No more waiting-I am setting a deadline

[Freg3000]

April 9th, 2003

That leaves Apple two Tuesdays, one being April 1st (what a great day to do an update.....). I want to buy an iBook, and I need it soon-I want it for a vacation this month. I leave April 16th in the morning.

I am tired waiting. So I have set a "drop dead date." I know that they are due for updates pretty soon. I even know the potential upgrade might have some new features (most of which is attractive to me is AE). But I cannot wait any longer.

Still, I don?t want to buy a week before a 900 Mhz iBook with Airport Extreme comes out.

This is it Apple. Do it quickly. Please.

 

[Kwyjibo]

u really think the iBook will out clockk the 12in pbook? AE ands a faster procesor plus the difference in g4 and g4 are all main selling points for the 12 in powerbook. If the iBooks stayed at their current pricng structure and became faster than the powerbooks apple would be very naive. If you really want to wait have fun but i seriously don't think you will see any new laptops till this summer when they will all be upgraded.

 

[RBMaraman]

You might as well go ahead and move that deadline to the 1st.

Even though the iBook only has a G3, there is no way they are going to make it faster than the 12" PB. I don't think we will see an iBook update until the PowerBook line is updated. Most likely the new iBook's will include a complete case redesign.

Get the 12" PB and enjoy that baby. If money's a problem, get an Apple loan. You could have that baby paid off within a few months!

 

[MrMacMan]

Remember if they release it the next day, CANCEL YOUR ORDER.

 

[Foxer]

Given the specs on the PB, I think that any change in the iBook line mgiht focus more on price reduction rather than performance enhancment. But you never know, you know.

 

[daniel77]

omg i am so hoping for a 999 ibook with combo

 

[pilotgi]

Might as well buy your iBook now and start enjoying it. I seriously doubt an iBook revision before May. My speculation about iBook's future is the G3 "Gobi" processor with a 200Mhz bus.

But not as long as this upgrade would make it faster than a Powerbook.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Don't you think April 9th is cutting it a little close? I know you waited and waited but April/May is when the iBooks might get a face lift and/or price drop (assuming 6 month product cycle stays accurate).


Lethal

 

[AlphaTech]

Why not set the "deadline" for the WWDC?? THAT is a more realistic deadline... Consider what Apple has done in the past for product updates... WWDC is one of the events where Apple releases/announces product updates. I don't think they will change now.

IF you really want a new iBook (or iBooger as I call them) then just get one. 100MHz is NOT going to make a huge difference when it comes right down to it.

Airport Extreme would be a benefit, IF you are going to network with other systems that already have Airport Extreme or connected to a network (via a LAN) with AE. It also really helps if you plan to move LARGE files. Your typical office files (spreadsheets, memos, email) won't benefit from AE, since they are [typically] small enough as it stands. Also, unless you have an internet connection that is OVER 11Mbps, AE won't give you any benefits their either.

If you really MUST have all that stuff, just save up a little more cash, and get the 12" PowerBook... The G4 processor is faster then the G3 even at the same MHz rating. Personally, I won't purchase ANY Mac that isn't at least a G4.

 

[mnkeybsness]

Re: No more waiting-I am setting a deadline

Originally posted by Freg3000
April 9th, 2003

That leaves Apple two Tuesdays, one being April 1st (what a great day to do an update.....). I want to buy an iBook, and I need it soon-I want it for a vacation this month. I leave April 16th in the morning.

I am tired waiting. So I have set a "drop dead date." I know that they are due for updates pretty soon. I even know the potential upgrade might have some new features (most of which is attractive to me is AE). But I cannot wait any longer.

Still, I don?t want to buy a week before a 900 Mhz iBook with Airport Extreme comes out.

This is it Apple. Do it quickly. Please.

dude...think of it this way....

gateway, intel, hp...
they don't sit there and update their notebooks every 4-6 months...usually when they do, they bring out a new model...but remember that they have a much larger consumer base and processor choice, so they are able to update more often. apple is a small, but excellent company, and it's truly amazing that they are still in business

 

[Freg3000]

Thanks-it is pretty foolish to set 4-9 as a date, as an update within the next week seems unlikely. I might as well just get it.

On a side note, do you think that PowerBook is better than the iBook? I know it has roughly the same clock speed, but the PowerBook had DDR Ram and AE, but the iBook has an arguably better graphics card and 512 L2 Cache. Is it worth an extra 500 bucks?

P.S. I know this has been discussed before, but I am getting down to crunch time and want as much input as possible.

 

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by Freg3000
Thanks-it is pretty foolish to set 4-9 as a date, as an update within the next week seems unlikely. I might as well just get it.

On a side note, do you think that PowerBook is better than the iBook? I know it has roughly the same clock speed, but the PowerBook had DDR Ram and AE, but the iBook has an arguably better graphics card and 512 L2 Cache. Is it worth an extra 500 bucks?

The speed difference between same MHz processors (G3 to G4) will be noticable. The typical rule of thumb with these processors is you see a ~33% speed boost between the different generations (the G4 being ~33% faster then the same speed G3).

