PowerBook and iBook Confirmation?

[pstock]

I'm not aware of any rumored 17-footer, but I'm sure its specs would be very impressive.

DANG! What's the resolution on that thing, 160,000,000 X 960? Someone go down to the far end and tell me what I'm over the Apple menu or not, I can't see that far from the kyboard in the middle. I hope they at least put bigger speakers in it.

ok guys, I made a typo on those two little lines. glad I made you laugh. was that it now?

 

[hellocody]

Another question or two

A couple of other things I thought you should watch out for. The 12" PowerBook has a TFT XGA compared to a TFT screen and therefore isn't as sharp (however no complaints from me) and the AirPort card and SuperDrive aren't standard, you have to pay extra for them. Also the keyboard isn't back-lit and finally the ethernet is 10/100 as compared to 10/100/1000 however this isn't really a problem.
On the plus side, you can take this machine anywhere. I mean anywhere! It's exceptionally compact. Also people adore it because it's so small.

AppleMatt

I looked at the 12" at CompUSA and it didn't seem nearly as bright. I didn't mind the resolution but the colors seemed dull when compared with the 15" and 17". Was this just a bad model(it was on full brightness)? I heard that S-Cal or SuperCal--something to that effect--helps. Also, is 10/100 dramatically slower than 10/100/1000?

 

[sworthy]

Yes, the 12" screen is much dimmer and more ibook like than the 15" and 17", which have much better quality. As for gigabit ethernet, you'd only notice if you're on a large gigabit network

 

[wordmunger]

You know what? We need more people like you to "eat the early bugs" so we get good Rev B. computeres. Thanks dude.

Bugs? I haven't noticed any. But I'll let you know when one comes up.

Seriously--I think bugs are *less* likely with rev A computers than with later models--the rev As are more thoroughly tested. You can run into a bug with any computer. Might as well be a cutting-edge one!

 

[mxpiazza]

i upgraded from a 12" rev b. to the new 15" (new as of today, old as of monday) and I keep the 15" at about 65-75% brightness and it's just as bright as the 12" ever was... then when i'm watching a movie or am in direct light, i crank it up to max and it's oh so nice.

if i wasn't so damn obsessed with apples, i would be all over the VAIO TR... those things are ultra sexy. i intend on selling the 15" i am typing on this instant for the new 15" being released next week (yeah, i am that pathetic). that is, unless, apple releases a sony-esque 10" widescreen iBook... then i will sell the powerbook, crap my pants, then enjoy the sexiest computer alive.

hopefully what i said just made sense. kill bill vol. 2 rocks.

 

[hellocody]

12" Display

I've read a lot of complaints about the dullness of 12" pb screens ... even when compared with iBooks. This is slightly upsetting... I wonder if they'll improve it with this new model. It sounds like Apple doesn't have them calibrated well out of the box--which sucks if I want to try one at a store--since it probably isn't accurately calibrated. Does anyone else have a 12" who can share their opinion?

 

[wHo_tHe]

Time out

The 12" PowerBook has a TFT XGA compared to a TFT screen and therefore isn't as sharp... (snip)

I'm not disagreeing with your opinion regarding the sharpness of the 12" PowerBook. I haven't seen enough to compare or form an opinion.

But.

Just what it is that makes a TFT XGA screen less sharp than a TFT screen?

TFT stands for Thin Film Transistor. TFT displays have one transistor per sub-pixel. XGA stands for eXtended Graphics Array, and means a 1024x768 display. XGA defines the resolution, and TFT defines the LCD display technology.

XGA alone wouldn't mean a TFT screen was less sharp, unless you mean the specific size/resolution screen used in the 12-incher may have been based on older technology. In fact, the dpi (dots, or pixels, per inch) of the 12-incher is higher than the larger models, which, empirically, would mean it ws more sharp not less. (Again, I'm not drawing any quantitative conclusions on the 12.)

Based on your comment, you make it seem like 1024x768 LCDs are all inherently less sharp than other resolution TFTs, which they are not.

Please, people, don't throw acronyms around unless you know what they mean and understand them. Part of our mission as people who actually *understand* technology is to share our understanding with people who can benefit from it. Demystify technological tools, don't shroud them in mystery to preserve a job (YMMV) or maintain God-like geek status with your friends or family. Your friends will respect you more for giving them a fishing pole rather than a fish. With a pole, you know your fish is fresh.

Your family, however, if they're like mine, just want their computers fixed.

 

[jade]

the ibook g4 12" screens are much brighter than the 12" powerbook screens. I have used tham side-by-side. huge difference. the 12" pb screens suck...very 2000.

