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PowerBooks Still Delayed
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On the subject of lost revenue, the powerbook is starting to look like it might never come to me. Is it time to get that cheaper, faster Vaio with better battery life and forego OS X and the superdrive?
I think it might be.
On the positive side, Steve may well announce the updates, or even the G5, at Paris. Then we'd know that it was only a 4/5 month wait before someone could actually touch one.
You know, I really wanted to be a switcher. I quite like my eMac (at work), even if it is less than responsive. Now the laptops are expensive, out of date, out of stock and the desktops are mysteriously failing to arrive. It's not looknig good from an outsider's view, is it?
I think it might be.
On the positive side, Steve may well announce the updates, or even the G5, at Paris. Then we'd know that it was only a 4/5 month wait before someone could actually touch one.
You know, I really wanted to be a switcher. I quite like my eMac (at work), even if it is less than responsive. Now the laptops are expensive, out of date, out of stock and the desktops are mysteriously failing to arrive. It's not looknig good from an outsider's view, is it?
Heh-heh, exactly what I was thinking... 😉 lets face it, we sure have got value for money out of them this year!! 😉 😀
That said, I wish Apple could double their speed every 12 months and then I'd buy every 12 months....
My next upgrade... PowerBook G5!! 😀
750GX
At the rate that Motorola is going, IBM could cash in on the powerbook marked if Apple and IBM could get a 1.1+ GHz G3 into the iBook before Motorola squares away the problems with the 7457. That would allow Apple to bridge the gap a little until the G5 is ready for the powerbook.
If I remember correctly, the 750GX was sampled this summer and may be out in bulk before Christmas.
At the rate that Motorola is going, IBM could cash in on the powerbook marked if Apple and IBM could get a 1.1+ GHz G3 into the iBook before Motorola squares away the problems with the 7457. That would allow Apple to bridge the gap a little until the G5 is ready for the powerbook.
If I remember correctly, the 750GX was sampled this summer and may be out in bulk before Christmas.
Stella
macrumors G3
If Apple could get the G5 PowerBooks out by February, is there really any point in bringing out new Powerbooks in October? Can't Apple just keep producing the current line of PB at a cheaper price?
God knows what Motorollas performance will be in the future, will they even by able to deliver by October?
Apple should cut all ties and slap Motorolla with a big lawsuit!
God knows what Motorollas performance will be in the future, will they even by able to deliver by October?
Apple should cut all ties and slap Motorolla with a big lawsuit!
weren't we all expecting the G5 no sooner than the end of the year, when *SURPRISE* they were announced in June?
Perhaps there's another trick up Steve's sleeve....
Bet we don't see any "previews" on the Apple site this time...!
Maybe they've been waiting so Steve has something to crow about at the Paris Expo... after all, this is also the year of boosting market share/presence in Europe....
I expect to see PB and other updates announced at the show, along with a possible ship date for Panther, and *maybe*, just a small chance of a PB G5 announcement.....
speaking of crow, let's see how much of it I eat come the expo in Paris..... 🙂
tribalogical
Perhaps there's another trick up Steve's sleeve....
Bet we don't see any "previews" on the Apple site this time...!
Maybe they've been waiting so Steve has something to crow about at the Paris Expo... after all, this is also the year of boosting market share/presence in Europe....
I expect to see PB and other updates announced at the show, along with a possible ship date for Panther, and *maybe*, just a small chance of a PB G5 announcement.....
speaking of crow, let's see how much of it I eat come the expo in Paris..... 🙂
tribalogical
I'M CURIOS HOW WILL IT LOOK...
An unconfirmed report claims that company has been toying with prototype PowerBook G5 enclosures sporting a technique (and appearance) similar to the Power Mac G5's honey-comb ventilation system.
An unconfirmed report claims that company has been toying with prototype PowerBook G5 enclosures sporting a technique (and appearance) similar to the Power Mac G5's honey-comb ventilation system.
good golly noooo!!!
i love macs and all, but if you feel like you have to buy a winbook, for the love of pete, don't buy a viao!! i've never met a single person who's viao laptop has met their expectations - they always have more problems with them than just about anything else...
*sorry* had to get that off my chest.
what doesn't make sense to me is that they're speculating a speed bump and major revison (per the 10000 rumors floating around) for the 15, but then just 3 months later revising it again to sport the g5? doesn't make any sense to do that.
noperz. if theyre going to update it anytime soon (as in paris), if it doesn't sport the g5, you can bet safely it'll prolly be 6 months before it finds its way into a laptop.
matt
Ambrose Chapel
macrumors 65816
yeah i wouldn't be surprised if something like this happens, once Apple doesn't need to rely on them for any chips. any business-law types here? is this something that Apple could do successfully?
What's really kind of sad is, that when the alleged MPC7457 does arrive, it will be at least 2 year old technology.🙁
Hmmmm... if this rumor is true (G4s), and the 15.2-inch rumor is true (i.e., same resolution), then this is an update not worth waiting for.
We need at least one of the two, and actually the higher resolution is more important than G4 vs. G5.
Here's hoping for a higher-resolution 15.2.
We need at least one of the two, and actually the higher resolution is more important than G4 vs. G5.
Here's hoping for a higher-resolution 15.2.
oh god not again. I wish there was a page 3 rumor page for these powerbook updates that you had to go through 14 obscure site pages just to access.
With all this delay, I am glad that I got the 1GHz TiBook back in November. It has since then definitely been worth the value plus more with the work I've been able to do with it. And its the only pbook with an ATI chipset. Score! 😀
That's it for me. Payday is the 10th, so I'll give them til the 16th and order whichever 12" is available after the keynote.
