[wjdennen]

Yep, I bought a 15" 867 about a month ago. This morning, I regret that I did not wait a bit longer.

Is anyone else in my boat?

I know I could sell it on eBay, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it.

[AssassyN]

If it does what you need it do, don't worry!

If you can honestly warrant the new features to upgrade, put it on eBay ASAP.

[glowingcactus]

I got my 15 inch Ti over a year ago so I am a little more immune to the curse of seeing a new version.

But to help commiserate: only a small thing perhaps but I actually prefer to have my connections to the Powerbook at the rear edge like on the 15" Ti and my previous Lombard, they all (except the audio out) get hidden behind the screen. It is desk space I can't see or use so it is a good place for cables to go IMHO. I spend most of my day with Power, 2 USB cables, an ethernet cable and a fire wire cable plugged in. Sometimes I have a second display plugged in. I can imagine others may use the S-video and modem ports too.

Now on all the new Al models 12",15" and 17", the snazzy hinge has ALL of those cables sticking out at right-angles into a desk space I can always see and like to use for mice & phones & Palm stuff. It would become wasted desk-space with any of the Al machines. Looks kind of untidy when cables are all coming out of two sides. For me some of the cables would then have to be longer too.

Ok I could go wireless but that only kills one cable. And OK someone will say I should have a Desktop if I use all those cables... well no I just want one computer for use anywhere and at my office.

I do think the new range does look cool. They look cool from the rear too. They just look not so cool when you have to call back to base and connect all these damn wires.

[Eug]

I got my 15" GigaBook last December. Nothing to complain about here. The only thing I really wish I had was the backlit keyboard, but it's not a big deal. I don't use Airport Extreme, FW800, or BlueTooth. I probably will use some of that by 2005 though, and my GigaBook should be good enough until then. I've got AppleCare until then, and I'll sell the TiBook before my AppleCare runs out. Here's hoping for an update by early 2005.

BTW, did you notice that your TiBook has longer battery power than the new 15" AluBook?

[wjdennen]

Yeah, battery life on the TiBook is better. This is a good thing.

I really like my TiBook. :-)

[s0litude]

HAHAHAHA, YESSSSSSSSSS!! I LOVE IT! STEVE JOBS IS THE MAN!! I JUST BOUGHT MY NEW 15 IN POWERBOOK AND THE 40GB IPOD! AND I COULD STILL GET MY $200 REBATE! I'M LOVIN' LIFE RIGHT NOW! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! THANK GOD I WAITED!!!!!!!!

[Voch]

Still happy with my refurb Ti 667 DVI.

I'll upgrade in a year or so now that the low-end 15" is <$2000 new.

Voch

[southtdi]

Like wjdennen I bought my Ti book a month ago. While I do like the look and few of the features of the new Al model I don't really feel that need to make the change from what I got. My only real bummer is the new model for what I got plus the addition of bluetooth actually would have saved me nearly a $100 dollars now over what I paid to custom order the Ti Book.

I like the new hinge better since even though I like ports on the back with the Ti hinge it seems to be a litle bit of a pain to plug stuff in sometimes.

What I am really glad about is my Ti is smaller and thinner and has better battery life. All in all I really can't see much of a reason to rid myself of the Ti Book until the G5 comes out and proves itself until the revB of that model. At that time I will upgrade but until then I am still perfectly happy.

I am more eager to get my hands on panther at this point than anything. I love to play with new OS' and really want to check out the speed increase that is being talked about.

[alpha rays max]

I got my TiBook back in August since I needed a new laptop then. Surprisingly, not much buyer's remorse this morning when I went to see what had been released.

The new enclosure is nice, but I don't have much use for Bluetooth, AE, or FW800 at this point. I also like the ports on the back... I had an iBook previously that had side ports and while it was certainly accessible, it looked pretty unwieldy when I hooked up everything on the desktop... now that I've got my TiBook sitting on an iCurve, it would look pretty bad with cables sticking out both sides.

Also the AlBook 15" weighs more. Not a good thing since I carry it around a LOT.

