PowerBook to gain iSight, iBook to go widescreen in 2006

[SiliconAddict]

Consider the following...

Unless Apple goes and develops a new line of optical drives that are physically smaller (or leaves one out all together), making their powerbooks any smaller will not be possible.

Allow me to explain.

The Matshita UJ-845B Slotloading Optical Drive used in the Powerbooks is 1/8" thinner than the powerbook itself. That being the case, the only location that they could take the space from is the screen itself. Given the size of current LCD Panels and backlights, it would really not be possible for them to do that.

I could imagine them reducing the size of the 12" powerbooks as they are already pretty oversized. It is also surprising to see the 12" weigh in as the same as my 17".

It would be a little more likely that they make the units 20% lighter through reducing the weight of the materials used in the production, however reducing the height may not be physically possible unless they have convinced an optical drive manufacturer into some really interesting redesigns.

Umm there are optical drives that are smaller then .5 of an inch. Don't know about DVD burners though.

 

[jdechko]

Put me down for a 15" HD-PowerBook with a dual core processor, PCI-E graphics, and a 16x DL-Superdrive please

 

[rdrr]

Are Intel dual-core systems already available?

I hope that Apple is going to be using a different dual core chipset than the current intel models that are out there. The first bake-offs between AMD and Intel dual core chipsets, show that not only does the AMD win, but Intel draws more power...

I thought the very reason Apple was making this switch was the Power per Watt factor. I do not want another lap-warmer.

Sigh...

 

[Will Cheyney]

I cannot wait to see if Apple finally answer my prayers and introduce a 12" widescreen PowerBook. I'm not to worried about a built-in iSight... I fact, I'd probably prefer it without one. You guys don't think the iBook may be the one to sport an iSight - keeping it in line with it's desktop brother?

The PowerBook is part of the 'pro' range. What professional is seriously going to utilise a built in camera?

 

[~Shard~]

The PowerBook is part of the 'pro' range. What professional is seriously going to utilise a built in camera?

Perhaps business people who do a lot of video conferencing, either at home or on the road, using iChatAV?

 

[ccrandall77]

What! No 12" PB on the roadmap. I thought they were among the best selling boxes, no? Think I might like the rumored 13" widescreen iBook though if they equip it with an HD resolution screen ...

B

I think it would be absolutely stupid to discontinue the 12" Powerbook unless it's being replaced with a 13.3" widescreen Powerbook... not an iBook.

First of all, I've owned a couple of iBooks (still have a 12" iBook G4-800) and the quality isn't all that great. Most of Apple's i* computers leave a lot to be desired when it comes to quality (just had to return my iMac G5 for having a bad IR receiver and for the magnet coming off it's mounting). There's a reason the iMac now has 24/7 online chat support (of course the morons they have on the chat are completely useless).

Second, I also thought the 12" PB was one of their best sellers. I can understand why someone would want a 15" PB, but the 17" PB seems like the model that could be dropped. Laptops are supposed to be portable... 15" and 17" laptops are a lot less portable than 12" laptops. I know there's people out there that can really use the 17" PB, but in most cases I'd think you'd be better off just getting a desktop system.

It may not matter to me, though. A friend of mine just got OS X x86 running on a Sony Vaio S360. It's a faster machine than my Powerbook, slimmer, lighter, and the screen makes the Powerbook's screen look like crap. I'd hate to spend more money for a Sony and support an evil company, but right now a Vaio running OS X looks infinitely more attractive than a Powerbook.

 

[bigandy]

20% thinner powerbook?

i'm drooling already

 

[logic]

just want to say....i just switched from my 10 years slavery of Windoze a few days ago after getting the iBook in my sig

and about the intel *books.....
i never liked the idea of being a guinea pig anyways......
why would someone want to pay so much money to become one?

 

[ravenvii]

I hope that Apple is going to be using a different dual core chipset than the current intel models that are out there. The first bake-offs between AMD and Intel dual core chipsets, show that not only does the AMD win, but Intel draws more power...

I thought the very reason Apple was making this switch was the Power per Watt factor. I do not want another lap-warmer.

Sigh...

Intel's current dualcore chips are based off NetBurst CPUs. Apple won't be using those. They'll be using the Pentium M line of CPUs.

 

[Will Cheyney]

Perhaps business people who do a lot of video conferencing, either at home or on the road, using iChatAV?

I was thinking more along the lines of photographers and video editors. Remember the PowerBook being advertised as a 'digital darkroom' on-the-go?

 

[Doozy]

2006 is going to be very exciting to watch as far as what apple does with this intel thingy. I can't believe that the PB are going to get thinner they are so thin right now. Let's hope they are not flimsy.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

What's the difference between the two?

Yonah has a 2MB L2 cache while Merom will have a 4MB cache. Also expect higher clock speeds and even better power/watt ratios.

