NO POWERBOOK UPDATES. JUST BUY THE FRIGGIN' THING

[Shacklebolt]

I understand that the Powerbook G5, or at least the concept of the Powerbook G5, is the next big thing on Apple's radar. But it simply will not be available for while. For those of you who want to wait until the WWDC, great. It's perfectly understandable. But the P-Book G5 is far from a certainty, and it turns out that you will have found yourself waiting for an extra month when you could have been using a perfectly snazzy P-Book G4, the 1.67GHZ model of which still stacks up quite nicely against the 1.6 G5 iMac. The G5 will happen, eventually. But it ain't gonna be for a while. I just bought a new pbook, and I'm not going to complain when the G5 pbook comes out, because my next computer will be P-Mac G5 MP, whenever that becomes available (who knows - G6?) - even if it's 2 years from now, I'll wait.

I know that I'm hardly the only one saying, "Don't drive yourself crazy, buy it now." But the fact is, as much as we'd like to think that Apple updates every 6 months, it's recently been closer to 8 or even 10. So just buy a ridiculously well refined (after all, the G4 pbooks have been around for a while, and there are precious few bugs with them now) pbook, and don't stress out about the next update.

[MattG]

I understand that the Powerbook G5, or at least the concept of the Powerbook G5, is the next big thing on Apple's radar. But it simply will not be available for while. For those of you who want to wait until the WWDC, great. It's perfectly understandable. But the P-Book G5 is far from a certainty, and it turns out that you will have found yourself waiting for an extra month when you could have been using a perfectly snazzy P-Book G4, the 1.67GHZ model of which still stacks up quite nicely against the 1.6 G5 iMac. The G5 will happen, eventually. But it ain't gonna be for a while. I just bought a new pbook, and I'm not going to complain when the G5 pbook comes out, because my next computer will be P-Mac G5 MP, whenever that becomes available (who knows - G6?) - even if it's 2 years from now, I'll wait.

I know that I'm hardly the only one saying, "Don't drive yourself crazy, buy it now." But the fact is, as much as we'd like to think that Apple updates every 6 months, it's recently been closer to 8 or even 10. So just buy a ridiculously well refined (after all, the G4 pbooks have been around for a while, and there are precious few bugs with them now) pbook, and don't stress out about the next update.

This thread should be made "sticky" so it stays at the top. One more "should I buy" thread and I'm going to lose it :)

[PlaceofDis]

This thread should be made "sticky" so it stays at the top. One more "should I buy" thread and I'm going to lose it :)

yeah im with you on that one, i'm going to have to take a break from MR to get over these "should I buy" threads....going insane so slowly... ;)

[Superdrive]

I like that idea. I got my rev d 12" right after it came out. Regarding updates, where do you think the powerbook goes next? It is going to be stagnated for a while. Dont sit on your thumbs, just buy it.

[mkrishnan]

LOL, this is great. :D If you need it, go buy a computer, enjoy it, live in the moment. If you just surf, think carefully about how much improvement Safari is really going to see when you step up to a G5. ;)

[Dagless]

if you want a powerful portable mac, get the 15". its a beast. but of course people want "ZOMG BIGGR! FAST3R COMPUTREZ!!1". but the same can be said to people who buy consoles and certain handheld systems because they have better graphics.

i am very happy with my 12" G4 Powerbook. performs brilliantly. i would have gone for the 15" but portability is my friend.

funny, i was talking to some guy this morning... or should i say he started talking to me about how crap the G5 are compared to the AMD Opteron. he said it wasnt x86 :confused: when even the official site says it is... and he also said that mac users suck because they always cause wars about "windows sucks"... when this guy started talking to me?!
oh the worlds gone mad... AGAIN! oh dear ive lost the point too.

Powerbooks now are brilliant. those who are opposed are probably either windows users or Dual 2.7Ghz G5 Powermac users.

[StarbucksSam]

I just got a Rev. D. and I can attest to the fact that they are indeed brilliant.

