iBook Updates? [Archive] - MacRumors Forums

MacRumors

Oct 15, 2004, 03:40 PM

German site, MacGadget.de (http://www.macgadget.de/) is reporting that Apple will be introducing a revised iBook this Tuesday.

According to the site, the new iBook G4 revisions will offer the usual speed bumps as well as price reductions across the line.

Accuracy of this information is unknown. The iBook was last updated in April 2004 (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/04/20040419084557.shtml).

MrMacMan

Oct 15, 2004, 03:44 PM

Yeah is this valid?

What do we know about this source?

arn

Oct 15, 2004, 03:45 PM

Yeah is this valid?

What do we know about this source?

not much. MacGadget hasn't really been a rumor source before. (as far as I can tell)

arn

SFNE Freak

Oct 15, 2004, 03:48 PM

A price drop would be nice, but hopefully they don't downgrade the GPU as a result.

Steamboatwillie

Oct 15, 2004, 03:50 PM

Ok, might make sense especially with the holiday season upon us. Maybe the iPod Mini-Micro too? Would make a sweet Xmas line up!

Manzana

Oct 15, 2004, 03:51 PM

1.25 across the board? how about bumping up the vram?

in their current config are they core image "ready"?

zelmo

Oct 15, 2004, 03:51 PM

How much can they bump the speed without tripping over the 1.33 GHz PowerBook? I can't see bumping the iBook without also bumping the PowerBook, just to maintain some speed difference between the lines.

BornAgainMac

Oct 15, 2004, 03:51 PM

dotnina

Oct 15, 2004, 03:52 PM

I personally don't believe it, but it looks like the iBook is updated pretty regularly, and it's certainly update season for it:

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

yoda13

Oct 15, 2004, 03:55 PM

This would surprise me if this release is not accompanied with new PBs. I don't think the new chips are ready from Freescale yet, either dualcore or the ones that are pin compatible with the current motherboards, at least according to freescale. So if the processor is faster in the ibook w/o a updated processor in the pb, I would be surprised. Now if they want to upgrade the gpu and lower the price, then this I could see. Needs a core image compatible gpu anyway, at least IMHO. Oh well, we'll see :)

MikeTheC

Oct 15, 2004, 03:55 PM

I wish there was an option to lose the CD-Drive and make it 2 pounds. I really don't use my CD drive, it's just extra weight. Make an option to have a super portable book. 5 pounds is too much. Apple can do better.

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

No thank you.

AmigoMac

Oct 15, 2004, 03:56 PM

No, it's not core image ready :( ... this ibook will go for sale before tiger comes out :)

mustang_dvs

Oct 15, 2004, 03:57 PM

Would this also be an opportunity for a video iPod introduction?

:rolleyes:

tutubibi

Oct 15, 2004, 03:58 PM

G5 maybe :)

Seriously, I would expect some price drop on iBook and even on PowerBook before shopping season. As for spec upgrade, I don't see much room for iBook to move up without PowerBook upgrade as well.

jholzner

Oct 15, 2004, 04:04 PM

not much. MacGadget hasn't really been a rumor source before. (as far as I can tell)

arn

I think that if they are going ot update the iBooks and eMacs next Tuesday will be the day. Not just becuase of this rumor but because Educase starts on tuesday and iBook and eMac are edu focused machines. Plus, Apple has been annoucing updated/new products at smaller more focused events like these instead of great big Mac only events.

Manzana

Oct 15, 2004, 04:04 PM

Core Image ready that is.

quagmire

Oct 15, 2004, 04:07 PM

I remember the ibooks having a 466 Mhz G3 and the Powerbooks having a 400 Mhz G3 and the Powerbook kicked the ass out of the 466 Mhz G3 ibook. But, apple would have to keep like 1.25 Ghz all around to not kill the 12" Powerbook sales.

aswitcher

Oct 15, 2004, 04:18 PM

AndrewMT

Oct 15, 2004, 04:22 PM

Just a speed bump? Is this no longer the year of the notebook? How about redesigning the ibook wth the same colors and galvanized aluminum used in the iPod minis?

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 04:23 PM

I think this rumour stinks. iBooks will not be updated until PowerBooks are. I expect them to be released simultaneously. Unless that means we have new PBs next week too :D

cr2sh

Oct 15, 2004, 04:26 PM

I think this rumour stinks. iBooks will not be updated until PowerBooks are. I expect them to be released simultaneously. Unless that means we have new PBs next week too :D

jibbs - I don't like the new tar, just being honest.

I believe this rumor, I think its a thrown together, what else we got, type response to the huge dead space created by the iMac g5's trouncing of the powerbook.

Let's see a hefty price drop too, come on apple... go for the kill.

Lancetx

Oct 15, 2004, 04:33 PM

The iBooks did go from "same day" shipping to 3-5 business days as of this morning at their online store. So something may well be up Apple's sleeve for next week.

belair

Oct 15, 2004, 04:45 PM

oh boy! oh boy!
If they update the ibook the powerbook must be just around the corner. (dual core, G5, new Moto?)

Lowering the price would be a very profitable deciscioun I think. All those ipod fans will buy the lower models and once they see the apple do its magic they wil never go back to windowsland.

AoWolf

Oct 15, 2004, 04:51 PM

As long as it will play Wow, Thiner would be nice two. Although the because it is an Education product they might not want to change the Form factor...

dizastor

Oct 15, 2004, 05:01 PM

Go ibook! I think the alu look of the iPod mini would rock. Seems possible since they let the iPod designers run rampant over the design of the new iMac.

Windowlicker

Oct 15, 2004, 05:10 PM

I wouldn't really care that much about the vram. the top of the line ibook could have a 64mb option though.

The price drop sounds very good. at the same time, they could put some more ram in the configurations. 256 is pretty much too little for OSX and we all know that.

This makes me wonder, what about the PowerBooks? If they increase the performance of the ibook and also drop the price, who's gonna buy a powerbook anymore? They would need to drop prices on PB's too, or speed them up quite a bit.

Mustafa

Oct 15, 2004, 05:15 PM

German site, MacGadget.de (http://www.macgadget.de/) is reporting that Apple will be introducing a revised iBook this Tuesday.

According to the site, the new iBook G4 revisions will offer the usual speed bumps as well as price reductions across the line.

Man, I was ready to order two iBooks today (one for wife, one for daughter). Now I'll hold off for a few days.

Bad news, though -- the extra RAM I'd already ordered from Crucial has arrived -- I just hope it will be compatible with the new configuration.

Mtn Tamale

Oct 15, 2004, 05:16 PM

If you want a better brighter LCD screen and/or do a lot of image work, you need a Pbook, especially at least a 15". As a photographer, I don't know of anyone but maybe kids who would ever take an iBook over a Powerbook, if they were shopping for a Powerbook, primarily because of display quality and capability. Though the Powerbooks still need brighter ones to keep up with some Wintel laptops, like the Sony Xbrites. Maybe once the power requirement of the G4s drop even more, we'll get a better display.

I wouldn't really care that much about the vram. the top of the line ibook could have a 64mb option though.

The price drop sounds very good. at the same time, they could put some more ram in the configurations. 256 is pretty much too little for OSX and we all know that.

This makes me wonder, what about the PowerBooks? If they increase the performance of the ibook and also drop the price, who's gonna buy a powerbook anymore? They would need to drop prices on PB's too, or speed them up quite a bit.

liketom

Oct 15, 2004, 05:19 PM

This is bad news for me if true - 1.25Ghz iBooks V's my 1.33Ghz PowerBook and they get a price drop too ? make's me mad i paid £1399 for my powerbook and no doubt the new iBooks will be priced at £699 for 1.25ghz 256MB combi on base
Makes me wonder though if Apple do release these cheap ass wintel laptop beaters then the PowerBook range has to go dual core NOW ! as a small speed increase G4 to 1.5 -1.8 will not cut the mustard, until January and the release of Dual Core, unless ...

??????? maybe

12" iBook G4 1.25 Ghz
256 MB ram
40 Gb Hdd 4200
DVD/CD-RW
64 Mb Graphics
£699

12" iBook G4 1.25Ghz
512Mb ram
60 GB Hdd 5400
8 x Superdrive
64Mb Graphics
Bluetooth
£849

12" PowerBook G4 1.5 Ghz
512Mb ram
80Gb Hdd 5400
8 X Superdrive
128Mb Graphics
Airport Extreme
Bluetooth
£999

15.2" PowerBook G4 1.6
512Mb ram
80Gb Hdd 5400
8 X Superdrive
128 Mb Graphics
Airport Extreme
Bluetooth
£1199

17" PowerBook G4 1.8
512Mb ram
100 Gb Hdd 5400
8 x SuperDrive
128 Mb Graphics
Airport Extreme
Bluetooth
£1499

lol Well you never know ?

toughboy

Oct 15, 2004, 05:21 PM

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

No thank you.

I could not agree more.. optical driveless notebook is not something I even "think" to buy.. I can agree about making it thinner, but this should not be done with taking out the drive...

Doctor Q

Oct 15, 2004, 05:23 PM

Man, I was ready to order two iBooks today (one for wife, one for daughter). Now I'll hold off for a few days.Good plan. New iBooks have been released October 2001, November 2002, and October 2003. Notice the pattern?

toughboy

Oct 15, 2004, 05:25 PM

and one more thing.. DVD-Rs are getting into our lives, so I see a great market for people who want to travel light but still want to burn dvds.. So there should be a combo and a superdrive version of 12" iBook.. I can not tell anything about the price but being have to spend 1800$ for a superdrived 12" notebook is not something valid if you are just an ordinary consumer, a collage student lets say...

ijimk

Oct 15, 2004, 05:30 PM

what will the video memory run in this update if it is one ? 64mb? 128mb? :confused:

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 05:32 PM

what will the video memory run in this update if it is one ? 64mb? 128mb? :confused:
It would be 64MB at the very most. I'd wager Apple sticking with 32, judging how long it took for the 12" PB to go to 64.

CubaTBird

Oct 15, 2004, 05:34 PM

THEIR WILL NEVER BE 512 STANDARD IN THE IBOOKS! EVEN THE IMACS OR EMACS! YOU GUYS KEEP SAYIN THEY WILL, NEVER HAPPEN!

yoda13

Oct 15, 2004, 05:37 PM

It would be 64MB at the very most. I'd wager Apple sticking with 32, judging how long it took for the 12" PB to go to 64.

I agree, the iBook will more than likely stay 32 mb. on the vram.

zelmo

Oct 15, 2004, 05:42 PM

....I agree, the iBook will more than likely stay 32 mb. on the vram.

Agreed, but a BTO option for 64 would be nice, though.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 05:43 PM

Agreed, but a BTO option for 64 would be nice, though.
They may do this, but only on the 14" mind.

Some_Big_Spoon

Oct 15, 2004, 05:49 PM

Unless they're updating the powerbooks too, this wouldn't make much sense. The 12" PB would look laughable and a bit pointless.. unless they're dropping it.. I sure hope not.

The PB's need updating PDQ up, up, and away from the current G4. Whether it's a dual core G4, a G5, a damn hamster in a wheel, the PB's, in my opinion (flame on) just don't cut it compared to the desktops (flame on higher).

The bus speeds, max RAM and VRAM all need to be upped post haste. Shrinking the difference between the consumer and "pro" lines makes no sense right before the holiday buying season. But what the hell do I know.

Poff

Oct 15, 2004, 05:51 PM

Could someone fill me in here? What is CoreImage, really? And will Tiger require it?

I'm looking into buying an iBook soon, but if it won't play nice with Tiger.. :(

I don't think the design will change. High-school kids love it, as far as I've heard.

hey! I love it too! :)

MacSA

Oct 15, 2004, 05:52 PM

I agree, the iBook will more than likely stay 32 mb. on the vram.

The hardware in the new iBooks, whenever they come, could give a clue as to when Tiger comes out. An update next week with the same 32mb graphics as the current models would give them time to have one more update in early April next year for example. But with a fully hardware compaible iBook pre-installed with Tiger
:D

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 05:52 PM

Unless they're updating the powerbooks too, this wouldn't make much sense. The 12" PB would look laughable and a bit pointless.. unless they're dropping it.. I sure hope not.
They will not drop the 12" PowerBook - it is one of the best-selling Macs and has a good profit margin.

swissmann

Oct 15, 2004, 05:56 PM

Fine. Update the iBooks with a faster G4 and move the Powerbooks to G5.

johnnyjibbs

Oct 15, 2004, 05:58 PM

Could someone fill me in here? What is CoreImage, really? And will Tiger require it?

