New iBooks Next Tuesday?

[tsk]

The more I think about it, the more I realize that we will not be seeing an update until the Paris Expo. Only makes sense, why have an IBook + Ipod Mini promotion if there is the intention of an update half-way through. Promotions are used to clear stock, nothing more. I doubt they'd want to give away new products at a discount.

Bah, just to be safe I will wait until this coming Tuesday; but on the very same day I need to make a decision: Get an upgraded Ibook or go with a less expensive more value for the money PC Laptop. :/

The only reason that thinking might be wrong is that the promo covers all hardware (except the Mini and eMac I think) and the iBook hasn't been updated in so long. I highly doubt it would happen, but 2% of me things maybe halfway through the promo they'll have emptied the iBook stock enough or something.

 

[Sam I Am]

Apple always seems to try to make people wish they had waited longer before making their purchase. I doubt they would let the people who bought their iBook and iPod mini at the beginning of the promo have as good of a deal as the people who buy later on. Therefore, I don't think Apple would wait until the promo is over to update the iBooks. Also keep in mind that not everybody is eligible for the Student Union promo. So I don't think Apple would work around the promo schedule to update their products. The update probably will only be minor, so it won't need an expo. My bets are on updates on one of the next 3 or 4 Tuesdays.

 

[Sam I Am]

Also remember that at this time last year, Cram and Jam hadn't even started yet.

 

[taytho]

so, i have been following this thread since it was pretty young and have only posted a couple times. i am in the same boat as sam i am - (owning a 4g 20gig ipod and waiting for the updates to get a 14inch combo ibook)

Please stop telling us and people like us to just get a 12 inch powerbook. if i wanted one i would get it. i want the larger screen and MONEY IS AN OBJECT..... i am working my way through college and if you think i can just come up with a few hundred extra dollars so easily you are wrong..... if i had the money i would just get a 15 inch pb because it is a sweet computer....... but again it is a money issue. it seems as if few people get this, which confuses me.

i am not upset or anything i just wanted to clear up that it is fine if you get your ibook now, but waiting makes sense too because if you can you should (more computer for same money = good decision).

good ridance sacear (or whatever that name was)

apple - please update soon, i want to make the switch!

 

[lizard79]

If they are making a point of updating at Paris, I would expect something major like the first generation of intel processors.

No intel in 2005..
We'll hopefully see G5 powerbooks and ibooks with the current powerbook cpus (or a little bit slower)

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

No intel in 2005..
We'll hopefully see G5 powerbooks and ibooks with the current powerbook cpus (or a little bit slower)

I don't know about G5 PowerBooks, but that would be awesome !

 

[iDM]

I sure as hell think so. Why? Lets see here when I went to BestBuy all they had of the 12" iBook which is the size I want was a demo model. And when the clerk checked stock he said none of the other Best Buys in my province had any (demos excluded). So I think that a new revision is coming to fill up the empty holes. This is besides the fact that the iBook is overdue for an update according to the buyers guide. Plus it makes sense, one week release new PowerMacs along with Tiger, next week release new iMacs and eMacs and then the next week hopefully release new iBooks and... iTunes 4.8? And after seeing the specs on the new iMac I'm pretty confident these will be the new base specs on the new iBooks:

1.33Ghz G4 (1.5Ghz on the 14")
512MB DDR RAM
40GB hard drive up from amenic 30 on the 12"
64MB of VRAM
802.11G as is now
Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
OS X Tiger

Now all I have to hope is that this will come next week cause I can't wait no more!

Posted on 5-5-05

Boy was this guy wrong

 

[Sam I Am]

This is from AppleInsider a few months back:

"iBook Rumors

Also slated to make an appearance this spring are speed-bumped versions of Apple's iBook consumer laptops, though sources warned they may not surface until slightly later in the season.

Sources say Apple will boost the 12-inch iBook from a 1.2GHz to 1.33GHz G4 processor, while the 14-inch models will likely obtain a 1.5GHz processor. Both models are also expected to adopt an improved ATI Mobility Radeon graphics processor.

