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Greg Joswiak's Feature Presentation
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spercharged69
macrumors 6502a
Re: Another reason for delay
I would literally crap my pants.
BUT, how are you going to re-fill these fuel cells? Are they going to be a proprietary apple thing? If so, I see them being expensive. Take for example if I could have a laptop that ran 4 hours on a charge that cost me 25 cents worth of electricity... vs a laptop that ran for 10 hours on a $5 fuel cell. It's not really hard to choose the old-school battery, as the money you're going to be pouring in to the fuel cells is something you're going to have to budget like gas in your car.
The way I see fuel cells working is if you can re-charge them at home for as expensive, or cheaper than recharging a LiON battery. Either through a base station that extracts hydrogen out of the air using electricity, or through buying large bulk tanks of hydrogen (or whatever the fuel is) to refill them yourself.
Imagine how cool it would be to have a base station that plugs in to the wall that you put water in which uses electricity to seperate the hydrogen to fill up your fuel cell 🙂
I would literally crap my pants.
BUT, how are you going to re-fill these fuel cells? Are they going to be a proprietary apple thing? If so, I see them being expensive. Take for example if I could have a laptop that ran 4 hours on a charge that cost me 25 cents worth of electricity... vs a laptop that ran for 10 hours on a $5 fuel cell. It's not really hard to choose the old-school battery, as the money you're going to be pouring in to the fuel cells is something you're going to have to budget like gas in your car.
The way I see fuel cells working is if you can re-charge them at home for as expensive, or cheaper than recharging a LiON battery. Either through a base station that extracts hydrogen out of the air using electricity, or through buying large bulk tanks of hydrogen (or whatever the fuel is) to refill them yourself.
Imagine how cool it would be to have a base station that plugs in to the wall that you put water in which uses electricity to seperate the hydrogen to fill up your fuel cell 🙂
spercharged69
macrumors 6502a
I've seen those computers they have for sale at ALDI... anyone who would buy ANYTHING from Aldi needs to have their head examined, much less anyone who would buy a COMPUTER there.
Rower_CPU
Moderator emeritus
If you read back a couple of posts before frothing at the mouth, you'd see that I acknowledge that a few, very vocal people had paint issues. I also said that I had a couple of nicks on my own PB, thus showing that I know the inherent dangers of using paint.
If every single PowerBook had paint issues there would have been a huge recall and it would have been addressed. Like I said, it was a problem for a very limited number of machines, not the whole line.
The 4 machines that I have regular contact with represent every rev Apple made and if the issues were as prevalent as you seem to believe they would have showed up. Sorry for your bad luck.
Nice try with the uneducated line, though. That's a great foot to start off on here. 🙄
NNO-Stephen
macrumors 6502
Re: Another reason for delay
Now that's interesting, because I thought pretty much the same thing - certainly it would seem more likely than our weak moments of wild fantasising r.e. G5s.
However, from my understanding of the situation, this stuff isn't expected to be practicable until Q2/3 2004? Could be wrong, obviously; not really my area of speciality (that is to say, bulls**t).
It would be class, however, if Apple popped out a G5 15" with Fuel Cells next week.
And then gave me a cheque for an almighty pile of dosh.
Ohh oooh...and an Audi TT.
With Charisma Carpenter as the chauffeur.
And...er...and...
Oh, er...I've gone too far again, haven't I...?
Brother Mugga
Now that's interesting, because I thought pretty much the same thing - certainly it would seem more likely than our weak moments of wild fantasising r.e. G5s.
However, from my understanding of the situation, this stuff isn't expected to be practicable until Q2/3 2004? Could be wrong, obviously; not really my area of speciality (that is to say, bulls**t).
It would be class, however, if Apple popped out a G5 15" with Fuel Cells next week.
And then gave me a cheque for an almighty pile of dosh.
Ohh oooh...and an Audi TT.
With Charisma Carpenter as the chauffeur.
And...er...and...
Oh, er...I've gone too far again, haven't I...?
Brother Mugga
spercharged69
macrumors 6502a
If apple popped a fuel cell powered Laptop on the market in the next couple months, beating all the PC manufacturers to the punch, I honestly say I don't know anyone who wouldn't make the switch 🙂
...And I have friends who are hard-core PC zealots.
...And I have friends who are hard-core PC zealots.
Too right
In fact, I'd have my body modified so that *I* could run on them.
Let's face it, that'd have to be a step up from the Mars Bars, fish n'ships, and two day old Chinese takeaways that I'm currently shovelling into it..