I'm looking into buying an iBook soon, but if it won't play nice with Tiger.. :
Don't worry - Apple will not sell any hardware that won't run the OS in 6 months - even the original iMacs (ones with FireWire) will run Tiger. CoreImage is a high powered graphics effects package that comes as part of the underlying system in Tiger, just like programs can tap into something called CoreAudio in OS X right now (e.g. Logic and GarageBand). CoreImage is just a set of effects that programs can call upon to make things easier - but they require hefty graphics cards. There is a list of compatible video cards on the Apple website and currently all Macs except iBooks and eMacs can run it. It would be strange for Apple to sell Macs that can't run CoreImage in some shape or form when Tiger is released though, hence the speculation.

Non-compatible CoreImage Macs will still be able to run Tiger and it will work fine, they just won't be able to take advantage of any pro apps that require it (like Motion which is available now). Don't worry too much though - even new iBooks that are compatible will not be able to run CoreImage THAT well - you will need a dual G5 for that, but it shouldn't concern the target audience who wants an iBook.

Poff

Oct 15, 2004, 05:58 PM

Bad news, though -- the extra RAM I'd already ordered from Crucial has arrived -- I just hope it will be compatible with the new configuration.

Don't you have some kind of send-back policy in the UK? We've got 14 days when you don't buy it in a physical store or through the phone here. I'd send it right back if I were you! (or maybe wait a couple of days and see first..)

Poff

Oct 15, 2004, 06:01 PM

Don't worry - Apple will not sell any hardware that won't run the OS in 6 months - even the original iMacs (ones with FireWire) will run Tiger. CoreImage is a high powered graphics effects package that comes as part of the underlying system in Tiger, just like programs can tap into something called CoreAudio in OS X right now (e.g. Logic and GarageBand). CoreImage is just a set of effects that programs can call upon to make things easier - but they require hefty graphics cards. There is a list of compatible video cards on the Apple website and currently all Macs except iBooks and eMacs can run it. It would be strange for Apple to sell Macs that can't run CoreImage in some shape or form when Tiger is released though, hence the speculation.

Non-compatible CoreImage Macs will still be able to run Tiger and it will work fine, they just won't be able to take advantage of any pro apps that require it (like Motion which is available now). Don't worry too much though - even new iBooks that are compatible will not be able to run CoreImage THAT well - you will need a dual G5 for that, but it shouldn't concern the target audience who wants an iBook.

Ahh, thanks for the explanation! :) Well, I'd probably use it mostly for music anyways so that's not really a prob. I remember the demo of CoreImage now that you're talking about it.. pretty cool stuff. :)

MacNut

Oct 15, 2004, 06:11 PM

Have there been any rumors of Apple having new processors ready for the Powerbooks that would allow them to be updated with the ibooks next week. Plus when were the Powerbooks last updated?

Macmaniac

Oct 15, 2004, 06:17 PM

No new iBooks until new PBs come out, this is a certain, a speed bump would make them faster then the current PBs. That makes no sense.

DHagan4755

Oct 15, 2004, 06:19 PM

IIRC, iBooks and PowerBooks were last updated on April 19, 2004.

MacNut

Oct 15, 2004, 06:22 PM

So they are due for an upgrade then.

Dr. Dastardly

Oct 15, 2004, 06:23 PM

I don't see any Powerbook upgrade until at least MWSF. I just say this because I don't see the PB getting a small speed bump but instead using freescale. That will mute all the nay sayers for at least a couple of weeks. :p

And why is it so out there that they will upgrade the iBooks and not the PB's? They have done it before and no doubt will do it again. The Powerbook is due for a big change soon so they will bide their time until it is finished. Even if they iBook got a speed bump, there are still alot of differences between the PB and iBook line besides the clock speed of the CPU.

jobberwacky

Oct 15, 2004, 06:29 PM

Yeah is this valid?

What do we know about this source?
It's probably the most popular German-language site. And they're normally predominantly a no-nonsense facts site. They reference their sources if they take up information from elsewhere.

My guess is that they're pretty sure about their case, otherwise they wouldn't be boasting.

Xtremehkr

Oct 15, 2004, 06:30 PM

I don't remember them being updated together the last few times that improvements were made. I don't see any reason why they would not be updated independent of each other. I can see the iBook getting a bump in power and memory to stay competitive, I am sure that a PB improvement will follow shortly. Maybe there will be an athestic change as Apple seems to be favoring anodized aluminum these days. The Power Book may be in limbo for a little while since the next improvement should include an upgrade to a G5 chip. There has been no indication of how close Apple are to having a G5 chip available for the PB, but that is what people really want.

stylewriter

Oct 15, 2004, 06:34 PM

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

No thank you.

I love the sony micro-notebooks, my mother has a z505R(12" no CD) and it's incredibly light. I RARELY ever use CDs and would appreciate the lower weight and size, I already have an external USB/Firewire DVD +/- Burner.

jaw04005

Oct 15, 2004, 06:37 PM

Powerbooks are still shipping "same day", iBooks have been moved to 3 to 5 days. So at least there is a small chance of iBooks being updated. However, its unusual for Apple to update the iBooks and not the Powerbooks. The last several updates have came together.

JonMaker

Oct 15, 2004, 06:45 PM

Within the next twelve months, I will be getting myself a portable Mac to replace both a portable peecee and an iMac G4.

The only features that interest me (other than the obvious number differences) that the PowerBook series has that the iBook series does not have so far are:

1. Ability to support dual display (not mirrored) without a hack.
2. Backlit keyboard
3. AirPort Extreme (non BTO) and Gigabit
4. DISPLAY QUALITY!!! (and 1024x768 is so passé)

What are the chances that these features will trickle down from the PowerBooks to the iBooks?

coolfactor

Oct 15, 2004, 06:58 PM

THEIR WILL NEVER BE 512 STANDARD IN THE IBOOKS! EVEN THE IMACS OR EMACS! YOU GUYS KEEP SAYIN THEY WILL, NEVER HAPPEN!

Are you a little over-excited?

I think Apple will go with 256MB as stock. It took them a while to bump up from 128MB. My thinking is that if someone is going to want to upgrade their RAM, they'll purchase a complete replacement, so it's better to be replacing 128MB rather than 256MB, and by keeping the RAM at the bottom, Apple is increasing custom orders. Just a thought.

Poff

Oct 15, 2004, 07:01 PM

1. Ability to support dual display (not mirrored) without a hack.

I thought the limitations were in the graphics card itself. Am I not right?

btw. I think 1024*768 has yet to see its end..

Phatpat

Oct 15, 2004, 07:19 PM

I thought the limitations were in the graphics card itself

It's just Apple's wonderful way to differentiate the consumer and pro lines. It is easily hacked, I'm spanning an extra monitor on my iMac G5, my brother does it occasionally on his G4 iBook.

Poff

Oct 15, 2004, 07:38 PM

It's just Apple's wonderful way to differentiate the consumer and pro lines. It is easily hacked, I'm spanning an extra monitor on my iMac G5, my brother does it occasionally on his G4 iBook.

Cool! So how do you hack it? Sorry, guess my iMac isn't supported anyways..

People keep saying the difference between iBook / powerbook will be too small, but I do not agree. There are many parts that are better in the powerbook than the ibook.

virividox

Oct 15, 2004, 07:38 PM

hmmm if they bump ibook speeds the diff between it and the powerbook wont be that great, so unless they add more stuff to the pbooks i dont see apple doing an ibook upgrade

themacman

Oct 15, 2004, 07:59 PM

chanoc

Oct 15, 2004, 08:32 PM

I still use a 500Mhz ibook. If I upgraded it would be to a PowerBook. This rumor stinks. :rolleyes:

Duane Martin

Oct 15, 2004, 09:06 PM

I had placed a "special order" for a PB 15" Radeon 128MB, 80 GB 5400rpm drive on October 4th through a local reseller. As of October 14th, the reseller let me know Apple had not started to build my special order PB and I was welcome to cancel my order (rumours of new books and all).

Now was my PB not built because Apple is putting the boot to resellers, i.e. if I had ordered on-line, would I have my PB? :confused:

Or was it because the BTO parts were no longer available as the PB revision is just around the corner? :rolleyes:

Or was the Apple manufacturing plant on an extended lunch? :D

Now I read about potential iBook revisions, while a bird in Cupertino sang to me that my hope of a new Powerbook on October 19th might be a "week or two premature."

So, this Tuesday (Oct 19th) will bring new iBooks. The following Tuesday (Oct 26th) will bring new Powerbooks (no G5, not for a year, no dual cores, not built for purpose). And who knows what Tuesday Nov 2nd will bring, but those of us in Canada will be watching closely.

Spades

Oct 15, 2004, 09:19 PM

I could not agree more.. optical driveless notebook is not something I even "think" to buy.. I can agree about making it thinner, but this should not be done with taking out the drive...

Why wouldn't you want to take out the drive? If you don't use it often, it's dead weight. An external drive wouldn't be a big bother, other than being slightly more expensive.

football751

Oct 15, 2004, 09:35 PM

I am currently a high school student using a 1.2 ghz 14 in iBook G4, AE, Combo, and do mainly Word, Email, Internet, lots of iPod and iTunes, some iPhoto, hopefully some iMovie (if we ever get a video camera), a little bit of website making, some Macromedia stuff, and PowerPoint/Keynote presentations. My question is....

Is CoreImage in 10.4 really going to be worth it if taht is all I do? I plan on upgrading to 10.4 anyway, so that is not a problem. But is it worth me seeling kine for a new CoreImage complient one? I just got mine in May 04, and it is pretty much top-of-the-line (exceot for BlueTooth and SuperDruve). Is it really worth me selling mine (which is in great condition) to buy a new one after I just got mine 5 months ago. I would still like to get the top-of-the-line, so if they drop teh price, taht would be great. I really don;t need a SuperDrive, ratehr get an external LaCie at 16x w/ Toast 6. Just wondering if I should dish out the $300+ it may cost me to upgrade.

morkintosh

Oct 15, 2004, 09:36 PM

BornAgainMac

Oct 15, 2004, 10:21 PM

I still want a iBook mini. 10 inch widescreen display. I mostly purchase software online from the publishers directly so I save those images to a firewire drive. All my music is purchased online from iTunes and I burn my iMovie DVDs from my G5. On the Airport network, I can mount that CD from my iBook mini if I wanted and I still have an external CD Drive collecting dust.

~Shard~

Oct 15, 2004, 10:44 PM

Maybe Apple will bypass the PowerBooks and slap a G5 in the iBook first, just to tick a bunch of people off! :p ;)

It would be nice to see some updates to the line, it's kind of due, and would no doubt be an excellent move with the Xmas season approaching.

Can eMac updates be far behind then? :confused:

Some_Big_Spoon

Oct 15, 2004, 10:54 PM

Nothing wrong with that at all.

then we are getting dangerously close to a tablet ...

Stella

Oct 15, 2004, 11:31 PM

Absurd. Never is a long time. What you really mean is "for the foreseeable future.

THEIR WILL NEVER BE 512 STANDARD IN THE IBOOKS! EVEN THE IMACS OR EMACS! YOU GUYS KEEP SAYIN THEY WILL, NEVER HAPPEN!

Apple only need a small speed bump on the PB to keep them ahead of the iBooks as is present. OverClocking perhaps? Maybe ( I really doubt it though) the G5 PowerBook isn't that far into the future.

IMO: These days PowerBooks are looking very unattractive compared to the much cheaper iBook and the gap isn't that much these days either. The only thing you miss is the superdrive and the 15" screen if you go for that range. You can hack the iBook firmware to give you dual monitor support. An iBook over >= 1Ghz is pretty good for the price.

VicMacs

Oct 15, 2004, 11:47 PM

Maybe Apple will bypass the PowerBooks and slap a G5 ( :eek: ) in the iBook first, just to tick a bunch of people off! :p ;)

It would be nice to see some updates to the line, it's kind of due, and would no doubt be an excellent move with the Xmas season approaching.

Can eMac updates be far behind then? :confused:

now there's a thought...... :D

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 12:22 AM

Absurd. Never is a long time. What you really mean is "for the foreseeable future.

Yah, that's more accurate - never implies that in 2012 when Apple releases the G8 25 GHz iBook, when 1 TB of RAM is the norm, that the iBook will only come with 512 MB. ;)

Apple only need a small speed bump on the PB to keep them ahead of the iBooks as is present. OverClocking perhaps? Maybe ( I really doubt it though) the G5 PowerBook isn't that far into the future.

I still think a dual core G4 PowerBook is more likely as the next major upgrade than a G5 PowerBook is. Granted, Apple has done an amazing thing in fitting the hot G5 chip into the new iMacs, however still, a 2" enclosure is significantly different than a 1" enclosure. G5 PowerBooks will come out, but I don't know if we'll see them for another year.

IMO: These days PowerBooks are looking very unattractive compared to the much cheaper iBook and the gap isn't that much these days either.

