Come February...

zarathustrazarathustra
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
I'll be in the US (Boston or New York, not sure which yet).



I'd like to save some money and get a Powerbook whilst there.



Any predictions what spec will be available by then...G5 anyone?



Any recommendations for good stores, able to supply from stock (short visit) would be appreciated too.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    monkeyastronautmonkeyastronaut Posts: 1,343member
    I'm not sure if by February we'll have PowerBooks G5, but if we do, I think they'll look pretty much the same as the G4 models, just some minor changes to the case (like when Apple made the iBook go from G3 to G4).



    The 15 and 17 models will come in 1.8 Ghz G5s. I'm not sure if the 12 inch model will be able to house a G5. From what I understand it gets very hot?
  • Reply 2 of 19
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by monkeyastronaut

    The 15 and 17 models will come in 1.8 Ghz G5s. I'm not sure if the 12 inch model will be able to house a G5. From what I understand it gets very hot?



    Nobody has any idea what the PowerBook line will use, actually. Given Apple's recent spate of 970-related postponements, I doubt anyone in Cupertino knows for sure either.



    A whole lot depends on IBM's yields. If they can get the 970fx (or some successor) up to 3GHz, they can drop the voltage on high-end parts and get ~2GHz with a significant reduction in heat and heat density over a standard-voltage 970fx clocked to the same speed. The recent refinement of the PowerTune technology into something that doesn't break the CPU is also crucial for laptop operation.



    Since this involves effectively downclocking the fastest CPUs in the line, however, yields had better be good or this strategy will be cost-prohibitive, and the clock speed will have to be lower (and the machine hotter).



    If Apple's busily trying to get the PowerBook back under 1 inch thick, that would be an additional complication...
  • Reply 3 of 19
    teknomadikteknomadik Posts: 1member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Amorph

    Nobody has any idea what the PowerBook line will use, actually. Given Apple's recent spate of 970-related postponements, I doubt anyone in Cupertino knows for sure either.





    Yeah, I agree, anybody's bet for the G5.



    If they opt to upgrade the current G4 line, that would likely happen next February?



    I'm in the market, too...
  • Reply 4 of 19
    powerdocpowerdoc Posts: 8,123member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Amorph

    Nobody has any idea what the PowerBook line will use, actually. Given Apple's recent spate of 970-related postponements, I doubt anyone in Cupertino knows for sure either.



    A whole lot depends on IBM's yields. If they can get the 970fx (or some successor) up to 3GHz, they can drop the voltage on high-end parts and get ~2GHz with a significant reduction in heat and heat density over a standard-voltage 970fx clocked to the same speed. The recent refinement of the PowerTune technology into something that doesn't break the CPU is also crucial for laptop operation.



    Since this involves effectively downclocking the fastest CPUs in the line, however, yields had better be good or this strategy will be cost-prohibitive, and the clock speed will have to be lower (and the machine hotter).



    If Apple's busily trying to get the PowerBook back under 1 inch thick, that would be an additional complication...



    It's silly to not share what your christall balls revealed ...
  • Reply 5 of 19
    peter northpeter north Posts: 103member
    I see a long ways till a major PB update. Doesnt seem like they are too focused on them. Then again I have no f'ing idea
  • Reply 6 of 19
    solerosolero Posts: 30member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Zarathustra

    I'll be in the US (Boston or New York, not sure which yet).



    I'd like to save some money and get a Powerbook whilst there.



    Any predictions what spec will be available by then...G5 anyone?



    Any recommendations for good stores, able to supply from stock (short visit) would be appreciated too.



    I don't THINK we'll have G5 Powerbooks before WWDC 2005 If we do and you get to buy one in the US, then remember that the keyboard will be American (I'm Danish, and for me that would be a big problem - we have 3 extra letters in our alphabet), and to hide it in costums
  • Reply 7 of 19
    zarathustrazarathustra Posts: 264member
    I can live with a US keyboard (over the English version) for £600 -800...