[wide]

G5s are never going to make it into powerbooks, i asked steve and he told me

[altair]

god im so sick of these "im so sick of hearing about "should i buy a powerbook?" threads" threads.

get over yourselves people!!!












:p

[Maxiseller]

*yawn*

We don't know how long it is going to be in all fairness. There isn't any point in speculating on Apple's regualrity. The fact is that the last Powerbook update brought us 167 MHz faster, which is a shockingly poor speed increase for about 10 months.

I believe, coupled by Apple's retailers advice, that the powerbooks will get to G5 and sooner than we think. Some people think it could be in June, September, frankly it could be 2009, but who does it matter for? If you need to buy a powerbook, you buy one. If you don't, then buy an iBook.

People need some logic here, they really do. Some people I know are making music on an imac running at 300Mhz!! All I'm saying us that if the Powebook doesn't come out, then it's best to make it look sleek, and efficient than whack it out right now to sever all our impatience. We'll only moan about it if it isn't good anyway.

My mind is so numb and braindead I feel like Ive just attended a five day seminar entitled the future of plumbing.

[tdewey]

There are many reasons to hope for an update to the G4 PB.

-Faster bus.

-New non-G5 Processor (7448/8641/8641D).

[Freescale dual-core DSPs are now available in production--can the dual-core e600 be far behind?
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/display.jsp?nodeId=093623&filePath=/media_center/news_releases/2005/ncsg/05-10-05_812X_90NM.html&title=News%20Release&tid=FSH1
]

-Faster graphics.
-Etc.

I think it is reasonable to wait for WWDC for an update.

[asif786]

dude,

THANKS SO MUCH. <i hardy ever use caps, so that's a big deal for me ;) >

this thread was long overdue!

[MacFan25863]

New Powerbook G5's with 24x Superdrives and a water cooled case next Tuesday.

I swear, I know someone who knows someone who works at an Apple store who knows someone who works in Apple Support who knows the Webmaster who knows the graphics guy who told him he made a graphic for one. :cool:

[Maxiseller]

So we all pretty much feel the same then eh?! hehe

hey, lets place bets on the nest thread...I want 6 mins!!

[javiercr]

the first PB G5 is probably going to fry your balls, i'd wait for rev B, so they refine it (make it run colder and faster and may be get dual cores) so add another 6 to 10 months to the G5 release days.

(remember the Ti G4, it gets very hot and the paint peels off.. although it's still beautiful)

[Mechcozmo]

My Rev. C PowerBook G4 feels like the best computer ever. :D

I can only imagine that the Rev. D would one-up it slightly...

[zach]

My Rev. D's up for it if your Rev. C is.. let's go!

::cracks up::

[BKKloppenborg]

yup i agree G5 isn't coming out anytime soon for Powerbook... I am buying a ibook or Powerbook on June 17 at the latest if they upgrade them GREAT if not damnit but i am buying one anyways...

[maxvamp]

the first PB G5 is probably going to fry your balls...
(remember the Ti G4, it gets very hot and the paint peels off.. although it's still beautiful)


OOOHHHH Kinky...

So then PB G5 is a S&M sex toy?

Max. :D

[kingcrowing]

*Hugs Clamshell*

I know theres a TON of people who *Want* a G5 Powerbook, but heres the thing, 90% of people use a laptop for: Internet, Chatting, Music/Movies, Imaging (iPhoto etc...) and office apps (Office X etc...), and all of these types of programs CAN run on a G3 decently, now i'm not saying that the G4 is overkill, but the G5... i really hope you can manage on a G4 1.67GHz for a little while

[ericssonboi]

Well put by the original poster... :)

[runninmac]

Yeah i look at the theads and there is about 5 i counted at first glance they are getting very annoying. but nothing to drive me crazy. :o

[JzzTrump22]

This thread should be made "sticky" so it stays at the top. One more "should I buy" thread and I'm going to lose it :)

I agree, all these should i buy now/ when should i buy threads are really starting to get to me. Please cut back on these things, all you have to do use the search tool on the menu and you'll most likely get your answer.