Somewhat similar to the iMac and eMac situation before the G5 iMac came out. However now it sounds like APple might do the opposite and upgrade the iBook, not the PowerBook, and make that gap even narrower - interesting.

corywoolf

Oct 16, 2004, 12:26 AM

i look into the crystal ball.... and see a new line of ibooks with a new casing and no price drop. maybe a superdrive in the 12 in" model too (available). the ibook will incorporate color changing led lights that can be blinked to the music or can tell battery life, time of day, etc.I think the led lighting technology that apple patented is going to play a roll and everyone forgot about it by now. so maybe they will make the ipods more flashy and the ibooks more flashy too.
The ipod will most likely have a commercial premiere with U2 or some other band. The ipod will probably just have a color screen with the option to browse by artwork. the ipod and ibook will be getting commercials to try to boost holiday sales. I would think the ibook would be resembling the dramatic change of the new imac. they want to target the youth by making the ibook as cool to own as the ipod. maybe they could bundle a ipod mini with a ibook?????

but check out the pic i made, my first mach add, i know its pathetic compared to the experienced people's ;)

serpico

Oct 16, 2004, 12:37 AM

Well, if you check the Canadian Apple site, shipping dates have surely changed from earlier this week. I've been looking into buying a new mac, and checking the dates for shipping to give me a clue.

I can say that the shipping date has changed to 5-7 days for ALL iBooks. I'm sure now that there will be a new model on Tuesday. Powerbooks are still at 3-5 days, but that can change too the following week. Not sure about the date, need to check the Buyer's Guide here at the site.

I really think we will see new iBooks, but no new eMacs. They still say 3-5 days for shipping, but of course, that could change overnight. Who really knows ? I don't see Apple dropping prices and just giving us some speed bumps. It sure would be nice to see a new design. I still have a May 2002 iBook G3 700 but Garageband makes it slow as a snail. I still love it. :D

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 12:44 AM

I think the led lighting technology that apple patented is going to play a roll and everyone forgot about it by now. so maybe they will make the ipods more flashy and the ibooks more flashy too.
The ipod will most likely have a commercial premiere with U2 or some other band. The ipod will probably just have a color screen with the option to browse by artwork. the ipod and ibook will be getting commercials to try to boost holiday sales.

but check out the pic i made, my first mach add, i know its pathetic compared to the experienced people's ;)

I like how you conveniently directed your post into "off-topic land" and commented on the new iPod just so you could show off the graphic you did up which you've already posted in other threads. :p ;)

they want to target the youth by making the ibook as cool to own as the ipod. maybe they could bundle a ipod mini with a ibook?????

Not a bad idea at all, but probably not going to happen...

And lastly, how exactly does one "play a roll"? :confused: :p :cool:

evilgEEk

Oct 16, 2004, 12:51 AM

Well, for completely selfish reasons I hope there's not an update, or a very minimal one if there is. I bought an iBook with the Cram and Jam two months ago so if there is an update and, more importantly, a price drop I'm going to be upset at myself. ;)

I never thought Apple would bump the iBooks before they either bumped or re-vamped the Powerbook, but the sudden change from "same business day" shipping to "3-5 business day" shipping has me convinced that something is up.

Oh well, I guess if there's a significant update then maybe I'll hit ebay with my current iBook. :D

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 12:55 AM

Oh well, I guess if there's a significant update then maybe I'll hit ebay with my current iBook. :D

That's what eBay is for, after all! I can just imagine how many people have sold their iPods (multiple times!) on eBay with all the frequent updates to them - and possibly another one coming up if the 60 GB iPod rumor is true!

MiLife

Oct 16, 2004, 01:57 AM

Well, for completely selfish reasons I hope there's not an update, or a very minimal one if there is...

I, too, hope that this isn't true for selfish reasons. I am trying to sell my Powerbook 1.25, and this could lower my resale value by a bit. I have been infected with the desire to own a G5, and the Powerbook is my financial leverage.

But, alas, I must concede that progress can only be a good thing. And with Apple showing significant gains as of late, this can only bring more positive change for them. A slight hit for me or a bigger net gain for Apple... I guess I could take one for the team. Bring 'em on, Apple, and make 'em good ( but not too good... :rolleyes: )

corywoolf

Oct 16, 2004, 02:16 AM

I like how you conveniently directed your post into "off-topic land" and commented on the new iPod just so you could show off the graphic you did up which you've already posted in other threads. :p ;)

Not a bad idea at all, but probably not going to happen...

And lastly, how exactly does one "play a roll"? :confused: :p :cool:

bullseye, lol, i admit it, sorry, at least i talked about the ibook a little though lol. there hasn't been enough rumors lately, so i was just trying to get a conversation going.

;)

corywoolf

Oct 16, 2004, 02:19 AM

I like how you conveniently directed your post into "off-topic land" and commented on the new iPod just so you could show off the graphic you did up which you've already posted in other threads. :p ;)

Not a bad idea at all, but probably not going to happen...

And lastly, how exactly does one "play a roll"? :confused: :p :cool:

i meant that led lighting on the ibook is coming soon, i think at least. it'd be a great gimmick to get the youth market excited about the ibooks. well, i think we are at least going to see a new case.

:)

Nermal

Oct 16, 2004, 02:24 AM

I don't think the new chips are ready from Freescale yet, either dualcore or the ones that are pin compatible with the current motherboards, at least according to freescale.

It's possible (although unlikely) that Freescale simply isn't announcing new chips because they're all going to Apple. If only Apple can get the chips, there's no point in advertising them. It's unlikely, but it's happened before (1.25 and 1.42 G4s when Motorola's site only listed 1 GHz).

jibbs - I don't like the new tar, just being honest

On the other hand, I think it's very good.

belair

Oct 16, 2004, 03:57 AM

On the other hand, I think it's very good.

He already changed the tar. The new one is pretty cool.

I think this update is going to happen. I went looking for an ibook this week and I went to my apple dealer. The guy already knows me, as I bought my G5 there this summer and I called him up about getting a laptop.

He is a very friendly chap and when he told me he did not have any ibooks in he said with a smirk on his face that he was not shure about when he would get the next shipment. Now if the ibooks were comming in a normal cyclus he could have given me a precise date but if he was waiting for some news from apple he could not be shure when exactly that would be…

But as the compulsive buyer I am I decided not to pay attention to his good advice to wait for the next shipmement (of new ibooks!) and looked around in other stores an bought myself a 12 incher.
It is so hard for me to take the deciscion to buy something that once I made up my mind I need to go out and buy it immediately. If that does not happen I fall back to analysing my situation and asking myself if I really need the product.

Mmmh, ebay it or ebay it not.
If this update makes a difference it will be hard to resist.

belair

Oct 16, 2004, 04:07 AM

There we go!!! :)

I don't think that they will change the form factor. Designing a new computer from the ground up is really expensive. If the want to drop prices they have to keep the old look.
The white look is a huge seller, ipod, ibook and now imac, why change that?

iProbot

Oct 16, 2004, 04:41 AM

The white look is a huge seller, ipod, ibook and now imac, why change that?

Ok, but the first generation iMac was a huge seller too, and look at where we are today ;)

dontmatter

Oct 16, 2004, 04:44 AM

you can't bump the speed of the ibook too close to the powerbook, otherwise the powerbook is just an overpriced, outdated computer.

Sounds a lot like

you can't bump the speed of the emac too close to the imac, otherwise the imac is just an overpriced, outdated computer.

Need I say more? If we follow the parallels, we can take a stab at when a g5 can be cramed into a PB, although it will probably be a bit later still, given how loudly apple has said "no g5 pb soon".

toughboy

Oct 16, 2004, 05:15 AM

Why wouldn't you want to take out the drive? If you don't use it often, it's dead weight. An external drive wouldn't be a big bother, other than being slightly more expensive.

I travel with my 12" Powerbook and I cant imagine myself as PB in my one hand, external drive in the other hand, trying to be comfortable in the bus to Istanbul and trying to enjoy the last episode of "everybody loves raymond" dvd which I burned few hours ago on my PC.. :) Does this even sound fine?.. nooo... :D

Plus.. remember the times that all portables are new, and there was a common form that all extra stuff were external, like drives, floppy and even battery.. This would be a backward step to those old days..

gatorron

Oct 16, 2004, 05:56 AM

If this is true, Steve must be reading my posts (right).

While I waited all summer for the iMac G5 w/AE (it's awesome) I imagined also buying a low-end, light weight notebook, so I could surf from the porch, bedroom, easy chair. Having a small network at home, too cool. I'd do the heavy work on the G5, so the notebook could be basic and I'd be happy.

The post that imagined trimming weight by removing the CD was an intriguing idea. I wonder what else could be done?

toughboy

Oct 16, 2004, 06:04 AM

The post that imagined trimming weight by removing the CD was an intriguing idea. I wonder what else could be done?

Well.. Even if Apple takes out the optical drive and releases that product, it wouldnt be named iBook.. That would be.. iBook Mini[/B] :D

toughboy

Oct 16, 2004, 06:05 AM

verces

Oct 16, 2004, 06:59 AM

I can't say I'm much of an expert on the iBook/PowerBook field, (my expertise being in the iPod...:P) but my plans were to either get an iBook or a new iPod (but recent rumors on the new color iPod has halted that, if they bring a color iPod for a 40GB, then.....I cannot buy one now can I?)...financial funds are not enough for both...alas.

If the iBook gets the price drop, with a possible upgrade in its Video RAM + a basic improvement overall.......the story does change slightly. Only problem being the Tiger. What about the Tiger then?

Mord

Oct 16, 2004, 09:03 AM

Stella

Oct 16, 2004, 09:04 AM

I still think a dual core G4 PowerBook is more likely as the next major upgrade than a G5 PowerBook is. Granted, Apple has done an amazing thing in fitting the hot G5 chip into the new iMacs, however still, a 2" enclosure is significantly different than a 1" enclosure. G5 PowerBooks will come out, but I don't know if we'll see them for another year.

I certinly agree. Unfortunately we won't see anything of the Dual core G4 until Q2 2004 - there was a story about forthcoming G4 chips a few weeks ago.

A dual core G4 chip in a PB would be very good and a very attractive buy.

AmigoMac

Oct 16, 2004, 09:26 AM

I could not agree more.. optical driveless notebook is not something I even "think" to buy.. I can agree about making it thinner, but this should not be done with taking out the drive...

.5 cm may be still taken off but not before the PB's ... nevermind, I'm not apple engineer.

serpico

Oct 16, 2004, 09:35 AM

Windowlicker

Oct 16, 2004, 09:47 AM

but check out the pic i made, my first mach add, i know its pathetic compared to the experienced people's ;)

i'm sorry, but I really hope the iPod interface isn't changing to that one.

titaniumducky

Oct 16, 2004, 09:59 AM

I travel with my 12" Powerbook and I cant imagine myself as PB in my one hand, external drive in the other hand, trying to be comfortable in the bus to Istanbul and trying to enjoy the last episode of "everybody loves raymond" dvd which I burned few hours ago on my PC.. :) Does this even sound fine?.. nooo... :D

Plus.. remember the times that all portables are new, and there was a common form that all extra stuff were external, like drives, floppy and even battery.. This would be a backward step to those old days..

You would use the external drive at home to rip "Everybody Loves Raymond" to your computer to watch while you travel. This kind of laptop is aimed at people who don't use optical drives much and when they do could rip the material onto the HD.

brap

Oct 16, 2004, 10:02 AM

Oh dear. Well, it could happen, and then I'd be so completely jealous. I prefer the 12" iBook form factor anyway. It's happened before, remember when the eMac was so close to the iMac in specs and worlds apart in price?

This must mean the PowerBooks will be getting substantially boosted at some point soon, which is good - I just hope it's well publicised, I want good ebay resale on this one!

virus1

Oct 16, 2004, 10:51 AM

OK... I believe it. would be nice for some ibook updates

and good point brap

AidenShaw

Oct 16, 2004, 10:55 AM

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

This is a specious argument - the laptop can boot from any USB or 1394 optical drive, or from the network.
___________________________________________________

What would be wrong with Apple having four product lines in their laptop offering:

SmallBook - 2 to 3 lbs, 3/4" thick, 10" to 12" XGA, no optical builtin, optical in optional docking station (see the Dell X300 (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_x300?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=viewstab#tabtop) for example - note that "MediaBase" containing the optical attaches to the bottom of the laptop - making it a thicker and heavier laptop with effectively a "builtin CD" (and with a convenient extra battery in the base to spin the CD!))
iBook
PowerBook
BigBook - 10 lbs or more, G5, dual HD + optical - for people who want power over portability (the Wintel folks are selling tons of these with full power desktop hyperthreading Pentium 4s)

Wouldn't choice be good?

Sol

Oct 16, 2004, 11:07 AM

iBook Mini sounds like a good idea. I would prefer that it had a dock with a DVD-RW.

