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Apple Releases New PowerBooks

Decent

Update - not bad. Not the craziness that everyone wanted (dual-core or G5), but at this time, I've been waiting for this update. So, time to move on.

It's been fun hanging with the PB "support group".

I guess this tuesday's group therapy is now cancelled.
 
geoffism said:
I guess this tuesday's group therapy is now cancelled.
Click to expand...

I still need it..... My PowerBook is now officially outdated. :( :( :( :mad:

Still neat... but.... :rolleyes: meh....
 
Now that we've gotten that out of the way bring on:

1. A good single core Freescale with a better FSB

2. Dual core, yah right maybe this coming winter, with onboard memory controller and a better FSB.

3. G5 PowerBook scaled back for the PowerBook

One way or another WWDC is going to be interesting. In the mean time I'm still sitting with a 3,200 interest free loan. *waves money in front of Apple*

You want it? You gotta earn it.
 
Diatribe said:
Am I missing something? :confused:
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You are if you don't get the 17" :) That's the one that just gained optical audio i/o.


inlimbo said:
What is Miccrosoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive. Is that like a trail version that going to expire in a month?!?
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Indeed it is. If you need very basic ability to read and write Word files, TextEdit (included with Panther) can do it. AppleWorks can do it better. Pages (iWork) can do it better yet. Open-source Office clones are worth a look. But in the end, if you want Office, the real deal, you have to buy it.
 
I've got a 867 megahertz 12" PowerBook. My plan has always been to wait for a G5 PB. The 15" has some nice new specs, but my wait will go on. My Mac mini arrives Wednesday. So, that will have to hold me over on new Mac tech till the G5 PowerBooks come out.
 
inlimbo said:
More software. Is it a Big deal??? im new to mac and this new PB will be my first mac.

"Software Mail, iChat, Safari, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, GarageBand and iDVD[4]), iSync, iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment, Acrobat Reader, Art Directors Toolkit, EarthLink TotalAccess (includes 30 days of free dial-up service with Earthlink activation), FileMaker Pro Trial, GraphicConverter, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, Zinio Reader, Xcode Developer Tools and Apple Hardware Test"

What is Miccrosoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive. Is that like a trail version that going to expire in a month?!?
Click to expand...


Yes it is, and though at first I thought it silly, think of all of the people who don't know there is Office for the Mac, these people will be able to play around with it, realise it's there, then buy it. A smart move for Apple in my mind.
 
inlimbo said:
More software. Is it a Big deal??? im new to mac and this new PB will be my first mac.

"Software Mail, iChat, Safari, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie HD, GarageBand and iDVD[4]), iSync, iCal, DVD Player, Classic environment, Acrobat Reader, Art Directors Toolkit, EarthLink TotalAccess (includes 30 days of free dial-up service with Earthlink activation), FileMaker Pro Trial, GraphicConverter, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, QuickBooks for Mac New User Edition, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, Zinio Reader, Xcode Developer Tools and Apple Hardware Test"

What is Miccrosoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive. Is that like a trail version that going to expire in a month?!?
Click to expand...

unfourtunately yes.. so you may consider buying iwork instead. unless you really need the features and excel in MSO, iwork is cheaper and (probably) easier to use.. I know keynote one is great, but have no experience with keynote 2 or pages.
 
just ordered one...

I just ordered a 12" maxed on Friday for work, and checked with the purchase department this morning. I suggested they hold off to place the order until tomorrow.
SWEET. now I have extra budget, more computer than I thought I would get, and all because of thinksecret and macrumors.
how lucky.
 
moot said:
I see that iWork is not included :(

Was Appleworks included before or has it always been extra, I can't remember?
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it has on apple's consumer level computers (imacs, ibooks).. probably not mac minis, and not on powerbooks or powermacs though.
 
Gherkin said:
My 15" PowerBook is officially out of date. Damn.
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It may be out of date (like mine) but it's not too badly out of date.

  • Let's see Bluetooth 2.0 - I don't use many bluetooth devices and none are 2.0, so I probably won't miss this for a while
  • 1.67GHz processor - not enough faster than 1.5GHz to really notice.
  • Scrolling trackpad - that might be useful, but since I use a scrollwheel mouse half the time it won't be so bad.
  • 8x Superdrive - When I'm burning DVD's on my powerbook, I'm usually not in a great rush - at least not one where the 8 minute difference is going to be noticed.
  • 100GB drive option - While I tend to always get the largest drive available, since I keep everything on the PowerMac, the 20GB difference on the PowerBookwon't be a bother either.
  • Lower price - about a $400 difference nice, but not worth waiting 9 months for.
So all in all, I won't have any problems holding out until either dual core G4s or a noticably faster G5 powerbook makes its appearance.
 
Almost 512M but no cigar

moot said:
Yeah! Right :eek: Come on, this is Apple we are talking about ;)
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512M standard is great but on a 12" there's still only one slot so to upgrade to a Gig you'd still need to take out that extra 256M they gave you and put it somewhere to gather dust while you stick in the €400+ 1G stick you just sold your children for. Make the >>>INBUILT MEMORY<<< 512M next time please so a Gig can become less of a financial drama.

