[anly]

I am ready to plunk down the dough... I hope I don't have to wait too much longer

[Randman]

What are you waiting for? It's not going to be a G5.

[anly]

I know its not gonna be a G5 for at least a year..so that is out of the question. Just wondering if they would upgrade the video card to 9800. Cause over here in TW, all PBs are 64MB. They don't sell the 128 config. That IMO is worth the wait, isn't it? I'm ready to plunk down my hard earned cash but would feel "cheated" if 9800 was right around the corner. I mean i kno we're not gonna make much improvement in the CPU department for at least a while....

[machan]

I'm going to wait it out. All I really care about is the graphics card as well because I want to run FCP/DVDSP/Motion/ProTools/Live on a new 15" Powerbook and would like it to last me at least 1 year for doing a lot of editing and music. I've got a rev. A 12" PB right now and I love it and will miss it, but I really need to up my raw power to get some work done. I'm really hoping all the rumor mongers are right and a PB update is just a month or two away, because I really can't wait any longer than that (due to upcoming projects this fall).

[iBorg]

The "waiting game" is tough, and you do realize that no one here really knows when an update will occur, right? (no matter how certain they claim to be!)



Apple has historically been full of surprises, and when the G5 is going to be available in a laptop is anyone's guess - probably not until next year, but no one in these forums appears to have any inside info! I'm sure that they're trying to get this crammed into a PowerBook, ASAP, since Tiger will be optimized for the G5, and will be out next year - if PowerBooks are still lacking the G5, performance, and thus sales, will certainly suffer as a result!

Since the last PowerBook update was 5 months ago, they're clearly due for at least a speed bump in the next few months, tops, which will also certainly include other improved features/BTO options (better graphics, faster DVD-burning, bigger/faster drives, etc.)

The choice is yours, but whatever you buy, it'll be replaced by something better and cheaper within a few months, and you have to decide if today's purchase will be acceptable to you when that occurs!

Good luck!



iBorg

[Randman]

Originally posted by machan:
I'm going to wait it out. All I really care about is the graphics card as well because I want to run FCP/DVDSP/Motion/ProTools/Live on a new 15" Powerbook and would like it to last me at least 1 year for doing a lot of editing and music. I've got a rev. A 12" PB right now and I love it and will miss it, but I really need to up my raw power to get some work done. I'm really hoping all the rumor mongers are right and a PB update is just a month or two away, because I really can't wait any longer than that (due to upcoming projects this fall).

Gee, you make the current batch sound like dogs.

[machan]

"Gee, you make the current batch sound like dogs."

No, I didn't. I would just prefer to do all my FCP editing on at least a 1.5 Ghz G4 with a fast graphics card that can actually run Motion instead of an 867 Mhz G4 with a graphics card that does not support Motion. I'm willing to wait a few months, but am hopeful that I won't have to wait too long so I can get to work on the new machine exclusively instead of doing half on the 12" and half on the 15". I even said I love my 12" PB. Sheesh.

[Randman]

Originally posted by machan:
"Gee, you make the current batch sound like dogs."

No, I didn't. I would just prefer to do all my FCP editing on at least a 1.5 Ghz G4 with a fast graphics card that can actually run Motion instead of an 867 Mhz G4 with a graphics card that does not support Motion. I'm willing to wait a few months, but am hopeful that I won't have to wait too long so I can get to work on the new machine exclusively instead of doing half on the 12" and half on the 15". I even said I love my 12" PB. Sheesh.

You could get a machine with those specs today. I can understand waiting if a revision is around the corner, but you did make it sound as if the current batch are incapable of meeting the needs you stated. Sheesh, back at ya.

[machan]

Between you, Randman, and the pissy Dell Support Tech who was in this morning, I've had to deal with 2 too many trolls today. I made it clear why I was waiting in my first post (newer graphics card rumored to be in next revision). If that's not good enough for you, fine. Troll away. I'm not spending any more time on it with you.

[anly]

i'm really tempted to go buy the PB today but can "afford" to wait a month or two, without pulling my hair out. I think the Specs today are very nice, but certainly not Apple's "top of the line" sort a speak...I won't even try to compare apples to oranges. With Tiger looming ahead our shoulders, it just seems like deja-vu all over for me. I bought a pismo right before when the G4 PBs came out and that was end of that story...( pismo's video was only 8MB ) and that just didn't cut Quartz and all....I know i'm just being an arse but this is why I love this place. To share toughts and speculate.

