Apple Releases PowerBooks and iBooks

[wizard]

disappointing is an understatement! Atleast in the case of the iBook.

Whats worst they jacked up the price of the low eind iBook. Whats with that, where they selling to many of them? If they had kept the prices stable the update may not have looked that bad, but if all you where interested the low end upgrade sucks.

You end up paying more for very minor tweaks.

Thanks
Dave

After thoroughly examining the offer...
I must say there are some nice things:
a) 5400rpm drives for the 12"pb
b) 128mb for the graphics card on the 15"/17"
c) superdrive in 14" iBook
d) AE included
e) better RAM for the 12" pb

and some bad things:
a) no backlit keyboard for the 12" pb
b) no 128mb graphics card for the 12" pb
c) no superdrive for the 12" iBook
d) no better resolution
e) not more RAM standard

So I stick with my original post... kinda dissapointing although alright I guess.

 

[Tomaz]

!!!!!

I know you guys are probably getting tired of this, but....

I ALSO BOUGHT BY FIRST APPLE:
Powerbook 15" Superdrive
1GB Ram
128MB Radeon 9700
80GB with 5400rpm
and....and AirPort Extreme Basestation

Yipeeeeeayey

 

[Zaty]

Extremely unlikely, bordering to impossible.
Apple has released this last revision to milk the G4. With up to 1.5Ghz, it surely is not totally slow, even when compared to Centrinos. They will sell this machine for at least 5 month, maybe longer.

Personally, I hope for a PowerBook G5 in Sept. - Oct. to sell into the christmas season - but a WWDC release might be possible too.

And no, they won't sell G4 and G5 in one line side-by-side.

I agree we won't see G5s until at least MacWorld Paris beginning on August 31 (I believe). My guess still is MWSF 05, though. WWDC is too close, if they had the g5s ready by then, they would either have released an intermediate update earlier this year (probably in February) or they would have kept the Rev. Bs until WWDC. As for G4s and G5s selling side by side, this could be possible if they announced new 15" and 17" G5s but were not yet able to put the G5 into the 12".

 

[devman]

It can be far worse than that

I'm from Australia and bought mine from a department store (david jones). it was a built to order powerbook (15 inch superdrive with faster disk, 1gb memory, etc.). I have not received it, it has not even been delivered to the store yet.

I rang the store Monday and asked what happens to me if tonight (my time) the rumoured updates happen. Well, to keep it short, the answer was "tough luck." They said the machine was in-transit from Apple to them and that was that. No swap for a new model, no refund, not even a markdown on what I ordered.

So, mine is obsolete and I haven't even received yet. Plus I paid an extra AUD$1,100 for the privilege (new model with same config as what I ordered is about $1100 cheaper).

I'll take up the fight again with Apple Australia tomorrow but based on 3 phone calls today I don't hold much hope.

My initial reaction was to bloody sell the thing and stick with a PC, but I guess I'll only be hurting myself by doing that. But it is quite unfair when I aheven't even received the machine yet and it is obsoleted.

*sigh*

FOR THOSE HOPING TO TRADE-IN WITH THE 10-DAY DEAL:

The deal does NOT work the way most advertise on this site. Most say the ten days starts when you receive your computer, however, the 10 days starts before they even ship it, when the invoice number is assigned (usually just before shipping). I have just gotten off the phone with 1800my-apple, so this is 100 percent true.

Thus, for people like me, who received their PB's ten days ago exactly (apirl 9), still dont get the opportunity because their PB was in transit the first five days of the ten days. Seems like bull**** to me- a way to not have to give back or trade in as much.

just like apple, if you ask me.

 

[Zaty]

I know you guys are probably getting tired of this, but....

I ALSO BOUGHT BY FIRST APPLE:
Powerbook 15" Superdrive
1GB Ram
128MB Radeon 9700
80GB with 5400rpm
and....and AirPort Extreme Basestation

Yipeeeeeayey

Congratulations! One more Swiss switcher! (I did the switch only in January).

 

[cantwait]

My Two Choices (edu discount)

14-inch IBOOK (1.2 GHZ, ATI Radeon 9200) price: $1,762

256 MB (update at crucial)
4x superdrive
60 GB Ultra ATA Drive
Airport Extreme Card
APP for Ibook

or

15 - inch Powerbook (1.33 GHZ, ATI Radeon 9700) Price: $2,218

256 MB
4x Superdrive
60 GB Ultra ATA Drive
Airport Extreme Card
APP for IBook


So why would I want to pay $456 more for a powerbook? any reason? The Ibook looks like a steal to me. Would pay the extra money for bluetooth module?

 

[sethypoo]

i'm in the same boat... (Proud) owner of the rev. A 12" PB. it's been absolutely flawless for the last year or so... (except the stupid AC adapter that just died yesterday...)

my next machine will be 12" G5 PB rev. C with a SD.

(i know, gonna be a while...)

