G4 iBook?
Ok, I really want to get a 14.1" iBook, but now with the release of the G5 I am wondering whether or not I should wait and see if Apple discontinues the G3 processor and puts G4 processors in their iBook line? Is this likely? I feel dumb for even asking because I think only Apple employees themselves know what's ahead. At first, I thought maybe the G4 processor, given that it's a faster processor and would generate more heat, may not be put into the iBook given its compact size, compared to the PowerBook. Any ideas? I would think if this release were to be made, it would be done in January '04 at the San Francisco show...
--Daniel
--Daniel
Comments
I was going to ask - and would love to hear from anyone with some true insight or grasp of how it all works - if you think Apple will continue with the G3 in the iBook for the foreseeable future?
I hear about Gobi and Mojave a lot...are we 100% certain those are destined for the iBook? In all sincerity, I don't know...I'm asking.
I know that the iBook is seen as "consumer" and all that, but guess what: so is the eMac and so is the iMac. Those have G4s.
Not only that, OS X itself seems to dig a G4. And, I'd imagine, so do iPhoto, iTunes, etc. And I'd be willing to bet that the upcoming Panther update isn't any LESS demanding on the system.
So how much longer could/should Apple stay with the G3 in the iBook? If they do stay with it, should they try and do something with it a bit more OS X and iApp friendly? I know one of those two, Gobi or Mojave, gets mentioned with Altivec as part of it.
Doesn't Apple need to get to that ASAP. OR go straight to the G4 in the thing?
I always wonder what people's first impressions are of the iBook when trying one out in stores: G3 and, depending on model, maybe on 128MB RAM? Sometimes I think that "under-RAMMED" machines create a negative impression on people expecting things to zip along a bit snappier.
If all people did on iBooks were write, surf and e-mail, fine. Stay G3 until forever. But Apple ships them with OS X AND the three iApps, obviously intending these machines to be used as an integral part of the "digital lifestyle".
I just wonder how much longer the otherwise amazing, gorgeous and cool iBook (to me, THE huge bright spot in Apple's hardware lineup, in terms of price, design, style, features, ruggedness, etc.) will stay with a chip that, as of last Monday, now seems even more "long in the tooth".
I know half here think "year of the portable" is marketing hype, while the other half - like myself - thinks it actually means something. If we're not getting G5 PowerBooks this year (and I REALLY don't think we are, of course), then, in addition to the 12" and 17" PowerBooks, a 100MHz speed bump to the iBooks, a $200 price drop to the iBooks and PowerBooks and the impending arrival of an aluminum 15" PowerBook, could the lone G3 holdout's migration to the G4 be the final feather in the hat in this awesome year of Apple laptops?
In short, are we absolutely certain - via leaked info or papers from IBM or whoever - that the iBook is indeed slated to stay G3-based for another 6-12 months?
Originally posted by I, Fred
Once Powerbooks are faster G4's or (unlikely) G5's, then iBook can safely move into the slowest G4's without upsetting the cosmic zen of Apple product/market segmentation strategy.
And I say fcuk buddism...
Originally posted by I, Fred
Until the Powerbooks are safely 'cleared' from iBook-land, I'd expect the iBook to keep the G3. Once Powerbooks are faster G4's...
Yeah, but that could happen at any time! Say, next week or next month? Certainly by August/September.
then iBook can safely move into the slowest G4's without upsetting the cosmic zen of Apple product/market segmentation strategy.
There's no cosmic zen to upset when, for well over a year now, the "consumer" iMac and eMac have both sported a G4...same as the pro tower.
A G4 PowerBook and G4 iBook could both comfortably inhabit the same plane of existence. The PowerBook would simply have FASTER G4s, L3 cache, faster bus, DVI, built-in Bluetooth, nicer graphics card, higher RAM capacity, etc. to differentiate it from the G4 iBook...in the same way the G4 towers were a notch above the iMac and eMac in many of the areas above.
If the 12" PB effectively became the new iBook, dropped a little in price and gained a plastic enclosure, that would take the iBook back upmarket. Rather 999-1299, it would end up 1299-1599, and the PB's would again assume their 15"+ configs.
Goodbye value notebook. Apple has done it in the past, raising the prices of the iMac and taking the FP so far upmarket, that it neccessitated the intro of the eMac to get borderline reasonable prices on a consumer AIO.
Whatever happens the iBook MUST at the least hold current prices while getting faster and better featured (larger standard screen at the 999-1299 prices, and a G4) or it MUST get cheaper. Except for the early machines (relatively) iBook has never really had performance on it's resume, mebbe only seemed to against weaker competition and slower (400-500Mhz) G3 Pismos, it has continued to sell BECAUSE OF PRICE, and now the value offerings from the PC makers are much much better than they were two years ago. iBooks MUST get cheaper or pack in more for the same money, the CANNOT go upmarket, period.
Originally posted by pscates
A G4 PowerBook and G4 iBook could both comfortably inhabit the same plane of existence. The PowerBook would simply have FASTER G4s, L3 cache, faster bus, DVI, built-in Bluetooth, nicer graphics card, higher RAM capacity, etc. to differentiate it from the G4 iBook...in the same way the G4 towers were a notch above the iMac and eMac in many of the areas above.
