]

So, lets assume the new Powerbook does not have a Superdrive...

What are the options for burning DVDs? I can't find any reviews of the Formac Devideon system, and the Lacie drive doesn't have authoring software. Are there others?

[daRAT]

The superdrive is a must, those books are high end, and have no dvd recording ability, it seems a logical step to me. As for a 1ghz processor, that seems a bit much (re; cooling), unless Apple has a liquid cooling system in the works (I believe Toshiba makes a liquid cooled notebook), and Apple is a inovative company.

The superdrive and a faster video card seem reasonable for a upgrade. I would be more interested in Ibook updates, a Ibook is where I am leaning toward :P

Finally, who cares if it is rumors or fact? At least we can pass the time having fun speculating between upgrades :D

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by daRAT
As for a 1ghz processor, that seems a bit much (re; cooling), unless Apple has a liquid cooling system in the works (I believe Toshiba makes a liquid cooled notebook), and Apple is a inovative company.

Lets see, of 1 GHz is too hot, imagine what a dual will do!:p

Anyway, a liquid cooled laptop is possible, but not practical. It'd be nice because it can dissipate heat (c'mon duals!:cool:) but it'd draw too much power. Laptops need to be energy efficient...liquid cooling will stay in desktops where they stay on the desk.

As for the energy efficiency question...the superdrive will draw quite a bit of power, no? I understand they will be in laptops though, but I doubt Pioneer has made a superdrive that can fit in the tibook...other laptops...quite possible. Just look...laptops are chunking up to 2.2" thick!

[daRAT]

Actually, a New Hampshire company several years ago came up with a passive system (I am going by memory here), of a two chambered "pillow" that had dieelectric fluid that when heated to a certain temp changed state to a vapor and passed through a barrier taking the haet with it, then when cooled changed state again to a liquid and somehow got back to the lower chamber to once again begin the cycle. Forgive me, but it has been awhile since I read the article. I did find a few links to other liquid cpu cooling projects, and liquid cooling units. They are tricky it seems.


Sorry for the OT post :D

[guenesis]

daRat,

Your memory serves you correctly. I do know of a chemical called perfluorocarbon, trade name Fluorinert, that belongs to a class of heat transfer media used for cooling electronics. It does have a high dielectric strength. What you've basically described is a refrigeration cycle, which uses mechanical or heat energy to bring about a change of state in a refrigerant, which in turn removes heat from a location where it is objectionable to a location where it ain't.

Apologies to all for my OT reply to an OT post. :)

[daRAT]

Originally posted by guenesis
daRat,

Your memory serves you correctly. I do know of a chemical called perfluorocarbon, trade name Fluorinert, that belongs to a class of heat transfer media used for cooling electronics. It does have a high dielectric strength. What you've basically described is a refrigeration cycle, which uses mechanical or heat energy to bring about a change of state in a refrigerant, which in turn removes heat from a location where it is objectionable to a location where it ain't.

Apologies to all for my OT reply to an OT post. :)

I knew my memory wasn't that bad :P

Yes I knew it was a refrig cycle, what I failed to describe is that it was a passive system, no mechanical means for fluid movement. I am having flash backs to my engineering exam now :P

Again apologies for the OT ...:rolleyes:

[nixd2001]

Originally posted by Yosh


Yes. OSX can take advantage of MP, but the improvement is not "huge". Just look at the benchmarks. There are some apps where the dual processors make a significant difference, but not many. Sure MP helps when you are running several apps, with different tasks running in the background. But, when running one single non MP aware application, OSX does not automatically divide the workload between the 2 processors.

From what I've seen, this holds true when the code being executed is actually within your application. But as soon as it starts talking to NS/Cocoa classes, Apple have the chance to think about spawning multiple threads. In particular, when it comes to anything to do with with graphics, I think Jaguar does a good job. Try a simple single threaded app that does some graphics work (like displaying any results) and the CPU meters seem to go up in parallel. Apple have long operated an approach of putting as much work as they possibly can within classes/code they control, which permits this sort of optimisation - I think this is a sensible move on Apple's part as it gives them tremendous flexibility.

[iShater]

Originally posted by Blackcat
So, lets assume the new Powerbook does not have a Superdrive...

What are the options for burning DVDs? I can't find any reviews of the Formac Devideon system, and the Lacie drive doesn't have authoring software. Are there others?

Well, here's a question. Can non-superdrive equipped Macs burn VCDs through bundled software?