Wasted Youth

Oct 16, 2004, 11:34 AM

Little Endian

Oct 16, 2004, 11:50 AM

Here's a question. I've been a mac user for 3 years, and wouldn't know the answer. Has Apple ever made a notebook that had an optional external optical drive ? If not, Apple would probably not go down that route.

I was at a local big electronics retailer last weekend, and I didn't see too any PC notebooks without the optical drive. I believe Sony tried in the past, (as well as others) but they don't seem to advertise those models as much as their regular PC notebooks. I don't think many people like being without their optical drive. Some people actually use it to listen to audio cd's ! :D

Yes Apple did make an external Portable CD drive available in the past with it's early Power PC notebooks in the Mid 90's. Apple also used to make a sub-notebook class computer called the Duo that had no floppy as well and was included only in external form.

Poff

Oct 16, 2004, 11:55 AM

Gimme an iBook mini any day! Of course with the same finish as the iPod minis - 10" touch screen, no keyboard and an external optical drive.. Gimme an Apple tablet, ok!?

Even if they did give me that, I'm still not sure what I would want, tho..Both things are good for their stuff..

Yvan256

Oct 16, 2004, 12:19 PM

I am currently a high school student using a 1.2 ghz 14 in iBook G4, AE, Combo. ... I really don't need a SuperDrive, rather get an external LaCie at 16x w/ Toast 6.

Slightly off-topic question here (or not, since I'm wondering if I should get a Combo or SuperDrive iBook): do you really need a built-in superdrive to be able to use iMovie/iDVD? Can't you use external drives?

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 12:24 PM

Slightly off-topic question here (or not, since I'm wondering if I should get a Combo or SuperDrive iBook): do you really need a built-in superdrive to be able to use iMovie/iDVD? Can't you use external drives?

I thought I read somewhere that iDVD won't work unless it detects a SuperDrive in your machine. Could be wrong though.... iMovie will work regardless...

Yvan256

Oct 16, 2004, 12:35 PM

I still want a iBook mini. 10 inch widescreen display.

Count me in on that too!

Introducing the iBook mini:
- PowerPC G4 at 667MHz (Freescale) or PowerPC G3+Altivec at 667MHz (IBM)
- 256MB RAM (Max 1.25GB, 256MB on-board, 1 SODIMM slot)
- 10.4" widescreen display at 1024x600 (Toshiba)
- ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 with 64MB VRAM
- S-Video out
- 60GB 1.8" HD (Toshiba - yep, the one everybody thinks is going into that "60GB iPod with color display and iPhoto compatibility")
- Two USB 2.0 ports
- One Firewire 400 port
- Two PCMCIA slots
- Compactflash and MMC/SD slots (for iPhoto/camera users)
- Ethernet port
- 56kbps modem
- Built-in/Optionnal wireless options (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 802.11g)
- 12 hours battery life

Only 749$US.

In short, something similar in size to a Sony PictureBook or Toshiba Libretto.

Apple already released the iPod mini, they're now opening Apple mini stores, so the next logical step is the iBook mini (and the PowerMac mini, too, while we're at it). ;-)

(never mind the picture below, the iBook mini would be colored aluminium like the iPod mini. And I you want to know, I'd take a blue iBook mini. Or silver).

Poff

Oct 16, 2004, 12:40 PM

I thought I read somewhere that iDVD won't work unless it detects a SuperDrive in your machine. Could be wrong though.... iMovie will work regardless...

well.. you have the hurz pfurz hack..

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=204923&highlight=idvd

I've never tried it myself, so try at your own risk.

Neodym

Oct 16, 2004, 12:46 PM

well.. you have the hurz pfurz hack..

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=204923&highlight=idvd

I've never tried it myself, so try at your own risk.

Have tried that "hack" succesfully on a 450 MHz Cube, writing to a disc image. A friend of mine uses this solution since about half a year on his 800MHz flowerpot iMac with an external DVD writer... Some people did report having problems, but i can't confirm them :-)

Ambrose Chapel

Oct 16, 2004, 01:21 PM

a friend of mine recently asked my opinion about whether to get an iBook and i told him not to, based on the coreimage specs. i'm sure apple will have a new iBook by Tiger's release, especially if that's in march. the sooner, of course, the better.
:)

manu chao

Oct 16, 2004, 01:41 PM

Here's a question. I've been a mac user for 3 years, and wouldn't know the answer. Has Apple ever made a notebook that had an optional external optical drive ? If not, Apple would probably not go down that route.

I was at a local big electronics retailer last weekend, and I didn't see too any PC notebooks without the optical drive. I believe Sony tried in the past, (as well as others) but they don't seem to advertise those models as much as their regular PC notebooks. I don't think many people like being without their optical drive. Some people actually use it to listen to audio cd's ! :D
As an addition to little Endian's answer, Apple shipped a so called weight saving module together with the Pismo. Essentially a small piece of plastic that you put in the slot where normally the DVD-ROM drive would sit. No reduction in size but maybe 400g (?) lighter. You might remember that on Pismos you could take out the DVD drive and put in a Zip drive or another hard drive or a second battery.

pimentoLoaf

Oct 16, 2004, 01:55 PM

When the iBook reaches 2ghz speed, I'll leapfrog my 1.33ghz 17" pb for one and finally replace my 500mhz iceBook.

I only have three programs on that oldie that would need upgrading: Office 2001, Pagemaker 6.5 Plus, and Bryce. (Don't think I'd need an upgrade for Conflict :eek: Catcher.)

serpico

Oct 16, 2004, 01:55 PM

Thanks for the response guys in regards to the external components on past notebooks. Even though Apple may have done this in the past, I really don't think they would do it again. But it would be very cool if they did re-introduce this feature in their line up. I'm holding off buying a new mac until I see these iBooks. I'll just keep plugging away on my G3 700 iBook for now... :cool:

kewpid

Oct 16, 2004, 02:45 PM

The School District I work for has just received a couple of new iBooks. They are 12" education models running at higher than 1 GHZ. Box says the following:
IBOOK/1064/256/30/CD-ROM/AP

Is this something anyone else has seen, or is this an anomaly? Just curious.

The 1 ghz iBooks are actually 1064mhz. (133mhz FSB * 8 = 1064)

It's probably just easier to market them as 1ghz than "1.064ghz".

itsa

Oct 16, 2004, 02:50 PM

Just a speed bump? Is this no longer the year of the notebook? How about redesigning the ibook wth the same colors and galvanized aluminum used in the iPod minis?

And just toss in a free mini with it.

Mark my words on that!

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 03:05 PM

The 1 ghz iBooks are actually 1064mhz. (133mhz FSB * 8 = 1064)

It's probably just easier to market them as 1ghz than "1.064ghz".

And I doubt anyone notices the 64 MHz discrepancy in their performance... ;)

MacPhreak

Oct 16, 2004, 03:39 PM

And I doubt anyone notices the 64 MHz discrepancy in their performance... ;)

Wow, times have changed. When I was in high school, 64mhz was faster than most everything out there. The 100mhz Pentiums & 66mhz Powermacs came out towards the end of my senior year, iirc, and most everyone was using Pluses & II's & 286's, 386's, and slooow 486's.

And now 64mhz is negligible. I feel old... ;)

TWinbrook46636

Oct 16, 2004, 04:27 PM

I just want a widescreen iBook. is that too much to ask?

aswitcher

Oct 16, 2004, 04:48 PM

I thought I read somewhere that iDVD won't work unless it detects a SuperDrive in your machine. Could be wrong though.... iMovie will work regardless...

Yeah, thats right. A friend I helped switch found her 12" and Lacie external burner would not work with iDVD. That was really disappointing because Toast doesn't do anything like iDVD for menus etc. In the end I moved the project to my PB and set up a master for her. I hope Apple remove some of these artificial limitations soon...

kylos

Oct 16, 2004, 04:54 PM

Well, I just ordered a loaded 12 in pb (minus ram :)) on monday from the apple store. Final cut express arrived wednesday, but the pbook has yet to ship, despite the 1-3 day est. shipping time, which has now been reduced to immediate. If the ibook is going to be updated, then the pbook must be as well.

AidenShaw

Oct 16, 2004, 04:55 PM

I just want a widescreen iBook. is that too much to ask?

Do you want them to remove pixels from the height, or add them to the width?

The former is a loss, the latter is a win.

I want more pixels - cutting off the bottom of the screen and calling the smaller screen "wide-screen" is a false improvement.

I have a couple of the 1600x1200 Samsung 21" LCDs, and a couple of the 1920x1200 24" Samsung LCDs.

I like the bigger screens - but no way would I want a 1600x1000 "widescreen" model. What a fraud to lose 320K pixels and claim that "wide is better". (But of course 1600x1000 is much better than 1280x1024 "narrow-screen".)

billystlyes

Oct 16, 2004, 05:17 PM

15 inch screen "1280 x 1024"
1.5 G4
512 Ram
dvd burner
64 mb graphics
right mouse button
abilty to scroll with trackpad
backlight keyboard "option"
audio in

for 1399-1499

earthtoandy

Oct 16, 2004, 05:33 PM

or maybe you could just buy a powerbook since you just described one.

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 05:49 PM

Wow, times have changed. When I was in high school, 64mhz was faster than most everything out there. The 100mhz Pentiums & 66mhz Powermacs came out towards the end of my senior year, iirc, and most everyone was using Pluses & II's & 286's, 386's, and slooow 486's.

And now 64mhz is negligible. I feel old... ;)

I remember 286s, 386s and 486s as well - I actually learned 8086 assembly language in a university class so I know them all too well! In high school the first Pentium-90s came out and I remember I had to slow down all the programs I would write in my CS class in QuickBasic on our PS/2s because when my teacher would test them on his "blazing fast" Pentium 90, my programs would run too fast! :eek:

Ah, good times... :cool:

billystlyes

Oct 16, 2004, 06:01 PM

or maybe you could just buy a powerbook since you just described one.
Yea but not everyone has Powerbook mola!

TWinbrook46636

Oct 16, 2004, 06:07 PM

Do you want them to remove pixels from the height, or add them to the width?

iBook G4 13" @ 1152 x 768
iBook G4 15" @ 1280 x 854

I would like to see Apple release new iBooks and PowerBooks using the same 13" and 15" screens and basic internal design. The PowerBook versions would be faster, lighter and with more features of course but by sharing basic components it would allow them to offer lower prices to us.

aswitcher

Oct 16, 2004, 06:11 PM

15 inch screen "1280 x 1024"
1.5 G4
512 Ram
dvd burner
64 mb graphics
right mouse button
abilty to scroll with trackpad
backlight keyboard "option"
audio in

for 1399-1499

You have just about described the current powerbook...I can't see Apple producing an iBook like this because it would muddle the line distinctions and cannablise powerbook sales...

Duane Martin

Oct 16, 2004, 06:16 PM

Wow, times have changed. When I was in high school, 64mhz was faster than most everything out there...And now 64mhz is negligible. I feel old... ;)
Yeah, and when I was in high school I programmed in BASIC by marking cards with a pencil and feeding them into a Wang 2200. While walking five miles up hill with only a lump of coal for lunch. But try telling that to young ones today! ;)

I still want to see new iBooks and Powerbooks next week, despite my failing eyesight (not iSight).

billystlyes

Oct 16, 2004, 06:31 PM

You have just about described the current powerbook...I can't see Apple producing an iBook like this because it would muddle the line distinctions and cannablise powerbook sales...

I know but its time to update the Powerbook as well. Apple is to slow to update its laptops. I would buy the 15 inch Powerbook but its just a litte out of my budget after just getting the new iMac. I really want a portable with good specs before tiger under 1500!

iDave

Oct 16, 2004, 06:38 PM

I have a couple of the 1600x1200 Samsung 21" LCDs, and a couple of the 1920x1200 24" Samsung LCDs.

I like the bigger screens - but no way would I want a 1600x1000 "widescreen" model. What a fraud to lose 320K pixels and claim that "wide is better". (But of course 1600x1000 is much better than 1280x1024 "narrow-screen".)
I thought this thread was about iBooks. I'm not sure what you're talking about (no offense).

If there was a new 13" wide screen iBook, the maximum resolution might be 1280x854 but I suspect that would be too much. 1200x750 might be nice.

treefell

Oct 16, 2004, 07:35 PM

I ordered a 12" Powerbook on the 7th. Apple originally said it would ship on the 14th. I got an email today saying that 'due to excessive demand it would now be shipped on or before the 20th'. The 20th is next Wednesday right?
So, there could just be excessive demand, or the order's been held back to account for the upcoming update...
Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

aswitcher

Oct 16, 2004, 07:38 PM

toughboy

Oct 16, 2004, 07:53 PM

You have just about described the current powerbook...I can't see Apple producing an iBook like this because it would muddle the line distinctions and cannablise powerbook sales...

this does not sound "consumer" to me.. its more like pro-sumer.. but backlid keyboard may come with iBooks too.. we also can expect a speed jump.. but I dont expect to see nothing more in the current form factor... dvd burner in 12" would be nice though... :o

Nermal

Oct 16, 2004, 08:03 PM

Apple already released the iPod mini, they're now opening Apple mini stores, so the next logical step is the iBook mini (and the PowerMac mini, too, while we're at it). ;-)

Power Mac mini! New Cube! :D :p

blogo

Oct 16, 2004, 08:57 PM

Apple will probably reduce the price on the PowerBooks too if the price and specs on new iBooks get to competetive.

