New iBooks Released

[RobertV]

Muchas gracias.

I think I'll go for the 12"iBook with 512MB RAM and 60GB HDD. Considering the discount I get for being a professor, I think it has quite a reasonable price.

[Diatribe]

Muchas gracias.

I think I'll go for the 12"iBook with 512MB RAM and 60GB HDD. Considering the discount I get for being a professor, I think it has quite a reasonable price.

De nada. I think you'll enjoy it a lot and welcome to the forum and macs in general. :)

[Diatribe]

Yeah, I'm pretty sensitive today... have a lot of things in my head, nevermind, we can manage that, Verdad? ;)

For basic typing needs, I don't see the big point of getting the PB... those *more* features will be useless unless you need a second LCD.. maybe you're right maybe I am but an iBook will be a good deal right now

Aber sicher, we can. ;)

[iProbot]

i just got a 1 gig ibook like 3 weeks ago and this comes out, Wonderful, anything i can do about this or am i stuck with my old one.

OLD one???? It's only 3 weeks "old"! Be satisfied with what you got ;)

[aussiesteve]

why does apple insist on penalising people who want a laptop with a small screen. surely by this stage it shouldn't matter what size screen you choose as to which processor you get. some people need the smaller screen for compactness to get in bags and such. why should these people suffer with a slower machine? all 3 models should have had the same processor.
also the gap between the high end processor apple uses and low end is far too big. 1ghz is enough. so these ibooks should be 1.5ghz.

[AmigoMac]

Muchas gracias.

I think I'll go for the 12"iBook with 512MB RAM and 60GB HDD. Considering the discount I get for being a professor, I think it has quite a reasonable price.

That's a good option, will kick some wintel boxes away, but think about the BT module, if you ever want an external mouse (wireless is a good option), Welcome and feel free to ask everything you need.

Bienvenido amigo :cool:

[Maxx Power]

So are you saying i should buy a 1.8 pentium m based hp laptop instead of a g4 ibook?? haha

Is that supposed to be rhetoric ? It's not getting there at this rate. I'd pick a Pentium M for its battery life, amazing performance and features. Oh the other hand, if i wanted something a little more superficial, i'd go with a PowerBook. I would never even consider the iBook.

[~Shard~]

That's a good option, will kick some wintel boxes away, but think about the BT module, if you ever want an external mouse (wireless is a good option), Welcome and feel free to ask everything you need.

Bienvenido amigo :cool:

Yes, I'd agree with AmigoMac - many people dismiss the BT module thinking they'll never have any use for it, but then find themselves mistaken a few months or even a year down the road. It's relatively cheap, so you may want to go with it anyway.

And as for your sig, AmigoMac, God does play dice with the universe - and the dice are loaded. :cool:

[AmigoMac]

And as for your sig, AmigoMac, God does play dice with the universe - and the dice are loaded. :cool:

I would like you to discuss that with the author but it's quite difficult ;), maybe you will do it if God plays dice ... as always, it a matter of choice ...

Back on topic, I bought this iBook because of its portability and I decided I will go for the 15" PB when they get Dual-core or what ever kickass after Tiger, they said they will slow down the OS releases and it gives me a 3 years frame idea for a new machine, the eMac at home will be renewed as soon as it gets a customer...

Now, apple, a 13" widescreen PB with backlight KB, that nice dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB 5400 RPM HD, ATI 9700/9800 128 MB (optional)... will do just fine ;)!

[~Shard~]

I'd pick a Pentium M for its battery life, amazing performance and features. Oh the other hand, if i wanted something a little more superficial, i'd go with a PowerBook. I would never even consider the iBook.

How can you have amazing features when you're not running OS X? And how can you have amazing performance when you're running Windows? :p ;)

Also, how is a PowerBook superficial? :confused: Have you ever used one of the 17" PowerBooks before? You wouldn't be saying that if you have, as they are beautiful machines, and not just in terms of aesthetics. Or do they lack features and performance since they don't run on a Pentium M with good old Windows?

[lasuther]

[QUOTE=~Shard~]Yes, I'd agree with AmigoMac - many people dismiss the BT module thinking they'll never have any use for it, but then find themselves mistaken a few months or even a year down the road. It's relatively cheap, so you may want to go with it anyway.
QUOTE]

I regret not getting the BT module in my iBook I bought in February. When I bought my iBook 8 months, I spent $1400 for the specs below. The new iBook completely kills it and for a lot less money.

I was planning on buying a PowerBook when Tiger comes out, but the new iBooks are so price competitive I might get another iBook. Assuming they put a 64MB graphics card in.

lasuther

[AmigoMac]

[QUOTE=~Shard~]Yes, I'd agree with AmigoMac - many people dismiss the BT module thinking they'll never have any use for it, but then find themselves mistaken a few months or even a year down the road. It's relatively cheap, so you may want to go with it anyway.
QUOTE]

I regret not getting the BT module in my iBook I bought in February. When I bought my iBook 8 months, I spent $1400 for the specs below. The new iBook completely kills it and for a lot less money.

I was planning on buying a PowerBook when Tiger comes out, but the new iBooks are so price competitive I might get another iBook. Assuming they put a 64MB graphics card in.

lasuther

You're better with a PB, but as we both say, after Tiger, you will have a machine for a while... buying right now is fine if you must have a PB, but if you can wait, give the next rev a try, there are a lot of things coming out next year, this year was ... just ok!

