Apple Releases New iBooks

[Artful Dodger]

Well even after the update the iBook I have is still very nice I really don't feel like I did when the new iMacs came out (going from G4-G5) so either one is still good just with the new ones someone gets a pinch more for a touch less

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

My old iBook G4@800 is still going strong (touch wood) so I'm not actually going to buy this updated iBook, but I'm still quite pleased with it:

+ 512 MB RAM included, and not that 256 + 256 s**t, 512 included and one free slot. Amazing!
+ Built-in Bluetooth 2+EDR in addition to Airport Express (which the added a while ago) making it completely wireless (except for power).
+ 100 GB BTO HD (look below)
+ Core Image supporting GPU (as far as I've understood), so who cares if it only has 32 MB VRAM, it's dedicated and it's on a laptop with 1024x768 screen resolution and no (supported) screen spanning capability.
+ Sudden motion sensor

Of course there is a couple of things I hope they fix before I'm getting my next 12" 'Book:

- Still no Superdrive option on the 12" - this is just too stupid. Just go DL on the PowerBooks and let the iBooks have a single layer DVD burner (I cannot afford more than single layer DVD-Rs, anyway )
- No 5400 or 7200 HDs BTO - I'm happy with 4200 disks as standard, but there should be a BTO for faster disks.

If you're not happy with the iBooks then stop whining and get a PowwerBook...

 

[MacHamman]

Cancel! Cancel! Seriously, go cancel and reorder with 512MB of RAM. The current config gets you 512MB *built in* and 256MB in the RAM slot.

That is a total waste. No sense spending your money on a $75 256MB chip. You can at least pot a 512MB chip in that slot for that price.

And yes, I realize you may lose a spot in the queue. Well maybe if you call them up you won't.

Its done, I called the customer service number and upgraded the ram to 1 gig.
So know my iBook's specs are 12", 1.33 gHz, 60 gig HD, AP, BT, 1 gig ram.

 

[bermanu]

this sucks!!

=


The gap between Microsoft and Apple is closing. I'm started to feel shame for speaking so much Apple to anyone.

...yes...this sucks...andI have to be honest, I'm not a switcher, I have always used Apple (I started with the old beautiful Classic!) all my life...

..but I'm definitely losing my faith...

Does Apple realise that?

 

[QCassidy352]

the 512 RAM built in is huge, the radeon 9550 is a big upgrade, and built in bluetooth is like a $50 price cut for a lot of people. And the little things like the trackpad are nice too.

All in all, I'm pleased. People here are way too negative.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

the 512 RAM built in is huge, the radeon 9550 is a big upgrade, and built in bluetooth is like a $50 price cut for a lot of people. And the little things like the trackpad are nice too.

All in all, I'm pleased. People here are way too negative.

BINGO. Give this one a cigar!

 

[ncbill]

I've got the 700m

For about $800 delivered, but for that price it came with 1.6GHz, 256MB RAM

(512MB is under $50 3rd-party, and you'll need it, since XP is unusable with 256MB)

The widescreen LCD (1280x800) is nice and bright, but I agree glare could be an issue.

More importantly, the Dell uses very cheap, flimsy case plastics (nothing like the polycarb case of the iBook)

I wish Dell had spent another $20 on improving case quality, even if it cost another half-pound in weight.

I don't plan on moving the 700m around like I do with my iBook

I'd have to disagree with you...

for $800 you can get a 700m with:

+ 12.1 Widescreen, way better than the 12" ibook or powerbook
+ Pentium M 1.8 GHZ which again destroys any G4, ever...
+ A DVD burner you can't even get in a 12" ibook
+ Better battery life
+ 512 mb of way faster memory, and system bus...
+ 4.1 lbs

 

[QCassidy352]

...yes...this sucks...andI have to be honest, I'm not a switcher, I have always used Apple (I started with the old beautiful Classic!) all my life...

..but I'm definitely losing my faith...

Does Apple realise that?

I think what they realize is that itunes and the ipod are dominating the market and sales of macs are skyrocketing as a result. So if you're "losing your faith..." I don't think Apple really cares. No offense.

 

[iSaint]

They could have at least increased the resolution for the 14" iBook, even if it was never going to be widescreen. I own the current (before today) 14" iBook, and the lame resolution is the only thing that really bothers me. 1024x768 is way too poor for 14" these days.

TOTALLY AGREE!!! I'm willing to pay for a PB just to get the higher resolution. I would prob downgrade my Superdrive to save the $90. I want the higher resolution!!! phooey!!!

 

[AlBDamned]

Blame VAT.

Without VAT the iBook 12" is only around $36 more than the US value.

We're still getting stiffed, yes. But not as much as when the iBook was £699 and the exchange rate was 1.95.

