Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New PowerBooks (up to 1.8 GHz G4) in October?!

Z

Zaty

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 14, 2004
1,215
2
Switzerland
According to macnews.net.tc, new PowerBooks are expected in mid to late October. The 17" and the high end 15" are said to get a 1.8 GHz G4 (7448) while the low end 15" and the 12" will be boosted to 1.6 GHz. The 17" and 15" will reportedly get a Radeon Mobility 9800 whereas the 12" will still be stuck with the 5200 FX but its price will be lowered by $100. All in all, this would be a nice upgrade for the last AlBook revision.

Link:

http://macintosh.fryke.com/cgi-bin/macnews.cgi/2004/09/23#20040923_pbs
 
sounds about right... steve doesn't want to go on stage presenting a G4 speedbump in january ;) and then, next spring, the rumors go wild in the anticipation of G5PB@WWDC2005 :D :D :D
 
Still the 5200 in the 12?????

Why can't apple get an ATI card in there?

I'm actually just a bandwagon hoper here, as I dont really know why everyone hates the nVidia card.

I person have had good luck with ati, and prefer it for that simple reason.
 
I hope those specs are true b/c it would be interesting to benchmark a PB @1.8 GHz vs. the iMac G5.
 
A 1.8GHz G4 + 9800 would be a hell of a laptop! Imagine how many they'd sell if there was a price drop like we have just seen with the iMac :eek:
 
Koodauw said:
Why can't apple get an ATI card in there?
Click to expand...

Apple can't take Nvidia out of the cake, They are trying to be fair with both companies... IMO. The low end PB for Nvidia , not bad .. now what apple needs is the top end iMac for ATI ... actually ATI has a big piece... iBook, eMac, PM, PB ... actually that 5200 for 1024*768 is not bad, pretty comparable to the ATI in the 17" PB ...IMO.
 
Zaty said:
... will reportedly get a Radeon Mobility 9800
Click to expand...
You've seen the size, and the power requirements of these things.
...right?

Not a hope. Relative to it's shortfalls, the 9700 mobile is a much better chip. If Apple submit to trying to keep up on speed terms, they'll lose the ability to laugh at desktop-chip-based PC laptops and their awful battery life.. yet another nail in the G4's coffin.
 
A 1.6GHz 12" sounds very nice to me, but I would be surprised if they can keep jumping up the 12" as much as the 15" and 17" surely it's just going to start getting too hot at some point. I would be tempted by one of these as a stop gap before the G5 (or whatever it will be).


If only they would put a better Graphics card in there and not solder the first chip of memory in (or at least let me make it bigger).
 
AmigoMac said:
that 5200 for 1024*768 is not bad, pretty comparable to the ATI in the 17" PB ...IMO.
Click to expand...

The problem is I run my 12" with a 20" ACD and it certainly doesn't like to run 1680x1050 on top of that 1024x768. I like to use the same computer wherever I am so all my files and setting etc are always there, but have it be really portable on the road and lots of screen real estate at home. The 12" is just about perfect for this but the graphics card is a bit weak, especially as I would like to use one of the new 23" displays in the future.
 
I dont understand why they'd put faster G4's in there instead of putting a 1.8 G5 in there.

If they can put a G5 in an imac and make it tiny, surely they can fit it in the powerbook.

Seems like apple's retaining marketting techniques are slowing down what could be amazing progress.
 
Sabbath said:
The problem is I run my 12" with a 20" ACD and it certainly doesn't like to run 1680x1050 on top of that 1024x768...
Click to expand...
I have sympathy with that... when I use my 12" with the 1600*1200 CRT I have, it's certainly less snappy than it should. It's turning into a low-end model, which IMHO is incorrect; it should simply be a smaller version of the high-end units. It is a Powerbook, after all.
However, I think they've maxed out the room for video card expansion with the 5200. It runs so damn hot, they'd probably need to reconsider the whole internal design to sort out a faster chip - something they probably aren't willing to do for a speedbump. The CPU doesn't get unbearably warm, so it could probably handle a faster G4, but sadly I think we're stuck with the 5200 indefinitely.
 
Josh said:
I dont understand why they'd put faster G4's in there instead of putting a 1.8 G5 in there.

If they can put a G5 in an imac and make it tiny, surely they can fit it in the powerbook.
Click to expand...

You're right. They really can make a Powerbook G5, they're just forcing us to accept the G4's ... out of spite! That Steve Jobs is a spiteful, spiteful man. Think of the millions he could make if he just gave everyone a G5 Powerbook, like we all know he can. :rolleyes:
 
brap said:
You've seen the size, and the power requirements of these things.
...right?

Not a hope. Relative to it's shortfalls, the 9700 mobile is a much better chip. If Apple submit to trying to keep up on speed terms, they'll lose the ability to laugh at desktop-chip-based PC laptops and their awful battery life.. yet another nail in the G4's coffin.
Click to expand...