[Maxx Power]

How can you have amazing features when you're not running OS X? And how can you have amazing performance when you're running Windows? :p ;)

Also, how is a PowerBook superficial? :confused: Have you ever used one of the 17" PowerBooks before? You wouldn't be saying that if you have, as they are beautiful machines, and not just in terms of aesthetics. Or do they lack features and performance since they don't run on a Pentium M with good old Windows?

Although you are right about me not having used a 17 inch powerbook before, i have used a 12 and a 15 for a small amount of time. I find their display way too blue with poor contrast compared to what i have seen in a lot of other laptops. I have the intention on checking out and possibly buying a 17 inch to help reduce power consumption in the house to replace my primary desktop.

However, your arguements in your first paragraph are illogical. I know where you are arguing from, it's OS X, it must be better, or it's a Mac, it just works, that line of marketing slogan that they expect you to swallow. I use both proficiently, and if you know how to use windows, you'll find a lot of the things are easier and more intuitive. I prefer the taskbar with launch icons instead of dock with a uni-menu above. I prefer the good TaskManager to kill applications. I like the fact i can maximize windows. On the other hand, i prefer the look of OS x much much more. The ability to scale icons on the run, the ability to use OpenGL to process graphical user interface, etc. Features like Remote Desktop, Fast User Switching, Pre-emptive multitasking and a few more were first found on the windows platform in comparative terms of the two operating systems we are talking about here. Pentium M is a very capable processor, even if you do not prefer the software you run on it. Lets not forget, you can get Linux if you want, which is also built on Unix core, like OS X. In my opinion, its only going to be a matter of time before we see OS X on X86 hardware, all of its core contents except the GUI is already avaliable for x86 anyway.

Those thoughts aside, the Powerbook 17 in its current iteration can not hold a candle to what the Pentium M based notebooks can do in terms of performance. And that was the idea of the original post.

[aznsal612]

Hey everyone!

I feel weird interjecting in this huge conversation about iBook vs. Pbook and which should get what, gripes, praises, etc., but I felt the need to ask a question (that's probably redundant).

So here's another situation for you mac people.

I'm a freshman at NYU and am deciding to make the 'big switch'. The last time I used a mac was in fifth grade, so it's been a while. I have a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5150), but am saving up for an apple laptop. I primarily use the laptop for typical casual college student stuff, you know the deal. But I also am a photographer and into web design so I use a lot of Adobe Photoshop and often multi-task with that program, so I am very aware of the hardware situation.

With the current state of the apple lineup, should I jump in head first and go with the ibook deal? Or wait it out for a possible powerbook price drop in the upcoming months? I'm not a hardware junkie but won't stand the skimpy ****, so I'm an in betweener.

Or the other answer is: just stick with your dell kid.

So yeah. And I'm literally saving up...penny by penny. So I'd probably reach my goal in...say...earliest mid-December , latest end of January.

Your take peoples?

Arigato.

[Doctor Q]

Hey everyone!

I feel weird interjecting in this huge conversation about iBook vs. Pbook and which should get what, gripes, praises, etc., but I felt the need to ask a question (that's probably redundant).

So here's another situation for you mac people.

I'm a freshman at NYU and am deciding to make the 'big switch'. The last time I used a mac was in fifth grade, so it's been a while. I have a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5150), but am saving up for an apple laptop. I primarily use the laptop for typical casual college student stuff, you know the deal. But I also am a photographer and into web design so I use a lot of Adobe Photoshop and often multi-task with that program, so I am very aware of the hardware situation.

With the current state of the apple lineup, should I jump in head first and go with the ibook deal? Or wait it out for a possible powerbook price drop in the upcoming months? I'm not a hardware junkie but won't stand the skimpy ****, so I'm an in betweener.

Or the other answer is: just stick with your dell kid.

So yeah. And I'm literally saving up...penny by penny. So I'd probably reach my goal in...say...earliest mid-December , latest end of January.

Your take peoples?

Arigato.My advice: Don't decide until you have saved that last penny. Things will likely be different then, so then (not now) is the time to evaluate the choices about current products and the likelihood of upcoming models being announced or prices dropping just after you make your purchase. Currently, the choice isn't obvious because it's been long enough since the last PowerBooks that it's reasonable to expect new models soon, yet we hear rumors (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/10/20041019180117.shtml) that new models will not be out this year. As far as which model you need, the usual college stuff can usually be done on an iBook. If you can afford a PowerBook, at the then-current prices when you are ready, you'll appreciate the speed boost for Photoshop.

[diehlr]

But the important thing to remember about all this graphics acceleration business is that there is nothing a GPU can do that can't also be done with a dumb frame buffer driven by a conventional CPU. Obviously there's a speed difference, but that doesn't mean you can't get things done.

That is a bit of a botched argument. Who is going to use a feature if it is slow and puts a huge burden on their processor? Not me. There is a reason things are done on graphics processors- because CPUs cannot do them at acceptable performance levels. Gee, how about we just get rid of graphics acceleration altogether and render all 3D on CPUs? What is this GPU thing you speak of?