    What would really upset me is buying one now (then?) after wanting one for so long, only to find a week later Apple announced a new model.



    I want one as a desktop replacement (aged 733mhz G4....) so any extra oomph I could get would be welcome - I don't get to buy that often.
  • Reply 8 of 19
    solerosolero Posts: 30member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Zarathustra

    I don't get to buy that often.



    I know how that feels
  • Reply 9 of 19
    peter northpeter north Posts: 103member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by monkeyastronaut

    I'm not sure if the 12 inch model will be able to house a G5. From what I understand it gets very hot?







    good, time for a 13.3 inch widescreen.





    use this screen:



    http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ebookComputers
  • Reply 10 of 19
    @homenow@homenow Posts: 998member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by monkeyastronaut

    I'm not sure if by February we'll have PowerBooks G5, but if we do, I think they'll look pretty much the same as the G4 models, just some minor changes to the case (like when Apple made the iBook go from G3 to G4).



    The 15 and 17 models will come in 1.8 Ghz G5s. I'm not sure if the 12 inch model will be able to house a G5. From what I understand it gets very hot?



    I agree, I do not see a major design change for at least 12 months given the new aluminum monitors and updated PM's. I give the current slimline metal 18 to 24 months before Apple pulls another major design direction, which will be picked up shorly after by the PM.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    kenaustuskenaustus Posts: 924member
    There are several problems in getting a G5 PB out. First is the engineering effort and I would bet that Apple is still working on that challenge. Next would be availability of the G5 chips. For the next little while they are going to be in very short supply - especially if demand for the G5 iMac goes through the roof. Finally, there is the question of what IBM is doing. Is there a 65 nm process moving to the first quarter of 05? Is that such a better way to go that they are going to pass on the 90 nm G5?



    After thinking about a G5 PB since January I replaced my old 667 15" PB in April when the 1.5 came out. Figure that will last me until Apple releases the rev b of the 65nm dual core . . .
  • Reply 12 of 19
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Come February, Apple may have announced a Quad G5 Power Mac by then. Check out this link.



    http://forums.applenova.com/showthread.php?t=999
  • Reply 13 of 19
    lemon bon bonlemon bon bon Posts: 2,383member
    Wow.



    Impressive link.



    Morpheus, eh?



    Seems to know what he's talking about.



    Dual core on 970fx first then presumably the 'G6'/Power 5 derivative will come after? Also on dual core?



    So Apple can go quads and at ever higher frequencies.



    This is either for a new workstation line or to frogjump AMD/Intel's leap to dual core line.



    S'funny, as Intel is de-emphasising clock speed PPC is closing the gap...



    A dual dual core fx chip will be a very impressive performer.



    Lemon Bon Bon
  • Reply 14 of 19
    lemon bon bonlemon bon bon Posts: 2,383member
    The timetable seems to fit in with another 'yearly'/9 month update.



    We're looking at March. ie when PowerMacs were supposed to be launched this year.



    That what give Apple the definite jump on AMD's 2nd half 2005 intro' of dual core.



    And...hopefully the 3 gig barrier will fall with this chip.



    Dual core altivec. Ouch. That's gotta hurt. Lightwave performance is already starting to kick Pentium but...(impressive LW performer over AMD...) dual core will scream renderspeed outta town.



    I'm targeting that as my PowerMac purchase. No, really I am...



    Lemon Bon Bon
  • Reply 15 of 19
    dfryerdfryer Posts: 140member
    Shoot, if it's a hoax then it's a darn good one. Now we'll have people asking "When's apple going to deliver on a dual core powerbook G5?!?!?!!"



    If yeild problems have been resolved, then I don't see any reason why this couldn't be reality by January, but that's a big if. Anyone have estimates for the percentage of "good" chips on a wafer?
  • Reply 16 of 19
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I'm thinking that we may never see a PB with an IBM G5 in it.



    What about e600 and e700 ?