 

[Ja Di ksw]

When you change the optical drive, or the hard drive, or whatever, the cost that you're paying is not just the cost of the extra hardware. Apple has to pay someone to customize your machine for you. Of course, it's not shown on your invoice as a 'customization cost'. This cost is imbedded in what Apple charges you for the hardware that you change.

Yes, but the fact remains the same that the difference is $73. No matter where the money is going to, it cost $73 to get a faster processor and keyboard with a backlight

 

[Zaty]

My Powerbook 12's mini-DVI out is not as clear as my friend's Powerbook 15"'s DVI out----at least through the DVI to ADC convertor. There is a slight visible difference. So I dunno if the 12" is "true" DVI out or not.

I'm sure the 12" has "true" DVI-out. The difference in quality might be caused by the better graphics chip and the amount of VRAM in the 15" PB.

 

[Rod Rod]

Why April 18th or 19th, and not the 20th?

If Apple deviates again from its customary Tuesday release, it may be for an excellent reason.

This coming Tuesday, April 20, is the 115th anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth.

I'm sure some will disagree with me but I don't think it would be a good day for positive publicity.

 

[eSnow]

Don't forget that the 750vx consumed something like 9-11 watts at 2ghz, which would mean you could fit two of them into the same power profile as a single G4 running at a much lower clock.

For all we know, the 750vx is not dual-processor-capable. At least the rest of the line is not, and I see no reason why IBM should change this for one specific descendant of the venerable G3.

What's more, if you look at the spec-values of the 750gx, it is just 2/3 of a G4 at the same clock frequency. Unless IBM has redone the vx completely, it will be a low-performance chip by todays standard.

Furthermore, the 750s have an inferior bus than even the G4 (it is synchronous).

Stop jazzing up this chip, it is currently vapor-ware and most likely would not be used by Apple because it offers too little performance for even the iBooks.

 

[visor]

I've read a lot of complaints about the dullness of 12" pb screens ... even when compared with iBooks. This is slightly upsetting... I wonder if they'll improve it with this new model. It sounds like Apple doesn't have them calibrated well out of the box--which sucks if I want to try one at a store--since it probably isn't accurately calibrated. Does anyone else have a 12" who can share their opinion?

As for the Ibook - I cant calibrate it at all. It looks all different the instant you shift your head a bit. Very cheap display, really. Its also not much use in the sun. esp. if you have to wear sunglasses - not a shadow to be seen anymore.

 

[Snowy_River]

Amen, brother!

For all you who are afraid of early adoption, I'm sitting here typing on my Rev A TiBook. In the other room is my fully functioning Rev A iBook. Upstairs is my fully functioning Rev A iMac. The beauty of being an early adopter is that your computer is cool for WAY longer than if you wait for the Rev Bs. People still come up to me in coffee shops and compliment my on my Ti 400: "is that a new computer?" "is it an Apple?" "I wish my computer was that cool!"

The day the G5 PowerBook is announced is the day I place my order.

Thank you. I have a Rev A 12" PB, and it's a great machine. Before that I had a Rev A IceBook. Before that I had a Rev A PB3400 (yeah, no such thing as a Rev B there). My parents had a Rev A iMac bought on the night of the release. All of these machines have performed admirably. I really don't understand why everyone complains so much about Rev A machines.

 

[Snowy_River]

Yes, but the fact remains the same that the difference is $73. No matter where the money is going to, it cost $73 to get a faster processor and keyboard with a backlight

Uh... no. My point was that you're actually paying more for other elements in the slower machine than the faster machine. So, while it may be practically true that the faster machine will only cost you $73 more, the cost of the faster processor and the backlit keyboard are probably more than the $73 more that you're paying.

 

[gotohamish]

I agree with most of the things you said, but there are some things you just can't defend when it comes to the flat panel iMac. It's just too damn expensive! For that same $1799 price tag, I could put together a pc powerhouse WITH a quality flat panel lcd screen (that will not become uselss when my computer becomes outdated).

In addition, I am so f$%^%$@ tired of Apple ignoring graphics in its consumer line (or in all of its computers, for that matter). The geforce4 MX with 32mb and the geforce FX 5200 with 64mb of memory are the crapiest graphics cards in both the mac and pc market right now. If I wanted to pick one of those up for my peecee right now, it would cost me less than $30. For a computer that costs over $1000, you should get a quality graphics card with at least 64mb of memory.

In terms of laptop graphics performance, Apple is also currently getting its @$$ kicked (although the 17" was one of the first notebooks with a Radeon 9600).

