PowerBook & eMac EOL'd?

[Furrybeagle]

1 Year!?!? Breaks down and starts crying...

It's either using my almost 2.5 year old Dell for another year, or getting a PowerBook and whacking my head when they release the new ones.

Why!? Why couldn't I have decided to switch this COMING summer, not last summer!!

I mean, what the hell are they doing!?! Waiting for all the current PowerBooks to die so people will have to buy the G5 when they release it!?!

Sorry for my completely useless post. Anybody know where I can find a really cheap Apple PowerBook G3 or G4 that will run Panther? I'd do a dance if I could use something besides this monsterous thing i use now.



EDIT Could someone clarify something for me? The predicted specs for the PowerBook speedbumped to...were those available back during the iBook update? Because if they were, that would mean that there is no logical reason for them updating the PowerBooks now instead of then. It would have been about 7-9 months before we predict the G5 will most likely come out if they had updated them. Are the G5's in fact closer than we think? We haven't heard too much about the low power G5 chip...are they in fact far enough along that they thought they could pull it off by MWSF? I imagine they pulled out at the last second and only released what they have now (or maybe one of the new products released was a backup product that they had to use). The current updates now might just be covering up until they can finally get finished with the PowerBook. This would also explain the "No PowerBook G5's any time soon" that we heard back in the fall...that is, if they were trying to "lie" to us.

Or maybe the PowerBooks are going to be soooo big, they are going to have a whole event devoted to it, like some big announcement at the flagship Apple store, or something really big like that. That way we wouldn't have to wait until Summer, Fall, or *shudder* Winter 2006. I know all this seems far fetched, but it could happen..............or not happen.

oh well that's just my 2 cents.

 

[Sikntwstd8]

I can second this..

I work at a CompUSA and we've been sold out of Powerbooks for about two weeks, and our Apple rep said no more were being shipped anytime soon.

 

[GFLPraxis]

I'd say Apple releases a G4 Freescale PowerBook and discontinues the eMac entirely.

eMac and Mac mini are specs-wise too close and upgrading the eMac to G5 and TFT (c'mon, Apple can't release a new revision with a CRT) would make it too similar to the iMac.

Why not?

I'd say stick to CRT's, because when flat-screen CRT's come out later this year...

 

[GFLPraxis]

Wow, can I have what you're smoking? Let the most advanced, the most powerful, the most amazing, a liquid cooled fuel celled technological marvel, a stunningly impossible engineering feat, the first 64bit laptop, so on and so forth...just slip out!?!!! That is just crazy. A G5 Powerbook will be a HUGE event, perhaps the most important announcement of the year. Jobs will have to go on an on about how they did it. If they have them coming out this year the best place to announce them would be the developers conference, or Macworld in Paris. I predict a modest speed bump and the rumors will be flying fast and furious by June.

First 64-bit laptop?

He's not the only one smoking something...

 

[iRobot]

First 64-bit laptop?

He's not the only one smoking something...

He has said, and it is obvious, that he was joking.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Just replying to some posts I've seen:

Is it possible that the update is not towards G5, but maybe dual-core G4? (Wasn't freescale doing something like that?)

Less heat, better performance, lower power consumption?

What about the idea of a Dual G4 Powerbook? Someone at HomeTheaterMac.com thinks that is the next big announcement for the Powerbook.

I think dual G4 is the future, but it's too early. They're not ready yet.

Agreed, I was being a bit flippant about the reduction in battery life, but I think we can agree that a second processor would result in an unacceptable reduction in battery life, unless Apple could do something dramatic to the battery capacity. The battery life on the current Powerbooks is exactly stunning at the moment. Plus you would have a lot more heat to deal with and they already generate a reasonable amount of heat now.

Well, I don't know.
Freescale has been doing a good job of scaling down processor power use. The dual core processor only uses 25w max at dual 1.5 GHz. Even if they used TWO processors (since dual core isn't ready yet), it could be made up for by a higher capacity battery. The only problem I'd see is that with two processors, the heat generated would get bad (I was afraid of starting a fire when I encoded/burned a DVD with iDVD on my 12" PB).

Could watercooling be used in a laptop?
Perhaps the 17" could be dual processor...dunno. Still unlikely.

 

[G5 Cluster]

\

Can someone please tell me, or give me an example, of when Apple said to the masses, "There will be no 'x' product released' and then Apple went and released it in several weeks or months?

They just stretched the truth pretty thin about the 60GB iPods. In the last days of August(or early September) someone from Apple went on record saying that 60GB iPods were not coming anytime soon. This was in reaction to the rumors of Apple taking delivery on 60GB drives. The iPod Photo 60GB shipped like 6 weeks later.

