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Why we'll see an Intel Powerbook at MWSF (SPECULATION)

S

Scipio

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 26, 2005
37
0
Well everyone, it's less than a week before the big keynote and next to no leaks or rumors. This could be either a really dull keynote, or more likely, Apple has a very tight lid on the campus this time around (much like MWSF 2003). That being said, we all know we'll see some Intel Macs next week, but is the biggest one the one nobody has heard about yet? I think so.

Why an Intel Powerbook?

The Powerbook was probably one of the driving reasons for the Intel switch. The G5 is a great chip, but simply isn't small or cool enough for a notebook. 6 months ago, we heard that Apple was accelerating it's design and production for an Intel Powerbook by borrowing some old Sony designers. The chip is available. Yonah is out there folks, CES debuted several very sexy notebooks sporting the Yonah chip today. Lenovo (the new manufacturer of IBM's Thinkpad line) released a monster notebook with SATA HD interface, 4GB RAM capacity, 256MB ATI FireGL PCIExpress, and best yet, 4.5 lbs, 1 inch thick with a 15" screen. So it can be done and Apple knows this. Macworld San Francisco has long been a launching platform for the Powerbook.

MWSF 2001-Powerbook G4
MWSF 2003-12 and 17" Powerbooks
MWSF 2006-Intel Powerbook

Releasing a Dual Core iBook before a Dual Core Powerbook would be foolish and Apple knows this. If we do see an Intel Macbook next week, you can bet it will be a Powerbook. The G4 is more than adequate for the market the iBook is aimed at. The Pro market on the other hand is hurting badly for a much faster, cooler, and sexier Powerbook. Imagine the Thinkpad wrapped in a sexy aluminum shell running OSX...that ladies and gents is very much what we may be seeing next week. If Lenovo can do it, Apple surely can and if we don't see it next week, you can bet we'll see it by the end of the month.

Disclaimer: There was no research or evidence to support this claim. It is purely speculation. If I'm wrong...big deal...it was fun to dream. SImply put though...Apple must compete. To let several other companies gobble up the Core Duo attention isn't like Apple, and the iBOok will be getting a single Core, not a dual Core.
 
But if PB come out and the 'Pro' software is not ready for intel then 'pro' software will be running on emulation-at G3 speeds-which is bad
 
zap2 said:
But if PB come out and the 'Pro' software is not ready for intel then 'pro' software will be running on emulation-at G3 speeds-which is bad
Click to expand...

This is true, but I believe Apple will have Intel versions of their own Pro Apps. It could be a slight update for them, but even so, I wouldn't be surprised if a Dual Core Yonah runs Final Cut Pro better than a current G4...I may be wrong, but I also wouldn't be surprised if we see X86 versions of Apple's home grown apps popping up within a very short timeframe, Jobs did say that every Apple software project had to processor independent. We'll see.
 
I thought the ibooks would be using the single core yonah... (or "core" as it is now called), while the Powerbooks would be using dual core yonahs.

Thus, differentiating the line.
 
I think Apple wouldn't tell people to use Xcode if they weren't doing it themselves.

As simple as checking a checkbox, right?
 
Scipio said:
Well everyone, it's less than a week before the big keynote and next to no leaks or rumors. This could be either a really dull keynote, or more likely, Apple has a very tight lid on the campus this time around (much like MWSF 2003). That being said, we all know we'll see some Intel Macs next week, but is the biggest one the one nobody has heard about yet? I think so.

Why an Intel Powerbook?

The Powerbook was probably one of the driving reasons for the Intel switch. The G5 is a great chip, but simply isn't small or cool enough for a notebook. 6 months ago, we heard that Apple was accelerating it's design and production for an Intel Powerbook by borrowing some old Sony designers. The chip is available. Yonah is out there folks, CES debuted several very sexy notebooks sporting the Yonah chip today. Lenovo (the new manufacturer of IBM's Thinkpad line) released a monster notebook with SATA HD interface, 4GB RAM capacity, 256MB ATI FireGL PCIExpress, and best yet, 4.5 lbs, 1 inch thick with a 15" screen. So it can be done and Apple knows this. Macworld San Francisco has long been a launching platform for the Powerbook.

MWSF 2001-Powerbook G4
MWSF 2003-12 and 17" Powerbooks
MWSF 2006-Intel Powerbook

Releasing a Dual Core iBook before a Dual Core Powerbook would be foolish and Apple knows this. If we do see an Intel Macbook next week, you can bet it will be a Powerbook. The G4 is more than adequate for the market the iBook is aimed at. The Pro market on the other hand is hurting badly for a much faster, cooler, and sexier Powerbook. Imagine the Thinkpad wrapped in a sexy aluminum shell running OSX...that ladies and gents is very much what we may be seeing next week. If Lenovo can do it, Apple surely can and if we don't see it next week, you can bet we'll see it by the end of the month.

Disclaimer: There was no research or evidence to support this claim. It is purely speculation. If I'm wrong...big deal...it was fun to dream.
Click to expand...

FINALLY…SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME.
 
greenmonsterman said:
I thought the ibooks would be using the single core yonah... (or "core" as it is now called), while the Powerbooks would be using dual core yonahs.

Thus, differentiating the line.
Click to expand...

The problem is that single core Yonahs aren't coming out until the end of the month at the earliest.
 
zap2 said:
But if PB come out and the 'Pro' software is not ready for intel then 'pro' software will be running on emulation-at G3 speeds-which is bad
Click to expand...

As i said in a different forum, if pro users need the ppc apps, maybe apple should keep making the ppc powerbook, but with a new design. I dont kno, im not a pro user just love powerbooks and hate ibooks. i also want a faster laptop with better energy consumption.
 