Apple has been pushing the TiPB for a while as the ultimate portable studio. But without a DVD burner, I am assuming all files had to be stored on the HD until taken to a "homebase" where there is a superdrive Mac. Correct?

[Postal]

I'm more interested in the iBook rumours, myself. They're not TOO plausible, and I'm sure a few people would object to increasing the size of the base model (many buy the 12" for the whole subnotebook ability), but I'd love it if a 14" widescreen was available... baby TiBook! :)

[kuzelnik]

Remember me? I said about 2 weeks back that Powerbooks were coming in October. This was from a friend who works at Apple. I'm glad that this is slowly being confirmed by other "sources".

My "inside person" now also mentions that there is a possibility they might not get the SuperDrive to fit properly and they have considered an external FireWire version (powered through the FW bus).

This wouldn't be so great for those who are drooling for an internal drive (for all the obvious reasons), but it would be great for all existing Powerbook owners (or any laptop with FW for that matter) to be able to get a slim, portable SuperDrive (Ti design, of course).

I hope to get some more inside info over the next week or so . . . :)

[Kilchzimmer]

Originally posted by Blackcat
So, lets assume the new Powerbook does not have a Superdrive...

What are the options for burning DVDs? I can't find any reviews of the Formac Devideon system, and the Lacie drive doesn't have authoring software. Are there others?

I had looked into that option as well with the PowerBook (ext. DVD burner) but my biggest hangup was that, besides paying for the additional cost of an external DVD burner, I would also have to dish out the $1,000 for DVD Studio Pro to make use of it, not to mention having another program to learn (with a bit of a learning curve) .... when the iDVD software included with Mac OSX would suit my purposes just fine.

- Tim

[shadowfax]

i think there are a number of things apple needs to do to its powerbook line ASAP... for me, sans winXP, an IBM thinkpad with that radeon 9000 mobility is a serious head turner... not to mention displays on PCs with those ultra XGA screens with so many pixels... and that good ol' DDR ram and high-clocked P4's... i won't advocate any PC laptop, for obvious reasons (incl. heat, batt. life, size)--but the powerbook line benches on being a desktop replacement with the size and weight of an ultraslim... for it to fall so far behind the apple desktop line and PC desktop replacements... something has to give. i think it should be obvious, as so many are saying, that apple has got to update this thing in October. it can't wait till January. that would be totally unfeasible. look what's happening to nVidia because it skipped its processor cycle. uncool. who's going to spend 3200$ on a laptop with only a 32 MB video card... the same price that everyone had to pay almost six months ago for the same thing? that would be unthinkable for any other tech company. i know this is how apple does things--it has a slower upgrade turnaround--but something's got to happen very soon.

the only problem is, if my outlook counts for anything, that powerbook isn't some arbitrary laptop with good specs. people who buy them don't say, "well, i could have gotten the dell or the compaq for just as good a price.. it was kind of a toss up;" people fall in love. it's not all about performance, at some level. i hope apple doesn't bank on that.. i think it should be rewarding user loyalty rather than taking advantage of it... which would be the plain and simple fact of what they would be doing in holding new PBs till MWSF Jan.

i really hope this thing is right; it makes perfect sense, and i want to cash in with a 1 GHz model with the 9000, lol. the 167 MHz bus would be nice too, but if there are heat and power issues, i say to hell with it. same with the superdrive, though i can imagine that would be a major selling point... the powerbook is pitched to a market of users, it seems, very willing to spend vast amounts of money for cool things, or the companies of professionals who actually need something like that... as long as i don't have to pay for a superdive on the one i buy; that's far too expensive.

[moby1]

Originally posted by kuzelnik

My "inside person" now also mentions that there is a possibility they might not get the SuperDrive to fit properly and they have considered an external FireWire version (powered through the FW bus).

This wouldn't be so great for those who are drooling for an internal drive (for all the obvious reasons), but it would be great for all existing Powerbook owners (or any laptop with FW for that matter) to be able to get a slim, portable SuperDrive (Ti design, of course).


I just cannot beleive that they could fit that monster Superdrive into a Ti.

An Apple branded external FW solution seems much more reasonable and it'd generate more cash flow since existing Ti owners and even some desktop or iMac owners might pounce on it.

I'd probably buy one too.

[solvs]

A GHz CPU, and 64 MB video card, would be nice. And needed. Soon. But I'm trying not to get my hopes up. As far as the Superdrive, what if they did the same thing they did with the combo drive. Release the 1 GHz, 64 MB with a new combo drive and add a DVD-R later. Hey, it could happen.