[arribadia]

I'm looking forward to a PB with the new e800 core G4.. or the new dual core G4s.

G5s are NOT the only improvements that can be made to the PB line :rolleyes:

[finalcoolman]

I'm looking forward to a PB with the new e800 core G4.. or the new dual core G4s.

G5s are NOT the only improvements that can be made to the PB line :rolleyes:

I know eh. Maybee they'll make Super Drvices standard in order to differentiate them.

[iJaz]

Good thread!
The latest PowerBooks have gotten great reviews in all the (Mac, PC, Gadget) magazines I've read.
Go for it now if you want a PowerBook!

[TheMasin9]

G5s are never going to make it into powerbooks, i asked steve and he told me

I wouldnt say never, apple always innovates, they are going to have to totally redisign laptop cooling systems, but have faith, if anyone can do it, apple can!!

[Erendiox]

*Hugs Clamshell*

I know theres a TON of people who *Want* a G5 Powerbook, but heres the thing, 90% of people use a laptop for: Internet, Chatting, Music/Movies, Imaging (iPhoto etc...) and office apps (Office X etc...), and all of these types of programs CAN run on a G3 decently, now i'm not saying that the G4 is overkill, but the G5... i really hope you can manage on a G4 1.67GHz for a little while

And some people *cough* are photographers, cinematographers, editors, musicians, etc. *cough* who want a computer that can chew through all the audio/video/photo editing they can throw at it and asks for seconds. Espeically since you're making a 2000 - 3000 dollar investment. You want it to be powerful so it will last for the 4-5 years most college students with limited funding *cough* would like them to last. *cough*

Just my two cents. Anyone know the best way to cure a hacking cough? ;)

[tobefirst]

Just my two cents. Anyone know the best way to cure a hacking cough? ;)


If a Powerbook G5 would fry your balls, i bet it could cure your hacking cough, too? Am i right? What do i win? (:

[tristan]

Agreed. First of all, it's way too early for an update - last update was Jan 31st. Average time between updates is 6-8 months. That puts the next PB update in the August to October time frame.

And even when that update happens, what are the chances it's going to be a G5? There's not even one piece of information that says it will be, and lots that say it won't. So maybe we're looking at the update after that. That's early '06. So what's the point of waiting?

FWIW, I have a 15" 1ghz TiBook that's 2 yrs + 3 months old. Sure, it would be nice to replace it with a PBG5 later this fall. On the other hand, I could also keep it for another 2yrs and be happy - it still works great, and I love using it every day.

[evilernie]

Bought mine right after the last update was announced and I couldn't be happier. The thing does fry my balls though (as someone else mentioned), I have an iLap on order. :D

[Mechcozmo]

(as someone else mentioned), I have an iLap on order. :D

Not an iBallShield? :p

[booksacool1]

Screw waiting for a G5 powerbook, I'm going to get a Pentium M and use it until a G5 PB comes out, and sell the Pentium M. Provided Apple is competative (of which I'm not too hopefull).
It works out very economical, I suggest more users consider being on both "sides".

Next we just need some more games which work over a mac/pc lan.

[weg]

I understand that the Powerbook G5, ...

I'd rather want to see a pricedrop for G4 PBs than a G5 PB. Hey, I mean, 200 Euro surcharge(!) for a Matsushita non-DL DVD+/- burner? 80 Euro surcharge for 256MB RAM (could get 512MB for 60 Euro at Crucial)? Come on Apple, these are standard components... and damn, Apple should really use displays of better quality for their PBs...
Either a reasonable price policy or components of better quality would boost the PB sales.. nobody is crying for that G5.

[Hydra]

I want a new PB with 7448, please :)

[weg]

Screw waiting for a G5 powerbook, I'm going to get a Pentium M and use it until a G5 PB comes out, and sell the Pentium M. Provided Apple is competative (of which I'm not too hopefull).
It works out very economical, I suggest more users consider being on both "sides".


