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Possible specs for new PowerBooks?
- Thread starter twinsen
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Actually, I don't mind too much the current resolution of the PBs. At some point, the resolution gets so fine that it's difficult to effectively use. If they do up the resolution, fine, but what I'd really like to see is a brighter, more contrasty display. Sometimes the PB screens seem a bit washed out compared to the fancy Windows laptop screens that seem to have come out of nowhere.
A smaller, and lighter, 12" or 13.3" widescreen would be nice too.
A smaller, and lighter, 12" or 13.3" widescreen would be nice too.
bodeh6 said:
Meh, that logic doesn't necessarily work, to me. There are lots and lots of budget XGA laptops in the Windows world. As far as Apple, I'm not sure they view the target market of the 14" iBook as one that would care about having the same screen DPI as other Apple computers. Not that it's right or wrong to do so. But if you look at the 14" iBook, right now, it offers almost nothing except increased physical size over the 12" iBook (well, and a superdrive option). And the people who buy it (and there are enough of them to justify its continued existence, and even to justify the Combo Drive version) buy it for that reason. There have been a number of threads here where people point to the lower DPI and corresponding reduced eye strain as the reason to get an iBook 14" for them. I personally love the high DPI, but if Apple were to up the iBook 14" resolution before they offer a res-independent UI, then they will no longer have *any* notebook options for people who don't like high dpi screens....
Possibly too fantastic to realize for Apple, but I'd like to see OLED hi-res screens and flash drives make it into the next round of PowerBooks. Re-organize the internals, and miniaturize the MB to allow room for a larger, higher capacity battery, and you got a laptop capable of over 10 hours battery life. I'd like to see Apple take the initiative to create long-lasting portables.
Batterylife
Do you think the PowerBooks with the 7448 chip will have longer battery life and run cooler? Freescale are bragging about their 90nm technology that will make the chips consume less power. What do you think the effect in actual battery life will be?
I see that this chip is going to be in full production in october which means that a PowerBook anouncement on the Apple Expo in Paris would be very likely? This would be a nice last update before the switch to intel that I think will happen either at the MacWorld San Fransisco in January, the WWDC 2006 or somewhere between those to events. Any comments?
Do you think the PowerBooks with the 7448 chip will have longer battery life and run cooler? Freescale are bragging about their 90nm technology that will make the chips consume less power. What do you think the effect in actual battery life will be?
I see that this chip is going to be in full production in october which means that a PowerBook anouncement on the Apple Expo in Paris would be very likely? This would be a nice last update before the switch to intel that I think will happen either at the MacWorld San Fransisco in January, the WWDC 2006 or somewhere between those to events. Any comments?
twinsen said:
I see the new PB being announed During Apple Expo Paris 2005 (Sept 20-24, 2005) and being available on the 25, the day after the Cram and Jam ends.
Now imagine Choosing between getting a free iPod Mini with the current PB or waiting a day to get a slightly better computer and no iPod. What to do, what to do.
With those specs that you listed in your first post....what the heck would be the point in marketing the PowerBook....there are very very little differences. In my opinion, they should upgrade both Ibook and Powerbook...push the limits apple!!
That would actually be awesome if they updated both the iBook and PB next week. They have done this in the past (11/2002) and the current PB is already 5 months old. The PB is at 150 days with average of 185 so it is not out of the question. If you look at 11/2002 and then at 01/2003 you will see that it was only 2 months later that the PB got updated.
macSwitch said:
I don't think they have any better cpu chips to put in the PowerBook. As far as I know Freescale has just demonstrated a 1.7 Ghz G4 but they might of course have something faster... If they make the kind of upgrade that I have have outlined and maybe offer a small pricereduction, the PowerBook would be a much more attractive computer than it is today. Don't underestimate the higher FSB (from 167 to 200 mhz) the difference between the iBook G4 and PB G4 is a higher FSB (iBook 133mhz). The 7448 chip is about 8-10% on the same clockspeed than the 7447a and should consume less power.
twinsen said:
My first preference would be the 17" --those specs are great-- yet I'd be happy even with this 15". It would be fine with me if they kept the current LCDs rez. The rest of the specs would more than make up for it. I'm going to buying in about 4 weeks, am hoping Apple does something before then.
I thought I would bump this seeing how we are close to the Powerbook being updated. We will see in 2 weeks. I am betting on August 2. I really believe that the OP will be correct. It is the next logical upgrade for the Powerbook before transition to Intel. Update Powerbooks in Early August and then update them in 7 months in March with Intel. Unless Apple wants to screw up the Powerbook schedule like it did with the iBook, this is the only way to go.
djkny said:
Steve said that we would already have Intel Macs by WWDC 2006 meaning that the should come out before by a few months. Also I don't think we will see dual cores in the upcoming revision. Most likely it will be the Power PC 7448 which has a faster bus and more cache then the current 7447.
punkbass25 said:
Also, he promised that some portion of the line would be released for the June 06 time-frame, but was also quite clear that the line would not be completely transitioned until a year later... So no guarantee that the PB will be at the head of the class for the changeover.
