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Motorola, The G4 and PowerBook Updates

will new 12" include FW800 etc?

howdy-

So I need to get a laptop and I want the PB 12" because of its size and since it can have a SuperDrive.

Does anyone foresee the 12" PB getting:

FW800,
L3 cache,
DVI,
Gigabit Ethernet,
Higher Resolution,
Ambient Light Sensor

Pretty much all the things the 17" has but in the 12" model would be ideal.

Will it happen by MWNY?

thanks!
 
Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by asymmetrik
howdy-

So I need to get a laptop and I want the PB 12" because of its size and since it can have a SuperDrive.

Does anyone foresee the 12" PB getting:

FW800,
L3 cache,
DVI,
Gigabit Ethernet,
Higher Resolution,
Ambient Light Sensor

Pretty much all the things the 17" has but in the 12" model would be ideal.

Will it happen by MWNY?

thanks!
Click to expand...

I don't believe its possible for a higher resolution on a 12'' screen. The rest besides ALS seems like a very real possibility. The reason why I doubt the ALS will get in is just because of a lack of space.
 
yeah, the max resolution on 12" screen is good as it is, but all the powerbooks need the rest of the stuff, to matc the 17".
 
On the Apple Store (US) the 12" & 17" are listed at Same Day shipping while the 15" is at 7-10 days.
 
Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by asymmetrik
Does anyone foresee the 12" PB getting:

FW800,
L3 cache,
DVI,
Gigabit Ethernet,
Higher Resolution,
Ambient Light Sensor
Click to expand...

The real deal-breaker on this list for me is the DVI. L3 Cache would be very nice as well, but w/o the DVI, I decided to wait and see if they'll add it. If not, I'm going to save up and buy a G5 Xserve first instead and stick with my cube as workstation for a bit longer. I really want a portable and the 12 is just right for me, except I'd want to hook it to a 20" Cinema when I'm home. Look how much money Apple didn't make off of me yet just because the 12" PB has the "wrong" video-out. Weird how so small a thing can ruin everything.
 
Its good to see that a few people here want the features of the 17" all put inside the 12".

I would want this as well, it is after all a "Pro" laptop, why can it not have those features and pay a higher price for it?

That to me would make it a revolutionary machine and have me believe it is fully featured? It makes no sense to NOT include DVI on a small machine yet include it on a huge 17" machine.

Alot of people want small as well as big laptops...why should the smaller ones suffer from lack of features, i got an iBook for this reason, i saved myself some money due to the 12" not having enough to warrant the price. I remember telling the guy over the phone when i rang apple up that i wanted the L3 cache in the 12" or i wouldn't buy it. Plus a 1Ghz processor.

Now i have an iBook i want either a 12" or a 15" pBook with FW800, minimum of a 1Ghz processor, DVI (incase i also buy another monitor), Superdrive. Wireless doesn't bother me at the moment.
Oh yeah...low weight and good battery life.

Not to much to ask and not impossible either.
 
Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by asymmetrik
Does anyone foresee the 12" PB getting:

FW800,
L3 cache,
DVI,
Gigabit Ethernet,
Higher Resolution,
Ambient Light Sensor
Click to expand...

When you look at the 12" PowerBook, what you really notice is that it's NOT a PowerBook. It's an iBook with a G4 processor. Everything that you listed above is what makes a PowerBook a PowerBook, and I believe that the next 12" revision will include those items. (Except maybe DVI due to lack of motherboard space for it.)

As soon as Apple can squeeze a G5 into a PowerBook and keep it cool, I expect the current 12" PowerBook to turn white and become the 12" iBook. And at iBook prices, it's the perfect portability/price combination. Let's hope it happens soon.
 
The biggest problem with the current IBooks as shipped is that htey need more RAM to run OS/X at its best. Lets face it 128MB or RAM in any pc is a bit limiting by todays standards and is a real pain in a laptop.

