New iBooks, Mac minis and iPod shuffles at MWSF 2006?

[MacRumors]

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

ThinkSecret cites "reliable sources" in reporting that Apple plans on introducing new iBooks, Mac minis and iPod shuffles at Macworld San Francisco in January 2006.

Intel is expected to launch the dual-core version of Yonah -- its new notebook processor -- in January. Low-votage versions are expected to come in at 1.5GHz, 1.66GHz and 1.83GHz speeds, while the "performance" version will ship at 1.66GHz, 1.83GHz, 2.0GHz and 2.16GHz speeds.

ThinkSecret speculates that low-voltage 1.5GHz Yonah iBooks may see be announced in January, while "performance" Yonah procesors may come later in PowerBooks.

No further details about the Mac mini or iPod shuffle are available from the rumor site, although the 1GB iPod shuffle is presently out of stock at the Apple store.

[bearcat2000]

Sounds like it could be an interesting January after all. I really am hoping for a Mac Mini DVR.

[Xephian]

Nice, I wonder how the Mac Minis will be.

[Over Achiever]

And my dad just bought a cheap Dell PC on his own accord ... just one more month until the Mac minis. Well more like just 3 more weeks. =/

[Randall]

Originally Posted by Macrumors

ThinkSecret speculates that low-voltage 1.5GHz Yonah iBooks may see be announced in January, while "performance" Yonah procesors may come later in PowerBooks.

Why wait on Powerbooks? If Apple updates the iBooks any more then they already are without touching the Powerbooks, then the iBooks will be better. Especially considering that the dual core Yonah's will be available in January, and they will surely blow the G4 away. I think that would make the Powerbook owners livid, and this better not be true. I didn't pay for a top-end laptop only to have it be blown out by the lower end line. *bull*****

[wkhahn]

How much faster would a dual core intel at 1.5Ghz be than a 1.5Ghz G4? Would that speed increase overshadow the Current P-book line?

[Deepdale]

Definitely something to anticipate in the next few weeks.

[minimax]

Dualcore iBook Yonahs?? That will totally destroy the G4 powerbook performance wise. Doesnt make sense if there arent new dualcore powerbooks (perhaps the 8641D?) as well.

[Randall]

Originally Posted by wkhahn

How much faster would a dual core intel at 1.5Ghz be than a 1.5Ghz G4? Would that speed increase overshadow the Current P-book line?

Well, since it's dual core, it would be twice as fast. And yes, given native x86 applications, they will run faster on a dual core Yonah then they will on a G4.

[Diatribe]

iBooks before Powerbooks wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by Randall

Well, since it's dual core, it would be twice as fast. And yes, given native x86 applications, they will run faster on a dual core Yonah then they will on a G4.

It's hell alot faster even if it was just single too

[Object-X]

Wouldn't an Intel iBook canabalize sales of the G4 Powerbook? Or is Apple willing to suffer the loss? Or maybe they just have to eat it. It will certainly be interesting to see the benchmarks.

[HiRez]

I'm not sure they are dual-core. Isn't Intel producing the low-voltage Yonahs as single-cores (with the "performance" models being dual)? I can't remember where I read it, but I thought I saw something about low-end single-core Yonahs somewhere.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I can't imagine a single-core 1.5 GHz being very fast,,, vs/ the G4, especially if it has to run Rosetta emulation for a bunch of stuff...so single-core doesn't seem right to me...hmm.

[p0intblank]

Wow... all this hype is really getting to me! I need that Mac mini now! A dual-core 1.5 GHz mini would own my PowerBook at more than half the price! Not only that, but I'll be able to install both OS X and Windows on it. There are some Windows apps that I use that are not currently available for OS X, so it would be great not having to boot up my PC just for that one program. January cannot come soon enough!

[minimax]

Originally Posted by wkhahn

How much faster would a dual core intel at 1.5Ghz be than a 1.5Ghz G4? Would that speed increase overshadow the Current P-book line?

the Yonah most likely will be only slightly faster on media applications like photoshop, encoding etc., but much faster (up to 50%) in rendering applications. If you add an average 50% performance increase for a dualcore the difference in performance could exceed the 100% on certain applications.

[Randall]

Originally Posted by HiRez

I'm not sure they are dual-core. Isn't Intel producing the low-voltage Yonahs as single-cores?

Not until Spring of 2006. Which is why an updated iBook makes no sense. iBooks will be updated for the summer, while Powerbooks should be getting the much needed love NOW!

Originally Posted by p0intblank

A dual-core 1.5 GHz mini would own my PowerBook at less than half the price!

That's exactly the reason why it won't happen.


A scary thought would be ThinkSecret using this forum as it's "reliable sources"

[BornAgainMac]

I noticed Powerbook owners are targeted the most. In the past, they were upset because of the iMac. It got a G5 before the Powerbook and now it turns out it never will get a G5. They argued that a consumer machine shouldn't be faster than a pro machine.

Powerbook owners were probably upset with the iBook getting the G4 with speeds too close to the Powerbook.

