[glhart]

I have the last revision of the Powerbook 15 (2 Gigs RAM). I just had the screen, which was awful, replaced for free. It seems to me that now I'd reather have it than a MBP. I do use the 800 firewire, have a modem, there is no whine (which I could not tolerate), the screen is bigger, and if I want I can hook up my iSight to it. I spent a long time playing with the MBP at the store, and it has two advantages -- it is faster (for universal apps) and the screen is a little brighter. But all in all, I'd take the Powerbook. One final thought: I have 3 Power Adapters for the Powerbook that I can use. Note that the Powerbooks have not come down in price on eBay, and I suspect they may even go up. My PB 15 is quite an awesome machine, and I don't think the MBP measures up yet.

[Screech]

My latest-rev Powerbook has been hell -- but, despite it's many hardware failures, it's a good machine (when it's working).

No sense in debating which is better -- the MacBook is newer and intended to be better. Most of us can't throw around $2,000 every time a new computer comes out that we like, but if you can, so be it.

[PeterKG]

Originally Posted by glhart

I have the last revision of the Powerbook 15 (2 Gigs RAM). I just had the screen, which was awful, replaced for free. It seems to me that now I'd reather have it than a MBP. I do use the 800 firewire, have a modem, there is no whine (which I could not tolerate), the screen is bigger, and if I want I can hook up my iSight to it. I spent a long time playing with the MBP at the store, and it has two advantages -- it is faster (for universal apps) and the screen is a little brighter. But all in all, I'd take the Powerbook. One final thought: I have 3 Power Adapters for the Powerbook that I can use. Note that the Powerbooks have not come down in price on eBay, and I suspect they may even go up. My PB 15 is quite an awesome machine, and I don't think the MBP measures up yet.

So whats your point? Both the PB and the MBP are great machines. It sounds like your PB does everything you need it to do. But if for egos sake you need to say the MBP doesn't measure up to a PB, I would say you are in denial. The reason for going Intel is evident in that the MBP has now caught up in speed to the competition. I think we can al still get aong, because they both run OSX, and that's what makes them both great.

[Maflynn]

Originally Posted by glhart

I don't think the MBP measures up yet.

Well that's your opinion, and it seems those that decided to take the plunge are very happy with their machines. As they say one size doesn't fit all. What works for you doesn't work for others.

I think the MBP has a lot of potential and is an improvement to the powerbook. I do wonder why apple removed FW800 and the modem. I use my PB's modem more then I have for FW800.

[Zeeb]

Sounds like you are trying to console yourself a little with your decision to buy the PB . I can understand, the Macbook was introduced just a few months after the PB was revised for the last time. I bought the PB thinking that the Ibook would go intel first for that very reason. oops! Overall, the Macbook is clearly better but the saving grace of the Powerbook is the transition pains. We don't have to wait on universal apps for every little thing like playing a simple video clip on CNN. Of course, once all those apps do go universal and software development becomes geared toward the intel chips I'm afraid our PB's will be left in the dust rather quickly. I wonder if the next versions of Professional applications will even function on a G4. Ugh. Maybe I can sell my computer to the Smithsonian in a year when I buy a revised Macbook!

[glhart]

Actually, I also have an Intel Mini (1 gig RAM), which I think is a very nifty machine. It does run the universal applications very fast, and I can see where anyone using Photoshop would not want a G4 once the Intel version comes out. But I am very glad I didn't buy the current revision of the MBP because of the whine -- I couldn't use the computer with that. Also, I really think the built-in iSight on the MBP is a mistake -- what percentage of people will actually use it? I certainly agree that the G4 will look pretty lame in a year or so.

[lizardgator]

Originally Posted by glhart

Note that the Powerbooks have not come down in price on eBay, and I suspect they may even go up.

You're kidding right? The Powerbooks have taken a plunge on ebay, just before the MacBook Pro came out the latest Powerbooks were getting well over $2000. Lok at the prices now, they are much less than that.