I wonder how many Mac users have "switched back" because they've given up waiting for competitive Powerbooks.. :(

[Hydra]

I wonder how many Mac users have "switched back" because they've given up waiting for competitive Powerbooks.. :(
I'm probably gonna get a x86 computer as well as the HW doesn't seem to be updating on Apple side at all. :(

[emotion]

1. if you need the power and the g4 powerbook doesn't cut it then go PC. simple.

2. i think the next upgrade to powerbooks will be HD widescreens (and the 12 will go to 13WS, in effect the machine will be slightly smaller). maybe tiny increase in chip speed but that's all.

i love my rev c 12" pbook. best 1100 quid i've ever spent. and the small 'books are cheaper than the PC equivalents too.

yeah i see what the video people are saying about wanting to churn through their work with a G5 but what can you do, that machine (a g5 pbook) doesn't exist.

[Lurch_Mojoff]

There are many reasons to hope for an update to the G4 PB.

-Faster bus.

-New non-G5 Processor (7448/8641/8641D).

[Freescale dual-core DSPs are now available in production--can the dual-core e600 be far behind?
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/display.jsp?nodeId=093623&filePath=/media_center/news_releases/2005/ncsg/05-10-05_812X_90NM.html&title=News%20Release&tid=FSH1
]

-Faster graphics.
-Etc.

I think it is reasonable to wait for WWDC for an update.


I second this. It may be farfetched to expect G5 in a Powerbook (even if GX flavour had been manufactured in the thousands), but any (or all) of the mentioned by tdewey improvements is more than plausible.

This is why I'd rather say everybody who is not in a desperate need of a Powerbook in this very moment to wait a few more weeks. WWDC is not that far and if there are no laptop updates announced there you may safely buy a curent rev.D Powerbook. Otherwise you risk purchasing something, which by the time it arives will be already outdated.

just my $.02

[Deepdale]

[QUOTE=I swear, I know someone who knows someone who works at an Apple store who knows someone who works in Apple Support who knows the Webmaster who knows the graphics guy who told him he made a graphic for one. :cool:[/QUOTE]
--------

My sister's hairdresser told her the same thing and all the HD knows about Apple is that she enjoys eating delicious ones several times a week. Before long, we may need a new Warren Commission to sort through all the madness.

[mcgarry]

Though the possibility of an iBook update is that much more visible, since it would probably mostly be encompassed by existing Apple laptop technology/specs, I am nonetheless inspired to propose an amendment to this illustrious thread, namely the insertion of the words "OR IBOOK" following the word "POWERBOOK."

Let us go forth and shout it from the hilltops.

[pghas]

So wait, what you guys are saying is that me buying a 12" PB with superdrive 2 weeks ago was a complete mistake because the PB G5 is coming out?

Damn, I knew I should have kept waiting ;)

[Bibulous]

no, just the resale value is shot...

[shane-o-mac]

It was not long ago I recall numerous post harking for the last powerbook revision which was only a few months ago. I happily purchased a 15" powerbook after the last revision and am completely satisfied. I seriously doubt I will be buying a computer for another 4 years or so. What is it with you people that seem to get a new system every 6 months? What do you do for a living, cause I want that job...

[arribadia]

1. if you need the power and the g4 powerbook doesn't cut it then go PC. simple.

2. i think the next upgrade to powerbooks will be HD widescreens (and the 12 will go to 13WS, in effect the machine will be slightly smaller). maybe tiny increase in chip speed but that's all.

i love my rev c 12" pbook. best 1100 quid i've ever spent. and the small 'books are cheaper than the PC equivalents too.

yeah i see what the video people are saying about wanting to churn through their work with a G5 but what can you do, that machine (a g5 pbook) doesn't exist.

Any basis behind this?

