PowerBook Updates Imminent?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif

Ogrady's PowerPage claims that Apple is prepping an update for the PowerBook line "that could arrive as soon as this week."

The update is expected to be a minor speed bump but few details are available.

Also reported is that Intel PowerBooks are not expected until mid-to-late 2006.

The imminent prediction of PowerBooks is contrary to recent predictions by ThinkSecret that PowerBooks would not see updates for some time... possibly as late as early 2006. Traditionally, ThinkSecret has been far more accurate than PowerPage with product release predictions.

[DHagan4755]

I'll believe it when I see it. O'Grady is often wrong. Apple needs something to write home about in its portable line.

[iJaz]

PowerBook G5's on Tuesday?

[Mac_Freak]

The shipping times for PBs haven't changed. I would rather see an Intel PB on January.

[iMeowbot]

Confirmation? http://forums.macrumors.com/attachme...chmentid=30676

(really, it does seem time just for normal speed bumps from Freescale)

[Mac_Freak]

Originally Posted by iMeowbot

Confirmation? http://forums.macrumors.com/attachme...chmentid=30676

(really, it does seem time just for normal speed bumps from Freescale)

I would agree when it comes to the timing. But what about PMs?

[Wonder Boy]

new imacs! new imacs!

[rockthecasbah]

i've never heard of this O' Grady (only on the rumors scene since i guess april) but i have to agree and take some scepticism with that. What im thinking is that maybe it will just be another jank update, like just processor speed increases (though at the size incriment they did last time you might be cautious to throw the word "speed" in there. Definitely not anything else different like the trackpads that were updated last time...Maybe a better screen but that would be pushing it. They are probably saving that for Intels.

[iMeowbot]

Originally Posted by Mac_Freak

I would agree when it comes to the timing. But what about PMs?

Really, what about them? Even if Apple do decide to bring in the MP for a while, it's not going to make an enormous difference, and IBM don't seem to be saying that much higher speeds are in the short term cards. Are Apple really going to put the effort of something like 4 cores into an architecture they're about to kill off? It seems like a lot of testing for an oddball configuration with no real life span. So, I'd expect little there either.

[bentoon]

off the Apple events:
there is a intro seminar for new powerbooks on Oct 1st here in ny that says "

Light. Thin. Powerful. Come hear about the new Powerbook G4.

For more details:
http://seminars.apple.com/goToEvent.html?id=38225&s=300

"

[Kelmon]

Well, my current schedule is to wait for a dual-core MacTel PowerBook next year so I'm not expecting to buy until very late 2006, particularly if my wife is controlling the bank account. Basically, I can't afford a new one right now anyway but when I do buy a new one I want one that will blow my existing 1GHz PowerBook G4 out of the water. Given this, a modest speedbump won't be of much interest to me and, I suspect, many people. I'm wait for a real "kick in the pants" for the PowerBook line...

[bentoon]

Originally Posted by bentoon

off the Apple events:
there is a intro seminar for new powerbooks on Oct 1st here in ny that says "

Light. Thin. Powerful. Come hear about the new Powerbook G4.

For more details:
http://seminars.apple.com/goToEvent.html?id=38225&s=300

"

BTW/ the web page shows now new specs

[Mac_Freak]

Originally Posted by bentoon

BTW/ the web page shows now new specs

But those are the same specs as we have now. What's so new about them?

[CmdrLaForge]

I really expect an upgrade to the PB line. But just a minor bump as O Grady reports. I wonder about those ThinkSecret reports.

If ThinkSecret is right - and the update comes in January - that would be much too long and again close to a year. I can't believe that.

Keep my fingers crossed....

[Henri Gaudier]

If it's finally the Freescale dual at 2 x 2 gig .. brilliant but if it's the expected crawl to 1.7 it will be the most embarrassing revision in the history of Apple computers. A great €2000 joke. OS X is valuable but come on!! The Powerbook is pathetic. Who would have thought that it would never make 2 gig? And at such a price. The spec is less than where the iBook should be in 2003 never mind 2005.