[PeterKG]

Originally Posted by glhart

But I am very glad I didn't buy the current revision of the MBP because of the whine -- I couldn't use the computer with that. Also, I really think the built-in iSight on the MBP is a mistake -- what percentage of people will actually use it?

My MBP and most others do not have a "whine" problem. My last PB had the "lines" problem, and it was the last revision of the PB. So what's your point? You also complain about no modem, and no FW800. I NEVER used either, but I do use my iSight camera and am glad it is part of the computer, rather than have to carry one around. So what you seem to be saying is because the MBP doesn't meet your approval, that it's a mistake?

Do I think the Mac Mini Intel is a mistake because of it's proccesser/video card configuration, or that they made it even more difficult to access the ram? No, I don't. I'm sure your purchase was a good one for you.

[TFunkadelic]

I have a 15 powerbook, the revision before the last one. I'm ont sure I could handle NOT having the firewire 800, as that's been very important to me (I use my laptop for audio recording/editing, so I need both 400 and 800) as well as the modem. But, I certainly wouldn't mind having a macbook at all.

[iREZ]

once the express cards for fw 800 come out this point will be moot. macbook>powerbook...get over it

[jamil5454]

Originally Posted by glhart

Also, I really think the built-in iSight on the MBP is a mistake -- what percentage of people will actually use it?

I thought the same thing till I walked into an Apple Store with my friend and fired up PhotoBooth on a MacBook Pro. We spent roughly 15 minutes taking over 30 distorted pics and boy was it fun. Sure, it may not have many professional uses, but even a professional is encouraged to have a bit of fun with his/her computer every once in a while. I know I could spend hours with that thing and still be begging for more.

[Zeeb]

You actually bring up a good point. Once the express cards come out then that feature will be used-but when? My question is, by the time express cards are on the market will there be another version of the MBP? Ditto on the Professional Apps. I know Apple is a groundbreaking company, but I get the impression that they have included too many things on the MBP that won't be usable for quite awhile and at the same time excluding items that are still useful today. It seems that a better release date for the MBP would have been the summer after all.

[milhaus]

Your complaint is spurious. Apple is groundbreaking because it forces people to break their usage of legacy technologies (not that FW800 is legacy, but it clearly isn't as entrenched as FW400, and given the way that FW vs. USB itself is going, who knows if it won't be "legacy" in a few years). People made the same complaint about the floppy and inclusion of WiFi, which make the first gen toilet seat iBooks (barely) usable still today. Meanwhile, PC manufacturers are still using a outdated BIOS to manage the startup, still have parallel and serial ports, and frequently crappy USB implementation.

The only thing that isn't usable on the MacBook Pro is the express card slot. Remember when there were no USB peripherals and the same argument was made . . . I doubt anybody would question Steve's decision now.

As for FW800 in the next rev., where would it go? A serious limitation in this laptop is its size. Find me a PC laptop with these specs weighing 5.6 pounds and as thin as this, with a real FW400 (with power) port. . . .let alone FW800. Some sacrifices have to be made; I agree with the design choices Apple made.

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by Zeeb

Sounds like you are trying to console yourself a little with your decision to buy the PB . I can understand, the Macbook was introduced just a few months after the PB was revised for the last time. I bought the PB thinking that the Ibook would go intel first for that very reason. oops! Overall, the Macbook is clearly better but the saving grace of the Powerbook is the transition pains. We don't have to wait on universal apps for every little thing like playing a simple video clip on CNN. Of course, once all those apps do go universal and software development becomes geared toward the intel chips I'm afraid our PB's will be left in the dust rather quickly. I wonder if the next versions of Professional applications will even function on a G4. Ugh. Maybe I can sell my computer to the Smithsonian in a year when I buy a revised Macbook!

This reminds me of something I overheard about 3 weeks ago when I was deciding to take the plunge and get a MBP. I was in the Apple store in Tysons Corner, VA and I was listening to a salesman talk to a man and his teenage daughter. They were all set to get a MBP, but the salesman talked them out of it.