That said, I will probably upgrade whenever the PB's hit G5... the TiBook is going to be fine for a while for me, I think.

[schmoe]

Looks like I won the gamble with my 2 month old 1ghz 15". Weight is up on the Al model, battery life is down; they are probably using those crummy lithium prismatic batteries to lower the total weight, just like the 17". New system bus is faster but still not DDR. No L3 cache, but double the L2, will take some benchmarks to see how that works out.

Of course Firewire 800, USB 2.0, and Airport Extreme are nice, but I can't use any of those at the moment. Looks like the next generation or two is the one to consider, although I suspect there will be at least one more minor upgrade before G5.

[InMotion]

Yeah, I bought my Powerbook about 2 months ago, and right now I feel kinda vexed. Not for the specs, as we all knew what was coming, not that I made a bad buy, but for the fact that the new 15" costs the same. Darn, should I been more patient my signature could now say things different.

But I think it's just for now, when the AlBooks are new. When things settle down, I think I can proudly say I own a Titanium Powerbook, and wait the G5 books to come out.

I'm glad, though, I bought the 1Ghz model, with 867 the decision to wait for G5s would be tougher. Now it's a no-brainer.

As southtdi said, I too am more anxious to see what Panther has to offer..
Schmoe - That's nice thinking, I feel better already.

IM

[Eug]

By the way, I have 2X DVD-R and DVD-RW support on my TiBook too with the firmware flash of the UJ-815 SuperDrive.

[y2kerr]

You guys think you got it bad? I got my TiBook YESTERDAY. That's right: less than 24 hours before the new ones were introduced!

I was expecting this to happen, though. I absolutely had to have a laptop for this week and I knew there was an excellent chance that the new 15 AlBook would arrive just after I got the TiBook. I couldn't risk waiting to see what happened, because I leave for Japan in one week and didn't want to risk any ordering problems, shortages, or whatever. I needed to have it to transfer all my files off my XP beige box.

What bugs me is the 80 GB hard drive and, to a lesser extent, the faster processor and higher RAM limit. We all knew slightly faster PBs were coming, but I thought the hard drive capacity would stay the same. Oh well.

I like this little TiBook of mine anyway. It's an unfortunate sequence of events that forced me to order last years model so soon before this years (incredibly late) model was introduced, but what can you do?

[Eug]

y2kerr, Why didn't you just buy the PowerBook in Japan? You could have just burned all your files to CD and taken the CD with you to Japan.

[schmoe]

y2kerr: well you could return it, pay the 10% restocking fee, and walk out with the new 15"? Then again it would probably cost quite a bit more than what you already paid, and you'd have the restocking charge.

[John123]

wjdennen, I wouldn't fret. In my personal opinion, you have a *better* machine -- and this is not "recent buyers' remorse" either. I bought mine nearly a year ago and like lots of things about it over the current models (backside ports and OS 9 bootability being my two chief issues).

[Agent69]

I have been looking at replacing my 700Mhz eMac with a newer desktop Mac but these new laptops have me reconsidering, especially the 15" models. With Airport networking and a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse, I will never have to worry about overusing or damaging any of the connectors (I'm paranoid about that with laptops) and it will make using an iCurve an even more attractive option.

[wjdennen]

Thanks all.

Is it "safe" to do the firmware upgrade on the Superdrive? I have been holding off -- wondering if it's safe.

[MacNStein]

Originally posted by s0litude:
HAHAHAHA, YESSSSSSSSSS!! I LOVE IT! STEVE JOBS IS THE MAN!! I JUST BOUGHT MY NEW 15 IN POWERBOOK AND THE 40GB IPOD! AND I COULD STILL GET MY $200 REBATE! I'M LOVIN' LIFE RIGHT NOW! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! THANK GOD I WAITED!!!!!!!!

Two words PRO ZAC. Congrats.

[todrain]

I'm very happy with my TI Book, but I must admit that 1.25 would be nice, and an 80GB hard drive is good too!

I do hate the ports on both sides, however....

[Mallrat]

Originally posted by wjdennen:
Thanks all.

