New Powerbooks

no, no one knows.

 

Speculating on Apple release dates in nearly impossible.

Check out the MacRumors Buyers Guide: http://www.macrumors.com/members/buyersguide/

In general, its been a relatively short period between the last powerbook update.

We know it won't be the G5.

So, that leaves G4 speeds. Currently, I think Moto will have a hard time bumping more than 100 mhz if that. Freescale is too far away to be useful to us before spring of next year. So, when the next updates occur, logic dictates we will see an small increase in MHZ, and a bump in video chip set to perhaps a 9800 mobility.

So, if you need a laptop now, buy it. The new ones will not be leaps and bounds better for some time.

 

I say buy now. Apple can't squeeze much more out of the G4 and the Radeon Mobility 9800 is too big for a Powerbook... RAM speeds don't matter either, since the 167mhz FSB of the G4 is already much slower than the RAM.

 

Looky here I don't think we will see any major updates until at least MWSF 2005 and that would no doubt be some sort of G4 derivative like the dual core rumor floating around. I say buy, I did and don't regret a thing.

 

i say: buy now and be happy for a long time to come!!

or
don't buy now and wish you had a mac for a long time to come!


buy now and start having fun!

 

Now is it the general consensus that the next iBook update will come after Powerbooks?

 

The buyers guide seems to say that in the next 40 days or we MIGHT see an update.

 

Logic would say yes.... if they bump the iBooks now they will be too similiar to the Powerbooks.

Now, having said that, they did just do this with the eMac/iMac situation in April. They boosted the eMac to VERY close to the specs of the iMac, but for half the price. We know now that they did it because they were expecting the G5 iMac to be announced in June, not in September, but still, they did it.

So, either they will wait to boost the iBook until the PB is boosted again (or do both on the same day like they just did), or they will boost it first, in which case watch for a PB update to come very soon afterwards.

Cheers,

James

 

Last time I checked, the 9800 was only available in a desktop replacement from Dell and we all know how huge those are. Therefore, I don't believe a 9800 will be in the PB anytime soon. Also, I agree with seamuskrat that Freescale isn't ready. I don't think the dual core chip will be available until at least the beginning of next year. My vote is for updated PBs of some sort in January.

 

When i read this before i should have saved you the trouble of reading many posts and should have told you that the macrumors population would say

No one know when they'll be updated
No G5 powerbook for a while
We wish there was a G5 PowerBook
We Wish they were better
It is roughly about time for an update

and the mean people would say
"Search for threads similar to this, they have been posted before"*


*no offence to people who say that


~EJB

 

Knowing that powerbook would have a hard time being updated. Do you guys think there will be a price revision for powerbook? Given that powerbook isnt really that (power) anymore, considering the current notebooks and the new imac.

 

Yea i definatly think that unless apple does something spectacular to the powerbook, there price is way more than it should be. I think the powerbook 15" superdrive should not cost more that $1800 and the 12" superdrive should be no more than $1500. The iMac for $200 less then the 12" powerbook has much nicer specs.

 

Well, the laptops were just updated 4.5 months ago, and if you find the report for last quarter I would bet they are still selling well.

So....I doubt it.

 

Of course, anything is possible with Apple, but I would at least be mildly surprised if Apple releases new PBs before MWSF. But that is just my two cents. I have no special knowledge on the subject. A small reduction in price is more likely.

 

I still think its possible for a modest update before January, or a price drop in October. Either way, there is not much else Apple can do with the Powerbook until they solve some G5 issues.
The Powerbook is still a great laptop even when compared with the Wintel world. They are rock solid, fast enough or the majority of users, and still very portable with the feature set they offer. Of course we all want the latest and greatest features and a G5, but for what they do, they do it well.

 

To clarify?

So, pardon me for making people repeat things, but with conflicting messages, things can get confusing. Basically, am I right in thinking:

-don't expect G5 soon (okay, I didn't really even have to ask that, just included it for completeness)
-don't expect dual-core soon
-minor price drop or minor speed/graphics card boost possible in the next two months

Does that sound about right?