This is the first time that I can remember that Apple has been hyped when about to release a new product, and then lived up to it, and surpassed it in this case. Kudos to Apple for not only a great release, but keeping it under raps. They definately made it exiting. Now excuse me while I fill out my online order form.
<strong>This is the first time that I can remember that Apple has been hyped when about to release a new product, and then lived up to it, and surpassed it in this case. Kudos to Apple for not only a great release, but keeping it under raps. They definately made it exiting. Now excuse me while I fill out my online order form.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yay Flash!!! Kick ass man, way to get out of that loop!
I just got the 800MHz powerbook for about $3000 this August. I guess 3 months with the top-of-the-line model is pretty decent, huh? I wonder how much my slightly used (but still in immaculate condition) powerbook G4 would fetch on eBay...
Actually as a college student follow this course of action if you want really cheap apple hardware. It is a little loophole I found a few weeks ago. As a currently enrolled college student you are elgible to buy a student developer discount. This entitles you to many things not the least of which is 1 purchase of apple hardware at the developer price which is insanely low. Check the prices for hardware at
The cost for a membership is $100 but just look at the savings. Right now I am pricing out the PB 1Ghz with 1GB of RAM and a superdrive for $2299. Isn't the college life grand.
The real cool part is that once a new version of OS X comes out - like Jaguar a month ago - you get it - now hold on to your seats - for FREE! So, you paid virtually nothing for the benefits of ADC. Unfortunately you have to be enrolled in comupter science/software development related classes.
Off topic: I am sort of glad that all the negative talk seems to be over - makes my glad I switched. Makes me wonder what Apple has up its sleeves for MWSF since this was such a quiet announcement.
The real cool part is that once a new version of OS X comes out - like Jaguar a month ago - you get it - now hold on to your seats - for FREE! So, you paid virtually nothing for the benefits of ADC. Unfortunately you have to be enrolled in comupter science/software development related classes.
Off topic: I am sort of glad that all the negative talk seems to be over - makes my glad I switched. Makes me wonder what Apple has up its sleeves for MWSF since this was such a quiet announcement.
This is a quote from the apple website. No one believes me when I say you DON'T need to be in a computer class but here is the proof.
"How To Enroll"
Sign up online with the Apple Developer Connection for U.S. $99.
After agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, you must identify yourself as a student, fill in your student identification number, and write in your School Name on the "Your Information" page. To be eligible for the ADC Student Program, you must be currently enrolled as a part-time or full-time student at a college or university, have a student identification number, and be at least 18 years of age.
Purchase the Student Developer Program. You will receive an e-mail welcoming you to the Apple Developer Connection.
Your Membership benefits will begin as soon as your purchase has cleared. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of your first ADC Student Orientation Kit.
hey, i don't mean to bring anybody down, since this is one hell of an update, but has anyone else noticed that all available drives run at 4200RPM?
I'm guessing this was a heat issue, and had to be done to accomodate a 1GHz G4, but it would seem like a pretty big deal considering the market for these laptops (media professionals).
[edit]
P.S. Congrats to Moki on the continued software bundling!!!
<strong>hey, i don't mean to bring anybody down, since this is one hell of an update, but has anyone else noticed that all available drives run at 4200RPM?
I'm guessing this was a heat issue, and had to be done to accomodate a 1GHz G4, but it would seem like a pretty big deal considering the market for these laptops (media professionals).
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't really think it's a problem. For intensive media-work one would use an external FireWire Drive anyway (or a PowerMac in the first place). And I'm sure it's fast enough for editing video or audio on the road.
Personally I am going to use it for audio with an external 120 GB 7200 rpm FireWire Drive. If I'm on the road I don't need as many tracks as in the studio, and if I do, I don't think it's a problem bringing along the extra drive.
So it's really a non-issue - at least for me
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: Power Apple ]</p>
<strong>So, anybody know if you can increase the VRAM in the new low end powerbook from 32MB to 64MB?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't think so. The new Mobile chips have the VRAM built right on the GPU die. The chips are pin compatible, but unless you have some sophisticated chip baking equipment, nothing short of a mobo replacement will upgrade the graphics chip.
No huge leaps, (well, one or two on video) but a whole bunch of steps in the right direction. Faster, cheaper (not cheap enough at the low end Ti, but we'll hold off for now) and better specified features and storage all around.
The 999 iBook looks like nothing more than leftover 700's with a CD-Rom, the one real mistake. A DVD drive hardly costs more and would have been killer. It's still a G3, but it's getting pretty fast for a 5 stage pipeline CPU with 512KB L2... System bus still a pathetic 100Mhz, should be 133, but consumer desktops have yet to cross that threshold so...