Also... Everyone here seems to be assuming an immediate PB rev. I think I recall previous Apple products being EOL'ed and the rev model not being introduced for months (MDD G4 comes to mind but I could be mistaken). What I am tring to say is that by the time Apple purges the existing inventory of G4 powerbooks it could be months from now. That would have precluded Jobs from talking about it at Macworld.

I'm guessing that we will see a PB G5 in April/May to coincide with the Tiger release.

 

[nagromme]

Anybody know where I can find a really cheap Apple PowerBook G3 or G4 that will run Panther?

The screen's not the greatest, but a used iBook G4 or 12" PBook will do the job nicely! Hook it up to whatever display you have around, when you're at home base. 512 RAM or more is recommended.

 

[John Rivers]

I think it's more than a little obvious...

I don't understand that mass of postings and "what if's!?" regarding the end of life for powerbooks and emacs. It means no more of the current product number is being shipped. This obviously means they are updating soon, because there is no way, NO WAY, that Apple would pull the powerbook from the market to wait for a G5. Combine this with several previous rumors of powerbook speed bumps, no scheduled events coming to announce a larger (ahem G5) update, and it seems pretty clear that all signs support that within the next couple weeks Apple is gonna release the speedbumped Powerbook G4's.

This will help them clear out their stocked G4's, and then when the Powerbooks move to G5, we can expect the Mac Mini to use the remaining speedbumped G4's. Thus, Apple successfully transitions to G5's across the line and is able to be profitable the entire time.

 

[mccoma]

Might as well just update the iBooks

At this point, might as well pull a iMac G4 -> G5 announcement. It can't hurt any worse than this "Next Tuesday" stuff. Also, the mainstream media really paid attention to the pre-MacWorld rumors this time around, I wonder if that will continue.

The G5 Powerbook will have a clear difference (G5, memory, FW800) from the G4 iBook, so if you make the "waiting on the G5" announcement while upping the iBook, you should minimize the damage.

now onto wish mode......
Might as well kick another iBook out while we wait. How about 1 model with a widescreen (12 - 13 inch) to go with that HD theme. Up the processor speed a little, maybe 2 DIMM slots (skip the built-in), better graphic chip (maybe to the level of the current PB line).

 

[Muzukun]

nyeh, I have time to kill so I might as well toss something to this too, kind of a newbie and in the same boat as some soon to be switchers to 'I don't care what comes out, I'm buying it... as long as it's 17 inchs '

Personally, with all the talk apple has said about heating issues etc. I think it HAS to just be a speed bump, nothing to big in the end.

That's not to suggest however that a G5 would be all that far away. The imac G5 is a pretty good accomplishment either way. The LCD screen one way or another is going to generate some degree of heat. Now considering in two inches space you have a cooling system that handles both an LCD and the G5 you'd only have to assume you can trim down those two inches if you take away the LCD screen and any additional cooling that it might require. That is not to say that the end result would be under an inch though, it's mainly observation. Though considering how rumors get leaked out anyways I'd have to imagine someone would burst out of apple's doors screaming out 'Powerbook G5 people oh god it's finally on it's WAAAYYYY!!!' as he/she wet him/herself the second they found out it was really coming out. I mean come on, people can't keep their mouths shut about minimac/cubelight.

A powerbook G5 would be nice, and deep down I'm hoping for it. Realistically though... I just see a speed bump coming along... and it better be out in a store in portland OR on feb 25 because I want to get one without paying taxes >.< ... AND with student discount!

 

[iRobot]

Dude... Apparently there's a bunch of us here in Portland who want that new 'book.

Come on Apple! Show us some love!

Hell, jack up the prices and give us somthing awesome! Student discount and no sales tax can counter that.

 

[SuperThread]

now onto wish mode......
Might as well kick another iBook out while we wait. How about 1 model with a widescreen (12 - 13 inch) to go with that HD theme. Up the processor speed a little, maybe 2 DIMM slots (skip the built-in), better graphic chip (maybe to the level of the current PB line).

Don't make me salivate–I'm told that it's very unbecoming.

 

[JRM]

Weird Feelings

TIMING AFTER MWSF = G4
NO KNOWLEDGE OF G5 PB specs = G4
END OF LINED = Something Bigger

Because when Apple usually update their product range to the suspected 1.5 and 1.7 G4, they just do it. They don't piss around EOLing something. Maybe the French have got it wrong like usual, maybe Apple is just EOLing the Superdrive eMac (meaning no longer exists) and updating. Because the last PB EOLing was when they got rid of the TiBooks and this would suggest a new factor form. Maybe as one guy already said, maybe Apple are changing the case to supplement an apparent lack of power, but it seems that the French are wrong and we will see 1.5's and 1.67's.