[7on]

Yeah, Hell, sometimes I wished I had one with the slower iBook instead of this powerbook one and a half years ago. At the time I was going to go with a 12" 700Mhz G3 ibook, but at the last minute my parents decided to let it be my graduation present so I went with a maxed out 15" @ 1Ghz. Sure it's been great - but even in Photoshop/Illustrator and stuff it seems that I could have not wasted so much of my parent's money and gone with a slower model. This was my first Mac so I didn't know the whole speed issue thing. The slowest machine Apple sells still has killer performance.

(@ work they still use Beiges and B&Ws so my PB is really a speed daemon)

[Frobozz]

Nobody who knows what he's getting will buy an obsolete machine incapable of supporting Core Image in six months unless he is really desperate.
Buy this an expect to get a bad deal the day you want to get rid of it on ebay.

According to the page devoted to the recent developer Preview program of OS X 10.4, Tiger ( http://developer.apple.com/macosx/tiger/index.html ):

"Core Image leverages OpenGL to provide a state-of-the-art image processing environment, making it easier for you to take advantage of the power of today's programmable GPUs. Core Image compiles image processing programs—or kernels—at runtime, globally optimizing across multiple kernels and taking advantage of the GPU whenever possible. It can also dynamically generate optimized code for SMP CPUs when CPU processing is desired."

You aren't going to need your iBook to run CoreImage enabled tasks. That's not what an iBook is for. An iBook is for basic computing, not running Motion, etc. However, it does sound like further confirmation that CoreImage supports any Tiger capable Mac by scaling to the CPU(s).

[Frobozz]

That is a bit of a botched argument. Who is going to use a feature if it is slow and puts a huge burden on their processor? Not me. There is a reason things are done on graphics processors- because CPUs cannot do them at acceptable performance levels. Gee, how about we just get rid of graphics acceleration altogether and render all 3D on CPUs? What is this GPU thing you speak of?

I think what he was getting at is that the solution scales. As my previous post quotes, Apple has confirmed that it will. You really have to think of this in a different way-- Apple doesn't want or need you to be able to run CoreImage accelerated applications on their lowest common denominator. That's why you'd get a PowerBook-- to run Motion and other CoreImage accelerated applications. The fact that it scales to a CPU is great, because it means you can still run the applications in a pinch. Doesn't mean you'd want to, as you correctly point out, though. :-)

[sw1tcher]

Hey everyone!

I feel weird interjecting in this huge conversation about iBook vs. Pbook and which should get what, gripes, praises, etc., but I felt the need to ask a question (that's probably redundant).

So here's another situation for you mac people.

I'm a freshman at NYU and am deciding to make the 'big switch'. The last time I used a mac was in fifth grade, so it's been a while. I have a Dell laptop (Inspiron 5150), but am saving up for an apple laptop. I primarily use the laptop for typical casual college student stuff, you know the deal. But I also am a photographer and into web design so I use a lot of Adobe Photoshop and often multi-task with that program, so I am very aware of the hardware situation.

With the current state of the apple lineup, should I jump in head first and go with the ibook deal? Or wait it out for a possible powerbook price drop in the upcoming months? I'm not a hardware junkie but won't stand the skimpy ****, so I'm an in betweener.

Or the other answer is: just stick with your dell kid.

So yeah. And I'm literally saving up...penny by penny. So I'd probably reach my goal in...say...earliest mid-December , latest end of January.

Your take peoples?

Arigato.

If you're still saving and won't reach your savings goal until mid-december/end of january, I'd recommend waiting until then. Apple may surprise us during MWSF. I've got my money waiting until then too.

[~Shard~]

I would like you to discuss that with the author but it's quite difficult ;), maybe you will do it if God plays dice ... as always, it a matter of choice ...

Heh heh - I know bud, I was actually just having fun with your sig, I don't have strong feelings one way or the other - just thought I'd play devil's advocate more than anything. :)

Back on topic, I bought this iBook because of its portability and I decided I will go for the 15" PB when they get Dual-core or what ever kickass after Tiger, they said they will slow down the OS releases and it gives me a 3 years frame idea for a new machine, the eMac at home will be renewed as soon as it gets a customer...

Now, apple, a 13" widescreen PB with backlight KB, that nice dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB 5400 RPM HD, ATI 9700/9800 128 MB (optional)... will do just fine ;)!

I think it's a good move on Apple's part to slow down the OS releases. On the one hand, is is definitely nice to have frequent updates from the perspective that you have access to cool new features more rapidly. However, it does get a bit much with a new OS every year, especially if one is expected to pay $129 each time.

At any rate, I think you made a good call, and I'll be anxious to see that future machine you specced out as well. ;) :cool:

[~Shard~]

You're better with a PB, but as we both say, after Tiger, you will have a machine for a while... buying right now is fine if you must have a PB, but if you can wait, give the next rev a try, there are a lot of things coming out next year, this year was ... just ok!

I definitely agree - you always have to buy what you want, when you want it, but if you can hold out and wait, it might be beneficial in this case. This year was a great year (new iPods, iPod minis, G5 iMac, PowerMac revs, iBook updates, Airport Express, etc. etc.) but next year looks even more promising IMO. :cool:

[~Shard~]

Although you are right about me not having used a 17 inch powerbook before, i have used a 12 and a 15 for a small amount of time. I find their display way too blue with poor contrast compared to what i have seen in a lot of other laptops. I have the intention on checking out and possibly buying a 17 inch to help reduce power consumption in the house to replace my primary desktop.

...