[iGary]

Apple Insider reported about 6 weeks ago that the next PB revision would see minor (.03MHz) updates.

[yamabushi]

If you have a lot of software it might be a good idea to go ahead and buy this updated powerbook regardless of its specs. Why? Because PPC emulation is slow on current Intel hardware. If you jump on the first Intel based Powerbook nine months to a year from now you may be dissapointed when using any OSX software released before 2006.

Emulating PPC hardware will probably become more efficient and Intel hardware will become more powerful in the future. I think it may be a long time before emulated PPC hardware will pass up native hardware for most tasks.

New* software released a year from now will likely run fast on Intel hardware released a year from now. But, the same software will still run fine on currently available PPC hardware.

If you usually buy a new laptop every two to three years, then I would suggest that this next revision would be the perfect time to buy. In two years Apple might be releasing the second or third revision of the Intel Powerbook. At that time the transition will be at its midpoint and there will be more Intel OSX software available. Hardware perfomance and emulation efficiency will probably have improved enough to make the transition less painful.

For many users I think the next Powerbook revision will offer the best overall performance for the next few years. Buy it.

[neutrino23]

I really hope to see two or three more upgrade for the PB before they go Intel. I agree with TS as to the timing of that. Late 2006 seems right. They can't release the pro stuff till the software is there and till they had some experience with a couple hundred thousand mac minis and ibooks running intel.

[MrSugar]

Originally Posted by yamabushi

If you have a lot of software it might be a good idea to go ahead and buy this updated powerbook regardless of its specs. Why? Because PPC emulation is slow on current Intel hardware. ...

I don't know why you think it will be slow. Supposedly Rosetta is the real deal. All reports I have read about Rosetta and its emulation say it's extremely fast, in fact, they don't even call it emulation.

While I don't entirely disagree with your post, simply because the intel jump is a big jump to take, I think your facts seem a bit off. There is a good chance that intel powerbooks, even running rosetta, may run current PPC programs just as fast, or faster, even though they are emulating it.

[BRLawyer]

I also vote for the PB G5 3GHz...definitely! GO PB, GO!

[Platform]

If apple can't give anything else than a 1.7Ghz G4......then use your time on the 970MP and Intel

But if not then

[FF_productions]

A 30 mhz speed bump would be ridiculous, I can't even call that an update if it REALLY happens. Still have to wait until next week... I guess they are updating little things on the PB, but I can't remember, so it probably didn't make a difference.

[Hattig]

I guess this is the 7448 then, if the speed will be 1.7GHz (8.5 x 200MHz).

At least it will have 1MB of L2 cache and lower power consumption, which might boost battery life a little. Better performance too because of the extra cache and slightly higher FSB.

I'd rather it was a 1.8GHz 7448 of course. Even better a 2GHz 7448, but that seems unlikely, sadly. However a 2GHz 17" would be pretty competitive with the ~2GHz Dothan based laptops in the same price range.

12": 1.6GHz? 512MB on motherboard, 1.5GB max, 80GB
15": 1.7GHz? 1GB, 100GB
17": 1.8GHz? 1GB, 120GB

[Abstract]

If they offer a Freescale Moto 7448 at 2 GHz G4, then that is fantastic. Seriously.

If they offer anything less, or nothing at all, I expect Pentium PBs at MWSF. That's probably when they're released anyway.

f ThinkSecret is right - and the update comes in January - that would be much too long and again close to a year. I can't believe that.

The 15" Ti PB wasn't updated for over a year, and only became "aluminium" around the time when the 2nd revision 12" and 15" was introduced.

[Stella]

I'd be very surprised if Apple used the new PPC from freeserve what with the transition to Intel.

The life span ( sale time ) of such a machine would be limited and I doubt Apple would bother redesigning the machine twice is a short period of time.

PowerBooks really need beefy processors in them.