Poll: What do you think is coming at WWDC w/ respect to PowerBooks?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: What do you think is coming at WWDC w/ respect to PowerBooks? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=205&ref=forums.macrumors.com)

[Jerry Spoon]

Even though it sounds like the Powerbooks and the 970's will make a great match, they've got to boost Powermac sales by making those their fastest machines for a short while. We'll have 970's in the high end portables soon enough. I'm not in line to get a new laptop for another year:D

[Marble]

This is the kind of thing that drives me to make silly promises like: "If 15" Powerbook 970s are announced at WWDC then I swear I'll wet myself on the spot." I'll send you guys pictures.

[Sun Baked]

Good chance at the 7457 updates...

Would be highly odd to see Apple scrap an entirely new chipset for the PowerBooks after 6 months of use, considering the passion Apple has shown at keeping old tech around forever.

[bertagert]

I'm in the market for the 15" in a big way. Although I would love to hear that its coming with the 970, I think it might not happen.

Sucky thing is, I don't think I'll ever buy a desktop machine again. The laptops are definitely becoming desktop replacements.

Guess I'll wait a little longer as no more G4's for me. Apple, prove me wrong :D

[fawlty]

I say _all three_ Powerbooks will get the 970.
Why?

1. Who would buy a 12" or 17" G4 once the 15" G5 is announced?
2. Recent price reductions on all models.
3. They've had plenty of time to design them.
4. Its "the year of the laptop".

[ramiman]

Originally posted by fawlty
I say _all three_ Powerbooks will get the 970.
Why?

1. Who would buy a 12" or 17" G4 once the 15" G5 is announced?
2. Recent price reductions on all models.
3. They've had plenty of time to design them.
4. Its "the year of the laptop".


I say all three powerbooks will be G4 (PPC 7457). @ 1,4 ghz for the high end 15" and the 17". the 12" wil be a 1ghz.

[eric_n_dfw]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
Good chance at the 7457 updates...

Would be highly odd to see Apple scrap an entirely new chipset for the PowerBooks after 6 months of use, considering the passion Apple has shown at keeping old tech around forever. What passion is that? Besides the single data rate FSB, what tech is "old".

If Apple could get Motorolla to put a DDR FSB on the G4, they sure as heck would done so have a long time ago.

- PS: I'll answer my own question with one, trivial, example: no USB 2. Now that FireWire 800 is out, there's no reason not to support USB 2 peripherals.

[Freg3000]

I don't believe the line of thinking that says, "If the Power Macs get a PPC 970, then who would buy a PowerBook G4?" Using logic like that then makes you conclude that because of upgrades to the Power Mac, no more G4 iMacs will be bought, so they must have a 970 in it. And then no one will buy the eMac, so a 970 must be put in that too. And then we have the iBook, and who would possibly buy a machine with a processor 2 generations old? That needs to get a G4 at the least.

This "trickle down" theory doesn't work in my opinion. Apple doesn't need to do anything.

With all of that said, I believe that the PowerBooks will be updated for the last time with G4 shortly after WWDC, with speeds of 1.2 GHz.

[jkojima]

I think Apple will focus on the PowerMac line exclusively this summer. PowerMac sales have slipped considerably in the past two years (Apple blamed it on Quark in their annual report), and they really need to revitalize sales. Technologies like the 970, Panther, and Quark's migration to OS X should be the push Apple needs in this area.

Plus I don't think the G4 chip has reached end-of-life. Remember when Apple went from PowerMac G3 to G4, the PowerBooks stayed G3 for quite some time. The G4 spec still has headroom for speed improvements - I agree with ramiman that if anything we'll simply see PowerBook G4 speed bumps. I voted for 'no PowerBook news' however, because I think we'll see updates more towards the end of August.

[Billicus]

I think I'm kind of looking at getting a 17" PowerBook, so I should probably wait and see what pans out huh?

[frozenstar]

Originally posted by fawlty
I say _all three_ Powerbooks will get the 970.
Why?

1. Who would buy a 12" or 17" G4 once the 15" G5 is announced?
2. Recent price reductions on all models.
3. They've had plenty of time to design them.
4. Its "the year of the laptop".

The 17" sales would probably drop off a bit, but I doubt it would impact sales of the 12" by much.

Recent price reductions simply indicate that some sort of upgrade is coming, not necessarily a processor and motherboard overhaul.

Going by your "plenty of time" logic, 970 iBooks are going be announced as well.

Okay, I guess I can't argue with the "year of the laptop" thing.

[Sun Baked]

Originally posted by eric_n_dfw
What passion is that? Besides the single data rate FSB, what tech is "old".

If Apple could get Motorolla to put a DDR FSB on the G4, they sure as heck would done so have a long time ago.

- PS: I'll answer my own question with one, trivial, example: no USB 2. Now that FireWire 800 is out, there's no reason not to support USB 2 peripherals. Key Largo chip is a 1999 "southbridge" chip that is still being used and has been around forever, and they still are using ATA-33 & ATA-66. :p

There SDRAM iMac is "still" on sale, and that isn't old tech. The chipset is still around in the eMac and the iBook also.