I would totally love a 13WS

[AlBDamned]

Well I for one have just bought my own Rev D 1.67 PB and i'm majorly happy with it. As a second system to my work G5 PM it cannot be beaten. As has been said, the rev D's are pretty much perfect (except for the ball frying –*I wouldn't recommend trying to watch one of the lord of the rings films - flamin' hell!!) and any new Powerbook is going to have a price premium attached and also have some kinks in it. Despite tiger being updated - the thought of a super pricey Rev A Nu-PB with 10.4.1 doesn't seem like a particularly attractive option when lined up next to my silky Rev D. Because of this, I think I'll be happy with my purchase for a while (well, at least the next 6 months ;) )

Just my 2 pence.... :D

[floodgte]

The G5 processor is late, the biggest concern I have is that Apple won't give REAL users what they need!!! I desperately need a 20" PowerBook. The 17" is the closest thing to a cube (apart from the mini of course - but thats for PC Usedtobe's), but not good enough. A 20" would fit in my new briefcase perfectly. Why a 20"???? I have a 20" screen at home so I can plug my 17" G4 in and have 2 screens, what I really need is a 20" and a 30" at home and a 20" when travelling.
If Apple were to shrink the HUGE G5 tower into something that would fit in a large briefcase (alah CUBE) then that would be another story. Then all that would have to be done is make an LCD screen that can be rooled up into a tube.

Huh!!

[iQuit]

I want the new 17",and I will be getting one shortly...maybe,I love it a lot,just sceptical about the 128MB VRAM...:'( I want 256 to keep up with the new apps and stuff coming out.

[a.k.a. Melvin]

All you people who moan about being sick of these "should I buy threads" should just keep it to yourselves. Here's a thought... don't read them. I find them very useful, especially when I'm going through a "should I buy this" phase.

[Dr.Gargoyle]

I can see some point in not wanting to be the last guy buying the PM G4. However, think of it like this. Apple has taken a long time to introduce the G5 into the PM. There is probably a very good reason for this (heat, lots of it) decision. My guess is that when Apple finally place the PM G5 it will still be hot. Very hot. It is not like the PM G4 is cool. The power consumption will probably be higher, and thus also the batt time.
I am hoping to get a grant approved so I can buy a PM this summer. To be quite frank, I wouldn't mind if it would mean a PM G4, since I value batt time over speed. It is suppose to be mobile, and it won't do me any good if I have to be plugged in more or less constantly.
Moreover, historically it has proven to be a smart strategy not to buy Rev. A unless you have a great desire for the latest thing on the market.

So my advise would be buy if you need a mobile computer, wait if you want the latest thing on the market.
I doubt that many people use the proc of a mobile comp full out... Would you?

[ubbman]

so, if I've got some time to wait (this $100 rebate for academic buys expires June 25), it would be smart to wait until WWDC to see if they announce any updates? I'm looking at the 12" PBs. Don't care about superdrive.

Thanks.

[arribadia]

The G5 processor is late, the biggest concern I have is that Apple won't give REAL users what they need!!! I desperately need a 20" PowerBook. The 17" is the closest thing to a cube (apart from the mini of course - but thats for PC Usedtobe's), but not good enough. A 20" would fit in my new briefcase perfectly. Why a 20"???? I have a 20" screen at home so I can plug my 17" G4 in and have 2 screens, what I really need is a 20" and a 30" at home and a 20" when travelling.
If Apple were to shrink the HUGE G5 tower into something that would fit in a large briefcase (alah CUBE) then that would be another story. Then all that would have to be done is make an LCD screen that can be rooled up into a tube.

Huh!!

You are too rich! :D

So what if you have a 20" screen at home? I have one too!

But what if you have a 30" cinema display? Would apple have to fabricate a 30" powerbook then? (With all that surface area, I bet it can be as thin as a biscuit too!)

The point of a laptop is portability. Apple has probably determined that 17" is in the upper percentile as far as what users consider to be "portable" and that any bigger than that, nobody would buy the friggin' thing! ;)

[Yvan256]

G5s are never going to make it into powerbooks, i asked steve and he told me

Ok, I guess this means Dual-Core G4 from Freescale then. :D

[Yvan256]

Screw waiting for a G5 powerbook, I'm going to get a Pentium M and use it until a G5 PB comes out, and sell the Pentium M. Provided Apple is competative (of which I'm not too hopefull).
It works out very economical, I suggest more users consider being on both "sides".

