One thing I have -never- seen is confirmation that the PPC970 is in production. I've seen some pics on IBM's site of a chip that they claim is the 970 (kind of funny, the chip is posed with feathers), but no official press releases about mass production, or of others recieving even samples of the 970. Someone out there must know whether or not such an annoucement has been made by IBM.
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15.4-inch Powerbooks Ramping Up?
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a crazy idea.
so, i heard a crazy thing from a friend of mine that works for a distributor that works with a school system in a southern state and sells apples to that system.
he said that he was going to be getting a 17" ibook.
now, at first i thought that he was crazy.
or misunderstanding something.
or something.
but then again.
if apple updates all the powerbooks with 970s, why not just slap the current powerbook line in a white plastic case and sell it as an ibook?
why not make the current powerbook 17 into an ibook 17, and then have the powerbook 17 have a 970 processor.
then you update the educational line, and you give the ibook a huge new lease on life, all for free when you update the powerbook line.
probably unlikely, but then again, who knows?
so, i heard a crazy thing from a friend of mine that works for a distributor that works with a school system in a southern state and sells apples to that system.
he said that he was going to be getting a 17" ibook.
now, at first i thought that he was crazy.
or misunderstanding something.
or something.
but then again.
if apple updates all the powerbooks with 970s, why not just slap the current powerbook line in a white plastic case and sell it as an ibook?
why not make the current powerbook 17 into an ibook 17, and then have the powerbook 17 have a 970 processor.
then you update the educational line, and you give the ibook a huge new lease on life, all for free when you update the powerbook line.
probably unlikely, but then again, who knows?
I have heard offical news from IBM that they have started production of the PPC970, you should be able to buy now or at least preorder the IBMs blade servers that have the chips in. IBMs site should have more info.
Interesting, but I can tell you why not. The iBook (which is due for a major update soon) probably won't ever use the G4. Instead, the iBook will go to the G3-derivative GOBI chips. There also rumors of another G3-derivative called Mojave, but that may very well be a GOBI itself.
Re: powerbooks
The first PowerMac G4 was introduced on September 1st, 1999.
The first PowerBook G4 was introduced on January 9th, 2001.
It happend before and didn't ruin Apple.
And the current iBook line still has a G3 processor although the iMacs already have a G4.
I don't think people are expecting laptops to be equivalent to desktops regarding power.
The first PowerMac G4 was introduced on September 1st, 1999.
The first PowerBook G4 was introduced on January 9th, 2001.
It happend before and didn't ruin Apple.
And the current iBook line still has a G3 processor although the iMacs already have a G4.
I don't think people are expecting laptops to be equivalent to desktops regarding power.
The PPC970 blades are still AWOE (absent with out explanation).
I've been trying to buy some, and my IBM salesman is advising me to put money in my cyQ4 budget - they won't be available until very late Q3 at the earliest.
It's odd - he's telling me when to expect Prescott chips in the x-series Intel servers, but not when to expect IBM chips in PPC servers. Doesn't fit into the "Fishkill's pumping out 970 right and left" scenarios.
I didn't find any preorder info for the 970 blades. All of them still have Xeons. Also, I didn't find any announcements on the site about the start of production. Could you cite your source? A link or the body of an email would suffice.
Re: Re: 970 in 15?
I've just assumed the 15" PowerBook, like the 15" iMac and the relevant non-BlueTooth PowerMac model were just Mac OS 9 bootable place holder models. So I can see the 15" only getting updated to match the 17" and 12" models and still sport a G4. The reason it wasn't updated I reckoned was so that the professional users can still buy OS 9 laptops. With Quark 6 release, Apple can stop bothering.
Personally, pure guesswork, but I think we will end up with PowerBook 12" and 14" with IBM G3+AltiVec (Gobi / Mojave / whatever) processors and 15.4" and 17" with 970's but not necessarily soon. iBooks will disappear or end up at the very low end. On the other hand I think we'll see the iMac go to 970 much quicker than expected - the current iMac line up just seems to be too half arsed to me with only two models, one of which doesn't have BlueTooth / 802.11g.