At 1299, everything but the RAM looks spot on, they should have one 256MB so-dimm soldered into tht slot by now, but dat's OK, third part RAM is cheap. For the target market, it's nice.
The only problem to my eyes is the gap between the top iBook and the Ti867. It's a lot better now, a LOT BETTER, but the way the pricing structure is arranged, it seems to me that Apple can very easily bump the TiBook's price the next time around. The top iBook has to drop further in price to make room for a 1999 PowerBook. The 1849USD config is just a storage bumped version of the 1599 model. Shoulda been dropped completely from the line-up and filled with a 1999 version of the Ti -- something with only a Radeon7500 and 30GB, like the iBooks, but with the Ti shell and Ti's screen.
Don't get me wrong, it looks like a good update from here, but it still looks to be arranged such that Apple has room to snap the prices right back to their previous levels when the next all new model appears. I don't see any guaranteed long term commitment to lower prices, and that worries me.
For now though, for once, Mac buyers can be confident of a pretty good deal.
By sometime next year (with even further decline in TFT, RAM, optical and storage prices) consumer machines will have to be strictly in the 999-1500 space (including 14" displays) and pro machines will have to come into the 1999-2999 range.
Almost there, smile, but keep up the pressure. A consumer votes with the chequebook. I'll reserve further judgement until I see how Cupertino's interpretation of US-Can exchange turns out.
What do you think the battery life is likely to be on these?
If you're not burning a DVD is it likely to be similiar to the last powerbook, or will the superdrive take up more battery power even when just reading CD's and DVD's.
Sorry but I'm not that technical. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
For the first time in these last years, Apple offered us a better update than expected (but we must confess that we did not use to expect much from Apple this last times ...).
The species of the powerbook are darn good. Even the low model is a much better deal than the previous high end model : 867 mhz vs 800 and mobility radeon 9000 in it ( we have to wait benchmarks, but concerning 3 D i think the new powerbook will be twice as fast).
I'll hope that during the next weeks they will update the i mac line in the same way. It will be good for the sales during Xmas.
Who knows if it will even make it through a complete burn of a full disc, that's a whopping 1X drive. Might take 1.5-2 hours for a full disc, plus other stuff in the background? I dunno.
Comments
<strong>This is the first time that I can remember that Apple has been hyped when about to release a new product, and then lived up to it, and surpassed it in this case. Kudos to Apple for not only a great release, but keeping it under raps. They definately made it exiting. Now excuse me while I fill out my online order form.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yay Flash!!! Kick ass man, way to get out of that loop!
Matthew
<strong>
Actually as a college student follow this course of action if you want really cheap apple hardware. It is a little loophole I found a few weeks ago. As a currently enrolled college student you are elgible to buy a student developer discount. This entitles you to many things not the least of which is 1 purchase of apple hardware at the developer price which is insanely low. Check the prices for hardware at
<a href="http://developer.apple.com/membership/usa.html"; target="_blank">http://developer.apple.com/membership/usa.html</a>;
and click on the adc hardware link.
The cost for a membership is $100 but just look at the savings. Right now I am pricing out the PB 1Ghz with 1GB of RAM and a superdrive for $2299. Isn't the college life grand.
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: mntrapper ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
The real cool part is that once a new version of OS X comes out - like Jaguar a month ago - you get it - now hold on to your seats - for FREE! So, you paid virtually nothing for the benefits of ADC. Unfortunately you have to be enrolled in comupter science/software development related classes.
Off topic: I am sort of glad that all the negative talk seems to be over - makes my glad I switched. Makes me wonder what Apple has up its sleeves for MWSF since this was such a quiet announcement.
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: RolandG ]</p>
<strong>
The real cool part is that once a new version of OS X comes out - like Jaguar a month ago - you get it - now hold on to your seats - for FREE! So, you paid virtually nothing for the benefits of ADC. Unfortunately you have to be enrolled in comupter science/software development related classes.
Off topic: I am sort of glad that all the negative talk seems to be over - makes my glad I switched. Makes me wonder what Apple has up its sleeves for MWSF since this was such a quiet announcement.
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: RolandG ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is a quote from the apple website. No one believes me when I say you DON'T need to be in a computer class but here is the proof.
"How To Enroll"
Sign up online with the Apple Developer Connection for U.S. $99.
After agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, you must identify yourself as a student, fill in your student identification number, and write in your School Name on the "Your Information" page. To be eligible for the ADC Student Program, you must be currently enrolled as a part-time or full-time student at a college or university, have a student identification number, and be at least 18 years of age.
