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Questions from a potential switcher.

Lollypop

Lollypop

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Hi

I am thinking of buying a 12inch powerbook close to X-mas, it will be my first mac and I have a few questions:

1.) Coming from the PC world I have a lot of choice on the chipset (VIA, Intel, Nvidia, ATI ect.)that goes into my PC, Apple on the other hand doesn't really say who makes the control logic of their products, as far as I have been able to gather Marvell might be a maker of the chip that will be in a 12inch powerbook, any comments??

2.) In what way are the bluetooth and Airport connected to the system, via USB and PCI repectively??

3.) How fussy is a powerbook over the type of memory that I can add to it? The reason Im asking is I live in South-Africa and I only have a few options for locally availble memory, the rest has to be importer and then price suffers from import tax.

4.) What are the odds that there will be processor upgrade made for a 12inch powerbook?

5.) Although rumors say there might be a powerbook update soon there is no mention if Gigabit ethernet or firewire 800 will also be made available on a 12incher, any thoughts?

I would apreciate any help!
C
 
Lollypop said:
Hi

I am thinking of buying a 12inch powerbook close to X-mas, it will be my first mac and I have a few questions:

1.) Coming from the PC world I have a lot of choice on the chipset (VIA, Intel, Nvidia, ATI ect.)that goes into my PC, Apple on the other hand doesn't really say who makes the control logic of their products, as far as I have been able to gather Marvell might be a maker of the chip that will be in a 12inch powerbook, any comments??

2.) In what way are the bluetooth and Airport connected to the system, via USB and PCI repectively??

3.) How fussy is a powerbook over the type of memory that I can add to it? The reason Im asking is I live in South-Africa and I only have a few options for locally availble memory, the rest has to be importer and then price suffers from import tax.

4.) What are the odds that there will be processor upgrade made for a 12inch powerbook?

5.) Although rumors say there might be a powerbook update soon there is no mention if Gigabit ethernet or firewire 800 will also be made available on a 12incher, any thoughts?

I would apreciate any help!
C
Click to expand...

1: I don't know

2: The BT and Airport are built in, in "apple slots", i have heard that they are buit on usb2

3: Memory is easy, get the right specs. Mine uses so-dimm pc2700.

4: The upgrade will require soldering. The last cpu upgradable apple laptop is the G3 Pismo, which is 4.5 years old...

5: I'll doubt that the next generation pb will have a huge makeover, i dont think apple would put fw800 and gigabit in the 12-incher, they still haven't done it in the iMac..

Anyway, the 12-inch Powerbook is GREAT!!
 
Lollypop said:
Hi

I am thinking of buying a 12inch powerbook close to X-mas, it will be my first mac and I have a few questions:

1.) Coming from the PC world I have a lot of choice on the chipset (VIA, Intel, Nvidia, ATI ect.)that goes into my PC, Apple on the other hand doesn't really say who makes the control logic of their products, as far as I have been able to gather Marvell might be a maker of the chip that will be in a 12inch powerbook, any comments??
Click to expand...

Apple design the core logic chips themselves and then contract out the fabrication (a bit like VIA, NVidia and ATI, none of whom fab their own chips). The only Marvell chip that is likely to be in there would be to support TV out!
Lollypop said:
2.) In what way are the bluetooth and Airport connected to the system, via USB and PCI repectively??
Click to expand...
Yes.

In addition this Developer Note might be interesting.
Lollypop said:
3.) How fussy is a powerbook over the type of memory that I can add to it? The reason Im asking is I live in South-Africa and I only have a few options for locally availble memory, the rest has to be importer and then price suffers from import tax.
Click to expand...
Not very. As long as it's the right form factor and speed it will work.
Lollypop said:
4.) What are the odds that there will be processor upgrade made for a 12inch powerbook?
Click to expand...
Close to zero. The CPU is not socketed, it's soldered to the motherboard!
Lollypop said:
5.) Although rumors say there might be a powerbook update soon there is no mention if Gigabit ethernet or firewire 800 will also be made available on a 12incher, any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Possibly, but don't hold your breath, especially for both at once!
 
aside form all the other comments, can you really choose the chipset in PC laptop, other than by switching manufacturers?
 
dieselg4 said:
aside form all the other comments, can you really choose the chipset in PC laptop, other than by switching manufacturers?
Click to expand...

With laptops its not THAT easy, but with towers most of the time you just get a new motherboard that has the different chipset, its not like the chipsets are swappable but choice is there.

robbieduncan said:
In addition this Developer Note might be interesting.
Click to expand...

Now this is more like it! Thanks!
 
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