Now if they could just find some way of replacing my cerebrum with a G5...
Brother Mugga
In fact, I'd have my body modified so that *I* could run on them.
Let's face it, that'd have to be a step up from the Mars Bars, fish n'ships, and two day old Chinese takeaways that I'm currently shovelling into it..
Now if they could just find some way of replacing my cerebrum with a G5...
Brother Mugga
Rower_CPU
Moderator emeritus
Wow, n00b you have half the sample that I do!!! 🙄
Like I said, I've seen all that. It's old news. A handful of pissed off people on the Web is not "WIDESPREAD". If people who didn't have paint problems were all to make websites about how many problems they didn't have then we'd see what the ratio really is.
I've seen enough in person, used 2 as my full-time personal machine for nearly 2 years, and known enough people that have them to make my own decision.
Like I said, sorry about yours and the fact that it pisses you off enough to catalog people's bitchy websites and jump down the throat of people who haven't had the same problems as you.
Fuel Cell Portables
I expect they have been *trying* to tackle the problem of a Fuel Cell portable (iBook and Powerbook, though powerbook likely to ship first) since they released the last revs of the PowerBook (aka jan / 12/17"). And if by June, they still haven't secured one specific vendor, or two specific vendors, then they won't have new machines out by September. That's why I'm predicting we won't see an announcement until January, but it will blow our socks off.
Jaedreth
I expect they have been *trying* to tackle the problem of a Fuel Cell portable (iBook and Powerbook, though powerbook likely to ship first) since they released the last revs of the PowerBook (aka jan / 12/17"). And if by June, they still haven't secured one specific vendor, or two specific vendors, then they won't have new machines out by September. That's why I'm predicting we won't see an announcement until January, but it will blow our socks off.
Jaedreth
Re: 15" PowerBook Blues
1) The thermite reaction requires Powdered Iron Oxide
2) The thermite reaction requires Powdered Aluminum
3) The thermite reaction requires ignition temperatures between 2000 and 3000 degrees F.
So unless you grind the laptop into 60 mesh particles and then light it on fire, the probability of getting a lap full of molten iron is pretty low.
Plus, without an optimized mixture of iron oxide to aluminum, the temperature required to trigger the reaction is greater than the melting point of silicon.
Finally, I suspect that by the time the case hit 1000 degrees F most people would probably have put the laptop down. Why, I bet that at least half of those people might even have unplugged it once it got that hot.
Bram
1) The thermite reaction requires Powdered Iron Oxide
2) The thermite reaction requires Powdered Aluminum
3) The thermite reaction requires ignition temperatures between 2000 and 3000 degrees F.
So unless you grind the laptop into 60 mesh particles and then light it on fire, the probability of getting a lap full of molten iron is pretty low.
Plus, without an optimized mixture of iron oxide to aluminum, the temperature required to trigger the reaction is greater than the melting point of silicon.
Finally, I suspect that by the time the case hit 1000 degrees F most people would probably have put the laptop down. Why, I bet that at least half of those people might even have unplugged it once it got that hot.
Bram
Im glad i bought my 17 inch PB a couple weeks ago... just wish i would have bought it sooner...
TomA
macrumors member
Re: Re: 15" PowerBook Blues
LOL. Thanks for the sanity! It's much needed here. Some of the serious Mac Nazis will make up ANY bizarre story to prove a point. Pretty soon we will hear that Apple doesn't have a decent 15" solution because they were worried about the possibility of a core meltdown and massive radiation leak from the lighted keyboard when it was placed in a 15" enclosure....
LOL. Thanks for the sanity! It's much needed here. Some of the serious Mac Nazis will make up ANY bizarre story to prove a point. Pretty soon we will hear that Apple doesn't have a decent 15" solution because they were worried about the possibility of a core meltdown and massive radiation leak from the lighted keyboard when it was placed in a 15" enclosure....
Another option: wait.
If your friend is a professor like I am he may have a choice. Chances are high that the college has already appropriated the money for his tech purchase. If so, this money does not have to be spent until next July when FY 2003 ends. In the meantime, if he has a computer of his own he can use that. Or, he might even be able to get his IT support to provide one for his use until he's ready to make his purchasing request.
I'm in a similar situation and am glad I at least have my Pismo I can use at the office until the G5 PBs are announced, presuming Apple releases or announces a G5 PB in the next 12 months! Considering the long wait for the refresh on the 15", I wouldn't be surprised if G5 PBs did not exist in July 2004.