Next we just need some more games which work over a mac/pc lan.

May I suggest going with a small 12" iBook/OS X Tiger in the meantime, instead of that Pentium M/Windows XP setup?

[Fredstar]

Gone from a iMac Rev A to the Rev B below, i have noticed that even with the increased clock to 2ghz and increased fsb i am seeing cooler temperatures than before. My cpu averages at 55 celsius with pretty intense use and that compares too over 70 celsius with my previous iMac rev a.
Think of it what u will, but the cpu's are running cooler and clocked higher, they are also emitting less heat to the surroundings (cooler hd from 55c to now 47c) all in a half inch thick heat sink. Who knows if there will ever be a G5 Powerbook. If it is possible we will see it either at WWDC or Expo this year.

[brd2887]

I will agree that there will NOT be a G5 in the powerbook line anytime soon, but as for buying one now, that's a different story. There are other options out there other than G5's that won't (as was mentioned before) burn your balls. I, for one, value mine, and would like for Apple to make a powerbook that is ball-friendly. I'm hoping to see an update (even just a small one) at WWDC, and even if there isn't one, I still won't mind waiting, because Apple usually offers specials for the upcoming fall semester. Since I won't have much money, I'd like to get as much free stuff as I can get, and if there happens to be an update, then great!

[TheMasin9]

I understand that the Powerbook G5, or at least the concept of the Powerbook G5, is the next big thing on Apple's radar. But it simply will not be available for while. For those of you who want to wait until the WWDC, great. It's perfectly understandable. But the P-Book G5 is far from a certainty, and it turns out that you will have found yourself waiting for an extra month when you could have been using a perfectly snazzy P-Book G4, the 1.67GHZ model of which still stacks up quite nicely against the 1.6 G5 iMac. The G5 will happen, eventually. But it ain't gonna be for a while. I just bought a new pbook, and I'm not going to complain when the G5 pbook comes out, because my next computer will be P-Mac G5 MP, whenever that becomes available (who knows - G6?) - even if it's 2 years from now, I'll wait.

I know that I'm hardly the only one saying, "Don't drive yourself crazy, buy it now." But the fact is, as much as we'd like to think that Apple updates every 6 months, it's recently been closer to 8 or even 10. So just buy a ridiculously well refined (after all, the G4 pbooks have been around for a while, and there are precious few bugs with them now) pbook, and don't stress out about the next update.


Thanks for this, THIS IS THE ONLY THREAD FOR ALL POSSIBLE POWERBOOK BUYERS!!!!

[robshakir]

They really need to differentiate the lower end PowerBooks from the iBook. I think just sticking a couple more "Pro" features on the 12" would do this.

A PC Card slot for example, would put the PowerBook 12" back into the foray for a small laptop. It was the only reason I got the 15" over the 12", PC card allows for things like 3G/GPRS connectivity without using your phone, and other expansions.

Rob

[progx]

i'm a possible powerbook buyer, but i'm extremely pissed with the G4.

after the crappy night i had "attempting" to burn a DVD full of venture bros episodes; wasted 6 hrs for nothing. i'd have to say putting the superdrive in an under powered bus system is a mistake.

the reason i don't even consider the G4 pro material is the lack of bus speed. where the power mac G4 left off is where it will stay, so get used to it: 167 is the magic number for the G4, be sure to provide a thank you note to Moto and Apple. if you want confidence from Apple on performance on the powerbook G4, you'll notice there is no listing of the bus speeds.

a dual core will not solve this problem, it will add a .1% difference, extremely meager. hell, an ibook has as much power as the powerbook, that's pretty pathetic if you ask me. just like the emac having the exact specs as the imac g4. anyhow, the dual core g4, if Apple takes it, will most likely be in the ibook, emac, and mac mini.

i think i'll hold out on my powerbook g5, it will be worth it rather than suffering with the current offerings.

i mean, my maxed out 1999 Graphite iMac SE (400 Mhz, 1GB SDRAM DIMM, 8MB ATI Rage) can even do simpler functions better than our new eMac (USB 2.0). that iMac only has a 100 Mhz bus, 67 Mhz is a huge jump for the powerbook line.

you know it's coming…WWDC is when the portable world will change forever. 64-bit on the go, along with pure processing power through the system bus (1 Ghz vs. 167 Mhz; pretty big difference).