Mainly, he kept emphasising how Adobe wouldn't have a universal binary version of Photoshop until "at least December." He kept telling her about how slow it would be in Rosetta until then, and about how the store had decided to take Photoshop off their display models because it was so slow (which I suppose, it might be, when their display models only have the stock ram installed). However, I saw no indication that this particular teenager was a power Photoshop user. She just wanted to know that it worked, and he basically told her it is unusable.

He then steered her over to a G5. I kept listening as he explained to her how he had a late model G5 Powermac and a late model Powerbook. To me it was really obvious that he was telling customers not to buy a MBP because he had sunk so much money into last year's models. His advice had nothing to do with their needs, and everything to do with his ego. If I was his manager, I would fire him on the spot.

[Velocity211]

I use the FW800 most, you might want to wait for the next revision of the MBP even though it seems good now. Who knows, apple might just put the modem and FW800 back in.

[slffl]

Well I just sent back my MBP and went back to my 17" 1ghz. Sooo much better! The 2 main reasons were the screen tilt difference and the screen quality. Yes the higher rez screens are brighter, but the viewing angle on them is horrible and I just prefer a dpi of 100 or lower.

[PeterKG]

Originally Posted by slffl

Well I just sent back my MBP and went back to my 17" 1ghz. Sooo much better! The 2 main reasons were the screen tilt difference and the screen quality. Yes the higher rez screens are brighter, but the viewing angle on them is horrible and I just prefer a dpi of 100 or lower.

Don't forget to write IMO "In my opinion" when you make statements regarding personal opinion. IMO, the screen tilt is fine wherever I use my MBP. IMO, the dpi is better than on my previous PB. IMO, soooo much better.

[robby818]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

He then steered her over to a G5. I kept listening as he explained to her how he had a late model G5 Powermac and a late model Powerbook. To me it was really obvious that he was telling customers not to buy a MBP because he had sunk so much money into last year's models. His advice had nothing to do with their needs, and everything to do with his ego. If I was his manager, I would fire him on the spot.

That is really too bad. If a sales person wants to be helpful he or she really needs to LISTEN to their customer's needs, not simply spout off their own personal biases.

I had a good experience at the Apple glendale store recently...i asked an employee about how the remote on the ipod hi-fi worked and he really didn't know the answer..he was frank and honest "i don't know but i'd be happy to find out for you." no ego, no bs, just interested in helping me find hte answer..i like that, i don't expect sales people to know everything or know what products would work best for me but i really appreciate it when they actually try to help you.

[Zeeb]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

This reminds me of something I overheard about 3 weeks ago when I was deciding to take the plunge and get a MBP. I was in the Apple store in Tysons Corner, VA and I was listening to a salesman talk to a man and his teenage daughter. They were all set to get a MBP, but the salesman talked them out of it.

Mainly, he kept emphasising how Adobe wouldn't have a universal binary version of Photoshop until "at least December." He kept telling her about how slow it would be in Rosetta until then, and about how the store had decided to take Photoshop off their display models because it was so slow (which I suppose, it might be, when their display models only have the stock ram installed). However, I saw no indication that this particular teenager was a power Photoshop user. She just wanted to know that it worked, and he basically told her it is unusable.

He then steered her over to a G5. I kept listening as he explained to her how he had a late model G5 Powermac and a late model Powerbook. To me it was really obvious that he was telling customers not to buy a MBP because he had sunk so much money into last year's models. His advice had nothing to do with their needs, and everything to do with his ego. If I was his manager, I would fire him on the spot.

So if you were his manager you would fire him for selling product? If you did, I doubt you would continue to be a manager. I've read too many posts that take this issue from the perspective of a consumer who is extremely computer savvy.

The portion of the conversation you overheard may have only been part of the story. You may have missed an explanation of her needs that directed the salesperson to say what he did. Don't get my wrong, IMO the MBP's are great and I would have one myself if they had been around when I made my purchase. But there are reasonable arguements for SOME to go with a PPC machine.

[mintcake]

Originally Posted by Velocity211

I use the FW800 most, you might want to wait for the next revision of the MBP even though it seems good now. Who knows, apple might just put the modem and FW800 back in.

Let's have a bet shall we?

