PowerBook to gain iSight, iBook to go widescreen in 2006

[otter-boy]

Power vs. usability

How about making a practical and beautiful laptop out of the 12" or 13" models. I would like one with 6+ hours of real life use, and I think it is totally possible w/ today's technology. We can eliminate the CD/DVD drive which will free up lots of space for a larger battery. Lets also eliminate the modem port, I mean who uses this anymore. While we are at it, eliminate the ethernet port. There are so many hotspots now, I can't imagine needing one. We can also elimnate firewire ports and just have two or three USB2 ports. That is it; just three USB2 and a video out port. That is all we need.

I like to use a laptop like a cell phone i.e. I don't want to plug it in during the day. I guess I just hate see Dell's laptop at meetings where the owner says, "oops, I have to plug my laptop in before it runs out of juice." Yeah 10 minute into the meeting . This happens all the time. It is very comical!

I for one will not buy a laptop with an external CD/DVD drive-I use the drive way too often, especially for saving and sharing large files. I don't want to have to lug around some extra piece of hardware everywhere I go.

Getting rid of the modem port is a possibility but I doubt they'll do it because way too many people need to connect to a phone line when travelling, and the same goes for the ethernet port. Apple can't just make the computer for Americans that never travel; they need to think about the broader (and much larger) market.

Firewire needs to stay, too many hard-drives and camcorders require it. How many times are you using three USB ports simultaneously? If you do that often, you should just get a hub. Firewire gives us options, especially those of us who are professionals that require hook-ups to video equipment. Anyway, if you have to plug your CD/DVD drive into one of the USB ports, you've already lost another port.

I have to agree that gaining battery life is more important than merely cutting size. Hopefully Apple can do both: cut the size a bit and extend real-world battery time to 5 or 6+ hours. If they cut the size but don't extend the battery life, I wil be disappointed.

 

[EricNau]

How about making a practical and beautiful laptop out of the 12" or 13" models. I would like one with 6+ hours of real life use, and I think it is totally possible w/ today's technology. We can eliminate the CD/DVD drive which will free up lots of space for a larger battery. Lets also eliminate the modem port, I mean who uses this anymore. While we are at it, eliminate the ethernet port. There are so many hotspots now, I can't imagine needing one. We can also elimnate firewire ports and just have two or three USB2 ports. That is it; just three USB2 and a video out port. That is all we need.

I like to use a laptop like a cell phone i.e. I don't want to plug it in during the day. I guess I just hate see Dell's laptop at meetings where the owner says, "oops, I have to plug my laptop in before it runs out of juice." Yeah 10 minute into the meeting . This happens all the time. It is very comical!

That laptop would sell like a lead balloon.
NO CD/DVD DRIVE??? That's crazy.
I could see maybe eliminating the modem, but ethernet??? Apple must believe ethernet is important, considering they are putting 2 on each Powermac.
And by getting rid of Firewire, no one would be able to use their Digital Camcorder, because if not all, most digital camcorders only support Firewire.

 

[JasonDawg18]

Question...

Hi,

I've read through alot (not all) of the posts. One question I have for the experts here.

Would this PB be considered a G5? What does a G5 constitute? I thought about buying the latest PB update, but decided to wait for the next generation.

The week or two before the last PB came out (Oct 19), I read one post by a guy who claimed to have an inside source at apple. He said his friend said that the Oct. 19 release would be a bore, but after the first of the year "WOW!"... He was right about the first half of his specualtion... Here's hoping he'll be right about the second half.

I look forward to seeing whatever it is that comes out...

 

[QuarterSwede]

I have to believe the iSight would be tucked away into the recess of the latch just about the LCD. No one would even see it and yes, digital cameras can be that small with good resolution. All they would have to do is flatten the components out and mount it behind the LCD or even in the main computer housing itself (with a ribbon connecting it to the camera). Most people here are underestimating how small digital cameras can be.

 

[AUBPsych]

I'm pretty much going to buy a 15" PB in May 2006 regardless of whether it's Merom or Yonah, because that's when I'll definitely need a new computer. I don't do much that is CPU-intensive, so I don't need the latest and greatest (unlike most of the lovely people on these forums, haha).

I can't take this 5 year-old Gateway Pentium III desktop to college....that's just embarrassing!

 

[EricNau]

Hi,

I've read through alot (not all) of the posts. One question I have for the experts here.

Would this PB be considered a G5? What does a G5 constitute? I thought about buying the latest PB update, but decided to wait for the next generation.

