Powerbook design starting to look dated.
We hear enough about the need for more power, but aesthetically I think it's starting to look a bit tired and needing a refresh.
Sure, it's still an attractive product and it's sleek form factor is classic. But perhaps it's the lack of chrome or white that's found on the other products, but the Powerbook's finish look rather dull and industrial.
That plus the two tone look (black keys, silver body) gives it a cheaper look than the elegant looking iBook.
Just my impressions, don't flame me.
Sure, it's still an attractive product and it's sleek form factor is classic. But perhaps it's the lack of chrome or white that's found on the other products, but the Powerbook's finish look rather dull and industrial.
That plus the two tone look (black keys, silver body) gives it a cheaper look than the elegant looking iBook.
Just my impressions, don't flame me.
Comments
Besides, I think Apple needs to work more on making high-quality and POWERFUL machines, rather than worrying about how the case looks. It's an inch thin, it weighs less than five and a half pounds, and it has a battery life double than most Wintels while still being a worth desktop replacement with a DVD burner and a top-end graphics card. So you see that R&D money has been well spent on it.
Anyway, the Powerbook G4 is very functional. I can't think of any way Apple can outdo what they've done with the Powerbook. Look at the iMac: I can think of 1000 ways to make it cooler. The TiBook, I cannot. When you start to change things, they just end up looking dumb.
*slurp*
I want one already.
The design is fine, why change it when its already functional. For Example look at IBM there design has really never changed all that much and Dell too.
I can only imagine apple releasing a new design and all of us complaing that it susx (after the initial wow factor has passed)
<strong>Chrome Apple, a unified color, a fixed finish (non-chipping-paint), and a nicer hinge (I never liked the hinge, but then, I dislike most laptop hinges).</strong><hr></blockquote>
Apple fixed the chipping/bubbling paint issue with the last revision, FYI.
I like it!!
And I wish I can afford it
But as long as there's a G4 inside, don't change it for heaven's sake.
Chrome might be nice, but can look tacky! Black rubber, like a pen grip might be nice, but that's just my fetish! <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
I always kinda wished that the PowerBooks would mimic the look and feel of the G4 towers. In this case, a nice glossy powdered silver with clear acrylic accents.
Basically, in the way that the iBook matches the iMac (and eMac), same with the pro stuff.
I think a silver glossy PowerBook would look MUCH better than a Titanium, matte-finished tower.
But feature/spec/power/"ooh" factor-wise, the G4 PowerBook is really nice. Just a simple tweak/refresh to a two-year-old outward appearance is all I'd like.
I imagine they could play with the surfaces a bit, but they really are rather clean already. The best improvements they could make would be to move the optical to the side and make it a trouble free tray system. They could play with the surface a bit too, the hinge could be something more robust. For the money, they could be doing something like Panasonic does with their Toughbooks, upgrade the hinge and shock mounting (for the internals) seal the keyboard and ports against water and dust, and spec a wider range of operating temperatures.
Not an out and out effort to do it in one shot, but a gradual evolution of the internals. Otherwise, Apple would want over 5000 for the machine. But if they just kept making adjustments to make the machine tougher each time, eventually you'd end up with a very strong chassis. Spill proofing it would be a good first step.
<strong>I think the size, weight, thickness (or lack of), etc. are wonderful. Just appearance-wise, a bit of a change would be cool.
I always kinda wished that the PowerBooks would mimic the look and feel of the G4 towers. In this case, a nice glossy powdered silver with clear acrylic accents.
Basically, in the way that the iBook matches the iMac (and eMac), same with the pro stuff.
I think a silver glossy PowerBook would look MUCH better than a Titanium, matte-finished tower.
But feature/spec/power/"ooh" factor-wise, the G4 PowerBook is really nice. Just a simple tweak/refresh to a two-year-old outward appearance is all I'd like.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I totally agree with you. The specs are all great, the look just needs a change.
I imagine they could play with the surfaces a bit, but they really are rather clean already. The best improvements they could make would be to move the optical to the side and make it a trouble free tray system. They could play with the surface a bit too, the hinge could be something more robust. For the money, they could be doing something like Panasonic does with their Toughbooks, upgrade the hinge and shock mounting (for the internals) seal the keyboard and ports against water and dust, and spec a wider range of operating temperatures.
Not an out and out effort to do it in one shot, but a gradual evolution of the internals. Otherwise, Apple would want over 5000 for the machine. But if they just kept making adjustments to make the machine tougher each time, eventually you'd end up with a very strong chassis. Spill proofing it would be a good first step.
<strong>Here's the thing, the demands of maximum space in minimum enclosure pretty much lead to the TiBook's shape. If you want it thin, it can't be that curvy, especially not if you want a big screen on it. The proportions are pretty much set. Making the palm rests curvy would make the book thicker, rounding the corners, even slightly, would make the footprint bigger (they've already got the bezel down to nothing), can't really get much smaller now, can it?
I imagine they could play with the surfaces a bit, but they really are rather clean already. The best improvements they could make would be to move the optical to the side and make it a trouble free tray system. They could play with the surface a bit too, the hinge could be something more robust. For the money, they could be doing something like Panasonic does with their Toughbooks, upgrade the hinge and shock mounting (for the internals) seal the keyboard and ports against water and dust, and spec a wider range of operating temperatures.
Not an out and out effort to do it in one shot, but a gradual evolution of the internals. Otherwise, Apple would want over 5000 for the machine. But if they just kept making adjustments to make the machine tougher each time, eventually you'd end up with a very strong chassis. Spill proofing it would be a good first step.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I heard you the first time
But yes, as others have said, a refresh is in order. No curves or flashy stuff but just something that gives it more polish. It may be as simple as putting a gloss urethane coating over the existing titanium to give it a less industrial and more of a jeweled look.
I don't want to get into so much into the mechanics or engineering part of things, but the hinge should be looked at for the next revision.
But if I were to change anything, I'd get rid of the two-tone look and perhaps put a bit of a slight satin shine to it (a very subtle but a durable coating). That's about it. I still think it's an excellent design and it still looks gorgeous yet industrial.
Whatever the next design will be, I REALLY hope apple doesn't make it part of that dammed WHITE theme! But, to each their own. What's attractive to one is ugly to another.
...and I still want a TiPod!
<strong>P.S. EmAn, what happened to your post count? Aren't you missing a couple of digits there?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah. Once I hit 7000 it went down to 7.
Carbon fiber.
or this?
or this?
Through some shellac on it and it wouldbe lighter than titanium and stronger.
Maybe color it grey instead of black???
And in a monocoque style shell?
Oh yeah...
MSKR