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PowerBook Updates Imminent?

bigrustyjc said:
I find it more curious how Apple can get away with it and stay in business.
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Well one reason is that we Mac users are a bunch of fanatical idiots. :D

But another reason is that PowerBooks are engineered to perfection. Even seen a Dell laptop? Some of them top twelve pounds! (Uhh... checking the dashboard... that's 5 and a half kilos.) They look and feel like desktop PCs that have been unceremoniously dumped into a crappy plastic shell. Sound like it too.

(As I mentioned earlier in this thread), the Aluminum PowerBook G4 is, in my opinion, the best designed computer ever made. Apple doesn't just slap in new hardware and hope for the best.

Remember when they upgraded the Hubble Telescope a couple of years ago? They put a 486 processor in it, even though it was generations out of date. The reason: they had to be 100% confident that it would work perfectly, and so had to use time-tested technology.
 
bigrustyjc said:
I think the big reason you don't see PC users dying for new hardware and such is because PC manufacturers are constantly updating the hardware. New Processors come out all the time. The PC manufacturers stay up with the newest technology waaaaaaay more than Apple.
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The comparison really isnt fair. PC manufacturers put expensive boxes together for Windows to run on. Apple constantly pioneer new technology and software.
 
Toe said:
Well one reason is that we Mac users are a bunch of fanatical idiots. :D

But another reason is that PowerBooks are engineered to perfection. Even seen a Dell laptop? Some of them top twelve pounds! (Uhh... checking the dashboard... that's 5 and a half kilos.) They look and feel like desktop PCs that have been unceremoniously dumped into a crappy plastic shell. Sound like it too.
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Not to start a flame war between PC & Mac, but take a look at the Sony VAIO laptops. They are better engineered than the Dells. The PC camp has way too many manufacturers. One doesn't represent all.

Back on topic. PB update next Tuesday! :D
 
GrimStranger said:
Not to start a flame war between PC & Mac, but take a look at the Sony VAIO laptops. They are better engineered than the Dells. The PC camp has way too many manufacturers. One doesn't represent all.

Back on topic. PB update next Tuesday! :D
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Yeah, I've seen the Sony's. They look fine, that is nice and thin, until you realize they have no cd drive or expansion ports. You have to bolt on an expansion box on the bottom of the laptop to get these features and when you do you have a bigger brick than either Dell or Toshiba.
 
New PowerBooks G4s Continued...

You can go here to read the new 7448 chip:

http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps...ncsg/06-20-05_MPC7448.html&title=News Release

HEre's an extract: "The MPC7448 has been sampling since February 2005 and is planned to be in full production in October 2005. The MPC7448 running at 1 GHz is offered at a suggested retail price of US$100 for 10K volume quantities."

Apple surely won't go that long until the new powerbooks will come out.. i'm sure it'll be by the end of October......

I really expect a boost of performance... Well other than the CPU, Apple just better stick better GPUs in their 12"... i mean my sister's new ibook (with ATI 9550) blows my powerbook (the Go5200) away in graphics... Even the dashboard affect is 5 times smoother on my sister's ibook...

:confused: BUT STILL WHAT IS THE KICKER?
we got motion sensor harddrive and 2 finger scroll and Bluetooth... What's going to be the kicker this round?

Here are some ideas maybe:

1. Black Powerbook?
2. Finger Print Reader
3. 9 hour battery
4. Dockable?
5. Titanium comebacK?

Now if Apple decides to go with just the "faster" as the kicker, they better boost the thing.
 
PCs Vs. Mac.

:rolleyes:
turbojugend said:
The comparison really isnt fair. PC manufacturers put expensive boxes together for Windows to run on. Apple constantly pioneer new technology and software.
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Lets just remember that Mac was building on a PowerPC roadmap which really is slow.... iTs not only until recently Freescale "announced" their production of the new dual-core chip that will support the architecture of DDR2, PCI-X, etc. which really really really limits apple's use of good and faster hardware. Now the PowerPC Chip by IBM (the G5), again are chips that aren't really good for laptops... So basically apple's production can't go full force on that. Imagine, Kick ass G5 3.4-3.5Ghz... and Laptops with only G4 1.6 or 2.0 at most... it just won't look good and won't make sense. Now that Apple is moving on to Intel a chip maker that makes SOO many different chips. Apple can now depend on a faster moving train of technology which enables apple to keep STABILITY in retail. So like PowerMacs sporting high end P4 chips, and Laptops supporting comparable Pent. M chips.

Now apple has alwasy been innovative but lets admit it... but they've always been thrifty... like every computer counts. Dell and HP and their mass production are like one of those production whores who pretty much spend too much time in the market and forget innovativity. Apple on the other hand takes it slow making sure all the parts function well so they get every power for their penny.

