Powerbook 1.2GHz?

[MacRumors]

PowerPage posts some rumors about even faster prototype Powerbooks.

The good news is that the top end model could eclipse even the 1022 MHz PowerBook G4 mules in testing now. G4 silicon running as fast as 1200 MHz (1.2 GHz) has been spotted in the titanium enclosure

They also report the new motherboards and built-in bluetooth will be featured... with OS X-only support. No time-frame is given, but if these follow Apple's OS X-Only timeline, it would be expected after Jan 2003.

[djniche]

I can see this happening on the next powermac update. I would say that the powerbook might just see a 933mhz or 1ghz update.
I would like to see a new design for the upcoming powerbook. I love the tibook and I just wonder what apple can come up with to top that design.

[OSeXy!]

800 MHz to 1200 MHz in a single update? Very hard to believe. But I want to believe!

[dernhelm]

This is the system I've been waiting 2 years for - another couple of months won't bother me none...

Hopefully they're smart enough to put in real motherboard support for DDR SDRAM. Then I'll probably have enough performance to run VPC half-way acceptably and have a single PC I can use at home and at work! I'd pay $3500 for that...

There's a switch ad in the making...

[ibookin']

I would like to see a 13" Widescreen TiBook replace the 14.1" iBook. That would rock with a Superdrive and a 1.2GHz G4.

Subnotebooks forever!

[iGav]

Originally posted by OSeXy!
800 MHz to 1200 MHz in a single update? Very hard to believe. But I want to believe!

I don't think this represents a single jump.... the PowerBook is due to be updated next month........ and certainly I don't believe that the current model could continue until next year in it's present configurations!!

OSX only certainly indicates early next year..... Feb-March time I would have thought.......

[barkmonster]

I'll believe it when I see it. That's exactly what I thought when the rumours of the towers jumping from 500 - 733MHz were on a lot of sites.

The one bad thing about the powerbooks being so close to the towers clockspeed wise is that they'll either have some elaborate and noisy new cooling system or no change to the cooling at all making that huge fan in the towers seem like a waste.

They have to start cranking up the speeds of the powerbooks sooner or later though.

I'd be cool if by March of next year there isn't a single model under 1Ghz apart from maybe the eMac and low end iBook.

[Thirteenva]

I think we'll see this 1.2 ghz model at MWNY next year.

I think the update coming in oct/nov will prob be 933mhz top model and 800mhz low end. Those will take us into next year where we'll see some real speed increases in the hardware as everything goes X only, and we see more hardware and OS optimization.

[Blackcat]

Currently Moto only list 1Ghz MPC7445s, and oddly 1Ghz MPC7455s too. That suggests Apple is overclocking. That seems unlikely in a laptop to me.

I really hope the imminent update is 1Ghz & 1.2Ghz though!

[idi_t]

Originally posted by dernhelm
This is the system I've been waiting 2 years for - another couple of months won't bother me none...

Hopefully they're smart enough to put in real motherboard support for DDR SDRAM. Then I'll probably have enough performance to run VPC half-way acceptably and have a single PC I can use at home and at work! I'd pay $3500 for that...

There's a switch ad in the making...

This touches on an interesting point: why isn't Apple offering VPC as a bundle with new Macs? This would really give the "Switch" campaign a lot more weight. At the very least they should be letting PC owners know that they can run _all_ of their current apps right on their new Mac. It always makes me a bit squeamish to see Windows coming up on my Mac, but I imagine some current PC users who are not aware of VPC might be amazed by it...

As for the 1.2 ghz TiBook, unless there's a motherboard redesign that utilizes DDR, it's just the same speed bump strategy apple has been following. Most likely they would release the 1 ghz in January with the 1.2 ghz following 4-5 months later... I'd be amazed if they dropped a 1.2 ghz Ti in January...

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by barkmonster
I'll believe it when I see it. That's exactly what I thought when the rumours of the towers jumping from 500 - 733MHz were on a lot of sites.

The one bad thing about the powerbooks being so close to the towers clockspeed wise is that they'll either have some elaborate and noisy new cooling system or no change to the cooling at all making that huge fan in the towers seem like a waste.

They have to start cranking up the speeds of the powerbooks sooner or later though.

I'd be cool if by March of next year there isn't a single model under 1Ghz apart from maybe the eMac and low end iBook.

Don't forget all the towers have dual processors. That is the reason for the fan.