Sanj
I've just assumed the 15" PowerBook, like the 15" iMac and the relevant non-BlueTooth PowerMac model were just Mac OS 9 bootable place holder models. So I can see the 15" only getting updated to match the 17" and 12" models and still sport a G4. The reason it wasn't updated I reckoned was so that the professional users can still buy OS 9 laptops. With Quark 6 release, Apple can stop bothering.
Personally, pure guesswork, but I think we will end up with PowerBook 12" and 14" with IBM G3+AltiVec (Gobi / Mojave / whatever) processors and 15.4" and 17" with 970's but not necessarily soon. iBooks will disappear or end up at the very low end. On the other hand I think we'll see the iMac go to 970 much quicker than expected - the current iMac line up just seems to be too half arsed to me with only two models, one of which doesn't have BlueTooth / 802.11g.
Sanj
As a PB17 owner, I will say that if I had to choose again b/w the 15" G4 and the 17" G4 I'd buy the 17 again.
However, if I were choosing between a 17" G4 and a 15" 970, I'd buy the 15".
The extra screen real-estate is wonderful and I absolutely love this machine - however, I'd sacrifice it for more power. My thoughts anyway.
However, the 12" market I think would be OK since many of those buyers want the super-portability factor (not ultra, just super) in their laptop. Many of these owners still crave more power (mainly RAM complaints from what I've heard.
I don't expect the 970 to make it's way into the 12" anytime soon, but a faster G4 and more RAM - sure.
17" iBooks - I consider that a crazy idea. it would confuse the Pro and Consumer lines IMHO. If you want the big screen, pony up the $$ for it. I wouldn't be shocked to see a 15.4" iBook, but a 17 is doubtful.
To weigh in for the first time on the 970 debuting at WWDC; I'm still doubtful that it will happen. Everyone that is "positive" is basing their bets on repetition of rumors rather than confirmation. Places like c|net who "confirm" stories are likely just submitting their obligatory Mac story and don't care much about where it came from or who wrote it.
From where I sit - the only (seemingly) different and new information points to a release later in the year, not sooner. I will concede that they COULD announce at WWDC but not ship until later. I'm not so sure though.
Just my thoughts for the fortnight.
However, if I were choosing between a 17" G4 and a 15" 970, I'd buy the 15".
The extra screen real-estate is wonderful and I absolutely love this machine - however, I'd sacrifice it for more power. My thoughts anyway.
However, the 12" market I think would be OK since many of those buyers want the super-portability factor (not ultra, just super) in their laptop. Many of these owners still crave more power (mainly RAM complaints from what I've heard.
I don't expect the 970 to make it's way into the 12" anytime soon, but a faster G4 and more RAM - sure.
17" iBooks - I consider that a crazy idea. it would confuse the Pro and Consumer lines IMHO. If you want the big screen, pony up the $$ for it. I wouldn't be shocked to see a 15.4" iBook, but a 17 is doubtful.
To weigh in for the first time on the 970 debuting at WWDC; I'm still doubtful that it will happen. Everyone that is "positive" is basing their bets on repetition of rumors rather than confirmation. Places like c|net who "confirm" stories are likely just submitting their obligatory Mac story and don't care much about where it came from or who wrote it.
From where I sit - the only (seemingly) different and new information points to a release later in the year, not sooner. I will concede that they COULD announce at WWDC but not ship until later. I'm not so sure though.
Just my thoughts for the fortnight.
Re: Re: powerbooks
-Richard
This was true (somewhat) back in '99. These days, people expect the gap to be significantly closer, if not equal. Many businesses aren't really buying desktops any more, for example, and if Apple wants to be competitive in the (non-niche) business world, they need a decently powerful laptop.
-Richard
1) the span of the pwbk line will never use two sepearet chipsets.
