Further, did anyone notice Apple's financial results - iMacs sales are dropping off badly!, My take - stagnate CPU updates!, these 7457's are needed now for this model as much as the PowerBooks.
No, no, neutrino23. I'm still holding out with my "old" but perfectly funtional iBook/500/CD. I've told myself that I wouldn't upgrade to a sub-Ghz 'Book. And I have too many reservations about the Rev.A 12-inch PowerBook, i.e. only 640MB max RAM, excessive heat (compared to iBook), no DVI-out, no L3 cache, only 867Mhz processor. I expect Apple to address several of these concerns in a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook. So I'm waiting....
So which way are you leaning? Small portable for travel or larger screen for usability? I used to carry my Pismo every day when I lived in Japan so I was thinking of a small portable. When I travel in Japan I see ads on the trains for 999gram laptops and feel really jealous.
Now that I travel infrequently and mostly in the US I've decided to go for the 15 inch PB. In Japan you walk a lot and the weight gets to you after a while. In the US you mostly transport your luggage in a car or on a plane so weight is not so much of an issue.
The exception would be an ultralight. If Apple made a 10 inch PB with minimal hardware that weighed about 800 grams or less I would be in heaven. It would be like a slightly large PDA. Like tearing off a piece of your desktop and taking it with you. Whenever you get home it automatically syncs with your home computer.
I am teetering on the line of thinking that the 15-inch model is dead, and Apple will have 12- and 17-inch PowerBooks only; selling the 17-inch at the current 15-inch price range; and migrating the 15-inch screen down to the iBook. I hope that Apple keeps the 15-inch PowerBook, I really do. But I have this feeling that it's going away.
There is absolutely no way Apple will eliminate the 15-inch PowerBook size. However, it is becoming plainly obvious that Apple is waiting to update the TiBook. Possible reasons for the delay (and our excruciating wait) include:
(a) faster clocked Moto PPC 7457 processors are not yet available,
(b) they want to retain an OS 9-bootable PowerBook,
(c) they want to make the update more significant than what we expect, or
(d) a combination of the factors above.
Quote:
Originally posted by neutrino23
So which way are you leaning? Small portable for travel or larger screen for usability?
neutrino23: Personally, I'm still going to be taking classes for a semester or two until I finish my J.D. in May 2004. So portability will remain a major factor for the next 12 months. OTOH, my iBook already takes care of all my needs as a student. For home use, however, I really need more power, storage, and screen real estate. I'm hoping to move from my old 2MP camera to a 5MP model by the end of the year. I also really want to get on the MP3 and iPod bandwagons. Both are currently not possible because of limited HDD space and slow processing/ripping speed. Finally, I really want more than 1024x768 for web design and photo editing.
I see two basic options for myself: (a) Keep the iBook for portable use and get a PowerMac or high-end iMac for home use or (b) get a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook with a larger external LCD (at least 1280x1024) to cover both portable and home needs. Assuming I am definitely getting an external LCD with either option, I can almost buy a low-end PowerMac G5 (or a DP G4) for the price of a 12-inch PowerBook. OTOH, a Mac PowerBook would go better with the cheapo Wintel box I still want to buy for my wife. And a PowerBook avoids the data-sync issues of an iBook/PowerMac combination.
Our situations have evolved in a similar way. After pondering a desktop-laptop combination, I think both of us have determined that a portable with a larger screen for home use is best. I remember that you are favoring a 15-inch PowerBook. Being a portability hound, I am leaning towards the Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook. But I will reserve judgment (and purchase) until we can compare new/updated 12-inch and 15-inch PowerBooks side by side.
The longer I wait, the more money I will save, and the better a PowerBook I will get.
There was a bit on AAPL on CNBC this morning, talking about a PC recovery that'll be different. Said laptop sales lead the way. She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned. No idea when but at least we know Apple is expecting good sales going forward because of not only G5 sales but good sales of new PowerBooks.
Escher, you offer reason, sanity, and, dare I say it, hope, in a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Thanks, Cubit. I was trying to talk myself off the ledge. Glad it's working for others too. We've got to get our feet back on the ground, and keep them there!
She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned.