[meatyocre]

anly,

I can sympathize with the Pismo vs. PB G4 ordeal. I have been holding off a PB purchase for quite some time. I have a 12" Rev A and got it right before Rev B (USB 2.0, Faster Processor, HD, 1.25 Max Ram)

This next PowerBook purchase will be fresh! I want MORE for my money. $2500 plopped down today would be a mistake. It would be insanely frustrating, when the next Revision may come out any day or week. I agree with the folk who are eagerly waiting. Upgraded Processor, Bigger & Faster HD, Faster SuperDrive, Video Card

...totally worth waiting for. Especially for those of us who already have an "older" PB that are completely capable of getting us through the day. Looking forward to the New 15� specs.

[madmacgames]

Originally posted by anly:
I know its not gonna be a G5 for at least a year..so that is out of the question. Just wondering if they would upgrade the video card to 9800. Cause over here in TW, all PBs are 64MB. They don't sell the 128 config.

Don't the new Powerbooks all have upgradable VRAM? you get 64 on the card, but then I thought you could add more with the new ones if you wanted?

[anamexis]

Originally posted by madmacgames:
Don't the new Powerbooks all have upgradable VRAM? you get 64 on the card, but then I thought you could add more with the new ones if you wanted?

He lives in Taiwan, where the upgraded VRAM is not available. And the VRAM is not user upgradeable.

[anly]

Yup, kinda sux cause these babies are actually assembled here... , But I know this is Apple's tactics/advantage, to get more people to BTO from them directly. ( I see that small dog and several other outlets in the States have BTO machines in stock, just wonder why there is NO retailers in TW that did the same. ) Perhaps mac users in TW are a small minority(we are ..., hence they think we don't need the BEST; hopefully the updated model would add that as standard.

[anamexis]

For the record, I too am waiting for the next revision. I don't have enough money to buy a PowerBook anyways, but even if I did, I would wait. And, I should have enough money around October, so I'm crossing my fingers.

[Voch]

I just dropped by CompUSA to pick up some DVD-Rs and tinkered with the 12" PowerBook. Veeeeery tempting but I'm still happy with my TiBook. I'll give in someday...

Voch

[icruise]

Originally posted by madmacgames:
Don't the new Powerbooks all have upgradable VRAM? you get 64 on the card, but then I thought you could add more with the new ones if you wanted?

It's not upgradeable. It's possible to custom configure a machine with more VRAM when you purchase it directly from Apple, but you can't upgrade it after purchase.

[zed57]

I am waiting for the next rev too, maybe there will be a radeon in the 12!

[Phat Bastard]

You might find this site useful:

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

Apparently, based on the lengths of time between recent Powerbook updates, it is up for a revision sometime soon (a month or so).

[iBorg]

I replace my iMac about every 2-3 years, and my PowerBook inbetween. My 1 GHz TiBook Superdrive has served me wonderfully these past 22 months, and I'll plan on upgrading in another year - hopefully just as they manage to cram a G5 into it!

The newer AlBooks really don't offer anything I don't already have, and I won't need a better graphics chip than my Radeon 9000 64MB until Tiger debuts next summer. If the G5 comes sooner ..... I'm buying early!



iBorg

[anly]

I'm in the process of selling my Powermac, making room for the updated PB. The waiting sux, but i'm sure its worth it !

[MrForgetable]

i didn't wait (mostly because of the cram and jam deal), and I'm not dissapointed at all yes, i wanted to wait, but school was starting and i decided to plop down the $2000 dollars and it was definitely worth it.

[Lancer409]

good luchatever your decision, you'll love your new powerbook

[anly]

I Just wanna say thanks to all of ya, i've decided to bite the bullet now and plunk down my hard earned cash. Just couldn't wait another 3 months. Now I'm a happy 17" camper !! Now I can enjoy this baby and gladly wait for the PB G5 sometime next year

[Filburt]

It's sad to see people forgiving PowerBook's yesterday performance with phrases like "PowerBooks are plenty fast for web browsing, word processing, etc."

Although PowerBooks are beautiful and packs lots of features in their portable body (I own a 15-incher myself), they are not wholly deserving of the name "Power." I know they are fast enough for browsing, playing with iTunes, and all that. But what modern computers aren't? They are called PowerBook, not iBook Pro. The fact is PowerBooks run significantly slower than PowerMac G5 and Pentium M notebooks.

If iBook offered larger and higher resolution LCDs, I am not so sure if people would be so gung-ho about PowerBooks.