If your friend is a professor like I am he may have a choice. Chances are high that the college has already appropriated the money for his tech purchase. If so, this money does not have to be spent until next July when FY 2003 ends. In the meantime, if he has a computer of his own he can use that. Or, he might even be able to get his IT support to provide one for his use until he's ready to make his purchasing request.
I'm in a similar situation and am glad I at least have my Pismo I can use at the office until the G5 PBs are announced, presuming Apple releases or announces a G5 PB in the next 12 months! Considering the long wait for the refresh on the 15", I wouldn't be surprised if G5 PBs did not exist in July 2004.
TiBook Paint Issues
This *is* an isolated issue, no matter how many people scream. I used to work Tier 2 tech support at Apple, and if the problem was anywhere near as bad as you make it out to be, 50% of my calls would have been this one issue. Of all the calls I got, I got only about once a week or so. There are a lot *more* people not having issues than ones having issues.
Also, there was at one point an actual issue with the lighter colored paint, however the paint on the top case of the computer, the darker colored paint, would have to be scratched or worn, which is cosmetic damage, and thus isn't covered under warranty or acpp.
If you are having issues with the lighter colored paint around the edges, contact Apple, they might be able to do something. It all depends. Else, it's wear and tear.
Jaedreth
This *is* an isolated issue, no matter how many people scream. I used to work Tier 2 tech support at Apple, and if the problem was anywhere near as bad as you make it out to be, 50% of my calls would have been this one issue. Of all the calls I got, I got only about once a week or so. There are a lot *more* people not having issues than ones having issues.
Also, there was at one point an actual issue with the lighter colored paint, however the paint on the top case of the computer, the darker colored paint, would have to be scratched or worn, which is cosmetic damage, and thus isn't covered under warranty or acpp.
If you are having issues with the lighter colored paint around the edges, contact Apple, they might be able to do something. It all depends. Else, it's wear and tear.
Jaedreth
TomA
macrumors member
Re: TiBook Paint Issues
Straight from the Apple tech's mouth! This is the EXACT ISSUE I am talking about. Please tell the moderator. He doesn't seem to believe me.
FYI-They only replace it once under warranty. That doesn't help much when it appears again six months later...
Straight from the Apple tech's mouth! This is the EXACT ISSUE I am talking about. Please tell the moderator. He doesn't seem to believe me.
FYI-They only replace it once under warranty. That doesn't help much when it appears again six months later...
Hey Guys,
Just a thought, why don't we just wait till panther comes out and get that free with a purchase of a powerbook (maybe the powerbook will be redesign by then). That way we can save both money and time(installation time that is).
Hopefully my plan will cheer some of you up, because everyone is so freaking sad this morning when Joz didn't mention a new PB.
CHEER UP GUYS!!!! 😀 😀
Just a thought, why don't we just wait till panther comes out and get that free with a purchase of a powerbook (maybe the powerbook will be redesign by then). That way we can save both money and time(installation time that is).
Hopefully my plan will cheer some of you up, because everyone is so freaking sad this morning when Joz didn't mention a new PB.
CHEER UP GUYS!!!! 😀 😀
job
macrumors 68040
Aldi is the cheap of the cheap.
I lived in Germany for 4 years and while their products were cheap, they were some of the most poorly manufactured computer equipment I've ever had to deal with.
If you're complaining about Ti paint chips, I shudder to think what you'll say about these 'do-all be-all' laptops that are being sold at Aldi.
MattG
macrumors 68040
Everyone bashing the "whiners" -- you're missing the big picture!
Forget the fact that Apple hasn't updated their product line yet; they have the nerve to sell a defect-ridden, obsolete piece of equipment for as much as $2599! Isn't there something wrong with that? At least sell it for a reasonable price! Anybody who buys a 15" Powerbook at this point in time is out of their mind. A Titanium Powerbook for $2599 that is missing several of the latest technologies (USB 2.0, Firewire 2, and faster DDR memory to name a few), has serious problems with it's paint finish and Airport reception, and is about to be replaced by (hopefully) something much better, is NO deal.
Forget the fact that Apple hasn't updated their product line yet; they have the nerve to sell a defect-ridden, obsolete piece of equipment for as much as $2599! Isn't there something wrong with that? At least sell it for a reasonable price! Anybody who buys a 15" Powerbook at this point in time is out of their mind. A Titanium Powerbook for $2599 that is missing several of the latest technologies (USB 2.0, Firewire 2, and faster DDR memory to name a few), has serious problems with it's paint finish and Airport reception, and is about to be replaced by (hopefully) something much better, is NO deal.
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