iBooks updated - PBs next
iBooks have been updated as much as they can without sacrificing the powerbook.
I suspect the PBs are next for update. Probably at Paris Expo.
No widescreen iBook is a dissapointment, but there is room for a third model to join the lineup.
I hope the next powerbook has higher resolution and better color saturation. Couple that with a faster CPU and better graphics card and it would be about as good as it gets realistically as can be hoped for before the Intel transition about 1 year from now.
Powermacs could also do with an update. Apple will probably only update one product, so if it is Powermac it will probably be dual core G5 and Powerbook will probably be 2 GHZ G4. The low-power G5 just doesn't justify any major changes, but if it performs better, I would say that it would be welcome.
I suspect the PBs are next for update. Probably at Paris Expo.
No widescreen iBook is a dissapointment, but there is room for a third model to join the lineup.
I hope the next powerbook has higher resolution and better color saturation. Couple that with a faster CPU and better graphics card and it would be about as good as it gets realistically as can be hoped for before the Intel transition about 1 year from now.
Powermacs could also do with an update. Apple will probably only update one product, so if it is Powermac it will probably be dual core G5 and Powerbook will probably be 2 GHZ G4. The low-power G5 just doesn't justify any major changes, but if it performs better, I would say that it would be welcome.
Comments
I was worried I'd be unhappy with this powerbook (1.25ghz backlit 15.4") that I just bought as soon as the iBooks came out. Nothing can be further from the truth. For 1, the graphics cards aren't that great. For 2, The resolutions are still the same. For 3, the form factor is still the same. For 4, They switched to the gesure trackpads which sidetrack doesn't work with (I can't live without the right click tap). For 5, I basically got this machine for the same price... $1300. So this powerbook will definitely hold me over till the intel transition.
So long story short... I believe this is as much as they possibily could do without killing powerbook sales completely. I'm happy they finally have a core technology compatible graphics card... They look good for ~1k. Great job apple.
PowerBook 13" 1.6GHz ATI9x00/64 512MB 60HD Combo $1599
PowerBook 13" 1.6GHz ATI9x00/64 512MB 80HD SuperDrive $1799
PowerBook 15" 1.6GHz ATI9x00/128 512MB 100HD Combo $2099
PowerBook 15" 1.8GHz ATI9x00/128 512MB 100HD SuperDrive $2399
PowerBook 17" 1.8GHz ATI9x00/128 512MB 100HD SuperDrive $2599
I maybe be a little pessimistic after the mac mini and iBooks update, I hope Apple has something more attractive before the switch to Intel.
Originally posted by ibook911
Would a 13.3-inch widescreen Powerbook make it significantly bigger form factor? A lot wider? I like the size of my Powerbook right now.
It would be wider: like an iBook 14" (12.7") but the same depth as the actual PB 12" (8.6"), if it exists...
Originally posted by mjteix
It would be wider: like an iBook 14" (12.7") but the same depth as the actual PB 12" (8.6"), if it exists...
Assuming the resolution was higher than 1024 for width, I'd buy one in an intel configuration.
Originally posted by emig647
Well I didn't see the ATI 9550 being the graphics card of choice.... I'm happy they finally have a core technology compatible graphics card... They look good for ~1k. Great job apple.
I have to take away this statement...... I don't think the ATI 9550 is Core Technology compatible any more.... can anyone confirm this? If it isn't... ibooks are worthless to me.
Originally posted by emig647
I have to take away this statement...... I don't think the ATI 9550 is Core Technology compatible any more.... can anyone confirm this? If it isn't... ibooks are worthless to me.
According to Apple's Tiger web pages:
Core Image-capable graphics cards include:
ATI Mobility Radeon 9700
ATI Radeon 9600, 9600 XT, 9650, 9800 XT, X800 XT
nVidia GeForce FX Go 5200
nVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL, 6800 GT DDL
Originally posted by mjteix
According to Apple's Tiger web pages:
The key-word is "include". The list is not exhaustive. I hear that the 9550 is a stripped down version of the Radeon 9600 and should be programmable, but I cannot tell for sure.
Originally posted by PB
The key-word is "include". The list is not exhaustive. I hear that the 9550 is a stripped down version of the Radeon 9600 and should be programmable, but I cannot tell for sure.
What does "stripped down" mean... like under clocked memory frequency and core frequency? Like less rendering pipes?
Originally posted by emig647
What does "stripped down" mean... like under clocked memory frequency and core frequency? Like less rendering pipes?
In the PC world, the 9550 is a down-clocked version of the 9600 with DirectX 9.0 support (i.e. Core Image etc. support for us). See here. I just hope Apple did not change that in the iBook implementation.
Originally posted by BRussell
Hmm, what jumped out at me with this iBook update is how it signals that the PowerBook will not get an update before the Intel transition. If the PowerBook was going to get an update soon, they would have been more aggressive with the iBook update.
You're probably right. The 7448's in October could have given the PowerBooks a little speed boost and better battery life, but apparently Apple doesn't think it's worth the bother; and they're probably right. So the only thing that might get updated between now and Intel is the PowerMac, and even that looks unlikely.
So the thread title should be changed to read: "iBooks updated - PBs won't be for quite a while".
We're not going to see new PowerBooks until January. The whole portable range is going to be Intel-based.
Thank you Motorola/Freescale for the shitty portable lineup Apple has right now. Good riddance.
Originally posted by DHagan4755
Today's "new" iBook / Mac mini specs proved something to me...
We're not going to see new PowerBooks until January. The whole portable range is going to be Intel-based.
Care to explain how the iBook/Mac mini updates prove this claim? I really don't understand.
Originally posted by PB
Care to explain how the iBook/Mac mini updates prove this claim? I really don't understand.
Um, because today's updates weren't really spectacular. They were craptacular. Updates should have been at least 1.33/1.5, 64MB graphics memory (not 32!), widescreen displays. In an ideal world this is what would have happened. Thanks to such lousy supply and performance gains from Moto/Freescale this has not happened, and it's leaving Apple's product line out to dry. With such crappy chip supplies as Apple is getting, why put all the razzle dazzle features with such an underwhelming processor?
Originally posted by DHagan4755
Um, because today's updates weren't really spectacular. They were craptacular.
This in my mind means exactly the opposite. It means that Apple will update the Powerbooks this autumn with the 7448 Freescale chips and since the update will be marginal clock-wise, they feel that they need to protect the Powerbook until then. The latest iBook update still leaves enough room for the Powerbook to breath.
If they updated the iBook more aggressively, that could mean two things: either the Powerbook is going to have a big update, or it is the end of PowerPC in the laptops and they are moving quickly to Intel, so it does not matter if it is close to the Powerbook.
Updates should have been at least 1.33/1.5, 64MB graphics memory (not 32!), widescreen displays.
Dreaming is nice and good, but not when dealing with Apple. I agree though that they should provide a 64 MB VRAM GPU at least as an option for the new iBook.
With such crappy chip supplies as Apple is getting, why put all the razzle dazzle features with such an underwhelming processor?
This is also true. The G4 holds back the *books in the graphics performance department. Perhaps the 7448 will help to alleviate somewhat the situation before they go Intel, but I don't keep hope for that.