apple chooses style over power?

[wordmunger]

Well, here's an idea, then. How about a 17-inch iBook? That seems to be what people are looking for -- a bigger, more powerful, affordable laptop. There would still be just two lines of laptops, but the 17-inch iBook could have some "pro" features like a decent graphics card and space for more memory. At around $1800, it wouldn't cannibalize powerbook sales, especially since it would probably weigh 8 or 9 pounds.

 

[miloblithe]

That sounds like a great idea to me. It might confuse some customers looking at the lines, but the kind of people who want something like that wouldn't be confused at all and probably would want something like that.

The downside is that it would probably canabalize the 17" PowerBook's sales, because who wants to pay a lot extra for the portability of something that isn't all that portable? On the other hand I doubt Apple sells all that many of them anyway.

 

[cr2sh]

By the way, any of the new PBs would more than match the AMD you have in your sig.

No offense, but you're clearly in denial.

"More than match"? More like "fall behind steadily while suffering from fsb shortages". The system I just built trounces any powerbook I've ever used, and cost 1/3 as much. That's a fact.

I'm a mac fan. I love the platform... but you're lying to yourself. Go build a 64bit AMD and install photoshop. It's a superb experience.

 

[johnnowak]

I love my Powerbook 1.25, but an AMD 939 3000 will whack it upside the head. It is EASILY 3x faster for most things, and in many cases even faster than that given the desktop hardware it is likely running on and the 5x faster (easily) graphics card. Not to mention it costs less...

Apple should release a 1.5" thick or whatever G5 notebook. Something for the high-end user that needs to be mobile on occasion, but mostly wants to use it for a desktop replacement. In my case, the laptop is home 95% of the time, and only goes out when I am giving a presentation or performing.

 

[johnnowak]

Hell, make it 2.5" tall, 15 lbs, and an a pci-express slot. It'll be the same as carrying my current Powerbook plus one textbook. Big deal.

 

[plinden]

No offense, but you're clearly in denial.

"More than match"? More like "fall behind steadily while suffering from fsb shortages". The system I just built trounces any powerbook I've ever used, and cost 1/3 as much. That's a fact.

I'm a mac fan. I love the platform... but you're lying to yourself. Go build a 64bit AMD and install photoshop. It's a superb experience.

Look at his sig again:

Amd 2000+ 1GB ram 64MB Nvidia Gforce4 120GB HD

Your 3000+ AMD would also trounce my IBM ThinkPad, but I need the portability as do most people who get a laptop.

 

[cr2sh]

Look at his sig again:

You might be right actually.

A brand new 17" powerbook might match his Athlon XP (released March 2002).

 

[twoodcc]

No offense, but you're clearly in denial.

"More than match"? More like "fall behind steadily while suffering from fsb shortages". The system I just built trounces any powerbook I've ever used, and cost 1/3 as much. That's a fact.

that is not a fact, that's an opinion.

 

[~loserman~]

No offense, but you're clearly in denial.

"More than match"? More like "fall behind steadily while suffering from fsb shortages". The system I just built trounces any powerbook I've ever used, and cost 1/3 as much. That's a fact.

I'm a mac fan. I love the platform... but you're lying to yourself. Go build a 64bit AMD and install photoshop. It's a superb experience.

You are correct. The PowerBook line while stylish and nice has degraded into a FeebleBook over the last 2 years.
It is in a serious need of a processor upgrade and better video.

 

[Underbelly]

The only time I hear someone complain about Mac's is when they say it isn't fast enough for their games. I can't believe that! What, are all you 15 years old? I gave up silly war games when I was in High School.

I hate to stereotype but after reading forums such as this, I can't help but get the typical picture of a 32 year old lonely computer geek sitting in an upstairs bedroom at his parents home text messaging another similar, unwashed geek, whom he has never meet personally, about how he just moved up at a level 5 something or other.

The other one is, and I know someone like this, married with kids but totally ignores his family for his "gaming" (and I love when they call themselves "gamers", It somehow sounds like a real hobby.)

And yes, I've tried those games. That's an hour of my life I'll never get back! I quickly removed it from my harddrive and went back to editing my animated film.

Computers are tools for working. PC/Mac, it doesn't matter as long as the tool you choice does the job you need it to do!

 

[miloblithe]

That is a fine moral stance. You must be very proud.

 

[PlaceofDis]

Computers are tools for working. PC/Mac, it doesn't matter as long as the tool you choice does the job you need it to do!

shhhhh i have a secret for you, it is called FUN, and yes grownups are allowed to have it too, computers can be used for FUN as well, it is easier than you think and there is nothing wrong with it at all

 

[granus]

What apple NEEDS to do is...

Make it so that people can build their own mac. True gamers don't buy store-bought PC's, they build their own. I, personally, have built my fair share of PC's for gamers. If Apple made motherboards and processors available for purchase seperate from whole computers, and perhaps more that one processor type (not just G4 or G5). Gamers might be more attracted to the Mac.

Don't get me wrong. The current Mac configurations are great, but I would much rather build my own. I currently have my G4 sawtooth modded as much as humanly possible. Got it in a PC case (complete with cold cathode black lights, Blue LED fan lights, and UV sensitive cabling) with and upgraded processor (to dual 1.8 ghz G4) and a Radeon 9800 in it. I would certainly be nice, though, if I could have upgraded my motherboard with the processor.

I am actually tempted to build myself a high end Windows XP Pro "console" video game system. But my love for Mac OS X is undying, and it would be difficult for me to use WinXP, even just for games...

Just thought I'd put in my 2 cents on this issue...let me know what you think.

P.S. A new powerbook line would be great. I do however think that only the 17" model could use such an upgrade. You really don't see PC laptops that are small and powerful, as suggested earlier. The only PC laptops you see that are really powerful...are the 2" thick PC's like the Dell XPS system, which weighs in at a cool 10+ pounds .

 

[Rob587]

dont even try to argue the act of gamming... ppl will do what they like..... and yes mmaybee a powerbook would be comparable to my setup now, but my setup is an old piece of junk.... Im looking to upgrade.. not buy the same thing.

 

[eroda]

thats a valid point i woudl never want to degrade in performance even if it gives me mobility, but for me its not performance its STORAGE capacity

 

[edesignuk]

and you cant tell me that a powerbook will out perform a dell PIII laptop for gamming. Although im sure it holds its own with centrinos.

You do know that a Centrino (which is actually a set of technologies, the Pentium-M is the CPU) is a PIII with more cache, there for an improvement on the PIII, there for what you said makes no sense

 

[cr2sh]

that is not a fact, that's an opinion.

An opinion would vary from user to user, such as what's your favorite color. A fact would be be absolutely true.

1. The system I just built cost 1/3 of a new powerbook. True.
2. The same system (64bit 90nm, 20% high fsb, dual channel ram, 32% faster clock) performs faster than the measly portable. True.

I PREFER the powerbook, but it is, without doubt, slower.

--------------------------------------------
EDIT: Back OT:

A good design is easy to use... being powerful increases the ease of use. There's got to be a trade-off somewhere and I'm certainly not an ID.. but right now, the trade-off isn't practical. Apple can't stick the current G5 into a powerbook (they could barely cool the old g4).. I haven't seen an evidence to show they can do it at this point either.

Apple's brand is quality, if they put out a 2" thick powerbrick of a machine, that will be gone. Their reputation for doing amazing things we will gone and they will be admitting defeat. Not an option.

 

[Mav451]

Rob587:

I believe what you desire is a desktop replacement Mac laptop. The power of a G5, while having the portability of (obviously) something in the Dell XPS area. The problem with this is that Apple will never make something like that. It will have to either be AS THIN as the current PBook line, or they won't release it.

Silly? Well it depends on how you think Apple likes keeping their image. Their image has always been about easy-on-the-eyes/functional/for the rest of us. And while a desktop replacement laptop would interestingly fill a "void" in their line, I just don't see it happening.

Btw, Apple's hardware is also something "you buy into". You cannot build anything "from scratch". If this kind of customizability is that important than you, than Apple may not be the best for you. But you have to realize that the Apple hardware control and OS go hand in hand like that.

 

[witness]

The only time I hear someone complain about Mac's is when they say it isn't fast enough for their games.

I haven't played any serious computer games for about 10 years, but I'm still holding out for a faster powerbook before I switch.

Some of the apps that I use (Visual Studio for example) will only work on a pc, so that means using Virtual PC. If I'm going to work on a PowerBook with Virtual PC then I'm going to need a lot more than a 167Mhz FSB, 333Mhz DDR and 1.67Ghz CPU.

 

[gekko513]

I agree that Apple could probably squeeze a bit more performance out of a 17" PowerBook that is 50% thicker.

I think they have chosen to not include such a model in addition to the current lineup, not because they don't want to, but because such a model would be yet another design and it would have several components and needs that the current lineup doesn't have, in short it would be quite expensive to introduce, like all the other different kinds of models they have. And at the same time it would share most of the target audience with the current 17" offer. If Apple's estimates showed that the new model would attract enough new customers to make up for the cost of introducing it, I'm sure they would add it. Right now, the sales numbers per model of the high-end books are probably small enough as it is.

 

[diehldun]

I think that the 17" PB is primarily a desktop-replacement that's also out their for the looks/design. I mean seriously, this is one of the most gorgeous laptops out there (ok... maybe I'm biased )

-A widescreen 17" display on a laptop
-1" thick
-Gorgeous aluminum casing
-MacOS X.

It's size (not fat), screen size, and dramatic/sheer thinness makes this baby turn heads like no other computer I know of. It's hilarious how many heads I see stare at it when I'm traveling (airport). To be honest with you, I got this just for the screen size and (mostly) looks.

What more can you ask for? This is a dream machine, IMO.

And for those out there who don't own a 17" PB, you'd be surprised how easy this thing is to carry around. Mine goes onboard a plane approx. 2-4 time per MONTH, and no problems at all. Fits in my case, and with it's thinness and weight, it's very easy to move around. For crying out loud, it's barely more than a 15"! (Those who "doubt" it have sour grapes )



OMG I am IN LOVE with my GORGEOUS and SEDUCTIVE and SEXY and POWERFUL PowerBook 17"!

 

[DeSnousa]

I think the current line of powerbooks are already powerfull. The G4 while not great can handle it self, the graphics card is good as well. Even if putting a G5 in the powerbook the battery used for cooling would be high.

 

[chaosbunny]

The only time I hear someone complain about Mac's is when they say it isn't fast enough for their games. I can't believe that! What, are all you 15 years old? I gave up silly war games when I was in High School.

I hate to stereotype but after reading forums such as this, I can't help but get the typical picture of a 32 year old lonely computer geek sitting in an upstairs bedroom at his parents home text messaging another similar, unwashed geek, whom he has never meet personally, about how he just moved up at a level 5 something or other.

The other one is, and I know someone like this, married with kids but totally ignores his family for his "gaming" (and I love when they call themselves "gamers", It somehow sounds like a real hobby.)

And yes, I've tried those games. That's an hour of my life I'll never get back! I quickly removed it from my harddrive and went back to editing my animated film.

Computers are tools for working. PC/Mac, it doesn't matter as long as the tool you choice does the job you need it to do!

Oh, of course, I was wrong all the time. I must not have fun with my computer, only working is good. I must not have fun after the work is finished too, as I could do more work. You realy cleared my head! I think I'll go to church now and pray for absolution!

By the way, do they know irony on your planet?

 

[JFreak]

Meanwhile, there are only two types of laptops.

you mean widescreen and square-screen, right?

 

[JFreak]

I definitely think there is room in Apple's line for a series of desktop-replacement laptops: bigger, heavier laptops not meant to be lugged around everywhere, but portable enough to move from room to room or occasionally take to a coffee shop or a LAN party.

that is the G5 iMac, dude