That said, I am sure PowerBook G5/dual-core G4 would be great. And I look forward to the day when I pull my credit card out to order one. Performance, screen resolution, and battery life (at least for the 15-inch model) are the areas where PowerBooks need to seriously ramp up.

[choard]

Any thoughts on the dual core G4 that Motorola announced? I have a Rev A 12", and would love to see a new 12" dual core 1.2 G4 in the next release, which I am hoping is in October. Now that would be a Powerbook! My wife has overcome her disdain of the computer as a college student, and I should give her this one and upgrade.....

[Lancer409]

Originally posted by choard:
Any thoughts on the dual core G4 that Motorola announced? I have a Rev A 12", and would love to see a new 12" dual core 1.2 G4 in the next release, which I am hoping is in October. Now that would be a Powerbook! My wife has overcome her disdain of the computer as a college student, and I should give her this one and upgrade.....

if it's a revisioni coming soon .. i think it's too early for dual core ... but .. that depends on when the revision happens...

personally .. it's such a big change i dont expect it before MWSF ...

that being said .. i think the next 12inch revision gets 1.5 ... and dual core would be announced at MWSF if it is indeed to be dual core, and not a G5 .. then again .. i could be totally off and these could all be delayed .. shrugs

[icruise]

Originally posted by Filburt:
It's sad to see people forgiving PowerBook's yesterday performance with phrases like "PowerBooks are plenty fast for web browsing, word processing, etc."

Although PowerBooks are beautiful and packs lots of features in their portable body (I own a 15-incher myself), they are not wholly deserving of the name "Power." I know they are fast enough for browsing, playing with iTunes, and all that. But what modern computers aren't? They are called PowerBook, not iBook Pro. The fact is PowerBooks run significantly slower than PowerMac G5 and Pentium M notebooks.

I think that's a load of BS, frankly. PowerBooks can handle just about anything you want to throw at them. That's not to say that they don't need to get faster relative to the G5, but there are any number of professionals doing professional work on PowerBooks, and not just the very newest models either. Anyone who says they are just good enough for web browsing and word processing is seriously misinformed, if you ask me.

[macaddict0001]

I think that there will be no dual core but just straight to g5 when the time comes based on past experience the time to update will be on world wide developer's conference in july.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Icruise:
I think that's a load of BS, frankly. PowerBooks can handle just about anything you want to throw at them. That's not to say that they don't need to get faster relative to the G5, but there are any number of professionals doing professional work on PowerBooks, and not just the very newest models either.

I agree 100%.

PowerBooks handle most tasks perfectly fine.

Of course a computer can always have more power, but I believe most tasks that require the dual G5 are probably not the kind of tasks you do on the road anyway (parallel simulations, 3d rendering, etc.). So, I'm not saying mobile users don't need power, but I really think the PowerBook offers a good balance between power and portability.

And if the dual core G4 successor is indeed being produced the PowerBook will certainly get a nice stop-gap CPU until a mobile version of the G5 arrives.

[albook]

Yes, I am waiting for the PowerBook G5.
As soon its out I`m certainly going to buy one...

[Thain Esh Kelch]

G5 or Dual-core G4, I'll take whatever comes first.

[toothfairy]

I can wait till the end of this year. Anychance they will have it out around the beginning of next year? thank you for any info.

[iomatic]

Wait all you want. Unless the 7447A successor is released, I wouldn't pin your hopes on it.

As always, if you need it/you can make money back on it/get a good education, then go get it.

Having the latest and greatest is temporary.

Originally posted by toothfairy:
I can wait till the end of this year. Anychance they will have it out around the beginning of next year? thank you for any info.

[Filburt]

Originally posted by Icruise:
I think that's a load of BS, frankly. PowerBooks can handle just about anything you want to throw at them. That's not to say that they don't need to get faster relative to the G5, but there are any number of professionals doing professional work on PowerBooks, and not just the very newest models either. Anyone who says they are just good enough for web browsing and word processing is seriously misinformed, if you ask me.

I wasn't trying to say PowerBooks are good for only basic tasks. I was just responding to common defense PowerBook zealots use to defend its yesterday performance ("Why do you need such power? It's plenty fast for every day tasks. If you need to edit video, go sit on your desk and use PowerMac.").

PowerBooks are seriously underpowered compared to similarly priced Pentium M notebooks. Seriously, much like how PowerMac G4 stacked against Pentium 4 desktops few years ago.

I do software development and 1.4 GHz Pentium M can crank out stuff a whole lot faster than a 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4 can. And once you are used to faster computers, it's hard to go back to slower PowerBook. Its beautiful look, portability (although HP zt3000 isn't a whole lot bigger), and Mac OS X are the only things keeping me attached.