Yep, VAT to blame. I guess in the States there is unquoted Sales Tax too though (Found that really annoying when over there in March)!

Still, it was the Euro thing that made me think. 1029 vs 1213 is a fair bit.

Anyway. It's not a bad update. £699 for a little Apple is not bad. Equivalent PC laptops are maybe £100-150 less but we all know the Apple is worth the Premium.

 

[bodeh6]

These upgrades were in place with what most people expected. I personally have switched from getting the 12" Powerbook to getting the new 12" iBook w/60GB for about $400 less.

 

[canolapop]

why all the fuss

i dont understand why everyone gets all gleeful at a RAM bump to 512: Doesnt everyone buy 3rd party (bc apple overcharges by 50%) and upgrade to max. cap. anyway???

 

[mac n cheese]

"We have a lot of great PowerPC products still to come" my a$$.

What Steve actually meant when he said they have a lot of great powerpc products still coming was....

"We have warehouses full of old G4 chips still to get rid of, and we'll stuff them into a little inside joke we have here in Cupertino called "upgrades". Forget product development when we can just keep selling you the same computers in different configurations!"

I'm so tired of seeing the EXACT same ibooks, powerbooks, powermacs, and minis sitting in apple stores.

Someone was ranting about being disappointed by the upgrades....dude, get used to it. Apple will NEVER suprise or impress you with any hardware upgrades. If the rumor sounds awesome, you can BANK on it not being true. Underwhelm, underperform, and underdeliver.....Steve-O's personal mantra.

Just be happy with whatever mediocre Mac you've got. At least its dependable. Performance isn't Apple's bag baby. Look at any of their flagship lines if you're confused about that. They are WOEFULLY behind the competition.

 

[Zman5225]

i dont understand why everyone gets all gleeful at a RAM bump to 512: Doesnt everyone buy 3rd party (bc apple overcharges by 50%) and upgrade to max. cap. anyway???

max cap just went up to 1.5gb from 1.25gb. Plus some people can't slap down money for a 1gb stick when they just spend $1,000 bucks on a computer/laptop, now with the built in 512mb, they can save up a little while to get it. The memory is also faster then it used to be.

^Z

 

[crazydreaming]

So would about the powerbooks?

 

[QCassidy352]

i dont understand why everyone gets all gleeful at a RAM bump to 512: Doesnt everyone buy 3rd party (bc apple overcharges by 50%) and upgrade to max. cap. anyway???

because it's been upgraded in the built-in slot. Meaning
A) that the max is now 1.5 GB,
B) that you can get to 1 GB (a reasonable amount these days) with only a 512 upgrade, and
C) the thing is actually usable out of the box (512 is low, but 256 is unacceptable on OS X)

As far as switching to this over the 12" PB, I'm tempted to do the same, but let's keep in mind that the ibooks are brand new and the PBs are 6 months old, and probably due for an update soon as well. So let's compare apples to apples (pun intended) when the PB line gets bumped.

 

[Hattig]

Yep, VAT to blame. I guess in the States there is unquoted Sales Tax too though (Found that really annoying when over there in March)!

Still, it was the Euro thing that made me think. 1029 vs 1213 is a fair bit.

Anyway. It's not a bad update. £699 for a little Apple is not bad. Equivalent PC laptops are maybe £100-150 less but we all know the Apple is worth the Premium.

699.00 GBP United Kingdom Pounds = 1,013.14 EUR Euro
1 GBP = 1.44942 EUR 1 EUR = 0.689933 GBP

Phew! Thought I'd lost out a bit there. And if you're in Europe, order from the UK as is your right under European law.

I think it is a good update. What price 3-5 years of not having Windows XP frustrations?

And as for the 4200RPM hard drive - I got the base 40GB, if it is too slow I'll buy a 7200RPM low-power laptop hard drive anyway. I'm sure it'll be adequate once I've ordered a 1GB SODIMM from Crucial and added that in. 40GB is enough for me in a laptop, maybe I'll get a 250GB Firewire hard drive in a few months.

 

[TaKashMoney]

I know we have a lot of disappointment this morning, but I for one got everything I asked for. A lot of people wanted there to be a 12" PB for 999 (myself included) but what we got today was pretty friggin close. BT standard. Scrolling Trackpad. Sudden Motion Sensor for HD. Core Image supported Vid Card. All Intangibles minus screen spanning are now here on the iBook. We got a processor bump. RAM bump - which not only has faster bus speed (now equal to PB) but also has 512 with an entirely open slot (eat that PB). The only things we didnt get was a HD that runs as fast, audio in, screen spanning. Oh wait...thats it (just comparing 12" PB). Ill gladly give up those options for a portable laptop and save $500. Not to mention the better battery life, still more durable and more wifi receptive case. Could it have been better? Of course. In need of more power? Than a 15 or 17PB is still your best bet. But noone can argue that the line between the New iBook and the stripped down 12' PB has blurred even more. Will you be able to see the 0.17 ghz processor jump? highly doubtful. The increased HD speed? Maybe. But if you dont need screen spanning (though hacking is an option), I would much rather have 500 dollars in my pocket. While my opinion may be the minority, I am now one very happy first-time switcher.

 

[sdesros]

Yup, and the people who believed and spread the rumors.

The process is pretty simple:
<snip!>
The only time I have heard valid whining recently is when SJ promised 3Ghz and then couldn't deliver.

It seems quite similar to the following:

http://www.misterbg.org/AppleProductCycle/

 

[AlBDamned]

Just be happy with whatever mediocre Mac you've got. At least its dependable. Performance isn't Apple's bag baby. Look at any of their flagship lines if you're confused about that. They are WOEFULLY behind the competition.

Um, none of the 'Flagship' Powermac Range Macs are 'woefully behind' anything the competition offers.

And, You're tired of seeing them in stores? What? Would you rather look at some sh***y PC cos I've yet to see a Windows machine that I like the look of. And (sorry to go on), the Mini has been out less than a year. You think they're going to change the way it looks already?

Admittedly, the iBooks and Powerbooks have been around in their current forms for a while (save the PB now as a silver K.Board.), but there's no need, nor any point (as someone rightly pointed out earlier) in changing them at the moment. It would confuse the issue when the Intel machines come out. Expect the entire apple range to keep looking the same until the end of the Power PC Era (edit: Era/versions)

 

[philipcolett]

So, when they say 3-5 days to ship, do they mean it, or does it generally go any faster? I live about 300 miles from their distribution center, and I generally get any package that says "same day shipping" the next day. I have ordered many items from them in the past, but they have always said that it was "same day shipping". Please let me know, as I am going out of town on Saturday, and I just sold my ibook in anticipation for today.

 

[RichardCarletta]

Now it's time for Powerbook updates

I see no reason for Apple not to update the Powerbooks with either 1.8 GHZ G4s or maybe 1.6 GHZ 970FX G5s by October ( Apple needs to move their ass to get these out ASAP ) . I'm sure design of a G5 motherboard was done at least 2 years ago. Apple just had to wait for the chips from IBM . As for the iBooks , Why should Apple wait longer than 6 months to update them next time , once the Powerbooks get updated by this fall ? Apple may be forced to wait until Summer 2006 to ship Mactel laptops , but that is over 10 months time. Apple could have one more update for both iBooks and Powerbooks before that June 2006 date. Apple said they plan to start shipping Mactel models with the lowend machines first. That means Mac Minis and eMacs first. Maybe iBooks would go Mactel by Fall 2006 at the earliest.

 

[devilot]

I thought that Apple would have some of the pre-updated iBooks under the red-tag "sale" section, but there aren't any there. Does anyone think this will happen at all?

 

[ak004m]

I, for one, am pretty dissapointed with the updates. Thew new iBooks are definitely an improvement, especially with the price drop, but I've been holding out on buying one all summer out of speculation, and hope, for a widescreen model or one with better resolution. I'm still on my first iBook, 700mhz G3 and it's a great computer but by far the biggest problem is the screen in my opinion. The screen feels so much more cramped than anything else and I use any program I can that minimizes it's occupancy on the screen and it still isn't enough room. Feel like I've waited this long, might as well give it another couple months.

Is anyone else surprised that these updates didn't come with a price drop for the powerbooks? Now that Apple has closed that gap even more, and priced the iBooks even cheaper I see less incentive than I did yesterday to choose the powerbook over the iBook given the stark differences in price, and lack thereof in performance. Don't get me wrong, the Powerbooks are clearly superior, but for an $700 difference? ..... for the 15" 1.67 without the superdrive that I was considering....

That and I gotta know.... do those of you with the SuperDrive get use out of it? I dunno, I don't design my own movies or anything so I can't really imagine getting much use out of it unless I'm missing something here

 

[caveman_uk]

OK, if £1 = Euro 1.35 and US$ 1.95


In the UK that means the iBooks are £699 = Euro 943 and US$ 1363

to:

£899 = Euro 1213 and US$ 1753


We get stiffed a lot more than anyone.

The £:$ is nowhere near 1:1.95 and hasn't been for a while. It's less than 1:1.75.

The £:Euro is current 1:1.44

Which makes the Ibooks £699=£595(without VAT)=$1041
and £899=£765(without VAT)=$1339

So we pay $40 more on each one when you remove VAT - a tax which although we have to pay is hardly Apple's fault.