Yeah, my logic board went out when my apartment building had a massive power surge during a storm. That's nature for you. Apple replaced it free, and they also repaired a big dent I had over my SuperDrive slot, they even fixed my trackpad button (my girlfriend hit it too hard one day and made it click funny), and replaced my keyboard (it got warped from the SuperDrive dent).

Needless to say, I am now constantly keeping my PB in a thicker case in my backpack whenever I leave home.

It's like having a new computer!

I can't wait for the Rev. C 12" PowerBook G5's. I just wonder how they're going to be cooled. It'd be neat to brag to my PC friends that my Apple is liquid cooled .

 

[rog]

I'm from Australia and bought mine from a department store (david jones). it was a built to order powerbook (15 inch superdrive with faster disk, 1gb memory, etc.). I have not received it, it has not even been delivered to the store yet.

I rang the store Monday and asked what happens to me if tonight (my time) the rumoured updates happen. Well, to keep it short, the answer was "tough luck." They said the machine was in-transit from Apple to them and that was that. No swap for a new model, no refund, not even a markdown on what I ordered.

So, mine is obsolete and I haven't even received yet. Plus I paid an extra AUD$1,100 for the privilege (new model with same config as what I ordered is about $1100 cheaper).

I'll take up the fight again with Apple Australia tomorrow but based on 3 phone calls today I don't hold much hope.

My initial reaction was to bloody sell the thing and stick with a PC, but I guess I'll only be hurting myself by doing that. But it is quite unfair when I aheven't even received the machine yet and it is obsoleted.

*sigh*

Well if you read this site, what on earth were you doing buying a PB in the past few weeks anyway. Everyone knew these were coming. After 7 long months, it was clear Apple would be coming out with a speed bump.

 

[SiliconAddict]

No one's forcing you to buy. I sure as hell will wait for the RevA Powerbook G5. But it is nice to see people grab those up - less competition for the G5

Ya but its frustrating to know that there is a good chance that that system bus is what is holding back the performance dam of the G4 along with the memory bus. What's the point of a 1.5Ghz CPU and 333Mhz RAM if its being choked by a 1-freaking-67Mhz system bus?!
I would KILL to see what kind of performance the G4 would get with a 300+Mhz system bus.

 

[soosy]

Who among us is not only overjoyed today... but overwhelmed?
...
I. AM. MAC.

I keep wondering why I have this incessant need to check the forum... this post was worth wading through pages of crap.

 

[sethypoo]

My Two Choices (edu discount)

15 - inch Powerbook (1.33 GHZ, ATI Radeon 9700) Price: $2,218

256 MB
4x Superdrive
60 GB Ultra ATA Drive
Airport Extreme Card
APP for IBook


So why would I want to pay $456 more for a powerbook? any reason? The Ibook looks like a steal to me. Would pay the extra money for bluetooth module?

Reasons to pay more for the 15" PowerBook G4:

• Durability- the aluminum is much, much more resistant to dings and hits than the plastic that the iBook's have.
• Portability- the PowerBook is thinner, and very, very sleek. The iBook is too, to a certain extent, but the PB will serve you better for a longer period of time.
• Cool factor- the PB just looks nicer. I have two friends that have G4 iBooks that hate the flimsy keyboard their iBooks have, but love my rock-solid PowerBook keyboard.
• Speed- the PB speaks for itself.
• Airport Extreme- standard on the PowerBook.

Consider getting a 12" PowerBook. As a student, you'll really appreciate the extra portability of the 12", and you won't notice the screen size.

 

[Zaty]

I can't wait for the Rev. C 12" PowerBook G5's. I just wonder how they're going to be cooled. It'd be neat to brag to my PC friends that my Apple is liquid cooled .

Since you live only a stone's throw away from the Pacific, it would be easy to get your PB liquid cooled

 

[devman]

Disingenuous

Well if you read this site, what on earth were you doing buying a PB in the past few weeks anyway. Everyone knew these were coming. After 7 long months, it was clear Apple would be coming out with a speed bump.

Horses**t.

It was ordered 3 weeks ago. The rumors about this specific update and timing were not solid then.

If you read this site the way you suggest you would never buy anything. PB updates have been regularly rumoured here since before Jan Macworld.

 

[bootix]

Yet another switcher...

I too just bought my first Apple this morning. I did have a PowerComputing clone way back in the day (is that even the right name of the company? it's been so long...), but this is my first "real" Mac. I'm coming from a Sony VAIO SuperSlim that's ancient (Celeron 333, bleh), but tiny. So I got the 15" PowerBook with all the goodies, 128 MB graphics RAM (VRAM sounds silly, but I guess that's what it is, after all), 80 GB 5400 rpm drive, etc. Yeah, it's a good bit bigger than my 3.7 lbs lightweight, but I'm ready for a larger screen and a built-in optical drive. I've been waiting anxiously to buy a new PowerBook for months, but have been holding off because of all the rumors; meanwhile, my current computer has been barely holding on to its life. Now I can finally rest! I hope my new baby gets here soon. Have any of you been able to determine when they are shipping? I can't seem to get on the order status page...