Because after all Stevie would have released the new PB at MWSF, it's a week later, now seriously, is it gonna happen NO maybe at WWDC

My tone may be negative but i too wait anxiously for the arrival of the PB G5.

 

[JRM]

What rev are we up to in the current PB range?

Because if we are up to (E) Apple could release the G5 G4. That's the only G5 we'll be gettin any time soon

 

[sord]

Give me a price drop and I'll give Apple some more money

 

[Muzukun]

Dude... Apparently there's a bunch of us here in Portland who want that new 'book.

Come on Apple! Show us some love!

Hell, jack up the prices and give us somthing awesome! Student discount and no sales tax can counter that.

I'm just an evil californian who will be in Portland during that time speaking of which do I need a patsy err 'cousin' there to get something without tax or do they only kill you if you try and buy a car when you're out of state?


ohhh I love student discount, god bless apple for that

 

[SiliconAddict]

It'll definitely be Motorola's dual core chip (I heard this from Apple reps). And it'll be soon, not in three months.

Are you talking Apple store reps? Those guys don't have any more inside info then you or me and they sure don't have the inside track to Apple's next gen PowerBook. Like it or not:
1. Its not going to be dual core.
2. Its probably not going to be a FreeScale.

Again people aren't paying attention. The announcement (Read: Hey guys we are going to release this at some later time and here's the specs.) of the dual core and single core FreeScale was 4th quarter of '04 Unless development was WELL underway and Apple got sample chips this month there is simply NO way its going to be out this fall. and correct me if I'm wrong but even the Moto folks said they wouldn't be putting out any samples until the 2nd half of '05 which makes either a late '04 or very early (Jan?) '05 timeframe likely which would decimate any remaining *book sales. Apple HAS to do something this year with their laptop line.

The only Moto chip I foresee in the near future is some half***ed existing G4 that has been tweaked to work with a faster FSB. I'm guessing since they are already dealing with an established architecture it would cut some development time off the process. The stupid thing is I doubt Moto has even moved to the new 90nm process for this new CPU. Everything I’ve read has said that they are having bigger issues then even IBM had with the transition to that process which translates into only negligible jumps in actual clock speed. If they pull such a chip out of their hat I doubt that it’s going to break any speed records. Probably be scaled up to 1.8Ghz or something.
Let me just say though that I used the PIDOOMA model for that speculation. I know nothing about chip design and unlike some I'm not going to try and come off as some authority. But I am simply stating the KNOWN facts and the facts suggest no FreeScale in the near future.

 

[jumpman25]

I read somewhere that the G5 draws about twice as much power as a G4. It said that a G4 running at 1GHz draws around 8w, and a G5 running at 1.2GHz draws around 18w. I looked for the article but couldn't remember where I found it. If I see it I will be sure to post it though.

 

[Pringolian]

I read somewhere that the G5 draws about twice as much power as a G4. It said that a G4 running at 1GHz draws around 8w, and a G5 running at 1.2GHz draws around 18w. I looked for the article but couldn't remember where I found it. If I see it I will be sure to post it though.

That is probably a G4 laptop to G5 Desktop comparison

 

[jumpman25]

That is probably a G4 laptop to G5 Desktop comparison

I think that was what it was, as it was talking about getting a G5 into a laptop and how difficult it would be considering how much power it draws compared to the current powerbook.

 

[jumpman25]

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=167

I think this is the article I saw. Not sure if this is any help, but I was just skimming through the posts in this thread and saw several differnt clams as to the power draw of different processors.

 

[joecirca79]

Last I heard, Apple was testing the G5 in a G4 enclosure. It overheated after 150 hours. That was not too long ago so the G5 is still a ways off.

 

[CandyApple]

Last I heard, Steve Jobs had been waiting 18 months for his test G5 PB to arrive. This was after Schiller had told him it was "now shipping."

 

[TastyOther]

I highly doubt it. They only announced the specs 4th quarter of '04. I could be totally wrong but even samples in 1st quarter of this year would be something like a new record.
To put it another way I'm betting cash Apple and IBM have been working on a mobile G5 longer then any Freescale chip has been a glint in the eye of Moto Engineer.

That, and Motorola haven't exactly been stellar about delivering their new developments quickly, in quantity, on time. IBM may have problems, but that has to take into account the greater number of G5 class machines Apple ships now.