Scipio said:
The problem is that single core Yonahs aren't coming out until the end of the month at the earliest.
Click to expand...

and… i can wait months for the ibook, i hate ibooks, im going to get a powebook day 1.

EDIT: now that i think and not type really fast, i bet some people want an intel ibook instead, but i think the ibook should be single core and powerbooks be dual core. UNTIL u get quad core for the pb and dual for the ibook, and then the octo for the pb and the quad for the ibook.
why i hate ibooks, i had one, and the plastic is something i hated. it got scratched and it broke so many times. love the aluminum in the current pb's and the titanium #1 in the old pb.
 
I'm not sure what to think. On the one hand, it makes sense for Apple to use its newest and best processors in the Powerbooks instead of the iBooks. People will want to buy the new Intel Macs more than older G4 ones, so if the iBooks switch first, there go Powerbook sales. Plus, if the iBooks have awesome new screens, are widescreen, etc... From that aspect it seems like Apple would update Powerbooks first.

On the other hand, the Powerbooks just got updated in mid-October with new screens, new DDR2 RAM, and a ton of new BTO options. It would make no sense to introduce brand new Powerbooks two months later, especially if they've been completely redesigned.

*I* think they're going to do both or neither. Either we see both a new iBook and a new Powerbook, or we only see something like a revised Mac Mini and no new portable updates until the summer.
 
FOr the record, I am a pro user, I use Final Cut Pro, Motion and DVD Studio on a daily basis. That being said. I have a Quad Powermac for those tasks. My Powerbook is adequate, but for what I use it for mostly (about 80% web surfing, random photoshop, notetaking in class) I would really like longer battery life, thinner, and an Intel chip. I do use it to edit in a pinch, in which case I can deal with a bit slower emulation mode.
 
I agree totally, we have to see new intel Powerbooks, hoepfully with a camera on the lid sorda like the iMacs, i think i remember a patent from apple with that a while back. Thinner, longer battery, and by now im sure Final Cut Studio has been transfered over. And i have a G3 iMac with photoshop, its not bad at all so emulation cant be worse than this slow thing lol.
 
Texas04 said:
I agree totally, we have to see new intel Powerbooks, hoepfully with a camera on the lid sorda like the iMacs, i think i remember a patent from apple with that a while back. Thinner, longer battery, and by now im sure Final Cut Studio has been transfered over. And i have a G3 iMac with photoshop, its not bad at all so emulation cant be worse than this slow thing lol.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think ASUS just released or is going to release a dual-core Yonah laptop with a camera in the latch, so hopefully the Powerbooks will incorporate those sorts of features as well.
 
javabear90 said:
I just hope the outer casing for the new powerbooks is liquidmetal http://liquidmetal.com/ That would be the coolest thing ever!
-Ted
Click to expand...

That does sound kind of cool, but the website looks like something I'd see on tv at 3 in the morning right between an ad for instructional tapes on selling real estate and Chuck Norris pimping the Total Gym.
 
zap2 said:
But if PB come out and the 'Pro' software is not ready for intel then 'pro' software will be running on emulation-at G3 speeds-which is bad
Click to expand...
It's actually G3 compatibility, not speeds. The speeds haven't been determined yet, but apparently they will be pretty decent. Rumours for altivec and G3 and G4 compatibility have been rumoured to. It's looking pretty good. I'm hoping for 50%+ emulation speed and the G4 rumours. Could you imagine a dual 2.0Ghz Yonah emulating a Dual 1.0Ghz G4? Provided it had enough ram it could run plenty of pro apps, except for intense video editing which has two arguments:
a)Pros who do high level video editing generally use Powermacs.
b)Apple's Final Cut Pro should be out as intel at MWSF
The arguments for any intel mac aren't to hard to grasp for, but in my opinion Powerbook is most likely and possibly most wanted.
 
The powerbook is not just a pro machine, it's also for consumers who want some more screen space and more speed.
The last powerbook update was pretty pathetic and probably rushed, resulting in things like scan line issue. I get the impression that apple just wanted to the remaining powerpc powerbook project out the door before macworld rather than cancelling it completely. Didn't even have a 7448 and jobs didn't even attend it's launch, clear that apple was not that interested in the slight powerbook bump. It was probably more like, hey powerpc guys just finish with that **** and get it out, we have real computers to design.
 
didnt i hear that rosetta now supports g4+altivec? or something along the lines???
my prediction : 0.8 " thick (or thin) PBook -> dark grey/ black metal
 
Gateway and Fujitsu released their Dual Core 15 and 17" notebooks this morning. Fujitsu's 17" can fit 2x160GB HDDs and has twice the battery life of their previous model. Apple??? It's your turn.
 
Parallel Powerbook Options

Here is what I think is going to happen.....

1. Intel Powerbooks announced, w/ kick ass specs making them highly competetive.

2. PPC Powerbooks continue to be available for purchase until after the major Pro apps are released as universal binaries.

- Kelson
 
NEC launches their Dual Core laptops....the evidence keeps mounting,...
 
Scipio - I really hope you're right, and I agree there are a lot of good reasons that an Intel PowerBook is the right model to introduce next week. I'm almost definitely going to buy one if it's small (ie 12" - 14") and a similar price to the current 12" PB.
 
Been watchin all the CES launches this week and I have to say, I think Apple has got[/] to release hardware of real note on Monday, to stay in touch with competition. That competition, as of this week, is dual core laptops running fast, circa 2GHZ, processors.

With all the preparation like OS X running on X86 for the last five years, the XCode point made above, I think Apple is more than ready to launch such machines. .

Edit: Also - who says G3 emulation speeds for Rosetta? I thought it ran PPC apps with less than 20% difference to an equivelent PPC processor?
 
based on all the other launches this week, apple would be wise to do some talking about what they have up their sleeves.
 
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