[Simon]

This AI article offers some speculation and rumors about the upcoming Intel iBooks and PowerBooks. They claim the iBook will get a 13" widescreen while the PowerBook will have 15" and 17" only.

If that turns out to be true, what will all the 12" buyers do? Already now the 12" PowerBook and iBook are very similar, but as soon as somebody wants to drive external displays the iBook is a no go. Could this mean the iBook will finally get a decent uncrippled video-out?

And yeah, the PowerBooks should get the same internal iSight the iMac now has. Yawn.

The best part (next to the CPU upgrade of course) is that they mention the 15" PowerBook could lose up to 25% of its thickness. That would make it thinner than the current 17"!

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by Simon

This AI article offers some speculation and rumors

exactly.
so we'll see when we get there.

if apple DOES make a 13", and keeps the size small (ie close to the current 12", maybe thinner)...
i want one.

until then, let the speculation continue (i've got work to do on my 12" pb!)

[wilsonng]

I've always wished Apple would finally bring the 12" up to par with the capabilities of its bigger siblings. I hope that Apple continues with a small PB format factor like 13.3" and add the backlit keyboard, FW800, and PC Card.

I've had a 14" Lombard, a 15" TiBook, and a 12" AlBook. I refer my 12" AlBook any day of the week.

[mduell]

Dropping the 12" and giving the iBook DVI makes sense to me. That the iMac and iBook are gimped without DVI while the Mac mini has it is a little weird.

A 15" that is 25% thinner would be 0.83"... which sounds too good to be true.

[Cadaver]

I wouldn't mind a Mac ultralight... Something with say a 10" widescreen, no internal optical, and super light & thin. Think Sony Vio running OS X.

My rev. C 12" PB is as close as I can get right now.

[chabig]

I'm not concerned. ALL the current Powerbooks will soon be history.

[tooki]

Frankly, I have thought for a while that the 12" iBooks and 12" PowerBooks are too close in specs to warrant both existing.

tooki

[Simon]

I agree. I think the only chance for a small PowerBook is if Apple decided to make something ultra-thin and ultra-light with no internal optical, 10" widescreen with 120ppi, etc. As long as it's just an iBook with DVI and metal case it doesn't have any future.

[giggs11]

Really disappointed in this, but I guess it would make sense as to why they didn't upgrade the 12" this time. The screen isn't as good as the others, but it works damn well for whatever I do, and you can't beat the form factor.

[DeathMan]

They should make a high end 13" and a low end 13 inch. basically the same, but the high end has DVD, audio in/out, better video card with spanning.

Whether the high end is metal and matches powerbooks I don't care, but I want a small laptop with good features.

I actually don't care about dvd burning, but audio in would be nice, and dvi out with spanning. and a decent video card are needed. I don't really want a big huge laptop.

[GlobalNomad]

Previously the main difference between the iBook and PowerBook was the g4.
Now with the 12" iBook and 12" PowerBook both with g4s there is no really advantage the PowerBook has.

What?
- SuperDrive
- Slightly better graphics card?
- Slightly faster Ram?
- DVI (monitor spanning)

It is the main reason why I got the 12" PowerBook.
All came down to the fact I wanted to replace my old PowerMac (g4 digital audio) and I wanted a superdrive and a g4. The new PowerBooks (12") don't really have that much over the iBooks.

Unless possibly next year that they will put Intel chips in the Powerbooks and keep the iBooks with a g4 for the time being. (hey its my own guess... based on nothing)

[Simon]

Originally Posted by GlobalNomad

Unless possibly next year that they will put Intel chips in the Powerbooks and keep the iBooks with a g4 for the time being. (hey its my own guess... based on nothing)

That would be an idea, but unfortunately all rumors point to a transition bottom-up meaning the iBook could get Intel earlier (or at least no later) than the PowerBook.

[wilsonng]

If the rumors of the 12-incher's demise are true, I hope that the widescreen iBook would have monitor-spanning at least. This is the single biggest feature that made me choose the 12-inch PowerBook over the iBook.

Yeah, there are unofficial hacks to make monitor spanning work on current iBooks but I'd rather have it as part of an official spec.

[ism]

I think I'll cry. Well at least keep my 12" for longer. I keep thinking "A 15" would be nicer for editing on" but then I get a crappy train to work where I can barely fit the 12" on. I either have to sit at an angle or use the pb in more of a V shape on my lap rather than flat down.

[jmgriff]

I'm a very happy 12" owner - I prefer smaller laptops, and the 12" is a convenient size whilst retaining a good proportion of the performance offered by the larger models. So what to do if Apple doesn't offer a small Intel powerbook? I'd probably buy the 13" iBook for the sake of mobility, so long as it inherited the better 12" powerbook keyboard and DVI monitor spanning. I'd hope they'd offer a more 'professional' looking finish then the current shiny white, which I think looks cheap and tacky (just my opinion, but I don't like it).

But to be honest I've never understood Apple's attitude to the smallest Powerbook. I know they've been limited by technical limitations of the G4, but they don't seem to get that there are plenty of customers who want high-end performance in a small package and are willing to pay for it. Why is biggest always best?

[teney7]

My friends and I had a lengthy discussion about this the other day, I hope Apple keeps a smaller notebook in their pro lineup, portability is key. However, it all depends how close the actual specs of the iB, PB are once they go Intel.


PS.. 12'' PBs ROCK!!!

[fisherKing]

i love my 12" alubook, my favorite powerbook so far (started with the beloved 2400c...10.4" pb!)

i want small, light...but i want a pro machine. speed. fast drive. power. backlit keys. great screen.

keeping an eye on apple.
hope they make my day...whenever that day will be..

[MikeD]

I still wish Apple would make a subnotebook or something that could compete with a Vaio TX. Have you guys seen that new TX650? It's preetty cool!! http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...Dept=computers

[shabbasuraj]

Originally Posted by MikeD

I still wish Apple would make a subnotebook or something that could compete with a Vaio TX. Have you guys seen that new TX650? It's preetty cool!! http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...Dept=computers

yuck

[Rob van dam]

how about apple making something with the durability of the panasonic toughbooks

[wilsonng]

Seeing the 12" go would be a sad day for me.

It was almost like the time when Apple decided to ditch the drive bays found in the Lombards and Pismos. That is a feature I truly miss...... Being able to swap in a zip drive, DVD drive, CD-RW, or a hard drive was a function that I miss.

I remembered the day Apple announced the first 12" PB. It was the only time I ever said to myself "that's the one I gotta have..."

[dale]

A thought about the new upcoming iBooks and Powerbooks:

If the new Apple laptops (intel based, due early next year) had both Forntrow and the remote as standard, presentation software could be integrated to appear as an icon option when launching frontrow. The remote could then be used to control the presentation.

The presentations are usually delivered via a projector hooked up to a laptop. I use PC's laptops for work (work pay for these) and some of them have remotes as an option, although single button "next page devices".

Apologies if this idea has been raised somewhere else. I would have posted this on the powerbook forum but I am too junior a member to create threads.