Aaargh, Powerbook frustration kills me...

vollspacken · Oct 17, 2002

Hi, this is my first post here and I'm just writing because I can't stand the pressure anymore...

I started with a IIci, had a beige G3 266 and until August a crt iMac and never touched PCs since my dad gave me the IIci.

BUT:
Apples product policy is awful!
C'mon, where is the Powerbook update???

I'm from Germany and before I came to the US to study, I sold my beloved tangerine iMac DV 'cause I wanted buy a PB over here in the States (about 1/3 cheaper than in Germany...).
O.K., I have the money and I'm willing to spend it on the lower model, but only on an updated version. The current one is IMHO definetly not worth the pricetag (even compared to home...).
Most of the people in this Forum want a Superdrive and/or ddr, but I disagree. Just put in the new radeon and better cooling, maybe bluetooth and that's it for NOW. I would buy it the minute it came out.
I wouldn't mind a small speedbump, but didn't matter to me. Bring a major update in January (redesign, faster processor, fake-ddr, Superdrive, whatever...) and everybody would be happy.

I'm afraid there won't be any update till January and even then just speedbump, Radeon and Superdrive (at increased price, of course...

)

All rumors are useless, because noone seems to know something substantial. I definetly won't buy something now and sell it when the updated PB comes out (it's a question of money for me), so I think I have to use the college lab until then what is annoying, because they moved the cubes they had and replaced them with PCs. The only macs left are some b&w G3s in a poor condition (crashed my Firewire harddisk twice

).

Sorry for another PB post, but I'm just frustrated...

Vollspacken
...wish I had never sold my C-64

scem0 · Oct 17, 2002

Well, I expect that it will be out within the next 2 months. If it isn't then I will be pissed along w/ everyone else. Im not planning on getting one, but as of now I am mad at apple. That is the very reason that I am about to buy a PC. They are faster and cheaper. So what if it has a worse operating system. I will deal with that. I just can't afford to buy a computer that I can't afford and that is slow in the 1st place.

beatle888 · Oct 17, 2002

Originally posted by scem0
I just can't afford to buy a computer that I can't afford and that is slow in the 1st place.

well that sucks for you...but my powerbook
isnt slow. i use it for graphics. sure it could
be faster but it definitly is NOT slow. and I
only have 512mb of ram

so i still got 512mb
of ram to improve performance AND if i wanted
even faster photoshop performance I could get
a fast firewire drive and use it as the photoshop
scratch disk. SLOW? no.

j763 · Oct 17, 2002

Originally posted by scem0
That is the very reason that I am about to buy a PC. They are faster and cheaper. So what if it has a worse operating system. I will deal with that.

what will you do with your faster PC? virus check your HD really fast? reboot after a crash really fast? play a game?

been there, done that. get used to it, apple is a benevolent dictator... don't waste your money on a win32 box.

macktheknife · Oct 17, 2002

Hey vollspacken,

If you're a student, have you checked out Apple's educational discounts? I think they were selling the 667 and 800 Mhz models for about $1,900 and $2,400, respectively. I paid about $2,600 back in January for a 550 Mhz.

ninkasi · Oct 17, 2002

vollspacken,

I'm with you, I'm also frustrated at the lack of a compelling price-performance ratio in the Apple portable line right now. I have the same opinion as you in that I don't really need DVD-R, just a better value and maybe a better video card and bluetooth. $3200 for an 800MHz laptop? They're not getting that from me, that's for sure. I'd also consider the 14inch iBook, but paying $1800 for a laptop that has the absolute minimum video card to run the current OS, and cannot be upgraded, is a veto. It seems that something good is on the horizon, and we just need to be patient. It looks like it'll be January.

Evidence points to the possibility that they had planned to get updates in the last few weeks: certain promotions running out, pulling all refurbs off the site, and that it had been 8 mos since the last update (typical upgrade time). But it appears that something went wrong and they had to delay, thus refurbs are back and new promos in place (2x RAM, new monitor promo, Office suite) to tide us over until the new stuff comes out in January.