I can't see the October ship date for new PB's ( wait... with all these PB surprises I can imagine almost anything ) and Apple leaving the stock situation where it is. I can only imagine that there is problems ramping up volume and this is one prodcut that Apple wants to ship immediately on announcement. There is some number X that need to be ready to go and release will happen when that number is reached.
If Apple is going to wait that long ( mid-Oct. ) then I would expect stock at distributors and retailers to jump some as Apple produces some more of the current 15 to close the gap.
But how much of this stock situation is self imposed by the retailers in anticipation of an update - do they just not want to get stuck with the old model?
BTW: was in the Apple Store yesterday and was told that they had 15 inch PB's in stock. The guy says that they'll go out but almost every week they get 10-20 in. Looks like they are still being made. He said wait for Paris Expo...
If Apple is going to wait that long ( mid-Oct. ) then I would expect stock at distributors and retailers to jump some as Apple produces some more of the current 15 to close the gap.
But how much of this stock situation is self imposed by the retailers in anticipation of an update - do they just not want to get stuck with the old model?
BTW: was in the Apple Store yesterday and was told that they had 15 inch PB's in stock. The guy says that they'll go out but almost every week they get 10-20 in. Looks like they are still being made. He said wait for Paris Expo...
DakotaGuy
macrumors 601
Well first off I think a lot of people forget a long time ago Motorola stated the 7457 would not be available until the 4th quarter of this year. The 4th quarter just started a couple of days ago. I know everyone hates Moto with a passion and would rather have an Intel Inside sticker on a Powerbook saying Celeron then have another G4 inside, but give them a chance. The 7457 Looks like a good processor and if they have a decent clock speed and improved bus speed with L3 cache they might be giving at least the 1.6 G5 a real run for its money. I agree the Powerbook needs to go to the G5 and it will happen, but not this fall. Probably next year sometime.
Look at the positive. If it is taking this long you are going to get more then a Mhz bump. Either a G5, not likely but possible or a very improved G4.
Look at the positive. If it is taking this long you are going to get more then a Mhz bump. Either a G5, not likely but possible or a very improved G4.
uhhhh... 4th quarter ( depending on when your fiscal year starts ) starts next month... Oct, Nov, Dec...
Except me - my last (and current) notebook is a Vaio and I love it. Despite being over 3 years old now, it has firewire built in weighs virtually nothing, is just an inch thick and little bigger than it's 12" screen. Plus it looks better than almost everything else on the market today. (yes, sad I know, but that matters).
I thought it'd be nice to 'grow up' to a 15" PowerBook - longer battery life, elegantly tucked in superdrive and OS X being it's obvious advantages. But they are ludicrously expensive.
Vaios come in 2 broad chunks - expensive and pretty, or the boring chunky ones. If I was buying, it'd be the expensive sort. These now include Bluetooth, WiFi and the like. And they're actually sat there in the shop.
Now if the Apple was a little cheaper (given it's age) that'd be another story. That's my complaint. If you can't deliver a replacement, at least acknowledge that time is passing and knock a few hundred dollars off the price.
Moral, political and philosophical issues aside, how can one seriously base one's decision whether to buy a PC or Apple laptop on the availability of a 1.3 Ghz vs. a 1 Ghz Powerbook. Or on things like Firewire 800, Airport Extreme and illuminated keyboards, all things that are not available on the PC side (except via PC-cards, but therefore by extension also for the current 15'') and o.k. there are also build-in bluetooth and the better Airport reception but these are really details.
I have a 1Ghz Powerbook, and although on the hardware side there are a few things that look more attractive on the PC side (battery life and, by a margin, also the weight of centrinos, build-in bluetooth, higher screen resolution), the design and robustness of Powerbooks would still tilt the balance towards Apple.
And switching from Mac to PC (or Pc to Mac) would cost me in software alone more than the most expensive Powerbook.
But surely, if Mac means 1 Ghz instead of 1.3 Mhz right now, one should get a PC laptop.
I have a 1Ghz Powerbook, and although on the hardware side there are a few things that look more attractive on the PC side (battery life and, by a margin, also the weight of centrinos, build-in bluetooth, higher screen resolution), the design and robustness of Powerbooks would still tilt the balance towards Apple.
And switching from Mac to PC (or Pc to Mac) would cost me in software alone more than the most expensive Powerbook.
But surely, if Mac means 1 Ghz instead of 1.3 Mhz right now, one should get a PC laptop.
centauratlas
macrumors 68020
4th qtr
Just FYI, the 4th qtr of the year doesn't start until October 1st. Oct-Nov-Dec is 1/4 of the year.
Just FYI, the 4th qtr of the year doesn't start until October 1st. Oct-Nov-Dec is 1/4 of the year.
iPC
macrumors 6502
Fiscal year most likely
1 October30 September
4th quarter is just about over. Coincides with peoples notions that this "update" is 2-3 months late already. If that is true, March 2004 update to the G5 would have been on track for a 6 month differential (pattern Apple seems to follow lately).
IMHO, YMMV, of course. 😉
Fiscal year in the USA is generally accepted as:
1 October30 September
4th quarter is just about over. Coincides with peoples notions that this "update" is 2-3 months late already. If that is true, March 2004 update to the G5 would have been on track for a 6 month differential (pattern Apple seems to follow lately).
IMHO, YMMV, of course. 😉