Purchase the Student Developer Program. You will receive an e-mail welcoming you to the Apple Developer Connection.
Your Membership benefits will begin as soon as your purchase has cleared. Please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery of your first ADC Student Orientation Kit.
<strong>2,389??? I am assuming this is the 1gigger without the Superdrive right? if not what are the other prices?</strong><hr></blockquote>
No that would be WITH the superdrive. Prices for student developers (any developers) are damn cheap. Figure between 10-30% off retail.
Good job, Apple...
Finally, a good fight.
I'm guessing this was a heat issue, and had to be done to accomodate a 1GHz G4, but it would seem like a pretty big deal considering the market for these laptops (media professionals).
[edit]
P.S. Congrats to Moki on the continued software bundling!!!
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: concentricity ]</p>
<strong>hey, i don't mean to bring anybody down, since this is one hell of an update, but has anyone else noticed that all available drives run at 4200RPM?
I'm guessing this was a heat issue, and had to be done to accomodate a 1GHz G4, but it would seem like a pretty big deal considering the market for these laptops (media professionals).
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't really think it's a problem. For intensive media-work one would use an external FireWire Drive anyway (or a PowerMac in the first place). And I'm sure it's fast enough for editing video or audio on the road.
Personally I am going to use it for audio with an external 120 GB 7200 rpm FireWire Drive. If I'm on the road I don't need as many tracks as in the studio, and if I do, I don't think it's a problem bringing along the extra drive.
So it's really a non-issue - at least for me
[ 11-06-2002: Message edited by: Power Apple ]</p>
<strong>So, anybody know if you can increase the VRAM in the new low end powerbook from 32MB to 64MB?</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't think so. The new Mobile chips have the VRAM built right on the GPU die. The chips are pin compatible, but unless you have some sophisticated chip baking equipment, nothing short of a mobo replacement will upgrade the graphics chip.
These prices are ridiculously good with ADC.
So you DON'T need to be taking comp. science to join!? :eek: It's a good thing not too many people know about this.
This was a damn good update.
The Apple UK Store is quite slow.
No huge leaps, (well, one or two on video) but a whole bunch of steps in the right direction. Faster, cheaper (not cheap enough at the low end Ti, but we'll hold off for now) and better specified features and storage all around.
The 999 iBook looks like nothing more than leftover 700's with a CD-Rom, the one real mistake. A DVD drive hardly costs more and would have been killer. It's still a G3, but it's getting pretty fast for a 5 stage pipeline CPU with 512KB L2... System bus still a pathetic 100Mhz, should be 133, but consumer desktops have yet to cross that threshold so...
At 1299, everything but the RAM looks spot on, they should have one 256MB so-dimm soldered into tht slot by now, but dat's OK, third part RAM is cheap. For the target market, it's nice.
The only problem to my eyes is the gap between the top iBook and the Ti867. It's a lot better now, a LOT BETTER, but the way the pricing structure is arranged, it seems to me that Apple can very easily bump the TiBook's price the next time around. The top iBook has to drop further in price to make room for a 1999 PowerBook. The 1849USD config is just a storage bumped version of the 1599 model. Shoulda been dropped completely from the line-up and filled with a 1999 version of the Ti -- something with only a Radeon7500 and 30GB, like the iBooks, but with the Ti shell and Ti's screen.
Don't get me wrong, it looks like a good update from here, but it still looks to be arranged such that Apple has room to snap the prices right back to their previous levels when the next all new model appears. I don't see any guaranteed long term commitment to lower prices, and that worries me.
For now though, for once, Mac buyers can be confident of a pretty good deal.
By sometime next year (with even further decline in TFT, RAM, optical and storage prices) consumer machines will have to be strictly in the 999-1500 space (including 14" displays) and pro machines will have to come into the 1999-2999 range.
Almost there, smile, but keep up the pressure. A consumer votes with the chequebook. I'll reserve further judgement until I see how Cupertino's interpretation of US-Can exchange turns out.
If you're not burning a DVD is it likely to be similiar to the last powerbook, or will the superdrive take up more battery power even when just reading CD's and DVD's.
Sorry but I'm not that technical. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
The species of the powerbook are darn good. Even the low model is a much better deal than the previous high end model : 867 mhz vs 800 and mobility radeon 9000 in it ( we have to wait benchmarks, but concerning 3 D i think the new powerbook will be twice as fast).
I'll hope that during the next weeks they will update the i mac line in the same way. It will be good for the sales during Xmas.