twinsen said:
I think thats extremely accurate, with a few tweaks (marked by ***)
12" ComboDrive
1024x768
1.6Ghz G4 (7448) @ 200mhz
***ATI MobilityRadeon 9650 64MB
512MB DDR400
80GB@5400RPM
ComboDrive (CD-R/DVD)
12" SuperDrive
1024x768
1.6Ghz (7448) @ 200mhz
***ATI MobilityRadeon 9650 64MB
512MB DDR400
***80GB@5400RPM
SuperDrive 8x
15" ComboDrive
1600x1068
1.6Ghz (7448) @ 200mhz
***ATI MobilityRadeon 9700 64MB
512MB DDR400
***100GB@5400RPM
ComboDrive (CD-R/DVD)
15" SuperDrive
1600x1068
1.8Ghz (7448) @ 200mhz
***ATI MobilityRadeon 9700 128MB
512MB DDR400
***100GB@5400RPM
***SuperDrive 8x
17" SuperDrive
1920x1200
1.8Ghz (7448) @ 200mhz
***ATI MobilityRadeon 9800 128MB
512MB DDR400
***100GB@5400RPM
SuperDrive 16x
I think they will hold off on 7200RPM HDs for a while since they were just put in those 5400RPM ones in the last revision, and concentrate on adding CPU and GPU power to differentiate them from the iBook, so maybe they'll even go 1.8/2.0 GHz as far as the processor goes. However, the ATi 9700 might be a bit much for the 12" in my opinion, and the same goes for the 9800 in the 15".
Thats my 2 cents.
Yes, I'm looking forward to Powerbook updates as well, but I cant wait. I personally think it might be October until we seem them, but who knows.
I would like to see 7200 RPM hard drives, but I could wait on those until a mid-2006 revision.
In my opinion, the Powerbooks should move to dual-layer DVD burning support though. That is needed.
I would like to see 7200 RPM hard drives, but I could wait on those until a mid-2006 revision.
In my opinion, the Powerbooks should move to dual-layer DVD burning support though. That is needed.
I'm waiting until probably Summer or Christmas 2007 for my next PowerBook. A 15" Mactel PowerBook with everything maxed out. I've started saving up already. When it comes around, I'll should be ready to drop 3k for that thing 
I can't wait!
I can't wait!Dual Layer Drives?
I read everybody's posts about the new powerbooks and not one person mentions a dual layer optical drive. If you look at Apple's competition it is bombarded by dual layer drives. And if you think about it, the notebooks are the only superdrive equipped Macs that Apple hasn't put a dual layer drive in. I don't know if people even thought about this and then decided that Apple wouldn't put these in their notebooks or what. In reality that is a major thing I am looking for. I don't want to buy a powerbook now and void the warranty by dropping a $200 dual layer drive in it.
I read everybody's posts about the new powerbooks and not one person mentions a dual layer optical drive. If you look at Apple's competition it is bombarded by dual layer drives. And if you think about it, the notebooks are the only superdrive equipped Macs that Apple hasn't put a dual layer drive in. I don't know if people even thought about this and then decided that Apple wouldn't put these in their notebooks or what. In reality that is a major thing I am looking for. I don't want to buy a powerbook now and void the warranty by dropping a $200 dual layer drive in it.
With all the rumors that the iBook is going to widescreen, Possibly making just one model that is ~13" and widescreen to replace both the 12" and 14", Apple should do the same with the 12" Powerbook. Make it 13" Widescreen that way there will be 2" increments in the Powerbook line up. Make the Screen resolutions as follows
13" PB
1280x854
15" PB
1440x900
17"
1680x1050
These would make the Powerbook screens similar in Resolution to what is currently the mid line of PC laptops. Higher end PC laptops have 1920x1200 on 15" screens.
13" PB
1280x854
15" PB
1440x900
17"
1680x1050
These would make the Powerbook screens similar in Resolution to what is currently the mid line of PC laptops. Higher end PC laptops have 1920x1200 on 15" screens.
Dual Core PowerBooks, unlikely, right?
In the thread about Steve Jobs is going to do the keynote in Paris, many people har speculating on dual core PB... But, Freescale has not yet announced any such cpu ready for delivery. Has it ever happened in the past that Apple has used a processor that the public didn`t know excisted?
In the thread about Steve Jobs is going to do the keynote in Paris, many people har speculating on dual core PB... But, Freescale has not yet announced any such cpu ready for delivery. Has it ever happened in the past that Apple has used a processor that the public didn`t know excisted?
The real question
Yeah, yeah, whatever... the real question is:
How much will the new PB's cost?
Yeah, yeah, whatever... the real question is:
How much will the new PB's cost?
in response to the original poster: in what universe? You think it will be a freescale G4 @ 200 mhz, 7200 RPM hard drive, radeon 9800 256, 16x superdrive, and increased screen resolution?
That's a nice fantasy, but it's predictions like these that make people so horribly disappointed when the real update comes and it's nice, but not everything you dreamed of.
That's a nice fantasy, but it's predictions like these that make people so horribly disappointed when the real update comes and it's nice, but not everything you dreamed of.