The Pangea and UniNorth 1.x chips were around how long before being upgraded to the Intrepid and the UniNorth 2.x chips -- and you expect Apple to dump the Intrepid after 6 months.

---

And conversely they have done an admirable job of adding new i/o to the aging chipsets and giving new features to the users. And the locking of Mac OS 9 "may" have played a part in Apple's updating of the chips, we'll see as Apple moves forward.

[Skull Leader]

A new cooling product was introduced today for the PowerBook line (the iBreeze) which mentions a PowerBook with the PPC 970 processor...could this be a mistake, or a slight spilling of the beans?

http://www.macmice.com/ibreeze.html

Notice the caption: "Well, now your G4 (or PPC 970) Powerbook can run just as cool as it looks."

PPC 970 PowerBook did you say? :D Probably would need one of those fanning units...

[Sun Baked]

Originally posted by Skull Leader
A new cooling product was introduced today for the PowerBook line (the iBreeze) which mentions a PowerBook with the PPC 970 processor...could this be a mistake, or a slight spilling of the beans?

http://www.macmice.com/ibreeze.html

Notice the caption: "Well, now your G4 (or PPC 970) Powerbook can run just as cool as it looks."

PPC 970 PowerBook did you say? :D Probably would need one of those panning units... MacMice = MacWhispers

All you're doing is helping to spread a rumor around that was best left on MacWhispers.

[centauratlas]

As much as I'd like to see a 970/G5 PB, and as much as it is *logical* to intro them (given the reported cost savings, given the reported power savings compared to the G4, given the 'wow, Apple is 1st with a 64 bit portable' which we know Steve J likes, given that they held the 15" for 6 months for *some* reason (high density screen???)), I would have to bet against the 970 being released next week.

Don't get me wrong, I HOPE I AM WRONG and Apple follows my logic, but it isn't something I am betting on.

I am going to buy a PB, but I am not buying anything new without a G5. I don't *need* it now, so I can wait.

[ZildjianKX]

Originally posted by Freg3000
I don't believe the line of thinking that says, "If the Power Macs get a PPC 970, then who would buy a PowerBook G4?" Using logic like that then makes you conclude that because of upgrades to the Power Mac, no more G4 iMacs will be bought, so they must have a 970 in it. And then no one will buy the eMac, so a 970 must be put in that too. And then we have the iBook, and who would possibly buy a machine with a processor 2 generations old? That needs to get a G4 at the least.

This "trickle down" theory doesn't work in my opinion. Apple doesn't need to do anything.

With all of that said, I believe that the PowerBooks will be updated for the last time with G4 shortly after WWDC, with speeds of 1.2 GHz.

There is no trinkle down effect involved with the powerbook... the powerbook is suppose to be the top of the line, so it should have the same chip in it that the top of the line desktops have...

There is no way in HELL that I would fork out $3K for a G4 powerbook after a G5 desktop came out... they are like night and day.

[chanoc]

I am in the market for a 970! :)

[Rincewind42]

Originally posted by Sun Baked
Key Largo chip is a 1999 "southbridge" chip that is still being used and has been around forever, and they still are using ATA-33 & ATA-66. :p

And in the models that use it ATA-100 & ATA-133 would make a difference anyway. Although I admit the PowerMacs should really be using either all ATA-100 or ATA-133/100 rather than ATA-100/66

There SDRAM iMac is "still" on sale, and that isn't old tech. The chipset is still around in the eMac and the iBook also.

So are Celerons on the PC side =). Apple isn't the only one using old technology in consumer machines.

The Pangea and UniNorth 1.x chips were around how long before being upgraded to the Intrepid and the UniNorth 2.x chips -- and you expect Apple to dump the Intrepid after 6 months.

Whose to say that Apple didn't have the 970 in mind when they designed the Intrepid & UniNorth 2.x chips anyway?

And conversely they have done an admirable job of adding new i/o to the aging chipsets and giving new features to the users. And the locking of Mac OS 9 "may" have played a part in Apple's updating of the chips, we'll see as Apple moves forward.

IIRC the only machines that can't run MacOS 9 currently are the PowerBook G4 12/17" (Intrepid), the current PowerMac G4 (UniNorth 2) and the XServe (UniNorth 2). The PowerBook is easy enough to explain as a consequence of the Intrepid chipset. The PowerMac however used the UniNorth 2 in it's previous incarnation, but added FW 800 for current. I can't see FW as a real blocker to running MacOS 9, but only Apple can say that. The XServe has never been able to run MacOS 9 so it may have some secrets that were passed onto the latest PowerMac =).

[Sun Baked]

Don't forget the ultimate yestertech.

One Button Rodent

Sure the latest iteration might be stylistically brilliant, and optically pure.

But the 2-button and scrolling Rodents are what people have been craving.

[wdlove]

Originally posted by Marble
This is the kind of thing that drives me to make silly promises like: "If 15" Powerbook 970s are announced at WWDC then I swear I'll wet myself on the spot." I'll send you guys pictures.

That will trully be a picture worth waiting on, just 5 more days till 970 day!