[SimeyTheLimey]

Originally Posted by Zeeb

So if you were his manager you would fire him for selling product? If you did, I doubt you would continue to be a manager. I've read too many posts that take this issue from the perspective of a consumer who is extremely computer savvy.

The portion of the conversation you overheard may have only been part of the story. You may have missed an explanation of her needs that directed the salesperson to say what he did. Don't get my wrong, IMO the MBP's are great and I would have one myself if they had been around when I made my purchase. But there are reasonable arguements for SOME to go with a PPC machine.

Nope. I heard the whole conversation. He basically dissuaded her from buying an Apple computer. She wanted a Macbook Pro. He tried to sell her a G5 tower because it is what he has, but not because it is what she really wanted. A G5 tower is not a laptop, and so of course, she did not buy it. In the process, he badmouthed the product he is paid to sell and spun a bunch of crap about how unusable it is. She ended up walking out of the store and likely bought a Dell or something because he had convinced her that Apple won't have what she wants for the best part of a year.

Idiots like that are not what Apple needs, and so sure, if I were his manager I would have fired him. The fact that he has personal opinions against Apple's current line is not a reason to put off customers from buying the merchandise he is paid to sell.

[riotge@r]

Originally Posted by glhart

I have the last revision of the Powerbook 15 (2 Gigs RAM). I just had the screen, which was awful, replaced for free. It seems to me that now I'd reather have it than a MBP. I do use the 800 firewire, have a modem, there is no whine (which I could not tolerate), the screen is bigger, and if I want I can hook up my iSight to it. I spent a long time playing with the MBP at the store, and it has two advantages -- it is faster (for universal apps) and the screen is a little brighter. But all in all, I'd take the Powerbook. One final thought: I have 3 Power Adapters for the Powerbook that I can use. Note that the Powerbooks have not come down in price on eBay, and I suspect they may even go up. My PB 15 is quite an awesome machine, and I don't think the MBP measures up yet.

I had a PowerBook 1.67Ghz and PowerMac G5 Dual 2.7Ghz. My MacBook Pro replaced both of them. The MacBook Pro is almost on par with the PowerBook 1.67 with Adobe products, but absolutely kills the PowerBook when it is running a universal binary program. I've been using the MBP exclusively for 2 weeks and I do not even miss my PowerMac! MBP > PB in just about every way. The PB is slow! I hated using mine since I used my PowerMac G5 most of the time.

[theokandroid]

how the hell did you get your screen replaced for free?

[glhart]

That's the main reason I posted -- that I had the latest Powerbook 15" with the problematic screen, and I was finding the machine uncomfortable to use. Look at http://forums.macrumors.com/showthre...158751&page=55 -- Apple has started replacing the screen with a Samsung one that works properly. Download http://www.keithstravels.com/travelo...oginscreen.jpg and set it as the desktop picture to see if you have the problem. If so, leave it on and send it to Apple -- they'll replace the screen. Note that the repair people here (in Berkeley) ran a screen test on the computer and it passed even though the screen was bad. Apple has apparently just started replacing the screens about a month ago, mainly because of so many complaints. As for the MBP, it's no doubt potentially a fantastic machine -- if you have the whine, complain until Apple fixes it. It's worth it -- my Powerbook is 1000% more usable now.

[eevyl]

Not all the MBP have The Whine™.

And, best of all, several PowerBook have it.

So there it goes your "PowerBook pwns MacBook Pro" argument...

[milhaus]

Look dude. I have the whine in my MBP. It has come up three times in a week. I open my dashboard, add the mirror widget. Close it. Done. No more whine. Apple will fix it in time, but it's such a minor inconvenience that I couldn't really be bothered to send my laptop in. I do hope it's fixed through a firmware/software update, since it seems to be fixable that way.

[Zeeb]

Originally Posted by SimeyTheLimey

Nope. I heard the whole conversation. He basically dissuaded her from buying an Apple computer. She wanted a Macbook Pro. He tried to sell her a G5 tower because it is what he has, but not because it is what she really wanted. A G5 tower is not a laptop, and so of course, she did not buy it. In the process, he badmouthed the product he is paid to sell and spun a bunch of crap about how unusable it is. She ended up walking out of the store and likely bought a Dell or something because he had convinced her that Apple won't have what she wants for the best part of a year.

