Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

jesset · Sep 16, 2005, 10:26 AM

Just informing all of you that are waiting to buy Powerbooks until an update (including myself) that Thinksecret is speculating no new Powerbook updates until early 2006. Link to the article below. What do you guys think?

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0509g5.html

Randman · Sep 16, 2005, 10:31 AM

I think it's ThinkSecret speculating.

Wiskedjak · Sep 16, 2005, 10:33 AM

I think ThinkSecret's speculations are right more often than wrong

jesset · Sep 16, 2005, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak

I think ThinkSecret's speculations are right more often than wrong

I would have to agree with you on that.

djkny · Sep 16, 2005, 12:48 PM

Wow, one revision for the entire 2005 year. Absolute rubbish. It's marketing trumping quality, as usual, and we were the suckers who held on for more.

Here's to SJ's freakish capitalism.

ibook_steve · Sep 16, 2005, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by djkny

Wow, one revision for the entire 2005 year. Absolute rubbish. It's marketing trumping quality, as usual, and we were the suckers who held on for more.

Here's to SJ's freakish capitalism.

That's a little harsh, don't you think? Don't you think it's possible that the time is needed to make quality? Besides, with the Intel Powerbooks in the future, don't you think more resources would be put into making those? Be patient. I'm sure good things come to those who wait.

Steve

Randman · Sep 16, 2005, 12:57 PM

Why release a 30mhz update when the entire line is going to be redone next year? Silly djkny.

siflippant · Sep 16, 2005, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Silly djkny.

Naughty troll...

giggs11 · Sep 16, 2005, 03:27 PM

On the brightside, maybe this means the Intel Powerbooks are coming sooner rather than later.

Hey, I'm trying to be optimistic.

andreas_g4 · Sep 16, 2005, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Why release a 30mhz update when the entire line is going to be redone next year? Silly djkny.

Totally right, but I still hoped to see updated PowerBooks. But the mini non-update and this speculation actually leads to the conclusion that Intel may be sooner to come than expected. (again: hope)

jesset · Sep 16, 2005, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Why release a 30mhz update when the entire line is going to be redone next year? Silly djkny.

The original speculation about pbook updates was not just 30mhz upgrade:
"The MPC7448 is based on Freescale e600 PowerPC core, and boasts a 1MB Level 2 backside cache, which is double that of the 512KB cache included with Freescale's MPC7447A chips used in the current PowerBooks.

The MPC7448 is also the first product in the MPC74xx family to use Freescale's 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS process that will significantly increase clock and bus speeds while reducing power requirements."

I think its going to be a while before we see intel powerbooks. Certainly not beginning of next year.

pat++ · Sep 16, 2005, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Why release a 30mhz update when the entire line is going to be redone next year? Silly djkny.

It's not the 30mhz which matters, but more the fact that the last PowerPC update should hopefully use the MPC7448 chip which has 200mhz system bus and 1Mb of L2 cache.

robertj · Sep 16, 2005, 07:34 PM

So ThinkSecret thinks no new Powerbooks. I think they're right, even though I wish they were wrong.

And yet: The 7448 is a great chip, and January 2006 seems too soon for Intel-based Powerbooks (but too late for a PowerPC-based update). Will the necessary software (i.e., the Adobe suite) be ready by January?

I don't want to buy one of the current Powerbooks, but I guess that's my plan. I'll be waiting until the 27th (the Tuesday after Paris), on the off chance that the update will come. And maybe we'll hear something more before then. It's frustrating that the PB's are a little slow and will likely stay that way. But it's more frustrating not to know whether an update is in the works.

Rob van dam · Sep 17, 2005, 04:47 AM

well im still crossing my finger for the 13.3 powerbook. I guess we will see.

alimunnik · Sep 17, 2005, 02:07 PM

Since most people are of the opinion that the PB line will be the first Intel Macs, it is probable that Apple engineers are going full bore to develop this highly anticipated baby ASAP. I suspect the Intel PB's will look radically different. Lots of people complain about poor Airport reception in the aluminium casings, so perhaps there will be a switch to carbon fibre.
When Freescale announced the 7448 chip, they said it wouldn't be ready for shipping until late in the autumn. If this is so, perhaps Apple doesn't consider it worth the outlay in engineering effort to develop a 7448 PB if it is feasible for them to unleash the Intel one by next Spring.
After all, a revised G4 would be a bit of a lame duck. It would appeal mostly to those doubting Thomases who have reservations in investing two grand and more on a First Edition that might come with unknown teething problems.
When the Intel PB does surface it will be a marketing event of considerable magnitude, whereas another G4 revision would create barely a ripple. Too bad. By the sounds of it, the 7448 could include a number of subtle enhancements which would endear it to many G4 PB aficionadoes, like myself.

TFunkadelic · Sep 17, 2005, 04:11 PM

I doubt a switch to carbon fiber. It's too expensive to manufacture, and with how much current powerbooks cost, I doubt they'd want to up the price a whole lot more. I do believe they'll look different though.

robertj · Sep 18, 2005, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by jesset

Thinksecret is speculating no new Powerbook updates until early 2006... http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0509g5.html

I know this is tiresome to keep rehashing, but the Powerbook updates seem to be an item of interest. Today O'Grady is saying that Powerbook updates are "imminent" (full text below).

And Macosrumors.com says, "[W]e continue to expect new Powerbooks within the next several weeks -- by the end of October, at the outside." The job of the rumors sites is to keep hope alive (and visitors coming), but I'm fool enough to keep holding out. Keep hope alive...

From http://www.powerpage.org/cgi-bin/Web...y?newsID=14907

Weekend Update: PowerBook Updates Imminent; Intel PowerBook in Late 2006
18 September 2005 04:51 EST
Jason D. O'Grady
From the Hardware Dept.

ATHENS -- Quickee update from the Athens airport. We've received word over souvlaki that Apple is prepping an update to the PowerBook line that could arrive as soon as this week. Time and details are unconfirmed, but before you drip tzatziki sauce on your tie, the revs are nothing to send a postcard home about... looks like a typical Apple speed-bump: clock speed and a slight bump on RAM and HDDs.

In other news, a voice from the top of Mount Olympus whispered that the long-awaited Intel PowerBook _won't_ be shipping in time for Macworld Expo 2006 in January, but rather will come some time in "mid-to-late 2006."

jesset · Sep 18, 2005, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by robertj

I know this is tiresome to keep rehashing, but the Powerbook updates seem to be an item of interest. Today O'Grady is saying that Powerbook updates are "imminent" (full text below).

And Macosrumors.com says, "[W]e continue to expect new Powerbooks within the next several weeks -- by the end of October, at the outside." The job of the rumors sites is to keep hope alive (and visitors coming), but I'm fool enough to keep holding out. Keep hope alive...

Does anyone know how historically accurate this site is?

Randman · Sep 19, 2005, 01:20 AM

Macosrumours has a very, very poor track record. Think Secret has been pretty good but the lawsuit from Apple has quieted it a bit.

Tim916 · Sep 19, 2005, 10:31 AM

I think there is going to be an update released tomorrow. I can feel it.