 

[~Shard~]

It may not matter to me, though. A friend of mine just got OS X x86 running on a Sony Vaio S360. It's a faster machine than my Powerbook, slimmer, lighter, and the screen makes the Powerbook's screen look like crap. I'd hate to spend more money for a Sony and support an evil company, but right now a Vaio running OS X looks infinitely more attractive than a Powerbook.

I think this is an issue Apple is going to have to deal more and more with as time moves on. I hope things like this come into consideration for them when they plan their future strategies. Apple is used to being the only game in town in this respect, however now that OS X lovers technically have the choice, Apple needs to be conscious of this fact.

 

[AidenShaw]

Merom is also 64-bit

Yonah has a 2MB L2 cache while Merom will have a 4MB cache. Also expect higher clock speeds and even better power/watt ratios.

Dothan and Yonah are 32-bit processors. Merom will have the x64 64-bit instruction set.

 

[EricNau]

Yonah has a 2MB L2 cache while Merom will have a 4MB cache. Also expect higher clock speeds and even better power/watt ratios.

Dothan and Yonah are 32-bit processors. Merom will have the x64 64-bit instruction set.

So Merom will be better than Yonah, right?

 

[avus]

How about GPU?

I am disappointed that everybody here only talks about CPU. All I want in the new Powerbooks is a workstation GPU - ATi Fire or nVidia Quadra. Sure, most of people would be satisfied with Radeon or GeForce, but I would like to have at least a choice here.

 

[EricNau]

I am disappointed that everybody here only talks about CPU. All I want in the new Powerbooks is a workstation GPU - ATi Fire or nVidia Quadra. Sure, most of people would be satisfied with Radeon or GeForce, but I would like to have at least a choice here.

You have a good point - Apple has never been great in this area on their laptops.

I have a feeling Apple won't release anything short of spectacular with the release of the Intels. In the past, this was a big problem for Apple. Intel will be like their "rebirth" (for lack of a better word), and I don't think Apple would take any chances. Every aspect of these will be amazing, (I hope).

 

[dansgil]

not sure if this is what you mean but...

right now, the 12"pb is 20% thicker than the 17"
the 15" is 10% thicker.

so that means there is at least room to make all the pbs at least as thin as the 17"pb.

Not necessarily. The 17" Powerbook is wider and longer, therefore, you can spread out the components without stacking them. The 12" & 15" aren't as big, therefore, components have to be stacked.

 

[dansgil]

Put me down for a 15" HD-PowerBook with a dual core processor, PCI-E graphics, and a 16x DL-Superdrive please

I would prefer it with a Blue-Ray drive, lol.

 

[~Shard~]

I would prefer it with a Blue-Ray drive, lol.

It's Blu Ray. And those drives are going to be shipping very soon, so expect to see Apple implement them sooner rather than later - how soon in '06 I'm not sure, but they will be here quicker than you might think!

 

[EricNau]

It's Blu Ray. And those drives are going to be shipping very soon, so expect to see Apple implement them sooner rather than later - how soon in '06 I'm not sure, but they will be here quicker than you might think!

I expect to see them with the first Intel release, would there ever be a more perfect time?

 

[~Shard~]

I expect to see them with the first Intel release, would there ever be a more perfect time?

Yes, that would be nice from a timing perspective, yet I don't think it will happen.

First of all, there are now rumors that the Mac Mini might go Intel at MWSF. For starters, Apple isn't going to put bleeding edge technology into the base consumer model first, and furthermore, Blu Ray drives won't be ready for them quite that quickly - they would need to have had them for a while and already developing and testing them in Intel Mac Mini prototypes, which isn't the case.

So, scratch the Mini. Next, we move onto iBooks. Not sure if Apple would put a Blu Ray drive in a portable right away (what's the demand for that?), especially not the iBook (again, consumer model.)

I think it makes the most sense to put such a new technology into the Pro machines first, so that leaves us with the PowerBook or a PowerMac. The PowerMac isn't going Intel until 2007, so that is a long time away. PowerBooks? Again, what is the likelihood of putting a Blu Ray drive in a portable? Not sure, guess we'll have to see...

So in summary, I'm not sure exactly when Apple will start shipping these drives. Perhaps they'll simply include them as an upgrade to the existing PowerMacs, mid-2006, along with speed bumps and other marginal updates to tide people over until 2007.

 

[manu chao]

2. Reduce the cost. Apparently FW controllers are more expensive than USB

And so they would not have to pay a firewire license fee to themselves.

 

[Stella]

And so they would not have to pay a firewire license fee to themselves.

lol.

Don't Sony get any royalities for Firewire - or only their version - iLink?

 

[iQuit]

Intel

Once Intel starts getting in the system, I think it will be good news. As far as atchitecture goes. Also I think Apple may be competing with the big boys, think if there marketshare goes up to 10%!!!!