How about this for a short term update?
Enough differentiation?
iBook
-G4
-867 mhZ and 1 Ghz
-available only in 14"
-100 mhz bus
-512K L2 cache
Powerbooks
-G4
-167 mhz bus
- 1 mb L3 cache
-video spanning
-higher resolution/wide screen
12" - 1Ghz only
15" - 1 and 1.25 Ghz
17" - 1.25 Ghz
But I don't like killing off the 12" iBook
Originally posted by pscates
But I don't like killing off the 12" iBook
satchmo's lineup would work for me. But just like pscates, I would hate to see Apple kill off the 12" iBook. It's the perfect portable for students. I honestly think the 14" would be too big, especially for younger kids.
Personally, I would love to (and will) go with the 1Ghz, 1MB L3 cache 12-inch PowerBook. I'll be even happier if it includes DVI-out.
Escher
"IBM "G3" hits 1.1GHz, has 1MB L2 cache
IBM says it will begin sampling its new IBM PowerPC 750GX microprocessor next month, the next generation of the "G3" processor. Based on the PowerPC 750FX processor, the new chip uses IBM?s advanced 0.13-micron copper process with Silicon-on-Insulator technology and will be offered at frequencies up to 1.1GHz. The 750GX includes 1MB of internal L2 cache, 4-way set-associative, additional L1 and L2 cache buffers for pipelining of up to four data cache miss operations, and support for up to 200MHz operation of the 60x system bus interface with additional bus pipelining. IBM's PowerPC 750FX is used in currently shipping iBooks at speeds up to 900MHz."
Link
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
Looks like new faster G3s from IBM for the next iBook rev. This will buy time for the PowerBook to go G5 next year. Then and only then will the iBook go G4.
If it ever does....
I am standing by IBM revisions to the G3 appearing in the iBook (GOBI, Mohave [sp?], 850, etc). The only reason people want a G4 ibook is for the altivec.
This just announced chip from IBM (750GX) has a 200MHz bus, 1MB L2 cache running at proccessor speed, on .13 process, SOI, and speeds up to 1.1GHz (and only consuming 8 Watts!)
The 850 is supposed to have altivec+rapidio+faster bus+true ddr. Most of this the G4 just can't do currently, or never will. I am a firm believer the 7457-RM (DDR G4) is dead.
I doubt Apple will go to the G4 for an iBook. Why? Because as they move the rest of the products away from the G4 (and MOT), it seems silly to move a product into that tech (and once again become reliant on MOT to continue dev of a chip that is seemingly dead...)
But yes, if IBM can make what we currently call a "G3" more X/iApps friendly (Altivec, bigger this, faster that, etc.), then by all means, bring it on.
They can call it a G2 or a J9...I don't care. Just something appropriately snappy and responsive enough for OS X and all the cool iApps. Panther is on the way and I'd be willing to wager my left eye that it isn't going to be any LESS demanding on the system, you know?
(for IBM of course
didn't notice someone else linked to new g3's
read on
Originally posted by pscates
Yeah, I guess we should clarify a bit: I don't care WHAT chip it is. I only desire a G4 in the iBook because of the Altivec stuff and the NOTICEABLE difference using OS X, encoding in iTunes, using iPhoto, etc. on a G4 compared to a G3.
But yes, if IBM can make what we currently call a "G3" more X/iApps friendly (Altivec, bigger this, faster that, etc.), then by all means, bring it on.
They can call it a G2 or a J9...I don't care. Just something appropriately snappy and responsive enough for OS X and all the cool iApps. Panther is on the way and I'd be willing to wager my left eye that it isn't going to be any LESS demanding on the system, you know?
Basicly it is an altivec issue. All the iApps make use of it, as does OS X (heavily). If the G3 had altivec, you would notice a huge difference.
The new G3 (750GX) already has a faster bus (200 vs 167), more L2 cache (1MB vs 256), than a current G4. Even if you compared the 750GX to the 7457, it would be close (not counting altivec). The 7457 only has a 200MHz bus (and still not true ddr), only 512kb L2 cache...
The G3 is going to become what the G4 should have been.
or save up and get the new 15".
the ibook is nice but people need to get into altivec enabled processors with some capabilities like the G4 or G5 already. G3 is stone age even if it is still offered in ibooks.
b) Being that I'm not a self-centered prick, I care about the platform as a whole, as well as those around me...I want a couple of my college-attending buddies to get an iBook (budget and durability-wise, it's right up their alley and made for them), but I don't want them to be let down by any lags or less-than-ideal OS X and iApps performance. I tell them about the iBook, but usually end up finding myself qualifying it or otherwise practically steering them away from one.
c) IMO, the iBook is much more attractive, luggable, tougher, better AirPort reception than the PowerBooks...I fight their battle to be brought up to a chip or spec that better honors the product. I'd RATHER have an iBook, but not with its present spec, chip-wise. That's all.
Seems Ellen Feiss syndrome is the norm.