Apple Press Event October 19 Confirmed

[szark]

Or perhaps the Powerbooks will get the iSight built-in?

I thought about this after the iMac was updated, but it seems highly unlikely right now. Even if they get it shallow enough to fit in the thin lid and small enough to fit in the bezel around the screen, think about every time you shut the lid. Maybe they could have some sort of protective cover come automatically down, but otherwise the lens will certainly get all scratched up.

My guess is that size is the main reason why this can't happen now. Unless they go with a cheaper quality, smaller lens like you might find in a cheap camera phone?

Don't forget about the laptop camera patent that Apple filed for. I think we will see PowerBooks with built-in cameras.

(Dual core PowerMacs would be nice, too!)

 

[manu chao]

Would HD Powerbooks make sense if they could not play HD content?

720p (1280x720) requires a 1.8 GHz G5, maybe a 2 GHz G4 could also handle it, however already the current 15" Powerbooks have a higher resolution.

1080p (1920x1080), imaginable on a 17" Powerbook, requires a dual 2.0 GHz G5, and very few are expecting that for the Powerbooks.

(I know the graphic card could take over part of the work but I doubt that Apple will introduce H264 decoding in graphic cards alongside an otherwise rather small Powerbook update and not present it at a bigger event.)

 

[areyouwishing]

Give us another $1500 g5 and don't cripple it this time!

 

[themacman]

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait, I am ready to give all my money to Apple. Just bring super fast dual core Powermacs! Please!!!!!

I wonder if we are going to see updates on the Cinema Display line. I would like a larger than 30" monitor. That would be awesome!

are you serious Those things are huge any bigger and they would be competing in the large telivsion industry.

 

[nagromme]

In that case, perhaps we want Freescale to come up short so we don't have to wait longer until the Merom is implemented...

Yes. Come on, Freescale! 1.68 Gz! Come on, Freescale!

Apparently Dell wants to start charging Intel for that now, since it takes 30 seconds of the manufacturing time to put the stickers on.

You mean Intel's not paying for that now?

I can see Apple having a nice gray-on-gray version on the bottom... or inside the battery hatch

If there's an Intel logo that lights up, I shall now be sick.

 

[riciad]

At the Ireland store PB 12"-24hrs; rest 5 days, 6-8 days, 5 days
i-book 12"-24hrs; 14"-3 days
and this seems to be the case everywhere else, more or less.
Maybe they will bring out some sort of tablet to replace both the 12"'s.

 

[Stella]

I'm getting more positive towards PB upgrades.

Is Steve jobs really going to get up there to just launch a currently used G4 processor? Not even his RDF can stretch that far, and really, it would be quite an embarrassment . However, saying that I do remember when he presented the BlueTooth mouse in a "One More Thing" at a conference. You could hear a pin drop and, frogs croaking.

Personally, I'd rather apple release an Intel PB sooner in the first wave of Intel introductions. Anything would be better than the current G4s. Apple could update later when the better intel mobiles arrive. Sod the lack of software... PBs need an extremely good upgrade. The 'Power' has long since disappeared and are very expensive for what they are.

The iMacs upgrades were excellent. If the PBs represent the iMac style of upgrades, then our jaws will be dropping..

I think this depends when Apple is planning on migrating the PowerBook to Intel. If it's sooner rather than later (Yonah), than a "next to nothing" upgrade might be the case, like it or not. However, if Apple is going to wait for Merom, than an upgrade of more substance is likely. It would not be hard for Apple to pop in a 7448, which would definitely constitute more than just a "crap processor upgrade", and this wouldn't requite a complete redesign of the machine either. Maybe upgrade the RAm/HD/display and you could have a very decent PowerBook update.

After seeing what Apple did to the iMac, I feel pretty confident that we'll see similar solid upgrades to the PowerMacs and PowerBooks.

 

[generik]

Makes sense, but I'd phrase it in reverse, since Apple can't control Freescale:

IF Freescale makes a really good G4 update possible, then Apple might choose to wait for Merom. If, instead, we see nothing much this time, then Apple's likely to need Yonah. (Which is dual core and will blow away every laptop that ever existed--not a bad step on the way to Merom!) I'm pessimistic about us seeing dual cores or any other excitement from Freescale myself, but that makes me more optimistic about seeing Intel PBs sooner.