[Blackcat]

People just don't get the "No new hardware at Expos" thing do they?

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Blackcat
Currently Moto only list 1Ghz MPC7445s, and oddly 1Ghz MPC7455s too. That suggests Apple is overclocking. That seems unlikely in a laptop to me.

I really hope the imminent update is 1Ghz & 1.2Ghz though!

Just because Moto doesn't list it to the public doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If a manufacturor (Motorola) is testing and releasing a cpu at a given speed it is NOT overclocked it is tested to work at that speed. For liability reasons you will never see Apple or any other name brand PC manufacturor release a cpu at a higher clock rate then the manufacturor tested and stamped it at.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by MacBandit



Just because Moto doesn't list it to the public doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If a manufacturor (Motorola) is testing and releasing a cpu at a given speed it is NOT overclocked it is tested to work at that speed. For liability reasons you will never see Apple or any other name brand PC manufacturor release a cpu at a higher clock rate then the manufacturor tested and stamped it at.

Which poses the question, what is the CPU in the dual 1.25GHz PMac? If it is a 7455 it's overclocked.

[Thirteenva]

Originally posted by Blackcat
People just don't get the "No new hardware at Expos" thing do they?

I think you are the person who does not understand.

Nobody ever said "no new hardware at expos". However apple has implied that it does not want to limit hardware upgrades only to expos. If the hardware needs to be "bumped" they'll just bump it with no announcement.

If i'm not mistaken at least some form of hardware was released at all the major expos this year. Only seybold and paris did not have hardware updates.

MWSF - NEW IMAC announced.

MW tokyo - 23 inch cinema display, 10gb ipod announced.

MWNY - 20GB ipod, 17 inch imac announced.

Please make sure you fully understand your arguement before concluding that it is others whom are uninformed.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Which poses the question, what is the CPU in the dual 1.25GHz PMac? If it is a 7455 it's overclocked.

No it's not overclocked. Yes it probably is a 7455. Motorola just found a way to leverage a few more Mhz out of it. Just because you read somewhere that it couldn't be done doesn't mean they didn't try and succeed.

[MacBandit]

There seems to be a real misunderstanding of overclocking here. Overclocking is purely a term to describe what an end user does to boost the cpu clock speed on a cpu. It does not and can not apply to the manufacturor.

The manufacturorer does not overclock. They try it at a higher frequency, test it, and approve it if it passes. Then the cpu is certified at that speed.

If you were the manufacturor and you overclocked the cpu and it tested at that speed you would just stamp the cpu for that speed. Thus it is not overclocked. It just simply tested faster then the other processors in the batch.

Every processor that comes off the line goes through this testing process. Believe it or not even the 7455 has turned out a handfull at close to 2ghz. Though there is not nearly enough to sell. This goes for all cpus and all manufacturors.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by Thirteenva


I think you are the person who does not understand.

Nobody ever said "no new hardware at expos". However apple has implied that it does not want to limit hardware upgrades only to expos. If the hardware needs to be "bumped" they'll just bump it with no announcement.

Think about it, if i'm not mistaken at least some form of hardware was released at all the major expos this year. Only seybold and paris did not have hardware updates.

MWSF - NEW IMAC announced.

MW tokyo - 23 inch cinema display, 10gb ipod announced.

MWNY - 20GB ipod, 17 inch imac announced.

Please make sure you fully understand your arguement to be true before concluding that it is others whom are uninformed.

Actually, Apple (Fred Anderson?) did come right out and say that they wanted to get away from announcing hardware at Expos. I'll see if I can find a link.

The statement was made after the LCD iMac was released, and since then all the things you mention have been 'announced' as a sort of 2 line no fanfare thing - "and today you can buy a 20Gb iPod". They were all arguably minor updates too.

Expo announcements used to be huge things where you could feel Jobs excitement. They don't want that anymore. This year has been very dull Expo wise.

So, no exciting new Powerbook at MWSF or MWNY, but perhaps near them.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by MacBandit



No it's not overclocked. Yes it probably is a 7455. Motorola just found a way to leverage a few more Mhz out of it. Just because you read somewhere that it couldn't be done doesn't mean they didn't try and succeed.

Wot?!
Read this link

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Wot?!
Read this link

So what's your point your reading an outdated article. Also processor manufacturors are known to not divulge all there secrets.

[Thirteenva]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Actually, Apple (Fred Anderson?) did come right out and say that they wanted to get away from announcing hardware at Expos. I'll see if I can find a link.