I was gonna buy an iBook in a couple of months and a Tower later, when I could afford it (now that Towers can have larger than 137 GBs - 200 GBs be darned, Maxtor 320s here I come), but I guess now I could buy a PB. When it has the Superdrive, at least as an option.

I can always get an external 200 GB+ hard drive to play with.

Portable video editing!!! Though I'd still love a faster iBook. The TiBook just seems so fragile for a portable (and HOT). Plus, the 800 just isn't attractive enough for me right now, and it's way too expensive. But if I'm carefull with a GHz Ti (and get a lap protector, or not put it on my lap), and get an external monitor, I think I'd be happy.

Especially if it was ~$3,000.

As far as the MOSR thing is concerned, read some other posts about them to see how we feel about their credibilty. Especially with the recent post they had about wanting someone to send them a Radeon 8500 with ADC (for those keeping track, there is no such creature). Makes them look relaly credible.

For the record, they may be doing it for fun. But they do get paid for it (advertising). And they are putting this out as fact. It's not. Even if everything they say comes true (HA!), it's just speculation. A lot of people aren't taking what they hear with the grain of salt they should be. IT"S NOT EVEN A RUMOR, they ARE just making stuff up based on what they've read from other sites.

And SpyMac lost most of their credibiltiy with the whole iWalk thing. At least they've learned their lesson. If MOSR was to be belived, we'd have had Dual 1.6 G5s a year ago.

No wonder Apple is pissed at the rumor sites.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by moby1


I just cannot beleive that they could fit that monster Superdrive into a Ti.

An Apple branded external FW solution seems much more reasonable and it'd generate more cash flow since existing Ti owners and even some desktop or iMac owners might pounce on it.

I'd probably buy one too.

It fits nicely with Apple killing off OWCs external iDVD compatibility patch. There was no reason to unless they either had their own version ready or were about to release a Superdrive Powerbook.

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by daRAT
Yes I knew it was a refrig cycle, what I failed to describe is that it was a passive system, no mechanical means for fluid movement. I am having flash backs to my engineering exam now :P

Again apologies for the OT ...:rolleyes:

My bad. If apple can develop that system, that'll be awesome. Heck, duals will be possible!:mad: :D

Sorry, I didn't know.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by Over Achiever


My bad. If apple can develop that system, that'll be awesome. Heck, duals will be possible!:mad: :D

Sorry, I didn't know.

AMD was working on liquid cooled versions of their low end k6-2 and k6-3 processors some time back using very small copper tubing but i don't know what came of that

since then, the k6 series has been replaced by the more capable duron series on the low end of amd's processors

[IndyGopher]

Originally posted by Blackcat


It fits nicely with Apple killing off OWCs external iDVD compatibility patch. There was no reason to unless they either had their own version ready or were about to release a Superdrive Powerbook.
Umm.. no. All that was about was making sure that if you had any thoughts about burning DVD's, you would have to spring for the higher margin machine that included an internal superdrive. Change your mind and want to burn DVD's? Go buy a new machine, or drop a thousand dollars on DVD Studio Pro. That's what killing that patch was all about.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by IndyGopher

Umm.. no. All that was about was making sure that if you had any thoughts about burning DVD's, you would have to spring for the higher margin machine that included an internal superdrive. Change your mind and want to burn DVD's? Go buy a new machine, or drop a thousand dollars on DVD Studio Pro. That's what killing that patch was all about.

No, that makes no sense.

The main market for 3rd party external DVD writers is for Powerbooks, the OWC one is even Titanium styled. Powerbook owners aren't going to buy a PMac just to burn DVDs, and DVD Studio Pro is expensive as hell. Apple don't stop you retro-fitting Superdrives in in towers, and iDVD will work then.

A few weeks before killing the patch, Apple killed retrofitted DVD eMacs. At the time that seemed like a way to force people to buy LCD iMacs instead. Then the Superdrive eMac was released.

I think it's a possibility anyway.

[daRAT]

Originally posted by jefhatfield


AMD was working on liquid cooled versions of their low end k6-2 and k6-3 processors some time back using very small copper tubing but i don't know what came of that

since then, the k6 series has been replaced by the more capable duron series on the low end of amd's processors

I actually found a page with liquid cooling units for pc's. The down side was the cost and the extreme attention needed when installing the insulation.

[ultranoia]

Originally posted by Tue12
To believe that web site is to be a fool. That site has no credibility.