I wonder where the CNBC lady got her information. It doesn't seem like she got it from yesterday's earnings call, otherwise the hawk-eyed Mac press would have reported on it. Where else could she have gotten the information? Certainly not from Apple itself. Otherwise Apple would have to file a statement under Regulation FD to publicize this material information that was released accidentally to CNBC to the public at large. My pessimistic hunch is that she mixed things up or mis-spoke.
There was a bit on AAPL on CNBC this morning, talking about a PC recovery that'll be different. Said laptop sales lead the way. She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned. No idea when but at least we know Apple is expecting good sales going forward because of not only G5 sales but good sales of new PowerBooks.
Really... sounds interesting. Ya know....now that I think about it, I thnk Apple didn't want to release updated Powerbooks at Creative Pro, because Steve hates that show now...
A good upgrade hu? hmmm.... Hopefully it's before the end of August and not at Paris..... \
There was a bit on AAPL on CNBC this morning, talking about a PC recovery that'll be different. Said laptop sales lead the way. She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned. No idea when but at least we know Apple is expecting good sales going forward because of not only G5 sales but good sales of new PowerBooks.
If she didn't say when could this be referring to G5 powerbooks later on, rather than something now? Sorry to be so pessimistic..
I see two basic options for myself: (a) Keep the iBook for portable use and get a PowerMac or high-end iMac for home use or (b) get a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook with a larger external LCD (at least 1280x1024) to cover both portable and home needs. Assuming I am definitely getting an external LCD with either option, I can almost buy a low-end PowerMac G5 (or a DP G4) for the price of a 12-inch PowerBook. OTOH, a Mac PowerBook would go better with the cheapo Wintel box I still want to buy for my wife. And a PowerBook avoids the data-sync issues of an iBook/PowerMac combination.
The way the hardware has evolved the choices have become more difficult (not a bad thing). Very similar to you, I was thinking of either a portable and a tower or just one, higher end portable. I was pretty much set on keeping my tower and upgrading my Pismo to a 12" PB. After checking the results on x-bench I found that the 15" PB outperformed my tower (867 QS) and had the same ports. I don't use any plug-in cards so a 15" PB could serve as both my home and portable system. One advantage will be that it will be quieter than the tower.
Apart from the money there are two attractive options. Each has plusses and minuses.
G5 tower with LCD and a small portable (iBook or PBook).
15" PB with external cinema display, keyboard, mouse. The external keyboard is needed for home use (IMHO) for ergonimics and to avoid the heat of the laptop. After several hours the PB will get unpleasantly warm, especially on a hot day.
For me, the second option will be just about perfect. I wish Apple would put in a BTO for the laptops to allow the use of the new Hitachi 7200 RPM drive. That will be a nice addition to the portables.
A long time ago (8, 9 years?) there was a concept drawing in MacWorld magazine showing a future Mac. It was, essentially, a flat panel with a keyboard and mouse. With a 15" PB, cinema display and keyboard the future has pretty much arrived.
I wonder where the CNBC lady got her information. It doesn't seem like she got it from yesterday's earnings call, otherwise the hawk-eyed Mac press would have reported on it. Where else could she have gotten the information? Certainly not from Apple itself. Otherwise Apple would have to file a statement under Regulation FD to publicize this material information that was released accidentally to CNBC to the public at large. My pessimistic hunch is that she mixed things up or mis-spoke.
I'm not going to council against pessimism in this case, but Apple has been known to give some prominent journalists, senior analysts and important customers closed-door previews of its upcoming products.
Steve did this a lot when Apple was still fighting to reestablish itself, and I wouldn't be too surprised if the likes of Charles Wolf and Andy Inahtko already have a pretty good idea of what the next PowerBook will be like. So it's not impossible that the CNBC correspondent actually has a hook into real information.
Comments
Originally posted by hasapi
Further, did anyone notice Apple's financial results - iMacs sales are dropping off badly!, My take - stagnate CPU updates!, these 7457's are needed now for this model as much as the PowerBooks.
more.
Originally posted by Escher
No, no, neutrino23. I'm still holding out with my "old" but perfectly funtional iBook/500/CD. I've told myself that I wouldn't upgrade to a sub-Ghz 'Book. And I have too many reservations about the Rev.A 12-inch PowerBook, i.e. only 640MB max RAM, excessive heat (compared to iBook), no DVI-out, no L3 cache, only 867Mhz processor. I expect Apple to address several of these concerns in a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook. So I'm waiting....
