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Old Sep 17, 2003, 03:37 AM   #1
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Apple Expo Paris 2003 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers

PowerBooks

The big news at Apple Expo 2003 was the release of the new PowerBooks -- providing long-awaited updates to Apple's professional portables.

After dozens of false starts, the most recent rumors recapped in our Paris roundup provided information from historically more reliable sources.

AppleInsider provided confident reports of PowerBook updates at the Expo which were later confirmed by our own sources. ThinkSecret provided hints that 12" PowerBooks would follow the 15"/17" releases -- and indeed, the 12" models are not immediately available.

Bits and pieces of (seemingly accurate) information was scattered across a few sites, but this AppleInsider report provided one of the better glimpses into the new releases by claiming 15" PowerBooks, Aluminum, 1.25GHz USB 2.0, FW800, and 17" 1.3GHz and USB 2.0. Some additional details were provided by one MacRumors report (15.2") but only partially accurate pricing information ($1999-$2999) in our final report.

PowerPage remains inconsistent with initial claims that PowerBook updates were unlikely at the Apple Expo. While a last minute report claimed that PowerBooks were "cleared for distribution", other details of their report were incorrect (nVidia in high end, 15.4" screen).

Overall, not a striking victory for rumor sites -- mostly due to the number of inaccurate rumors that were posted over the past few months. This, however, simply underscores taking into account the reliability of a source when considering a rumor.

Bluetooth Mouse/Keyboard

Apple deserves the most credit for revealing the existance of the Apple Wireless Mouse and Keyboard prior to their release. Panther Builds started including references to the (then) unreleased accessories. Meanwhile, ThinkSecret was then able to provide some additional details (AA batteries) for the accessories.

Software Releases

Our report of Software announcements last week have proven to be inaccurate.... however, last minute contacts revealed that the report was meant to say "hardware" announcements. Whether or not either iMacs, iPods, PowerBooks, or Wireless Keyboards and Mice fall under the "unexpected" category is left open to individual interpretation.

Seperately, iCal 1.5 and iSync 1.2 updates are still expected shortly.

Misc...

- iPod Peripherals are presumably still in the works, but as previously stated, there is no known timeframe for their release. ThinkSecret has since been able to provide some confirmation of upcoming peripherals.

- The Special Edition iPod did not make an appearance as predicted by ThinkSecret.

The Loser?

Beyond all the sites that offered premature predictions of PowerBook updates, one site in particular stands out as a source of misinformation.

Digitimes.com claimed in January 2003 that Apple was going to start production of a 15.4" PowerBook in the "near future", and later claimed that 15.4" PowerBook production was ramping up in June. It turns out, that these reports were wrong... and, in fact, may have sparked off all the (inaccurate) speculation and rumors of PowerBook updates over the past 8 months.

Digitimes has previously had other inaccurate reports, including 19" iMacs, termination of 17" iMac Production, and an Apple Tablet. As a result, future reports from Digitimes should be met with skepticism.

Last edited by arn : Sep 17, 2003 at 04:04 AM.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 03:46 AM   #2
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The lesson to be learned? Take everything with a grain of salt. (unless it comes from digitimes)
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 05:04 AM   #3
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As the say, if you fling enough **** at the side of a barn, some of it's going to stick

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Old Sep 17, 2003, 05:25 AM   #4
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still disappointed

Honestly,

I am still a little bit disappointed about yesterdays keynote and releases.

Sure. The new PB are really great and it was really by the time to release them.

Bluetooth keyboard and mice are very nice as well. Even if I will not get one. One button !?

But that this is all. I expected more. Eventually a ship date for panther, iTMS Europe+Windows, iWorks, iPod acc, iPhone,

What do you guys think ?

Cheers
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 05:40 AM   #5
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Re: still disappointed

Quote:
Originally posted by CmdrLaForge
Honestly,

I am still a little bit disappointed about yesterdays keynote and releases.


What do you guys think ?