Idiots like that are not what Apple needs, and so sure, if I were his manager I would have fired him. The fact that he has personal opinions against Apple's current line is not a reason to put off customers from buying the merchandise he is paid to sell.

Yikes, then I would be inclined to agree with you. If she came in specifically wanting a MBP and he actually badmouthed the product and redirected her then that's pretty awful. I've heard rumors that some salespeople were directed to push customers toward discontinued PPC machines so that they can get them out of stock. Hopefully, she did her own research and bought a MBP from another source.

[john h]

Originally Posted by Zeeb

Sounds like you are trying to console yourself a little with your decision to buy the PB . I can understand, the Macbook was introduced just a few months after the PB was revised for the last time. I bought the PB thinking that the Ibook would go intel first for that very reason. oops! Overall, the Macbook is clearly better but the saving grace of the Powerbook is the transition pains. We don't have to wait on universal apps for every little thing like playing a simple video clip on CNN. Of course, once all those apps do go universal and software development becomes geared toward the intel chips I'm afraid our PB's will be left in the dust rather quickly. I wonder if the next versions of Professional applications will even function on a G4. Ugh. Maybe I can sell my computer to the Smithsonian in a year when I buy a revised Macbook!

I will eventually buy a MacBook but not until you guys work out the problems with the early shipments which is to be expected and until software developers have enough software that I use working on the new MacBook. No doubt they are the future of Mac but as one who formerly tested aircraft I prefer ones that have been wrung out.

[john h]

Originally Posted by lizardgator

You're kidding right? The Powerbooks have taken a plunge on ebay, just before the MacBook Pro came out the latest Powerbooks were getting well over $2000. Lok at the prices now, they are much less than that.

I look at eBay every day and the good Powerbooks are bringing premium prices. Near $1900 at the good used ones I look at. CompUSA is still selling the Powerbook at $1999. MacMall is still at $1999 but with a free RAM upgrade. Amazon is selling Apple refurbs and the couple of new ones are at full retail. Due to the high prices I am seeing on the used Powerbooks I would buy a new one from MacMall before I would buy a used one. Even the Refurbs on Apple are $1550 -$1599. Powerbooks are clearly holding their on. As the supply of new ones clear the shelves I think the price will even go up. There are still a lot of people who like the proven PB's and will upgrade when the dust finally clears on the Macbook.

[john h]

Originally Posted by Zeeb

Yikes, then I would be inclined to agree with you. If she came in specifically wanting a MBP and he actually badmouthed the product and redirected her then that's pretty awful. I've heard rumors that some salespeople were directed to push customers toward discontinued PPC machines so that they can get them out of stock. Hopefully, she did her own research and bought a MBP from another source.

Can someone tell me where I can find the applications that will work on MacBook Pro? Does Apple Works, Techtool Pro, DiskWarrior, Word X, OmniWeb, Stuffit X, Intego Backup, Net Barrier, Photo Elements 3.0, etc work on the Intel machines? Will my Smart Label Printer and my Canon Printers work. Can I plug in my speakers with the standard input? Will my Lacie Firewire external drives work? I need some sense of what will work or when these programs will work if ever before I invest $2000 only to find I have $2000 of unusable softaware. Thanks. I would like the MacBook but need to understand what I am getting into. I am not seeing much written about the software and hardware that works or does not work.

[mintcake]

You can find a list of apps that run natively under Intel here.

This is a list of apps that work under on-the-fly emulation (Rosetta).

[mrmister]

Given my track record, some on this forum might expect me to prefer the PB over a MBP, but I do not--there's little question that head-to-head, a MBP beats the pants off of any era PowerBook.

