I don't THINK so! They'd be pretty much killing 15" PowerBook sales because a) not everyone wants/needs a SuperDrive and b) not everyone has $2600 laying around, but they could swing $1999 or so.
Picking up on your thinking, I wonder what that magic price point for the 15" PB would be. The one that would make it fly off the shelves (not that it wouldn't already based on the pent up demand here). It really is their cash cow Powerbook and an aggressive price could really boost Apple's year end numbers.
I'd love to see Apple drop current prices by $100 across the board while adding upgraded processor speeds. So basically the same respective breakdown (ie.combo, superdrive), we could see:
12" - 1499, 1699
15" - 1899, 2499
17"- 3199
A 1.3 Ghz aluminum 15" PB w/combo drive at $1899 would fly, no?
Wathing all you guys throwing specs around like this is getting the juices going. My only concern is that they aren't going to have these PB's shipping immediately. We may have to wait a week or two.
Wathing all you guys throwing specs around like this is getting the juices going. My only concern is that they aren't going to have these PB's shipping immediately. We may have to wait a week or two.
heh...compared to the 2+ month wait for the G5, a week or two is nothing!
Specific questions, specific answers. The text, for those who don't use tabs
Quote:
Easily the hottest question in the PowerPage in-box (and via IM) is "Where is the PowerBook 5-Inch update?" While we don't have a precise announcement date we can tell you that it isn't likely to be announced at Apple Expo in Paris later this month.
Q. So what is the holdup?
Some have suggested that the PB15 is being held up to launch with Panther "pre-installed." This is not likely the case, about 5,000 machines are in boxes already with an "upgrade certificate" so that the user can upgrade to "Panther".
With that already said, almost all new PB15s are running on a version of Jaguar (10.2.7) that has some additions included for new features and systems.
Depending on your model and your position on the Apple Campus, most all DVT/EVT (development mule) PB12s/15s/and 17s are running Panther, and they were scheduled to ship with "Panther" installed. Don't forget that this is a "scaled back" version of Panther and they may not have the finder updates right off the bat. Some new PowerBooks will ship with this "different version" of Panther.
You will be able to upgrade your new PowerBook to the full Panther release
when available no charge.
Q. So what about the back to school buyers?
Apple blew a major opportunity here. Apple missed the last three HUGE back to
school buying weekends. This is estimated to be costing Apple 2-10k in lost PowerBook unit sales PER DAY to the back to schoolers alone.
Q. Or is Motorola's new G4 processor the bottleneck?
It wasn't Moto, it was the final assembly factory in Taiwan.
Q. Are all three PowerBooks (12/15/17) getting ambient (keyboard) lighting and FireWire800?
A. Yes, confirmed on EVT and DVT models.
(added emphasis mine.) Personally, I put OGPP somewhere below AI, but above most others, as they usually don't get into rumors unless they know.
While we don't have a precise announcement date we can tell you that it isn't likely to be announced at Apple Expo in Paris later this month.
_________________________________________
Ummm, they're wrong.
Don't beat me up for posting this BUT ,
I just got a personal confirmation on the 15" AlBook, announced during Paris Stevenote available immediatley. Actually 12, 15, 17 all updated, all available immediately.
I just got a personal confirmation on the 15" AlBook, announced during Paris Stevenote available immediatley. 9 Actually 12, 15, 17 all updated, all available immediately.
MSKR [/B]
what means you by 9? 9 options/configurations? 9 black riders?
what means you by 9? 9 options/configurations? 9 black riders?
The "9" was going to be a parentheses and I didn't hit shift hard enough.
This info is not so secret as Apple has to do some hand holding with their distributors/retail channel/ VAR's due to the almost complete lack of PowerBook availabily.
So this information is being "leaked" but it's kind of an approved leak so the retail channel peeps have an inkling as to what to tell customers who want to but a PowerBook that , according to the channel, can't be ordered / delivered .
I think this is Steve's way of saying.. "Allright. Allright.. Calm down . Their coming for Christ's sakes."