What remains largely uncertain is the TrackPad solution Apple will choose for the updated iBooks. In February Apple abandoned Synaptics, its long-term supplier of TrackPads for the PowerBook G4, in favor of an in-house solution dubbed the "Scrolling TrackPad."

It would seem likely that iBooks would adopt the Scrolling TrackPad, but erratic behavior of new TrackPads on the recently released PowerBooks has escalated into significant quality concerns, which have been widely documented on the Internet.

In recent weeks, Apple has begun to pull a significant number of its 12-inch PowerBooks from the market because of the issue. In some cases, consumers have been waiting up to six weeks for their 12-inch PowerBook order to ship. The issue also extends to some 15- and 17-inch models as well."

They are coming!

 

[thewhitehart]

I hope so...

Hi...

This is my first post, but I've been reading this thread since its conception. I'm obsessed with it and I go through withdrawl if I don't read it at least every three hours, excluding sleep. No. I'm serious.

I want to be a switcher so badly, but I'm not going to spend money on yesterday's technology. Sure the current ibook is a good machine, but I can't see myself buying something that will eventually be upgraded and sold for the same price. I really don't think I need a powerbook, the low end soon-to-be revised ibook would be perfect. I also like the idea of better wireless reception and longer battery life.

I'm itching to get my hands on os x... I'm so sick of windows! I've never owned a mac before. I hope apple gets the ball rolling, I refuse to buy another pc laptop.

 

[tsk]

No intel in 2005..
We'll hopefully see G5 powerbooks and ibooks with the current powerbook cpus (or a little bit slower)

No, we won't see G5 laptops ever. Apple is switching to Intel. One of the major reasons they are switching is because they can't get a G5 into the laptops.

So no, no G5 laptops.

 

[sacear]

iBook updates after Apple Expo Paris 2005

Apple always seems to try to make people wish they had waited longer before making their purchase. I doubt they would let the people who bought their iBook and iPod mini at the beginning of the promo have as good of a deal as the people who buy later on. Therefore, I don't think Apple would wait until the promo is over to update the iBooks. Also keep in mind that not everybody is eligible for the Student Union promo. So I don't think Apple would work around the promo schedule to update their products. The update probably will only be minor, so it won't need an expo. My bets are on updates on one of the next 3 or 4 Tuesdays.

I agree with what you just said.

You make a good point about the Student Union promo not being for everyone, just for education customers. So maybe this promo is not a factor in Apple's decision about when to bring out the updated iBooks.

I think if and when the updated iBooks are ready, that Apple will release them immediately and not hold them back due to a promo. I still think the updated iBooks will come in August or September and not sooner.

I think Apple would not work around the promo schedule to update their products. So I think the Student Union promo was planned and marketed around the already previously planned release date of updated iBooks. The Student Union offer "is good only through September 24, 2005." The last day of Apple Expo Paris is also 24 September 2005. I think that is a significant clue.

I think we can look at how the last PowerBook update came several weeks after MacWorld Expo SF 2005 as an example. I think similarly both updated PowerBooks and updated iBooks will be introduced soon after Apple Expo Paris 2005. I think PowerBooks will be updated first (that is just reality), then followed quickly by updated iBooks. So the introduction of updated PowerBooks will be the big sign of when to expect updated iBooks.

IMHO.

 

[Alasta]

I think we can look at how the last PowerBook update came several weeks after MacWorld Expo SF 2005 as an example. I think similarly both updated PowerBooks and updated iBooks will be introduces soon after Apple Expo Paris 2005.

I agree that this seems like the most likely scenario for several reasons:
- The Powerbook will next be updated when Apple can get their hands on Freescale's 7448 in reasonable quantities, and updating the iBook at the same time eliminates the problem of the iBook's specs being too similar to the Powerbooks.
- September will be roughly mid-way between the last iBook update (October 04) and the likely release date for Intel iBooks (around June 06 - September 06).
- Waiting until September gives Apple a greater opportunity to clear inventory of the existing model and to ensure that sufficient units of the new model will be available to meet the demand when it is finally released.

 

[lizard79]

You make a good point about the Student Union promo not being for everyone, just for education customers.

and furthermore it's only for edu customers in the US!