The two laptops use different GPU's, with the iBook using a Radeon 7500 and the 12" PowerBook using the GeForce 4 420 Go GPU. The GeForce Go GPU is more on par with the Radeon 9000 or the newest mobile Radeon chip.

DDR memory will always give you a speed boost of normal SDRAM.

Also, the PowerBook (12" and 17") use ATA100 drives, where the iBook doesn't even list what speed ATA bus it uses. It simply has an Ultra ATA drive... that could be an ATA33 or 66 interface.

In my opinion, the cost difference is worth it to get the PowerBook... You will get a longer life span out of it. Especially with games starting to come out calling for the G4 processor or better.

 

[FlamDrag]

Even if they DID meet your deadline on announcement, I would be shocked if they got the machine to you in time.

 

[Freg3000]

Originally posted by FlamDrag
Even if they DID meet your deadline on announcement, I would be shocked if they got the machine to you in time.

I was thinking about that too. I thought a week might be cutting it close even if it shipped next day; I haven't even thought about Apple's infamous delays.....

 

[MacFan25]

I don't think that we will see an iBook update until all the PowerBooks are updated. Because it would be too much competition for the 12" AluBook.

If you are willing to wait until this summer to buy an iBook, then I think you should.

Just my $0.02.

 

[Gus]

Although it is a little odd that one of the most popular computers Apple makes (sales-wise) is lacking the newest AirPort. I thought we would see a minor iBook tweak back at the beginning of Feb. when all the other lines were getting AP Extreme, but I didn't think it would take this long. That's ok by me though, because it means my little iBook 800 is still top of thhe line for iBooks.

Regards,
Gus

 

[cubist]

You gotta go to a store and see the albook next to the ibook. You gotta open and close that metal case. If it doesn't stir you to your soul, the albook isn't worth the extra $500... because while it may be 50% faster all around, $500 is still $500.

 

[pilotgi]

Update

Check out this guys post. Sounds like he might know what he's talking about. Unless it's an early April Fool's joke.

http://www.spymac.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21393

 

[DHagan4755]

...or Kodawarisan...they're saying new iBooks Tuesday, April 1st, 9:00 am, with 1GHz processors, backlit keyboard, and choice of one of six colors as a BTO option at the Apple Store.

 

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by DHagan4755
...or Kodawarisan...they're saying new iBooks Tuesday, April 1st, 9:00 am, with 1GHz processors, backlit keyboard, and choice of one of six colors as a BTO option at the Apple Store.

The only part that I simply cannot see Apple doing is the six colors.

I'm NOT saying that the iBook will be updated tomorrow, nor supporting any speculation to that effect. I just think that EVENTUALLY the iBook will reach speeds in excess of 1GHz. No time frame however.

Now, if only I could cultivate a high enough level contact with Apple so that I could get good info as to what will be coming out.

 

[Freg3000]

If these are all just April Fools jokes.....I will go nuts. Shame on all those people getting my hopes up so high.

Seriously though, I am beginning to doubt these rumors....back lit keyboard.......six colors.......1 Ghz??? Sounds like a farce.

Tomorrow could be a big let down, or the best day of my life.

 

[RandomDeadHead]

Contrary to popular belief, the G4 does not slaughter the G3. They are, IMO only SLIGHTLY faster. In my office we have 2 800 mhz iBooks, and a slew of G4's, ranging from 450 mhz to dual 1.25's. We run pro aps such as Adobe ID3, Photo Shop, Illistrator, as well as a host of others, everyday of the week. It has been my experience that our 800mhz iBooks are just as fast, if not faster than my 700mhz iMac I use at home. The only time I notice the difference is when using filters in photoshop, and when working on extremly large files, and the large files thing is probably due to the disc speed. The G4 does seam "smoother" than the G3 to me. (if that means anything)

Also, I serously doubt that any Powerbook could withstand the the torment and absolute hell we put our ibooks through. Here recently my son has decided that he likes the sound a closed iBook makes when it is droped on carpet, this has happened at least 3 times now that I know of. . Between that and them being trown in the back of cars from the front seat, being tosed across the room to other employees, and an unfortunate incident with dog pee that I am not at liberty to discuss, I would have to say that the iBook's are extremely durable.

I have no regrets about getting iBook's instead of Powerbooks, and money was no influence in the decision.

 

[gopher]

Apple wasn't going to take Mac OS 9 booting machines totally out of commission until after QuarkXpress for X was released. As Quark isn't due till at least June, I expect the iBook to be updated after that is said and done with. Same with the eMac.

 

[pilotgi]

Unless it's an early April Fool's joke.

http://www.spymac.com/forums/showth...&threadid=21393

The original poster admitted it was a joke. Said he left some "clues" in his post.

 

[macphoria]

Apple might up G3 iBook to 900Mhz while G4 12" PowerBook is 867Mhz. Apple did have G3 iBook at 700Mhz while lower end PowerBook was G4 667 at one point.