Superdrive PowerBooks !

[terramax]

Oh yeah, if the The Inquirer is anything to go by we will see the new line of PBs with the ability to write DVDs out in less than 2 months... it makes you glad you've lived this long :)

What do you guys think about such a - no doubt - high expectation ? I mean it would be classic Apple though, never been done before innovation, but is it really possible to put a DVD-R into a 1inch thick laptop ?

[Mr Jobs]

cheek this out, maybe some truth to this rumor

http://news.com.com/2100-1040-947250.html

[billiam0878]

I hope you guys are on to something, just imagine burning a DVD on your laptop... that would be yet another first for Apple!

Bill

[billiam0878]

Also, I'm not sure if we'll see this in the next rev of the PowerBooks, because Macworld had an article mentioning that the portable version of the SuperDrive will not be available till the fourth quarter. Either way, we can hope for a GHz PowerBook in September.

Bill

[Jgriff]

I just hope they return to the Pismo format with tough carbonized shell, media bays and slightly thicker profile. If they do, there will be no problem stuffing a SuperDrive with tray loading into the Powerbook along with other modules.

There is no reason not to think that the Titanium format is approaching the end of its service life and something more practical will take its place.

[mcrain]

Originally posted by Jgriff
I just hope they return to the Pismo format with tough carbonized shell, media bays and slightly thicker profile. If they do, there will be no problem stuffing a SuperDrive with tray loading into the Powerbook along with other modules.

There is no reason not to think that the Titanium format is approaching the end of its service life and something more practical will take its place.

Yeah, sure, that will be the day. That advice is akin to me suggesting that my friend dump his super-hot model cheerleader girlfriend who loves hanging around the house topless with nothing on but a thong for a frumpy girl who can cook... because she's more "practicle." :confused:

[terramax]

mcrain you the man :)

[MacCoaster]

Actually... Sony has a VAIO laptop with the SuperDrive.

I'll dig up the URL, it's all in Japanese and therefore difficult for me to find with a simple search; but definitely DVD-R/RW in the laptop.

Sony has beat Apple this time.

[OKComputer]

i try not to take ship times with a grain of salt....but ship times on the ibook 14.1 combo is 15 days

[D*I*S_Frontman]

If we're going to use women's bodies as metaphors for laptop cases, I would contend that the Titanium is like a pasty-white 6' 2" 105 lb supermodel--beautiful, but fragile and not terribly versatile.

The Pismo is more like Pamela Anderson. Smaller, curvier, sexier, but a bit studier. Hey, she was married to Tommy Lee for years so we KNOW she can take a punch, right? Just like a Pismo.

As I have already stated ad nauseum here on these threads, I would love to see them return to black polycarbonate. Maybe titanium reinforced on the corners with supprts cast right into the poly. Then put in a true 16:9 display for killer presentations. I wouldn't care if it was two feet wide. And I wouldn't WANT it an inch thick, unless it were milled out of solid aluminum, because I want to use it in the bump-scratch-and-drop real world, not the land of "esoteric design utopia" where laptops are never dropped, bumped, twisted, scratched, handed from one person to another, or even touched.

I hear the Japanese don't like TiBooks because they are too wide to comforably use on their subway trains. I say give them 12" iBooks w/processing abilities at near TiBook levels. For the travelling film/graphic arts/web design professional, however, give us a big platform, durable, versatile machine again. EXPANSION BAYS! Yes, you can hook up peripherals via FW all you want, but I don't want to bring an octopus to a presentation. I would rather hot-swap whatever I'll need (CDR-DVDR, extra battery, extra HD, etc) ten minutes before the meeting and have an elegant platform to work from.

Take a Pismo and just add four inches of width to the case and the screen. Make room for 2 G4 processors and DDR RAM. Keeps the bays just as they are. SuperDrive in one, battery in the other. Keep the excellent output options, plus an additional DV out for Apple external displays (not that you'd need one). Reinforce the chassis w/Titanium supports and gel-suspend a g-force resistant HD for hard portable usage.