So which way are you leaning? Small portable for travel or larger screen for usability? I used to carry my Pismo every day when I lived in Japan so I was thinking of a small portable. When I travel in Japan I see ads on the trains for 999gram laptops and feel really jealous.
Now that I travel infrequently and mostly in the US I've decided to go for the 15 inch PB. In Japan you walk a lot and the weight gets to you after a while. In the US you mostly transport your luggage in a car or on a plane so weight is not so much of an issue.
The exception would be an ultralight. If Apple made a 10 inch PB with minimal hardware that weighed about 800 grams or less I would be in heaven. It would be like a slightly large PDA. Like tearing off a piece of your desktop and taking it with you. Whenever you get home it automatically syncs with your home computer.
Originally posted by DHagan4755
But I have this feeling that it's going away.
There is absolutely no way Apple will eliminate the 15-inch PowerBook size. However, it is becoming plainly obvious that Apple is waiting to update the TiBook. Possible reasons for the delay (and our excruciating wait) include:
(a) faster clocked Moto PPC 7457 processors are not yet available,
(b) they want to retain an OS 9-bootable PowerBook,
(c) they want to make the update more significant than what we expect, or
(d) a combination of the factors above.
Originally posted by neutrino23
So which way are you leaning? Small portable for travel or larger screen for usability?
neutrino23: Personally, I'm still going to be taking classes for a semester or two until I finish my J.D. in May 2004. So portability will remain a major factor for the next 12 months. OTOH, my iBook already takes care of all my needs as a student. For home use, however, I really need more power, storage, and screen real estate. I'm hoping to move from my old 2MP camera to a 5MP model by the end of the year. I also really want to get on the MP3 and iPod bandwagons. Both are currently not possible because of limited HDD space and slow processing/ripping speed. Finally, I really want more than 1024x768 for web design and photo editing.
I see two basic options for myself: (a) Keep the iBook for portable use and get a PowerMac or high-end iMac for home use or (b) get a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook with a larger external LCD (at least 1280x1024) to cover both portable and home needs. Assuming I am definitely getting an external LCD with either option, I can almost buy a low-end PowerMac G5 (or a DP G4) for the price of a 12-inch PowerBook. OTOH, a Mac PowerBook would go better with the cheapo Wintel box I still want to buy for my wife. And a PowerBook avoids the data-sync issues of an iBook/PowerMac combination.
Our situations have evolved in a similar way. After pondering a desktop-laptop combination, I think both of us have determined that a portable with a larger screen for home use is best. I remember that you are favoring a 15-inch PowerBook. Being a portability hound, I am leaning towards the Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook. But I will reserve judgment (and purchase) until we can compare new/updated 12-inch and 15-inch PowerBooks side by side.
The longer I wait, the more money I will save, and the better a PowerBook I will get.
Escher
Originally posted by Cubit
Escher, you offer reason, sanity, and, dare I say it, hope, in a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Thanks, Cubit. I was trying to talk myself off the ledge. Glad it's working for others too. We've got to get our feet back on the ground, and keep them there!
Escher
Originally posted by Rolo
She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned.
I wonder where the CNBC lady got her information. It doesn't seem like she got it from yesterday's earnings call, otherwise the hawk-eyed Mac press would have reported on it. Where else could she have gotten the information? Certainly not from Apple itself. Otherwise Apple would have to file a statement under Regulation FD to publicize this material information that was released accidentally to CNBC to the public at large. My pessimistic hunch is that she mixed things up or mis-spoke.
Escher
Originally posted by Rolo
There was a bit on AAPL on CNBC this morning, talking about a PC recovery that'll be different. Said laptop sales lead the way. She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned. No idea when but at least we know Apple is expecting good sales going forward because of not only G5 sales but good sales of new PowerBooks.
Really... sounds interesting. Ya know....now that I think about it, I thnk Apple didn't want to release updated Powerbooks at Creative Pro, because Steve hates that show now...
A good upgrade hu? hmmm.... Hopefully it's before the end of August and not at Paris.....
15 inch EOL'ed replacement coming (shipdate: currently october, this is usualy the sign they have been EOL'ed)
12 and 17 inch low in stock, not yet EOL'ed. Next revision shipping mid september.
Now, since october is realy far away, i believe that they also will arrive mid september. Just like his bigger and smaller brother.