I have a Powerbook and I don't want to hold up the other product lines because I can't buy a better Powerbook. Please update the Mini, iBook, and the iPod shuffle. Let the shuffle have more flash space than my Powerbook's disk space. I don't want to hold up Apple.

[Thanatoast]

Yes, powerbook sales will tank while the ibooks go intel first. And when the powerbooks get released later in 06, they will beat the ibooks in performance again, and up will no longer be down and cats and dogs will no longer sleep together. The world will begin to revolve again. No worries.

[maya]

Maybe the PowerBook will be announced at MWSF "06 however shipped a few months later.

If there is going to be a 2GB Shuffle, I am gonna get one if it has a screen.

Now I need to see the new case designs.

[kingcrowing]

this will be interesting, I want a new powerbook, but I dunno what Im gonna do if there are dual core intel iBooks! maybe a Yonah iBook+refurb powermac G5...

[aaronsullivan]

The "native" part is the important reason that a Powerbook G4 will probably still outperform a dual core Intel iBook. The professional apps that people buy Powerbooks for are simply not native yet, so they'll be running at a snails pace in Rosetta.

That's the possibility, anyways. Perhaps Rosetta has been vastly improved or some of the major professional apps have been secretly updated (for free.) Although it's not likely, Apple likes big surprises.

Dual core does NOT mean twice as fast for most everything you do on your computer (especially what people do with their iBooks.) Not remotely.

Plus, there have been mentions of the iBook appealing to the female market. If the iBook looks like a glamourous hight tech compact (as in: for make-up) people may still want the slick professional looking Powerbook. :P

I, too, am hoping for a Tivo killer on-demand mega media center mac mini thingy. I think there is major pent up demand for a smart, simple, non-subscription take on a device like this, and Apple is THE one to do this. The sooner, the better... how about in three weeks?! I'm giving that one a 50% chance of showing up though. I think rumors would be much more solid on this, if it was truly coming.

I'm still extremely excited for Macworld. It's almost better than Christmas morning as a child, isn't it?

[iDM]

This is gonna sound like a wet blanket comment but I am currently on a 1.25ghz G4 powerbook and even though I upped the ram I have not had a single time where I have had to wait for programs to open or iPhoto to load with 10K in pictures. I guess this will really help people doing editing of Video work and what not. So even though a dual-core would obviously demolish this machine I really would have no use for it. I'm looking at my new computer possibly being a Quad PowerMac once the top of the line PowerMacs are given these Intel behemoths. I guess there really isn't a point to this post, just that I am smitten with this 2 year old powerbook and for what i use it for I have no reason to upgrade as long as Apple keeps putting out such good machines. Now all i need is a bigger monitor the landscape on the 15" is lacking a little since it has become my desktop computer. (I bought it for a semester an a half abroad and for traveling back and forth during holidays in college, but now i am graduated and not traveling as much)

[joepunk]

Originally Posted by BornAgainMac

I noticed Powerbook owners are targeted the most. In the past, they were upset because of the iMac. It got a G5 before the Powerbook and now it turns out it never will get a G5. They argued that a consumer machine shouldn't be faster than a pro machine.

Powerbook owners were probably upset with the iBook getting the G4 with speeds too close to the Powerbook.

I have a Powerbook and I don't want to hold up the other product lines because I can't buy a better Powerbook. Please update the Mini, iBook, and the iPod shuffle. Let the shuffle have more flash space than my Powerbook's disk space. I don't want to hold up Apple.

Same here. I don't really mind not having the latest, fastest processor in a PB before they are introduced in other machines. This way, I can see/read how the new processors respond and how people respond back.

[suzerain]

My worthless opinion about all this laptop nonsense is this:

The reason there is all this confusion about Apple's upcoming low-end portable lineup is that the rumor sites are trying to make everything fit into the current product matrix, but I think Apple is going to change it.

Like, for example, Appleinsider was reporting that the 12" PowerBook will disappear. I have a hard time believing this, because that machine sold well (I see them everywhere).

So, what seems more likely is that the iBook line will stop being crippled (i.e., will be able to push a second external display), so that it negates the need for a pro version of their small laptop, or Apple is going to announce a third line of laptops entirely. In other words, the high end remains similar (15" and 17" screens), at the low-end we have some stripped down iBook for budget consumers, and in the middle, we have some kind of new entrant...kind of busting the 12" out as its own category: a true Apple subnotebook.

The specifics of what I'm saying are irrelevant, but my general point is: I believe we're going to see some truly new Apple products...not just the same laptops with different guts.

[ariechel]

I can think of only three rationales for putting Intel processors in the iBook (consumer line) before the Powerbook (professional line):

1. The new iBook will have less features than the Powerbook. Professionals will still buy the Powerbook because they need the features it provides (better screen, better connectivity, whatever...).

2. The new iBook will be slower than the Powerbook, at least for certain applications. This could happen if the iBook gets a processor other than Yonah or if Rosetta emulation is worse than we expect. Alternatively, the Powerbook gets a better G4 at the same time (dual-core, better FSB), narrowing the gap.

3. The iBook is the new Powerbook.

Discuss...