Gap between new PBs and iBooks?

[kerpow]

Is there usually a big gap between updates? I think I remember the G4 coming to the Powerbook quite a while before it came to the iBook but can't be specific. Is that standard practice or now that Apple is "appealing to the masses" might they ship a new configuration to both at the same time?

I still can't decide betwen an 12" PB or 14" iBook and figured that might sway my decision if a dual-core G4/G5 came to the PB earlier.

 

[tech4all]

Is there usually a big gap between updates? I think I remember the G4 coming to the Powerbook quite a while before it came to the iBook but can't be specific. Is that standard practice or now that Apple is "appealing to the masses" might they ship a new configuration to both at the same time?

I still can't decide betwen an 12" PB or 14" iBook and figured that might sway my decision if a dual-core G4/G5 came to the PB earlier.

We won't see any G5s in the iBooks for a while. They're having a hard enough time getting them into the Powerbooks

Between the 12" PB and 14" iBook, well I can't remember the specs off the top my head, but there are some rumors that Powerbook updates are on the horizon. Probably bump in speed in processors, and some other minor stuff; but probably no G5. So you might wanna wait a bit longer for the next PB update to see how the specs/price compare with the iBook's specs/price.

 

[maya]

In the PAST the PowerBook were a chip generation ahead of the iBooks. As in iBooks were G3 while the PowerBooks were G4.

Then the dark days of the lagging G4 came about and the iBook caught up to the PowerBook line. Apple also started to make big jumps with the iBook G4 line that in the past would be very minimal, the reason for this is to match x86 lines for competition and also to run applications fairly decent.

What happened was that the G4 is still lagging in clock speed, so the only possible thing to do is loose the speed for the iBook on memory, system bus, hdd, optical drive and video ram.

You can add as fast if not faster HDD and Optical Drive to the iBook, however you still loose the faster memory, bus and video ram. The ports all depends on if you use them or not, that is a 50/50 for users.

If the PowerBook does go G5 and the iBook will either stay G4 for a little while longer or move to a G5 with smaller speed bumps while the PowerBook gets bigger bumps.

 

[pubwvj]

We won't see any G5s in the iBooks for a while. They're having a hard enough time getting them into the Powerbooks

I certainly hope not. I would much rather see dual, or dare I dream, quad-processor G4's with more power saving capabilities. The G5 doesn't have a whole lot of processing advantage over the G4. By having more processors on the die that can be shut down or slowed down the machine can save battery.

Frankly, the PowerBooks and iBooks are fast enough. What we need is real world ruggedness and really long battery life, maybe even SolarSkin.

-Walter
in Vermont

 

[sjpetry]

If the PowerBook does go G5 and the iBook will either stay G4 for a little while longer or move to a G5 with smaller speed bumps while the PowerBook gets bigger bumps.

I hope, it would be great for sales.

Just imagine G5s in everything except the eMac and Mini.

 

[maya]

I hope, it would be great for sales.

Just imagine G5s in everything except the eMac and Mini.

If Apple goes this route it will debut the iBook G5 @ 1.6GHz and the PB @ 2.0GHz

Then in 6-8 months update the iBook to 1.8GHz while the update to PB will be 2.3/2.5GHz, from there another 6 months and you have the iBook @ 2.0GHz and the PB @ 2.5/3.0GHz.

That will leave a good 500MHz to 1GHz gap, once the PB go dual core the gap will be even more prominent.

Only way Apple can get itself out of a mess.

 

[maya]

I certainly hope not. I would much rather see dual, or dare I dream, quad-processor G4's with more power saving capabilities. The G5 doesn't have a whole lot of processing advantage over the G4. By having more processors on the die that can be shut down or slowed down the machine can save battery.

Frankly, the PowerBooks and iBooks are fast enough. What we need is real world ruggedness and really long battery life, maybe even SolarSkin.

-Walter
in Vermont

Though a dual G4 would be nice, and many have noted that there is no point of a G5 unless you have 8GB and more of ram support in a notebook. I would say at present we have 2Gig SO-DIMM and in another 6 months a 4GB SO-DIMM depending if all goes well.

So the whole argument that its pointless that a notebook cannot have 8GB of ram is out the window as in 6 months to a year you will have the option for 8GB in a notebook, though expensive no one said that its not possible.

And if it carries on this pace in another year or a year and a half we will see 8GB SO-DIMM.

 

[mcgarry]

MR's own buyer's guide can answer your historical gap-timing question best.