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New Portables?

So there is no real info on this one?

If anyone knows anything that's more than just conjecture, that would be great. i'm getting ready to purchase a TiBook and i would hate to have to kick myself when 4 weeks later they announce a better machine at a similar price.

i do know for a fact that the TiBooks are $100 off for student prices, which they weren't a few weeks ago.

Is there a possibility of a Superdrive? i haven't heard that they've succeeded in scaling it down to TiBook size, but back in November, a friend of mine mentioned that they might have slot loads by Jan. That didn't happen, but maybe it will this time?

Let's all keep our fingers crossed, right...
 
Re: So there is no real info on this one?

Originally posted by quanta

Is there a possibility of a Superdrive? i haven't heard that they've succeeded in scaling it down to TiBook size, but back in November, a friend of mine mentioned that they might have slot loads by Jan. That didn't happen, but maybe it will this time?

Let's all keep our fingers crossed, right...
Click to expand...

At this point, it's all conjecture... but if I were you - I would not hold my breath on Superdrives in the Powerbook G4.

Speed bumps, of course, can happen at anytime - but MWNY seems more likely.

arn
 
Re: Actually..................

Originally posted by mischief
The Titanium shell has less to do with it than you would think.

The card itself is not the antenna. The antenna is in the framing of the monitor. Those little indentations along the sides are to better expose the antennas. What's more pertinent is the environment and whether or not it's just several machines or several machines with a base station.
...
Click to expand...

Environment is relevant when discussing overall range but not when you put two PowerBooks in the same locations and notice that the older style PowerBook G3 Pizmo can get a clean signal sitting in some chairs in the house from which the PowerBook G4 Titanium cannot.

Further, you are right, the card is not the antenna. Generally. The earlier model, and I think the iBook, put the antenna wire in the "display/lid". The Ti has the antenna in the base (the 2 pieces of plastic you mention).

Still, I can take the Pizmo and sit anywhere in the house and surf. The Titanium is a lot fussier and often cannot connect from certain locations. I've done a lot of experimentation on this as well. I've located the Base Station in numerous places and even odd angles and rotations. And like I was saying in an earlier post, if we didn't have the Pismo around to know better I would have just chalked it up to exaggerated marketing claims for the range of these things.

- Steve
 
A Superdrive in a Powerbook will not be likely for at least a year. I don't see how Apple plans to squeeze in a whole DVD-Burner application in an internal frame height of less than an inch.

Don't forget: Apple first came out with a Combo drive in the iBook before the same was done for the Powerbook.

And once it does happen, the speeds will be very slow, since it would take a lot of squeezing power and technology to burn DVDs faster, while keeping the frame so small.
________________

In the time it takes to read this message, an Apple computer will already have performed 15 billion float-point operations more than a consumer PC.
 
Originally posted by clonenode


Where are you getting your information? I have FIRST-HAND knowledge about Apple Employee discounts. Even Q Promos (Quarterly Promos) don't come close to 40%. The best has been the 50% off they got on the iPod (and that was to just purchase one and only one).
Click to expand...

like i said before i only know about actual apple employees, not the apple technicians or apple store employees. im talking about the people who work for apple here in cupertino. apple employees are also only allowed to make a computer purchase of this sort once a year so i have no idea why you mention they could only buy one. i suspect you dont have any information about what apple employees get and that you are making this up or are getting confused with some other discount. and i like ho you claim to have first hand info when clearly you dont even have any experience buying as an employee. if you want to pretend you know what you are talking about go to the spymac forums they guys will believe anything.
 
Originally posted by dukestreet


But even though all things SpyMac should be considered questionable, its still sometimes worthy of speculation.
Click to expand...


true... but its in the bottom of the totem pole for this. its like getting news from an unreliable kid sucking on a lollypop.:D
 
Originally posted by AmbitiousLemon


like i said before i only know about actual apple employees, not the apple technicians or apple store employees. im talking about the people who work for apple here in cupertino. apple employees are also only allowed to make a computer purchase of this sort once a year so i have no idea why you mention they could only buy one. i suspect you dont have any information about what apple employees get and that you are making this up or are getting confused with some other discount. and i like ho you claim to have first hand info when clearly you dont even have any experience buying as an employee. if you want to pretend you know what you are talking about go to the spymac forums they guys will believe anything.
Click to expand...

First, my point was that the best discount any Apple employee has gotten recently is the 50% discount on the iPod. They could only buy ONE at that discount. If you stop being so pompous about what you know, you'd see we're saying pretty much the same thing. I have access to Retail Store Employee information, which might be a bit off from your Cupertino info, but not by much.

As has been posted by someone else, employees can buy one Mac system (CPU, display, Airport card and Base Station) at 25% off per year. They can also buy three systems for family and friends at 15% off. Anything other than that is a special case that only you seem to have knowledeg of.

Take is easy now.
 
All I have to say is "hasn't anyone thought about SpyMac's recent release "rumours" and noticed that they all correspond around MWNY".

OF COURSE there is going to be an update of the laptops around June to September and OF COURSE there is going to be a new PowerMac around the same time (another SpyMac rumour). But, most importantly to this thread, if Apple did not release new PowerBooks at the start of the year, arn't they OBVIOUSLY going to be releasing new ones mid-year, esp. around MacWorld?! The only question is, will they be one ON MacWorld.

If/When Apple brings out the new mother board we have been waiting for it is likely that a) the books will not use a variation of it until next year and b) Jobs would not want to release a cool new PowerBook with smart features at MacWorld so as not to take attention away from the PowerMac.

With that, though, IF Apple has plans for such features as FireWire 2 in the mid-year they would probably want to add it to the PowerBook AT LEAST and, therefore, would wait until after MacWorld to release it.
 
