Concerning future PowerBooks
Most seem to think there shall be a relatively minor speed bump of the PowerBook within the next 4 months, perhaps to 867 or 933MHz along with the usual drive and memory augmentations.
Other than this, what can we expect from Apple's flagship portable?
Wider and larger screens? Higher PPI resolution? 800Mbps/1600Mbps FireWire?
SuperDrive(if possibile)? A DDR memory bus? Dual processors?
<a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=geforce2go" target="_blank">GeForce2Go?</a> <a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=quadro2go" target="_blank">Quadro2Go?</a> Or perhaps NVidia's next generation Mobile GPU, the <a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=nv17m" target="_blank">NV17M?</a>
And then there's the question of aesthetics and ergonomics. What can we expect in these areas? Thinner, lighter, and cooler?
Other than this, what can we expect from Apple's flagship portable?
Wider and larger screens? Higher PPI resolution? 800Mbps/1600Mbps FireWire?
SuperDrive(if possibile)? A DDR memory bus? Dual processors?
<a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=geforce2go" target="_blank">GeForce2Go?</a> <a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=quadro2go" target="_blank">Quadro2Go?</a> Or perhaps NVidia's next generation Mobile GPU, the <a href="http://www.NVidia.com/view.asp?PAGE=nv17m" target="_blank">NV17M?</a>
And then there's the question of aesthetics and ergonomics. What can we expect in these areas? Thinner, lighter, and cooler?
Comments
Dual proccessors seems unlikely to me based off of heat/battery concerns.
I expect large advanges in battery lifetimes (which I guess nullifies half my 'no dualies' concern above).
Superdrive seems a bit of a stretch.
I just hope they fix the dang graphics, and tone down the heat (I'm beginning to despise my Ti 667's howling whenever I watch a few QT clips).
As for enclosures, with the exception of diminished airport reception, they have a winner on their hands w/ the current Ti enclosure, so no need to change that part.
<strong>Upgrade to graphics card seems to be a given (look at the high-end lap top competition).
.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Don't hold your breath. They just upgraded the graphics in the last revision. It'll be a while.
<strong>Not necessarily. The Radeon Mobility 7500 or NV17M were not available at the time of the last Ti revision so Apple could've been waiting for this chip. They could easily offer a revision soon since these chips are now beginning to ship in PC latops (the 7500 at least). Maybe they are waiting for nVidia's new mobile GPU?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Could be. I didn't think of that.
1.0GHz G4 Apollo w/256KB on-die L2 cache
133MHz Bus DDR supportive
512MB DDR RAM @ 266MHZ
60GB IBM TravelStar @ 5400rpm on ATA100
32MB DDR NV17M GeForce Mobile graphics on 4xAGP
DVD/CD-RW Combo drive
Lithium Polymer cells to give 8+ hours battery life
Same screen along with the standard compliment of IO ports
OS 10.2
$2999.99
Introduced at WWDC in early May 2002
Coming soon to an Apple Store near you.
The price/perfomance gap between a 14" iBoook and a Ti PB is really not that much. To seperate the lines I would:
1600x1280 or there abouts screen
512MB standard
Superdrive
Poylmer battery (I've heard this is a go, and adds an extra 2-3 hours of use)
In a couple years, I expet it wont't be unreasonable to demand 20 hours of battery life, thus freeing me to watch the entire Godfather series in one sitting.
Then, when nanotechnological molecular distortion batteries come along, I will watch the entire Monty Python'sFlying Circus series without getting p frm my couc.h
Thin clear coating or something over the existing form.
Something to make it feel more tactile and not as slippery. The current iBook feels so much better but lacks the G4 chip.
Change the keys to a lighter colour. The black ones are too much of a contrast with silver casing.
Aside from that, I see a processor bump, a graphics card upgrade, and HD increase. Nothing else, though. No Superdrive, even though I'd love it. No DDR motherboard, either. I see basically no chance of a larger screen, and I wouldn't want one either. Probably no new FW.
I'll buy one the moment the screen pixel density is increased.
- Pook
thanks,
rr.
[ 01-23-2002: Message edited by: ricRocket ]</p>
<strong>Envision the following:
(...)
512MB DDR RAM @ 266MHZ
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hm, do DDR SO-DIMMs exist at all?
[quote]<strong>
60GB IBM TravelStar @ 5400rpm on ATA100
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Wow, I bet ATA100 really makes a difference on that kind of hard drive
Bye,
RazzFazz
<strong>
Hm, do DDR SO-DIMMs exist at all?
....
Wow, I bet ATA100 really makes a difference on that kind of hard drive
Bye,
RazzFazz</strong><hr></blockquote>
hehe and all this for $3000?? dono about that..
<strong>
Hm, do DDR SO-DIMMs exist at all?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
They do now:
<a href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2103008,00.html" target="_blank">http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2103008,00.html</a>
<strong>I would like to see an iBook with longer battery life and less weight. The 600MHz version seems fast enough for portable use.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Now that's what I would love to see! I agree with neutrino23 here. Assuming that OS X does get a bit more efficient, i.e. that the X interface gets as responsive as the OS 9 interface, a G3/600 on a 100Mhz bus is just fine for mobile use. (I still haven't completely gotten over my May 2001 iBook's lousy 66Mhz bus.) The current 12" iBook has distinct advantages over a true subnotebook, namely a full-size keyboard, larger screen and long battery life.
5 hours is great, but there's no reason better battery technology could improve on that further. And 4.9 lbs is still quite a bit heavier than my 4.1 lbs PowerBook 2400c. I have no doubt that Apple could shave up to a pound of the iBook. For all I care they could even rip out the optical drive, now that MCE is shipping a <a href="http://www.mcetech.com/lucid.html" target="_blank">16x version</a> of its Lucid portable FireWire CD-RW.
Light is right!
Escher
<strong>
They do now:
<a href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2103008,00.html" target="_blank">http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2103008,00.html</a></strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually, all they say is that the new VIA chipset can support SO-DIMMs once they are available. When this will be the case isn't mentioned in the text.
Bye,
RazzFazz