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 09:17 PM

Apple will probably reduce the price on the PowerBooks too if the price and specs on new iBooks get to competetive.

:confused:

So, if the price and specs of the iBooks becomes too competitive with the PowerBooks, Apple will remedy this by reducing the price of the PowerBooks, thereby making them even CLOSER in price to the iBooks and making things worse? Yah, that makes a lot of sense. :rolleyes:

iDave

Oct 16, 2004, 09:21 PM

:confused:

So, if the price and specs of the iBooks becomes too competitive with the PowerBooks, Apple will remedy this by reducing the price of the PowerBooks, thereby making them even CLOSER in price to the iBooks and making things worse? Yah, that makes a lot of sense. :rolleyes:
What "things" would it make worse?

AidenShaw

Oct 16, 2004, 09:22 PM

I thought this thread was about iBooks. I'm not sure what you're talking about (no offense).

The comment to which I was replying wanted "a wide-screen iBook".

Sometimes "wide-screen" means "short-screen" - a smaller, shorter screen is touted as "wide-screen".

I like "wide-screen", if it means that *more* pixels are added to the width. I think "wide-screen" sucks if it means that pixels are subtracted from the height.

The Samsung 21" and 24" monitors are identical in height (both in cm and in pixels), and differ only in width. I like the extra 320 pixels in width on the 24" model.

iDave

Oct 16, 2004, 09:36 PM

The comment to which I was replying wanted "a wide-screen iBook".

Sometimes "wide-screen" means "short-screen" - a smaller, shorter screen is touted as "wide-screen".

I like "wide-screen", if it means that *more* pixels are added to the width. I think "wide-screen" sucks if it means that pixels are subtracted from the height.
Ok, I see your point now. Somehow I doubt any revised for wide screen iBook or 12" PowerBook would become 1024x640 but I suppose anything is possible.

Sol

Oct 16, 2004, 10:12 PM

From what I understand, OS X would work better with two identical RAM sticks. iBook Mini should have 512 MB built in and one empty slot. To speed performance and save some battery, another 512 MB could be ordered.

A re-charge dock should be optional with this. This dock should have the optical drive, not the body of the portable.

~Shard~

Oct 16, 2004, 10:30 PM

What "things" would it make worse?

The initial scenario you described is, of course, undesirable, with new iBooks becoming more attractive in relation to the PowerBooks, thus reducing the PowerBook's appeal. (i.e. "I can get practically everything the PowerBook has in the iBook for a lot less - screw the PowerBook!") The same thing happened with the eMacs and iMacs before the iMacs went to the G5 architecture. You then say that if this does indeed happen, (the iBooks become too competitive), Apple will probably lower prices on the PowerBooks. Then, you will essentially have 2 different machines targeted at different markets (pro and consumer), which are now almost indistinguishable in both specs and price. This blurs the lines and destroys product differentiation, which is of course a very crucial factor.

I'm not against it, I'm just saying Apple's Marketing department probably wouldn't allow them to do things this way.

mypantsaretight

Oct 16, 2004, 10:38 PM

Why I feel this rumor holds some truth:
1) Every Oct/Nov for the last 3 years the iBook has been updated. It is now due.
2) Change in shipping times at the Apple Store.
3) Upcoming Apple education focused event.
4) A wink and a nod from my local source of info.
5) The entry level laptops have passed the low-end pro laptops in CPU MHz before, on several occasions. Didn't stop Apple then, no reason to now.

Why I don't think the PB will be updated:
1) To what? Minor speed bump ain't gonna happen.
2) No event coming. The PB is the single biggest gripe many of you seem to have. Apple knows that and will make sure to update at an event you'll be watching.
3) No "dual-core is done" announcements or even hints from the chip maker.
4) Karma. Too many of you PB lovers blasphemed the new iMac. Enjoy your wait.

Why I think the "no-drive" iBook-mini is a garbage idea:
1) Duo
2) Duo
3) Duo
4) Did I mention that big hunk of crap that was/is the Duo?
5) The five of you who want them aren't going to buy enough to make Apple care.
6) Duo.

Why I think expanding the product line to 4 laptops is a garbage idea:
1) Performa series. Could anyone other than a Mac junkie keep any of them straight?
2) Remember Jobs' words when he simplified the line to 4 offerings + an ed model? There has been exactly zero indication of any change in this philosophy.
3) If you are so envious of the 10 pound "laptops" from Alienware and Dell, just buy an XServe and an Apple display. Then go to the local hardware store and get some duct tape. Tape the monitor in laptop fashion to the XServe. Then go to the autoparts store and buy a car battery. Tape the car battery to the bottom of the XServe. Hook the monitor and XServe to the car battery. Paint case grey and tell us how cool it is.

peace

drsuse

Oct 16, 2004, 10:51 PM

Why I don't think the PB will be updated...

so your thought is something big in january, maybe with pb price drops when the new ibooks come out so that apple can clear their old stock by the time the next generation comes out?

aswitcher

Oct 16, 2004, 10:56 PM

I'm not against it, I'm just saying Apple's Marketing department probably wouldn't allow them to do things this way.

Yeah, I think the only updates for the iBook will be slight speed bump, maybe access to a bigger HDD, possibly wireless as standard (but I doubt it), maybe a slight price drop and hopefully a 64 meg vram option for the 14".

Unless of course they plan to do over the iBook line and provide shell a new non-white mini ipod shell cover option...but that seems a bit risky - getting stuck with bright pink ipods...

iDave

Oct 16, 2004, 11:05 PM

If this rumor is true and iBooks are soon updated with better specs and a price reduction then I think the PowerBooks should be reduced too, unless maybe they're updated too.

IMHO, PowerBooks have been in the same relative price range for too long and should come down regardless. The 12" PowerBook in particular simply isn't worth $500 more than the 12" iBook when you compare the specs. Sure, there are a lot of little things like a better keyboard, faster memory, bigger hard disk, included Airport and DVI out. I just don't think those things add up to $500.

Please don't tell me that a big price difference is important just to separate product lines.

AidenShaw

Oct 16, 2004, 11:12 PM

Why I think expanding the product line to 4 laptops is a garbage idea:
1) Performa series. Could anyone other than a Mac junkie keep any of them straight?
2) Remember Jobs' words when he simplified the line to 4 offerings + an ed model? There has been exactly zero indication of any change in this philosophy.
3) If you are so envious of the 10 pound "laptops" from Alienware and Dell, just buy an XServe and an Apple display.

1) The Performa days were crazy, not suggesting anything of the sort. There are people who want small/light - and nothing that Apple ships now qualifies. Anybody who couldn't understand one or two new options in laptops is probably too stupid to figure out a mouse with two buttons.

2) No, he simplified it to 3 - with an interesting 4th quadrant that was blank. The iBook filled the 4th quadrant. The eMac is a 5th, and the XServe is a 6th - so definitely, the 4 quadrant model is dead.

3) You're being silly with the XServe suggestion. People want a G5 portable - lots of people would take a large system for the power (musicians/video - think portable studio). The PB is already up to 7 lbs, add a couple more, make it thicker so that it has room to cool a G5. It doesn't need long battery life, people who demand great battery life will buy a Centrino ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H one of the other 'Books.
____________________________

Too many people here are convinced that whatever they want is what everybody wants. Ain't so.

I don't want a tiny laptop, nor a huge one. I do want a DVD A 14" screen (4:3) and about 5 lbs with DVD+RW is right for me. (I have others, but my main laptop is a Dell Latitude D600.)

I wouldn't take a 10" or a 17" if it were free (well, maybe I would but they'd be on eBay without the box being opened). But do I say that companies are crazy to make a 10" or a 10 lb system?

Why is choice bad?

Sol

Oct 16, 2004, 11:21 PM

3) You're being silly with the XServe suggestion. People want a G5 portable - lots of people would take a large system for the power (musicians/video - think portable studio). The PB is already up to 7 lbs, add a couple more, make it thicker so that it has room to cool a G5.

I for one do not think that the X-Serve-taped-to-Apple Display idea was silly. Some people say bigger is better and I agree.

Yes, I would like to up-size my Big Mac thanks.

Stella

Oct 16, 2004, 11:58 PM

Yea but not everyone has Powerbook mola!

You will then be waiting for a far while until your wish list appears in an iBook!

jaromski

Oct 17, 2004, 01:07 AM

I wish there was an option to lose the CD-Drive and make it 2 pounds. I really don't use my CD drive, it's just extra weight. Make an option to have a super portable book. 5 pounds is too much. Apple can do better.

i concur that would really push the envelope. i could totally do away with the drive altogether. i guess one would need some type of external firewire drive to compensate for when installing some cd-only software.

cd drives should be the next to go. cd drives = floppy drives for the 90's. plus it couldn't hurt the battery life.

jaromski

VicMacs

Oct 17, 2004, 02:40 AM

Why I feel this rumor holds some truth:
3) If you are so envious of the 10 pound "laptops" from Alienware and Dell, just buy an XServe and an Apple display. Then go to the local hardware store and get some duct tape. Tape the monitor in laptop fashion to the XServe. Then go to the autoparts store and buy a car battery. Tape the car battery to the bottom of the XServe. Hook the monitor and XServe to the car battery. Paint case grey and tell us how cool it is.

peace

yeah.. how do i hook up the poles to the xserve and the monitor???? :confused: ... ive been at it for like an hour now...

anyone...

please... :confused:

TWinbrook46636

Oct 17, 2004, 03:04 AM

2002

January 7th, 2002
- New 14" G3 iBook

April 29th, 2002
- Updated 15" Titanium G4 PowerBook

May 20th, 2002
- Updated 12" and 14" G3 iBooks

November 6th, 2002
- Updated 15" Titanium G4 PowerBook
- Updated 12" and 14" G3 iBooks

2003

January 7th, 2003
- New 12" and 17" Aluminum G4 PowerBooks

September 16th, 2003
- New 15" Aluminum G4 PowerBook

October 22nd, 2003
- New 12" and 14" G4 iBooks

2004

April 19th, 2004
- Updated 12", 15" and 17" Aluminum G4 PowerBooks
- Updated 12" and 14" G4 iBooks

Dave_B

Oct 17, 2004, 03:27 AM

JohnLewis.com (UK department store chain, and Apple dealer) are out of stock of iBooks. Fits with an update.

aswitcher

Oct 17, 2004, 04:24 AM

Zaty

Oct 17, 2004, 04:42 AM

Yeah, thats right. A friend I helped switch found her 12" and Lacie external burner would not work with iDVD. That was really disappointing because Toast doesn't do anything like iDVD for menus etc. In the end I moved the project to my PB and set up a master for her. I hope Apple remove some of these artificial limitations soon...

It's a bit off topic but the reason why iDVD doesn't support burning to external DVD burners out of the box is not a technical one, (there is an Easter egg in iDVD that enables burning to external drives as well as the creation of image files). According to David Pogue (iLife 04 Missing Manual, p.467), it has something to do with royalties: Apple has to license certain technologies from the Motion Picture Engineering Group (MPEG). Apple decided to include those fees into the price of a Superdrive and not into the software. Sorry for getting off-topic but it seemed to me that this is not well-know fact for some reason, so I guess it's worth mentioning this little fact in an unrelated thread.

Skiniftz

Oct 17, 2004, 05:15 AM

Dave_B

Oct 17, 2004, 06:07 AM

Ok - I just talked a friend into buying an iBook that she's now received. She doesn't have a lot of money and if she sees a new iBook come out and what she just spent her money on lower in price, she is going to be pissed.

I seem to recall someone saying something about Apple allowing users to upgrade to the newer model so long as they purchased their Mac within a certain time frame - anyone know what this is?

Also for orders very near a new model, don't they normally hold it back a while then upgrade your order?

I don't know about any special policy from Apple but I think UK consumer law lets you return anything within 28 days of purchase. Check your receipt and if you return it buy the new shape iBook via johnlewis.com - they give a two year warranty.