Yawn yawn yawn. Good for you etc etc, go and do it, BUT IT WON'T RUN OS X. You're paying for more than a machine with Apple.

 

[jnasato]

This coming Tuesday, April 20, is the 115th anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth.

I'm sure some will disagree with me but I don't think it would be a good day for positive publicity.

Haha... That's interesting.

Or maybe Apple *WILL* release a G5 PowerBook on Tuesday!
"115 years later..... Another awesome Power is born." And then no one would clap and Apple would be doomed.

 

[Mord]

Thank you. I have a Rev A 12" PB, and it's a great machine. Before that I had a Rev A IceBook. Before that I had a Rev A PB3400 (yeah, no such thing as a Rev B there). My parents had a Rev A iMac bought on the night of the release. All of these machines have performed admirably. I really don't understand why everyone complains so much about Rev A machines.

because with the new macheine lots of newbies post questions about them with minor problems which when rev b/c/d owners have those problems they look at the rev a forum thus makeing the no. of rev a forums higher

 

[fistful]

Or maybe Apple *WILL* release a G5 PowerBook on Tuesday!
"115 years later..... Another awesome Power is born." And then no one would clap and Apple would be doomed.

and from that day forward Steve Jobs would be know for committing a mass genocide of this generations pc's!

yeah I know, it's in bad taste....get over it!


but to stay on topic: I don't care if it's a G4 pb or a G5 pb update as long as one of the two comes to pass. I've been waiting awhile to switch and this seems to be the perfect occasion.

 

[AmigoMac]

Come on Apple!

MacRumors divided into:

-G5 is coming (Few)
-G5 would be awesome but a G4 is OK and wait for the rev.b
-G4 is still nice and would do the job for the next years
-G4 now but G5 in MWSF 05
-Laptops are crap ("I need the power of a PM")
-Will get an iMac G5 and an iBook G4
-Apple screwing customers
-"I can get a PC for much less than 1000 $"
-I love Apple
-BS
-All above

-It's the nature of people to complain always, whatever comes the bad side is the first one to be noted... SAD!

I'll get a PB whatever comes ASAP, 15" is what I'm waiting for...Let's wait and see..., I'll tell you how my order will be...

 

[pigwin32]

The other interesting issue for Apple is that every minor increase in G4 chip speed means the G5 PB will have to debut at least a little bit faster. That means more G5 heat issues to contend with every time they release a minor G4 PB update. It isn't something they will want to do for long and without too much paranoia I could envisage Apple capping the speed of the G4 to enable the first G5 release to come in just a little faster in Mhz terms.

 

[aswitcher]

That means more G5 heat issues to contend with every time they release a minor G4 PB update.

I think this is likely to be the last G4PB release. If they even go to Jan 05 for MWSF without another update to allow the next release to be G5s (maybe not the 12") then I think that would be smart rather than spending time putting out really minor changes in PBs. They were 9 months between upgrades last year (Jan to Sept) so April to January (9 months) wouldn't be too big a deal.

 

[Zaty]

I think this is likely to be the last G4PB release. If they even go to Jan 05 for MWSF without another update to allow the next release to be G5s (maybe not the 12") then I think that would be smart rather than spending time putting out really minor changes in PBs. They were 9 months between upgrades last year (Jan to Sept) so April to January (9 months) wouldn't be too big a deal.

I couldn't agree more

 

[AidenShaw]

1000 is the same speed at 100, when you have a 100 switch

Also, is 10/100 dramatically slower than 10/100/1000?

To run at 1000, you have to connect to a Gigabit Ethernet switch, and the other machine that you're talking too must also have 1000. (Or a direct "crossover" connection between 2 gigabit machines)

If these conditions are met, you'll find that 1000 is 2 or 3 times faster than 100 for file sharing. (100 tops out at around 10 MBytes/second. Laptop disks are in the 25 MBytes/second range at their fastest.)

1000 will be the same as 100 talking to your DSL or cable modem, or to a 100 switch or even to a 100 machine on a Gigabit switch.

Gigabit switches used to be very expensive (a 4 port switch would cost as much as a laptop), but they're now fairly reasonable.
_____________

Bottom line - if you think that you'll be transferring raw DV files or other video projects or other really big files over your network, Gigabit (1000) is much better.

Even if your other system is 100 today, eventually it will be replaced, and you'll probably have Gigabit on the new machine. Then you can get a Gigabit switch and you'll be happy that you got the laptop with Gigabit.

 

[jjmaximum]

Sunday morning

The Apple Store is up and running...guess nothing but a press release today?