12" Powerbook uses the same motherboard as the future iMac
Just a guess but:
The 12" powerbook has DDR ram, GeForce 4 graphics card, Ultra ATA/100 harddrive controler, built in bluetooth, connector for airport extreme and is probably useing one of the new G4 chips. Notice how Apple hasn't announced the bus speed on this or the 17" powerbook.
Having the 12" powerbook and iMac use the same basic motherboard would save considerable money and explain how Apple will be able to sell the powerbook for 1799. These are all the features rumored for the new iMac.
More Proof: On the Applespec site, the 12" Powerbook links to the regular apple.com site, not the normal specification page. It seems Apple wants to keep alot of the specs covered up. Also notice how the things won't ship for another 2-4 weeks . . .
<a href="http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html" target="_blank">Applespec link</a>
[ 01-07-2003: Message edited by: jante99 ]</p>
The 12" powerbook has DDR ram, GeForce 4 graphics card, Ultra ATA/100 harddrive controler, built in bluetooth, connector for airport extreme and is probably useing one of the new G4 chips. Notice how Apple hasn't announced the bus speed on this or the 17" powerbook.
Having the 12" powerbook and iMac use the same basic motherboard would save considerable money and explain how Apple will be able to sell the powerbook for 1799. These are all the features rumored for the new iMac.
More Proof: On the Applespec site, the 12" Powerbook links to the regular apple.com site, not the normal specification page. It seems Apple wants to keep alot of the specs covered up. Also notice how the things won't ship for another 2-4 weeks . . .
<a href="http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html" target="_blank">Applespec link</a>
[ 01-07-2003: Message edited by: jante99 ]</p>
Comments
I seriously doubt that the PowerBook and the iMac could share a motherboard, since the cases are completely different shapes.
the 12" pbook board is so small they could EASILY put it into the normal iMac base.
I like that theory.
This is what an AI thread should be: specific, well-reasoned and deductive. Unfortunately, that's a bit rare around here.
A@ron
<strong>AFAIK the 12" uses a 133 bus because it is DDR 266, the 17" uses a 167 bus because it is DDR 333. Is this a reasonable assumption or not? I simply do not know if it is that simple but I suspect it to be. BTW does anyone know if Safari is named so because of the beach boys song 'Surfing Safari'? I think I remember SJ being somewhat of an oldies fan (including beach boys). The referance to surfing is obvious because it is a browser
A@ron</strong><hr></blockquote>
Oh yeah, I guess you're right... but a bus speed bump of only 33MHz in over a year's span of time seems woefully unimpressive
The iBook had a 66 MHz bus speed from the introduction (mid 1999) until late 2001 when the 600 MHz version came out, and even then, the low end model still had a 66 MHz bus. So the iBook didn't have a 100 MHz bus across the board until May of 2002.
[ 01-08-2003: Message edited by: Luca Rescigno ]</p>
I guess we will know the answer on January 26th. The day that iLife comes out and the new iMac and eMac.
I think y'all maybe right. The DDR controller is merely waiting for a G4 to fully use it.
I generally thought that Apple's motherboards used pretty much the same components throughout the model lines, it was just the shape of the actual silicon board that was changed? I don't see how using the exact same motherboards would make much difference in price, silicon isn't expensive to manufacture. It's just the components like the busses, memory controllers etc. that would be shared. It seems that changing the iMac's internal structure to accomodate a motherboard not sized specifically for it would cost more than simply designing a newly shaped silicon board that would fit the iMac's enclosure.
I don't think the iMac will get FireWire 800 and gigabit ethernet. My money is more on the midgetbook idea.
G-news
Think about it: Firewire 800 in eMacs and iMacs before a PowerMac revision?!
Screed
If you look at the specs, and various bits and pieces, this does fit together:
Neither PB12 or iBook have Gigabit ethernet or PC card slots or that powered Apple video out thingy.
Both have almost identical out ports and screens.
Very similar dimensions.
And can someone post a big alert once a hack to boot it into 9.x is announced, because I want one!
<strong>Just a guess but:
Having the 12" powerbook and iMac use the same basic motherboard would save considerable money and explain how Apple will be able to sell the powerbook for 1799. These are all the features rumored for the new iMac.
More Proof: On the Applespec site, the 12" Powerbook links to the regular apple.com site, not the normal specification page. It seems Apple wants to keep alot of the specs covered up. Also notice how the things won't ship for another 2-4 weeks . . .
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree the 12" powerbook is where they should start for the new iMac, but the form factor of ther 12" powerbook and its arrangements of ports makes it clear that it is actually a heavily upgraded and slightly downsized 12.1" iBook.
<strong>
Oh yeah, I guess you're right... but a bus speed bump of only 33MHz in over a year's span of time seems woefully unimpressive </strong><hr></blockquote>
Yea my mom is still bitching that grandma's imac still only has a 100mhz bus