Cheers
Y'know, I agree, but I grow tired of being negative easily, so today I have focused in on Panther and the good things that are going to come soon (or a bit later) - after all, 6 months ago, there was no G5, most Macs were still being measured in MHz not GHz, Panther was a sparkle in Steve Job's eye, and no-one was talking about making a supercomputer out of anything made by Apple.

SOOooo - always look on the bright si-ide of life - dee dum, dee dum dee dum dee dum…
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 05:59 AM   #6
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Post Petition online re one-button mouse

No more Mr. Mice Guy!

To:_ Steve @ Apple Computer, Inc

Dear Steve,

The Power Mac G5/G4, iMac, and eMac are all really good computers. However, they all come bundled with the one-button mouse.

We do not want the one-button mouse. Selling Macs with a one-button mouse is SPAM, and we are not buying SPAM anymore. Please unbundled the mouse now!

We will not buy, or encourage others to buy, any Mac with a one-button mouse.


Sincerely,

Sign at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/1button/
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 06:36 AM   #7
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If I owned a desktop Mac, the first thing I would do is throw the bundled mouse into a dusty box and attach a "PC mouse" to it.

Unfortunately, I can't do the same thing to my PowerBook's touchpad button.

Multiple mouse buttons (bare minimum of 2) provide simply too much functionality to keep ignoring.

I understand ease of use is the idea, but this one backfires. Pertinent example: when my girlfriend started using my PB, the first thing she had to learn was the Ctrl+click. And she Ctrl+clicked a lot, especially during web browsing. She liked the computer but hated the Ctrl+click, and she's no "power user" in any way.

I've gotten used to it, and the advantages of my PB outweigh the flaws, but this is just a bad thing that simply doesn't have to be.

I don't even mind bundled 1-button mice on desktops, because replacing them is a very simple matter. But on laptops, it's just bad.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 06:50 AM   #8
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Re: still disappointed

Quote:
Originally posted by CmdrLaForge
Honestly,

I am still a little bit disappointed about yesterdays keynote and releases.

What do you guys think ?
I'm still surprised that they released the iMacs and especially the iPods a week BEFORE the keynote! That's really strange to me.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 06:54 AM   #9
depakote
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I ordered a new 17" PowerBook and it is shipping today! I should have it in a couple days! I gotta hand it to Apple on this one. I can't wait...

Paul
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 06:56 AM   #10
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1 button is no longer necessary

While I don't care enough to sign a petition (sorry), the 1 button mouse has outlived its intention: ease of use. I would argue that most people that are going to buy a mac (meaning people in industrialized nations. I'm not talking about aboriginese) have used a computer enough to handle a 2+ button mouse. I can understand the original argument of most people don't understand how to use a mouse, or how having mutliple buttons causes confusion. But the truth is: most people get it now.

If people are just hiding the stock parts in a drawer once they get the computer home, that's a waste of resources on the part of the seller. Even if the parts are cheap, they still cost money to manufacture. If people aren't using them, then why spend the money at all? I'm not talking about selling a 7 button mouse, but apple should do some research to figure out how many new computer buyers actually use the stock keyboard (a fair amount I assume) and the stock mouse (significantly less). I mean, why invest time and money into something no one appreciates?

And then of course, add the 2 buttons to the trackpad.

-p
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:03 AM   #11
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Re: Petition online re one-button mouse

Quote:
Originally posted by jonasholmstrom
We do not want the one-button mouse.
Yes, "we" do. "We" will not buy a Mac with a TWO-button mouse.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:05 AM   #12
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Re: 1 button is no longer necessary

Quote:
Originally posted by psxndc
... the 1 button mouse has outlived its intention: ease of use...
Bullsh*t. Go get your stupid PC gear elsewhere.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:13 AM   #13
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Re: Re: 1 button is no longer necessary

Quote:
Originally posted by mrwalker
Bullsh*t. Go get your stupid PC gear elsewhere.
Oh pleease, have you ever used one - I have used Macs since '84, the one-button reasoning was fairly valid then, but its not now in a more computer literate age - its a barrier to productivity.