Why does this post sound like sour grapes? You wouldn't happen to work for one of the other Mac rumor sites that compete with Mac OS Rumors for street cred, now, would you?

[shadowfax]

every time someone starts the credibility argument, it makes me smile--because i am holding back laughter. it's barely worth getting into. granted some sites are more reliable than others, butall of them are wrong at least some of the time. none of this is guaranteed. and all of it is highly possible, in this case.

and when you start accusing people of curious affiliations, the laughs really start coming. good lord, it's just for kicks. just for kicks...sure, maybe it costs apple money, but that doesn't mean they should try and stop rumor sites. people absolutely have a right to make rumors, and be paid by companies dumb enough to be advertised on a site whose credibility they haven't thoroughly checked out.

i dunno... laugh at life. we all want new PBs... nobody is ABSOLUTELY sure, but we can reason our way into it if we want, don't you think?

[guenesis]

Originally posted by daRAT


I actually found a page with liquid cooling units for pc's. The down side was the cost and the extreme attention needed when installing the insulation.

daRAT,

I should have mentioned that systems using liquids such as Fluorinert for cooling can be very expensive and usually are used in research and manufacturing.

Another CPU cooling technology is the use of a cooling fan that actually creates a partial vacuum. The resulting low pressure condition drives down the temperature. Agilent is one company that makes these fans.

guenesis

[solvs]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
every time someone starts the credibility argument, it makes me smile--because i am holding back laughter. it's barely worth getting into. granted some sites are more reliable than others, butall of them are wrong at least some of the time. none of this is guaranteed. and all of it is highly possible, in this case.

and when you start accusing people of curious affiliations, the laughs really start coming. good lord, it's just for kicks. just for kicks...sure, maybe it costs apple money, but that doesn't mean they should try and stop rumor sites. people absolutely have a right to make rumors, and be paid by companies dumb enough to be advertised on a site whose credibility they haven't thoroughly checked out.

i dunno... laugh at life. we all want new PBs... nobody is ABSOLUTELY sure, but we can reason our way into it if we want, don't you think?

That was kinda my point. RUMORS people. Most of them are made up. Don't count on them as the facts MOSR is trying to pass them off as. At least this site is a little smarter, and offers something worthwhile. That's why we're here.

I don't work for any other rumor sites. I doubt the other people downing MOSR do either. Notice Arn isn't saying anything. Why would he quote someplace, then put them down? Based on personal experiance, MOSR is consistantly wrong.

Ultranoia, your name suits you. Paranoid much?

And the fact that it hurts Apple sales (and our moral) is not so good. Especially for a site that makes money from stuff involving Apple. What are they nuts? And the advertisers. Silly advertisers, don't they know nothing.

Gotta admit, people still go there, so they must be making money.

[ultranoia]

Originally posted by solvs


That was kinda my point. RUMORS people. Most of them are made up. Don't count on them as the facts MOSR is trying to pass them off as. At least this site is a little smarter, and offers something worthwhile. That's why we're here.

I don't work for any other rumor sites. I doubt the other people downing MOSR do either. Notice Arn isn't saying anything. Why would he quote someplace, then put them down? Based on personal experiance, MOSR is consistantly wrong.

Ultranoia, your name suits you. Paranoid much?

And the fact that it hurts Apple sales (and our moral) is not so good. Especially for a site that makes money from stuff involving Apple. What are they nuts? And the advertisers. Silly advertisers, don't they know nothing.

Gotta admit, people still go there, so they must be making money.

Sorry if I offended you. I shouldn't have accused you of pressing sour grapes. It's just that your criticism of MOSR seemed a bit vehement, given that we're talking about "rumor" sites, not hard news purveyors. To flatly say that MSOR has "no credibility" and that anyone who "believe[s] that web site is a fool" sounds a bit intemperate, given the speculative nature of all these sites. (BTW, I have no connection to MOSR, other than that I read it along with this one and Thinksecret and SpyMac.) I suppose I was just trying to fathom why anyone would get so exercised over the relative worth of one rumor site over another. It baffles me, but I erred in ascribing an insider motive to you.