Those thoughts aside, the Powerbook 17 in its current iteration can not hold a candle to what the Pentium M based notebooks can do in terms of performance. And that was the idea of the original post.

I was actually saying all of that more tongue-in-cheek than anything, and purposely erring on the side of "Mac zealot" just for fun, touting the old "OS X rules" and "Macs are better just because" arguments. ;) I use Windows as well, on a daily basis in fact, and knowing the OS inside and out like I do, I agree - if you know what you're doing, if you take care of your system, etc., there's nothing really wrong with it - Windows XP does not crash on a daily basis like many Mac people seem to think. ;)

It does come down to personal preference though. Some people prefer certain Windows features over OS X features, and vice versa. Same with systems/hardware too, some prefer Intel over IBM, Alienware over Macs for games. etc. etc. And for me, honestly, I really love Macs, so I do really prefer OS X to Windows, and the whole "Apple experience" to the Wintel world, but I am definitely not naive, and think that Apple is perfect. I am also completely tolerant of people who have differing points of view, and different likes and dislikes, so as I said, I was just giving you a hard time more than anything. ;) :cool:

[Maxx Power]

I was actually saying all of that more tongue-in-cheek than anything, and purposely erring on the side of "Mac zealot" just for fun, touting the old "OS X rules" and "Macs are better just because" arguments. ;) I use Windows as well, on a daily basis in fact, and knowing the OS inside and out like I do, I agree - if you know what you're doing, if you take care of your system, etc., there's nothing really wrong with it - Windows XP does not crash on a daily basis like many Mac people seem to think. ;)

It does come down to personal preference though. Some people prefer certain Windows features over OS X features, and vice versa. Same with systems/hardware too, some prefer Intel over IBM, Alienware over Macs for games. etc. etc. And for me, honestly, I really love Macs, so I do really prefer OS X to Windows, and the whole "Apple experience" to the Wintel world, but I am definitely not naive, and think that Apple is perfect. I am also completely tolerant of people who have differing points of view, and different likes and dislikes, so as I said, I was just giving you a hard time more than anything. ;) :cool:

Agreed. You live in Regina ? I used to live there !!

[~Shard~]

Agreed. You live in Regina ? I used to live there !!

You're freakin' kidding me! Where in Regina? When did you move? And to where? Talk about a small world... But no need to engage in off-topic posts, so just PM me sometime and we'll chat a bit about good old Regina. :cool:

[aafuss1]

Would the new iBooks use the system chipset (Intrepid) or a new one?

[panda]

If she hasn't opened the iBook box she might get all her money back with or without a restocking fee (depends on merchant).

If she already opened the box there are very few options to consider. A trade-in might be one of them. :)

Its only been 14 days you might have some luck with trading it in with the new model or getting some extra £'s back. :D

my experience shows that if she bought it online from the apple store, she has 10 working days to return it, even if opened. no re-stockling fee.

this applies to denmark and i expect to uk too.

:)

[BlackDan]

My iBOOK 14" 1.2GHz is now 2 months old I think. I had to wait a month to get it, which was frustrating. Now they're all updated and cheaper, which is a little frustrating too. I could've had 20Gb extra an +.13Mhz for 100+€ less... :(

Can't Apple announce it's products a few months in advance so people can decide which time is best to buy?

Anyway, I'm still very happy with my iBook. It's my first Mac, but if it lasts as long as my Toshiba did, I'm sure it won't be my last...

Now if only those cinema displays were a little cheaper... :cool:

[ZildjianKX]

Just curious, anyone know how the 12" iBook's keyboard compares to the 12" PB's keyboard? Also, how is the actualy battery life of the 12" iBook?

If the next revision of the iBook has a better graphics card (and is still an ATI card that supports the extended desktop hack), I might pick one up. I just wish adding a 5400 RPM drive was an option (BTO).

[macmax77]

Muchas gracias.

I think I'll go for the 12"iBook with 512MB RAM and 60GB HDD. Considering the discount I get for being a professor, I think it has quite a reasonable price.


Hi there, last week my iBook was stolen and i just bought a 12 incher today.

i had one of those g3 500mhz old iBook .

I guess 1.2 will do fine with me for my needs with 512 mb of memory.

I think you have to know what u want your computer to do for you.

i also bought an iMac g5.

[billystlyes]

would have bought if they had upgraded video!

[sw1tcher]

would have bought if they had upgraded video!

Upgraded to a 64MB GPU and offered a 60GB 5400rpm HDD as a BTO option.

[sw1tcher]

Just curious, anyone know how the 12" iBook's keyboard compares to the 12" PB's keyboard? Also, how is the actualy battery life of the 12" iBook.

When I compared the two, the PB's keyboard felt more solid to me/had a better tactile feel. The iBook's keyboard felt kinda spongy (sp?)/soft, but still very good/useable.

Anyone else notice this difference?

[minton]

ibook keyboard = waterbed

[Raidiant]

I own an 800mhz g3 ibook? I look at the specs on mine, and I look on spec now. Whats the point of buying an new ibook? Final Cut Pro 3, and DVD Studio Pro Runs fine, and I can burn dvd videos with my new 12x dual layer lg external drive. Renders mpeg2 fine, heck people don't even use an ibook for these things. If I am sad I can even tweak FCP4, to run on a G3.

G3 800mhz
30gb
32mb 7200 Radeon
Airport Card
384 mb ram
12 inch display with 1024X840

so what has changed? I can do "exatcly the same things" on my G3. Why would anyone pay for just a better CPU (for the altivec and a grand boost of 500mhz), the screen resolution still is 1024X840, GPU can't even run coreimage at minium requirements. 802.11b is still the standard, and its good enough. The hard disk? I have the same size and this was bought as the mininum model 2 years ago. The GPU doesn't even change much.

The powerbooks are even more pathetic. 1.4 G4? for "that price?" You can get a 3ghz HT notebook on wintel, for the price u get powerbooks at.

Another thing about these notebooks is sound, just make it better already...

the ibook microphone is a joke, it doesn't even work, with ichat and audio internet calls so important nowadays, you don't even have a audio in. Its ridiculous.

[CaptainCaveMann]

I own an 800mhz g3 ibook? I look at the specs on mine, and I look on spec now. Whats the point of buying an new ibook? Final Cut Pro 3, and DVD Studio Pro Runs fine, and I can burn dvd videos with my new 12x dual layer lg external drive. Renders mpeg2 fine, heck people don't even use an ibook for these things. If I am sad I can even tweak FCP4, to run on a G3.

G3 800mhz
30gb
32mb 7200 Radeon
Airport Card
384 mb ram
12 inch display with 1024X840

so what has changed? I can do "exatcly the same things" on my G3. Why would anyone pay for just a better CPU (for the altivec and a grand boost of 500mhz), the screen resolution still is 1024X840, GPU can't even run coreimage at minium requirements. 802.11b is still the standard, and its good enough. The hard disk? I have the same size and this was bought as the mininum model 2 years ago. The GPU doesn't even change much.

The powerbooks are even more pathetic. 1.4 G4? for "that price?" You can get a 3ghz HT notebook on wintel, for the price u get powerbooks at.

Another thing about these notebooks is sound, just make it better already...

the ibook microphone is a joke, it doesn't even work, with ichat and audio internet calls so important nowadays, you don't even have a audio in. Its ridiculous.i agree with a alot of that

[~Shard~]

i agree with a alot of that

Thanks for the in-depth reply, I can tell you put a lot of effort into it and really contributed to the discussion... :p :cool:

[CaptainCaveMann]

Thanks for the in-depth reply, I can tell you put a lot of effort into it and really contributed to the discussion... :p :cool:thanks i try ;)

[RealDeal]

... conveniently ignoring product architecture issues (as a d*mb customer), I'd buy one tomorrow (a cheapo 12") if a faster FSB (say 300MHz), soldered 512MB RAM (so can wait to upgrade), standard 60MB Hard-drive (OSX and a six-pack of apps/games sucks up 30GB really quick!), and the 3 year Applecare was a hundred bucks cheaper... for a grand total of about $1600 Canadian :D

Conventional wisdom suggests that Intel lost the speedup gameplan from Pentium III to IV (halve the Pentium IV Ghz for a G4 equivalent CPU speed), yet common Wintel :eek: 300/400/500 GHz FSB has gotta help throughput, and the abundance of fast Wintel videocards must greatly help.

Transparent, reliable, ease of use are vital, but I still want to run apps without "brewing a coffee" delays...is a 1.2 G4 133FSB OSX up to the task? BTW the iMac G5 1.6 is about perfect speed... :D

[CaptainCaveMann]

... conveniently ignoring product architecture issues (as a d*mb customer), I'd buy one tomorrow (a cheapo 12") if a faster FSB (say 300MHz), soldered 512MB RAM (so can wait to upgrade), standard 60MB Hard-drive (OSX and a six-pack of apps/games sucks up 30GB really quick!), and the 3 year Applecare was a hundred bucks cheaper... for a grand total of about $1600 Canadian :D

Conventional wisdom suggests that Intel lost the speedup gameplan from Pentium III to IV (halve the Pentium IV Ghz for a G4 equivalent CPU speed), yet common Wintel :eek: 300/400/500 GHz FSB has gotta help throughput, and the abundance of fast Wintel videocards must greatly help.

Transparent, reliable, ease of use are vital, but I still want to run apps without "brewing a coffee" delays...is a 1.2 G4 133FSB OSX up to the task? BTW the iMac G5 1.6 is about perfect speed... :Djeez how many games do you have!!???

[RealDeal]

Simcity 4, Knights of the Old Republic, Call of Duty plus about 15 big download demos, plus bunch legacy M$ office files ( 10 GB)...

Guess I'm nervous 'cause 50% free 30 GB HD with Windows means that M$ Word will crash 100% with a 30 gif 300KB total 3 page document (not enough HD with 512MBRAM)...

[CaptainCaveMann]

then get a bigger hd :D

[RealDeal]

hey- getting windows free :D ..so filesize much smaller with OSX..and i'll avoid paying MS for stuff- sure i'll spring for a bigger HD option on a Mac, but the FSB is a (maybe) pysch sticking point... :cool:

[MacSA]

I own an 800mhz g3 ibook? I look at the specs on mine, and I look on spec now. Whats the point of buying an new ibook? Final Cut Pro 3, and DVD Studio Pro Runs fine, and I can burn dvd videos with my new 12x dual layer lg external drive. Renders mpeg2 fine, heck people don't even use an ibook for these things. If I am sad I can even tweak FCP4, to run on a G3.

G3 800mhz
30gb
32mb 7200 Radeon
Airport Card
384 mb ram
12 inch display with 1024X840

so what has changed? I can do "exatcly the same things" on my G3. Why would anyone pay for just a better CPU (for the altivec and a grand boost of 500mhz), the screen resolution still is 1024X840, GPU can't even run coreimage at minium requirements. 802.11b is still the standard, and its good enough. The hard disk? I have the same size and this was bought as the mininum model 2 years ago. The GPU doesn't even change much.

The powerbooks are even more pathetic. 1.4 G4? for "that price?" You can get a 3ghz HT notebook on wintel, for the price u get powerbooks at.

Another thing about these notebooks is sound, just make it better already...

the ibook microphone is a joke, it doesn't even work, with ichat and audio internet calls so important nowadays, you don't even have a audio in. Its ridiculous.


This is why I might wait until Tiger is released to switch, by then they should have iBooks with much better specs - and Tiger pre-installed :D

[Diatribe]

This is why I might wait until Tiger is released to switch, by then they should have iBooks with much better specs - and Tiger pre-installed :D

I can understand not upgrading, but not switching? Tell me one thing a G4 Powerbook or iBook cannot do compared to a Wintel book that will change with the next rev.? I still think the G4s are nice, although not awesome there's really nothing that will make the notebook series a mobile supercomputer. They have already a lot going for them that Wintel laptops don't.

[johnnyjibbs]

Last time I looked Dell were still selling cheap P4 laptops with 20GB HDs. By the time you added a 60GB HD, and installed more than a CD-ROM in there it suddenly pushed the price up to around £900-£1000 - way more than the iBook (12" now £749). I agree that 30GB is a bit slim these days but there are BTO options.

People seem to moan about lots of things that they want to be 'standard' in the iBooks. However, these things ARE standard in the PBs and this is part of the reason you pay more for them. The iBooks are supposed to be a cheaper option without all these luxuries. Take Bluetooth for example - many many people don't have a Bluetooth phone or PDA and so the addition of Bluetooth standard would be lost on them. There are plenty of other wireless mouse standards, and even these are luxury items. Those who want iBooks with Bluetooth can order them with Bluetooth - I don't think they should be forcing certain technologies on users just for the sake of it - these things bump up the price and/or lower Apple's margins.

The iBooks are the best value Macs at the moment and I think you get a hell of a lot there in a very neat package.

Oh, and when I got my PB 12" last year (about a month before the iBook G4s were released), I didn't have a choice - there was no way I would get a 900MHz G3 and I'm so glad I've got the G4, not to mention all the updated stuff like AirPort Extreme adn the like. If I'd have chosen iBook G3 last year, my machine would have seen so dated now.

[Mac Dummy]

Look at the amount of RAM they offer, its like the late 80's-early 90's all over again. However, I can't understand how the new iBooks can run OS X like that. :D

THIS WAS IN AN EMAIL ADVERTISEMENT FROM APPLE!
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Order online at the Apple Store or over the phone at 1-800-MY-APPLE and you can custom-configure your iBook with up to 1.25MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, and a built-in Bluetooth module for wireless connectivity to digital devices such as Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, handhelds, and peripherals. Order your new iBook today.

[iGary]

I picked up a 12" 1.2 with all the standard specs last night. I'll add a 512 stick of Crucial when they have it in stock.

Price point was just too good, and I've been looking for a laptop for my photography. The AirPort Extreme was the deal clincher, personally.

[visor]

I picked up a 12" 1.2 with all the standard specs last night. I'll add a 512 stick of Crucial when they have it in stock.

Price point was just too good, and I've been looking for a laptop for my photography. The AirPort Extreme was the deal clincher, personally.

Same with me, I figure that I get a speed bump that will be almost free of extra cost after all rebates and used ibook selling (i hope)
So even is coreImage is an issue to me, I think it does not make to much sense n a notebook anyway - if all the core image effects are on - graphics will use a lot of extra battery power.... think about that, too.

[MacSA]

I can understand not upgrading, but not switching? Tell me one thing a G4 Powerbook or iBook cannot do compared to a Wintel book that will change with the next rev.? I still think the G4s are nice, although not awesome there's really nothing that will make the notebook series a mobile supercomputer. They have already a lot going for them that Wintel laptops don't.

Because I think in the next 6 months or so there are going to be some MAJOR changes to Apples computer lineup - not just little speedbumps. ;) ;)

[Diatribe]

Because I think in the next 6 months or so there are going to be some MAJOR changes to Apples computer lineup - not just little speedbumps. ;) ;)

And again I ask, would you want a Rev. A G5 PB? I know I wouldn't.

[~Shard~]

And again I ask, would you want a Rev. A G5 PB? I know I wouldn't.

Ah come on, third-degree burns to your legs are always fun! Yah, a G5 PowerBook is one system which I would definitely stay away from the Rev A release...

[iGary]

It always amuses me when the "Dell sells such and such" opinions arrise.

Personally, I don't care if the machine has a 50 GHz processor in it if I have to run Windows on it. It's simply not a choice for me. Ever. I'm not going back to that ********* - I watch it every day in our office. Thank God I was lucky enough to get my old Sawtooth replaced with a new iMac G5. I was petrified I was going to have to work on a Windows system.

My new 12" iBook was exactly what I needed:

1. Something with wireless Internet.
2. Something close to my G4 Powermac in speed (1.2 was close enough for me).
3. Something I could run Photoshop on to do BASIC work to images on when I am in the field.
4. Something I could burn CD's from my CF cards when I am in the field.
5. Something SMALL and LIGHT that I could take with me on vacation.

In other words, the speed bump, the price drop, the AirPort additions are what hooked me. The machine does evrything I need it to.

Dell or andy of the other folks don't make anything that suit my style taste, operating system needs, or size, so the point is mute.

If you want a Dell, go buy one by all means.

I love all three of my Macs and wouldn't ever buy a Wintel machine again.

[spammy56]

Seriously, Apple is going to keep on giving the iBook little bumps for awhile. The design they have now is already very small and has very nice touches like the slot loading drive from the PB. The next big thing in portable will be the G5 and I beat that wont make it to the 12" PB for awhile after the 17" and 15".

So for me the iBook is the way to go, the 12" is very small and now compares nicely with a 6 month old 12" PB. Yes it is the slowest Mac avaliable, but that doesn't make it SLOW. Personally I also like the look of the iBook more then the PB because the white is more uniquely Apple, Sony has been using aluminum colored stuff for awhile. Not to say the PB is anything less then beautiful, but you have to admit the finish of the iBook is more unique. I still get people asking me questions about my little white computer (have a new iBook G4 on its way though). I don't think the 12" powerbook is all that superior, yes it is a little, but the 1.2 Ghz is fast and small and can handle all photoshop/illustrator tasks I throw at it.

Now build me a 12" G5 PB with the fiber-optic keyboard and thats a different story...

[how_quare]

I'm not looking for an iBook (still loving my revB 12" PB), but I'm disappointed that the US$100 price drop somehow disappeared somewhere over the pacific, with the prices not moving here in Australia one bit. Still, a pretty good upgrade all round.

Oh do I know what you mean! Here in NZ all our stuff is brought from you guys through a reseller who puts their own markups on everything, so the US$999 iBook, which would exchange to around NZ$1450 is sold for NZ$1805. However we have had a price drop of a whole FOURTY dollars (NZ) which is about US$25. Hmmmm where oh where did that price drop go...

[good1mike]

$992.14 out the door. I would have bought a powerbook if it had been recently upgraded, but now I'm going for maximum value. I need a laptop now but I just can't buy already outdated overpriced tech. I would have loved the powerbook, but for my uses, I'll get by with the i for a year and buy the powerbook on the next revision after Jan?

This will be my first mac after years of windows machines :D Can anyone welcome me over with some words of wisdom?

[dobbin]

This will be my first mac after years of windows machines :D Can anyone welcome me over with some words of wisdom?

Welcome good1mike!

Here are some words of wisdom:

"If a cage with a tiger is marked “an elephant”, don't believe your eyes."

Koz'ma Prutkov (a nom-de-plume for four 19th Century Russian writers)


I have also ordered a 12" iBook - I was ready to buy a PB but decided the iBook (after the update) was better value and would do everything I need it to. I can't wait for it to arrive now, but its not even due to ship until Friday :(

[jefhatfield]

This makes my 1.33GHz $1600 Powerbook feel very queasy :(

On the plus side, my missus can have a wicked fast iBook for very little cash. Can we assume Apple have something very, very, very special for the next pb revision, if they're going to push these lines so close together?

eventually i guess apple will have a G5 powerbook

but maybe one more version of a G4 powerbook though, but mwsf will probably answer that question

but if the last ten years is any indicator, i can see apple milking the g4 chip in the powerbook beyond 2 ghz and well into the summer of 2005 and using the g4 chip for the ibook into 2006

maybe a major g4 powerbook speed jump this mwsf 2005 and a minor bump a few months later before the g5 powerbook...and minor g4 ibook jumps all the way through next year and a little into 2006

i don't think it's in apple's best interest to bring out the g5 powerbook in january...there's still life in the g4 for the powerbook and plenty of people, including me, would be happy to have a g4 powerbook...the g5 tower is very nice, but so are the current lines of powerbooks

i predict the g5 chip will go to g6 faster than g4 went to g5 though

[jefhatfield]

Ah come on, third-degree burns to your legs are always fun! Yah, a G5 PowerBook is one system which I would definitely stay away from the Rev A release...

apple has actually recently had more problems with rev b or rev c releases like the mid period g3 icebook and the the 15 inch alubook

as for software, rev a stuff does scare me ;)

[Poff]

I seriously considered getting one of these new iBooks, but after a lot of thought on the subject, I've decided to wait for them to come pre-installed with Tiger.

It's not that the current iBooks are not good enough, hey I'm used to a 700MHz G4 iMac so it would have been a great speed-lift.

What made me decide is that I'm going to buy Tiger no matter what. It seems to me it has a lot of features that would be nice to have, and I'm tired of Apples way of treating those with the previous OS-version. So if I sell my iMac now and buy an iBook, I will have to buy Tiger when it comes out. This means I can wait for Tiger to come out, sell my iMac for up to $130(?) less, and I still won't loose any money on it. This will provide me with an even better iBook (hopefully), but I hope the price won't go up again with the next revision..

[dobbin]

... I'm tired of Apples way of treating those with the previous OS-version...

You're totally right, it doesn't seem fair that people who buy a new Mac with Panther between now and next spring/summer will have to pay full whack for Tiger when it is released. I think we ought to get a discount if Tiger comes out within, say, 6 months of buying a new Mac, about 50% off would seem fair to me. What makes it even more annoying is that they often include "software upgrade vouchers" in the box, which as far as I can tell never get used and are not worth anything when upgrading.

[~Shard~]

apple has actually recently had more problems with rev b or rev c releases like the mid period g3 icebook and the the 15 inch alubook

as for software, rev a stuff does scare me ;)

I wasn't aware of that - interesting, I would have thought the opposite, but now that I think of it, you're definitely right in some cases, most recently with the 15" PowerBooks...

[panda]

Welcome good1mike!

Here are some words of wisdom:

"If a cage with a tiger is marked “an elephant”, don't believe your eyes."

Koz'ma Prutkov (a nom-de-plume for four 19th Century Russian writers)


I have also ordered a 12" iBook - I was ready to buy a PB but decided the iBook (after the update) was better value and would do everything I need it to. I can't wait for it to arrive now, but its not even due to ship until Friday :(

brilliant you made the switch!

a stunning choice, but beware of one thing though...

be prepared to fall in love with mac and your ibook.

very cool :)

[Mac Dummy]

You're totally right, it doesn't seem fair that people who buy a new Mac with Panther between now and next spring/summer will have to pay full whack for Tiger when it is released. I think we ought to get a discount if Tiger comes out within, say, 6 months of buying a new Mac, about 50% off would seem fair to me. What makes it even more annoying is that they often include "software upgrade vouchers" in the box, which as far as I can tell never get used and are not worth anything when upgrading.

That 's the way Apple did it with when moving from Jaguar to Panther. I, like many others only had to pay like $20-25 for the upgrade. Of course I bought my 12" Pbook at the end of Sept. 2003 and Panther was released at the end of October.

[macmax77]

can i find reviews on the new iBooks? :confused:

[James Craner]

I wasn't aware of that - interesting, I would have thought the opposite, but now that I think of it, you're definitely right in some cases, most recently with the 15" PowerBooks...

The white spot problem on the Powerbooks was primarily with the Rev A Al 15" powerbooks, I should know as I had one (which was replaced with a new Powerbook)! The bluetooth module also died and had to be replaced on mine. The battery recall issue also was a Rev A 15" AL powerbook problem. perhaps people think that this was a Rev B product as they were released about 6 months after the 12" and 17" AL Powerbooks.

[~Shard~]

The white spot problem on the Powerbooks was primarily with the Rev A Al 15" powerbooks, I should know as I had one (which was replaced with a new Powerbook)! The bluetooth module also died and had to be replaced on mine. The battery recall issue also was a Rev A 15" AL powerbook problem. perhaps people think that this was a Rev B product as they were released about 6 months after the 12" and 17" AL Powerbooks.

Right, thanks for the input - not being an owner of one myself it's easy for me to not pay much attention to these issues, whereas someone as yourself, who was directly affected by them, will definitely not forget the little details! :cool:

[dobbin]

brilliant you made the switch!

a stunning choice, but beware of one thing though...

be prepared to fall in love with mac and your ibook.

very cool :)

Cheers, but actually I'm not a switcher. I used to have a cube but sold it 3 weeks ago to get a laptop instead. Before the cube I had a Performa 6200 and before that I used Classics at school and my Dad's IISi at home. So I have a long and happy relationship with Macs :D

At work I have always had to use PCs, so I am fairly familiar with the dark side as well. I know enough about both to know that I'll use a Mac where I have a choice.

[dobbin]

That 's the way Apple did it with when moving from Jaguar to Panther. I, like many others only had to pay like $20-25 for the upgrade. Of course I bought my 12" Pbook at the end of Sept. 2003 and Panther was released at the end of October.

Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn't realise that. That sounds like a fair deal.

All I know is that I bought my cube which came with OS 9, and then paid full price for OS X 10.0 very soon after, and then paid full price for 10.1 as well.

I'm hoping I don't get stung like that again, as buying an OS upgrade adds around 10% to a consumer level Mac. I won't hold my breath though, and if it turns out to June before Tiger is released then I guess I can't complain as that will be >6 months since I bought my iBook.

[JonHimself]

Wow... I'm not really so sure what to think now. I had ordered (should be getting it tomorrow) a new iBook with 14" screen, 512ram and the SD but it all seems like a waste. Is Tiger really a huge upgrade? (excuse my ignorance I haven't followed the Mac OS scene and the whole concept of getting OS revisions more often than every 5 years is new to me... damn Windows...) Like am I going to be missing a lot with Tiger? Is it going to be worth the upgrade or should I just not even bother?
This is my first mac and I'm not sure if I'm happy about it now or not... perhaps a low-end PB would have been better?

[dobbin]

Don't worry about it. I was going to buy a Powerbook but changed mt mind and bought an iBook after the last revision when they became clearly better value than the PBs.

Tiger will be a big upgrade, but your iBook will run it fine. Unless you are doing serious heavy duty processing your iBook will be more than capable. Maybe some of the Tiger eye candy won't be displayed but you probably won't even realise its not there.

As for the cost of the upgrade, lets hope we will be offered an upgrade price rather than paying full retail cost. fingers crossed.