CORRECTION

Sorry, I was wrong. You have 7 days from date of delivery.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nm/index/your_world/consumer_affairs/consumer_fact_sheets_index.htm

Apple offer 10
http://promo.euro.apple.com/promo/help/uk/consumer/salespolicies.html#Anchor-46919

AidenShaw

Oct 17, 2004, 08:34 AM

yeah.. how do i hook up the poles to the xserve and the monitor???? :confused: ... ive been at it for like an hour now...
:confused:

The "recipe" forgot to include a UPS to convert the DC to AC, get one of the APC modules that support external batteries.

dekator

Oct 17, 2004, 09:14 AM

the pb ships same day for free, and the ibook is still free shipping but 3-5 days. The powerbooks are much more populor then the ibooks. Maybe when the new ibooks come out next week the powerbook will move to 3-5 days. in 4 days is tuesday thats when it will be

How do you know? I wasn't able to find any recent numbers of iBook/PBook units sold, but according to Apple's conference call, iBook shipments were up 74%, while Powerbook shipments were up 21%. Do you have any numbers to reference with those latest ?

Zaty

Oct 17, 2004, 09:25 AM

How do you know? I wasn't able to find any recent numbers of iBook/PBook units sold, but according to Apple's conference call, iBook shipments were up 74%, while Powerbook shipments were up 21%. Do you have any numbers to reference with those latest ?

If I remember correctly, they sold something like 235'000 iBooks and approximately 215'000 PBs.

AidenShaw

Oct 17, 2004, 09:47 AM

If I remember correctly, they sold something like 235'000 iBooks and approximately 215'000 PBs.

Right - 238K iB and 213K pB (http://www.macworld.com/news/2004/10/13/4qreview/index.php)

Note that the "up 74%" is in reference to a year ago, the numbers declined since the previous quarter of this year.

VAmin

Oct 17, 2004, 09:50 AM

JSRockit

Oct 17, 2004, 10:07 AM

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

No thank you.

Who needs to do a recovery on a mac? ;) Anyway, you can use an USB or FW drive to reinstall software.

Hattig

Oct 17, 2004, 10:26 AM

I don't know about any special policy from Apple but I think UK consumer law lets you return anything within 28 days of purchase. Check your receipt and if you return it buy the new shape iBook via johnlewis.com - they give a two year warranty.

CORRECTION

Sorry, I was wrong. You have 7 days from date of delivery.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/nm/index/your_world/consumer_affairs/consumer_fact_sheets_index.htm

Apple offer 10
http://promo.euro.apple.com/promo/help/uk/consumer/salespolicies.html#Anchor-46919

No, you were right actually, the 1999 Consumer Protection Act or something like that means that for any non-custom (i.e., you can't return pencils with your name on, etc) product, you can return it *at your cost* within *28* days of purchase if you even decide that you just don't want it - not for any technical reason. So Apple UK are actually breaking the law by only offering 10.

I don't know why that fact sheet says seven, as it is totally incorrect!

I'm sure that there are regulations regarding how used it is though, and the fact that Apple would have to sell it as a refurb, not as new.

firestarter

Oct 17, 2004, 11:01 AM

I dunno how reputable this site is, but since a lot of people have pointed out that apple needs to differentiate its 12" pBook a bit more, this seems to make a lot of sense to me (see Oct. 9th):
http://www.macosxrumors.com/articles/

Switching 12" pBook to 13.3" widescreen would make the whole pro line widescreen, and the whole consumer line 4:3. Logical, no?

As long as they release a smaller professional laptop to compensate, that will be fine. The PowerBook 12 inch is already bigger and heavier than the competition's small notebooks. With a 13.3 inch screen Apple will completely remove themselves from this important market segment.

JSRockit

Oct 17, 2004, 11:20 AM

As long as they release a smaller professional laptop to compensate, that will be fine. The PowerBook 12 inch is already bigger and heavier than the competition's small notebooks. With a 13.3 inch screen Apple will completely remove themselves from this important market segment.

Apple can then implement the 12" widescreen that Dell and Alienware uses.

pimentoLoaf

Oct 17, 2004, 11:26 AM

Just priced out an iBook and found there's a bit of a wait (click pic to see):

~Shard~

Oct 17, 2004, 11:33 AM

Just priced out an iBook and found there's a bit of a wait (click pic to see):

As has been said many times before, I guess we'll have to wait and see Tuesday! It is a little odd that Apple would bump up the estimates dates for apparently no other reason... And iBooks updates have historically happened around this time of year too.

(Oh, and as for your sig, I actually prefer Final Draft... ;))

belair

Oct 17, 2004, 11:59 AM

Same here.
I bought my ibook last thuesday, I have the receit the box and everything. Bought it at a reseller, there are no apple stores in Luxembourg.
If they update this thuesday would you think I could return mine and get a new one instead?

Does anyone around here know if this law about the 10 day margin is accurate for the rest of Europe and more specifically in the Benelux countries???

Any information would be very appreciated.
Thanks in advance

dekator

Oct 17, 2004, 12:05 PM

Right - 238K iB and 213K pB (http://www.macworld.com/news/2004/10/13/4qreview/index.php)

Note that the "up 74%" is in reference to a year ago, the numbers declined since the previous quarter of this year.

Thanks guys (you and Zaty). Wouldn't be surprised if iBook shipments fluctuated some bit depending on the season...

Anyway, looks like iBooks are somewhat more popular. Clearly, Apple doesn't want to miss out on the holidays...

Vespertine

Oct 17, 2004, 12:23 PM

Like a couple of other people who responded to this thread, I ordered a 12" PB last week. It said it would be same-day shipping, although I did add a RAM module. I also ordered AppleCare, which has already arrived. Meanwhile my PB hasn't shipped yet. Also I ordered over the phone, and Apple sales rep was trying to convince me to get a refurb PB. This may be the usual practice though since I am replacing a unit I broke and had originally called to get a repair estimate.

What I am wondering is, on those occasions when they announce a new product cycle while orders are processing, are those usually immediately upgraded? And how much time does getting the Mac built-to-order add on? This may be the reason, and not a product upgrade. Still, I ordered my PB on Wednesday and it hasn't shipped yet. That seems like more than enough time to install a RAM module. Any thoughts?

TopCatz

Oct 17, 2004, 01:10 PM

JohnLewis.com (UK department store chain, and Apple dealer) are out of stock of iBooks. Fits with an update.

John Lewis online are out of stock of all iBooks and PowerBooks except 17" Superdrive - are we due for an update to the lot of them?

Xtremehkr

Oct 17, 2004, 01:30 PM

If they do get new andodized cases for the iBooks I hope that they take advantage of the material and really make something that is modern and unique. Aluminum can be molded into sleek designs and something incorporating the old rounded look with a modern update would look cool. I'm curious about the colors that are going to be available as well. I would half expect the new colors to be the same as those of the mini iPods. But those colors may not look as good on a laptop. A titanium finish would be nice, as long as it is not easy to scratch.

~Shard~

Oct 17, 2004, 02:03 PM

I hope that they take advantage of the material and really make something that takes advantage of the material.

Well said... :rolleyes: :p

I'm curious about the colors that are going to be available as well. I would half expect the new colors to be the same as those of the mini iPods. But those colors may not look as good on a laptop. A titanium finish would be nice, as long as it is not easy to scratch.

I don't think the new iBooks will have color options, but I guess we'll see. The last couple of updates have been relatively minor though, with just basic hardware upgrades, so perhaps it will be time to redesign the iBook's appearance slightly - I don't know if different colors would be a part of that though...

And just because Apple is associating the new iMac with the iPod, that doesn't mean the iBooks will be associated with the iPod minis or something to that effect - lots of people seem to be jumping to this conclusion for whatever reason.

Xtremehkr

Oct 17, 2004, 02:16 PM

Why are there always so many negative votes registered? not that they shouldn't be counted but are there a lot of trolls hanging out or do people really think that updating the iBook is a bad idea?

The regular updating of the iBook is a great idea, it won't ever be everything you want it to be, you'll have to save up for the PB if you want that. I think the iBook is a bargain for what you are getting. I wish these people would elaborate more on why they have so many negative feelings about everything Apple does.

iDave

Oct 17, 2004, 02:22 PM

What do you perceive as negative? All I've seen is a discussion of what may or may not be new features and prices; and questions about what to do if you just got an iBook within the past week.

MacPhreak

Oct 17, 2004, 02:54 PM

~Shard~

Oct 17, 2004, 02:58 PM

What do you perceive as negative? All I've seen is a discussion of what may or may not be new features and prices; and questions about what to do if you just got an iBook within the past week.

He is perceiving the negative votes this story received as negative - pretty simple and straight forward really! :p

The only thing I can think of why some people would vote this story negative is if they are simply bitter that they just bought a new iBook, and have now found out that an update might be coming soon. Otherwise, maybe some people just like voting negative to make other people ask that very question... ;)

philipp_ger

Oct 17, 2004, 03:08 PM

CTerry

Oct 17, 2004, 03:24 PM

Come on iBook G5!

[/sarcasm]

MacPhreak

Oct 17, 2004, 03:31 PM

Come on iBook G5!

[/sarcasm]

For $499! ($399 EDU)!!! :D :D :D

(Sorry, couldn't resist ;) )

Xtremehkr

Oct 17, 2004, 03:34 PM

I think Xtremehkr means the votes on the story on the main macrumors page. There were 115 positives and 32 negatives at the time of this writing.

The only reason my simple mind can come up with to vote this negative would be if you just bought one, but then, that's progress, and iBooks always get updated this time of the year, and we have the buying guide, so I have no pity! (Do your research BEFORE buying!!) Plus, I always buy new leftovers, so I'm personally hoping it's true.

Good point, that happened to me when I bought my first iMac, it was right before the Sunflower version came out. But what can you do, at least the computer was what I wanted, I can hardly expect a company is going shhopt themselves in the foot like that.... BUT... they could discount the outgoing models...

MacPhreak

Oct 17, 2004, 03:52 PM

They do discount the old models. The 3g iPods dropped $50 everywhere the day the 4g's were announced. I remember b/c I had just gotten my refurb 3g 10gb from Apple a couple of days before, and I was a little ticked. That update came out of the blue. I'm glad we have a little more heads up on other updates.

After Apple announces/releases a new model, the pricing restrictions disappear on the previous models, and some places take quite a bit of the previous models (like Smalldog & MacConnection; got my Pismo & iBook from these two as leftovers for substantial discounts).

belair

Oct 17, 2004, 03:52 PM

If you bought it in a store, you can only return it if it is defective.
So bad luck...

Thanks philipp_ger for the quick and precise response. Sounds pretty straight forward. So I guess tis bad luck for me.

Then again I could always make it broke… ;)

dongmin

Oct 17, 2004, 04:27 PM

One theory for explaning why we're seeing iBook rumors but not PowerBook rumors is that the iBook update is only a minor speed bump and hence not-so-necessary to keep secret while the PB will get a major revamp--in the form of a brand-spanking new architecture.

I wouldn't expect any major enclosure/design changes with the iBooks and PowerBooks. The iBook is their best-selling product and the styling is already iPod-esque. The screen resoultion could go higher but Apple seems pretty firm about their 100-ppi rule (the 12" ibook is already pushing that rule with its 106 ppi resolution).

Poff

Oct 17, 2004, 05:01 PM

On tuesday it will be announced: The all new iBook mini!

...sorry.. just couldn't help myself! :)

jenne

Oct 17, 2004, 05:01 PM

I think they may be updating on tuesday. When I order a ibook 12.1/1GHZ/256/30/COMBO on wed. they were shipping same business day; it still hasn't shipped, I even talked to someone at the apple store on friday and they said it'd be shipping no later than yesterday and it still nothing. Seems like something is going on.. Now it's just wait and see, isn't it.

Vespertine

Oct 17, 2004, 05:08 PM

Yeah Jenne, I ordered a Powerbook and had the same reaction and so did a couple other people earlier in the thread. I just checked my order status and it says it will ship on or before 10/19, which is Tuesday. The AppleCare shipped on Wednesday the 13th when I made the order.

Loge

Oct 17, 2004, 05:14 PM

John Lewis online are out of stock of all iBooks and PowerBooks except 17" Superdrive - are we due for an update to the lot of them?

If John Lewis out of stock meant update, PowerBooks would be on Rev Z by now :p

solvs

Oct 17, 2004, 06:05 PM

From what I understand, OS X would work better with two identical RAM sticks. iBook Mini should have 512 MB built in and one empty slot.
You're thinking of G5s. Dual channel memory. G4s don't work like that. You will not see 512 on-board in this update. Not with the iMac and dual 1.8 having 256MB standard, especially. Should, but won't.

I seem to recall someone saying something about Apple allowing users to upgrade to the newer model so long as they purchased their Mac within a certain time frame - anyone know what this is?
Same here.
If a product is updated within 10 days, they'll refund you the difference for what the old one goes for. There might be a way to upgrade to the new model by trading in your old one, without the 10% restocking fee... but I'm not sure how that works.

iCreate

Oct 17, 2004, 06:28 PM

A price drop would be nice, but hopefully they don't downgrade the GPU as a result.

That would be a serious mistake. The video is already rock bottom as is. 32MB severely limiting.

corywoolf

Oct 17, 2004, 06:34 PM

On tuesday it will be announced: The all new iBook mini!