But at least then, the new ones SHOULD be comparatively compelling, and there just may be a cool new monitor to get as well.

vollspacken · Oct 17, 2002

Originally posted by macktheknife
Hey vollspacken,

If you're a student, have you checked out Apple's educational discounts? I think they were selling the 667 and 800 Mhz models for about $1,900 and $2,400, respectively. I paid about $2,600 back in January for a 550 Mhz.

yeah, they did! Unfortunately I waited till the end of September (AppleExpo Paris...) when the $200,- promo went out, because I thought new PBs would come out soon

...as we now know, they didn't and I have to wait till January or later to pay more for features I don't need (Superdrive, IMHO more heat due o overclocked processor to compete with intel Mhz...)

But maybe I will be suprised because by now I set my expectations so low...

MisterMe · Oct 17, 2002

Originally posted by vollspacken

yeah, they did! Unfortunately I waited till the end of September (AppleExpo Paris...) when the $200,- promo went out, because I thought new PBs would come out soon
...as we now know, they didn't and I have to wait till January or later to pay more for features I don't need (Superdrive, IMHO more heat due o overclocked processor to compete with intel Mhz...)

But maybe I will be suprised because by now I set my expectations so low...

You can go to the education area of the Apple Store where you can find prices that are somewhat lower for those available to the general public. You don't have to wait for promotions, although those may reduce your price even more.

multifinder · Oct 17, 2002

Originally posted by j763

what will you do with your faster PC? virus check your HD really fast? reboot after a crash really fast? play a game? been there, done that. get used to it, apple is a benevolent dictator... don't waste your money on a win32 box.

I love my Mac, but I can understand why people would look at jumping to a PC laptop right now--Windows 2000 on the laptop work gave me is just as stable as OS X, and if I was in the market for a laptop now, I'd seriously consider a Vaio. Compare the stats and the PowerBook loses every time, even if you ignore MHz completely, and actually believe Apple's rigged Photoshop tests. There's a reason Apple's PowerBook sales are down, only the fanatics are buying at this price-performance ratio. Hell, Sony has a reputation for charging through the nose for style and the Sony brand name, but Apple's even worse.

rugby · Oct 18, 2002

Just hang in there, Apple will eventually update their PB's. Maybe keep checking the refurb section of the apple store for cheaper models? I've heard good things about Apple's refurbs.

technocoy · Oct 18, 2002

AAAAHHHHH!!!

GOD!! I don't know if I can take it anymore!! I want it SOOOO BAD!! What I was really waiting on was the speed bump because:

A: I am going to be using a second 22in. cinema display, so the resolution on that will give me plenty of workspace, and i can use the PB screen for my tools and palettes... and

B: I already bought the BlueTooth adapter to use with my t68i.... so.....

I'm wondering, since i doubt they will be cramming the big-as-hell IBM power4 lite into the powerbook for awhile, meaning they will be continuing with the G4's in the PB line (or a more powerful Moto chip) do you guys think that I should get the PB now and hope for a processor upgrade from sonnet or someone in the future??

Thanks,
impatient and frustrated Technocoy

dabirdwell · Oct 18, 2002

-vollspacken-

You might consider Apple Developer Connection student discount. I have posted a couple of times recently about this.

Look up the thread "20-25% Discount for students"

Dave

mcrain · Oct 18, 2002

I personally hope the new powerbooks are ready for release right now, but delayed because of the recently stopped dock strike. Maybe there is a big container ship sitting there just waiting to be unloaded with a whole bunch of new powerbooks, one with my name on it.

Hey, I can hope right?

froggy · Oct 18, 2002

Well your right about it all being frustrating, and yoour also right about Apples view of Europe... I mean the Euro is at .97 Euro Cents to the dollar, but buy a laptop here in Europe, and you'll get charged an extra 1-2000 Euros for the same machine. At IBC I asked about this and was told that things are cheaper in The US, because the guys there buy more computers than the Europeans.... hhmm I wonder why?
Also nobody knows who Apple is, after all they haven't even opened a store in Europe at least not in Germany.

Apple will never get a large piece of the cake from across the pond, unless they start to live as they preach, and "Think Different(ly)"

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Apple fan, but I would love to see them start to do right by the people who have stood by them all these years, and yes Mr. Jobs, some of the people are actually living outside th US.

Sorry for the rant, nowhere else to vent that built up frustration.....

vollspacken · Oct 18, 2002

Originally posted by froggy

Apple will never get a large piece of the cake from across the pond, unless they start to live as they preach, and "Think Different(ly)"
Sorry for the rant, nowhere else to vent that built up frustration.....

Exactly!!!

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