What next for the iBook?

[MacSA]

With Powerbook revisions out of the way I suspect we will all start speculating on the next revisoin of the iBook soon.

Looking at the buyers guide, the time interval between updates has remained pretty consistent over the last couple of years and if that schedule remains true for the next update, it could appear in April, just over 2 months away. However, given the unusualy long update time for the last Powebook revision, I wonder if the next iBook revision may be quite a long way off too.

The Powerbooks still have the same GPU and slightly faster G4's - an iBook revision would once again take them closer to the Powerbooks in specifications (at least in processing power), so I wouldn't be surprised to see them stick with the 32Mb Radeon for the iBook and bump the G4 slightly. However if they waited for WWDC, Apple "might" have something big instore for the Powerbook, allowing the iBook to inherit some of the current Powerbooks features.

Any thoughts on whats next for the iBook?

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I'd like to see:
- superdrive option for the 12"
- audio in (for garageband users and to support some kind of analog import, preferrable directly in iTunes (i got about 150 vinyl albums and a couple of original tapes I would really like to import))
- different colour cases (the white is nice but kind of boring), <dreaming>maybe even a possibility for users to customize</dreaming>
- optional largest possible HD (not stopping at 80 GB when "everybody" makes affordable 100 GBs)
- Bluetooth built-in (not only as an option)
- sligthly better screen resolution (up to 1280x1024 for the 12", and maybe a bit better for the 14", not necessarily as high as 1600x1200, but it would be nice, wouldn't it? It's insane that the 14" doesn't have (slightly) better resolution than the 12")

Couldn't care less about:
- better GPU (as long as it meets the minimum Tiger-goodies requirements...)
- DVI-out (a VGA for TV/projector connectivity is more than enough)
- screen spanning
- widescreen
- Gigabit ethernet
- Firewire 800
- PCMCIA slot
...those thing could be among the things that separate the PowerBook line from the iBooks...

A bit further into the future I would really like to see a bit better overall architecture... Cell, anyone...?

 

[miloblithe]

While I agree that the 14" should have a higher resolution screen than the 12", would you really want higher resolution on the 12"? Maybe I just have old eyes, but the idea of 1280x1024 on a 12" screen gives me a headache. Of course, I could always set the resolution lower than the maximum if my eyes aren't up to the challenge.

Still, I doubt screen changes are on the way. I'd anticipate a speed bump and not much more, but I hope you're right that a significant Powerbook update in the summer will allow a strong iBook update in the spring.

 

[5300cs]

I'd LOVE to see a G5 iBook (seriously) but that's quite a ways off.

Still, I can wait

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

While I agree that the 14" should have a higher resolution screen than the 12", would you really want higher resolution on the 12"? Maybe I just have old eyes, but the idea of 1280x1024 on a 12" screen gives me a headache. Of course, I could always set the resolution lower than the maximum if my eyes aren't up to the challenge.

I think I could cope with a bit higher resolution (I have kind of good eyesight), and, as you said, you don't have to use a screen at the maximum resolution, but for those of us who are willing to strain our eyes it could be nice to have the possibility, wouldn't it...?

 

[rosalindavenue]

My guess is that the ibooks will stay right where they are until something bigger happens to the powerbooks. The recent pbook speedbump finally made the 12" powerbook a realistic choice again for most users and apple will want to encourage the differentiation.

 

[cubist]

I think we'll see the iBook 14" go to 1.5GHz (and the 12" to 1.33?) but otherwise not much change. They might go to Geforce 5200s, but that would require redesign. We might see a price drop, too.