Don't get me wrong--I'm upset with a number of questionable Apple decisions for the MBP (which I won't get into *again*) but it's a great machine...*if* you can get one that doesn't whine. They do exist--I've seen both kinds--but for me, I'd need a non-whining MBP as it would make me very crazy in short order.

glhart, what on *earth* are you running, a Macintosh collection? You have a 1.67 Ghz PB, *and* you got an intel mini...why are you even thinking of upgrading? You shouln't need to defend your PB vs a MBP, because it should be a while before you upgrade anyway--it sounds to me like you have newmodelitis, which isn't really curable, as even if you did get a MBP and it was perfect you'll be wanting to replace it as soon as it is revised in 6 to 9 months.

My advise: stick to what you have, because you already paid for it. A computer is defined not by what it is theoretically capable of, but by what users actually use it to do.

[glhart]

You have a good point. The MBP is certainly a better machine (assuming you get one without the whine), but does it make any difference if the machine you're using does what you need? Here's another point I haven't seen mentioned: I think that the Intel OSX operating system takes up a few more gigabytes than the PowerPC one, and that means you get less space on your hard disk. Obviously, that can be an issue on a notebook. Has anyone looked into this?

[iREZ]

with hd sizes reaching 80+gb, i could hardly see this being an issue of monumental proportions.

[Tuoder]

The MBP is not without its problems, but I consider it to be a better product overall than the PB. Of course it will not be perfect, being the first of its kind, and the fact that not everything is universal. The G4 CPU is a bit old. There is a generational gap between the PB's and the MBP's CPU. This is not to say that the G4 is totally inferior, it is not, but the MBP is better. In a year or so, this will not even be a competition (comparing the last PB to the first MBP). When OSX has been tweaked a bit for the new architechture, and there are more universal (and maybe even Intel-only) apps, the MBP will be a far superior product. Right now, I would say that for some, a PB would be better than a MBP, but overall, for the population at large, the MBP is a better machine.

[wtmcgee]

The ONLY place the MacBook doesn't match up yet is pro apps. But as soon as Adobe & other companies get universal versions of their software out, it's not even going to be close.

The only think keeping me using my G5 & powerbook combo is the fact I can't really use Studio 8 and CS2 on an intel machine yet. The day those upgrades are for sale, my g5 and powerbook will be goners.

[mrmister]

Eventually (maybe even now?) there must be tools arriving that will let you strip out the PowerPC executable, the same way there are apps that strip the Intel executable now--that should make the files smaller.

[Brohammed]

Originally Posted by Tuoder

I would say that for some, a PB would be better than a MBP, but overall, for the population at large, the MBP is a better machine.

I'm a professional photographer using Adobe PS and InDesign...I've heard they'll run just as well as on my PB, just not taking advantage of the MBP speed yet...any thoughts?

[CorpITGuy]

Originally Posted by Brohammed

I'm a professional photographer using Adobe PS and InDesign...I've heard they'll run just as well as on my PB, just not taking advantage of the MBP speed yet...any thoughts?

CS is slower on a MBP than on a PBG4. Adobe will have Universal Apps VERY soon. If I could wait, I would.

[JKT]

If people are waiting for the next MBP thinking it is going to be a revision "B" then they are seriously deluding themselves. Isn't it blatantly obvious that the current MBP is the epitome of the transitional machine (along with the intel iMac and the Mac mini) - made to look and feel as much like the prior AlPB as possible but introducing the intel architecture to the "early" adopters and switchers. If you honestly think Apple will keep the same form factor for the next (and full) release of the MBP, then you are a fool IMO. When it comes, the real revision A will be the next model which will have a completely new design, and not this one which is essentially an AlPB with an intel processor in it. What are all you "never buy a revision A, I'm waiting for B" people going to do then?

[mintcake]

Laugh at us "early adopters" for being stuck with ancient tech?

You might be right, I don't think it's "blatantly obvious" though, not by any stretch. I don't believe Steve when he says "we didn't change the enclosure because it's the best possible" but nor do I see why they would necessarily change the enclosure when it ain't broke and when it has great brand recognition.