The week or two before the last PB came out (Oct 19), I read one post by a guy who claimed to have an inside source at apple. He said his friend said that the Oct. 19 release would be a bore, but after the first of the year "WOW!"... He was right about the first half of his specualtion... Here's hoping he'll be right about the second half.

I look forward to seeing whatever it is that comes out...

I'm not sure I understand your question. The G5 stands for "Generation 5" and it applies to the processor that the computer has. The G5 is in some Apple Computers (the iMac G5 & Powermac G5). Currently, the Mac Minis, Powerbooks, and iBooks use the G5 predecessor, the G4.
The updates will be Intel (probably) and therefore won't be a "G5." I don't know if Apple will take it above G5 or if they will come out with a new naming system with the Intels.

Maybe you were thinking of the Rev of the computer, but that is usually given in letters, not numbers.

(Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.)

 

[outZider]

... but not if they only have a single model with a 14" or larger LCD.

If they continue to not have DVI on the iBook I might change my plans as well, and if they severely cripple the GPU I may hold off. I'm hoping they put something DECENT (I would be more than happy with a card that can play this past summers games on a computer released next summer - so a GPU that can put out decent results in Doom 3, basically). Oh, and if they disable screen spanning for "no good reason" again I will probably hold off.

Sounds like you want a PowerBook, man. Go buy one.

 

[sethypoo]

Wow, if a 15" PowerBook was 25% thinner than it is right now, it would be 3/4 of a inch thick. Less than an inch thick. Get out a ruler and just imagine a PowerBook that thin. Amazing!

The G5 stands for "Generation 5" and it applies to the processor that the computer has. The G5 is in some Apple Computers (the iMac G5 & Powermac G5). Currently, the Mac Minis, Powerbooks, and iBooks use the G5 predecessor, the G4.

I do believe you're wrong about this. G5 doesn't stand for G5, is stands for (more or less) the architecture of the processor. Yes, the G5 came after the G4, so it's related to its generation, but the G4 processors are considerably slower than the current G5 processors. Just look at the cashe levels and the front side buses. The G4 processors in the current PowerBooks, iBooks, and Mac mini's are NOT G5 processors, they're G4's.

 

[Eluon]

Well, this will give the rumor sites something to talk about for a while now. Also, does anyone want to put some money on when the first pictures will surface from an employee in an elevator, or spotting at an expo behind black walls? I'm just curious when the Apple and Photoshop faithful will try to manipulate with a new picture...anyone?

 

[Multimedia]

Yeah, but the iMac is over an inch thick. The laptop screens are less than a centimeter. I don't see how they can fit an iSight in there without something sticking out, and Apple wouldn't like that.

This is NOT a new feature. Sony Vaio's have had built in cameras for several years. It's on a verticle swivel in the middle of the top screen frame. Nothing innovative about this "new" feature at all. Really only a catching up to old Sony tech.

Hi,

I've read through alot (not all) of the posts. One question I have for the experts here.

Would this PB be considered a G5? What does a G5 constitute? I thought about buying the latest PB update, but decided to wait for the next generation.

The week or two before the last PB came out (Oct 19), I read one post by a guy who claimed to have an inside source at apple. He said his friend said that the Oct. 19 release would be a bore, but after the first of the year "WOW!"... He was right about the first half of his specualtion... Here's hoping he'll be right about the second half.

I look forward to seeing whatever it is that comes out...

"G5" will be the end of the "G" anything line for Macs. I'm sure Apple will want to identify subsequent models' series by their Intel brand names. There will not be a G5 PowerBook. G4 will be the end of the "G"x Powerbook models. I think Intel has not yet identified the brand name they will give their dual core Yonah Processors. I am unsure if they will be 64-bit first or not. Anyone here know?

This is what Apple will lead with in their early '06 PowerBooks probably announced in the January 10, 2006 SteveNote.

 

[EricNau]

I do believe you're wrong about this. G5 doesn't stand for G5, is stands for (more or less) the architecture of the processor. Yes, the G5 came after the G4, so it's related to its generation, but the G4 processors are considerably slower than the current G5 processors. Just look at the cashe levels and the front side buses. The G4 processors in the current PowerBooks, iBooks, and Mac mini's are NOT G5 processors, they're G4's.

