Quote from ThinkSecret: "New information points to the abandonment of the 12-inch model, leaving the PowerBook line starting at around $2,000. " 
Link to full article
Link to full article
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
R.I.P. 12 inch Powerbook?
- Thread starter Superhob
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
ah i love my 12" powerbooks,
just means when Intel comes around i will be getting a 15" or a 13" widescreen if they have one then
just means when Intel comes around i will be getting a 15" or a 13" widescreen if they have one then
I wonder what percentage of PowerBook sales the 12" made up? Most of the PowerBooks I see are 12"ers so from that expert opinion it must be fairly high
It would be a big shame to see it go and I would hope if it does go the way of the Dodo that Apple have something Intel based to replace it very soon - preferably in the 13.3" widescreen option with all the goodies of the bigger ones.
And $2000US starting point is going to be really tough to swallow I think - $700 more than a 14" iBook is a big up-sell, and Apple is all about the up-selling. I'd imagine the margin on a 12" PowerBook is a lot more than a 12" or 14" iBook and the salespeople don't seem to have any trouble selling PowerBooks to people who came in wanting an iBook.
It is indeed a quandary.....
It would be a big shame to see it go and I would hope if it does go the way of the Dodo that Apple have something Intel based to replace it very soon - preferably in the 13.3" widescreen option with all the goodies of the bigger ones.
And $2000US starting point is going to be really tough to swallow I think - $700 more than a 14" iBook is a big up-sell, and Apple is all about the up-selling. I'd imagine the margin on a 12" PowerBook is a lot more than a 12" or 14" iBook and the salespeople don't seem to have any trouble selling PowerBooks to people who came in wanting an iBook.
It is indeed a quandary.....
I also see a lot of 12" PBs, and it's by far my favorite model. I see way fewer 17s than either 12s or 15s... I can't see apple dropping the 12"; that would really be too bad.
If they get rid of the 12" PowerBook and don't replace it with a 13" model or something, I won't be buying a PowerBook next time around. My 12" is just the right size for me.
Mine still works fine here. Knock on wood.
Remember the 12" Powerbook was designed to be an iBook and it was a last minute change over to Al before they were debuted. With a $2000 (waay high for laptops) starting end, that leaves a lot of room for iBooks to flex their muscles. The compact notebook is here to stay, and as I have been saying the past few days, these announcements are hardly worth anything. The real deal will be here in about eight months.
Remember the 12" Powerbook was designed to be an iBook and it was a last minute change over to Al before they were debuted. With a $2000 (waay high for laptops) starting end, that leaves a lot of room for iBooks to flex their muscles. The compact notebook is here to stay, and as I have been saying the past few days, these announcements are hardly worth anything. The real deal will be here in about eight months.
Apple seems to be pulling off this strategy of discontinuing their best-selling items pretty well lately (did anybody catch Steve's joke during the special event?).
Superdrive said:
Also, I would almost guarantee a substantial price drop to go along with the next PowerBook update, especially if Apple discontinues the 12".
Since Apple's bag of Power PC tricks is basically empty (dual core will be the last act) they can't justify an increase in the PowerBook's price, or even keeping it where it is.
plinkoman said:
I suspect Apple will continue selling the same 12-inch model, but that is just my guess.
If I had all the money in the world I would replace my 12in pb with either the 15 or the 17 it just wouldn be worth it I prefer its portability.
As for widescreen displays they are pointless too. I don't watch dvd's so I'd actually be loosing usuably space on a 13in widescreen pb. Add to that 1024x768 is perfect for demoing websites and the 12in pb is the best choice by far for me.
So I hope the don't discontinue it as I would like to replace mine in a few years time with an intel 12in version
As for widescreen displays they are pointless too. I don't watch dvd's so I'd actually be loosing usuably space on a 13in widescreen pb. Add to that 1024x768 is perfect for demoing websites and the 12in pb is the best choice by far for me.
So I hope the don't discontinue it as I would like to replace mine in a few years time with an intel 12in version
Hopefully the iBook line can move forward to take the place of the PowerBook 12". I always thought Apple had to many laptop models. Consolidating will help Apple financially and make it easier for the customer. Three 12" models is just to much. Make one with a lot of features standard and a few upgrades. When you look at the iPod line and the iMac, Apple seems to be moving to reducing the number of models.
lasuther
lasuther
lasuther said:
Apple is committed to the matrix that Steve layed out several years ago (2000 or so) of consumer and professional lines.
As it is, the Mac lineup is unbelievably simple when compared to PC manufacturers. There is no need to simplify any further in my opinion.
The problem lies with the fact that Apple has struggled to make significant improvements to the PowerBooks for quite some time. This has very much narrowed the gap between the two notebook lines.
Once Macintels arrive, I can almost guarantee that Apple will return to healthy differentiation between the lines, thus clearing up any possible confusion.
lasuther said:
As to trends...thinner...black.
I wonder if we will see a surprise model between the iBooks and PowerBooks if they thin the line out.
12" iBook
14/14"WS iBook
15" PB
17" PB
and
something suprisingly thin but powerful - iTablet
Well, if they get rid of the 12" PB, I'll just have to upgrade from my rev a 12" PB to a rev d or whatever the current ones are up to. On that same not I probably won't. Since mostly what my PB is used for is internet/email and the occasional photoshop. 867mhz does it fine. Yeah, strike that first statement, I don't need to upgrade. Although, I will say that dropping the 12" PB will be a sad sad day. I got mine because at the time (I was entering college) I had no other computer and needed a small laptop that could do some heavy work. The current PB (mine) stomped the current iBook at the time, so it was a no brainer. Plus it looks way cooler
I'll be very sad after 1 month waiting for the 12" PB update if they now decide to kill it as they did for the eMac.
At first I wanted a new graphic card and the retroilluminated keyboard. But finally, why not a pricedrop ? 1500E its very expensive for the hardware that it carry.
At first I wanted a new graphic card and the retroilluminated keyboard. But finally, why not a pricedrop ?
1500E its very expensive for the hardware that it carry.
If they decide to kill the 12" (which I honestly don't think they will), I'll be VERY glad that I didn't wait for PowerBook upgrades. 12" is perfect, especially for college kids like me who need the portability, but who want to plug it into a much bigger monitor to work at home.
Where is the evidence for this alleged death anyway?
Where is the evidence for this alleged death anyway?
In my opinion, and it seems very logical, there is no way Apple will kill off the 12" PB place, it might go to 13" widescreen, but gone? Doubtful. Just look at how many 12" PB's you see, I see them at least 3 or 4 times a week. There is no way Apple is going to just annihilate one of their most popular laptops.
MrSugar said:
MrSugar,
However, it looks more and more like it won't be updated with the other Powerbooks this week. What does that mean? They simply cannot update it, and we'll have to wait until next time?