2) if you read the apple insider article clearly, all the pwbks will be bumped
3) I'm getting angry cause you guys make no sense, so i went over to the thinkstupid forums over there and all they got is 12 highschoolers with 894598 thousand posts each, arguing with eachother.
There is no 970 in the new POwerBooks god damnit. You dont have to believe Teddy Ruxpin, but you just wait and feel stupuid. Maybe some of you should go hang out at the think secret board too and play with the 12 guys with 34898 posts.
2) if you read the apple insider article clearly, all the pwbks will be bumped
3) I'm getting angry cause you guys make no sense, so i went over to the thinkstupid forums over there and all they got is 12 highschoolers with 894598 thousand posts each, arguing with eachother.
There is no 970 in the new POwerBooks god damnit. You dont have to believe Teddy Ruxpin, but you just wait and feel stupuid. Maybe some of you should go hang out at the think secret board too and play with the 12 guys with 34898 posts.
Apple can't seriously expect laptops to make up 50 percent of their sales if they continue to leave them so weak.
The machines will be much closer in power. Something like a 1.2 GHz Powerbook and 1.4 GHz Powermac. Of course, the Powerbook will probably cost more than the Powermac, but how else does Apple expect to make money (with .mac?!)
As I stated earlier in this post...I think it will really hurt apple if they just announce something with a 970. IF they announce something they should have either an "order now - ship shortly" or "available immediately" kind of thing. If everyone knows they are coming, but just not for a couple of more months, most people will wait and the sales of the g4's will plummet!!!
Why can't the Powerbook line have two different chip sets? I'd like to see a reason to back up the claim. Also, why can't all the Powerbooks simply go to the 970 all at once (sure, I don't believe it myself, but it's a possibility).
When did Apple Insider become the all-knowing source of Apple rumors. Last I checked their accuracy record was only so-so. It's never a good idea to put all your yo-yos in one basket (sure, that didn't make sense, but what I'm saying is simply don't trust any one source 100 percent).
Think Stupid (I'm assuming you mean Think Secret) has a way better accuracy record than Apple Insider, although I don't know what they have to do with anything (they haven't made a single prediction about the WWDC yet).
Why aren't there going to be 970 Powerbooks, I'd love to see reason.
I'm wondering if the new prices will stick for the 12" and 15" Powerbooks when updates come. It would certainly be nice as their prices are more competitive.
I could see Apple using a 1GHZ G4 in the 12", although they could also use the 1.2 GHZ 970 chip that has very low power consumption, although I'm not sure any of those have been shipped to Apple. The advantage of moving to the 970 would be that the 12" could have a faster bus-speed and full DDR implementation with DDR400. That alone should greatly improve performance when cooupled with the IBM chip, making it truly a POWERbook. It also would pave the way for a 200MHZ bus in the iBooks with DDR RAM, increasing their performance as well, especially under Gobi.
I could see Apple using a 1GHZ G4 in the 12", although they could also use the 1.2 GHZ 970 chip that has very low power consumption, although I'm not sure any of those have been shipped to Apple. The advantage of moving to the 970 would be that the 12" could have a faster bus-speed and full DDR implementation with DDR400. That alone should greatly improve performance when cooupled with the IBM chip, making it truly a POWERbook. It also would pave the way for a 200MHZ bus in the iBooks with DDR RAM, increasing their performance as well, especially under Gobi.