[JKT]

Because it is now over 3 (or is it 4?) years old. When it comes to the next revision it will be 4 (5?) years old. No matter how good it is or how much brand recognition applies to it, even Apple will not keep the same form factor for much longer than that, especially when they will want a big bang new product introduction with the Merom chipset. Any bumps in the road due to the intel switch have proven themselves to be minor and the transition will be over by then in Apple's eyes.

MNSHO of course.

[riotge@r]

I really think it depends on what the next iBook (MacBook) looks like. The MBP is slimmer and a bit wider than the PB. I don't think the next MBP will be completely redesigned.

[Tuoder]

I would have figured that Apple would have changed the enclosure when they changed the name and architechture. I agree that the enclosure may see at least a minor update before terribly long, but I wouldn't call it obvious to any but a telepath.

[milhaus]

And when that new enclosure comes, we will have another debate over MacBook 1 versus MacBook 2; people will wax nostalgic about the old form factor while others will champion the new. I personally can't see how much better the form factor can get. 1" thick, 5.6 pounds for a 15.4" laptop? Speed wise, sure there's always going to be improvement, but I can't see addition of FW800 without subtracting FW400; they're not going to add a modem or more video ports (they'll stick with the dongle solution) . . .

And BTW, the next revision of the MacBook Pro will still be Rev. A, if it uses a new form factor . . .

[mintcake]

How long have we had the current form factor? Quite a few years huh? Thing is, once Apple put fuel cells in their laptops, and they'll be among the first to do so, that will be a reason to change the form factor, more of a reason than a move from Yonah to Merom (unless they choose to make Merom a major publicity stunt which I suspect they won't, given their current emphasis on continuity). And fuel cells can't be more than a couple of years away. So would they introduce major redesigns to their flagship product twice within two or three years?

They might of course but on balance I think we'll see nothing more than minor tweaks (as we've had since the introduction of the TiBook).

[Tuoder]

Originally Posted by mintcake

How long have we had the current form factor? Quite a few years huh? Thing is, once Apple put fuel cells in their laptops, and they'll be among the first to do so, that will be a reason to change the form factor, more of a reason than a move from Yonah to Merom (unless they choose to make Merom a major publicity stunt which I suspect they won't, given their current emphasis on continuity). And fuel cells can't be more than a couple of years away. So would they introduce major redesigns to their flagship product twice within two or three years?

They might of course but on balance I think we'll see nothing more than minor tweaks (as we've had since the introduction of the TiBook).

Fuel cells have been "a couple of years away" for a decade. I am not so sure that Apple would be an early adopter of fuel cells. I would think that they would wait to see how well it works in practice. Fuel cells aren't as simple of a change as Pb acid--> NiCad-->NiMH-->LiIon. It is a complete paradigm shift in the way that portable devices are powered. We don't really have any sure way of knowing the durability of portable fuel cells in the real world (bumps, drops, normal usage) yet. It is completely unproven technology.

[migs647]

Originally Posted by Maflynn

I think the MBP has a lot of potential and is an improvement to the powerbook. I do wonder why apple removed FW800 and the modem. I use my PB's modem more then I have for FW800.

Apple removed the modem and FW800 because they didn't have enough room. At the last minute they had to scrap it in order to keep the form factor. This is the reason the superdrive was sped down as well. They have stated they are still committed to FW800, just have to wait till the next rev for it.

Personally I'm waiting for a MBP that holds more ram. With the use of Rosetta so high, I wouldn't use a machine with anything less than 4gb. AppleInsider did some tests wtiht he imac a few months ago. They found that the more ram, the faster Rosetta handled.

Adobe announced today that CS3 won't be released for another year. Since this is the case, I'd have to put up with Rosetta for almost everything I use, except BBEdit and XCode.

I shall wait... hopefully for 64bit cpus.

[Zeeb]

4gb of ram would be awesome. I'm also waiting for wireless "n" built in--I think there may be a good chance that it would appear in the next version of the mbp. I figure if apple can put in an expresscard slot in a laptop before there are expresscards--then this shouldn't be too unrealistic.

[Tuoder]

Wimax could be in the next MBP, given that Intel is including it in their centrino chipsets soon.