We will probably all get completely worked up as MWNY gets near, and Jobs will walk out on stage and announce that Apple's biggest, world changing announcement is: (drumroll) every computer gets Firewire2!!!

We all know that's coming, and Jobs could easily make that the focus of MWNY.
 
Originally posted by mcrain
We will probably all get completely worked up as MWNY gets near, and Jobs will walk out on stage and announce that Apple's biggest, world changing announcement is: (drumroll) every computer gets Firewire2!!!
Click to expand...


heh... or bluetooth2 ... nah!:)
 
WHILE YOU'RE AT IT ... Please ,

Put two latches (one at each side) on the iBook lids.

This prevents that uneven, tilted, closed lid reported by so many disappointed iBook buyers. A nice Apple ought not look like a cheap cigar box.

Also, mold a very slight "lip" on the front edge of the upper lid ( screen side ) so that the safety air gap between screen and keyboard is not open to view and dirt.

An excellent example of these two features is the Sony DVP-FX 7" LCD portable DVD player.

The "lip" is imperceptible face-on but does the job when the lid is closed.

The two latch hooks are operated by a single, centered button so that it gives the same appearance as the iBook, only with a correct fit and finish.

SO , TO REVIEW :

(1) LIP ON UPPER LID

(2) TWO LATCHES - ONE BUTTON

Thank you,

---gooddog

/

: * ] AAaaRRrrFFff !!!!

\

===================================
 
Airport range on Powerbooks

Don't like the airport range on Powerbooks? Lucent Wavelan cards have 500 foot range at 10 Mbps, and 1800 foot range at 2 Mbps. The antenna externally makes life a whole lot better.

Originally posted by swessels
I'd like to see Apple bump the Ti up a couple of notches by including any or all of these:
- higher resolution display. I need more on-screen real estate. The screen doesn't have to get bigger, just denser.
- superdrive
- 1.0 GHz or better
- please, please, please FIX the Airport wireless range for the Ti. I have a first generation 500 MHz Ti with Airport and it gets about 60% the range that my wife's PowerBook Pizmo does on our home network.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by mcrain
We will probably all get completely worked up as MWNY gets near, and Jobs will walk out on stage and announce that Apple's biggest, world changing announcement is: (drumroll) every computer gets Firewire2!!!

We all know that's coming, and Jobs could easily make that the focus of MWNY.
Click to expand...

If that's the major announcement, I'll be missing work that day just so I can see Jobs get booed off the stage! :D
 
What is it exactly ---?

OK, I gotta know,

Is FIREWIRE 2 a software-based upgrade or do I have to get a new machine to use it ?

What will the difference be ?

What happens to FW 1 machines like my brand new FP iMac ?

Thanx,

---gooddog
 
Firewire 2

Originally posted by Hemingray


If that's the major announcement, I'll be missing work that day just so I can see Jobs get booed off the stage! :D
Click to expand...

You might have to get an entirely new machine unless you have a PowerMac or Powerbook as one could easily put Firewire 2 on PCMCIA cards or PCI cards. Just as USB 1.1 ports can't give you USB 2 on USB 2 devices, Firewire 1 ports I doubt will be able to give you the speed of Firewire 2 when Firewire 2 is plugged in. I'd love to be wrong! Sonnet was good enough to make a motherboard replacement for the original iMac Rev A, B, C, D to give them Firewire. Maybe we can write letters to Sonnet to see if they will do the same and give us Firewire 2 on an upgrade card.
 
iBook so slow

I want to see a updated iBook soon though. I run VPC 5 on my 600 ice and it is so damn slow. they need to bump up the processor speed and put in a G4 . The iBook is cool looking, but it is not durable, as everyobdy says it is, this is my second replacement. I would sell for a Dell or something if iTunes and iPod were PC compatable
 
VirtualPC slowness, and alternatives

I wouldn't run VirtualPC on a G3 with anything less than 512MB of RAM. Also make sure your hard disk image for running the PC is at least 5 GB. Otherwise Windows won't have the swapfile space to work with. That's the major cause for VirtualPC's slowdown. As for needing a PC, well, check http://www.versiontracker.com http://guide.apple.com/ http://www.macdownload.com/ http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive.html and http://www.allmacintosh.com/ for Mac alternative software titles to PC only software.
 
"OK, I gotta know,

Is FIREWIRE 2 a software-based upgrade or do I have to get a new machine to use it ?

What will the difference be ? "

Firewire2 is just a much faster version of firewire. From what I've seen in prototype is that there will be new plugs for Firewire2, and that if you want to get the transfer rates of FW2 you will need at least a new bridge. maybe there will be upgrade cards with the new ports, but I do not know if they will be fast enough to truly take full advantage of FW2.
 
FW 2

Would new cards be installable in the FP iMac you think ?

I have not seen the giblets in my FP iMac - not live, nor in a web page.

So . I wonder if that could be done. Say, one FW2 and one FW1 for the old stuff.

Anyway, I would much rather see the little video out port replaced by an ADC that will feed the 23" HD LCD --- :)

FW1 is plenty fast already. But those huge displays !!!!!!!!! AAArrrrFFfff !!!

---gooddog
 
Re: FW 2

Originally posted by gooddog
Anyway, I would much rather see the little video out port replaced by an ADC that will feed the 23" HD LCD --- :)
Click to expand...
I don't think that would be possible because the ADC cord provides power to the monitor. Not only would the laptop have to be plugged in, I would guess that the internal stuff needed to convert the electricity to power the monitor would add additional weight, size and heat to the computer.

Obviously, if I'm wrong and its possible, I say put it on the computer. I want all the bells and whistles.
 
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