New Powerbook Series

summerchrissummerchris
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Hi!



I'm planning to buy a Powerbook and I have read about rumors, stating that there could be a new Powerbook Series at the end of September, by the time of the Apple Expo in Paris. My question now is, if Apple uses to increase the price for such a new series or if it usually remains the same. What was it like when the new iBooks were released? Was there an increase in the price?

Would you recomment, to wait until the end of September?

Thank you for your help!



Christian
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    ajpriceajprice Posts: 320member
    Hi,



    If you want to base spending $$$$$$ on a powerbook on rumours, you found the right place . From what I have noticed from recent hardware releases by Apple, the prices are coming down. The 12" Powerbook might not survive the next update, with the iBook basically taking its place, so then the 15" and 17" prices could come down a little. What you do might also depend on whether the next update for Powerbooks will be a G4/G5 or an Intel processor. It's up to you whether you want to get the last of the current generation or the first of the next generation. My rule is never to get a Rev. A machine, leave any new hardware til a few revisions into its life, to get the niggles and bugs out. Niggles and bugs shouldn't happen on a production machine, but they do, ask a Rev A iMac G5 owner.



    If you can wait til Paris, then wait and see what shows up, if you need a Powerbook now, and absolutely must have the best you can get, go for it. If you just need a Mac laptop, get an iBook refurb til you know the Intel machines are out and are reliable, then trade in the iBook for one.
  • Reply 2 of 54
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    I sincerely doubt there will be a price increase, especially if they can't provide a super-duper all-new PowerBook with a G5 or something. In all likelihood, it will be a modest bump like the mini or the iBook got recently, and the price will either remain the same or decrease.



    Shorter: If you're looking to buy soon, you'll be fine if you wait until the new ones come out.
  • Reply 3 of 54
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    It's hard to say what Apple's gonna do with PowerBooks between now and the move to Intel. I initially proclaimed in Future Hardware that the PowerBook would be the first product to switch to Intel. Now, I'm not so sure.



    At any rate, I think the 12-inch PowerBook's future is doomed. I see Apple moving the pricing down on the 15 and 17-inch, or perhaps, the rumors of 14-inch widescreen iBooks were in error, and are actually 14-inch widescreen PowerBooks.



    I think that Apple can rollout a completely redesigned PowerBook without having to wait for Intel. The current aluminum enclosure is dated and is due for a change.
  • Reply 4 of 54
    boemaneboemane Posts: 311member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    It's hard to say what Apple's gonna do with PowerBooks between now and the move to Intel. I initially proclaimed in Future Hardware that the PowerBook would be the first product to switch to Intel. Now, I'm not so sure.



    At any rate, I think the 12-inch PowerBook's future is doomed.



    I don't really see this happening. The only reason why the 12 inch powerbook and ibook are so similar is because Apple are forced to put the same CPU in them. When the switch to Intel is complete for the portables, there is nothing stopping Apple from putting a whole different CPU in the iBook than in the PowerBook. That way you can have two 12 inch models that are very different speed wise.
  • Reply 5 of 54
    dhagan4755dhagan4755 Posts: 2,152member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BoeManE

    I don't really see this happening.



    I do.
  • Reply 6 of 54
    eminemin Posts: 45member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SummerChris

    I'm planning to buy a Powerbook and I have read about rumors, stating that there could be a new Powerbook Series at the end of September, by the time of the Apple Expo in Paris.



    I'm in the same position and I decided to wait till 23rd of September. The reason is that it is very unlikely that entirely new, Intel based PBs would be unveiled so it would be rather a final update of the current line. The price is likely to either stay the same or even be lowered a bit. So I'm betting on getting the best of G4 PBs, possibly for less.
  • Reply 7 of 54
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DHagan4755

    ...

    At any rate, I think the 12-inch PowerBook's future is doomed.

    ...



    It is amazing how quickly several people suggest

    the dead of the most successful shipping apple

    product. How comes?

    I think, particularly the 12" PB ship will be soaring,

    once the Mac/Intel era emerges.



    There is plenty need for this kind of PowerBook.