...sorry.. just couldn't help myself! :)

nicely done. it would be a cool tool for photoshop users and thats about it. unless your talking corporations buying it for their own special uses, the average consumer wouldn't seem to have a use for it. i could see a swivel ibook tablet, but that'd a bit pricey. i think we will have a new case but the same insides. i got it!!!!! it will include the ability to buy seperate aluminum plates that snap onto the ibook! that'd be a bit gimmicky though, but it worked for the ipod mini!?

football751

Oct 17, 2004, 07:13 PM

No. In the EU you have 30 days to return a product you bought via Internet, Phone or fax etc.

If you bought it in a store, you can only return it if it is defective.

So bad luck...

Wow, that sucks. I bought a 3G 10gb iPod here i the US at a Best Buy in January, and they updated them to the 15gb like 2 days after I bought it. So I returned to the retail shop w/out paying a restocking fee, and bought the 3g 15gb online. Is it taht way for all products in the EU, or just electronics? Here in the states, you can return anythign unopened as long as it is in the time ste by teh store, and most anything opened except vidoes, DVD's, video/computer games, cd's, and maybe a few things at a stores dicretion. Soime places will even take stuff back w./out the receipt. I hope for you that you can get the enw one somehow :)

analogkid

Oct 17, 2004, 07:16 PM

Voting Negative: I would think the way this feature of Macrumors should work is that you would vote negative if you DIDNT think the rumor was true and ibooks would be announced Tuesday

ibook mini: Personally I would love one... I agree the CD is already obsolete in this day of wireless and gigabyte ethernet and large capacity smartcards and PC cards and such. of course you can always have a external DVD burner thru firewire.
If I had one I would run Absynth and other softsynths and run Logic 7 mainly for midi features rather than multitracking. It should have digital I/O like the imac. Obviously it would be an attractive alternative to the ipod as a portable music player... one thing you miss in ipod is the full screen visuals. The bigger case would enable you to use much higher capacity hard drives.

diehlr

Oct 17, 2004, 08:17 PM

If they put a GeForce FX 5200 in the iBook this late in the game, I'm going to ****** scream.

AidenShaw

Oct 17, 2004, 08:17 PM

I agree the CD is already obsolete in this day of wireless and gigabyte ethernet and large capacity smartcards and PC cards and such.

But then, gigaBYTE ethernet is pretty much confined to the backbone and very high end servers....

It'll nice when laptops need gigaBYTE ethernet! ;)

MacPhreak

Oct 17, 2004, 08:33 PM

If they put a GeForce FX 5200 in the iBook this late in the game, I'm going to ****** scream.

Probably will, or something less powerful, since the better-speced iMac has it. The 12" Powerbooks have a Go5200, too. They may match the 12" PB specs, but I doubt they'll over-spec it.

Aren't the iBooks more-or-less the last revision of the 12" Powerbook anyway? Probably wrong, but I remember reading somewhere that there was some lineage between the 12" PB & iBook.

iDave

Oct 17, 2004, 08:36 PM

ibook mini: Personally I would love one... I agree the CD is already obsolete in this day of wireless and gigabyte ethernet and large capacity smartcards and PC cards and such. of course you can always have a external DVD burner thru firewire.
Most software still comes on CDs and users need the ability to reinstall their OS should the need arise. A major percentage of computer users do not have external drives. It'll be many years until we see many computers shipped without optical drives. That's not to say there can't be specialized mini computers that don't have them, but they wouldn't sell well and Apple can't afford a model that won't sell well.

As for the voting thing, thanks for the explanations. I've never voted positive or negative. Had hardly even noticed that you could.

AidenShaw

Oct 17, 2004, 08:57 PM

It'll be many years until we see many computers shipped without optical drives. That's not to say there can't be specialized mini computers that don't have them, but they wouldn't sell well and Apple can't afford a model that won't sell well.

Please check the entire range of sub 4 pound laptops in Intel-land. The default laptop in my company (8000 employees) is a Dell Latitude D400 - 12" screen, 3.7 lbs, 1" thin. DVD-RW drive is an external unit.

Dell D400, Dell X300, Thinkpad X40, Compaq NC40x0, VAIO X505 (1.9 lbs!), Toshiba Portege (0.7" thin) - none have internal optical. (These are all 12" screen models, not micro-notebooks.)

Hmm, Apple sales down 32% in Japan from previous quarter. Japan leading in innovative ultra-portables. Coincidence?
____________________________

Can Apple afford to leave money on the table because they insist on a two-product laptop line that ignores the entire small/lightweight segment?

iDave

Oct 17, 2004, 09:07 PM

Please check the entire range of sub 4 pound laptops in Intel-land. The default laptop in my company (8000 employees) is a Dell Latitude D400 - 12" screen, 3.7 lbs, 1" thin. CD drive is an external unit.

Dell D400, Dell X300, Thinkpad X40, Compaq NC40x0, VAIO X505 (1.9 lbs!), Toshiba Portege (0.7" thin). (These are all 12" screen models, not sub-notebooks.)
____________________________

Can Apple afford to leave money on the table because they insist on a two-product laptop line that ignores the entire small/lightweight segment?
Um, I suppose if the laptop comes with an external drive, the problem is solved. Please excuse my ignorance.

Apple leaves all kinds of money on the table in my opinion. They still don't have an affordable headless desktop, but that's for another thread.

Wonder Boy

Oct 17, 2004, 09:34 PM

my ibook just died, but it turns out i can participate in the logic board reaplacement program. im going to give that a try. i would love another ibook mostly because i really want a powermac. i dont need a pro portable. if the rumor is true, great. if not, it will feel like i have a new ibook, anyway.

Nermal

Oct 17, 2004, 10:28 PM

It'll nice when laptops need gigaBYTE ethernet! ;)

No, it won't be nice. Gigabyte Ethernet implies bloatware, and bloatware is A Bad Thing™.

stylewriter

Oct 17, 2004, 10:33 PM

possibly wireless as standard (but I doubt it)
What I think they may do is finally REALLY integrate the wireless and finally build it onto the motherboard. Almost everyone wants/ needs 802.11, and it could bring the price down quite a bit. Maybe they could sell external USB 802.11 for powermacs, it wouldn't be much different than the external antenna.

Hmm, Apple sales down 32% in Japan from previous quarter. Japan leading in innovative ultra-portables. Coincidence?
I'm pretty much a Mac guy, but Linux does everything I need(MS products feel dirty) and I am going to be getting a new laptop in the very near future. I am currently considering either a Powerbook, or a sub-notebook running Linux. If Apple released a sub-notebook I'd buy one immediately, even though I hate being an early adopter.

crosses fingers for an iBook mini

Yvan256

Oct 17, 2004, 10:57 PM

No, it won't be nice. Gigabyte Ethernet implies bloatware, and bloatware is A Bad Thing™.

Sorry to ask, but since when does network speed has anything to do with bloatware?

Yvan256

Oct 17, 2004, 11:03 PM

I guess a sub-notebook doesn't imply losing the CD drive, after all:
http://www.thevooner.com/feature/2002/04/02/p2040/p2040.htm

NeoMayhem

Oct 17, 2004, 11:06 PM

What, and have a repeat of that Sony micro-notebook where you had to buy an external optical drive to install or do recoveries? And then, when they run out of these mechanisms, then you've got a paperweight because you can't add or clean the system.

No thank you.

If you have OS X server you can enable netboot and then install OS X onto the hard drive of the laptop.

destroyboredom

Oct 17, 2004, 11:20 PM

This is semi-good news considering my iBook's logicboard is practically dead. It started to go yesterday and some how i was able to get the video to come back tonight after multiple reboots, however the minute I move it from this desk I expect it will go out again.

If it goes in again this would be my 4th repair (5th logicboard), obviously i will be requesting that apple replace the unit. (more than likely a g4 ibook)
I just hope if there is an update I could get the new unit and not refurbed old one. I may hold off a few weeks on calling them, with the hope they'll be out of the older unit.

AidenShaw

Oct 18, 2004, 12:02 AM

No, it won't be nice. Gigabyte Ethernet implies bloatware, and bloatware is A Bad Thing™.

Or, *needing* gigaBYTE ethernet implies 3D HDTV streaming in realtime, which would be A Good Thing™. ;)

Ensoniq

Oct 18, 2004, 12:25 AM

Unless the PowerBooks magically get upgraded to the G5 in two days, then I think the next iBook revision is going to look very similar to the current 12" PowerBook.

12" will get 1.2 GHz, 14" will get 1.33 GHz max.
14" will get 40 GB HD standard, 14" will get 60 GB max.
Both will have at BEST a GeForce 5200 GO with 64 MB.

To keep costs down, Bluetooth and Airport Extreme will probably be optional on the iBook, because giving them "for free" would only make the distinction between the iBook and PowerBook too narrow.

That said, 1.2/1.33 GHz iBooks with a 40/60 GB hard drives and a 64 MB GeForce 5200 GO at the current pricing is quite a nice upgrade, makes the machine CoreImage compliant for Tiger, and is exactly what we should be expecting. Certainly nothing more than that from the iBooks at this time.

A G5 PowerBook will open the door on what Apple can do with the iBook but I don't believe we can expect that this Tuesday.

MacinDoc

Oct 18, 2004, 01:15 AM

iDave

Oct 18, 2004, 01:26 AM

When does anyone think there will actually be a new iBook design. Seems they are overdue, with the current housing being 3.5 years old. Usually, new designs are reserved for new processors but I think it will be a long time before the iBook sees a G5 or even a dual core G4.

I know the iBook has been a hot seller, so perhaps we'll be seeing the same old case for awhile yet. It just seems Apple, the great innovator should be coming up with something new about now.

I'm jonesing to replace my old iBook G3 600, but not until there's something radically new. Maybe next week?! :eek:

earthtoandy

Oct 18, 2004, 02:24 AM

apple just released the iMac G5 and is struggling hard with the g5 powerbook.. i dont think they have the resources to redesign the ibook! i think we will see the small bump/price drop (100$ i bet) and i really hope powerbooks are soon since i want to buy..its hard to wait! but i think i have decided to cause i would be really sad if i missed an update by a couple months even.

ibook wont be phenomonal...but exciting enough to make me happy when i load the apple homepage.

also i think its a whole new ball game now. we are gonna have to get use to less frequency to updates i think simply because the whole industry has hit a wall.

iDave

Oct 18, 2004, 02:38 AM

I agree that the industry has kind of hit a wall. Moore's Law may no longer apply for continual speed increases. But that's why I'd expect new designs. Since Apple can't continually increase speeds they need to spark interest with new ideas. We all hope there's a big jump in the performance of the pro PowerBooks soon, but I just don't see it. The PowerBook exterior case has been refined within the past two years. Now it's the iBook's turn.

JoeG4

Oct 18, 2004, 03:00 AM

apple just released the iMac G5 and is struggling hard with the g5 powerbook.. i dont think they have the resources to redesign the ibook!

Apple has individual design/hardware/software teams for EACH of their products, theoretically they could (and they have MORE than enough money to) redesign EVERYTHING without running out of resources, after all they have to every time they update a product (well, they have to go through all the testing phases, at least).

Apple doesn't have one group of people working on one product at a time, and they certainly don't have one person designing all their products (contrary to popular belief.) A company that large doing such behavior would be in SERIOUS trouble.

earthtoandy

Oct 18, 2004, 03:03 AM

i didnt realize they had a full staff devoted to each product year round. i understand they have different teams of course. just a thought i had and posed.

aswitcher

Oct 18, 2004, 03:40 AM

Zaty

Oct 18, 2004, 03:50 AM

ThinkSecret seems to have their own source confirming the rumour. They even say the iBook will top out at 1.3 GHz.

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0410briefly.html

So it seems very likely that we'll see new iBooks within the next 30 hours. As for the specs, it's possible that Apple will exchange the Radeon 9200 for the GeForce 5200. But even if they did so, the amount of VRAM would probably remain unchanged (32 megs) to keep the distance between the iBook and the 12" PB. That being said, it wouldn't be surprised if they didn't change the graphic chips at all. Since Tiger might only be released after the revision after next, (which should be due around April), they might put in a graphics chip supporting CoreImage only then.

Diatribe

Oct 18, 2004, 03:51 AM

aswitcher

Oct 18, 2004, 03:56 AM

Thanks for the update...counting the hours...

Zaty

Oct 18, 2004, 04:13 AM

Now ThinkSecret (http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0410briefly.html) has posted new iBooks on Tuesday too.
They are usually correct, so....

If there are no new powerbooks in the next 3-4 weeks, Apple is not only hurting their Powerbook sales but also their credibility. If they really release a 1.3GHz iBook it will leave the 12" PB users wondering what the **** exactly Apple is doing, because even if they leave out stuff like BT or AE you can still get them so the difference is marginal.
I'd like new ibooks, but PLEASE update the PB too, because if you do not a lot of people will feel very cheated.