I just spoke to the apple rep at my campus store about the powerbook updates. He said that he has seen screen shots of the firmware for the new 17 and 12" books and that the processors will be clocked at 1ghz and 1.35ghz (12 and 17"). he doesn't know anything about a 15" update, but he did just receive a shippment of 15" TiBooks and he was explaining that there was a huge back order on the current 15" powerbook. Something lik e700 units. All north american retailers were affected.
Anyway this is what he told me. The 1ghz and 1.35ghz is the most interesting part. Hopefully it means that the 15" book will get a similar update.
Anyway this is what he told me. The 1ghz and 1.35ghz is the most interesting part. Hopefully it means that the 15" book will get a similar update.
Interesting. If true, a 167 MHz bus would be impossible, leaving us with the idea of a 200 MHz system bus speed. If that's true, DDR400 memory is possible.
If Apple opts for the 2MB DDR L3 cache, made possible by the 7457, this PB update could be quite speedy. The L2 in this chip is twice the size of the one it replaces so performance would be appreciably better than the MHz increase suggests.
Let's just hope there are enough of the 15" AlBooks to meet demand.
Wow, I'm going to be in SUCH a pickle in about a week!
Gonna be a tough decision, especially if this new 15" is sporting the faster bus and larger cache mentioned above. Talk about a true "no compromise", desktop replacement portable!
Probably just as well if there's a little trouble meeting demand...gives me an extra month or so to put the final funds into place. That little "iBook/iPod gift for a friend" last month set me back...ate into my PowerBook fund a little bit.
Comments
Originally posted by pscates
I don't THINK so! They'd be pretty much killing 15" PowerBook sales because a) not everyone wants/needs a SuperDrive and b) not everyone has $2600 laying around, but they could swing $1999 or so.
Picking up on your thinking, I wonder what that magic price point for the 15" PB would be. The one that would make it fly off the shelves (not that it wouldn't already based on the pent up demand here). It really is their cash cow Powerbook and an aggressive price could really boost Apple's year end numbers.
I'd love to see Apple drop current prices by $100 across the board while adding upgraded processor speeds. So basically the same respective breakdown (ie.combo, superdrive), we could see:
12" - 1499, 1699
15" - 1899, 2499
17"- 3199
A 1.3 Ghz aluminum 15" PB w/combo drive at $1899 would fly, no?
Then Apple could truly say they've got the bases covered in that $2000 span between $999 and $2999.
But yeah, Satchmo...I WOULD be nice if the other other models - particularly the 15" - could skootch down a tad more too.
Originally posted by Joecool
Wathing all you guys throwing specs around like this is getting the juices going. My only concern is that they aren't going to have these PB's shipping immediately. We may have to wait a week or two.
heh...compared to the 2+ month wait for the G5, a week or two is nothing!
Specific questions, specific answers. The text, for those who don't use tabs
Easily the hottest question in the PowerPage in-box (and via IM) is "Where is the PowerBook 5-Inch update?" While we don't have a precise announcement date we can tell you that it isn't likely to be announced at Apple Expo in Paris later this month.
Q. So what is the holdup?
Some have suggested that the PB15 is being held up to launch with Panther "pre-installed." This is not likely the case, about 5,000 machines are in boxes already with an "upgrade certificate" so that the user can upgrade to "Panther".
With that already said, almost all new PB15s are running on a version of Jaguar (10.2.7) that has some additions included for new features and systems.
Depending on your model and your position on the Apple Campus, most all DVT/EVT (development mule) PB12s/15s/and 17s are running Panther, and they were scheduled to ship with "Panther" installed. Don't forget that this is a "scaled back" version of Panther and they may not have the finder updates right off the bat. Some new PowerBooks will ship with this "different version" of Panther.
You will be able to upgrade your new PowerBook to the full Panther release
when available no charge.
Q. So what about the back to school buyers?
Apple blew a major opportunity here. Apple missed the last three HUGE back to
school buying weekends. This is estimated to be costing Apple 2-10k in lost PowerBook unit sales PER DAY to the back to schoolers alone.
Q. Or is Motorola's new G4 processor the bottleneck?
It wasn't Moto, it was the final assembly factory in Taiwan.