    Also i think the "distinction issue" between 12" iBook and

    12" PB is massivley exaggerated.
  • Reply 8 of 54
    ngmapplengmapple Posts: 117member
    Speculating from the latest info from Intel, IBM, Apple and a handfull of other sources; I am begining to believe the First Intel PowerBook may be a Merom, with Yonah based iBooks coming out earlier than that. I think there is a growing possiblity of seeing a PowerBook G5 (new low power 970FX) in the meantime with DDR2. Some reports on other sites have suggested we'll see a mac mini G5 before it moves to Intel as well, I can't say with any certainty that that's accurate though.



    Apple may have been originally planning to move the PowerBook G4 -> Yonah, however this may change to G4 -> G5 -> Merom based on Merom's expected head of schedual release and the new low power 970FX comming out of the woodwork from IBM.
  • Reply 9 of 54
    ngmapplengmapple Posts: 117member
    I wonder if Apple will change the name to ProBook from PowerBook when they go to Intel? Hmmm.
  • Reply 10 of 54
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ngmapple

    I think there is a growing possiblity of seeing a PowerBook G5 (new low power 970FX) in the meantime with DDR2. Some reports on other sites have suggested we'll see a mac mini G5 before it moves to Intel as well, I can't say with any certainty that that's accurate though.



    Does that make any sense? Think how long chip generations (e.g., G3, G4) have stayed in the PowerBook. Forever. It really doesn't stand to reason that they'll make a PowerBook with an all-new chip, only to make yet another PowerBook with an all-new chip in a few months.
  • Reply 11 of 54
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BRussell

    Does that make any sense? Think how long chip generations (e.g., G3, G4) have stayed in the PowerBook. Forever. It really doesn't stand to reason that they'll make a PowerBook with an all-new chip, only to make yet another PowerBook with an all-new chip in a few months.



    Yes and no. My guess is that there are existing contracts between

    apple and IBM which have to be fulfilled yet. Chips and therefor shipping

    products are sure enough a result of long lasting research and

    development. I remember Jobs proclaiming "amazing PPC products

    to come".



    my2cents
  • Reply 12 of 54
    ngmapplengmapple Posts: 117member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by BRussell

    Does that make any sense? Think how long chip generations (e.g., G3, G4) have stayed in the PowerBook. Forever. It really doesn't stand to reason that they'll make a PowerBook with an all-new chip, only to make yet another PowerBook with an all-new chip in a few months.



    I don't expect the PowerBook to go Intel until Merom Q4 '06. And you're right about there being a large gap between the PowerPC collaborative's architecture updates G3, G4, G5. However that's gonna change when moving to Intel. Intel has a whole new cpu and chipset design every 3-6 months (one of the reasons people replace PC's more frequently than Macs, along with cost). So anyway on a refreshment rate that fast it does make sense to have a PB G5 in the intrim. I'm a hardware designer myself and from what I can tell, it really wouldn't be that difficult make a Powerbook G5. It's a complex task to design a motherboard but not difficult for a team that's used to that kind of work. The greater difficulty with the PowerBook G5 design has always been thermal, with the low power 970FX that should be resolved by now. Actually Apple may already have designed the motherboard for a PowerBook G5, I think they were just waiting for a lower power G5, which I believe is pin compatible with the current 970FX.



    The design work left to be done may be no more than a heatsink.
  • Reply 13 of 54
    webmailwebmail Posts: 639member
    If we are getting new powerbooks on sept 20th and they only are 1.7ghz are they going to be dual core or? I'm not totally clear on the freescale project.



    I checked out the freescale sight and it appears that the 7447 is going to be used with speeds of 1.8ghz single core :P



    so another powerbook that will choke on HD video!!!
  • Reply 14 of 54
    hardheadhardhead Posts: 644member
    For those of you that HAVE to own a Powerbook 15" or 17", you have my sympathies...



    1- Are they pretty and shiny? Yes.



    2- They run OSX? YES!.



    3- Compared to the power/hardware features to price ratio available to PC users, are they overpriced? (OK, flame-retardent suit put on...) WAY overpriced, yes.



    If you are in the graphic arts, media arts or music arts, unless you have real deep pockets, buy a used model if you MUST have a Powerbook.