14" iBook and the 12" PB having similar specs wouldn't be something new, we had the same situation already last October when the first revision of the G4 iBooks came out. It's has been said before that the 14 iBook and the 12" PB are not in the same league as the PB is much more portable than the 14" iBook. Anyway, if the iBooks get updated today or tomorrow, an update for the PBs won't be long for sure.

aswitcher

Oct 18, 2004, 04:19 AM

14" iBook and the 12" PB having similar specs wouldn't be something new, we had the same situation already last October when the first revision of the G4 iBooks came out. It's has been said before that the 14 iBook and the 12" PB are not in the same league as the PB is much more portable than the 14" iBook. Anyway, if the iBooks get updated today or tomorrow, an update for the PBs won't be long for sure.

In that vein of thought I think the 12" PB may get bumped as well... We KNOW there is NO WAY they can put a G5 in the 12" anytime soon...2006 anyone. So why not bump up the 12" PB or reconfig it as has been rumoured into a widescreen 13" ...

Mmm. Lets see what happens.

Diatribe

Oct 18, 2004, 04:31 AM

In that vein of thought I think the 12" PB may get bumped as well... We KNOW there is NO WAY they can put a G5 in the 12" anytime soon...2006 anyone. So why not bump up the 12" PB or reconfig it as has been rumoured into a widescreen 13" ...

Mmm. Lets see what happens.

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that, that they could only upgrade the 12". Would seem logical, but then again, although I'd love a 13", we would have heard at least something if they were to change the form factor?!?

aswitcher

Oct 18, 2004, 05:08 AM

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that, that they could only upgrade the 12". Would seem logical, but then again, although I'd love a 13", we would have heard at least something if they were to change the form factor?!?

Dont assume we would have heard. There have been a fair few suprises in the mac line...17" for example iirc.

A 13" widescreen PB would be a decent refresh even if it only maxed out at the same speed as the top end ibook.

Diatribe

Oct 18, 2004, 05:30 AM

Dont assume we would have heard. There have been a fair few suprises in the mac line...17" for example iirc.

A 13" widescreen PB would be a decent refresh even if it only maxed out at the same speed as the top end ibook.

I hope they don't, because if they would actually get a 13" Powerbook with a 1.5 GHz Processor and a Radeon9700(which could make way for a 5200GeF in the iBooks) a backlit keyboard and maybe even FW800 out then I would have to get one and this would just be terrible for my wallet. :D

philipp_ger

Oct 18, 2004, 06:11 AM

Wow, that sucks. I bought a 3G 10gb iPod here i the US at a Best Buy in January, and they updated them to the 15gb like 2 days after I bought it. So I returned to the retail shop w/out paying a restocking fee, and bought the 3g 15gb online. Is it taht way for all products in the EU, or just electronics? Here in the states, you can return anythign unopened as long as it is in the time ste by teh store, and most anything opened except vidoes, DVD's, video/computer games, cd's, and maybe a few things at a stores dicretion. Soime places will even take stuff back w./out the receipt. I hope for you that you can get the enw one somehow :)

Well there are places that take back their products if they are unopened, actually most of the places do that(especially after xmas, when you return the "double-gifts", even without receipt.).
But they don't need to do that. It's voluntary.

But the Situation of this guy is another: He already opened it, so noone will take it back in the eu...

But if you bought it via phone, inet etc. you are allowed to return it within 30 days.

belair

Oct 18, 2004, 06:22 AM

But if you bought it via phone, inet etc. you are allowed to return it within 30 days.

Yep, very true. Asked a friend of mine who told me the same thing. I should have ordered over the phone… too late now.
I am going to wait and see what this new upgrade brings along. If its even worth trying to get a new one.
If it comes with a 1.2 GHZ processor, 512 RAM, 64 bit graphics card, and a 40 gig HD I guess it will be worth it. Mmmh I have a friend who wants to replace her blueberry ibook and she does not want to spend too much on it, maybe she would be interested in mine if I lower the price.

The question is how much cheaper would I have to sell my 1 week old ibook to make it interesting to her??

gekko513

Oct 18, 2004, 07:04 AM

When does anyone think there will actually be a new iBook design. Seems they are overdue, with the current housing being 3.5 years old. Usually, new designs are reserved for new processors but I think it will be a long time before the iBook sees a G5 or even a dual core G4.

Yay!! That's exactly what we need. The white theme is starting to get a little old and boring. iPod mini style, that's my guess. That will also let them go on with the "From the creators of iPod (mini)" slogan.

MacAidle

Oct 18, 2004, 07:12 AM

JRM

Oct 18, 2004, 07:17 AM

My guess at the imminent upgrades are as followed

12" ibook
1.2 GHZ G4
256mb upto 1.256gig
nvidia 64mb 5200go
40gig
Combo /with Superdrive option

14" Only Superdrive
1.33 ghz g4
256mb upto 1.256 gig
nvidia 64mb 5200go
60gig
wireless standard

NEW 13.3" PB
1.8 Dualcore g4
256mb DDR 2 (should be 512mb) upto 2gig
Radeon 9700 with 128mb option
60 gig
combo or superdrive

15" PB
2.0 Dualcore g4
512 DDR 2 (2 dimms) upto 4gig
ATI X600 (PCI EXPRESS) Would be nice
80gig with 100gig option
Superdrive only

17"
2.0 Dualcore g4
512 DDR 2 (1 dimm) upto 4 gig
ATI X600 (PCI EXPRESS)
80 gig with 100 gig option
Superdrive only

All models should stay the same price with the exception of the 13" PB which will probably come in at and extra $US150

(Wishful but not beyond the realms of possibility) :)

EDIT: Why don't i just go even further to predict one of the those new X800's in the 15" and 17" as an option so you can power those nuisance 30" displays

DHagan4755

Oct 18, 2004, 07:59 AM

Dual core? What are you on crack? There won't be dual cores from Motorola for a long while.

aafuss1

Oct 18, 2004, 08:11 AM

Zim says speedbumps and VRAM upped for Core image. a/b/g combined Airport would be nice-perhaps a custom version of Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG .

Windowlicker

Oct 18, 2004, 08:58 AM

oh yeah we'll know tomorrow

Palad1

Oct 18, 2004, 08:59 AM

NEW 13.3" PB
1.8 Dualcore g4

You forgot the unicorn and the magical tooth fairy!

:p

willmg

Oct 18, 2004, 09:24 AM

Maybe this rumor is on track? Ibook combo is 3-5 bus days through Apple store online. never would've thought they'd do this without a PB update, but I guess it must mean Apple is either desperate for ibook sales, or has a decent PB ready in the wings.

Butler Trumpet

Oct 18, 2004, 10:03 AM

On the applestore, the little green circle that said "new" has gone away... I remember it was there last week.

kawa_on_mac

Oct 18, 2004, 10:30 AM

I think that we will see iBook and PowerBook updates at once. They will bring 1.2 and 1.4 GHz to iBook with MPC 7447A chip and the PowerBook will get the new MPC 7448 with 1.5 at 12" PB and with top of 1.8 GHz.

additionaly I would say that formfactor of iBook will remain unchanged - see the new Apple Mini Stores (white floors, white ceiling). White color represents consumer products in this "philosophy".

Changes will appear at PowerBook at first and this will happen with PowerBook G5 introduction.

my 2 cents :)

Zaty

Oct 18, 2004, 11:00 AM

bellis1

Oct 18, 2004, 11:03 AM

I can't wait but will be disappointed without PB updates. I recently had my rev A 17" stolen (house robbery) and am awaiting the insurance money. God it would be nice to have something even better than before. Or maybe apple will make more off me if I decide on an ibook imac combination. Bring it on and quick!

johnnyjibbs

Oct 18, 2004, 11:15 AM

I think we should just prepare for disappointment. There's no way iBooks will be updated without PowerBook updates - they are already fairly close in specs. We could see the whole portable line-up bumped tomorrow but I doubt Apple has chips to put in the PowerBooks, so I can see nothing happening.

I guess they could reduce 15/17" PB prices and bump the 12" to 1.5GHz with a better graphics chip, then essentially make the iBooks up to the specs that the 12" currently is, including 64MB VRAM 5200 GO graphics. I very much doubt that would happen though, and the current 1.5GHz G4 chip would probably be too hot in the tiny 12" PB enclosure...

My brother is waiting on iBook updates though so tomorrow would be good... We can hope I guess :)

Wonder Boy

Oct 18, 2004, 11:18 AM

Hey mac-experts!

I´m a freshman on this field and would like some advices from you. my problem is, how long should I wait for a pb update? will there even be one before a G5 (which nobody is waiting anytime soon)? Will the price drop like in Imacs? What would the improvements be?(i´m planning to get the 12´ pb) í could by it now but would it be wiser to wait...? Comments, please!

MacAidle

It depends on when they are announced and when they will ship. Let's say they are announced in January. I wouldn't expect my new powerbook before late march. Odds are, based on apple's record on shipping high demand products, your PB wont ship until april. What you could do is wait until they are announced, and if the specs dont blow you away, you can try and talk your local college co-op into giving you a deal on the "older" model. That's what i did. I got a sweet deal on a 600mhz ibook when the 7 and 800's were announced.

earthtoandy

Oct 18, 2004, 11:18 AM

MPC 7448? If I'm not mistaken, the 7448 won't ship for some time. So it will only be an option for the next revision. The new iBooks and PowerBooks will still have a 7447A.
apple tends to get their hands on items not advertised. so heres hoping!

kawa_on_mac

Oct 18, 2004, 11:28 AM

apple tends to get their hands on items not advertised. so heres hoping!
we just need to wait another 24h
or week + 24 hrs (hopefully not that long)

Mac Dummy

Oct 18, 2004, 11:54 AM

I wish there was an option to lose the CD-Drive and make it 2 pounds. I really don't use my CD drive, it's just extra weight. Make an option to have a super portable book. 5 pounds is too much. Apple can do better.

If Apple could make them this small, but with the same specs as current Pbooks. And obviously without an hint of Microsoft.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_TRSeries&Dept=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers

AidenShaw

Oct 18, 2004, 01:28 PM

If Apple could make them this small, but with the same specs as current Pbooks. And obviously without an hint of Microsoft.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_TRSeries&Dept=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers

http://www.toshibadirect.com/images/products/prod_portR100_125x125.jpg

or http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=SMB&coid=-26371&sel=0&rcid=-26367&ccid=1291021

2.4 lbs, 0.7" thin, 12.1" screen, PC Card slot, SD memory card slot,

mweingar

Oct 18, 2004, 02:19 PM

I went to my local Apple store and actually tried to buy a 12" iBook Saturday when one of the employees suggested I come back this week. That is all he would say. He then mentioned the frustration in getting demos of new technology or having it available and not being able to offer it to the customer.

Which, to me, implies they have them at the store waiting for the announcement so they can sell them.

I know where I will be tomorrow morning. My local Apple store.

~Shard~

Oct 18, 2004, 02:37 PM

On the applestore, the little green circle that said "new" has gone away... I remember it was there last week.

Hmm, guess Apple changed their mind... ;)

earthtoandy

Oct 18, 2004, 03:52 PM

yep...powerbooks lost their new sticker as well.

i love how attention hangs on a tiny graphic! the web guy is probably like "well..i just never got around to it" haha

CaptainCaveMann

Oct 18, 2004, 03:57 PM

so according to this rumor we apple will be updating the ibook tomorrow which is a tuesday??????????????????????????????

Wonder Boy

Oct 18, 2004, 06:54 PM

Here's hoping you get a new rev logic board ;)

Thanks. I'm off to my local apple store tomorrow.

solvs

Oct 19, 2004, 12:54 AM

http://www.toshibadirect.com/images/products/prod_portR100_125x125.jpg

or http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cmod.to?seg=SMB&coid=-26371&sel=0&rcid=-26367&ccid=1291021

2.4 lbs, 0.7" thin, 12.1" screen, PC Card slot, SD memory card slot,
Nice, but what OS runs on it? Exactly. Though people could install Linux, I suppose. I'd think it would be cool for Apple to have a sub portable and a massive G5 portable (notice I didn't say notebook), but they probably figure it would not be profitable at this time. Like a low-end headless Mac. Cool, but not worth the cost.

Someday maybe. We shall see.

iDave

Oct 19, 2004, 12:59 AM

Nice, but what OS runs on it? Exactly. Though people could install Linux, I suppose. I'd think it would be cool for Apple to have a sub portable and a massive G5 portable (notice I didn't say notebook), but they probably figure it would not be profitable at this time. Like a low-end headless Mac. Cool, but not worth the cost.
Talk about apples and oranges! A low end headless Mac would sell like hot cakes. A sub-portable with no optical drive would have limited appeal, IMHO. :cool: