Apple Releases New PowerBooks

[Devie]

Damn, the 15" Superdrive is looking so tempting...

Please apple, hurry with the damn powermac updates .

 

[billystlyes]

After doing some more research, these new PB's are starting to look really tempting. With a student discount, I can get them for either $1399 (12"), $1499 (12" w/SD), $1799 (15"), $2099 (15" w/SD), or $2399 (17").

If I join Apple's Developer Connection Student Prgoram, I can get them for $1199, $1359, $1599, $1839, or $2159 respectively, plus $99 ADC membership fee.

The 12" PB with SuperDrive and 768MB RAM for $1419 is what I'm eyeing at the moment.

I wish I was a student! Those are great discounts!

 

[sw1tcher]

I wish I was a student! Those are great discounts!

Easy solution: Take a class or two at a nearby community college for a semester and get the discount. You benefit by learning something new and by getting a new PB at a great price.

 

[Eastend]

That's what I'm planning to do too. Get a slip case and then just throw it (lightly) into my backpack so it's not too obvious that I have a laptop. Considering the Vyper XS when I get my 12" PB.

Now that looks good, they make em for all sizes of PowerBooks too. Marked that URL. Thanks sw1tcher.

Brian

 

[veedubdrew]

I've always been pleased with the Tumi bags for my PowerBooks. They're very well made, beautifully designed, and guaranteed for life. www.tumi.com

-Drew

Since you didn't specify what size, I'm not sure if this will work. I bought a Tom Bihn case for my 15" PB I got in August. It works perfect for me. It only holds the PB, no room for anything else. But, this case is perfect for putting in my backpack to take to class every day.

 

[Platform]

here is how you get them
go to apple.com
then HIT the apple tab at the top

17 inch is dual dvi!!!
1.5 and 1.67
thinksecret was right!

Sorry but no Dual DVI just Dual link DVI

 

[ebally]

I stick to my rules of buying a new computer.

Next generation chip (that can triple the speed of previous machine)
Relatively new generation of video card
Doubling of current hard drive
Next big OS upgrade

I thought I was the only one who had rules like these. I expect my next PowerBook to have specifications along these lines:

PowerBook Duel-Core G5 (2.2Ghz)
1 GB RAM (DDR2 400)
120 GB HD (7200 RPM)
ATI Mobility Radeon 9900 (Or whatever the next GFX card will be called).
17" Screen, with a resolution of 1920x1200.
A battery life of 3 hours or more.
Price should be £2150 or less.

And finally I want all this with the 2nd Rev of the Next-Generation release of the PowerBook in April 2006.

AM I CRAZY? (No. I just think different!)

Hassan.

 

[Eastend]

I thought I was the only one who had rules like these. I expect my next PowerBook to have specifications along these lines:

PowerBook Duel-Core G5 (2.2Ghz)
1 GB RAM (DDR2 400)
120 GB HD (7200 RPM)
ATI Mobility Radeon 9900 (Or whatever the next GFX card will be called).
17" Screen, with a resolution of 1920x1200.
A battery life of 3 hours or more.
Price should be £2150 or less.

And finally I want all this with the 2nd Rev of the Next-Generation release of the PowerBook in April 2006.

AM I CRAZY? (No. I just think different!)

Hassan.

Good Luck, really hope you get it.

Brian

 

[mpw]

I thought I was the only one who had rules like these….

No. I’ve got a rule / formula which I use to decide if I’ll upgrade my computer too;

Must have faster CPU.
Must have more RAM.
Must have permission from wife.

 

[AidenShaw]

I thought I was the only one who had rules like these. I expect my next PowerBook to have specifications along these lines:

PowerBook Duel-Core G5 (2.2Ghz)
1 GB RAM (DDR2 400)
...

You *are* crazy - go with at least 2 GiB of RAM for your next machine.

Even today, you might notice better performance with 2 GiB than 1 GiB.

The main reason is that "excess" memory (that is, memory that isn't in use by your applications) will automatically be used by the filesystem caches. You'll go to that slow hard disk less often...

Also look at the max memory that the system will be able to support (even if high enough density DIMMs aren't available at intro). There's not much point in buying a 64-bit chip (for the 64-bitness) if you have 4 GiB of RAM or less.

If you buy a 64-bit laptop that can only support 2 GiB - you've been sold on the "64-bit myth". You'd be better off with a dual-core "G4"....

 

[Iroganai]

If you buy a 64-bit laptop that can only support 2 GiB - you've been sold on the "64-bit myth". You'd be better off with a dual-core "G4"....

G4 and G5 differ also in the FSB...
G4's FSB is now at 167MHz, but for G5 FSB is now 1/2 or 1/3 of the CPU speed. That may make huge difference in memory intensive work...


By the way, I'll definitely get one of these PBs once Tiger is out!

 

[kwikdeth]

new powerbooks: dissapointing on the whole. Is it just me, or does the entire G4 product line now look overpriced with the release of the Mini? Consider: for $700 bucks, you can get a 1.42 G4 in a mini, with 256mb ram, a 80gb hard drive, combo drive and airport/bluetooth. The new Powerbook G4 12" weighs in with a 1.5ghz processor, 512MB ram, 60gb hard drive with airport/bluetooth included.
So, basically, you are paying $800 for a tiny 12" screen, a 80mhz speed increase, 20GB LESS hard drive space, and 256MB extra RAM, and obviously the portable case with keyboard and trackpad.

for that much money, i could fully load up a mini, add superdrive AND get myself a nice 19" LCD for it. And that is only the lowest end G4 12". let's not get into the discrepancies for the 15", which only has a better graphics processor.

there won't be dual-core g4 powerbooks. the line is getting far too long in the tooth and the next update will HAVE to be G5s if the brand line is to survive with any credibility. but as is typical for the powerbook line, I honestly wouldn't expect another update for them until late fall at the earliest. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the powerbooks stayed at this speed until MWSF '06, when we'll see a G5 powerbook. until then, be happy with what we've got.
and i agree with the person who said these will be like the pismos some day... they really do seem to have the right feature set. too bad they are horribly overpriced and sport an obsolete processor.