I'm wondering why the event is Wednesday if Monday's not a holiday. My guess: something will come out on Tuesday that Apple wants everyone to shut up about the next day So, to be a total downer: maybe very minor PB changes on Tuesday, drowned out by really NICE PowerMacs on Wed.

I second this opinion, especially considering that this is no longer a "Rev D/E" Powerbook, it is more likely a "Rev A" book with a newly redesigned logic board.. new chipsets... new PCI-e buses... new memory buses..

Besides, with all that revamp, there's no stopping Apple from popping in a dual core Freescale G4 now. The argument against it was that with the 7448 being a pin compatible upgrade, it seemed unlikely that Apple would invest so much effort into revamping the PPC line. However don't forget this. Short of marketing products to Idiots (ie: some mac users), you essentially need to invest money to make money.

The latest iMac revision seems to mirror this line of thought. Now let's see more PPC revisions people!

 

[nagromme]

are you serious Those things are huge any bigger and they would be competing in the large telivsion industry.

I originally thought 23" would be the ideal size because it would be tiring just hauling the mouse around a 30" workspace. But in fact, my legs got tired of rolling my chair back and forth to see stuff long before that happened

 

[MontyZ]

.

 

[i3iz]

Our new bottom of the line PMAC
Single Proc Dual core 2.5

Well we couldnt give you 3 Ghz

Our new middle of the line PMAC
Dual Proc Dual Core 2.5

Since all things should be done in 3's like movies

Quad Proc Dual Core 2.5

If we can get you 3ghz we are going to give you the most powerful workstation for the dollar, and a reason to want the top of the line instead of just second best.

oh yeah, one more thing, new powerbooks

Dual Core Pbooks available in black, also 50% slimmer. HD
Also makes use of DDR2 with a real front side bus.

before i go i would like to say special thanks to the apple research and design team, since IBM let us down for 3 years straight, it is only through you guys that we could make the Power line the best comps on the market again.

p.s. in case you couldnt tell this is SJ

 

[nagromme]

Is Steve jobs really going to get up there to just launch a currently used G4 processor?

No, but he might get up and announce new PowerMacs without mentioning PowerBooks at ALL. PBs could get their minor, quiet update the same day or the day before, while PowerMacs get all the glory.

Depends what Freescale can deliver, I guess. Dual core G4s in useful quantity? I'll believe if I see it. Too cool to be true

 

[RoxStrongo]

right i ordered a dual 2.7 with bto options on thursday when i got pissed off that they hadnt updated the pm. now im about to cancel that order and wait for the event. im so annoyed that im going to have to wait even longer now. what is the last possible point that i can cancel an order coz ideally id like to see this play out a little longer before cancelling to see if there are any further details available? please help me!

 

[Floop]

Popquiz, hotshots:

What is the chance that the new low-end PowerMac, due to be unveiled on Wednesday, will be able to smoke a Dual 2.5GHZ PowerMac?

Answers:
a) It definitely will! The new low end PowerMac will make the old DualProc 2.5GHZ machine look s-l-o-w.
b) It will be a machine about the same speed (but have more 'features' e.g. PCI-E).
c) No way! The new low end PowerMac will still be way behind the DualProc 2.5GHZ.

 

[PeterBpb]

Other than all the speed bumps.

iSights built into the PB AND into the Cinema Displays. Apple really wants this as evidenced by the new iMac.

Does anyone else feel like the iSight is watching you or am I just really parnoid?

 

[jaw04005]

Seriously. At some point, the press is going to get bored with all these "special events."

You would think, but remember during the 1999-2001 era we had official media events all the time in addition to the spontaneous special events (Macworld SF, Macworld NY, Seybold, NAB, WWDC, QuickTime Live Conference, Apple Expo Paris).

Now, the only official events we can count on are Macworld SF, NAB and WWDC. Apple has moved away from timed events and prefers to hold special events when new products are ready, which happens to be now.

 

[gugy]

are you serious Those things are huge any bigger and they would be competing in the large telivsion industry.

After Steve announced Front Row I am starting to wonder if a large monitor is in the works. He said that you could seat on the couch and watch your imovies, etc, So it would make perfect sense to do that on a screen larger than 30". actually much better than on a 20"Imac.
So it could happen. Maybe the new PM and PB will all have front row as well.

 

[Doctor Q]

Why don't they do updates on Tuesdays anymore? Wednesday is too far in the week

If they announce products on Tuesdays, they have one less day that week to clear out their old inventory to make way for the newly announced products. Of course, if they announce products on Wednesday, that's one less day of sales that week for the new product and there's the risk that their competitors will beat them to market. Also, if they wait until Wednesday, they risk a Tuesday leak that would spoil the surprise and keep people from buying the old products that day. But Tuesday announcements risk a Monday leak.

Now if we compare announcements on Tuesday, but very late in the day, with announcements very early Wednesday, then.... oh, never mind!


By the way, my prediction for the next announcement is QuickTime 8.0, and that people who just bought QuickTime Pro 7.0 will have to pay for another Pro key. Why? Because Apple sells music to get people to buy iPods, and they sell iPods to get people to buy Macs, and they sell Macs so people will be likely to use QuickTime Player and notice the PRO features in the menus so that they will pay $30 each time a new major QuickTime version is released. Then, by releasing a major version every week or two, Apple will make $ billions and $ billions!

 

[solvs]

Does anyone else feel like the iSight is watching you or am I just really parnoid?

Yes.

 

[DeSnousa]

After Steve announced Front Row I am starting to wonder if a large monitor is in the works. He said that you could seat on the couch and watch your imovies, etc, So it would make perfect sense to do that on a screen larger than 30". actually much better than on a 20"Imac.
So it could happen. Maybe the new PM and PB will all have front row as well.

But the resolution would be so high that even DVD's will start to struggle. These kinds of displays are aimed at pro's, such a photo editing. Not for a media style monitor. Just get a plasma if you want a media monitor imo.

 

[Snide]

right i ordered a dual 2.7 with bto options on thursday when i got pissed off that they hadnt updated the pm. now im about to cancel that order and wait for the event. im so annoyed that im going to have to wait even longer now. what is the last possible point that i can cancel an order coz ideally id like to see this play out a little longer before cancelling to see if there are any further details available? please help me!

I think it would be best to cancel first and ask questions later™...

Why even risk it? What do you have to lose?

 

[nagromme]

Does anyone else feel like the iSight is watching you or am I just really parnoid?

It IS watching you

And, it can see in total darkness. I'm not kidding.

 

[KA2357]

This is good news. I would like to get a Powerbook (and money to ) Just can't decide if I should wait for Intel's or get the supposedly last PowerPC Powerbook since almost all the bugs will be worked out of them as opposed to a Rev. A Intel.

My money is on a last-generation PPC PowerBook. I'd never want a Rev. A anything.

When Apple didn't announce PowerBooks this week, I ordered a 17" with 2GB RAM. Apple says it won't ship until the 24th, wonder if I'll be getting one of the (hopefully) new units??? Or should I cancel now and wait until Wednesday?

 

[lcde]

Perhaps a patented idea?

....Regarding iSight in Powerbook.....


I thought about this after the iMac was updated, but it seems highly unlikely right now. Even if they get it shallow enough to fit in the thin lid and small enough to fit in the bezel around the screen, think about every time you shut the lid. Maybe they could have some sort of protective cover come automatically down, but otherwise the lens will certainly get all scratched up.

My guess is that size is the main reason why this can't happen now. Unless they go with a cheaper quality, smaller lens like you might find in a cheap camera phone?

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1273

 

[Mr Maui]

Glad to see the rumors are confirmed.

My predictions for the PowerMacs are 970MPs, and since the iMac set the precedent, DDR2 RAM and PCIe video cards. Look for a larger HD option as well, since the iMac can go up to 500 GB. Dual dual-core would be amazing, but I'm not holding my breath. If they do in fact release this beast though, I'm predicting quite the sticker shock.

As for PowerBooks, it depends how quickly Apple plans on moving them to Intel. Will it be Yonah or Merom? The timing surrounding this will decide how substantial this upgrade will be. I predict 7448 and upgrades to the other components (video card, display, etc.)

Looking forward to yet another Apple event!

They are confirmed?!?! Did Steve speak early?!?!