Someone told about the power requirements of the 9800 in other thread so I was surprised to read that people at macnews.net.tc believe Apple will put it into the next rev. We'll see.
 
Sabbath said:
The problem is I run my 12" with a 20" ACD and it certainly doesn't like to run 1680x1050 on top of that 1024x768. I like to use the same computer wherever I am so all my files and setting etc are always there, but have it be really portable on the road and lots of screen real estate at home. The 12" is just about perfect for this but the graphics card is a bit weak, especially as I would like to use one of the new 23" displays in the future.
Click to expand...

Which Rev. have you got? Rev. B w/only 32 MB VRAM were crippled in that respect, I can't watch a DVD on my 17" LCD @1280x1024 w/o losing a few frames. I would think Rev. Cs w/ 64 MB VRAM should do fine even @1680x1050
 
Zaty said:
According to macnews.net.tc, new PowerBooks are expected in mid to late October. The 17" and the high end 15" are said to get a 1.8 GHz G4 (7448) while the low end 15" and the 12" will be boosted to 1.6 GHz. The 17" and 15" will reportedly get a Radeon Mobility 9800 whereas the 12" will still be stuck with the 5200 FX but its price will be lowered by $100. All in all, this would be a nice upgrade for the last AlBook revision.
Click to expand...

Sounds really nice considering I'm looking at the 12' Powerbook but now I gotta decide whether I get this when it comes out (assuming its true) because it'll probably, most likely be a Revision C model which has most of the knacks out (right?). Or for spring/summer to come and get the G5 PBs that might come w/ whatever bugs there might be. Does anyone know much about the 7448 chip models? and is that 7448 exclusive to the 15" and 17"? or is just a 7448 chip clocked faster?

A $100 price drop is nice, but w/ the 12' going for $1599 for regular consumers and it going for $1399 for education (a $200 difference)... and w/ a omdel of the G5 iMacs going for $1499 for regular consumers and for $1399 education ($100 difference)... Will Apple just make the discount $100 or $200?

So i'm mainly concerned compared to the G5's that come out compared to the G4's coming out this fall about Apple making an OS that is depending on the G5 chip and I'm stuck w/ some old G4 that can't do the upgrade later on down the road. I don't want to have to need another laptop for a least 3-5 years from now.

FYI: this is going to be my 1st Mac. :eek:
 
ashon3611 said:
Sounds really nice considering I'm looking at the 12' Powerbook but now I gotta decide whether I get this when it comes out (assuming its true) because it'll probably, most likely be a Revision C model which has most of the knacks out (right?). Or for spring/summer to come and get the G5 PBs that might come w/ whatever bugs there might be. Does anyone know much about the 7448 chip models? and is that 7448 exclusive to the 15" and 17"? or is just a 7448 chip clocked faster?

A $100 price drop is nice, but w/ the 12' going for $1599 for regular consumers and it going for $1399 for education (a $200 difference)... and w/ a omdel of the G5 iMacs going for $1499 for regular consumers and for $1399 education ($100 difference)... Will Apple just make the discount $100 or $200?

So i'm mainly concerned compared to the G5's that come out compared to the G4's coming out this fall about Apple making an OS that is depending on the G5 chip and I'm stuck w/ some old G4 that can't do the upgrade later on down the road. I don't want to have to need another laptop for a least 3-5 years from now.

FYI: this is going to be my 1st Mac. :eek:
Click to expand...

The G4 will be supported by new OS releases for at least 3-5 years, I think. I don't think Apple would abandon so many people that quickly. By the way, the current Powerbooks are Rev C's. I think some / most would agree that most of the problems that plagued earlier editions are gone ... at least, my 15" Rev C seems fine.
 
NO...

edesignuk said:
A 1.8GHz G5 + 9800 would be a hell of a laptop! Imagine how many they'd sell if there was a price drop like we have just seen with the iMac :eek:
Click to expand...

We're talking about a 1.8 G4...
 
doesnt anyone research before they post?

http://www.ati.com/products/mobilityradeon9800/index.html

they are already there.


brap said:
You've seen the size, and the power requirements of these things.
...right?

Not a hope. Relative to it's shortfalls, the 9700 mobile is a much better chip. If Apple submit to trying to keep up on speed terms, they'll lose the ability to laugh at desktop-chip-based PC laptops and their awful battery life.. yet another nail in the G4's coffin.
Click to expand...
 
I am one who is hoping this rumor is true. I am getting ready for a new powerbook. If this is true, I am going to buy the 15". I can wait until November to see if this happens. I am crossing my fingers ;)

I really don't want to buy a rev. A G5 Powerbook. That scares me for some reason :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back