A spped bump of 300MHz could offer more than it appears. That is a faster I/O bus, larger cache and other improvements could lead to greater performance than the clock adjustment aludes to. Beside in my opinion the primary market for Ibook si extended run time, Apple does not want to scew that up. In fact they need to make things better in this regards. So what you have to do is find a laptop that has the features you need and the features you want, it does no good to try to turn the iBook into something that would cause it to mis its market segment.

Dave


Originally posted by abdul
everyone talks about how the speed of the computer is not important but the os. Well the os is great, but why should i dash bout $1000 on a computer that can do the job but the hardware offers no competion over the competitors?

you may say software but ilife is sold separately now and upgrades to different stages in the mac osx transition is costing $129 a piece.

i like the os and have been waiting for near enough two years now for an ibook, seeing the speed jump 300mHz is not very encouraging.
Click to expand...
 
As soon as Apple can squeeze a G5 into a PowerBook and keep it cool, I expect the current 12" PowerBook to turn white and become the 12" iBook. And at iBook prices, it's the perfect portability/price combination. Let's hope it happens soon.
Click to expand...

Do you think that the 12" won't be getting an upgrade (of the aforementioned features) before they figure out how to put in the G5?

I wonder if it's best to just get the cheapest laptop now (either iBook or PB with maxed RAM) and wait to get the "Powerbook" when the G5s are done (in about 1yr?), considering once it comes out, of course I'll want one...
 

I wonder if it's best to just get the cheapest laptop now (either iBook or PB with maxed RAM) and wait to get the "Powerbook" when the G5s are done (in about 1yr?), considering once it comes out, of course I'll want one... [/B]
Click to expand...


You might find the iBook is a perfect companion. But maybe the 12" G4 Powerbook too. It depends on what you'll do with it if you'll be happy with it or not. I used to do light Photoshop Work and demos of InDesign, Photoshop and GoLive at work. And it was great for that. And it would play DVDs when no PC laptop in the company would. I'd just whip out my iBook and peole would notice it looks different than theirs, and OS X looked much better than XP.

But IT wouldn't be happy if I started converting non-graphics people to Macs. They're still too afraid of Macs to properly support them. I am our IT department's first-to-call tech support for Macs. :D
 
What I want

I'm all ready to buy a 15" Powerbook. The 1 GHz, 1Gig mem, 60 gig drive, superdrive maxed out version, with Applecare, an extra battery and an extra power cable.

I don't really care about Airport Extreme, FW800. The case isn't that important.

What I don't want is to find out next week that it's become the low end system, for $500 less with a new case.

So I guess I'll wait a bit longer, but come July21st or so, if there's nothing concrete, the order goes in.

Ya just can't wait forever...

...Jim
 
Exactly the same place

I am also ready to by the tricked out 15" Ti. I use a laptop for five things: Surfing, Using Word, watching DVDs on planes, playing around with UNIX and EQMac, the 15" will do all of these at 1Ghz/64MB ATI 9000/60GB/ Combo or SuperDrive as well as, or better than, either the 17" or 12" (with the exception of dual page display on the 17" for Word--the display is too big for airplanes unless you can pay for First Class...of course if you can pay for the 17" maybe you are in First Class ;-) ). The only reason to buy a WinTel machine is for gaming and if I am going to do that I am going to buy a pure games box, not a laptop (see e.g. the SWG forums for the woes of laptop gamers).

But I dont want to buy it and have them drop in price on July 16th and have to screw around with getting the 10day rebate...and on the offchance they announce a 15.4 at the same current price point available now...I might pick that up....if it has the lighted keyboard thingie and a larger harddrive (can never have too much memory or too much harddrive space).


Anyway...rumors abound that the 15.4 PB will be annouced at Macworld in NY by Joz or at the conference call on the 16th. Let us hope they are true.