My point: PC wasted power... too much power for nothing... Marketing scam. Big hertz numbers for playing solitaire and online games... I'm glad Apple is going to take Intel and make every "hertz" count for something. I'm glad apple is still inching in... i hope they don't become mass produciton whores.
 
What to think

From Think Secret: Sources have informed Think Secret that Mac mini box labels will continue to list the older specifications with no indication of whether the newer or older systems are contained within. The motivation behind this is to help clear current inventory without lowering prices. Essentially, customers are promised that the Mac mini they purchase will have specifications "at least" equal to the label, but that their system may exceed those. Customers who purchase a new Mac mini to find they ended up with the older configuration will not be able to return the system in the hopes of getting the newer configuration without paying a restocking fee.

If this is actually true, would they do this with the updated powerbooks? Also, should I open my !5" PB and ipod mini or keep waiting?
 
powerhd said:
From Think Secret: Sources have informed Think Secret that Mac mini box labels will continue to list the older specifications with no indication of whether the newer or older systems are contained within. The motivation behind this is to help clear current inventory without lowering prices. Essentially, customers are promised that the Mac mini they purchase will have specifications "at least" equal to the label, but that their system may exceed those. Customers who purchase a new Mac mini to find they ended up with the older configuration will not be able to return the system in the hopes of getting the newer configuration without paying a restocking fee.

If this is actually true, would they do this with the updated powerbooks? Also, should I open my !5" PB and ipod mini or keep waiting?
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I highly doubt Apple would start employing guerilla style, black market/lottery techniques to "reward" customers. I mean, get serious --- do you tihnk they'd pop in a 7448 chip as an ah ha! experience? Your desperation for updates has gotten the best of your sanity. Hey, so has mine, so I'm not knocking it. We're all desperate fools living lives for a pipedream of updates that won't happen.
 
djkny said:
I highly doubt Apple would start employing guerilla style, black market/lottery techniques to "reward" customers. I mean, get serious --- do you tihnk they'd pop in a 7448 chip as an ah ha! experience? Your desperation for updates has gotten the best of your sanity. Hey, so has mine, so I'm not knocking it. We're all desperate fools living lives for a pipedream of updates that won't happen.
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Well, it appears that Apple is indeed taking this route with the Mini. That being said, there's a huge difference between the $500 Mini and a $2400 PowerBook. Apple couldn't get away with THAT; people are already going nuts, and are liable to start raiding Apple Stores orc-style as it is out of rumor frustration. Imagine shelling out the same $2400 and the guy next to you got a 7448, 200 mHz FSB and an ATI 9800 while you got the same ol' vintage tech from 31 Jan 2005 with which we're so painfully familiar. I can't imagine that happening with the pro line (although calling it the "pro" laptop is becoming a progressively finer distinction with the iBook's feature creep).

I'm guessing October because of 10.4.3, but the exact date will depend on when 10.4.3 is ready. I expect a 7448 overclocked above 1.7 mHz; how far, who knows. Remember that the G4s in the Mini are being overclocked successfully. I also expect the ATI 9800. Beyond that, who knows. I'd like to see the new Seagate 100GB 7200rpm hard drive as a build to order option so I don't have to have a 3rd party install it.

Pessimisticlly awaiting next Tuesday...
 
Er?

lalcan said:
This part of the news release made me somehow not-so-optimistic about it... "The MPC7448 processor, based on Freescale's e600 PowerPC core, is expected to offer speeds from 600 MHz to 1.7 GHz with the system bus running up to 200 MHz."

I can only hope this "upgrades" don't bring the speeds down! :-(
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:confused: Well, if you're confused about the 600mhz, 600mhz is baseline (note the 600 in the e600). Same core like most of the G4s but better workhouse inside the chip. The current G4 chip used in Powerbooks, iBooks and MacMini's today uses the 7447a which is SUPPOSED to range from 600 - 1.42ghz. ... i know what you are thinking: it's supposed to go as fast as 1.5 or 1.67ghz. I don't have a technical answer for that, but can someone help me out?? My assumption is the slight bump in the System Bus to 167 which can improve the speed of computer as a whole. Or maybe an OVERCLOCKING apple is doing? But technically, the CPU's been the exact same since April 2004 in the iBook G4s.

My point is... it says 1.7 max... but that's just the CPU... i assume the CPU in relation to the whole system will boost up the number value of 1.7ghz. i'm thinking 1.8ghz to 2.0ghz.... if the system bus is at 200mhz.
 
New PowerBook the shiesty way?

powerhd said:
If this is actually true, would they do this with the updated powerbooks? Also, should I open my !5" PB and ipod mini or keep waiting?
Click to expand...