As much as some of you may be content with PowerBook G4's performance, I don't think anyone would object to faster performance on par with Pentium M's. After all, we are paying significantly more for PowerBooks (yeah, I know, they are prettier and more portable). PowerBooks should at least perform at the similar level.

[UglyTruth]

The ugly truth is that Apple has fallen well behind in performance with notebooks. I hate to say it, because I have a 12" 867 MHz, and a 15" 1.33 GHz (that I bought a while back to alleviate my pain from the lack of performance in the 12"- more pain).

It is sad to see people so accepting of an average/below average computer, just because they love macs. I love OSX, I love much of my software and its ease of use. But, I can be honest with myself and the SERIOUS lack of legitimate hardware in the Powerbooks. Don't get your hopes up with another revision, Apple will give you a little bit of a speed bump, and you'll still be well behind any cheap PC, you name the brand, they'll all smoke a Powerbook.

It disgusts me to know that I spent nearly 6 grand on two powerbooks that don't hold a candle to my business partner's $1,200 generic brand Pentium M notebook. My dilemma is that I hate Windows so bad, that I feel forced to keep buying Macs. Now you say, well his will break down sooner, etc.... Lucky him, he can buy another one (when that day comes the performance gap will be even larger) for the same price, fully loaded with new features and still be into them less than one Powerbook.

We pay double the price, for half the machine. But hey, they run OSX and they LOOK awesome. No, Apple has no advantage in portability, size, weight, or battery life. They used to brag about these items, but the competition has long since left them in the dust.

Not to mention the accessories, I won't get started on them, but a quick one- the $250 Airport Extreme. Are they actually selling these? Has anyone checked the price of a 802.11g router? It is truly shameful.

Wake up Apple. Compete or go out of business. And no, I'm not impressed by iPod sales. You can't cover the Powerbook shame with cute iPod Mini's.

I want to be your loyal customer. Give me something to work with here.

[shortyes]

Originally posted by anly:
Yup, kinda sux cause these babies are actually assembled here... , But I know this is Apple's tactics/advantage, to get more people to BTO from them directly. ( I see that small dog and several other outlets in the States have BTO machines in stock, just wonder why there is NO retailers in TW that did the same. ) Perhaps mac users in TW are a small minority(we are ..., hence they think we don't need the BEST; hopefully the updated model would add that as standard.

Not sure if that is all correct. I just bought a PB and customized it with the 128mb Vram option and it is being deliveried from Mainland China, Shanghai. Gonna take 3 weeks to get here.

Called and it seems that all customized laptop from Apple comes from their factory in China.

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by UglyTruth:
The ugly truth is that Apple has fallen well behind in performance with notebooks. I hate to say it, because I have a 12" 867 MHz, and a 15" 1.33 GHz (that I bought a while back to alleviate my pain from the lack of performance in the 12"- more pain).

It is sad to see people so accepting of an average/below average computer, just because they love macs. I love OSX, I love much of my software and its ease of use. But, I can be honest with myself and the SERIOUS lack of legitimate hardware in the Powerbooks. Don't get your hopes up with another revision, Apple will give you a little bit of a speed bump, and you'll still be well behind any cheap PC, you name the brand, they'll all smoke a Powerbook.

It disgusts me to know that I spent nearly 6 grand on two powerbooks that don't hold a candle to my business partner's $1,200 generic brand Pentium M notebook. My dilemma is that I hate Windows so bad, that I feel forced to keep buying Macs. Now you say, well his will break down sooner, etc.... Lucky him, he can buy another one (when that day comes the performance gap will be even larger) for the same price, fully loaded with new features and still be into them less than one Powerbook.

We pay double the price, for half the machine. But hey, they run OSX and they LOOK awesome. No, Apple has no advantage in portability, size, weight, or battery life. They used to brag about these items, but the competition has long since left them in the dust.

Not to mention the accessories, I won't get started on them, but a quick one- the $250 Airport Extreme. Are they actually selling these? Has anyone checked the price of a 802.11g router? It is truly shameful.

Wake up Apple. Compete or go out of business. And no, I'm not impressed by iPod sales. You can't cover the Powerbook shame with cute iPod Mini's.

