New powerbooks imminent-but too late for college purchases!

[wilmor42]

right, i'm not really after any answers, or questions, i just know what i know and i've been followin apple for a long time and know how they work..
i just wanted to make the point that apple should really push so that the younger mac generation ie. people off to college, people willin to learn some things rather than just bum around, have the best equipment on offer and ready in time for the new school year.. Anyone wanting to go into the pro field is going to be looking at a pro purchase, no offence but the new ibooks-whopee.. People like me, want powerbooks, and we dont, and especially i, dont want to purchase an 8 month old revision of a computer which within 20 or so days of the begginning of september will be revised again into a dual core machine offering much more power and a better computer for longer in the eye of a student.. and these student 'deals' at the moment, trying to push all the stock they have left over to less fortunate of us that have maybe been washing cars all summer or doing crappy jobs to get the money together for a purchase just before college starts..

sorry to rant, but basically, the powerbooks at the moment dont cut it.. sure they've grown in cpu speed and Gpu speed and hey, even slightly faster hard drives, but come on.. With the new ibooks you can fit 1.5Gb ram into the 12" but on the 'pro' side of the scale the 12" powerbook only accepts 1.25Gb ram.. thats sloppy work..

so i am selling my powerbook (below) and am afraid will be macless probably till mid september/october.. just waiting around for the big show in paris, which to be honest should have happened sooner, i look on mac rumours everyday, and i love apple, but they make us ALL wait, and all of us here at one point or another have been frustrated with them, clinging on because we know the right path, i only wish that sometimes even mr Steve Jobs himself cared a little..

and to waiting!

 

[gwuMACaddict]

most college students don't *need* a powerbook.

in my experiences, most students use their personal computer for email, chat, web surfing, etc. a small group may use their computer for tasks requiring more processing power, but often times there are specific labs set up on campuses to help with this.

i think most computer users need to sit and think about what they actually *need* as opposed to *want*. i drooled over a new powermacG5 until i realized that an iMac would do all the photoediting i needed, for $1000 less.

 

[RHMMMM]

Right on wilmor42! I'm a PC user waiting too switch and my purchase is hanging on the release of the new PowerBooks. I can't wait - I almost bought a 15" open box at the Apple Store yesterday for $1699 but thought better about it.

They are seriously lagging behind in updates for the PBs.

 

[wilmor42]

yeah well, i do need a powerbook, i'd get a G5 powermac if it were portable. I edit video, compose, record and mix music and do some potoshop work, and im not at college yet.. My current machine cant handle what i need, its constantly slowing my work down. I'm 22 and a mature student, and i know everyone's needs arent the same, but in my case and im sure many others that need the best machines out there, apple's timing is very bad-considering its my £1000+ that im wanting to invest.

 

[Jay42]

You do know that they're moving to intel, right? Would it really be cost effective for Apple to redesign their already complex powerbook for only a year of sales or less. They have to distribute their research & development costs over every powerbook sold. Not so bad when you're using a design for years, but with a big redesign imminent, it doesn't make sense. Besides, what are you doing now that you weren't doing 6mo. ago when these 'Books were cutting edge? Yeah, Apple wants to put out the best products they can, but at the end of the day, they're a business.

 

[RBMaraman]

You do know that they're moving to intel, right? Would it really be cost effective for Apple to redesign their already complex powerbook for only a year of sales or less. They have to distribute their research & development costs over every powerbook sold. Not so bad when you're using a design for years, but with a big redesign imminent, it doesn't make sense. Besides, what are you doing now that you weren't doing 6mo. ago when these 'Books were cutting edge? Yeah, Apple wants to put out the best products they can, but at the end of the day, they're a business.

Exactly, Jay42!

Last night I took the plunge and ordered a 15" PB with 100GB Harddrive and 128MB VRAM. Why didn't I wait until after the Paris Expo? Because there either won't be an update, or it'll be an insignificant update. I've been following Apple updates for 4 years now, and I can tell you that the next PB update will be nothing major. No dual core, no G5, no better video card. Just a slight processor speed bump (top of the line at a 1.8 G4), faster bus, bigger harddrives, and *maybe* a slightly better video card.

Apple's not going to waste their time reengineering the PB for a dual core chip when they'll be shipping intels next year. In the Wall Street Journal, the day after the Intel announcement, Walt Mossberg talked with Phil Schiller about where Macs will be going in the next year. He said they'll stick with the current processor roadmaps until the Intel switch, and there will be at least one more PowerPC update of every Mac. So, I'm not going to wait a month and a half for a crappy update that might not even happen.

Bottom line, iBooks are much better for college students. I just graduated in May, and I just ordered the new PB to replace my 500mhz Rev. A white iBook. My iBook took a lot of abuse in college, and it survived. Unlike my friends easily damaged PB's.

 

[Jay42]

Last night I took the plunge and ordered a 15" PB with 100GB Harddrive and 128MB VRAM. Why didn't I wait until after the Paris Expo? Because there either won't be an update, or it'll be an insignificant update. I've been following Apple updates for 4 years now, and I can tell you that the next PB update will be nothing major. No dual core, no G5, no better video card. Just a slight processor speed bump (top of the line at a 1.8 G4), faster bus, bigger harddrives, and *maybe* a slightly better video card.

Nice, my new 15" PB is sitting at the FedEx in California right now. However, its a little , so I'm thinking about calling Apple because they really should have put it on overnight this time around!

 

[RHMMMM]

Just a slight processor speed bump (top of the line at a 1.8 G4), faster bus, bigger harddrives, and *maybe* a slightly better video card.

If they are going to be the same price as the current PB's, those updates are still enough for me to wait - that is a decent improvement in my opinion for only waiting a month.

 

[ironMonkey]

first off, college users don't need powerbooks. the majority of college students use computers to write papers and organize music. oh, and use AIM. that's just the reality of the situation.
and most college kids don't have money to burn on powerbooks either.
an iBook will hold you over until the new intel powerbooks are released. buying the powerbook now would be foolish.
when the new intel powerbook in released, snatch one up, and you can rest assured that the premium you payed for it is now worth it and will last you a few years.

 

[jdechko]

first off, college users don't need powerbooks.

Except for the video editing, music mixing and photoshop parts. that the OP said he did. Just because he is a college student doesnt mean that he doesnt need to have a powerbook... whether he is studying film or just has a hobby. I love doing photoshop, and mixing songs, and I know that I will get into video more in the near future, so a powerbook would benefit me.

yeah well, i do need a powerbook, i'd get a G5 powermac if it were portable. I edit video, compose, record and mix music and do some potoshop work, and im not at college yet.. My current machine cant handle what i need, its constantly slowing my work down.

and most college kids don't have money to burn on powerbooks either.

Agreed, most dont, but how he purchases the Book really isnt our concern. If he has cash, credit or the Bank of the Parents, it doesnt matter

an iBook will hold you over until the new intel powerbooks are released. buying the powerbook now would be foolish.

An iBook may hold him over. But a Top of the Line PowerBook may last him longer. Then when the Rev C Intel PB's come out in a few years, he could get one then.

Anyway, to the OP, waiting until Paris may not be such a bad thing if you can afford to wait. I think that a PB update there is possible, maybe even before then.

 

[Jay42]

My PowerBook that was supposed to be here today or end of this week has been delayed until the 16th. But Apple gave me $50 back! Bravo, a very well handled customer service situation that could have gone south fast. Now I just have to wait . If anyone needs me, I'll be at FedEx.com.

EDIT: Hey, it just left Sacramento! Wonder where to next?