Now THAT would be worth $3500-4000 in a portable...

(..slowly waking from the dream...)

Huh? What? Did I post something?

[ibookin']

Originally posted by D*I*S_Frontman

I hear the Japanese don't like TiBooks because they are too wide to comforably use on their subway trains. I say give them 12" iBooks w/processing abilities at near TiBook levels.
Why only the Japanese? I want one! A G4 iBook with a 32MB or even 64MB Radeon would kick ass. Also, all the people who want rugged laptops should look at the iBook. I dropped mine onto a concrete floor about 9 months ago, and it still works to this day.

However, I have seen a TiBook that is so beat up that it can be twisted. Still works even with a crack in the motherboard.

[Macmaniac]

Originally posted by mcrain


Yeah, sure, that will be the day. That advice is akin to me suggesting that my friend dump his super-hot model cheerleader girlfriend who loves hanging around the house topless with nothing on but a thong for a frumpy girl who can cook... because she's more "practicle." :confused:
DROOL! If that is true get some pics man!!!! I wish I had that;)

On the topic of superdrive TiBooks I think it would be a great leep forward for Apple.
MMMMMMM GIRLS ooops did I say that out loud:eek:

[iBrotha]

Originally posted by mcrain


Yeah, sure, that will be the day. That advice is akin to me suggesting that my friend dump his super-hot model cheerleader girlfriend who loves hanging around the house topless with nothing on but a thong for a frumpy girl who can cook... because she's more "practicle." :confused:

Hmmmm.... the current Powerbook form factor is a little long-in-the-tooth, methinks. The super-hot model of yesteryear should be kicked out of bed in favour of the young - if untried - filly of tomorrow. The Powerbook is beginning to look a tad tired. Time for Botox!

[Sherman]

What apple really needs to do is choose a standard screen ratio like 16:9 or 4:3 these "widescreen" models are getting kind of old. I would like a TiBook with a 4:3 screen 15.1 in. That would kick ass, 1600x1200 resoloution (I've seen it done before, easily on an LCD).

And expansion bays. OS X still has support for them, I have an old 400 Pismo running X and it has a double battery icon up at the top and it has all the functionality of hot swapping that it had before. Oh yea, and support for the original expansion bay devices like ZIP drives and stuff.

[bensisko]

I keep hearing the echo of that web guy from the iBook intro video saying how 'groundbreaking' it was to burn a CD on his laptop....
Anyway, this would be really cool. Superdrive Powerbook would defintaly be something sweet to own. Oh, you need all the raw DV files for that video? Just give me a second to burn that DVD.... it just sounds cool. =)

As for Powerbook design, when the G4 first came out, I didn't like the new look because I was so used to the old look and feel with my 3400, it just didn't seem like it was a Powerbook. Now, I've come to my sense and absolutly LOVE the design. The only reason I bought an iBook instead of a Powerbook was because I knew Apple would make (several) releases to the TiBook before they came out with a model I liked. Until recently, I thought that model was the 800 mhz beauty. I'm not going to hold my breath for a Superdrive Powerbook, but if one of the next three releases includes a superdrive, it's just one more reason to save up those pennies (or hundred dollar bills more likely...).

[TMac4Life]

Are you guys kidding me? You are comparing laptops with really hot models. Sure I love them both, but are you guys that pathetic to compare them to eachother?

[whfsdude]

MYNY 2003

[macwannabe]

What apple really needs to do is choose a standard screen ratio like 16:9 or 4:3 these "widescreen" models are getting kind of old. I would like a TiBook with a 4:3 screen 15.1 in. That would kick ass, 1600x1200 resoloution (I've seen it done before, easily on an LCD).

You must have super vision or something! 1600x1200 is hard to read on my 19" CRT!

[topicolo]

Originally posted by TMac4Life
Are you guys kidding me? You are comparing laptops with really hot models. Sure I love them both, but are you guys that pathetic to compare them to eachother?
Man, you sound prettty pathetic trying to be all high and mighty

[sandsl]

If you think the pismo powerbook looks nicer than the Powerbook G4 you are either 1) twisted or 2) ill.

