New Products at Macworld CreativePro

[MacRumors]

MacMinute reports on an IDG Press Release detailing some new products coming at Macworld CreativePro 2003 from exhibiting companies.

Macworld CreativePro is the rebranded name of what's been traditionally known as MacWorld New York. Previously, it was reported that Apple's Vice President of Hardware and Product Marketing will be delivering the "opening feature presentation" at the new conference.

Rumors and speculation about Powerbook updates have been trickling in for months -- with high expectations for an update at WWDC. The rumor mill has been notably quiet since, with very little new information available.

 

[Mudbug]

I bet (well, hope, really) that the powerbooks finally make their presence known at MWNY. The timing seems right, and the market is definitely ripe for them now.

 

[stefman]

Yes! Please! I need a PB 15" (the Alu type)!

Unfortunately, I lost all hope of a G5 in the PB's this year and I'm not willing to wait till next year.

 

[zim]

Has anyone heard anything about a possible speed bump in the iMac? or are we stuck at 1GHz until the powerMac G4 1.25 is gone?

 

[jpryde]

Aluminum 15" PB G4

Yes, I desperately need them to update the 15" with the aluminum enclosure, Airport extreme, and hopefully the backlit keyboard. I'm starting grad school in the fall and can't afford the 17", and the 12" is just a bit too small. They really need to hurry up with it, because I need it by the middle of August!!

 

[chazmox]

I've been waiting to 6 months for this damn AL 15 inch and it's been driving me nuts!!! I wouldn't have waited that long if I knew, but kept thinking that an update was right around the corner.

If they don't release it at the CreatePro, I just going to go psycho and kill everyone.

AND I MEAN EVERYONE ON THE WHOLE PLANET!!!!


BAAHAAAHAAAHAAA!!!

 

[Rustus Maximus]

An AJA Io running on a G5 with FCP 4 should be an impressive site

Should be a good show even if it hasn't received the same hype as WWDC did

 

[pilotgi]

I don't think they're going to announce the 15" PowerBook at CreativePro. Maybe the following week.

Steve is still in a snit about IDG moving the show to Boston next year.

 

[nydoofus]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears that all attendees to the conference have access to the the "Feature Presentation", even those poor shmoes like me who only have the Exhibit Hall Pass.

All Packages include access to Exhibit Floor (July 16-18), Feature Presentations* &

* Feature Presentations are open to all registered attendees. Please note that seating is limited and access is based on

http://www.macworldexpo.com/macworld2003/V40/index.cvn?ID=10296

That makes my day a whole lot better. Hopefully I can see Josiwick introduce a new 15'' Al Powerbook.

 

[iGav]

It's quite stange this year... normally before an 'expo' type thing, the boards go mental... with predictions of a New Newton, Cube revivals, iPhones, iTablets... if you can name it then Apple have made it and it's going to be released immeadiately after the presentation but since WWDC, everything seems to have quietened down alot... strange that...

 

[iAlan]

Apple wants to spread the announcements...

How about new monitors to match the new enclosures, new keyboard and mouse...strange that the G5 isn't shipping with the 'Pro' stuff, the eMac keyboard and mouse is crap, there has got to be something new...what about external drives that Apple is said to be working on...there must be some stuff up the Apple sleeve...

 

[tdewey]

Okay

Given the likelihood of new hardware at MWNY the 64bit question is what will we see, I can think of three possibilities (given that G5 PB will not be introduced until at least Feb).

1. Minor Update
15.4" AlPB, 1Ghz, UATA100, DDR266, 5400RPM 60GB, New GPU or More GPU Memory, lighted keyboard.

Also offer the faster drive and/or better GPU on the 17".

GPU could be: Nvidia 4400 or 460 Go or ATI Mobility Radeon 9200.
Less Likely but more desirable: Nvidia 5200 or 5600 Go or ATI MR 9600
Least Likely and most desirable: ATI MR 9600 Pro

2. Slightly more than Minor Update (aka Smarting up the 12")
Introduce 15.4"
Update the 12" to 1Ghz, Allow Max 1GB, Update GPU to 440 or 460.


3. Overhaul
Offer 1.3Ghz 17" (Same GPU Choices as above). New HD Options.
Offer 1.0 or 1.3Ghz 15.4 (Same GPU Choices as above). New HD Options
Updated 12" above. New HD Options


HD Options: 50@5400, 60@5400, 80@5400 or 50@5400, 60@7200, 80@5400.

 

[hayesk]

It will be another G5 demo. Guaranteed.

A .Mac renewal update (that's why there are incentives now - so they can say "Look how many people renewed .Mac").

Maybe a 15" update - but I don't know if that warrants a trade show? It's not a big leap since the 12" and 17" are already there. I'm expecting a relatively quiet update to the 15".

That's it, I think. There will be a lot of disappointed people this year.