 

[aap]

get over it

Can we please start talking about the powermacs now? I mean, powerbooks aren't the most important thing in life...

 

[Iroganai]

for that much money, i could fully load up a mini, add superdrive AND get myself a nice 19" LCD for it. And that is only the lowest end G4 12". let's not get into the discrepancies for the 15", which only has a better graphics processor.

Please understand that these powerbooks are portable.
Yes, the Mac Mini is, um, portable but there are no
portable LCDs out there...


So I want some good Apple-branded portable LCD for Mac Mini !

 

[Platform]

No. I’ve got a rule / formula which I use to decide if I’ll upgrade my computer too;

Must have faster CPU.
Must have more RAM.
Must have permission from wife.

two first i agree but no 3. well maby LOL

So new PB but what is the advantages on BT 2.0 and where is the new PM

 

[Yvan256]

Can we please start talking about the powermacs now? I mean, powerbooks aren't the most important thing in life...

Nope, let's start talking about the next revisions of the iMac and the Mac mini. I mean, PowerMacs and PowerBooks aren't the most important things in life.

 

[Yvan256]

Please understand that these powerbooks are portable.
Yes, the Mac Mini is, um, portable but there are no
portable LCDs out there...


So I want some good Apple-branded portable LCD for Mac Mini !

You may be kidding, but what about those 7" Widescreen WSVGA displays? Granted they're not Apple-branded but they've still got a VGA input (and decent resolution, given the small size).

 

[deckwalker]

That's what I'm planning to do too. Get a slip case and then just throw it (lightly) into my backpack so it's not too obvious that I have a laptop. Considering the Vyper XS when I get my 12" PB.

I use a Booq bag for my 12" and love it: no complaints and lots of compliments. People are surprised there's a computer in it!

http://www.booqbags.com/

 

[iGary]

Since this G5 ship thing seems to be such a sticking point with most of the would-be PB owners here, let me pose a question:

Would you support a different (bigger and heavier) form factor to accommodate the G5 and the necessary hardware to cool it and support the higher speed FSB?

Think Toshiba and its bloated 17" laptop.

 

[rosalindavenue]

Can we please start talking about the powermacs now? I mean, powerbooks aren't the most important thing in life...

Ah, but this is the "Apple Releases New Powerbooks" thread. Perhaps you should consider moving over to a powermac thread.

 

[nesbitt_a]

Shipping with iWork?

Are the new powerbooks shipping with iWork also, it is featured in the dock on the photographs from Apple's website

http://images.apple.com/powerbook/gallery/images/powerbook12front20050131.jpg

 

[Ugg]

This is reminiscent of the Pismo days. With any company, especially Apple, it is often a good idea to buy the LAST model year of a current design. They have perfected the form and function of it. Problems have been addressed and the overall design has been road-tested in the real world and refined.


My prediction is this: these units are the last of the single-core G4s. Either the G5 is coming or the FreeScale dual-core G4s, and within six months of this update. When the next generation comes out, I predict that these current Powerbooks released today will be "the good ol' days" systems that Pismos are now. A real sweet-spot of design, reliability, and price from a mature-but-not-quite-obsolete platform. More than the sum of their parts, and bulletproof to boot.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I couldn't agree more. My G3 iMac DV 400 MHZ, while not last of the line, has been a tank and I couldn't be happier with it. It has lasted five years and will continue to see service as my mother's first computer. I was all set on buying an iBook but next week will be buying a 12" PB. The upgrades make it worthwhile and I'll have a computer that will last another five years. I buy for the longhaul not for the latest and greatest.

 

[Eastend]

No. I’ve got a rule / formula which I use to decide if I’ll upgrade my computer too;

Must have faster CPU.
Must have more RAM.
Must have permission from wife.

The first two are a little different than mine, but the last one is of course permission from wife. LOL, I loved it.

Brian

 

[zelmo]

I guess it shouldn't surprise me, but I just don't get all the negative (currently 617 to only 515 positives) ratings on this thread.

Apple finally offers some updates to this line, improving the PowerBook G4 in virtually every area, and about as much as anyone could reasonably expect at this point in its life-cycle, and dropping the price to boot:

• minimium RAM is 512MB
• 167MHz (pretty minor) speed bump
• 80GB 5400rpm drive standard, with a 100GB as BTO
• backlit key standard on all 15" models, and brighter than before
• new scrolling touchpad feature
• hard drive drop detection/protection
• 8X SuperDrive
• BlueTooth 2.0
• support for 30" Cinema Display
• optical audio
• $100-200 price drop


Apart from miraculously increasing the FSB to 533MHz or something, what is the problem here? Okay, so it's not a G5 or a dual core G4, and it's not $500 cheaper across the board, but did you really expect it to be? Can you really say you are disappointed that this is just a minor update?

 

[pubwvj]

Perhaps, it's not technically feasible to squash sensors and wiring into the 12". And before someone gets started on the still missing FW 800 port, there is no space for an additional port. Unfortunately, FW 800 is not backwards compatible, so it wouldn't make sense to exchange the more usable FW 400 port for a FW 800 port.

FW800 is less reliable, more problematic and not all that much of an improvement. If someone really needs the top of the line they'll go with the bigger machine to get the FW800. Sticking with FW400 is a good tradeoff.