(Thats in my opinion of course.)

Apple would NEVER NEVER NEVER go back to that design so your out of luck hahahahahahah

[audiopollution]

Originally posted by macwannabe


You must have super vision or something! 1600x1200 is hard to read on my 19" CRT!

Hmm. Perhaps you just have really poor vision. I have no problem reading anything at 1600x1200 on a 19" CRT. Maybe you're just used to looking at a cheap 19" monitor. :)

In regard to notebook screens, you should check out the new Sony Vaio GRX series. (Here (http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.jsp?hierc=9683x7018x9592&itemid=40688)) It's 16.1" screen is native at 1600x1200, and is bright, crisp, and clean. All of which make a very easy to read display at that resolution.

But I digress ... the Sony doesn't run OSX.

[BongHits]

i was on Cnet the other day and they were talking about how Pioneer already has a slim dvd-r for use in laptop models, and is ready to bring it to market in the fourth quarter. All I know is i'm ready for mine.

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by audiopollution

It's 16.1" screen is native at 1600x1200, and is bright, crisp, and clean. All of which make a very easy to read display at that resolution.


I agree. I suggest if they keep the 15.2" screen in the same ratio, to go to a 1536 x 1024 resolution. Its not as small as UXGA on a 15" screen...more like 1400 x 1050 on a 15" screen (which I think is really crisp without being tiny). But I highly doubt apple will do such a thing, unless its a built to order screen. Too many whine that its too small. Too bad. :o

C'mon new ti-books...i need to buy in the next month or so ;)


Oh yeah, unless I'm surprised, no superdrives in pb until MWSF ... please let me be surprised!

[jfclemay]

A - Apple will probably not go back to any portable with drive bays. Apple is the type of company that forces you to have things differently, and Apple has decided that you should carry that extra battery or drive around with you, externally to your Powerbook. Drive bays ruin a design and make it even more hazardous to have a 1 inch thick Powerbook.

B - Apple will probably not make big changes to the the sleek appearance of the Powerbook. Chances are that the Powerbook will never get thicker, though it may get more shock-resistant and overall more robust.

C - Apple will probably not allow the screen size for the Powerbook to change (especially not in a built-to-order option), though it may change the display resolution, contrast, and color capabilities. The screen size and ratio have been studied carefully in order to have just the right palmrest lenght. 15.7 inch and 16.1 inch notebooks have palmrests that are usually very painful on the wrists. Apple will focus on including a numerical DVI or ADC port (it already has) if its users need an external bigger display. Users who need a resolution higher than that of the Powerbook LCD usually need quite more than 1600 x 1200.

D - Apple will probably not include a default DVD-R or RW drive with its next release of Powerbook. Perhaps a DVD-R drive will be standard on the higher-priced Powerbook. Though one needs to consider the real need of burning DVDs on the go, especially when one can easily connect the Powerbook to a television with the video port, since a portable can be carried everywhere, just as a burned DVD. And, by the way, a DVD does not hold enough data for transferring a decent amount of DV content to another computer. Besides transferring over 1000 Mb/s ethernet is much more practical, and faster. And sending the files to DV tape is also a better option, since DV tape holds more DV data than a DVD.

E - Apple will probably not include dual processors on the next release of the Powerbook. Dual processors would be quite warm, tough on a compact motherboard, and not power-wise. Apple would prefer a 1 GHz G4 processor, or eventually a G5 processor, to any dual processor configuration.

F - Apple probably plans to include 800 Mb/s Firewire in a next release of the Powerbook, as soon as it's been integrated in its Powermac line. One needs to consider the need of transferring DV at such a high speed on a portable, though. The need for 800 Mb/s is essentially for external hard drives. Perhaps Apple would fine-tune Firewire in order to get rid of capture problems (frame offsets) on many DV cameras (even high-end ones).

G - Apple probably plans to include a high-end 3D graphics accelerator on its next release of the Powerbook, surely with 64 MB of VRAM and perhaps with 128 MB (for Maya and games).