I have a Microsoft Intellimouse with 2 buttons and a scroll wheel - its a huge improvement over the Apple offering, which is sitting in a drawer.

Am I happy to have bought a frigging Microsoft product to go with my beloved Apple computer - NO.

But I'm not enough of a zealot to believe that Apple is always Best. They have missed a grand opportunity here to make a break with the past.

It seems that Apple just has a one-button mind.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:43 AM   #14
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I was disappointed by no firm release date for Pather.

Also, no new software.

The quote about no Europe iTunes until into 2004 also sucked.

I wonder when Canada is going to get it?

Good about the powerbooks, though.

Overall, the keynote was boring.. rerun on Dev Conference really. I'm really glad I didn't stay up.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:53 AM   #15
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15 inch not available as promised

Quote:
Originally posted by depakote
I ordered a new 17" PowerBook and it is shipping today! I should have it in a couple days! I gotta hand it to Apple on this one. I can't wait...

Paul
they told me that it would ship directly from singapore in two to three days! now they are saying it wont ship until the 19th. i am very disapointed. i wish apple would stop promising what they cant deliver
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 07:55 AM   #16
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Re: 1 button is no longer necessary

Quote:
Originally posted by psxndc
But the truth is: most people get it now.
Most of your friends + everyone on here + your work colleagues != most people

I agree, Apple should offer a two button mouse, but at the end of the day it's about perception. I had to teach my Mum how to right click the other day (she's using XP), and she just doesn't get it. The majority of people who are creating the marketshare explosion that a lot of people here keep rabidly harping on about expanding are the Mums and Dads of the world who haven't dabbled with computers before. Believe it or not, there's a lot of people out there who don't use Windows at work but use bespoke systems, or who do use Windows but still don't understand why there are two (or seven) buttons on the mouse.

My Mum asked why my laptop only had one button. She assumed that this meant the computer was less complicated to use.

The point is that a LOT of people out there who use a PC are a little scared of the second button on the mouse - they don't use it, they think it might cause damage to the computer, and it represents a "technological barrier" to their computer experience.

One of the things that Apple is brilliant at is being very technical, but in a non-scary way (cf Terminal). The one button mouse is at the core of their strategy to say "We're not going to scare you off with stuff you don't get or need", and as such it will NEVER go away.

The real point here is that there are alternatives - Apple doesn't make a graphics tablet either, does that mean they should?

So yes, I'd like Apple to provide an option, but that's all it will ever be.

The one-button mouse is too much of a brand hook for Apple. Getting rid of it would damage the brand in very severe ways, and make for one less thing to differentiate between us and the Dark Side.

By the way, I'm no lover of the one button mouse, but then I work my machine hard. I don't expect every car to come with rally shocks either, and as long as I can fit a set either in a BTO or in the shop, I'll be happy.

Let the mouse issue go.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 08:04 AM   #17
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I admit that I was hoping for an iSync update, with an expanded list of compatible phones. The folks at LG have stated that the VX6000 is not compatible with iSync, which is a shame as I wanted to stick with Verizon. The Nokia 3650 is looking like the phone, unless the Handspring Treo 600 comes out anytime soon. The Sony Ericsson P800 also looked promising, but no one supports that model in my area of NC.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 08:20 AM   #18
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Re: Re: 1 button is no longer necessary

Quote:
Originally posted by JayBee
Most of your friends + everyone on here + your work colleagues != most people

...

Let the mouse issue go.
Hear! Hear! I've been using UNIX, Windows, and MacOS for more than ten years - on my Mac, I still prefer the one-button mouse.

