Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

PowerBook to gain iSight, iBook to go widescreen in 2006

Let me get this straight...

~Shard~ said:
It's Blu Ray. :p :cool: 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! :cool:
Click to expand...

So the plan now is for the first generation of Intel PowerBooks to have:

-20% thinner (every model thinner than 1")
-Widescreen HD displays accross the line (13",15",17")
-Built-in iSight camera (with faster refresh, higher resolution)
-Dual-core Intel processors (Pentium M family), 64-bit capable
-DDR2 accross the line (maybe a bump in the FSB speed as well, and a higher Maximum RAM limit [2GB isn't as much as it used to be], and a higher base RAM [512MB doesn't cut it])
-PCI-e graphics, Workstation grade (Quadra, Fire; with serious RAM sizes)
-Bigger, faster HDD, shifting the bus off of PATA to SATA would be nice (of course)
-Blu-Ray SuperDrive (with a full array of BD/DVD/CD reading/burning options)
-DVI might give way to the smaller HDMI (probably with an adaptor for the current Apple Displays, with new HDMI-native screens coming later)
-Support for next-generation wireless like 802.11n (pre-n if that's all that's available) or WiMAX. The internal modem might get cut out in favor of a USB toggle like on the iMac (sad, inconvenient, but a sign of the times). Better range is always nice, so a stronger antenna too.

-Possibly a different shade of aluminum for the case (a bit darker? closer to the old G3 black models??)
-Hopefully FW400/800 will stick around; maybe SATA will show up (?)
-I've always thought it would be cool if the iPod nano could slide directly into the PowerBook like a PC card (speaking of which, the PC card slot should certainly stay)
-The 4GB internal NAND drive for "nearly zero startup time" might get pushed back to the Rev. B. models to cut costs and ensure an on-time debut


Is that about it, or have I forgotten something? :eek::D :eek: :D
 
avus said:
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.
Click to expand...

That would be unlikely, those GPUs will raise the pricing of the PB to high heavens! Besides, don't they also mean Apple will now have to produce and ship different logic boards to the system integraters?

Logistical nightmare.
 
damn

does it really make sense that they would update the powerbooks before the iBooks? they just made the pb's HD (god damn it, i just finally bought mine) last month.

i would definately cry if a powerbook that comes out in january is significantly cooler than mine.:(
 
numberexhaust said:
i would definately cry if a powerbook that comes out in january is significantly cooler than mine.:(
Click to expand...
It may be cooler but it may not be cooler.

Damn, now which 'cooler' goes where.
 
physics_gopher said:
So the plan now is for the first generation of Intel PowerBooks to have:

-20% thinner (every model thinner than 1")
-Widescreen HD displays accross the line (13",15",17")
-Built-in iSight camera (with faster refresh, higher resolution)
-Dual-core Intel processors (Pentium M family), 64-bit capable
-DDR2 accross the line (maybe a bump in the FSB speed as well, and a higher Maximum RAM limit [2GB isn't as much as it used to be], and a higher base RAM [512MB doesn't cut it])
-PCI-e graphics, Workstation grade (Quadra, Fire; with serious RAM sizes)
-Bigger, faster HDD, shifting the bus off of PATA to SATA would be nice (of course)
-Blu-Ray SuperDrive (with a full array of BD/DVD/CD reading/burning options)
-DVI might give way to the smaller HDMI (probably with an adaptor for the current Apple Displays, with new HDMI-native screens coming later)
-Support for next-generation wireless like 802.11n (pre-n if that's all that's available) or WiMAX. The internal modem might get cut out in favor of a USB toggle like on the iMac (sad, inconvenient, but a sign of the times). Better range is always nice, so a stronger antenna too.

-Possibly a different shade of aluminum for the case (a bit darker? closer to the old G3 black models??)
-Hopefully FW400/800 will stick around; maybe SATA will show up (?)
-I've always thought it would be cool if the iPod nano could slide directly into the PowerBook like a PC card (speaking of which, the PC card slot should certainly stay)
-The 4GB internal NAND drive for "nearly zero startup time" might get pushed back to the Rev. B. models to cut costs and ensure an on-time debut


Is that about it, or have I forgotten something? :eek::D :eek: :D
Click to expand...