Q. Are all three PowerBooks (12/15/17) getting ambient (keyboard) lighting and FireWire800?
A. Yes, confirmed on EVT and DVT models.
(added emphasis mine.) Personally, I put OGPP somewhere below AI, but above most others, as they usually don't get into rumors unless they know.
________________________________________
While we don't have a precise announcement date we can tell you that it isn't likely to be announced at Apple Expo in Paris later this month.
_________________________________________
Ummm, they're wrong.
Don't beat me up for posting this BUT ,
I just got a personal confirmation on the 15" AlBook, announced during Paris Stevenote available immediatley. Actually 12, 15, 17 all updated, all available immediately.
The wait is over.
(Info comes from within Apple)
MSKR
Originally posted by Masker
Don't beat me up for posting this BUT
We would only beat you up if you were wrong.
Originally posted by Masker
I just got a personal confirmation on the 15" AlBook, announced during Paris Stevenote available immediatley. 9 Actually 12, 15, 17 all updated, all available immediately.
MSKR [/B]
what means you by 9? 9 options/configurations? 9 black riders?
Cant ****in believe it... Had the cops over, filed a report, and am hoping for the best. Pricks took it from the front of my house.
But all i car think about is MSKRs report.
Well??? Fill us in!
Originally posted by iRiKLiAN
But all i car think about is MSKRs report.
Are you sure? Sounds like a Freudian slip
Originally posted by mania
what means you by 9? 9 options/configurations? 9 black riders?
The "9" was going to be a parentheses and I didn't hit shift hard enough.
This info is not so secret as Apple has to do some hand holding with their distributors/retail channel/ VAR's due to the almost complete lack of PowerBook availabily.
So this information is being "leaked" but it's kind of an approved leak so the retail channel peeps have an inkling as to what to tell customers who want to but a PowerBook that , according to the channel, can't be ordered / delivered .
I think this is Steve's way of saying.. "Allright. Allright.. Calm down . Their coming for Christ's sakes."
MSKR
Originally posted by iRiKLiAN
My car just got stolen!
Cant ****in believe it... Had the cops over, filed a report, and am hoping for the best. Pricks took it from the front of my house.
...and this affects PowerBooks how?
But all i car think about is MSKRs report.
Well??? Fill us in!
Ah, I get it.
And Masker, thanks for the info! I was skeptical of the "not at Paris Expo" bit, but as I'm emotionally attached to that news, I wanted some backup.
If you're wrong, we have a scapegoat.
Originally posted by Wrong Robust
MSKR....you don't need to get into specifics but big update? small update?
just a " 12's, 15's & 17's ready the day of the keynote" "available immediately"
I asked about 7455/7457 speed/processor and only got "G4" back.
End of conversation. Didn't want to press my luck.
MSKR
Anyway this is what he told me. The 1ghz and 1.35ghz is the most interesting part. Hopefully it means that the 15" book will get a similar update.
Originally posted by Cosmo
Anyway this is what he told me. The 1ghz and 1.35ghz is the most interesting part. Hopefully it means that the 15" book will get a similar update.
Interesting. If true, a 167 MHz bus would be impossible, leaving us with the idea of a 200 MHz system bus speed. If that's true, DDR400 memory is possible.
If Apple opts for the 2MB DDR L3 cache, made possible by the 7457, this PB update could be quite speedy. The L2 in this chip is twice the size of the one it replaces so performance would be appreciably better than the MHz increase suggests.
Let's just hope there are enough of the 15" AlBooks to meet demand.
Originally posted by Rolo
Let's just hope there are enough of the 15" AlBooks to meet demand.
I've been waiting since the G5's were announced, I don't want to wait any longer!
Originally posted by Rolo
Let's just hope there are enough of the 15" AlBooks to meet demand.
Of course they won't.
Gonna be a tough decision, especially if this new 15" is sporting the faster bus and larger cache mentioned above. Talk about a true "no compromise", desktop replacement portable!
Probably just as well if there's a little trouble meeting demand...gives me an extra month or so to put the final funds into place. That little "iBook/iPod gift for a friend" last month set me back...ate into my PowerBook fund a little bit.
But in a good way, so that's cool.