I want to be your loyal customer. Give me something to work with here.

actually powerbooks are fairly good value because they start at about 1500, not 3000 for the high end 17 inch. Last time I checked the cheapest 17 inch pc laptop was around 2000 and was 2 inches thick and still had a worse graphics card and no internal wifi. Airport is also good value if you use all of its features, for example bridging. airport supports bridging and independent bridgers cost about 150, so do some research before ranting.

[UglyTruth]

I've done my research on the Powerbooks(not the Airport), in real life, not in theory. There are plenty of direct comparisons in my daily work routine, so it's a matter of comparing Apples to Oranges(by "Oranges" I mean Sony's and IBM's). They don't compare.

Powerbooks start at 1599 for the stripped down version of the 12". If you want to make it run, and upgrade some stuff, you're not getting out of the door for less than 2K. This is the bottom of the food chain. I have one. I don't see the point of the 17" portable desktop, so we'll just ignore that one. There are a thousand different 15" PCs more portable, thinner, lighter, and better battery time. But that was completely a subtopic. Price is not even debatable, Apple is in their own world on price. Not even close.

You didn't even mention the PERFORMANCE. That is the issue. For 2-3K investment you deserve to have a top end machine. Keep in mind, I have two fairly new powerbooks, and sit in the office with them next to a Sony, and an IBM. I can put them side by side and see the remarkable chasm in performance. I don't even pretend to not see it anymore. I made the mistake of opening my fat mouth and telling my co-workers how they underestimate Macs, and that the Powerbooks were the real deal on performance(I just dumped 3 grand on one, upgraded everything, it better be hot, right?). Boy do I have to eat my shoe every day while my PB sits and chews on processes, and my buddies Vaio just SMOKES through them. OUCH. I'm pissed. I got taken by the cheesy salesman at the Mac Store- "Oh yeah, this baby is the top of the food chain, PC's don't have anything on these" (Insert cheesy used car salesman smile).

You don't even want to know what he paid for his Sony, or the IBM. I wish I didn't. But alas, OSX I like, and refuse to go back to PCs. Too bad Sony doesn't make an OSX platform, or any other cheap no name PC manufacturer for that matter, it would kick the dog crap out of the Powerbooks. In all fairness, there are some categories where my Powerbooks will almost hang with the PCs. But did I pay almost double what they did so I could "almost" hang with them? The worst part is, they'll roll out another sub-par line of PBs in a month or so. Don't they have an aggressive bone in their bodies there at R & D? My advice would be to buy the absolute cheapest iBook you can find if you want to enjoy some OSX, save the rest of your left over cash to buy a PC laptop to get your work done on.

[macaddict0001]

The powerbook is not too bad I didn't say it was better its just not as bad as you make it sound. And when the G5 comes in a powerbook in about 6-12 monthes it will smoke anything.

[Simon]

Originally posted by UglyTruth:
There are a thousand different 15" PCs more portable, thinner, lighter, and better battery time. But that was completely a subtopic. Price is not even debatable, Apple is in their own world on price. Not even close.

Strange.

I have yet to see a 15" PC notebook for under 2.5k that is as thin, light and beautifully designed as the PowerBook. And if they are that thin, do they have a DVD burner? Do they get more than 2h battery life doing real work (not just idling)?

All the PC notebooks I get to see are about twice as thick as the PowerBook, weigh roughly 8 pounds, run 1-2 h on battery, have roaring fans or have either CD-ROMS or slow CD burners with trays. But hey, they have parallel and RS232 ports - yeah!

I know there are also nicely spec'ed PC notebooks that aren't complete crap, but they are always heavier, bulkier, or more expensive.

Now either (although I live in one of the richest countries of the world) everybody around me just buys crap notebooks or your assessment is rather off.

(no offense intended here, but I really can't share your POV)

[theolein]

I just got my new 15"Al 1.3GHz today. I was also considering waiting until higher specced machines came out, especially since Apple is probably going to give a speed bump in a month or two with the new Motorola G4's that can do over 1.5Ghz, but I decided that if I start playing that waiting game, I'll never bee happy. I'm totally happy with this new machine. It'll last me a good year or two.

[Simon]

Originally posted by theolein:
I just got my new 15"Al 1.3GHz today. I was also considering waiting until higher specced machines came out, especially since Apple is probably going to give a speed bump in a month or two with the new Motorola G4's that can do over 1.5Ghz, but I decided that if I start playing that waiting game, I'll never bee happy. I'm totally happy with this new machine. It'll last me a good year or two.

Theolein, congrats on your new PowerBook.

What's the reason you went for the 'slower' model? And where did you get it in Zurich - AppleStore or dealer (Letec, Dataquest, etc.)?