H - Apple might include built-in Bluetooth technology in its next Powerbook release.

I - Apple would release a new Powerbook :
Probably not August 24...
Perhaps in September (Mac Expo)...
Surely before / at Macworld San Francisco.

My two cents!

Jean-François

[Sherman]

Bluetooth, there's one thing I didn't think about but YES IT SHOULD BE IN THE NEXT RELEASE OF THE POWERBOOK LINE! What would be cool if everyday stuff started to use Bluetooth like speakers and mice so you set your TiBook down at it's resting place at your house and it automatically recognizes the speakers and plays through them and sees your mouse and uses it. Saves time.

Cell Phones: Upload ringtones/games/pr0n!

Maybe not porn but, uhh definitely ringtones and games.

[King Cobra]

I figured you would go there, Sherman. :rolleyes: :p

jfclemay, why do you keep calling everyone "Surely"? :D

I've still gotta wonder: How fast would the Powerbook Superdrives be and how much would they cost, IF Rev D is in fact the first portable supercomputer with DVD burner release?

[TMac4Life]

Originally posted by topicolo

Man, you sound prettty pathetic trying to be all high and mighty

Oh yeah, that is exactly what I was trying to do, I was trying to be all high and mighty to people I don't know on a Macintosh messageboard. Get real!

[peterjhill]

Originally posted by Over Achiever
C'mon new ti-books...i need to buy in the next month or so ;)


The current models are what, 4 months old? That would be a little too soon for a new model. I would think that they would wait until the end of the year. Are the new processors running at a low enough power yet? I am not sure what they would put in it now, that is cutting edge enough.

USB 2
Different Screen
Faster Proc
More Memory (as if 1 gig isn't enough for a portable)
Bluetooth

IF they are going to change the screen size, they would also need to redesign the entire case, and I don't think they will do that within 4 months of their last rev.

(IMHO)

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by peterjhill

The current models are what, 4 months old? That would be a little too soon for a new model. I would think that they would wait until the end of the year.



Yeah I know. Actually, the new powerbooks are actually just over 3 months old, so even sept. is a tad optimistic. Heck, they might even wait until MWSF to update (considering the powermacs slow update)! But if Apple is truly moving away from announcing new hw at MW, then I guess we'll just walk into an apple store and see a surprising change sometime in oct. or nov.

But if they will upgrade the pb at MWSF with DDR and superdrive (which are major upgrades), then there might be a minor upgrade (speed and maybe bluetooth) before then, in which sept. is a good possiblity.

Heck, since this is a rumor site, I truly hope they'll update both the pb and the powermac...say and upgrade to the pro line. Realistically, it won't happen.

And realistically, they won't fiddle with the screen much more. My only suggestion was to upgrade the resolution, not change the screen size. If you want a bigger screen, buy a cinema display for the same cost as the pb :eek: and connect it!

This is a rumor site! What's with all the realistic predictions! Sheesh! :p

Well, I still hope to get a new pb in the next month or so, but hey, I guess I could settle with using my crappy HP Pavillion (13.1" non TFT screen with :eek: 800x600 :eek: resolution, running 550MHz, 64 MB Ram and crappy XP) for an extra month or so. So you can see that this pb will be a major improvement!!!:D

Oh yeah since I'm sharing my computer specs, my desktop is a 200 MHz PII w/ 16 MB RAM running WIN95, so even Virtual PC on a pb will scream past it!

(can i use those computers for folding@home?)

[jfclemay]

USB 2

USB 2? Apple adopt USB 2...? Apple created Firewire and is the most active supporter of the Firewire bus. Besides, Firewire has caught on pretty much with peripherals, while USB 2 has caught on almost only computers (which makes it irrelevant). A different bus for high-speed and low-speed peripherals is a good option... no one wants to see bicycles allowed on highways.


The current models are what, 4 months old? That would be a little too soon for a new model. I would think that they would wait until the end of the year. Are the new processors running at a low enough power yet? I am not sure what they would put in it now, that is cutting edge enough.