:eek: I doubt it... The Powerbooks changing chips are a much bigger boost than the mac mini. 1.42 to 1.5... to me, it's not going to be much of a difference, perhaps it's no difference at all.... Again it's the same 7447a but probably overclocked. Although increasing the VRAM to 64MB probably makes the box support the the 23" more smoothly... The revision is too small to notice...

Powerbooks... i think it's a large difference... 1MB L2 Cache, 200Mhz System Bus... those are show-off worth specs i think. I do wish they bring back the L3 cache with 2MB or something. That will bring an awesome boost.
 
fklehman said:
overclocked above 1.7 mHz
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Damn, I don't deny that today's PowerBooks are really showing their age, but I hope they don't have to be overclocked to surpass the 1.7 megahertz mark!

:eek:
 
The thing that has been holding me back since before WWDC is an update on the 17" PB....it is too much to waste on old technology, especially if a new update is likely sometime. I am starting to like these PC laptops features.....Apple better do something quick, because I LOVE OSX but... I am getting tired of Apple and there slow computers....plus I bought a PC like 3 months ago with SP2 and 0 crashes so far....So Windows is getting more stable...and then there's still Vista. I want to be an Apple Customer for a long time but I hate how they're sooo behind.
 
JoeBeCrazy said:
Here are some ideas maybe:

1. Black Powerbook?
2. Finger Print Reader
3. 9 hour battery
4. Dockable?
5. Titanium comebacK?

Now if Apple decides to go with just the "faster" as the kicker, they better boost the thing.
Click to expand...

I agree that an integrated fingerprint reader and dock connector would be best. For me, especially the "out of the box" ability to dock, is the big missing feature on the professional line. For the iBook this isn't a big deal, but for power users with *ahem* a 23" LCD *ahem* the dock would be nice.
 
JoeBeCrazy said:
:rolleyes:
Now apple has alwasy been innovative but lets admit it... but they've always been thrifty... like every computer counts. Dell and HP and their mass production are like one of those production whores who pretty much spend too much time in the market and forget innovativity. Apple on the other hand takes it slow making sure all the parts function well so they get every power for their penny.
Click to expand...
Right, so that's why we get iBook logic board failures, hinge problems, bad wifi reception, scalding hot PB's, and numerous other problems, right? Apple mass produces their stuff just like everyone else. In fact, Apple doesn't even have their own factories to make laptops they outsource to the same people who make Sony's and some HP's.

As much as people like to say Apple is always innovating it's just rhetoric at this point. 90% of the "innovations" they have in hardware are the result of some manufacturer making a product and Apple signing an agreement that allows them to release it first. They didn't make widescreens, DVD burners etc. they bought them from other companies that actually did the innovating. If that's going to be your definition of innovative then you might as well say Dell is innovative too because they were the first to bring out laptops with PCI-Express, 802.11a, numerous video cards, dual-channel ram, DL DVD burners, 8X DVD burners, and half the stuff everyone is wishing Apple would put into the next Powerbook....
 
The only major thing Apple has innovated in hardware in the last 5 years is Firewire (which is actually older than that) HP has done a ton of stuff with DVD burning (co-creator of DVD+ and Lightscribe), Sony has made a ton of stuff like SPDIF, Toshiba makes those small hard drives, fuel cells and batteries, touchpads, and is the creator of smart media, fujitsu pretty much pioneered the use of touch screens and ink based laptops they also were on the small form factor thing long before Apple stumbled on to it, Sharp leads the way in LCD technology, Panasonic did CD drives, IBM did the lighted keyboard, and motion sensor hard drive...

And of course these companies all partner with Intel who created USB, WiMax, ExpressCard, PCI and PCIe.

To paint the situation as Apple being the innovator is just wrong and despite what you may think about Dell, they are one of the main reasons why most of the people you know can even afford computers and unlike Apple they hardly ever are late on delivering new technologies. When some new feature comes out Dell starts shipping it as soon as possible, unlike Apple.
 
iQuit said:
The thing that has been holding me back since before WWDC is an update on the 17" PB....it is too much to waste on old technology, especially if a new update is likely sometime. I am starting to like these PC laptops features.....Apple better do something quick, because I LOVE OSX but... I am getting tired of Apple and there slow computers....plus I bought a PC like 3 months ago with SP2 and 0 crashes so far....So Windows is getting more stable...and then there's still Vista. I want to be an Apple Customer for a long time but I hate how they're sooo behind.
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Of course, what did you expect? This isn't Windows 98 or even a related codebase. Windows NT OSes have pretty much always been stable and fast. Most of the stereotypical complaints about Windows stability are from the Windows 9x days (windows 95, 98, ME) not Windows NT, 2000, or XP.
 