 

[Orome]

Originally posted by iGAV
It's quite stange this year... normally before an 'expo' type thing, the boards go mental... with predictions of a New Newton, Cube revivals, iPhones, iTablets... if you can name it then Apple have made it and it's going to be released immeadiately after the presentation but since WWDC, everything seems to have quietened down alot... strange that...

The two were so close together this year, we're all still picking ourselves up after watching the keynote/G5 intro...and yearning for those ethereal PB updates...

 

[Orome]

Originally posted by hayesk
Maybe a 15" update - but I don't know if that warrants a trade show? It's not a big leap since the 12" and 17" are already there. I'm expecting a relatively quiet update to the 15".

That's it, I think. There will be a lot of disappointed people this year.

I'm afraid you may be right about the 15" PB updates not being what we would all hope, but at the same time, Apple has kept us waiting so long, a lot of people honestly get this rediculous attitude of "They OWE us these updates!!!" Apple doesn't owe anybody anything. They're a business first, not your buddy who builds computers on the side. Personally, I think we will see an updated PB at MacWorld. What I can't figure out is how much of an update we will see...

 

[Rustus Maximus]

There's bound to be a continued demo of Panther so does anyone think perhaps they will demo some "pro" level graphics cards for the G5, like the Quadro or FireGL? Surely they are working on drivers for these higher end cards now that we've got an AGP 8x Pro slot.

 

[betoranaldi]

What I hope to see, which probably be a very quiet release is an 15" Aluminum PB with Airport Extreeme and an updated 4x DVD-RW.

Speed doesn't really matter to me seeing how my 867 Quicksilver is plenty fast for what I do with it and im just looking for something portable (12 is too small, 17 is too big).

 

[macman13]

I really think they need to come out with a new iBook. I mean a totaly redisigned one. Dont you think it is about time?

 

[kgforce]

Daddy wants a new Flat Screen Monitor

It seems that new monitors would be a more appropriate announcement for the CreativePro Expo than new PB's. Big honkin' flat screens to match the new G5's -- thinner bezel, better stands than the "easels" of the current line-up.

I need a new monitor, so come on, Apple!

 

[ZildjianKX]

Hopefully the 15" will see:

15.4" viewable screen
Aluminum Casing
PC2700 DDR SDRAM at least
Airport Xtreme
Bluetooth 1.1
Backlit Keyboard
5400 RPM Hard Drives (doubt it, since 4200 are cheaper and better on batteries)
Upgraded Radeon or NVIDIA Graphics card... should be a nice one, ya pay enough for a powerboook....
DVD-RW (emphasis on the RW) of 2X

And hopefully a 1.3 GHz speed jump.

 

[AppleMatt]

Re: Okay

Originally posted by tdewey
Update the 12" to 1Ghz, Allow Max 1GB, Update GPU to 440 or 460.

The 12" can already take 1GB RAM. What I would like to see is a minimum of 256MB on board. I'm with you on the 1GHz, and better a graphics chip. What would be purdy is a backlit keyboard. But I think that's going too far.

Oh, and internally move the harddrive, this would mean less heat on the left palm rest and quieter operation.

In the mean time it would be nice for someone at Apple/nVidia, just one, to update the drivers for the 12" and 17". They're crap.

Originally posted by stefman
Unfortunately, I lost all hope of a G5 in the PB's this year and I'm not willing to wait till next year.

Apple's Greg Joswiak said:

"Motorola is huge for us, our partnership with Motorola is not going away, G4s are in every other part of our product line. As you can see, [the G5] is not going in a PowerBook anytime soon. Motorola remains very important to us, but IBM is the one that can take us to the next level"

In a way I'm glad, I've only just shelled out for this PowerBook, I'd hate for it to be so obselete so quickly.

AppleMatt

 

[chazmox]

tdewey has probably got it right...

I see option one as more likely; however, I do see it somewhat more likely that they will put in the higher end GPU's as the main CPU will not be bumped in speed. They gotta to something to show processing progress.

Option two would DEFINATELY be preferrable; however, I can't see that the MOT schedule for the 7457 will be that accelerated. I'd go crazy again if they announced and the new AL was shipping in 3 months!!!

 

[tdewey]

ibook

macman13: somewhere on this board is a post discussing that. I think the general feeling was not until the G5s go into the PB, then the G4s go into the ibook.

Though with the new school year just around the corner new ibooks make as much (if not more) business sense as new PBs.

 

[MacUser1]

SuperDrive

Originally posted by betoranaldi
and an updated 4x DVD-RW.

I think that the SuperDrive in the PowerBooks right now are 1x. 4x seems very unlikely. I wouldn't complain if they offered a 2x SuperDrive.

 

[betoranaldi]

Re: SuperDrive

Originally posted by MacUser1
I think that the SuperDrive in the PowerBooks right now are 1x. 4x seems very unlikely. I wouldn't complain if they offered a 2x SuperDrive.

I think the drive right now is 2x dvd-r and 1x dvd-rw what i ment was i am looking for a 4x dvd-r and a 2x dvd-rw drive...