Is there any way, then, that even though the new PowerBooks won't be G5-based, perhaps they're going to indeed be more in the 1.4-1.6GHz range, as opposed to the expected 1.2GH/? And perhaps with 200MHz bus speeds?
I'm just speculating based on what I know. I know Powerlogix said they had chips at 1.6 and I have no reason to doubt them. They also leaked news of their first 7455 upgrades on the boards prior to shipping. So the chips exist. In what quantities, who knows? But PowerBooks at 1.25 and 1.4 would be nice.
Moto said speeds "up to 1.3GHz" on the 7457 but I know that the 7455 was "officially" topped out at 1GHz until recently, while Apple had been shipping 1.42 machines since January or February. There were about six months where those parts were not listed on Moto's site for purchase.
I am assuming a 200MHz bus because that was what the Register reported last spring. But someone on another board said they read it topped out at 133. I don't believe that because why would the 7457 support a SLOWER bus than the 7455? Especially if they are supposed to be pin-compatible?
is it just me or is this imac update really good news?
i would be so bold to assume that the powerbooks will be at least 1.25ghz on the low end.... i think that will make for one killer 12" pb! now if they would only add dvi on the 12"
i'm sure all of you guys waiting for the 15" PB can surmise what 1.25ghz on the low end will mean for the 15"!!!!
is it just me or is this imac update really good news?
It does seem to be, but only in a world where logic applies. In a world where Apple is continually forced to do illogical things from a product standpoint due to an inadequate processor update cycle, it may mean nothing. Ah well, cross the toes and hope.
The PowerBooks will be updated by the 16th. Perhaps maybe as early as this Wednesday?
Apple Insider's front page news blurb regarding PowerBooks states, "Sources could not confirm a date or time for the official announcement, but did mention September 9th or 10th as likely candidates."
Mac Rumors seems confident that there will not be PowerBook updates tomorrow. They said iMac updates were more imminent than PowerBook updates, and sure enough, they were right.
The money is on Think Secret though for nailing the details back on August 20th. Good job, Nick!
Consider this:
The iMac has now been updated twice since the last 15-inch PowerBook update.
The $1800 new iMac is more powerful than the 15-inch PowerBook which costs $2600.
The new iMac has a 1.25 GHz processor, faster than the current top of the line PowerBook.
The new iMac has USB 2, DDR 333 RAM, and is both Airport Extreme and Bluetooth ready, none of which are available on the current top end 15-inch, which is $800 more.
This is terribly lop-sided and hopefully won't last long.
Dont normally jump into the prediction fray, but two things I noticed this weekend and today. Went to Fry's here in Austin and there was only a 17" PB on display, no 12 no 15. They had 17" refurbs on sale for $2799; sale price ending 9/9/03. This may not seem strange to many, but the Fry's here has NEVER offered refurbs, just open box deals at $100 below retail. Another person got an open box deal on a 17" from CompUSA at $2750. I'll swing by the CompUSA here to see if they have the same deal going on. Last time CompUSA had such a huge discount on an open box model was right before the iBook updates. It seems VERY strange to me to see 2 retailers that rarely offer any refurbs (atleast here in Austin) all of a sudden have a number of them around. Couple this with Fry's end of sale date of 9/9/03 it seems awfully coincidental. Makes me think that there is something in the works for the PB line, even if its just a little speed bump like the iMac.
So why intro the iMac first if the Pbook is coming shortly? It's sort of a perception issue. By the iMac appearing first the Pbook update looks even weaker than it is (if only a 250 MHz bump, etc., per rumors). At least if you intro the Pbook first there is more positive spin that you can put on bringing the iMacs up to "pro" standards rather than bringing the Pbooks up to consumer standards.
Again, it all makes a little more sense if the Pbook update is better than we've been hearing (yes, those rumor thingys again).
maybe the imac uses the 7455+ and was ready to go and apple is (still) waiting for the 7457 to drop in their new 15incher pb's. [edit] next time i will read all replies: already mentioned by PizzaBoy.
but one thing is for sure: the 15"pb will have at least 1.25Ghz or better.
it is ready to go but as a new product it needs mr.jobs to tell everybody it finally arrived.
they won't have introduced this speedbumped imac with very nice specs (and again 100 euro's cheaper) before the new pb-line if the 15"pb wasn't ready and it has to fear of updated imac's with almost the same specs to make it look bad.
or it doesn't matter...
we will whine about our hardwaristic poverty anyway.
so the marketing department thought: chew on these for a week
Ideally, if you look to the G5 AND today's new iMac, we should be able to piece together a fairly reasonable picture of what the new PowerBooks (particularly the 15" which is lagging quite behind the others) will be sporting.
I would imagine FireWire 800 and USB 2 DEFINITELY on the 15" and 17" models. And you know what? As long as they're going to sheath that thing in aluminum and stick the word "power" in its moniker, they'd damn well better let those things find their way to the 12" model too (that goes the same for DVI and L3 cache)!
