PowerBook and iBook Confirmation?

[MacRumors]

MacNN joins the fray and provides their own confirmation that PowerBooks and iBooks will receive updates next week.

According to the site, "Apple will introduce revised 12-inch PowerBooks (two models), two revised 15-inch PowerBooks, one new model of the 12" iBook, two new models of the 14" iBook, and a single high-end 17" PowerBook configuration".

Limited availability is expected next week.

 

[Ja Di ksw]

My guess is their source is Appleinsider

 

[QCassidy352]

just because there have been false rumors in the past doesn't mean that updates are never coming. This is as good a time as any. But there will *not* be powerbook G5s, so if you have to complain, let's get that out of the way now so that we can all enjoy the updated G4s next week.

 

[Nemesis]

My guess is their source is Appleinsider

Probably the only constant rumor mongering website during the last few months. They must be working overtime to supply the whole net with nonsenses

 

[Hattig]

Errr ... couldn't their sources be the other apple sites like here, appleinsider, etc?

Still, I'm looking forward to what comes out next week now.

 

[Macmaniac]

1.5ghz G4'S Here we come!




Lets save the G5 rumors next year!!

 

[goof_ball]

I have a feeling this is the same rumor just propegating.

Regardless, lets hope its true. Also, lets hope they put a better screen on the some of the iBook models.

 

[Grimace]

I wonder if the superdrive "option" is going to go away on any of the 'books. The combo drive wasn't an option on the 17" powerbook - are we moving toward the superdrive being a baseline feature?

Personally, I'd like the option to stay, as I have a DVD burner in my desktop and could have saved the $$$, but the same must have been said for CD-RW drives years back....

 

[jnasato]

Maybe Apple will surprise with a PowerBook G5 somehow. Apple surprised us with the G5 and 12" & 17" PowerBooks, maybe they will surprise us again... Or maybe Steve will announce some crap, and no one will clap, like the somewhat embarassing iPod mini price announcement moment. Apple does surprise, though, maybe this time's not the time? But I sure hope it is.

 

[cr2sh]

are we moving toward the superdrive being a baseline feature?

Yes, in fact we are.

In the next revision of the powermac Apple will introduce the super-duper drive. (By duper, I mean dual layer.)

New books? No way, never happen, not now at least. How about a display? How about a PM?

 

[ckelley]

My 700MHz iBook just went kapoot...

Looks like next week could be a good week for me.

Albeit expensive

 

[elgruga]

I cant see too many Apple fans buying a new powerbook with a G4 in it.

Only a G5 will persuade me to buy a new powerbook.

 

[powerofthekiwi]

sure we will!

I cant see too many Apple fans buying a new powerbook with a G4 in it.

Only a G5 will persuade me to buy a new powerbook.

I'm an apple fan and I plan to be in the apple store monday buying my 1.5 ghz G4 p'book with super drive, backlit keyboard, and 2 gbs RAM standard (completely joking!)

 

[usersince86]

I cant see too many Apple fans buying a new powerbook with a G4 in it.

Only a G5 will persuade me to buy a new powerbook.

I think several people will buy a new G4 *IF* it's signficantly faster, or cheaper, or loaded, compared to current offerings.

The G4 is "proven", a G5 laptop, while much cooler (actually hotter), will be totally new...

 

[invaLPsion]

Well now that we know that they're coming out, we just have to wait for Jimsowden to give us the details.

 

[Awimoway]

I cant see too many Apple fans buying a new powerbook with a G4 in it.

Only a G5 will persuade me to buy a new powerbook.

I agree, too. But I can't really believe anyone is surprised that the G5 Powerbook isn't quite ready for prime time.

 

[Grimace]

I cant see too many Apple fans buying a new powerbook with a G4 in it.

Only a G5 will persuade me to buy a new powerbook.

While I agree as a reader of this forum, there are a ton of Mac people out there who don't care that a G5 is on the horizon. Many will say - oh wow, an updated xBook, I'll take one please. Unless they check Apple's website often, they may not even know that there are new xBooks at all. Many Apple consumers go into an Apple store, play around, and buy. New converts may not be doing research into the history of the G4 and G5 in desktop/notebooks.

I'm not saying that they will sell like hotcakes; just that the majority of Mac users probably aren't following this as closely as we are.

 

[Dippo]

How much faster could they really make the Powerbooks?

The 17" is already running at 1.33GMhz, and the fastest G4 in a PowerMac was 1.42Ghz. Wasn't it?

 

[DeepIn2U]

I think several people will buy a new G4 *IF* it's signficantly faster, or cheaper, or loaded, compared to current offerings.

The G4 is "proven", a G5 laptop, while much cooler (actually hotter), will be totally new...

Good point, remember how many held of on the PM G5's because it wasn't "proven" always waiting for revision B so the bugs are out.

Me I'll get the current PowerBook G4 12" with the DVI. It suits my needs & meets minimum requirements of Garageband and most audio, low-level video editing applications.Not to mention Photoshop, MS Office, etc.

I would like to see Apple push these new PB/iBook's hard into the education market even at a slight loss *IF* sales, early on, show that its a dead product revision. That way installed user base increases (especially if its cheaper to buy than a crappy Dell machine), and those people whom would've never though of buying Apple would see what all the joy is about and then think of nothing else. More users in the Mac community means less issues using our machines at work & play, along with file transport.

 

[atari1356]

I believe MacNN is run by the same people who run AppleInsider... so the fact that they have a similar story now is not surprising.

 

[SwitchingSoon]

Ditto to everyone who said that people are waiting for G5's.

If they were to come out with a G5 1.8 ghz powerbook, I'd switch right away.

 

[remingtonhill]

G5 Powerbook...

As an apple employee (and believe me less informed then all ya'll about macs in general and especially new product announcements), that anything but a G5 Powerbook will be greeted with no more then a "yawn."

Why would they update them? A 250 Mhz bump in G4 speed isn't that big a deal right? Would I even notice the difference?

-R
IBM Thinkpad 600e PII 366
Smok'in

 

[Dippo]

Ditto to everyone who said that people are waiting for G5's.

If they were to come out with a G5 1.8 ghz powerbook, I'd switch right away.

Be ready to wait another year or more...

Powerbooks aren't going to get G5s until well after the PowerMacs are updated...

 

[DGFan]

Slightly faster CPUs.....new video cards....hopefully more RAM....bigger HD....these are good things.

I don't see why everyone is hung up on the G5 thing. Do you really need more than 4GB RAM on your laptop? Do you even have that many slots? Are you really going to use 64 bits? Remember folks, the G5s aren't significantly faster clock-for-clock than the G4s. Maybe years down the road when compilers get *really* optimized and everyone starts releasing software specifically optimized for the G5 that will change. But today, it simply doesn't matter that much. Oh yeah, but to paraphrase Nigel Tufnel, "it's one faster isn't it?". Ok, whatever

 

[DGFan]

Why would they update them? A 250 Mhz bump in G4 speed isn't that big a deal right? Would I even notice the difference?

That's 20%. If 20% faster doesn't matter then why is everyone clamoring for 2.4GHz G5s? And why is everyone clamoring for G5s in laptops when the G5s aren't even 20% faster than G4s?