[nooon]

I'm officially not on the fence anymore, as I just went ahead and ordered a PB 15,2" 1,5GHz!

I just couldn't stand the waiting, and I need that laptop NOW!

[theolein]

Originally posted by Simon:
Theolein, congrats on your new PowerBook.

What's the reason you went for the 'slower' model? And where did you get it in Zurich - AppleStore or dealer (Letec, Dataquest, etc.)?

Fr1000.- is the reason I went for the slower version without the fancy backlighted keyboard.

I got it through a dealer, Netto Computer AG in Z�rich. I have a bit of trouble with them right now, because I traded in my old TiPB 667MHHz for this new one, and after looking at it and accepting it and making the sale final, they today phoned me and told me the screen had a dark spot on it (This one day later).

Legally I am in the right as they did check the old PB in my presence and another customer was there as well, and they accepted it. The guy started up the machine, checked the Airport card and started Explorer and loaded a web site and he did all this without complaining about any "dark spots". Older LCD's do tend to become less brilliant over time and I don't know whether he's refering to that. But it doesn't really matter legally, as the bill of sale states that the new PB's price is reduced by the price they gave for the old one, and in Switzerland an invoice is a valid contract.

Still, I'll go round and talk to the guy on Saturday and see what he's talking about. It might well be that I'll have to take my business elsewhere in the future though (Dataquest probably)

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by theolein:
Fr1000.- is the reason I went for the slower version without the fancy backlighted keyboard.

I got it through a dealer, Netto Computer AG in Z�rich. I have a bit of trouble with them right now, because I traded in my old TiPB 667MHHz for this new one, and after looking at it and accepting it and making the sale final, they today phoned me and told me the screen had a dark spot on it (This one day later).

Legally I am in the right as they did check the old PB in my presence and another customer was there as well, and they accepted it. The guy started up the machine, checked the Airport card and started Explorer and loaded a web site and he did all this without complaining about any "dark spots". Older LCD's do tend to become less brilliant over time and I don't know whether he's refering to that. But it doesn't really matter legally, as the bill of sale states that the new PB's price is reduced by the price they gave for the old one, and in Switzerland an invoice is a valid contract.

Still, I'll go round and talk to the guy on Saturday and see what he's talking about. It might well be that I'll have to take my business elsewhere in the future though (Dataquest probably)

You just have to remember that you're within your rights and that they can't do anything about it.

[Filburt]

Originally posted by Simon:
Strange.

I have yet to see a 15" PC notebook for under 2.5k that is as thin, light and beautifully designed as the PowerBook. And if they are that thin, do they have a DVD burner? Do they get more than 2h battery life doing real work (not just idling)?

All the PC notebooks I get to see are about twice as thick as the PowerBook, weigh roughly 8 pounds, run 1-2 h on battery, have roaring fans or have either CD-ROMS or slow CD burners with trays. But hey, they have parallel and RS232 ports - yeah!

In terms of beauty, the PowerBook is in a class of its own. Although some Sony and HP models are quite presentable, there's a big gap between even the best looking Wintel notebooks to PowerBook. Take away the beauty and perhaps thickness, however, there are many that easily meets your challenge.

HP zt3000:

• Price: $1924
• Processor: Intel Pentium M @ 1.6 GHz with 2 MB L2 cache
• Display: 15.4" LCD @ 1680x1050
• Graphics: ATI RADEON Mobility 9200 with 64 MB
• Memory: 1 GB DDR SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 80 GB 4200 RPM
• Optical Disk: 8X DVD+/-RW
• Network: 802.11b/g with Bluetooth 1.2

My girlfriend has is and it routinely gets over 4 hours of battery life with maximum LCD brightness with Bluetooth and WiFi turned on. Its fan rarely turns on and it weighs about 6.5 lbs and 1.3" thick.

[wtmcgee]

I have to get a powerbook before Nov. 1 - so i'll be buying one either way. Obviously, I hope I buy the latest and greatest, but I'll be buying one the last week of Oct. no matter what.

[molala]

I guess if you have a deadline/really need the machine now, you have no choice. Otherwise, it's not a long wait. Everytime a revision happens, there is always a thread or two for people who just bought their machine within the last 3 weeks, most regretting not waiting. I've been wanting the current 12-inch PB, but i think i'll wait for the new ones - at least there'll be a price drop with this model.

[wtmcgee]

Since the Freescale processors are so far away, and we won't be seeing a G5 anytime soon either - I see no reason that there will not be a pb update very soon.