Cheers

T
 
Re: Exactly the same place

Originally posted by tdewey


Anyway...rumors abound that the 15.4 PB will be annouced at Macworld in NY by Joz or at the conference call on the 16th. Let us hope they are true.

Cheers

T
Click to expand...

Tomorrow I'm asking my company to pay for a pass to Macworld. I'm trying to score the hat-trick.

Day off
Paid trip to MacWorld
New Laptop

C'mon Apple. Don't disappoint me.
 
Re: Exactly the same place

Originally posted by tdewey
But I dont want to buy it and have them drop in price on July 16th and have to screw around with getting the 10day rebate
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I am pretty much in the same boat as you, but I only want a 12" PowerBook. I am not going to use it for anything super-intense, but mainly for business travel and being able to surf the web while I am on the toilet. You know, the easy stuff. I will save the real work for my G5 when I decide to buy one.

What I am looking for is a 12", 1GHz G4, Up to 1GB or RAM, and the backlit keyboard(this prolly won't happen though).

Here's to hoping for a PowerBook update announcement next week.

Hickman
 
Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by asymmetrik
howdy-

So I need to get a laptop and I want the PB 12" because of its size and since it can have a SuperDrive.

Does anyone foresee the 12" PB getting:

FW800,
L3 cache,
DVI,
Gigabit Ethernet,
Higher Resolution,
Ambient Light Sensor

Pretty much all the things the 17" has but in the 12" model would be ideal.

Will it happen by MWNY?

thanks!
Click to expand...
Probably not to the 800,

50/50 to the L3

DVI-Probably

Gigabit 50/50

Higher Resolution-If nothing else, they need something to farther distance it from the iBooks, but I've never seen 12" above 1024x768 or whatever it is.


And heck no to the sensor.
 
Re: Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by Ensoniq
When you look at the 12" PowerBook, what you really notice is that it's NOT a PowerBook. It's an iBook with a G4 processor.
Click to expand...

And less weight,
and smaller,
and thinner,
with AirPort Extreme built-in,
and with Bluetooth built-in,
and with slot-loading SuperDrive,
and with GeForce 4 420 Go,
and VGA,
and S-Video,
and audio line-in,
and a third midrange speaker,
and DDR RAM,
and 60 GB HD.


Well, I guess, it's sorta' like an iBook, sorta'. . .kinda'. . .
 
Re: Re: Re: will new 12" include FW800 etc?

Originally posted by MacKid
And less weight,
and smaller,
and thinner,
with AirPort Extreme built-in,
and with Bluetooth built-in,
and with slot-loading SuperDrive,
and with GeForce 4 420 Go,
and VGA,
and S-Video,
and audio line-in,
and a third midrange speaker,
and DDR RAM,
and 60 GB HD.

Well, I guess, it's sorta' like an iBook, sorta'. . .kinda'. . .
Click to expand...

Your points are well taken...I was not trying to slam the PowerBook vs. the iBook. But let's be sure to note that I'm talking about the PB 12" Combo vs. the iBook 12" Combo unit for comparison.

Size and weight differences beween the iBook and PowerBook 12" are negligible. The iBook and PB combo drive units have the same hard drive space standard. Bluetooth is a plus on the PB, but Airport Extreme is an extra, not built-in. DDR memory is useless without a G4, and the VGA/S-Video ports are identical. Video ram is the same, but the PB video chip is a little better. That is why Apple can sell the PB 12" Combo for only $200 more than the iBook 12" Combo with a 128 MB memory upgrade and a USB Bluetooth adaptor. The machines are NOT that different.

It would be the perfect machine if it WAS an iBook at iBook prices. But as a "PowerBook", I think it needs more of the "wow factor" gizmos of the entire PowerBook line added. So in my mind at least, the PowerBook 12" is more of a "Franken-iBook" ... I'd rather see the iBook 12" become what the PowerBook 12" is today, and see the PB 12" not be purposely "amputated" by Apple. :)
 
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