    What's that FSB running at? What kind of graphics card is available? How fast is the hard drive on the top of the line 17"? Like I said, way overpriced...



    If I could only run Tiger on my big bad Overam laptop. I'd be a happy camper. Just my .02, don't everyone start hatin'...
  • Reply 15 of 54
    eminemin Posts: 45member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hardhead



    If I could only run Tiger on my big bad Overam laptop. I'd be a happy camper.



    You probably could with some effort. But what that has to do with new or updated PBs expected next month?
  • Reply 16 of 54
    g3prog3pro Posts: 669member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hardhead



    3- Compared to the power/hardware features to price ratio available to PC users, are they overpriced? (OK, flame-retardent suit put on...) WAY overpriced, yes.



    Wrong. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about, and you should certainly stay in the corner and be quiet. Can I do my computational biology research with anything more efficient than my 15" powerbook right now? No.



    You don't think it's that fast because "OMG, teh PC j00sers have 4.0+ghz laptops!"



    Give it a rest.
  • Reply 17 of 54
    webmailwebmail Posts: 639member
    I want an Intel based powerbook, but I can't wait any longer. I think I will be-grudingly buy a powerbook after September 20th. I'll probably just put it on ebay the first day I can get my hands on Intel-chip based powerbook.



    I guess my frustration with the current powerbooks:



    1. Not zippy, my 1.67ghz fully loaded powerbook, shows the beachball more than I would like. It's great for web browsing and such but not good enough for the constant editing of photoshop, or having multiple programs running and/ navigating in the finder... it just gets sluggish.... I think a 2.4ghz processor would fix that nicely ;-)



    2. display is sooooo outdating. hold it next to any pc in a typical computer store and suddenly you will want to cry, and the whites, and brightness...



    3. video card..

    4. Amount of Ram



    Hopefully these things will be address in the september 20th update.
  • Reply 18 of 54
    webmailwebmail Posts: 639member
    In what realm of fantasy land do PC notebooks not outpower mac powerbooks? Look I have a 12' 15' 17' of all the latest revisions and about two revisions back (don't ask why)... I also own a couple of new dell notebooks, (one of these i bought new for $700, with a killer video card) ALL my dell notebooks KILL my powerbook. They are leaps and bounds faster and have BEAUTIFUL displays. I love my powerbook, and hate rarely use my PC, but when I'm on my powerbook I just want to scream sometimes.. It's sluggish has a 5 year old lcd, a slower processor, SLOWER discs, and a non-dual layer drive. All my pc notebooks cost at least $800 less and have superior features.



    I love apple but the current powerbooks don't stand up when compare them with PC notebooks.





    Quote:

    Originally posted by g3pro

    Wrong. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about, and you should certainly stay in the corner and be quiet. Can I do my computational biology research with anything more efficient than my 15" powerbook right now? No.



    You don't think it's that fast because "OMG, teh PC j00sers have 4.0+ghz laptops!"



    Give it a rest.



  • Reply 19 of 54
    coffee_man1999coffee_man1999 Posts: 4member
    I like the powerbooks like anyother mac loving zeolot BUT anyone who says they aren't overpriced is delusional. For the smae price as an ibook I could buy a 15" Acer notebook w/64mb gpu/xbrite screen/80gb hd/512 mb ram. True, it isn't running osx but for the same money as an ibook i can get a lot more.



    You could also compare the powerbook to the imac. A 15" powerbook is $2299 US dollars compared to the 20" imac priced at $1799 US dollars. Yes, the powerbook is portable but for more money you get old technology.
  • Reply 20 of 54
    bronxitebronxite Posts: 104member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by coffee_man1999

    I like the powerbooks like anyother mac loving zeolot BUT anyone who says they aren't overpriced is delusional. For the smae price as an ibook I could buy a 15" Acer notebook w/64mb gpu/xbrite screen/80gb hd/512 mb ram. True, it isn't running osx but for the same money as an ibook i can get a lot more.



    That is incorrect.



    Compare Dell to Apple with similar laptop offerings and Apple comes out even or about 100 dollars more. That's extremely competitive and a small premium to pay



    (In regards to iBooks)
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