i think apple should release another g4 powerbook....

[Soc7777777]

i think it would make the transition into the g5 better because... if apple released another g4 book (in like 2-3 months... aka right before school starts)... then they would have to do some other tweaking of the line to make it more attractive... like 128mb vram standard... backlit keyboard on all models... better battery... and better power managing processer...

if this happened then the first g5 powerbook would have to have all those extras like the last g4 had.. because its a tuff sell to say... this g5 is a great advancement... but we are taking away the backlit keybored and reducing the vram to 64mb....

also if one was released in late july/early aug. then students would feel like they were getting the best deal... newest comp. available at best price...

i think in the overall scheme of things this would be a good move for both apple and consumers...

 

[edesignuk]

No, if they can get the G5 in a PB then do it, now. The Pentium M (used in Centrino) already poops all over the G4 for speed and battery life. They need a G5 in a PB and they need it now. As it is, the PB, like the iMac, is a very over priced piece of equipment with outdated technology (how old is the G4??).

 

[Kwyjibo]

i hope they get a new g4 powerbook this summer for the back to school market because there is a lot of market and moeny to be gained in the back to school season.

i don't think they will add backlight kb to the 12" model because theres simply no room for it .

 

[Soc7777777]

No, if they can get the G5 in a PB then do it, now. The Pentium M (used in Centrino) already poops all over the G4 for speed and battery life. They need a G5 in a PB and they need it now. As it is, the PB, like the iMac, is a very over priced piece of equipment with outdated technology (how old is the G4??).

The g4 is 4 or so years old and NEEDS to be replaced... and i agree... if they can get the g5 in it... do it asap... but if they cant then they should just not wait 10 months till they can.... they should make small changes (even if the processor stays the same) so that they become attractive to consumers... because as we know... the g4 is crapped upon by the pentium m... im just saying that it would be a mistake for apple to not do an interum upgrade between this revision and the g5 revision... because if the processor is slower than centrino then at least apple can say it has features like 128mb graphics standard...

the fact is... we could buy a g5 laptop because it performs well... but the current g4 offers are already outdated and underpowered... what saves them i sthe supperior OS.. and great stability and reliability

 

[djkny]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

 

[Soc7777777]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

whow... ease down man... pentium m is a superior processor... os x is a superior software program... some pcs are made cheeply, others not... apple tends to make solid products... but sometimes they have their problems also... (logic board on ibook *cough*... Rev A powerbook could fry an egg *cough*)... its just a matter of what is more effective for each person... btw if your kid brother could make a program as good as windows xp pro... i'd like to see him try... it may not be panther... but xp pro is a very solid OS...

 

[Koodauw]

Please, not another Intel vs. G4 arguement.

I think Apple should release a G5 in the PB, with all the afore mentioned features. That would be something. And yes, it would be nice to capture some of the back to school market dollars, but the iBook is there to do this. Most back to schoolers are looking iBook anyways.

A new G4 would not entice very many current G4 owners to buy a new one, but a G5 would have many people selling off anything they own to get their hands on one.

I will buy as soon a Steve announces them.

 

[thecow]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

Well obviously 95% of computer users don't care how useful, how clear or, how effective their computers are. They care about speed, battery life and price.

 

[JOD8FY]

I don't think it's possible to update another G4 PB. Isn't the G4 maxed out at 1.42Ghz and, in the case of the new PB's, overclocked to 1.5Ghz? Anyway, the sooner Apple gets the G5 in the PB, the better. I love the PB's - there's no doubt they're great computers, but they do lag a little in speed compared to the PC world.

Cheers,
JOD8FY

 

[cjc343]

whow... ease down man... pentium m is a superior processor... os x is a superior software program... some pcs are made cheeply, others not... apple tends to make solid products... but sometimes they have their problems also... (logic board on ibook *cough*... Rev A powerbook could fry an egg *cough*)... its just a matter of what is more effective for each person... btw if your kid brother could make a program as good as windows xp pro... i'd like to see him try... it may not be panther... but xp pro is a very solid OS...

I have a feeling he was reffering to creating viruses, not the OS... you might want to reread it.

 

[rhg247]

I don't think it's possible to update another G4 PB. Isn't the G4 maxed out at 1.42Ghz and, in the case of the new PB's, overclocked to 1.5Ghz? Anyway, the sooner Apple gets the G5 in the PB, the better. I love the PB's - there's no doubt they're great computers, but they do lag a little in speed compared to the PC world.

