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Buy powerbook now? INTEL processors in next year's PBs?

G

GULCkid

macrumors member
Original poster
Just read in the WSJ that apple is gonna switch to using intel processors next year.. will that suck for people who are buying powerbooks now?

I was all set to buy a powerbook for law school, but now I'm not so sure that it's a wise investment.
 
For one, there are 3 billion threads on this already.

Two: No, don't worry about it. Even if apple did decide to switch to Intel, the odds of it happening any time soon are low. It would probably be something like "Starting in spring 2007 we will use Intel chips"
 
GULCkid said:
Just read in the WSJ that apple is gonna switch to using intel processors next year.. will that suck for people who are buying powerbooks now?

I was all set to buy a powerbook for law school, but now I'm not so sure that it's a wise investment.
Click to expand...

I can tell you one thing,
i cant come up with a single reason why a better cpu would help someone studying law school. You could settle for an iBook, but i guess you want the formfactor, and i would too 😉
 
Your decision should be based on your perceived re-purchase window. If you want to buy a laptop with the expectation it will last for 3 or more years, then do not buy a new PowerBook under any circumstances. Perhaps consider getting an iBook or a used PowerBook to tide you over. Unless you are doing hardcore video editing or number crunching, I seriously doubt you will notice any difference.

If you expect to purchase another laptop in 2 years, then there is no reason to not buy a new Powerbook, as the next gen Intel Powerbook will probably be coming out right at that point. And, clearly, we no longer have worry about a G5 Powerbook. One or two more speed bumps for the G4 Powerbook is all we can expect now.

Being a new Powerbook owner, I can say the only real disappointment is that I will receive none of the famous Apple resale value on my current PB when I upgrade to the Intel Powerbooks.
 
You speak as if the "new" intel powerbooks will be great - and while they may well eventually be, talk about a recipe for revA "issues" 🙄 . Porting the whole OS over to a new chip architecture, the software, the hardware controlls - I'm quite happy with my recent powerbook purchase as I wouldn't go near a new intel PB until at least rev B (maybe even revC) . Based on current speculation, hat would put it at least 2008 before I'd be comfortable considering an intel "upgrade". IMHO, the timing to buy now (or perhaps AFTER wwdc) is pretty solid.

just my 2 cents 🙂
 
Given that the 1st Intel machines will be out by 2006, I'm confidant that by mid-late 2007 the software changeover will be worked out and relatively bug free.

Given that I beleive that Dothan is significantly better than the G4, yes I think whatever is in a Powerbook in 2007 will be way better than what I have now.

You've got a good point on the Rev A issues, but I'm just an early adopter, I'll sweat it through. (Hell, I had to get the keyboard replaced on this PB, and this is what, Rev C or D!)
 
Hurry, buy the old G4 PowerBook now since it seems...

9:43 am Doors to hall are open People beginning to take seats

😛
 
Ok here is what I worry about.. I was planning on using my dual 2.0 G5 for a hell of a lot longer than till early 2007 when stuff is supposed to really get fired up. I worry that the computer will be obsolete before it should. I will have G4 system tomorrow that I can upgrade so should I return the G5? I don't know what to do now... so sad.
 
macdad2 said:
You speak as if the "new" intel powerbooks will be great - and while they may well eventually be, talk about a recipe for revA "issues" 🙄 . Porting the whole OS over to a new chip architecture, the software, the hardware controlls - I'm quite happy with my recent powerbook purchase as I wouldn't go near a new intel PB until at least rev B (maybe even revC) . Based on current speculation, hat would put it at least 2008 before I'd be comfortable considering an intel "upgrade". IMHO, the timing to buy now (or perhaps AFTER wwdc) is pretty solid.

just my 2 cents 🙂
Click to expand...

exccept for the part where they've developed every OSX version and compiled it for an x86 architecture for the last 5 years (so they say) so i think it should be pretty bug free, considering stevie gave his whole keynote on a intel based mac running tiger...
 
I just bought my powerbook, and I'm not entirely sad.

I'll probabaly buy another powerbook in 3 years or so, so its no big deal.

plus, I'm sure they have some type of program thats like a reverse rosetta so us PowerPC users can use newer programs.
 
Being a new Powerbook owner, I can say the only real disappointment is that I will receive none of the famous Apple resale value on my current PB when I upgrade to the Intel Powerbooks.
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. Many users may prefer having a G4. I think timing will be everything.

I own a 12" PB, and have been wondering about when I might sell it in advance of a x86 iBook or PowerBook...2 years from now will definitely be too late, but maybe early next year will still give us good resale value?

I mean I could sell it now, but then I'd have to wait a long time before I have my next Mac notebook... 😉
 
Jschultz said:
I just bought my powerbook, and I'm not entirely sad.

I'll probabaly buy another powerbook in 3 years or so, so its no big deal.

plus, I'm sure they have some type of program thats like a reverse rosetta so us PowerPC users can use newer programs.
Click to expand...

The newer programs have fat binaries, they run on both PowerPC and x86.

