Apple Hints at Product Refreshes?

[ajb13]

Oh Really?

A year between updates?!?!? WTF?!?!? WHAT MORONS!!! If there was another serious choice of computer for a graphics professional I'd so jump to it, Apple's heads are up their arses!

You so would not!

I really don't get it with us Mac people. We all go on about how long Macs last, and how great it is that even the older machines can run recent software, and how the OS breathes new life into older machines, yet, sadly we are constantly expecting them to do more and more, and more often. A dual 2Ghz G5 is going to remain one mean mother for the next 2 years. Why? Because, it's going to keep doing what you need it to day, day in, and day out. It'll see a major speed boost when 10.4 arrives, then again when the 64Bit Native 10.5 arrives. Graphically it will improve when NV40 arrives, and ATI X800's. The bottom line is this, a Mac is a long term investment, and it spends just about as much time in development. I have yet to see Apple produce professional cr*p. You can rest assured that whatever Apple has up its sleeve, it'll be awesome, but stop bitching about what you don't have, and make good use of what you have. For all of you who have been waiting, think of all the time and $$$ you've wasted waiting, and put your money where your mouth is. You're Dual 2Ghz G5 still has a long life ahead if it.

The truth is, at 75% of us bitching about not having a new rev G5 available, are probably not even going to buy one right now anyway. So lets be truthful. I've never met a Mac person who is not satisfied with his/her current machine.

My purchasing policy is simple: Buy the first rev top of the range, skip the speed bumps, and purchase the next major rev. Even then, I'll often skip the next rev A and go with a rev B. All depends on available cash. So, what do I do with my Macs? Write software, Video Editing, 3D animation for TV and Interactive Multi-Media. When converting to SA Rands, Macs are incredibly expensive (Stock Dual 2Ghz G5 - R26,969.00), but I've made my choice about how I spend my money and do so accordingly.

I don't bitch, I use my Macs.

 

[Zaty]

In my opinion, they will not update the consumer line at WWDC. Its a professional setting, and just not the right venue for consumer updates. I can't believe they are waiting this long, they better have a Powerbook G5 to release at WWDC---because if they release a G4, Steve isn't going to get much of a response

You're right about WWDC being a professional setting, so they wouldn't announce eMacs or iBooks but I'm not so sure about possible iMacs G5. They could be targetted at pro audience as well as at consumers if they are powerful enough (i.e at 1.8 or 2.0 GHz).

Edit: You're also right about Steve Jobs not getting much of a response if he released G4 PBs at WWDC. That's another reason why I still strongly believe we'll get new PBs G4 on either April 13, 20 or 27 at the latest. As I said in an earlier post, PB G5s are way off.

 

[Jerry Spoon]

I don't know if I really feel like this is news. This is about the last possible moment that I can see Apple waiting to upgrade their professional line. The rest of the line is desperately ready for an update too though. I don't usually get this way with Apple, but enough waiting already. Let's look away from the shiny iPods for a moment and focus on the computers that you are supposed to be selling.

 

[Thor74]

Think a few of us already said we thought WWDC was the realistic goal for releases. I totally expect the typical thing from Apple. IE... Steve will announce that he kept his promise of 3 gigahertz but they will not ship for 3 months = late September (which matches his "late summer" decree). I seriously doubt G5 powerbooks folks. I mean, really really really unlikely.

As mentioned a 100 times before.. the adds on the Apple.com front page seem more and more like a way to promote sales of the now "old" G5's to deplete remaining stock. Looks like they have 2 months left to sell the rest of them....

 

[IonrayMcCloud]

June!

Darn!

I was waiting to get the new updated G5 to replace my G3 Ibook....
Should I just get the 2.0 G5 and stop waiting?

 

[1macker1]

Depends on how bad u need it. If you can wait til June, i'd wait. If not for the new hardware, just for the price drop in the old hardware.

Darn!

I was waiting to get the new updated G5 to replace my G3 Ibook....
Should I just get the 2.0 G5 and stop waiting?

 

[ajb13]

YES

Darn!

I was waiting to get the new updated G5 to replace my G3 Ibook....
Should I just get the 2.0 G5 and stop waiting?

Yes, get the Dual 2 G5. You won't be making a mistake. If you really need it now, ie: what you are currently doing requires the horsepower, do it. If not, and you can wait a little longer, do so. Let your actual demand dictate your purchase.

 

[AppleJustWorks]

Depends

Darn!

I was waiting to get the new updated G5 to replace my G3 Ibook....
Should I just get the 2.0 G5 and stop waiting?

It mainly depends on if you need it now....If you NEED (I mean need, not want) it now, then get it.


