Where is left for the iBook to go
If you look at things, the iBook has nowhere to go, given the territory occupied by the new 12" powerbook. It has stolen the small size, price point (nearly) and the L3 chache-less processor. I can't see the iBook do anything apart from languish like the G3 iMac does currently.
What are your ideas?
David
What are your ideas?
David
Comments
<strong>If you look at things, the iBook has nowhere to go, given the territory occupied by the new 12" powerbook. It has stolen the small size, price point (nearly) and the L3 chache-less processor. I can't see the iBook do anything apart from languish like the G3 iMac does currently.
What are your ideas?
David</strong><hr></blockquote>
MHz-wise you are right - the iBooks' processor will not be faster than the small PowerBooks'.
But you could still make an iBook that resembles the small PowerBook pretty much. But all of the components will be one generatin behind: slower graphics, slower RAM, slower HDD, slower optical-drive, no slot-loading drive, no metall enclosure, still "bulkier", still a bit heavier, but also cheaper.
or, just KEEP lowering PRICES!
All 14" models (slightly smaller/lighter than the current 14)
All G3's.
No spanning support.
Faster Combo drives, bigger HDD's.
Same prices for the first 3 months of rev, followed by 100USD price drops across the board.
So that the board looks like this
999-1299-1499
then 3 months after the switch to all 14" books
899-1199-1399
The bottom end model being a leftover circuitboard of previous gen. The top 2 models getting bluetooth and airport ex, NO firewrie800 untill all models have gotten it.
<strong>Just turn it into a convertable tablet apple!</strong><hr></blockquote>
This would be a the natural evolution of the ibook. I hear laptops with tablet abilities are hitting their sales target already.
700 MHz G3
128 MB RAM
20 GB HD
ATi Radeon 7500 32 MB
Combo Drive
56k Modem
10/100 Ethernet
Firewire 400
AirPort ready
12.1" Screen
Mac OS 9 Support
$799
800 MHz G3
256 MB RAM
30 GB HD
ATi Radeon 32 MB Graphics card
Combo Drive
56k Modem
10/100 Ethernet
Firewire 400
Airport Extreme Ready
12.1" Screen
$999
900 MHz G3
256 MB RAM
40 GB HD
ATi Radeon 7500 32 MB
Combo Drive
56k Modem
10/100 Ethernet
Firewire 400
Firewire 800
Airport Extreme Ready
14.1" Screen
$1299
Build to order:
900 MHz G3
256 MB RAM
40 GB HD
ATi Radeon 7500 or NVIDIA GeForce4 420 Go 32 MB
SuperDrive
56k Modem
10/100 Ethernet
Firewire 400
Firewire 800
Airport Extreme Ready
14.1" Screen
$1499
That way you have a cheap, decent Mac OS 9 laptop at a low price point, 2 laptops priced to move at under $1000, and the first iBook with a SuperDrive (at a decent price, no less).
I think Apple will put Firewire 800 on the 14.1" model since I don't consider that a laptop that will compete with the 12.1" model
The incentive to 'upgrade' to the 12" PowerBook G4 would still be a G4 processor, internal bluetooth, more video out options, and portability.
This would definitely add to the 'year of the portables' that Apple wants to push.
A 14" is not just what everyone else makes, it's what everyone else buys! When you look around a college campus what do you see, 14 and 15 desktop replacement books.
Even a great many of people here who claim to love the 12" size so much would have bought a 14 if it didn't cost more. There's a beautiful 12" powerbook out now and many of the same 12" iBook owners are claiming it doesn't offer enough over their iBooks, but what they really mean is it costs too much, and that's exactly the same situation with the 14" iBook. Not only would more mac users buy it (at the 999 and 1299 price points) more switchers would too.
How many times have you said this about the 14" iBook, Matsu? I seem to recall at least two or three times other than this one. I'm not sure if I totally agree, but it seems reasonable.
Personally, if the 14" iBook cost the exact same as the 12", and it weighed the same, then I might have considered getting one instead of my 12". But this 12" has a smaller footprint too, making it easier to slip in my backpack... maybe if the 14" iBook went down in thickness too. I mean, the 15" PowerBook is thinner than the 12" one.
[ 01-29-2003: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>
<strong>There should be a new forum, temporarily, called "Matsu's Opinion" and Matsu could post his opinion there without anyone being allowed to respond. </strong><hr></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.matsuknows.com" target="_blank">www.matsuknows.com</a> is available (hey, the joke worked in a different forum....)
<strong>
<a href="http://www.matsuknows.com" target="_blank">www.matsuknows.com</a> is available (hey, the joke worked in a different forum....)</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not really.
<strong>I actually think the specs I posted above are realistic. Apple might not have the same low end model but I think it could be done.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't think we'll ever see a machine with a SuperDrive and a G3. iDVD leans too heavily on AltiVec.