Here's my source. Wiki_G5
I said Powerbooks, iBooks, & Mac mini's use the "G5's predecessor, the G4"

 

[illegalprelude]

This is NOT a new feature. Sony Vaio's have had built in cameras for several years. It's on a verticle swivel in the middle of the top screen frame. Nothing innovative about this "new" feature at all. Really only a catching up to old Sony tech.

yea. I dont wanna start anti apple antie sony bla bla but I agree, sony has had that out for years. the quality on it was superb for video and pics, the one i saw was on their 10" I believe, white too was it? but yea. awesome laptop

 

[Hattig]

Funny how you first state that the G4 isn't pathetic then go on to zero in on things that make it pathetic. So which is it? Is it a chip that has failed to evolve to effectively compete against stuff in x86 land - or is it a chip that can effectively make use of modern technology? The answer is clear the G5 is a pathetic chip for use in a modern laptop. No amount of weakly argued promotion is going to change that in my mind.

A common mistake by many people is to assume "Not Good" means "Pathetic". Black = NOT White.

I just meant that the G4 isn't pathetic, and it isn't great, it's just average these days apart from certain tasks. But it annoys me to see people trapped in the RDF so much that they can't think for themselves.

 

[inmotion]

well... brand new here... 1st post
still a window user here but have been following the forum for a while now... i'll probably be picking up one of the new PB when they come out right before i head for university... just as a side note... Asus has been also making some laptops with cameras with good quality... i believe the W3 has a 1.5 megapixel camera.... anyhow... any recommendations for a "soon" to be mac owner (is it risky to get the Rev A ?) cheers

 

[Lacero]

So in going Intel, is the new big brother face that of Bill Gates? Just like in 1984 when they thought IBM was the competitor, in 2006, I think their greatest enemy is Google.

 

[iEric]

maybe i'll get an iBook afterall?

but PBs are so cool

 

[jmufellow]

So in going Intel, is the new big brother face that of Bill Gates? Just like in 1984 when they thought IBM was the competitor, in 2006, I think their greatest enemy is Google.

I don't understand...are you saying that Google is a threat to Apple?

 

[AP_piano295]

I don't understand...are you saying that Google is a threat to Apple?

I think google is making itself a threat to everyone

 

[hyperpasta]

I think google is making itself a threat to everyone

I do too. And I don't like Google. While for a while they were making the best of the best (Google Earth, Google Search, GMail), now they're products are all second-rte (Desktop, Talk).

 

[balamw]

His point was such a resolution would be too small and uncomfortable (the better the rez, the smaller the text and graphics appear, even if they are sharper) to read on a 13".

I know. I was the original one who made the HD comment, and I meant 1280x720+ not 1920x1080. 1280x720 on a 13" diagonal screen is only slightly higher than Apple's preferred 100 dpi (~110 dpi), but is standard a standard HD resolution. Knowing Apple's fondness for 16:10 instead of 16:9 it'll probably be 1280x800.

B

Is there anything similar to exact audio copy for the mac?

Doesn't seem like the right thread, but I believe there is a port of cdparanoia, the program which inspired EAC in the first place, for OS X. http://www.livejournal.com/users/strangehours/9698.html

B

 

[bentoon]

Interesting...
While it doesn't pertain to the PowerMacs - I was about to pull the trigger on a new dual dual,
and just hearing this makes me know that if I do I will be green in a few months
Though the desktops wont come (rev B) until LATE 2006 / 7 -
I will be in wanting
Wanting wanting
The endless cycle of craving

 

[aafuss1]

The eMac-will still be upgraded (even though it's EDU only) and the iBook should get a better screen resolution.

 

[ZorPrime]

I seriously wonder if Apple adopt HDMI over DVI because of its smaller (not an engineer here ok) apparent size and ability to use adaptors for DVI...

That's a really good question. I would guess Apple will adopt the HDMI standard, when it starts shipping machines with either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drives. I would also guess they'll also ensure their HDMI interfaces are HDCP compliant.

 

[pubwvj]

Hope they wont be so stupid to attach Intel Inside sticky on new PBs!

Agreed. I really <i><b>DON'T</b></i> want to be seeing "Intel Inside" stickers, or any others, on my machine. But I highly doubt Jobs would ever allow that. You can apply all the stickers you want after you get it but I will bet good money that it will come clean.

 

[Photorun]

I can't believe this thread is this long and it's based on AppleInsider.com, a notoriously bad "rumor" site. If ThinkSecret ran a piece I could understand, but AppleInsider? C'mon people, move along, nothing to see here.