WHY NOT? because YOU NEED A DIFFERENT LOGIC BOARD FOR THE 970 then you do for the G4, if you want to take advantage of it, and apple is in the business of saving money and making money, not wasting it to product two seperate logic boards and configs, with separete OEM components for each, for such a low yeild ****ing machine. they sell millions of i macs but then dont powerbooks
they JUST redesigned the pwbk with new logic boards for the g4... JANUARY! HEY ARE APPLE THEY KNEW AT THIS TIME APPROX WHEN THE 970 wqould be done. THE POWERBOOKS WITH WILL STAY G4
AND ApplEInsider, from the article i jujst read, is being chased by apple legal. look apple legal even threatened this site because they LINKed to the insider site. mac rumors took it down and barely link anymore. SO DO YOU THINK, IN THIS CASE, THAT THEIR RUMORS ARE NOT LIKE 90% right? I DO
they JUST redesigned the pwbk with new logic boards for the g4... JANUARY! HEY ARE APPLE THEY KNEW AT THIS TIME APPROX WHEN THE 970 wqould be done. THE POWERBOOKS WITH WILL STAY G4
AND ApplEInsider, from the article i jujst read, is being chased by apple legal. look apple legal even threatened this site because they LINKed to the insider site. mac rumors took it down and barely link anymore. SO DO YOU THINK, IN THIS CASE, THAT THEIR RUMORS ARE NOT LIKE 90% right? I DO
Re: Re: Re: 970 in 15?
Blame Quark, pat the educators on the head and give them a treat.
Should be interesting to see how Apple handles the education market.
Don't forget the education market, who are dragging their feet on the move from OS 9 and are also suffering a bunch of budget problems right now.
Blame Quark, pat the educators on the head and give them a treat.
Should be interesting to see how Apple handles the education market.
Res????
The real question is what resolution will this new screen be? Maybe 10.3 will include better support for hi-res systems, and we can get something approaching the resolution on the Dell with the 15.4" screen (choice of 1280*800 or 1680*1050 or 1920*1200 - all are 16:10).
To anyone that says high-res is not needed, I disagree. All I want is the choice. Not everyone has to use it, but it's about time that it's available to those of us who have good vision...
The real question is what resolution will this new screen be? Maybe 10.3 will include better support for hi-res systems, and we can get something approaching the resolution on the Dell with the 15.4" screen (choice of 1280*800 or 1680*1050 or 1920*1200 - all are 16:10).
To anyone that says high-res is not needed, I disagree. All I want is the choice. Not everyone has to use it, but it's about time that it's available to those of us who have good vision...
I couldn't agree more! For me the resolution of the current PowerBook 15" isn't good enough. I'd be sorely tempted by the 12" (even without FW800 etc.) if it only had a decent res. AND, I've always thought it shoddy that the 14" iBook only has 0124x768, no better than the 12" ibook!
I couldn't agree more! For me the resolution of the current PowerBook 15" isn't good enough. I'd be sorely tempted by the 12" (even without FW800 etc.) if it only had a decent res. AND, I've always thought it shoddy that the 14" iBook only has 0124x768, no better than the 12" ibook!
Re: Res????
Even if Panther doesn't have better high-res support, 1680 x 1050 would be quite nice. 1600 x 1200 on a 19" CRT is great on Jaguar now, IMHO. 1680 x 1050 would have a little higher ppi, but still quite reasonable, especially considering LCDs are supposed to be sharper.
A higher res screen is second on my wishlist for the new Powerbook...970 of course being first.
Originally posted by yzedf
The real question is what resolution will this new screen be? Maybe 10.3 will include better support for hi-res systems, and we can get something approaching the resolution on the Dell with the 15.4 screen (choice of 1280*800 or 1680*1050 or 1920*1200 - all are 16:10).
To anyone that says high-res is not needed, I disagree. All I want is the choice. Not everyone has to use it, but its about time that it's available to those of us who have good vision...
Even if Panther doesn't have better high-res support, 1680 x 1050 would be quite nice. 1600 x 1200 on a 19" CRT is great on Jaguar now, IMHO. 1680 x 1050 would have a little higher ppi, but still quite reasonable, especially considering LCDs are supposed to be sharper.
A higher res screen is second on my wishlist for the new Powerbook...970 of course being first.
The price drops on the 12" and 15" powerbooks would seem to indicate upgrades are coming. I have heard reports about 15" supplies running low, but has anyone heard about the 12" and 17"? I would have a hard time believing the 17" supply channel is almost dry. I would think the 12" would be about the same. To me this alone would indicate 970's will not be put in the powerbooks right away. I would not be suprised to see speed bumps, but doubt we will see a new processor.