Don't get me started...
But there will probably also be 2x SuperDrives (I'd love them to be more and I'd LOVE the CD-R to be at least 16x). Do they make a 2x SuperDrive with 16x CD-R speed? Or, are there any reasons - economically or technically - the newer 4x SuperDrives (which do indeed have 16x CD-R) couldn't be used in the PowerBooks?
And of course the 15" will get AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth. That's a no-brainer, I'd imagine.
You know, there's something else...something small and catchy and unique that I bet will make it on there too that isn't available on any laptop. I don't even know what it is, but I bet that Apple - in some sort of effort to help offset the mass frustration and near-hysteria swirling around the long-untouched PowerBooks - will throw something on these new PowerBooks to help "sweeten the deal"...and hold most people over until the arrival of a G5-based PowerBook.
But there will probably also be 2x SuperDrives (I'd love them to be more and I'd LOVE the CD-R to be at least 16x). Do they make a 2x SuperDrive with 16x CD-R speed?
I was kinda hoping for something a little more "official", if you will. I'm not going to go screw around and void the warranty - or worse, completely $#%@ up my damn drive - by doing some little third-party thing.
I read the warning there. I think I'll wait until it's like that out of the box. Thanks.
PizzaBoy mentioned Mac Scooby Doo's story on the new iMacs using the old 7455 G4s but not their previous claim that Moto has finally had success producing 30,000 1.25 and 20,000 1.3 GHz 7457s.
Link (Syntax and grammar cleaned up by me so that my head won't explode.)
"Motorola still has big difficulties with the 7457 CPU's lithographic mask, which is engineered at the Crolles [France] plant. The mask's failures account for the mistakes, which cause a subsequent flaw in the G4s production.
As Motorola is contractually obligated to sell 7457 CPUs at a pre-defined price, they currently lose $125 per valid unit built. Last week though things got better, and success rates improved. Motorola managed to produce 30,000 1.25 GHz certified CPUs, and 20,000 1.3 GHz ones."
This report makes sense in light of today's iMac updates. Supplies of the 7457 G4s are obviously tight, so why waste them on the iMac if that line can get by with 7455s? I say take these 50,000 chips and put 'em in PBs just in time for Paris.
Comments
Originally posted by pscates
Is there any way, then, that even though the new PowerBooks won't be G5-based, perhaps they're going to indeed be more in the 1.4-1.6GHz range, as opposed to the expected 1.2GH/? And perhaps with 200MHz bus speeds?
I'm just speculating based on what I know. I know Powerlogix said they had chips at 1.6 and I have no reason to doubt them. They also leaked news of their first 7455 upgrades on the boards prior to shipping. So the chips exist. In what quantities, who knows? But PowerBooks at 1.25 and 1.4 would be nice.
Moto said speeds "up to 1.3GHz" on the 7457 but I know that the 7455 was "officially" topped out at 1GHz until recently, while Apple had been shipping 1.42 machines since January or February. There were about six months where those parts were not listed on Moto's site for purchase.
I am assuming a 200MHz bus because that was what the Register reported last spring. But someone on another board said they read it topped out at 133. I don't believe that because why would the 7457 support a SLOWER bus than the 7455? Especially if they are supposed to be pin-compatible?
i would be so bold to assume that the powerbooks will be at least 1.25ghz on the low end.... i think that will make for one killer 12" pb! now if they would only add dvi on the 12"
i'm sure all of you guys waiting for the 15" PB can surmise what 1.25ghz on the low end will mean for the 15"!!!!
Originally posted by whoami
is it just me or is this imac update really good news?
i would be so bold to assume that the powerbooks will be at least 1.25ghz on the low end.... i think that will make for one killer 12" pb!
Don't count on it. 1.0Ghz for the 12", maybe.
I'd like to think - after nearly 9 months - there is no "maybe" to the subject of the 12" PowerBook getting AT LEAST a 1GHz G4.
If only for psychological reasons alone.
What, 867MHz to 933MHz? Is that what you expect? No way. At least 1GHz, no doubt about it...otherwise, there might be riots.
i've got higher hopes seeing what the imac is at!
the powerbook isn't a consumer model is it?
They wouldn't want their consumer desktop totally trouncing their "pro" laptop, would they?
Originally posted by pscates
They wouldn't want their consumer desktop totally trouncing their "pro" laptop, would they?
Well, they have both been at 1GHz for almost eight months...
Originally posted by whoami
is it just me or is this imac update really good news?
It does seem to be, but only in a world where logic applies. In a world where Apple is continually forced to do illogical things from a product standpoint due to an inadequate processor update cycle, it may mean nothing. Ah well, cross the toes and hope.
Apple Insider's front page news blurb regarding PowerBooks states, "Sources could not confirm a date or time for the official announcement, but did mention September 9th or 10th as likely candidates."
Mac Rumors seems confident that there will not be PowerBook updates tomorrow. They said iMac updates were more imminent than PowerBook updates, and sure enough, they were right.
The money is on Think Secret though for nailing the details back on August 20th. Good job, Nick!
Consider this:
- The iMac has now been updated twice since the last 15-inch PowerBook update.
- The $1800 new iMac is more powerful than the 15-inch PowerBook which costs $2600.
- The new iMac has a 1.25 GHz processor, faster than the current top of the line PowerBook.
- The new iMac has USB 2, DDR 333 RAM, and is both Airport Extreme and Bluetooth ready, none of which are available on the current top end 15-inch, which is $800 more.
This is terribly lop-sided and hopefully won't last long.Originally posted by DHagan4755
[*]The $1800 new iMac is more powerful than the 15-inch PowerBook which costs $2600.
It's also more powerful than the 17" PB that costs $3300.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
It's also more powerful than the 17" PB that costs $3300.
Higher clock speed, but no L3 cache.
Originally posted by neumac
So why intro the iMac first if the Pbook is coming shortly? It's sort of a perception issue. By the iMac appearing first the Pbook update looks even weaker than it is (if only a 250 MHz bump, etc., per rumors). At least if you intro the Pbook first there is more positive spin that you can put on bringing the iMacs up to "pro" standards rather than bringing the Pbooks up to consumer standards.
Again, it all makes a little more sense if the Pbook update is better than we've been hearing (yes, those rumor thingys again).
maybe the imac uses the 7455+ and was ready to go and apple is (still) waiting for the 7457 to drop in their new 15incher pb's. [edit] next time i will read all replies: already mentioned by PizzaBoy.
but one thing is for sure: the 15"pb will have at least 1.25Ghz or better.
it is ready to go but as a new product it needs mr.jobs to tell everybody it finally arrived.
they won't have introduced this speedbumped imac with very nice specs (and again 100 euro's cheaper) before the new pb-line if the 15"pb wasn't ready and it has to fear of updated imac's with almost the same specs to make it look bad.
or it doesn't matter...
we will whine about our hardwaristic poverty anyway.
so the marketing department thought: chew on these for a week
Originally posted by gar
so the marketing department thought: chew on these for a week
It sure does give everyone more to speculate about, eh?
One thing we can surely count on in new PowerBooks is USB2, if iMacs now have it.
Originally posted by iDave
One thing we can surely count on in new PowerBooks is USB2, if iMacs now have it.
yeah that's for sure.
though....meh.
I would imagine FireWire 800 and USB 2 DEFINITELY on the 15" and 17" models. And you know what? As long as they're going to sheath that thing in aluminum and stick the word "power" in its moniker, they'd damn well better let those things find their way to the 12" model too (that goes the same for DVI and L3 cache)!
Don't get me started...
But there will probably also be 2x SuperDrives (I'd love them to be more and I'd LOVE the CD-R to be at least 16x). Do they make a 2x SuperDrive with 16x CD-R speed? Or, are there any reasons - economically or technically - the newer 4x SuperDrives (which do indeed have 16x CD-R) couldn't be used in the PowerBooks?
And of course the 15" will get AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth. That's a no-brainer, I'd imagine.
You know, there's something else...something small and catchy and unique that I bet will make it on there too that isn't available on any laptop. I don't even know what it is, but I bet that Apple - in some sort of effort to help offset the mass frustration and near-hysteria swirling around the long-untouched PowerBooks - will throw something on these new PowerBooks to help "sweeten the deal"...and hold most people over until the arrival of a G5-based PowerBook.
Originally posted by pscates
But there will probably also be 2x SuperDrives (I'd love them to be more and I'd LOVE the CD-R to be at least 16x). Do they make a 2x SuperDrive with 16x CD-R speed?
Yes. They're in Powerbooks already.
http://superdrive.cynikal.net/
I was kinda hoping for something a little more "official", if you will. I'm not going to go screw around and void the warranty - or worse, completely $#%@ up my damn drive - by doing some little third-party thing.
I read the warning there. I think I'll wait until it's like that out of the box. Thanks.
Link (Syntax and grammar cleaned up by me so that my head won't explode.)
"Motorola still has big difficulties with the 7457 CPU's lithographic mask, which is engineered at the Crolles [France] plant. The mask's failures account for the mistakes, which cause a subsequent flaw in the G4s production.
As Motorola is contractually obligated to sell 7457 CPUs at a pre-defined price, they currently lose $125 per valid unit built. Last week though things got better, and success rates improved. Motorola managed to produce 30,000 1.25 GHz certified CPUs, and 20,000 1.3 GHz ones."
This report makes sense in light of today's iMac updates. Supplies of the 7457 G4s are obviously tight, so why waste them on the iMac if that line can get by with 7455s? I say take these 50,000 chips and put 'em in PBs just in time for Paris.
That would be great!