 

[tristan]

to thewhitehart: It's not like the updated iBook is going to walk around on its hind legs and do your laundry for you. It'll just be a little bit faster, barely noticeable. Just buy your mac already. If you're worried about overpaying, there's a *799* refurb iBook on the Apple store with your name on it. How can you pass up that deal?

 

[sheaitisnotso]

Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia are still 9 month systems with long summer break.

I went to high school in northern Virginia and for the most part you are right. However there are a handful of schools in Virginia that have switched to the year 'round system and hoping for more to come. But i don't see it happening because i know i wouldn't want my summer break taken away.

 

[DHagan4755]

When someone says "iBook updates after Apple Expo Paris 2005," it tells me that they are removed from reality. Apple will not let their iBook like go 11+ months without an update. It's almost like you're playing spin the bottle. Maybe you are.

 

[SpaceMagic]

I dunno guys, i really don't know anymore. Perhaps apple are waiting for Paris expo, and even if they aren't it's close enough now for me to wait until Paris, cos I'm a sucker. I'll then end up waiting for January and then WWDC and then etc etc etc.

We shouldn't wait. We should buy.

 

[ironMonkey]

i'm a pc user who's been trolling these boards since april. desperate to make the switch, i've been checking this thread for months.
anyway, now that that's out of the way: it shouldn't suprise anyone that they would wait until the end of september to unveil the iBook update. it's outrageous that they would wait this long, so a couple months longer is just them continuing on in this madness.
i will buy a laptop before classes resume in the Fall. whether that computer is a pc or mac depends wholly on whether the iBook is updated before then. honestly, selling an 8 month old item at the same price it was originally offered at is unacceptable in any area of electronics.
the apple iBook is a sleek machine and perfect for a liberal arts student like myself. i need a computer i can take to the library and write on while surrounded by all my research material. but, if apple leaves its customers to make uncomfortable decisions (like overpaying for an old iBook or financially overextending themselves on a nice pBook) maybe i should stay away from them alltogether. They just don't seem to care about students. They try to rope us into buying these old iBooks by luring us with iPods. shameful if you ask me.
Students have the potential to become power users in a couple of years and you'd think they would try and bring us into their community so we will become brand loyal and create a more robust market share for the future.
oh well, the reality is i will still hold of on my purchase until august. if apple updates before then, they will have new customers. if they don't,... well we'll have to just wonder about what could have been...
sounds so awfully dramatic to me.

 

[doctor pangloss]

Hard to believe this thread is 47 pages.
My 2 cents: I bought a 12"PB 1.33 right after it came out. Initially it had a bug and I had to fight with Apple to get a replacement. After about 4 months I got the replacement. I'm very happy with it. If I had to do it over I would go for a super drive and 80G hardrive instead of a combo drive and a 60G. I also bought my mom a low end Ibook which is very competent too. Perfect for her.
I need to buy my son a computer now and I'm seriously considering another Ibook or a refurbished PB.
If I was on a real limited budget (actually I am!) and needed one now the Ibook really is a very reasonable choice. I'm sure it will give severals years of very competant service.
As people have mentioned here several times: Many have G3 units that are performing quite well. Much better than a PC that is several years old.

To the potential switchers out there. I was one. Don't wait just switch you will not regret the move. The only glitch is every time I have to use a PC I hate it. I always love going back to my PB. The operating system really is far superior to microsoft junk.

 

[VanMac]

FWIW.

Apple Store Canada is back up to 5-7 Business Days shipping on iBook. All models.