Is it "safe" to do the firmware upgrade on the Superdrive? I have been holding off -- wondering if it's safe.

Yes, anyone do this? Does it work well?

Where do you get the update?

[kentuckyfried]

*hugs*

*pats wj on the back*

I know the feeling....I got rocked when I picked up an ibook last year. Not nearly as painful as the depreciation on the powerbook.


If it will give you peace of mind, do it.

Apple should give buyers at least a 1.5 month leeway on purchases. Then again, it's always a no-no to buy near an expo show.

Originally posted by wjdennen:
Yep, I bought a 15" 867 about a month ago. This morning, I regret that I did not wait a bit longer.

Is anyone else in my boat?

I know I could sell it on eBay, but I'm not sure if it would be worth it.

[MusicalTone]

Originally posted by Eug:
By the way, I have 2X DVD-R and DVD-RW support on my TiBook too with the firmware flash of the UJ-815 SuperDrive.

How are you finding that? Where can I download the firmware flash? I have the same drive.

[wjdennen]

Google "powerbook firmware upgrade" returns:

http://superdrive.cynikal.net/

[Minty Fresh]

I just got my Ti Book last week!!!! And yes, I knew about the new models. Why didn't I wait...well, I was kinda on a time constraint. But all in all....I'm happy with what I have, and don't really regret waiting at all.
I prefer the ports on the back, I don't use Bluetooth, no need for FW 800, .25 is not that big of a jump, I wouldn't have gotten the 80 GB HDD anyway, the backlit k/b is cool...but I don't really need it....other than the Ram capacity upgrade, and Aiport Extreme...there's not too much that makes me wish I had waited. It looks nice....the Al is pretty! But the Ti still looks awesome! And besides...I always thought Titanium sounded cooler than Aluminum! LOL

[Hornet]

At the end of the day, the simple fact is - you have had yours longer, and have gained more from that

eg having a Ti for 1 month - I sure would rather have that, than go computer-less for a month. For me, I need to use my Ti day in day out at uni (photoshop+fcp+etc), its not an option. I got the Ti back in march, fully aware of the eventual Al update.... while that happened many months later than it should have, its finally arrived

I can say now that having bought so long ago, I have gained a heck of a lot more in my productivity, than I would have by missing out on months and months of wireless mobile X usage, than I would have in terms of specs difference. Its 25% faster. Cool. But that doesnt throw in 6 months worth of productivity

Anyhow, I feel sorry for those you just got it, but if you are happy with it, and you probably got a good deal anyhow. So yeah.

LOVE LIVE TITANIUM!

[Synotic]

Originally posted by schmoe:
Looks like I won the gamble with my 2 month old 1ghz 15". Weight is up on the Al model, battery life is down; they are probably using those crummy lithium prismatic batteries to lower the total weight, just like the 17". New system bus is faster but still not DDR. No L3 cache, but double the L2, will take some benchmarks to see how that works out.

Of course Firewire 800, USB 2.0, and Airport Extreme are nice, but I can't use any of those at the moment. Looks like the next generation or two is the one to consider, although I suspect there will be at least one more minor upgrade before G5.

Now are these the kind of "ok I have an older machine and the new machines aren't that great therefore this is why I prefer my machine" comments are they general concerns? I also bought a 1Ghz PowerBook in November and have been waiting for an Aluminum 15inch PowerBook. I all but ready to sell my current PowerBook (anyone interested? ) and get one of the newer models. Although the upped specs are really, the big thing that makes me want to move is the form factor. I don't like that I can "squeeze" my TiBook... Don't like that if I walk around with my TiBook that the screen wobbles. Or that I have to hold down the bottom to move the screen up. I am scared that if I were to drop my computer it'd be over... Don't think it'd be the same with an Aluminum... maybe I'm wrong.

Anyways, is the weight really that much up to be noticeable? How bad is the new battery life? "Crummy" batteries? Etc... Are these just rants or should hold off on a new PB purchase... Thanks for any advice.

[Minty Fresh]

Originally posted by Synotic:

Anyways, is the weight really that much up to be noticeable? How bad is the new battery life? "Crummy" batteries?

