Originally posted by gbojim
From what I've been told - the problem with using the 970 in a notebook is not heat. The issue is the 970 does not have the same low power modes as the Motorola G4 that allow the chip to run in various energy saving states.
As a result, battery life would be horrible with a 970 in a notebook.
It seems a lot of folks at Macrumors are upset that an Apple VP says a G5 PowerBook is not likely in the near future. The common explanation is too much heat, blah, blah.
So why not "Think Different" and bring out a "DeskNote" 970 machine? When is the last time MOST people who own notebooks actually used them without being plugged in?
Frankly, I love portability but I rarely need to be that far away from an AC outlet. Without battery concerns, the weight would go down, heat would be lower, and power concerns could obviously be minimized.
For those times away from AC, you could even provide an optional powerful EXTERNAL cabled battery source. An external battery would not be restricted by the size/shape necessary for inclusion in the DeskNote chassis and could therefore be both more efficient and less costly. You might even make an external mouse, trackball, or keyboard unit do double duty as a temporary rechargeable battery source.