MacOS X supports both but doesn't require it, so what's the problem? A two button optical scrolly-wheel mouse is under $20 these days anyway. I don't understand why people have a problem. I know some of you are thinking "but I don't want to pay for the 1 button included with a Mac". Apple's cost on those things are very low. You'd be lucky if it saved you $20. It's really not worth getting upset about. And it's good to have a spare mouse anyway.

And to the guy's gf who doesn't like control-click - I believe you can also click and hold for a couple of seconds in a web browser. Besides, why is she always right clicking in a web browser? What is she doing that requires that little menu so much?
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 08:53 AM   #19
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buttons...

I personally have no use for a "1-button" mouse. I've had an Intellimouse since I got my DP500 and love it.
Using the keyboard in conjunction just sux. I'm usually snacking while I surf and I get tired of blowing cookie crumbs out of my keyboard.

BT is cool, but I won't buy a mouse with one button .
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:17 AM   #20
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Re: Re: 1 button is no longer necessary

Quote:
Originally posted by JayBee


...
The point is that a LOT of people out there who use a PC are a little scared of the second button on the mouse - they don't use it, they think it might cause damage to the computer, and it represents a "technological barrier" to their computer experience.
...
But I hardly think that users of a 17" pbook or a dual 2ghz g5 view it that way..

How about 2 buttons for the pro macs and 1 for the consumer line?

Besids which, the scroll wheel is something which helps greatly in ease of use and just about anybody can comprehend very quickly. Apple used to be a leader in this kind of innovation not a laggard.

Though hopefully we'll see a product based on the scroll-dial patent they filed soon.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:20 AM   #21
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5 buttons plus scroll is the minimum

Quote:
Originally posted by hayesk
Besides, why is she always right clicking in a web browser? What is she doing that requires that little menu so much?
Perhaps she likes the "Back" option that pops up in the context menu? I've heard that some people go "back" to previous pages while they surf.

By the way, the default mapping on the 5-button Microsoft mouses is for the thumb button to do "Back", and the pinkie button to do "Forward".

These extra two buttons are a fine "surf accelerator" - if you get used to them it's really frustrating to use a standard 3-button + scroll mouse!
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:44 AM   #22
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Count me as a vote for the one-button mouse. When I had a pc, I had a four button/scroll wheel...but honestly, I find the one-button mouse to be more convenient...I just don't use contextual menus that much, and when I do, the option key isnt that far away.

Now, for professionals, I can see this situation would be a little different. For home users, though, the need just isn't there...
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:47 AM   #23
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OK, the 'one button mouse' seems to be a bit of a touchy subject. But wouldn't it be a good idea if Apple were to at least offer an Apple branded two button mouse - judging by these forums plenty of people would buy them, where as no one seems interested in paying for the same keyboard and mouse they already have but in wireless form.

To my mind the ideal solution would be for Apple to make a two button mouse with a scroll wheel and to allow people to specify it in the BTO section of the Apple store. That way the single button mouse could be the default option and the two button the alternative choice.

But maybe that's too sensible...
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:47 AM   #24
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Re: 15 inch not available as promised

Quote:
Originally posted by neilk2350
they told me that it would ship directly from singapore in two to three days! now they are saying it wont ship until the 19th. i am very disapointed. i wish apple would stop promising what they cant deliver
Yeah, it's a real shame you're getting a 17" PowerBook three days later than you first thought. If it's bugging you that much, just send it my way. I'll be glad to wait several weeks.

Hint: Stop whining.
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Old Sep 17, 2003, 09:56 AM   #25
manu chao
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Guess what, I prefer a trackpad to a mouse. And a two-button trackpad is less easy to operate than a two-button mouse since the different buttons don't correspond to different fingers.

And I prefer shortcuts (or combined stuff like command-mouse-click to open a link in a new tab) to any menu based variant and right-click (or controll-click, to my knowledge, always leads to a menu).

Example: Empty the trash on W2k -> right-click on it, move down to empty
Empty the trash on OS X -> hit shift-command-delete

Last edited by manu chao : Sep 17, 2003 at 10:01 AM.
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