PC vs. Mac

BGil said:
Of course, what did you expect? This isn't Windows 98 or even a related codebase. Windows NT OSes have pretty much always been stable and fast. Most of the stereotypical complaints about Windows stability are from the Windows 9x days (windows 95, 98, ME) not Windows NT, 2000, or XP.
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I beg to differ on that comment... unless i get a kick ass PC my photoshop/illustrator/quark will run almost as good, if not just terrible compared to a "comparably" slow G4 computer. Now i have a Dell computer with Windows XP SP2. i admit stability...much improved. But my projects just doesn't fly dude... i admit, i get really quick response on the OS side (file transfer, html parsing, java, etc.), but for hi end programs dealing with great graphics... my PC has crashed numerous of times from my web projects to my print projects... i did stuff on a dual G4... flawless results... got the job done... saved my life.. in my lifespan, i've switched back and forth with apples and pcs. I've sold apples because simply i needed money so i got a good PC system. My workflow flopped, big time. From font management, hi-res image editing, it just flopped... the only good thing about the PC was my Illustrator and Flash development... now that was awesome... But over all, my mac served me well as an awesome all around computer. I was anti-Mac at one time, now i'm all for the mac.

Now to your comment on innovativity... i guess it's relative to say so, i admit. In terms of technology advancement, yes Apple is slow? But maybe efficient is the word i'm looking for. If apple was a production whore like dell and hp... apple would have easily jumped on the bandwagon, sport Windows, and blast nice ass computers at an affordable price. What they can do is keep their product line restricted like how they are now (only 5-6 different types of laptops), and sell Quality and Pretty Computers with Intel or AMD/DDR/PCIX/SLI whatever... my prediction: they will steal the market in a storm... and they are capable of doing that.... BUT why don't they do that??? why are they so stubborn to continue to fight the PC market?? Because they are selling two parts: Software and Hardware... They believe that they have the better operating system and so everything falls underneath that. They want a good computer as a whole. And their operating system is based on the home user, student, and small business user. Dell and HP are just putting together faster hardware, whatever they can get and hope that Microsoft make something that will make their computer sing. Just different philosophies. My opinion, if Dell and HP want to make awesome computersas a whole, get an awesome production team, make an awesome OS. They are sooo dependent on the "hertz", DDR ram, faster faster faster... market false needs... etc. Apple to me has always tried to be as efficient as possible.
 
My PC Problems

oh and i forgot to add... my history of problems on the PC with Windows XP on Dell systems:

:mad: Wireless connections... PCs pick it up well but logging in... man the problems with that! i've encountered numerous times when the PowerBook connects to the internet flawlessly while the PC is still trying to access. (at the apple store... happened ALL the time!)

:mad: Printers on network... Wasup with that? on a workgroup of Printers and a Windows Server at my old work... Printers get disconnected and cconnected like no other. Someone told me you have to really dig in deep create domains and crap... It's way too complicated... Hooked up the Apple to the network... everything printed fine

:mad: Deleted programs... sometimes i can't delete the programs... i had to go to Regedit and take out numerous of strings so the start up can run more smoothly

:mad: Formatting... not too excited about formatting every year... but seems to be an annual event... some like it.. why??

:mad: Sleep or Hibernation... how long does it take for windows to go to sleep... i closed my friend's laptop and it couldn't turn back on. Apple instant back to work, ready to go...

:p Virus... ok that's an unfair match... but i'll put it there anyway

:D BUT I do like the Start Menu... i think it's really organized... but that's about it

There you have it... my problems with PCs... again an ACTUAL user of the PC and Mac... not just a tech dude. But if you are a hobbyist and love to dig deep with computers just for fun, PCs are the way to go... but it takes time and work just to set up your computer the way you want it. it pays to be cheap.
 
ahunter3 said:
Damn, I don't deny that today's PowerBooks are really showing their age, but I hope they don't have to be overclocked to surpass the 1.7 megahertz mark!
:eek:
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Well, GigaDesigns are selling 2.0GHz G4 7447 Processor Upgrades for the powermacs, powered by 1.6GHz 7447A Processors link , so i can only imagine that there are no 7447A processors running natively (sp?) above 1.6Ghz, that would make the current 1.67Ghz PB's already overclocked...

The more i read, the more i get depressed :(
 
turbojugend said:
Lol. Look up innovate or innovation. :eek:
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Found them but still can't find it. I even did an etymological search on "innovativity"... nothing. :eek:

Ah wait, I get it... it's just like how we're "conversating". *heh heh* ;)
 
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