Cheers,
JOD8FY

No. Actually the newest G4s are of the 7447a variety. They legitimately run at 1.5 ghz. I don't think apple would ship an overclocked product.

 

[hsvguy]

There is a reason that there is no G5 in a PowerBook yet... Its not possible! At the current time, the G5 simply generates too much heat and consumes too much power. If you think the Rev. A PB's got hot, you could prepare a family dinner on the G5 if they tired to squeeze it into a notebook form factor.

Bottom line is however, that Apple needs to do something about its ageing CPU. Sure th G4 had guts in its heyday and its still does to a certain degree. But it's starting to get old and apple needs to stop folgging a dead horse.

It's probably more likely that the next gen CPU's from Freescale (Moto) will make their debut in the new PB's before G5's do. Either way, something should be done.

 

[kelvinz]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

you must be joking

if you look at laptops priced around powerbooks such as the Sony VAIO's you'll see they are made of magnesium/carbon fiber.

 

[quagmire]

I can not believe you guys are so serious about speed thing. The G3 was still around for 6 years. That would mean the ibook was outdated but, it still sold. So don't come saying the G4 is outdated. Maybe the Powermac G4 and the imac. But, the emac,ibook, and powerbook still have chips and parts that are still on the top of the list. It took apple over 5 years to get the G4 in the ibook. So stop complaining.

 

[bousozoku]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

Look at the fanatic glow in the dark. Settle, please.

Actually, Pentium M processors are good overall and many of the laptop computers are quite effective lately, especially when you watch them carefully. Yes, you have to be awake, but they're not quite as bad as they used to be. I'm not saying that they would be my first choice, but I wouldn't be angry about it, if I had to have one.

 

[Counterfit]

i don't think they will add backlight kb to the 12" model because theres simply no room for it .

I completely agree there. The ambient light sensor on the 15" and 17" are located under the speaker grilles. The grille for the 12" is also the vent near the hinge, not a good spot for a reliable light reading.

 

[SkudShark]

Hrmm

Just to throw my 2 cents in.

I just sold my IBM T41 Centrino 1.6 gighz for a 12" new PB Rev C.

Absolutely no regrets.

Yea the Pentium M has higher speeds, but what are you going to use them for? The people looking at the M's are not interested in movie making, gaming, yadda yadda, its a business and school laptop, plain and simple, and its HARD to find a 12" with a DVD burner. I work in retail where we sell Sony VAIO, HP, Compaq, blah blah. I went with the PB, the G4 suits my needs perfectly, it will run every application as it stands, can anyone tell me what honestly needs 2.0 gighz (fastest centrino out now) to run? Games? Mine plays UT 2k4 just peachy.

The Pentium M also runs hotter IMHO, that laptop could not go on my lap, it simply hurt. The PB is hot yes, but not nearly as much.

A G5 would be great, but as it stands, too hot, too hungry, and the G4 does just fine. 1.5 gighz max speed, yay, great, good battery life, thin and light, still has better technology than any Centrino laptop I've seen thats under 1.13 inches thick. And honestly, the speed stepping on the Pentium-M wasn't that smooth, theres a lag between the jumps and playing games, you could really tell. Does the G4 speed step? I don't think it does, maybe, I'm not sure, I'd love to know on that one.

My real question here is, unless its already doing it, why don't we worry about 64 bit chips? Isn't the new G5's 64 bit, or something? (they'd probably throw older G5's in laptop first yes?) That's what I would like to see, a 64 bit Powerbook, running OS X in 64 bit and watch it fly. Unless it already is, then sorry for my naiveness

Go G4, you'r an awesome chip ^_^

 

[edesignuk]

Pentium M? Who gives a care about Pentium "plug in your letter" processors and "speed." Have you looked at a PC laptop lately? Let me light a candle nearby and melt its cheapo plastic; oh, I forgot to remind you -- have you seen the OS they call "Windows?" that jumbled mess oft-struck by viruses my kid brother can create.

Who cares how fast -- the question is, how useful, how clear, how effective?

You are talking out of your a$$. Please stop, it's embarrassing
The P-M is a great CPU, and Windows XP is very stable get some decent antivirus, use your brain and you will have no problems.

 

[edesignuk]

It took apple over 5 years to get the G4 in the ibook. So stop complaining.

So just because they've taken for bloody ever to get over one chip you want to use this as an excuse for why they can stick with the G4 for another couple of years?

Worst. Argument. Ever.