    It'll be expensive, as pointed out, unless yields of the very fastest parts are plentiful.



    And even that is no guarantee that thy can get any current G5 into a PB without a few more significant tweaks.



    Could end being the case the Freescale offers an easier alternative by the time IBM has overcome allof the technical hurdles.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    mellomello Posts: 555member
    Can someone post that pdf on this thread?
  • Reply 18 of 19
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    About the Quad PowerMac: IBM has made noises about dual-core 97x CPUs, and it's an obvious next step, so this rumor seems quite likely. Thanks for the link.



    Now then...



    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matsu

    I'm thinking that we may never see a PB with an IBM G5 in it.



    I think this is pessimistic. It might be a while, though. IBM is hard at work trying to bring the power consumption down. However, until then I can easily see the e600 (due this summer) in the PowerBook's next revision.



    Quote:

    What about e600 and e700 ?



    It'll be expensive, as pointed out, unless yields of the very fastest parts are plentiful.



    Well, given that these CPUs will not be made on a Moto fab, and given that they are 90nm on 300mm wafers, if yields are good they have the potential to be much, much less expensive than current G4s. Yields being equal with IBM's (which, actually, is not that difficult a target right now...) it should also be significantly cheaper than a 970: It'll be a much smaller CPU.



    The e600 is a G4 for all intents and purposes, according to Freescale, except that there seems to be some ambiguity about whether it uses MaxBus or RapidIO or something else. There will be a dual core e600 in 2005, apparently.



    e700 is an unknown quantity AFAIK. It's a "next generation" 64-bit PPC part, but that could mean anything.



    I'm actually betting that the G5 goes into the PowerBook round about the time that the e600 lands in the iBook, and round about the time that the PowerBook goes to a dual core G5, the iBook goes to a dual core G4.



    Quote:

    And even that is no guarantee that thy can get any current G5 into a PB without a few more significant tweaks.



    Which is why the gnomes at IBM are hard at work on significant tweaks.



    Quote:

    Could end being the case the Freescale offers an easier alternative by the time IBM has overcome allof the technical hurdles.



    That's possible. It really depends on where IBM is with the 970, and what the e700 is, and where Freescale is with that. The field is wide open there (and you know, it feels really good to say that).
  • Reply 19 of 19
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    EEEK! I just read my own post. In the cut and paste of my random thinking, and largely unedited posting, I sometimes fail to make any sense to anyone but myself.



    I meant that unless high yields of fast G5s arrive, the G5 alternative may end up quite a bit more expensive than a Freescale alternative.



    If e600 makes for a real easy upgrade for Apple, and if the performance is really good, though to get really good performance compared to what would be a mobile G5 offering, I think freescale would need to do something about the FSB of the G4, and if they did that, perhaps their e600 would no longer be a drop in upgrade for the G4.



    Well, anyway. I think we may still be 12 months away from seeing a G5 based Powerbook.



    If at all...



    What happens if IBM straps 4 low power CPU cores into one die with the ability to dynamically shut off 1,2 or 3 of them, and or scale their speed? I recal some fairly enlightened rumor about this a while back.



    Maybe they can come up witth something that isn't as fast as a G5, but is fast enough for professionals on the move while really strengthening the qualities that matter while on the go -- 2 fold, or more, improvements in battery life, really cool running, and therefore, thinner and lighter machines ???



    Not that I really think IBM or freescale are going in that direction any time soon.



    I think it will be a case where we get one more moto/freescale rev (possibly e600, or some pre600], but that if freescale still has an interest, and they show something promising, Apple will prepare for it, develop two machines in parallel (there are no useless lessons in doing so, since there will be two notebook lines to support) and IF Freescale is close when the time comes, and shows promise in the mobile space, they may get the win.



    I don't thinnk it's a forgone conclusion, yet, that the G5 will get the nod in the PB. It still seems too far out to be a lock.



    I'd like to be wrong, though.
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