But let it be said that you must be okay with getting a Dual 2.0 for the same amount of money as a Dual 3.0 3 months later...I know that all of you just like me practically live from these sites and are applezealots but there is more to life than sitting at a desk waiting.........You decide. It is only 3 months...Think How much longer it will last than a Dual 2.0.....A 50% increases in clock speed....DAMN!

 

[a17inchFuture]

not really. PB went without a refresh from jan. last year to sept. (with one price drop in between) that's just as long.

i imagine a price drop with the one year anniversary of iTMS launch and refresh at WWDC, at least for PB...

wrong.

Jan-sept= 8 months

sept-june/july=10 months

And this 10 month wait has been so PB's could have a better video card and a mediocre and somewhat outdated processor thats barely faster?

Apple should be f*cking ashamed of themselves, this recent showing is beyond pathetic.

 

[otter-boy]

3GHz updates

About 90 percent of the people complaining about the wait for the next update were saying in January that they were going to skip the 2+GHz revision and wait for a 3GHz revision at WWDC. If Apple updates to 3GHZ, the lack of revisions in between makes no material difference to most of the people complaining here.

Also, something that is said quite often but needs to be repeated: most people have no idea when a product has been updated unless they are told. Most consumers don't care if they have the absolute top of the line, and most professionals care if they have the most powerful computer for the job. If Apple releases a dual 3GHz PM and it continues to be the most powerful computer on the market for the next year, people will be happy to buy it for that entire year.

More updates, in and of themselves are not necessarily better: Dell updates its line every month or so and has moved from a 3GHz P4 to a 3.4GHz P4 over the last year. If Apple moves from a 2GHz G5 to a 3GHz G5 in a year, they'll have updated their line more significantly though less often. Can imagine how a dual 3GHz G5 will blow a single 3.6GHz P4 out of the water at almost everything!

 

[mig]

'Refreshing' doesn't sound too promising. Of course a PBG5 would be great, but I doubt it now. I am still working with my Pismo with a new G4 550Mhz CPU. Great machine. Someone said Apple's 3rd Generation is the one!
This would mean even if they announce PBG5s in June, ship for Christmas, it takes another year and a half for the 3rd generation to finally kick it. Until then same thing as with the PBG4: Overheating, white spot display and so on.
I don't bitch either, I also use my mac but I expect it to be rocksolid (like the pismo), which we all could expect for that money. But unfortunately that hasn't been Apples strenth lately.
Maybe I should upgrade my CPU another time at the end of this year.

 

[brhmac]

The clincher

I can see Apple announcing new PowerMacs in June, but what's the ship date?

August? September? October?

Later?

"Tuesday?"

 

[a17inchFuture]

Darn!

I was waiting to get the new updated G5 to replace my G3 Ibook....
Should I just get the 2.0 G5 and stop waiting?

WAIT! If you can afford the best model, then you should certainly wait, because the top of the line will be much better in just two months! I think it would be much wiser to wait.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

they better go beyong 3ghz at WWDC..


i think the line up should be

Dual 2.0 with 512mb DDR - Raedeon 9600
Dual 2.5 with 1024 DDR - Raedeon 9800XT
Dual 3.6 with 2048 DDR and Raedeon X800


anything less then that and i will be disapointed
not to mention price cuts of 250 accross the board

hahahahahahahahahah

thanks, needed that laugh....

 

[macdong]

well, i guess we can stop with "are we gonna get PB update this week?" threads until June.

yeah, and change it to "will it be G4 or G5?"

 

[SlowX]

my two scents <sniff>

What gets me is that Steve said this was going to be a BIG year for Mac, being the anniversary and all. So far all we got is the miniPod.

Ho hum.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

not really. PB went without a refresh from jan. last year to sept. (with one price drop in between) that's just as long.

i imagine a price drop with the one year anniversary of iTMS launch and refresh at WWDC, at least for PB...

just because the pb has gone as long in the past without a bump doesn't mean it's not "long" or even "too long" without an update...

my problem is less that they haven't updated the g5s for so long, but they haven't updated anything for so long... oh well, gives me more time to find a buyer for my dual 800.

 

[a17inchFuture]

More updates, in and of themselves are not necessarily better: Dell updates its line every month or so and has moved from a 3GHz P4 to a 3.4GHz P4 over the last year. If Apple moves from a 2GHz G5 to a 3GHz G5 in a year, they'll have updated their line more significantly though less often. Can imagine how a dual 3GHz G5 will blow a single 3.6GHz P4 out of the water at almost everything!

Yeah, that is great, except for literally every powermac buyer over the last year who has invested money in technology that is outdated (arguably if it isnt updated for a year, its old), while dell users are getting the newest everytime the buy. I just think its sad that I bought a 1.33 17 inch that is literally 8 months old for full price. That just makes me sick that apple thinks they can and should do this to their customers.

 

[Zaty]

wrong.

Jan-sept= 8 months

sept-june/july=10 months

And this 10 month wait has been so PB's could have a better video card and a mediocre and somewhat outdated processor thats barely faster?

Apple should be f*cking ashamed of themselves, this recent showing is beyond pathetic.

Do you really think in the PC world huge speed bumps happen overnight? When the Pentium M was announced a year ago it was at 1.4 GHz. The fastest P M available right now runs at 1.7 GHz. That's a 300 MHz increase in a year. The top end Pentium 4m runs at 3.2 GHz, up from 2.6 or 2.8 GHz a year ago. If Apple brings out a PB 17" at 1.5 GHz (up from 1 GHz), that's not too bad an improvement if you think about it.

 

[scdreger]

they better go beyong 3ghz at WWDC..


i think the line up should be

Dual 2.0 with 512mb DDR - Raedeon 9600
Dual 2.5 with 1024 DDR - Raedeon 9800XT
Dual 3.6 with 2048 DDR and Raedeon X800


anything less then that and i will be disapointed
not to mention price cuts of 250 accross the board

okay with the speeds you're expecting...you're a dreamer
and if you think apple will ever be including 2 gigs of ram standard,
you're on smack!!!

 

[a17inchFuture]

What gets me is that Steve said this was going to be a BIG year for Mac, being the anniversary and all. So far all we got is the miniPod.

Ho hum.

That is only theoretically in stock . . .

this really is a BIG year for mac . . . a BIG ZERO so far on my score sheet. If it were legal (and physically possible) I would totally kick apple's ass. I'm sorry but they treat their customers like poo, and not the good kind . . . .


(yes I know there is no good kind)

 

[1macker1]

Apple must put a G5 in the powerbook for me to buy one (which i want to do). There is nothing wrong with the G4, but i'm look for my next PB purchase to be my last for about 2 years. If i wasn't on such a tight budget i'd grab a G4 right now and get a G5 whenever it came out. But I want a G5 so it will last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[a17inchFuture]

Do you really think in the PC world huge speed bumps happen overnight? When the Pentium M was announced a year ago it was at 1.4 GHz. The fastest P M available right now runs at 1.7 GHz. That's a 300 MHz increase in a year. The top end Pentium 4m runs at 3.2 GHz, up from 2.6 or 2.8 GHz a year ago. If Apple brings out a PB 17" at 1.5 GHz (up from 1 GHz), that's not too bad an improvement if you think about it.

yeah, except that in reality, the bump isnt from 1, its from 1.25, and should be going to 1.42, not 1.5. If these facts are true (the 17 inch at 1.25 was released jan 2003) then I am sorry but a bump from 1.25 to 1.42 in a year and four months is not standard, nor acceptable.

that is a difference of 13.6 percent in a year. Wow, we should all praise the demi gods at apple for a miserable speed bump that took over a year and isnt even out yet!!!!!!


EDIT: For the record, the pentium processors, now at 1.7 (according to you) up from 1.4 a year ago, is a jump of 21 percent, and has already been released too. And my guess would be that by the time apple has updated, pentium will have too. So most likely their 21 percent jump (compared to apples theoretical 13.6 jump [slated to happen sometime before the year 3000]) will be even greater by the time apple gets its sh*t together.

 

[Zaty]

yeah, except that in reality, the bump isnt from 1, its from 1.25, and should be going to 1.42, not 1.5. If these facts are true (the 17 inch at 1.25 was released jan 2003) then I am sorry but a bump from 1.25 to 1.42 in a year and four months is not standard, nor acceptable.

that is a difference of 13.6 percent in a year. Wow, we should all praise the demi gods at apple for a miserable speed bump that took over a year and isnt even out yet!!!!!!

I was talking about what the clcock speeds were a year ago. Both the 17" and the top end TiBook were at 1 GHz in April 03! Why shouldn't Apple be able to produce a 1.5 GHz PB if they can put a 1.42 GHz in it? Anyway 58 MHz doesn't really make any difference at all.

Edit:

EDIT: For the record, the pentium processors, now at 1.7 (according to you) up from 1.4 a year ago, is a jump of 21 percent, and has already been released too. And my guess would be that by the time apple has updated, pentium will have too. So most likely their 21 percent jump (compared to apples theoretical 13.6 jump [slated to happen sometime before the year 3000]) will be even greater by the time apple gets its sh*t together.

Going from 1 GHZ to 1.42 GHz would be a 42% Jump

 

[konaforever]

....but the powerbooks on are the dock.