 

[neb_greely]

VRAM 64MB vs 128MB?

These 'books look pretty sweet to me. I'm guessing the 1.5GHz pb is about equal or better in speed now to my dual 867 -- especially now that the bus speed is 167 ( I think it's 133 in my dual). I'm looking for a desktop replacement.

For what kinds of apps would you use the 128MB VRAM in the 15" powerbook? Is it mostly for games and video, or would the doubling of the ram benefit other apps (and which ones? Flash? Photoshop?).

I'm impressed you can double the vram for only $50, but I'm not sure that I need it.

Also, how much of a difference does the 5400 rpm drive make over the 4200 rpm. Can I just assume that disk access is 20-something percent faster?
Thanks.

 

[Hemingray]

Horses**t.

It was ordered 3 weeks ago. The rumors about this specific update and timing were not solid then.

If you read this site the way you suggest you would never buy anything. PB updates have been regularly rumoured here since before Jan Macworld.

Huh? Since when has there been a reliably accurate prediction almost a month in advance? We don't get details like that so far in advance. It's called knowing that a product will be updated simply based on the product's average refresh cycle. Anyone that ordered a PowerBook or iBook within the past month really have no excuse. People need to pay attention to MacRumors Buyer's Guide.

 

[beethovengirl]

I haven't read all 14 pages of this thread, but just wondering if anyone knows which processor is in the iBooks and PowerBooks -- 7447A, perhaps?

thanks!

 

[sethypoo]

Since you live only a stone's throw away from the Pacific, it would be easy to get your PB liquid cooled

True, although I think the salt water would be detrimental to my PowerBook's longevity.

A bathtub would work for you, unless you're near a large body of water in Swiss-land.

 

[eazyc10]

These 'books look pretty sweet to me. I'm guessing the 1.5GHz pb is about equal or better in speed now to my dual 867 -- especially now that the bus speed is 167 ( I think it's 133 in my dual). I'm looking for a desktop replacement.

For what kinds of apps would you use the 128MB VRAM in the 15" powerbook? Is it mostly for games and video, or would the doubling of the ram benefit other apps (and which ones? Flash? Photoshop?).

I'm impressed you can double the vram for only $50, but I'm not sure that I need it.

Also, how much of a difference does the 5400 rpm drive make over the 4200 rpm. Can I just assume that disk access is 20-something percent faster?
Thanks.

Good question, I'm in the same boat and wondering the same thing.

 

[Tomaz]

These 'books look pretty sweet to me. I'm guessing the 1.5GHz pb is about equal or better in speed now to my dual 867 -- especially now that the bus speed is 167 ( I think it's 133 in my dual). I'm looking for a desktop replacement.

For what kinds of apps would you use the 128MB VRAM in the 15" powerbook? Is it mostly for games and video, or would the doubling of the ram benefit other apps (and which ones? Flash? Photoshop?).

I'm impressed you can double the vram for only $50, but I'm not sure that I need it.

Also, how much of a difference does the 5400 rpm drive make over the 4200 rpm. Can I just assume that disk access is 20-something percent faster?
Thanks.

I think the 128MB will increase speed of exposé and the speed of games. Don't know about video editing.
5400rpm HD should be much faster than just 20%, cause it's also got a bigger cache (8MB over 2MB).
But I'm not a specialist...

 

[amin]

Great upgrades. As one of the last people to buy an 867 MHz 12" PB at full price, I am seriously jealous of the people getting the new 12" PB! Still, I'm quite happy with my little PB - it does everything I need it to do quite well.

 

[kirk26]

I know you guys are probably getting tired of this, but....

I ALSO BOUGHT BY FIRST APPLE:
Powerbook 15" Superdrive
1GB Ram
128MB Radeon 9700
80GB with 5400rpm
and....and AirPort Extreme Basestation

Yipeeeeeayey

It's never disappointing to hear someone come to the good side. Welcome!

 

[Diatribe]

I know you guys are probably getting tired of this, but....

I ALSO BOUGHT BY FIRST APPLE:
Powerbook 15" Superdrive
1GB Ram
128MB Radeon 9700
80GB with 5400rpm
and....and AirPort Extreme Basestation

Yipeeeeeayey

No we don't. We love when people switch and are happy with their decision. So congrats to you too. And welcome on board.

 

[Diatribe]

Since you live only a stone's throw away from the Pacific, it would be easy to get your PB liquid cooled

rofl

 

[tangenjm@mcmast]

Shipping the 17 inch?

Anyone know how long it will take to ship the 17 inch Powerbook? CNET <http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1103-5194689.html?tag=header.newsfeed%22%20class=%22nd%22> claims "With the exception of the 17-inch PowerBook--which will be available in May--all of the new notebooks are available now, Apple said." However, the Estimated Shipping Time through the Apple Store (Canada and US) reports 3-5 days.