[deputy_doofy]

I understand that the Powerbook G5, or at least the concept of the Powerbook G5, is the next big thing on Apple's radar. But it simply will not be available for while. For those of you who want to wait until the WWDC, great. It's perfectly understandable. But the P-Book G5 is far from a certainty, and it turns out that you will have found yourself waiting for an extra month when you could have been using a perfectly snazzy P-Book G4, the 1.67GHZ model of which still stacks up quite nicely against the 1.6 G5 iMac. The G5 will happen, eventually. But it ain't gonna be for a while. I just bought a new pbook, and I'm not going to complain when the G5 pbook comes out, because my next computer will be P-Mac G5 MP, whenever that becomes available (who knows - G6?) - even if it's 2 years from now, I'll wait.

I know that I'm hardly the only one saying, "Don't drive yourself crazy, buy it now." But the fact is, as much as we'd like to think that Apple updates every 6 months, it's recently been closer to 8 or even 10. So just buy a ridiculously well refined (after all, the G4 pbooks have been around for a while, and there are precious few bugs with them now) pbook, and don't stress out about the next update.

...but what's the possibility of them skipping the G5 completely and releasing a G6 next Tuesday instead? :D

[ubbman]

If some sort of update is announced at WWDC, will it be announced on June 7? Also, how quick would the update or a price drop on the current model occur. I'm concerned because the current $100 rebate for the 12" expires on June 25.

Thanks.

[maxvamp]

i'm a possible powerbook buyer, but i'm extremely pissed with the G4.

after the crappy night i had "attempting" to burn a DVD full of venture bros episodes; wasted 6 hrs for nothing. i'd have to say putting the superdrive in an under powered bus system is a mistake.

I would be interested in hearing more about this, since I burn discs all the time, and never hit a bus related problem.

the reason i don't even consider the G4 pro material is the lack of bus speed. where the power mac G4 left off is where it will stay, so get used to it: 167 is the magic number for the G4, be sure to provide a thank you note to Moto and Apple. if you want confidence from Apple on performance on the powerbook G4, you'll notice there is no listing of the bus speeds.

The G4 has become a bit of a consumer processor now that the G3 is gone and the G5 is out. Still it is easy on power, as it was design to be an embedded processor, and until another embedded proc comes along, I think Apple is stuck.

a dual core will not solve this problem, it will add a .1% difference, extremely meager. hell, an ibook has as much power as the powerbook, that's pretty pathetic if you ask me. just like the emac having the exact specs as the imac g4. anyhow, the dual core g4, if Apple takes it, will most likely be in the ibook, emac, and mac mini.

WRONG!!!! The specs for the dual core G4 actually address the bus problem by putting the memory controller onboard, and making it capable with DDR and DDR2 memory. This puppy should scream, and at only 15W.

i think i'll hold out on my powerbook g5, it will be worth it rather than suffering with the current offerings.

you know it's coming…WWDC is when the portable world will change forever. 64-bit on the go, along with pure processing power through the system bus (1 Ghz vs. 167 Mhz; pretty big difference).


If by G5 you mean the 970 family, it ain't going to happen. Might see a Dual core e700 someday though.

Max.