Otherwise a decent upgrade.
 
virus1 said:
it has on apple's consumer level computers (imacs, ibooks).. probably not mac minis, and not on powerbooks or powermacs though.
Click to expand...
The Mac Minis do indeed come with Appleworks. and so do the eMacs. As you noted, it's not included with the PowerMacs or PowerBooks.

Probably under the presumption that people who but the PowerMacs/Books are going to need something stronger than Appleworks.
 
jelloshotsrule said:
it's funny how it's always "the fastest _____ ever".. where the blank is a specific apple product... i'd sure hope they continue to make faster products rather than putting out slower ones..
Click to expand...
I fly on the airlines a lot. Every flight is announced as "nonstop service to (wherever we're scheduled to land)".

Chris
 
My Thinkpad X40 has the cool little accelerometer drive. I hope Mac OS X has a driver that lets you see what the accelerometer does. It's kinda fun to play with on my Thinkpad. you fire it up and it shows what it thinks the position of the thinkpad is so if you tilt it around the graphic of the laptop rotates with it.

The scroll with two fingers thing is really cool.

But for now I'm sticking with my iMac G5, I need the screen real estate and don't want a 17" powerbook.
 
nagromme said:
You are if you don't get the 17" :) That's the one that just gained optical audio i/o.
Click to expand...

I just saw it in the specs thanks for mentioning this. Dang I want this for my 12". I wonder why it is only in the 17" and if it is going to come to the other models also...
I want that... :eek:
 
Bear said:
The Mac Minis do indeed come with Appleworks. and so do the eMacs. As you noted, it's not included with the PowerMacs or PowerBooks.

Probably under the presumption that people who but the PowerMacs/Books are going to need something stronger than Appleworks.
Click to expand...
Also those Pro's dont get Marbleblast or Nanasaur2. Guess Apple figures they should be working on that Mac not playing.
 
For the 12" it is now cheaper to BTO upgrade the ram to a 512 stick then to order one from Crucial. I like the 5400RPM drive standard as well. Maybe I can convince my other half that we need a new laptop. :D
 
JeffTL said:
These look like awfully sweet PowerBooks.

Maybe I ought to think about a 12" PowerBook next time I'm in the need rather than another iBook. Think it's worth the difference? Academic price for a 12" iBook with a 60-gig hard drive, the $45 Bluetooth I'd probably never use so it's just there for comparison, 512MB of RAM, and AppleCare is only $1311 vs. $1638 for the combo-drive 12" PowerBook with AppleCare.

Other differences between the two:

Favoring the PowerBook:
* 300 MHz CPU difference
* Better graphics card with 64 MB RAM on the PowerBook
* Bluetooth 2.0
* DVI
* Dual screen capability without hack
* Scrolling trackpad
* Sudden Motion Sensor
* Smaller
* Lighter

Favoring the iBook:

* Alleged better durability
* Alleged better WiFi
* Price difference of at least $300.
Click to expand...

As to the better durability for the ibooks, I think that they break once you break the plastic. My PB goes through a lot of physical crap, but it survives. It just looks worse than an ibook would. And the FiWi, you are correct again. My mom's ibook has no problem's working throughout the house. I had to get an airport express for my living room. Maybe apple forgot that radio waves barley travel through metal.
 
new graphics? what new graphics?!

eh, not enough of an upgrade...What are the "New Graphics" that Apple is advertising? anyway...pft, the price drop is still not really enough to justify $500 more for the PB vs ibook, plus the powerbooks is STILL not even marginally comperable to the Powermac or even imac!! If they bumped the PM this way (larger hdd, more standard ram, nicer mouse) it might be tempting, but really this BT and some free extra specs are not what I was waiting for...you could have bought this exact 12" in a 15" model 3 mo ago, the only real difference would have been the price...and the 'scroll pad'. I would be interested to see even the 17" run FCPHD or LogicPro effectively...

Plus anyone can get digital audio i/o for >$100, just get a usb adaptor...
 
Ok, the long awaited Powerbook updates are out of the way. Now tomorrow I will begin awaiting the Powermac speedbump/price-drop with 512MB standard across the board, the 9600XT replacing the aging GeForce 5200, and 16x superdrives that are dual-layer capable (Pioneer DVR-109). Processor speeds will be 2.0, 2.3, 2.5GHz all dual with prices at $1799, $2299, and $2699 with a low-end single 2.0GHz processor priced at $1399.

*crosses fingers*
 
Bear said:
The Mac Minis do indeed come with Appleworks. and so do the eMacs. As you noted, it's not included with the PowerMacs or PowerBooks.

Probably under the presumption that people who but the PowerMacs/Books are going to need something stronger than Appleworks.
Click to expand...

whoops. forgot about the emac
 
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