Originally posted by salty chips
From what i see:
15 inch EOL'ed replacement coming (shipdate: currently october, this is usualy the sign they have been EOL'ed)
12 and 17 inch low in stock, not yet EOL'ed. Next revision shipping mid september.
Now, since october is realy far away, i believe that they also will arrive mid september. Just like his bigger and smaller brother.
shipdate October? Where are you getting that from? If you mean from the Apple Store I'm seeing 1-3 days..
Originally posted by Delphiki
shipdate October? Where are you getting that from? If you mean from the Apple Store I'm seeing 1-3 days..
Not from the Apple store.
Distribution channel.
Originally posted by Rolo
There was a bit on AAPL on CNBC this morning, talking about a PC recovery that'll be different. Said laptop sales lead the way. She also said that Apple said they have a good upgrade planned. No idea when but at least we know Apple is expecting good sales going forward because of not only G5 sales but good sales of new PowerBooks.
If she didn't say when could this be referring to G5 powerbooks later on, rather than something now? Sorry to be so pessimistic..
Originally posted by salty chips
Not from the Apple store.
Distribution channel.
Is that publicly available information? Just curious, it'd be interesting to look at.
Originally posted by Delphiki
Is that publicly available information? Just curious, it'd be interesting to look at.
Sorry, it's not. Just trust me. I can't give you acces to the info, nor give you a screenshot without giving the source of the info away.
Originally posted by salty chips
Sorry, it's not. Just trust me. I can't give you acces to the info, nor give you a screenshot without giving the source of the info away.
Understandable, wouldn't want you violating any NDA's or anything
Originally posted by Delphiki
Understandable, wouldn't want you violating any NDA's or anything
No, you won't
But, i would rather not tell it.
Originally posted by Escher
I see two basic options for myself: (a) Keep the iBook for portable use and get a PowerMac or high-end iMac for home use or (b) get a Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook with a larger external LCD (at least 1280x1024) to cover both portable and home needs. Assuming I am definitely getting an external LCD with either option, I can almost buy a low-end PowerMac G5 (or a DP G4) for the price of a 12-inch PowerBook. OTOH, a Mac PowerBook would go better with the cheapo Wintel box I still want to buy for my wife. And a PowerBook avoids the data-sync issues of an iBook/PowerMac combination.
The way the hardware has evolved the choices have become more difficult (not a bad thing). Very similar to you, I was thinking of either a portable and a tower or just one, higher end portable. I was pretty much set on keeping my tower and upgrading my Pismo to a 12" PB. After checking the results on x-bench I found that the 15" PB outperformed my tower (867 QS) and had the same ports. I don't use any plug-in cards so a 15" PB could serve as both my home and portable system. One advantage will be that it will be quieter than the tower.
Apart from the money there are two attractive options. Each has plusses and minuses.
G5 tower with LCD and a small portable (iBook or PBook).
15" PB with external cinema display, keyboard, mouse. The external keyboard is needed for home use (IMHO) for ergonimics and to avoid the heat of the laptop. After several hours the PB will get unpleasantly warm, especially on a hot day.
For me, the second option will be just about perfect. I wish Apple would put in a BTO for the laptops to allow the use of the new Hitachi 7200 RPM drive. That will be a nice addition to the portables.
A long time ago (8, 9 years?) there was a concept drawing in MacWorld magazine showing a future Mac. It was, essentially, a flat panel with a keyboard and mouse. With a 15" PB, cinema display and keyboard the future has pretty much arrived.
Originally posted by Escher
I wonder where the CNBC lady got her information. It doesn't seem like she got it from yesterday's earnings call, otherwise the hawk-eyed Mac press would have reported on it. Where else could she have gotten the information? Certainly not from Apple itself. Otherwise Apple would have to file a statement under Regulation FD to publicize this material information that was released accidentally to CNBC to the public at large. My pessimistic hunch is that she mixed things up or mis-spoke.
I'm not going to council against pessimism in this case, but Apple has been known to give some prominent journalists, senior analysts and important customers closed-door previews of its upcoming products.
Steve did this a lot when Apple was still fighting to reestablish itself, and I wouldn't be too surprised if the likes of Charles Wolf and Andy Inahtko already have a pretty good idea of what the next PowerBook will be like. So it's not impossible that the CNBC correspondent actually has a hook into real information.
I wouldn't bet money on it, but it's possible.