[thevessels]

i swear . even when/IF the powerbook G5's comes out . were gonna have thread after thread of people whining "should i wait till rev b or c?!? - are they gonna fix lots of bugs? is it worth the wait for them to fix it up, is there going to be speed bumps anytime soon?!?!"

when that day comes (which it will) i aswell will loose it :rolleyes:

-c

[apelet]

I'm as anxious as anyone else to see a major update to the Powerbooks, but will a G5 really be that big a performance jump from the current G4s? I was comparing xBench scores between recent PB G4 1.67s and iMac G5 1.80s and the difference doesn't seem to be that great. (Although I remember hearing something about xBench not being optimized for G5s until recently.) When the first Powermac G5s came out, the conclusion, as I remember, was that the lower end single proc G5s were simply outperformed by the last of the PM G4s, which were at the time, up to dual 1.42 or 1.5.

So I think what we should really be waiting for is dual core G4s for Freescale, which, from looking at their website (they have a list of sessions for their developer's conference at the end of June, after WWDC), higher clocked single (with better bus speeds) and dual core G4s are still a while away. (And I remember seeing a bit about a 64-bit version somewhere, but go look for yourselves. I am really not qualified to talk about this.)

[arribadia]

i swear . even when/IF the powerbook G5's comes out . were gonna have thread after thread of people whining "should i wait till rev b or c?!? - are they gonna fix lots of bugs? is it worth the wait for them to fix it up, is there going to be speed bumps anytime soon?!?!"

when that day comes (which it will) i aswell will loose it :rolleyes:

-c

What's with this customer paying for beta testing of hardware? Defective laptops are worth little more than trash! Not the 50% premium on top of regular laptop prices for rotten Apples! :cool:

[doubleraven]

The title of this thread says it all.

I just got my 15" PowerBook from Apple Certified. Its Rev. D and is immaculate.

Folks if you're looking at either the iBook or Powerbook, just take a look and if one of them meets your needs. If the current lineup won't meet your needs, hold off. Otherwise just buy the thing, and get it over with. I did, and you know what? The could unveil a G5 laptop tomorrow, and I'd still be happy with what I just got.

[iQuit]

For the price of the PowerBook...spec wise you can get a much better laptop for less. I really want a new PowerBook,but the main thing I want is 256MB of VRAM,that would be all it is missing to satisfy me for the time being.

[Duff-Man]

For the price of the PowerBook...spec wise you can get a much better laptop for less. I really want a new PowerBook,but the main thing I want is 256MB of VRAM,that would be all it is missing to satisfy me for the time being.Duff-Man says..."spec wise" does not account for the operating system...to me, and many others on this forum, the OS is more than enough reason to avoid those theoretically "better" spec wise laptops - and note I said theoretically. And just why is 256MB Vram so important for your laptop? ....oh yeah!

[iQuit]

I will never go back to Windows,you know what they say "Once you go Mac you don't go back". If a new PB doesn't come out I won't be dissapointed the 17" is plenty good for me. I am just saying it would be nice to have a better PB with 256 MB of VRAM for graphic and video editing,maybe for some games too,also this is the HD era. There will be a new PB,as to when is the big question.

[iQuit]

They are in fact "working" on G5 PB's,but I am not sure they will be released anytime within 6 months. If one was to be released it would be like those new desktop laptops made by DELL AND Alienware,they get hot as hell and have a very short battery life(like 30 minutes). So would you rather have a thick superhot G5 PB or wait for a better one?

[iBlue]

agreed.

My 17" PB G4 is fine by me; I adore this laptop! It can get hotter than a $2 pistil at times, the thought of a G5 scares me a little.
(I had to laugh at the "water cooled" comment, that was a good one)
the g5 poses so many problems I am curious how they are going to pull this off in under 200 degrees and 10 pounds.

You know, if a PB G4 doesn't meet a person's needs, they don't deserve the G5 :D on the other hand... ;)

-- I thought the extremely anxious lusting for Tiger was a bit much too though. ;)

[arribadia]

I will never go back to Windows,you know what they say "Once you go Mac you don't go back".

On one hand you may think you "think different", but fact is you are just another sheepie crowd follower :D

Ever considered Linux? I reckon Gnome gives OSX a run for its money, especially when considering it is free, and you don't need expensive hardware to run it on.

[bishopdante]

What about a twin processor dual core 1.67 G4. That would make for 4 chips. Herr herr herr.