[solvs]

Originally posted by ultranoia


Sorry if I offended you. I shouldn't have accused you of pressing sour grapes. It's just that your criticism of MOSR seemed a bit vehement, given that we're talking about "rumor" sites, not hard news purveyors. To flatly say that MSOR has "no credibility" and that anyone who "believe[s] that web site is a fool" sounds a bit intemperate, given the speculative nature of all these sites. (BTW, I have no connection to MOSR, other than that I read it along with this one and Thinksecret and SpyMac.) I suppose I was just trying to fathom why anyone would get so exercised over the relative worth of one rumor site over another. It baffles me, but I erred in ascribing an insider motive to you.

My point being, don't take this too seriously. Just because someone writes it, especially someone as unreliable as MOSR (we can cite specific examples if you'd like), that doesn't make it true. And I don't like the way they are presenting this stuff as fact. It's not a fact, even if it comes true. It's a rumor. They probably just guessed. They do that a lot.

I didn't take any offense (takes a lot more to offend me). Your statement just seemed kinda... odd. Was that just a joke that I didn't get, or do you really think we'd be doing that? I mean no offense, but that seems kinda, well... you know. Paranoid.

Especially when most of them just quote each other.

Edit: Where did I call anyone a fool? I wouldn't advertise on their site, but if they get hits, maybe the advertisers get results. To be honest, now that you mention it, a person would be a fool if they believed everything they heard. As you yourself pointed out, they're just rumors. I think we can all agree on that.

But yes, it does make me mad when these RUMORS are presented as facts. Then everyone gets mad because it didn't happen. You rarely see Arn doing that (and no, I don't work for this site. I'm just a fan). Hate to be a buzz kill, just don't get your hopes up too high. And try not to be too disappointed if this doesn't pan out.

I can give you numerous examples of how MOSR has p*ssed me off if you'd like. Look at some of my former posts.

And you'll notice I don't bring up the newbie status. I've been here for awhile, but my post count is fairly low.

[jefhatfield]

as far as credibility goes, the two craziest rumors i heard were of an lcd imac back when lcd's were a grand each and of a mac "sphere"

as it turns out, the imac now is a half sphere and sports an lcd screen, and now on the top end, a 17" inch lcd screen

not too long before the introduction of the new imac, these rumors would have sounded completely off the wall to many people

the rumor now that i find hardest to believe is that apple will use the ibm power4 processor on the top end of the macs in the future...somehow, i just don't believe this will happen, and if it does, i can't see it happening anytime soon

another thing i don't forsee is apple having any machine scale up to 2 ghz before mid-2003, but i hope i am wrong on this one and apple starts catching up...it just seems like the pc world is still leaving us in the dust

one pc maker, i can't recall...maybe ashton digital, brags about a 2.8 ghz pentium 4 laptop coming soon...that is too crazy to believe but they printed it so they will have to eventually deliver

i would still rather have the 800 mhz tibook;)

[mmcneil]

Originally posted by guenesis
daRat,

Your memory serves you correctly. I do know of a chemical called perfluorocarbon, trade name Fluorinert, that belongs to a class of heat transfer media used for cooling electronics. It does have a high dielectric strength. What you've basically described is a refrigeration cycle, which uses mechanical or heat energy to bring about a change of state in a refrigerant, which in turn removes heat from a location where it is objectionable to a location where it ain't.

Apologies to all for my OT reply to an OT post. :)

Your sharing of knowledge was apology enough:D

[iShater]

Originally posted by jefhatfield


one pc maker, i can't recall...maybe ashton digital, brags about a 2.8 ghz pentium 4 laptop coming soon...that is too crazy to believe but they printed it so they will have to eventually deliver

i would still rather have the 800 mhz tibook;)

A lot of PC makers are releasing laptops with desktop versions of the P4 processor. So they can release the 2.8GHz machine. However, it runs hot, batterly life is horrible, etc.

It is a desktop replacement that you can carry around, not a real laptop that you can run decently off the battery. :D

[daijones]

I see Intel has just released a 2.2GHz mobile version of the Pentium 4 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/27144.html)
Sounds good only problem is, when you have battery power the speed drops to 1.2GHz. Sort of defeats the object somewhat I'd have thought. I wonder if G4/P4 laptop speed comparisons are made with battery or mains power?

[iShater]

Originally posted by daijones
I see Intel has just released a 2.2GHz mobile version of the Pentium 4 (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/27144.html)
Sounds good only problem is, when you have battery power the speed drops to 1.2GHz. Sort of defeats the object somewhat I'd have thought. I wonder if G4/P4 laptop speed comparisons are made with battery or mains power?

Do powerbooks drop the chip speed when running off the battery?

[ugru]

my "old" ti400 goes 300 but i can't see the difference.

