PowerPage: New PowerBooks this week
Last of the G4s
Apple will be releasing new PowerBook G4s this week. All have faster processors, and the top models also have the new video chip option with up to 128MB VRAM (could it be the Mobility Radeon 9700?). Hard drives will be faster and larger. The Aluminum form factor will remain the same.
Interessssting.
Are these guys into the rumor game that much? Can't recall ever hearing a story break from there.
Apple will be releasing new PowerBook G4s this week. All have faster processors, and the top models also have the new video chip option with up to 128MB VRAM (could it be the Mobility Radeon 9700?). Hard drives will be faster and larger. The Aluminum form factor will remain the same.
Interessssting.
Are these guys into the rumor game that much? Can't recall ever hearing a story break from there.
Comments
IF it's even true...
I suppose it's about time. Although, it's odd that PowerBooks are being updated after only 6-7 months and the G5 is...well, let's just say it's been a while.
-Neø
I need a notebook and was on the verge of buying a windows compatible one last week...so this is good
Originally posted by Neø Hopefully you guys are gonna wait for the revision B before getting yourself one.
-Neø
This IS "revision B".
Actually, I think it would be revision C for the 12" and 17", right? And revision B for the 15".
Originally posted by pscates
This IS "revision B".
Actually, I think it would be revision C for the 12" and 17", right? And revision B for the 15".
But since the 15" is really just a scaled down 17, I think it is fair to consider them all rev C. There just was never a rev a 15" this cycle.
Not saying I'm right, that's just how I personally keep it all straight in my head.
In any case, all their crap should be ironed out by now. No excuse for any further white spots, latch oddities, wildly varying gaps, lighted keyboard weirdness, etc.
They can call it Rev. RV14ZH as long as there isn't a replay of last autumn's "MY POWERBOOK HAS WHITE SPOTS AND I CAN'T CLOSE THE LID!!!" fuss.
Originally posted by murbot
Are these guys into the rumor game that much? Can't recall ever hearing a story break from there.
Well, murbot, O'Grady's PowerPage posted pre-release pictures of the Wallstreet PowerBook weeks before Apple announced it in May 1998. These days, there are less rumors and O'Grady's record is no longer immaculate.
However, MacGeneration is reporting that some French Mac resellers have dropped 12-inch PB prices by 300 euro. This wouldn't be unheard of, and MacGeneration reporting on it isn't surprising. What made me think twice is that MacMinute re-reported this. MacMinute has always been spot-on with the few rumors they have posted, usually the day before a major announcement. So, IMO, MacMinute's quote of the MacGeneration story suggests that they know about an imminent PowerBook update. MacMinute is hinting at it for the benefit of their regular readers, without an explicit statement that would draw Apple's ire.
Hope springs eternal. I'm optimistic...
Escher
Headline: "New PowerBooks This Week: Last of the G4s"
But then the second paragraph: "There will be one more update to the Aluminum PowerBook G4 after this one before the PowerBook G5 is announced."
That second para seems to say that there will be TWO more G4 PowerBooks before the G5. He also says that new displays will be coming to the G5 and "possibly the last revision to the Aluminum."
I take this to read TWO more G4 PowerBooks before we see a G5.
PowerBook G4 now, another PowerBook G4 down the road with new displays? Then sometime in 2006 (ha!) a PowerBook G5, using the displays implemented in the final PowerBook G4 model?
Hell, I don't know...people should write stuff better when they have a website.
It is my recollection that the PP is fairly good on rumor targetting, but they don't do it that often (not like they used to).
Originally posted by pscates
Hell, I don't know...people should write stuff better when they have a website.
Anyway. That's spot-on, it seems. There's no way 970fx chips could be put into a PowerBook form factor quite yet. Here's hoping I'm wrong, but all this speculation is just that-- speculation, including my own. Who was it said the 15" is just a scaled-down 17"? I mean, come on, are you a laptop engineer, or what? Please.
G4s are not so bad in laptop format, for semi-mobile pros. Yeah, of course a G5 would be nice, but it's bit early in the game.
$US.02
Who are you talking to, and are you bitching or agreeing?
"Ok...". "Anyway...". Can't decipher your tone...
Originally posted by pscates
Who are you talking to, and are you bitching or agreeing?
"Ok...". "Anyway...". Can't decipher your tone...
You; was a joke on the irony of your writing.
...people should write better when they have a website.
...perhaps people should write better on their web sites.
...better writing would be appreciated on self-run web sites.
Bitching, I guess. Wasn't trying to flame. Sorry.
My head hurts...maybe I'm not reading something right.
G4 Aluminium was $1800 for a 12", $3300 for a 17", and $2600 for a 15".
These figures are from Mactracker.
Whats the deal with the PBG5?
I assume the 970FX could be used at a lower clock speed to reduce heat (If it runs at 2.0GHz, in an Xserve enclosure, surely 1-1.5GHz is possible - At least as far as heat is concerned).
Apple has released PBs with next gen chips but lower clock speeds before (G3 Pismo went to 500MHz, faster than the base G4 Titanium 400MHz).
So, is it an issue of system bus? The current 17" G4 is only 167MHz, whereas the G5 uses a 800, 900 or 1000MHz bus. Is the PB logic board too slow to handle a 970FX?
Originally posted by SJay
Just a side question: How much was the Powerbook G4 when it was first released?
In January, 2001, when the first Titanium PowerBook G4s were introduced, they were $2599 for a 400MHz/128/10GB and $3499 for the 500/256/20GB model.
http://www.apple-history.com
ETA: Beaten to the punch... .