15" TiBook Weight - 4.9 lbs.
15" AlBook Weight - 5.4 - 5.6 lbs.

15" TiBook Battery Life - 5 hours
15" AlBook Battery Life - 4.5 hours

[kuzzy]

Proud owner of a TiBook 1 Ghz Superdrive since 12/02 with recent firmware upgrade for 2x DVD-R. The new 15 inch aluminum is a sweet machine, but I'll hang on the the TiBook until we see a G5 15 inch Powerbook.

[mrtew]

I got my TiGz in Nov too, and I feel happy that I got almost a year use out of it before it became obsolete. That's really rare in today's world! Unlike the poster above me I still love my Ti and have no beefs with it whatsoever and actually like everything about it better than the 15"Alu (except the speed and hard drive size of course) I think I am going to be holding on to mine for another year at least. Those Rev2 G5 PB's are going to be just the ticket I hear!

[DigitalDNA]

Anyone who purchased a Tibook recently and is outside their exchange period but wants to unload it in favor of getting an Albook let me know. I'm looking for a significantly discounted one.

[StiZeven]

The TiBook is not 4.9 lbs. According to Apple, these are the correct specs:

15" TiBook Weight - 5.4 lbs.
15" AlBook Weight - 5.6 lbs.

15" TiBook Battery Life - 5 hours (867MHz model ONLY, not the 1GHz which may be closer to 4.5 hours)
15" AlBook Battery Life - 4.5 hours (1GHz model ONLY, not the 1.25GHz which may be closer to 4.0 hours)


Considering everything that the new 15" AlBook offers over the previous, such tiny differences in these specs are so insignificant and the fact that it's being brought up in post after post is quite telling if you ask me.

http://www.info.apple.com/support/applespec.html

[kuzzy]

mrtew (and fellow PowerBook owners),

Let me clarify. I LOVE MY TIBOOK! It has everything I need in a portable computer. I was only appreciating the new 15 inch Albook and looking forward to the eventual next PowerBook I will buy sometime down the road.
I will miss the titanium though.

[Helvetica Neue]

The Al book is a bland machine with plasticky keys and ugly ports on the side.

The TiBook is a sex machine! Bought it 9 months ago, and still loving it.

Plus, even though my workflow is firmly OS X, I like the idea that in about 3 years time I'll be running it as a second machine as the retro sexy fastest laptop ever to be able to run OS 9

[Eug]

Originally posted by mrtew:
I got my TiGz in Nov too, and I feel happy that I got almost a year use out of it before it became obsolete.

Obsolete? The Ti 1 GHz is as fast as the lower end model AluBook currently still for sale. And the 867 can still hold it's own.

Nah, a Ti400, now that's obsolete. (No offence to the Ti400 owners. )

Actually, I'm surprised they didn't keep the 867 around for the OS 9 types, but I guess the laptop market wouldn't be as demanding as the desktop market for OS 9 (except for maybe musicians).

[PBG4 User]

Eug,

That's not very nice.

I have a 500Mhz Ti. Guess mine won't be totally obsolete for another month or two.

Personally, now that Apple's gone to the PPC970 processor, I won't buy an Apple that doesn't have one. Either it'll be a Rev. B G5 PowerBook (won't ever do Rev. A again), or it'll be a dual PowerMac once the 2GHz chip prices come down from orbit.

All you recent Ti purchasers have nothing to complain about, my 500Ti can't even burn CDs, never mind DVDs!

[InMotion]

heh, I'll work with my Powerbook Titanium, burn dvds with Toast 6 Titanium and drive around with my Volvo V70 Titanium.. All you aluminium owners can go and make some porridge with your Pot Aluminium..


IM

[Freeflyer]

Totally happy with my Tibook. Bought the day they were updated last November. Best computer I've ever had.

However, I would prefer the better hinge (mine have been replaced twice now due to breakages) and I'd luuuurrrvve the backlit keyboard.

Will I upgrade, not a chance. Fabulous machine, can't see any reason to upgrade for a small increase in performance.

You can have my Tibook when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.

J.