The G4 processors are really low-power compared to Pentium 4s. One has to feel the warm air coming out of the powerful fan of a 1.6 GHz Pentium 4-M notebook to understand this -- the Pentium 4-M consumes lots of power.

Apple must feel pretty uncomfortable with the fact that it's entry eMacs and iMacs have G4s clocked at higher speed than those of the Powerbook. The inexpensive eMac is faster than the expensive entry Powerbook, and that's not right. Either Apple will release the G5 with its new Powermacs, or give a serious MHz boost to the G4. Releasing the G5 would make more sense, and eventually the Powerbooks would be equipped with the G5. Or so I hope.

If Apple wanted to create a shock, it would release new Powermacs and new Powerbooks at the same time... I suppose that new Powermacs are for August 24th, and Powerbooks for a bit later. Not too far from now, I hope. How would things be if the Powermacs started at 1 GHz, and the Powerbooks at 550 Mhz? It would look pretty ridiculous! :)

JF

[jefhatfield]

just like g4s were rumored for the imac, this superdirve rumor will happen one day

i don't know of too many people personally who would actually utilize this capability a lot, but it would be nice to have

and that is a gateway for the ibook to eventually get one later after the tibook, hopefully

[macwannabe]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by macwannabe


You must have super vision or something! 1600x1200 is hard to read on my 19" CRT!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hmm. Perhaps you just have really poor vision. I have no problem reading anything at 1600x1200 on a 19" CRT. Maybe you're just used to looking at a cheap 19" monitor.

In regard to notebook screens, you should check out the new Sony Vaio GRX series. (Here) It's 16.1" screen is native at 1600x1200, and is bright, crisp, and clean. All of which make a very easy to read display at that resolution.



My eyes are fine (tested every year and dont need glasses or contacts) and so is my monitor!

If 1600x1200 is fine for a laptop screen, how come apple recommend 1600x1024 (even lower) as the optimum resolution for their 22 inch monitor?

http://store.apple.com/Catalog/uk/Images/apple_cinema_display_22.pdf

I don't care how good your eyes or the quality are, I'd like to see you work all day on a 15" laptop screen at 1600x1200! Where shall I go on holiday? Oh I know, Cloud Cookoo Land...... :)

[topicolo]

Originally posted by TMac4Life


Oh yeah, that is exactly what I was trying to do, I was trying to be all high and mighty to people I don't know on a Macintosh messageboard. Get real!
You wouldn't have posted that if you didn't have self confidence problems. Just keep saying "I'm not a loser" to yourself and you'll feel much better soon

[terramax]

Hey guys - this is supposed to be a discussion about Apple hardware speculations... :) Not a people bashing convention.
If you have pent up anger, may I suggest contact sports, but not picking on people you do not even know...

So let's just keep it nice and chilled out here :)

Thanx guys !

[rice_web]

Bring back Pismo! Here's how:

The iBook is obviously diverging into two product lines: a 12" version and a 14" version. The 14" version looks like crap, and still sports the same crappy speakers, etc. as the 12" iBook. Heck, the 14" iBook has the same resolution! So...

Break the portable line-up into three seperate products. The iBook would occupy the low-end, a return of the Pismo (sorry, it'll probably still have a G3; but hey, it would use the 750FX which isn't shabby), and the PowerBook G4 in it's 1" profile.

So, wouldn't that have everyone happy?

[saabmp3]

YES!!!! I just bought a powerbook cause I like the size and features better than the 12 inch iBook but I don't need all of them. If there was an updated Pismo, it would be in the mail to me right now.

BEN

[jefhatfield]

Originally posted by terramax
Hey guys - this is supposed to be a discussion about Apple hardware speculations... :) Not a people bashing convention.
If you have pent up anger, may I suggest contact sports, but not picking on people you do not even know...

So let's just keep it nice and chilled out here :)

Thanx guys !

yeah, tossing releases tension, so that may be a happy medium..to quote our original troll spikey;)

[sjonni]

:D It´s a format war, and it´s gonna last for a while. I want philips DVD+R/RW format as standard. :cool: