5G iPods, PowerBook Updates?

[MacRumors]

ThinkSecret posted some blurbs about potential updates to both iPods and PowerBooks.

Regarding iPods, ThinkSecret mentions that upcoming Mini models could hit 5GB capacities, meanwhile the 5th Generation iPod, due in mid 2005 at the earliest, may move away from the white form factor to "a more silver enclosure".

PowerBook supplies have widely been reported to be constrained... but ThinkSecret feels that PowerBook announcements will be made soon -- possibly on Jan 25th or Feb 2nd. The site reiterates their previous predictions of 1.5/1.67 GHz models.

[quackattack]

5G iPod sounds very exciting. 80 GB would mean that I could carry around alot more of my music in lossless. I wonder if a color screen will become standard? Great news either way, but I am still skeptical of how an aluminum iPod will look.

[sw1tcher]

Originally Posted by quackattack

5G iPod sounds very exciting... I am still skeptical of how an aluminum iPod will look.

It'll probably look like the silver iPod mini, but only larger (of course)

[Yvan256]

Originally Posted by quackattack

Great news either way, but I am still skeptical of how an aluminum iPod will look.

Same as iPod mini, but bigger.

[zwida]

Seems that if DePlume goes down, it's going to be swinging.

I think the last rev PowerBook G4 will be pretty tempting. I can't really imagine using a 1st gen PowerBook G5 (as much as I'll want to). Time to upgrade the 1 GHz 17" PowerBook?

[quackattack]

Originally Posted by zwida

I think the last rev PowerBook G4 will be pretty tempting. I can't really imagine using a 1st gen PowerBook G5 (as much as I'll want to). Time to upgrade the 1 GHz 17" PowerBook?

I agree, with as much trouble as they have been having with the PB G5, I would stay away from the first gen. No doubt it will be very sweet.

[MacG]

Originally Posted by quackattack

I agree, with as much trouble as they have been having with the PB G5, I would stay away from the first gen. No doubt it will be very sweet.

What trouble are they having with the PB G5???

[Electric Monk]

Originally Posted by MacG

What trouble are they having with the PB G5???

Since the G5 is an modified POWER4 chip it retains a lot of the characteristics from the POWER4 design. Namely heat. It is very very hot (Hence liquid cooling on the Dual G5 2.5 GHz Power Macs) because it was originally a workstation/server chip.

Now the heat isn't more then a high clocked P4 but those 3 GHz Pentium 4s exist in enclosures much bigger then the current Powerbook 1" thin enclosure.

Therefore if Apple wants to keep the thin enclosure they must wait for more advanced versions of the G5 that emit less heat.

A G5 or e600 (advanced G4) will get in there eventually, it's just a matter of time.

[yg17]

new iPods already? That seems pretty quick. Seems like just yesterday I was at the Apple Store picking up a 40 gig 4th gen the first hour they were available

[jadam]

metallic enclosure ipods seem interesting, if they indeed do come out and they are nicer then the current 4th gen ipods, I might give my 20gb to my mom and get one of those 40gb AlPods, or would it be TiPod?

[dr bognus]

i just hope that there is a powerbook G5 by the summer holdays cos i am finally updating my 500mhz ibook G3 and i dont want a last gen G4 and would prefer even a tempramentla G5, anyway my dad an a friend of mine have no trouble with their first gen G4s. I will not be happy iif i have to settle for a late gen G4 when a G5 comes out...

[VicMacs]

yeah, white is out gray is in, although it would be kind of weird not to have a white ipod in the lineup, i guess theyll add an aluiPod to the line, it would look great next to my powerbook. now i think they should take their time with the new g5 powerbook until its bulletproof, and also so they give me time to take the juice out of my 3 month old pb and have an explanation when i ask myself, do i need it? "yeah, the pb i have is almost 9 months old"

go apple!

[virividox]

dual core power books

[sethypoo]

Originally Posted by virividox

dual core power books

Yes! Dual core Powerbooks, then, once they've got the PB G5 perfected, release them upon the world. I'd love to see a near-flawless 1st revision Powerbook G5.

[sw1tcher]

Damn. So no G5 PowerBooks, eh? Oh well. Guess I'll just have to settle for a Rev. D (?) G4 PowerBook then. Only 2.5 more days until Tuesday....

[narco]

Eh, new iPods.

Keep it the same, leave the white. Plus, won't all these new iPods turn people off? Are they going to release a new iPod every 6 months now?

Fishes,
narco.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by narco

Eh, new iPods.

Keep it the same, leave the white. Plus, won't all these new iPods turn people off? Are they going to release a new iPod every 6 months now?

Fishes,
narco.

Average time between iPod generations has been something like nine months since the beginning. Relax.

[doogle]

http://infotyte.adc.rmit.edu.au/ipod...s/ipo5G001.jpg
While not aluminium, (I will be working on that one - and you can bet the edges will become harder more like the shuffle edges) this design simply removes the "outer ring" of the click-wheel. You can circular scroll anywhere around the central button and the effect is like the wheel...the function buttons are still solid buttons (needing a push) they just don't have any borders.
Yeh yeh not intuitive, but I do like the minimal design look!

[Muzukun]

ick... I'd hate the idea of a grey ipod... however... apple is running out of ideas for that thing... maybe they could make the 'on a rope' ipod, like soap on a rope but this one would keep you from falling down to your knees crying after you dropped your ipod.

But... like always anything I hate that apple does I love in about a weeks time so I'll see.

the ibook, not suprised, hope it doesn't get a major price increase... speaking of which when apple does update their laptops do they usually jump the price with them or do they stay the same? I can understand a major revision price jump (IE a G5) but when their minor revisions like these are there major price jumps as well?

[NickFalk]

Sorry doogle don't like it. While removing the "outer ring" you pretty much destroy it. As you write yourself it won't be particularly intuitive. If Apple were to change design to something so much "form over function" I would be very worried about their future product-line...

[doogle]

Originally Posted by NickFalk

Sorry doogle don't like it. While removing the "outer ring" you pretty much destroy it. As you write yourself it won't be particularly intuitive. If Apple were to change design to something so much "form over function" I would be very worried about their future product-line...

...in fact what would be cooler if the text and the inner cirlce button was not there at all! They would only appear when the ipod was on and the text/button ring lit up like backlit lights - that would mean a complete blank panel! Now that is cool - Man I have to stop taking these things - how minimal can an interface be?!

[Cochrane]

Originally Posted by doogle

...in fact what would be cooler if the text and the inner cirlce button was not there at all! They would only appear when the ipod was on and the text/button ring lit up like backlit lights - that would mean a complete blank panel! Now that is cool - Man I have to stop taking these things - how minimal can an interface be?!

I would not like that at all. If you look at an iPod from some distance (except for the shuffle and 3G) then you see two things: A screen and a wheel. These two are the main aspects of the iPod design and I think it was a very bad idea of Apple to abandon this with the 3G-iPod. I mean, if you look at one of these from most angles, it looks like a white piece of plastic with a screen and not like an iPod. That was probably the reason why the 4G-iPod has the wheel in gray, so that you get the typical rectangle-circle configuration.

Of course, the fact that I did not like the 3G-iPod did not prevent Apple from selling lots of them (both my mother and my sister have one), so Apple could very well decide to do something like this.

[JohnK.O]

I dont really see how the 4th gen. design could really be significantly improved for the 5th gen. other than a colour screen.

[Mechcozmo]

Originally Posted by JohnK.O

I dont really see how the 4th gen. design could really be significantly improved for the 5th gen. other than a colour screen.

Telepathic interface. iSaid it first.

And iThink that Apple could ditch the outer ring, but they would do it far more skillfully than the bar o' soap approach.

[verces]

Originally Posted by JohnK.O

I dont really see how the 4th gen. design could really be significantly improved for the 5th gen. other than a colour screen.

But they already have a color screen iPod. I have it right here with me. :P

As for the new 5Gs. Its a little early to call shots. They released the iPod photo about 3 months ago, and now the shuffle, are they really going to think of upgrading the iPod again? November earliest for 5Gs I say.

Silver casing to me is a bad idea. This would kill the general conception of the WHITE iPod. Brand image would decline. There wouldn't be anymore signature-effect on buying an iPod. It would look like any other MP3 player in the market. Although it is possible that they do this, I sure as hell hope they leave this with the minis and not mingle with the iPod itself.

It really irritates me to hear that after spending 5 benjamins, that they bring out another one. If they do, I'll probably get a 20GB one. (Depends on what kind of screen it comes with)

Possible upgrades.

1. Battery life.
2. General size. (reduction)
3. Click wheel color and backlight effect with the click wheel.
4. Possible AirTunes integration.
5. Improved Sound quality

I say November. Its just too early for another iPod. There isn't anymore of that "anticipation" period anymore. They're overloading us with iPods....