Suddenly my Powerbook feels very insufficient :( I don't think Apple would release something like this straight away for Rev. A. I think Mr Jobs likes to milk the market for a while, get peoples mouths watering then update gradually as needed.

Of course, I hope I'm wrong because that is one fantastic computer! :eek: And a lot of it seems possible, (unlike a 2.5Ghz G5 with a 7200Rpm 200Gb hard drive with 4 hours battery life with an Inch thickness or so)
 
While there is a lot of talk about processor performance it's important to realize that speed isn't the end all and be all. I switched to a 667 PB for business trips a few tears ago because I didn't want a virus crashing my computer half way around the world. The only reason I could was that I could run Win under VPC - needed because I have to demo a PC on app on trips. I would imagine that a lot of switchers bought a Mac to avoid the malware problems associated with PCs. They aren't counting Ghz. I now have a 1.5 15" PB attached to a 23" display and I'm very happy with it. If the speed doubles I will look at replacing it, but if it's only a 25% increase I'll keep what I have.

By the way, I go a lot of places that do not have high speed internet and I'm on dial up. Painful, but modems are necessary for a very large number of people around the world.

In terms of what might happen in January - I think it is possible to upgrade the consumer line with single core Yonah chips and go with the dual core chips for the PowerMac and (maybe) the iMac. We are entering the Intel world where new chips are coming out faster than we are used to. If Intel releases a new chip Dell & HP will be selling it on Day One - and so will Apple. That means that dual core Yonah chips can be put in PBs in January and then switch to Merom when they are available. Speed bumps will also be delivered faster and Apple is going to keep up, which means you will not have the fastest iBook or PB for very long.

January should be a wild one. You know that the engineers and designers are working some long hours for new Macs that make Steve J happy. I look for an explosive introduction and rapidly developing backorders for each new line that is released.
 
I can't wait for this. I know I will be buying one of the new intel based laptops. The only downside I can see initially is lack of software. But since this won't be a primary computer... I'm ok w/that.

I have a feeling Apple is going to sell a boatload when they hit the market. There's a lot of pent-up demand...
 
dansgil said:
Well, AppleInsider is reporting that Apple will announce Intel Powerbooks at MWSF '06.
Click to expand...


So Apple says they won't have Intel models ready until mid-2006, which typically means a summer or late-summer release. This gets those who want something by Christmas to go ahead and buy since they'll be getting a good 8-10 months of use out of their new toy before the new models show up. All the while Apple is planning on a Jan/Feb release. This emilinates the risk of nobody buying a PPC PowerBook in the 3-5 months leading up to the release date. Its the old bait and switch, but in a good way. :p

I'm waiting until January to send out my PB15 for a monitor replacement anyway, so hopefully they'll lose it in transit and have to give me a pre-produciton PowerBook with Intel!!! There is a finite probability of this happening. Trust me, I'm a physicist. :D :D
 
physics_gopher said:
So Apple says they won't have Intel models ready until mid-2006, which typically means a summer or late-summer release. This gets those who want something by Christmas to go ahead and buy since they'll be getting a good 8-10 months of use out of their new toy before the new models show up. All the while Apple is planning on a Jan/Feb release. This emilinates the risk of nobody buying a PPC PowerBook in the 3-5 months leading up to the release date. Its the old bait and switch, but in a good way. :p

I'm waiting until January to send out my PB15 for a monitor replacement anyway, so hopefully they'll lose it in transit and have to give me a pre-produciton PowerBook with Intel!!! There is a finite probability of this happening. Trust me, I'm a physicist. :D :D
Click to expand...

Please don't spread this again and again.. in Steve's words he said MacIntels will be in the market BY JUNE, and *not* from June.

Maybe all that math has gotten into your head, by when something is said to be done BY a date, it means come June '06 we can expect to see Macintels, and not just PBs, perhaps Steve's intent was that BY JUNE everything will be Intel based.
 
generik said:
perhaps Steve's intent was that BY JUNE everything will be Intel based.
Click to expand...

Well, of course this is definitely not the case, as you know - but yes, we will be seeing some Intel-based Macs by WWDC, just as Steve said. Intel-based PowerMacs are easily a year away though as it currently stands. :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back