Yes i remember that, BUT i believe he said they want to get away from announcing new hardware ONLY at the expos. Not that they would STOP announcing new hardware at expos. Expos draw alot of fanfare from both consumers and press, why not demonstrate your latest and greatest toy...

His statement makes it clear that apple will not limit themselves to expos but still doesn't back up your blanket statement of "no new hardware at expos" because i've already proven that there has been new hardware at every major expo this year.

The statement was made after the LCD iMac was released, and since then all the things you mention have been 'announced' as a sort of 2 line no fanfare thing - "and today you can buy a 20Gb iPod". They were all arguably minor updates too.

Minor? Thats debatable, the 17 inch imac was a good example of apple responding to what its consumers asked for, and in a timely fashion. Doubling the capacity of the ipod is pretty amazing also if you ask me...

...but back to the point still all those things are hardware released at an expo when you say there is a rule against that....

Expo announcements used to be huge things where you could feel Jobs excitement. They don't want that anymore. This year has been very dull Expo wise.

None the less hardware WAS released at the expos.

So, no exciting new Powerbook at MWSF or MWNY, but perhaps near them.

you may be right.... but you may be wrong... because as you can see apple will still release products at the expo's BUT doesn't limit themselves only to expo announcements..

What you "don't get" is that there is no rule as you imply, that hardware won't be released at expo's. Fact is that hardware has been released at expos all year long....

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by Thirteenva

What you "don't get" is that there is no rule as you imply, that hardware won't be released at expo's. Fact is that hardware has been released at expos all year long....

Updates have indeed been announced, but nothing big and nothing with a big fuss. It's all very low key and hypeless.

I wish they would go back to the old way!

[dongmin]

the Powerpage report has no mention of a date, so it may very well be next April before we see a 1.2 ghz TiBook with a Superdrive. I'm hopeful for a 1 ghz TiBook next month.

And there's also no mention of what the 1.2 ghz chip might be. It could be the long-rumored 7460 for all we know. So don't get all huffy and puffy about breaking the 1 ghz barrier.

As for "overclocking", I just don't see the point of the whole discussion. If it runs at 1.2 ghz without any problems, is it relevant whether something is "overclocked" or not? And people make it seem like whole 1 ghz topping out thing as some fixed law of the universe. Why? Yes Moto announced in some press release some time ago about the 7455 to topping out at 1 ghz. But isn't it possible that the original projection was wrong or didn't fully anticipate other circumstances?

[Thirteenva]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Updates have indeed been announced, but nothing big and nothing with a big fuss. It's all very low key and hypeless.

Yes but this is getting pointless because your changing your original statement, which is what i was refuting to begin with.

thats not what you said orignally....

Originally posted by Blackcat


People just don't get the "No new hardware at Expos" thing do they?

Which is why i even engaged in writing a rebuttal...

My point was and is that the powerbooks could be released at macworld expos, nothing has been "ruled out" as you originally implied. And i believe my point stands, whether or not you view the subsequent keynotes as "dull" and "boring". I found mwny to be quite entertaining despite the lack of the new powermac which was pushed back due to surplus quicksilvers and a current promotion to get rid of them.

[Gelfin]

Of COURSE they're going to release products at Expos. There's no better forum to do so, and Steve loves putting on his little show too much to completely give up on surprising us during the keynote.

Problem was, in short, everybody watches the keynotes hoping for the "wow," and they really love to deliver that "wow," but tying your release schedules to this artificial tradeshow framework puts a lot of stress on both the development and cashflow parts of the business. The developers get driven like slaves to finish a product that may not be quite ready so they'll have something to show at the Expo. The bean counters get antsy at the idea that they will have to wait until the next Expo to see a new product and fresh cashflow. And for all the artificial stresses this imposed on the company, they were not getting the desired results from the audience. The last several keynotes I've seen have been followed directly by colossal festivals of bitching, whining and moaning here that the cool new stuff wasn't cool enough. So the only reasonable thing to do is to stop tying their product release cycle to this artifical show schedule, relieving some of the stress on the company and hopefully scaling back expectations in the community. It also means that when the new machine you're looking for doesn't show up at MWSF in January, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily have to wait until MWNY in July.

The Expo can still be a showcase for cool new products. We just shouldn't expect it to be the only or necessarily the biggest product announcements of the year.