 

[Mood]

i'm a pc user who's been trolling these boards since april. desperate to make the switch, i've been checking this thread for months.
anyway, now that that's out of the way: it shouldn't suprise anyone that they would wait until the end of september to unveil the iBook update. it's outrageous that they would wait this long, so a couple months longer is just them continuing on in this madness.
i will buy a laptop before classes resume in the Fall. whether that computer is a pc or mac depends wholly on whether the iBook is updated before then. honestly, selling an 8 month old item at the same price it was originally offered at is unacceptable in any area of electronics.
the apple iBook is a sleek machine and perfect for a liberal arts student like myself. i need a computer i can take to the library and write on while surrounded by all my research material. but, if apple leaves its customers to make uncomfortable decisions (like overpaying for an old iBook or financially overextending themselves on a nice pBook) maybe i should stay away from them alltogether. They just don't seem to care about students. They try to rope us into buying these old iBooks by luring us with iPods. shameful if you ask me.
Students have the potential to become power users in a couple of years and you'd think they would try and bring us into their community so we will become brand loyal and create a more robust market share for the future.
oh well, the reality is i will still hold of on my purchase until august. if apple updates before then, they will have new customers. if they don't,... well we'll have to just wonder about what could have been...
sounds so awfully dramatic to me.

amen to that brotha' i'll wait as long as august 15th or so (before august 26th college starts)

 

[SpaceMagic]

FWIW.

Apple Store Canada is back up to 5-7 Business Days shipping on iBook. All models.

Unfortunately the US and UK stores (and possibly more, i haven't checked) are still same business day. Oh well!

I can't believe this thread is still going strong it's funny. I wonder if it'll just die, when they finally come out, and then get resurrected 6 months down the line. Hopefully, we'll soon find out...

Judging from the 1177 posts on this thread how many of us are actually going to buy one when they come out?

 

[akm]

and furthermore it's only for edu customers in the US!

Don't know about other countries, but Student union is now applicable in Canada (as of about a week or so ago, I think): http://www.apple.com/ca/education/backtoschool/

 

[JonMaker]

FWIW.

Apple Store Canada is back up to 5-7 Business Days shipping on iBook. All models.

Unfortunately the US and UK stores (and possibly more, i haven't checked) are still same business day...

Maybe the iBooks will only be updated in Canada.

Don't know about other countries, but Student union is now applicable in Canada (as of about a week or so ago, I think): http://www.apple.com/ca/education/backtoschool/

Thanks for the info. A free iPod mini and a student discount may just make the current offering a little less overpriced.

 

[Steadmuffin]

Switched

What's goin on people. I've been eyeing the 12" iBook since January, but have been following this thread since early May. I figure it's time I registered and posted something.

I've been struggling to wait for the next iBook update for about 2 months now, but on Friday July 8, I cracked and went to my Campus reseller to buy it. I want to be able to play around with it for a month or so before starting school in September (Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), since this will be my first Mac computer.

What pushed me over the edge was a post I saw in this thread (can't find it now). Someone said that no matter when you buy an iBook, or any other kind of technology for that matter, the moment you buy it a bigger and better version is already under development. There's no real way to beat the cycle. That quote, and the fact that my campus reseller uped the ram to 768 megs for only 117 (Cdn) made me pull the trigger. I can't wait to get my new iBook (should be here in about two weeks). I also picked up the green iPod mini 4 gig and will be getting the money back from that with the student union promotion.

Will the iBooks be updated this Tuesday? Who knows. Next Tuesday? Who cares. All I know is, I'm going to have a kick ass laptop in about two weeks. Sure, maybe the technology is 8 months old, but who gives a hee-haw. Any updates to the current models won't make mine any slower. I'm just going to be using iTunes, iWork, Appleworks, and the internet anyway. The current iBook is just great for that, especially with 768 megs of ram. The way I see it, if I had never discovered these forums, I wouldn't have gone through this waiting game at all.

My prediction for the timing of the next update is the Paris Expo. Why? Cram and jam ends on the 24th of September. Also, why would they update the iBooks in the next couple of weeks, only to update them again at the end of September? Only 2 months between updates seems kind of unrealistic. But then again, so does one year. So who knows.

What advice can I give others trying to make this very difficult decision? If you can't stand playing the waiting game, buy it now. If you don't care about getting it now, then wait till the last possible second to order it in time for school. If you're not getting it for school and don't need it now, then wait for the next update. Of course, if you can afford the powerbook, get it, but for most (like me) the extra $500 is not easy to come across.

Thanks for all your advince over the last couple of months. I can't wait to join the Mac community!