Rosetta is so that x86 processors can run the old PowerPC programs. Since all future apps will still have PowerPC compiled binaries within the fat binaries, all future programs will still run on Macs.
 
I think the resale values of the last PPC PowerBooks may surprise you. In the end you'll still be running OSX on a great looking machine with well integrated apps.
 
GFLPraxis said:
Nope. You can still run all past and present and future Mac applications.
Click to expand...

Apple apps, perhaps. But third-party app developers WILL drop support for PPC at some point - count on it. At what point this happens will depend on how much time and effort their particular app requires to get running on both platforms.
 
This situation makes me feel a lot better about buying a PB G4 now for college in the fall. I do not have to worry about a PB G5 / dual core being released next week, and it should last me until a rev. b intel PB is out. (I'm sure the rev. a will have tons of issues.)
 
madmaxmedia said:
Maybe, maybe not. Many users may prefer having a G4. I think timing will be everything.

I own a 12" PB, and have been wondering about when I might sell it in advance of a x86 iBook or PowerBook...2 years from now will definitely be too late, but maybe early next year will still give us good resale value?

I mean I could sell it now, but then I'd have to wait a long time before I have my next Mac notebook... 😉
Click to expand...
I switched a year ago and my iBook still feels great.
Its interesting for me to listen to your discussions about loosing seconhand value on your mac. I would say any harware you buy is money lost, never comeing back. If i buy a PM for 3000$ i use it till its wasted, and then i buy a new one. I wouldn't dream of getting money back for it....
 
Westside guy said:
Apple apps, perhaps. But third-party app developers WILL drop support for PPC at some point - count on it. At what point this happens will depend on how much time and effort their particular app requires to get running on both platforms.
Click to expand...

Nope, like they said, XCode *automatically* compiles x86 and PowerPC versions when you hit the compile button.

I'd say most developers are using XCode...any developers using XCode will by default have PPC support.
 
Cougarcat said:
This situation makes me feel a lot better about buying a PB G4 now for college in the fall. I do not have to worry about a PB G5 / dual core being released next week, and it should last me until a rev. b intel PB is out. (I'm sure the rev. a will have tons of issues.)
Click to expand...

i doubt it considering good old steve-o made the keynote on a mac running 10.4 with an intel chip, and also considering (according to jobs) that they've been making x86 versions of OS x for the last 5 years... i'd say the transition should be much much smoother then you think
 
So here's a question -- I know its been asked before but I just want to see if my timeframe makes my buying decision any different -- if I want a new PowerBook that I want to last me at least 2 and a half years, should I buy a PowerBook G4 now? Is waiting until 2006 a good idea or just not worth it?
 
Chrispy said:
Ok here is what I worry about.. I was planning on using my dual 2.0 G5 for a hell of a lot longer than till early 2007 when stuff is supposed to really get fired up. I worry that the computer will be obsolete before it should. I will have G4 system tomorrow that I can upgrade so should I return the G5? I don't know what to do now... so sad.
Click to expand...

I'm in the exact same situation....apart from my Dual 2ghz has to go back cos of this.

I think I will be upgrading the G4/400 with a sonnet card, dual layer burner and max out the ram to tide me over.

Or a Mac mini.

What to do, what to do...
 
punkbass25 said:
i doubt it considering good old steve-o made the keynote on a mac running 10.4 with an intel chip, and also considering (according to jobs) that they've been making x86 versions of OS x for the last 5 years... i'd say the transition should be much much smoother then you think
Click to expand...

I'm sure the software transition will be laughably easy. It's the hardware of the first Apple powerbooks using the new chips that I worry about. Hence, wait till rev.b.
 
I'm going to get my iBook now. If I want Intel machines I'll have to wait at least a year, and the the new machines are probably going to be a bit freaky at first, if I wait for a couple of years I'll get more reliable machines and an upgraded operating system. I'l also get to see what happens when Apple and Intel ahave been breeding for a while. 😀
 
macreator said:
So here's a question -- I know its been asked before but I just want to see if my timeframe makes my buying decision any different -- if I want a new PowerBook that I want to last me at least 2 and a half years, should I buy a PowerBook G4 now? Is waiting until 2006 a good idea or just not worth it?
Click to expand...

if you want 2.5 years as a minimum then I doubt you'll have any issues, go ahead and buy it........it's going to take longer than that for the PPC to be orphaned by the software publishers
 
macreator said:
So here's a question -- I know its been asked before but I just want to see if my timeframe makes my buying decision any different -- if I want a new PowerBook that I want to last me at least 2 and a half years, should I buy a PowerBook G4 now? Is waiting until 2006 a good idea or just not worth it?
Click to expand...

Apple haven't announced the details of their lineup release. It could well be that the PBs and iBooks aren't released until the end of 2006 or early 2007. That's a year and a half right there. Personally, I'm very leery of buying RevAs. I just bought a PB in Feb and want it to last for 3-4 years so I'm fine with the new changes as hopefully by the time I'm in the market for a new one, it'll be up to RevB.

Even a year is a long time to wait and whatever you buy now will still have value then AND you'll be able to use it.
 
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