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by iShater


A lot of PC makers are releasing laptops with desktop versions of the P4 processor. So they can release the 2.8GHz machine. However, it runs hot, batterly life is horrible, etc.

It is a desktop replacement that you can carry around, not a real laptop that you can run decently off the battery. :D

with a brand new bto upscaled liion battery on a pc laptop i saw reviewed at 2.2 ghz, the thing got only 2 hours and was unable to play dvd's all the way thru:p

[blackpeter]

I was at CompUSA yesterday looking at the 800MHz Ti's and negotiating on a better price. When I bought my first Mac (G4/533) they took $300 off the "sticker."

Me: You guys have to give me at least $400 off this system.

CompUSA: I don't know if we can do that.

Me: Well, in like a month the new TiBooks will be out and this system will be worth much less.

CompUSA: Let me talk to my manager. (He returns from talking with his manager) We can give you $300 off this laptop if you want to buy it today.

Me: I'll think about it. Give him my phone number so he can call me if you can take $400 off.

CompUSA: OK.

-They called me this morning and left a message. I'm about to call them back. But there's a lesson to be learned:

Don't be fooled by retailers! NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING OVER $3000.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by tfaz1
Me: Well, in like a month the new TiBooks will be out and this system will be worth much less.

CompUSA: Let me talk to my manager. (He returns from talking with his manager) We can give you $300 off this laptop if you want to buy it today.


Find out if they have proof of new models please! They will be able to see the EOL status :D

[blackpeter]

I'll see what I can weasel out of them. But I think we can take this as a clear sign that something is on the horizon for the Ti. ;)

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by tfaz1
I'll see what I can weasel out of them. But I think we can take this as a clear sign that something is on the horizon for the Ti. ;)

MacWarehouse are clearing stock too, both here and the US.

Looks promising doesn't it?

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by tfaz1


Don't be fooled by retailers! NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR ANYTHING OVER $3000.

i have heard millionaires say, "never pay full price for anything"

that takes good haggling, and with my personality, if i went with that philosophy and always tried to work angles, i would take 20 years off my life

i have one strike against me...super, super high cholesterol...add hypertension or stress to that, even a little, then i am in trouble...but what does a cardiologist know about heart attacks:D ;) :p :(

[daijones]

Originally posted by iShater


Do powerbooks drop the chip speed when running off the battery?

It used to be an option: under previous versions of the OS on older hardware you could select whether you wanted the processor to drop to a lower speed when running off battery to conserve battery life. Don't know if the option is still available under OS X on new hardware (waiting to buy a TiBook...). Of course, having the option to do so isn't the same as it being forced upon you, which is the impression I got from the article I quoted on the Pentium 4.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by daijones


It used to be an option: under previous versions of the OS on older hardware you could select whether you wanted the processor to drop to a lower speed when running off battery to conserve battery life. Don't know if the option is still available under OS X on new hardware (waiting to buy a TiBook...). Of course, having the option to do so isn't the same as it being forced upon you, which is the impression I got from the article I quoted on the Pentium 4.

OS X still lets you choose a range of settings from Highest Performance to Longest Battery Life and several inbetween, or Automatic.

No forced speed drop here!

[blackpeter]

Originally posted by jefhatfield


i have heard millionaires say, "never pay full price for anything"

that takes good haggling, and with my personality, if i went with that philosophy and always tried to work angles, i would take 20 years off my life

I'm usually pretty good about haggling. I think the most important thing is emotionally distancing yourself from the item, weather that be a car, a house, or a computer. I REALLY want a new Ti, real bad! But I play tricks on myself before I go in the store.

First, I tell myself that I've got a perfectly good working G4/533 that serves most of my needs. Then I remind myself that $400 dollars off basically means that I'm not paying tax and giving myself a RAM upgrade. And lastly, I remind myself that (unlike the Apple store and smaller Mac retailers) CompUSA is a high volume retailer and some store managers are willing to sell you a machine at cost to keep product moving. It's better to take even money now than to lose money down the line.

BTW - CompUSA is matching my offer. $400 off the cost of a new 800MHz Ti if I buy it today. I'm still considering. ;) Do you think I could get them to go any lower? :cool:

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by tfaz1
BTW - CompUSA is matching my offer. $400 off the cost of a new 800MHz Ti if I buy it today. I'm still considering. ;) Do you think I could get them to go any lower? :cool:

Push for another 256MB or a Graphire tablet too, but buy if they say yes - it's only fair :)