[galaga]

I am going to buy a 15" albook and have been following recent events surrounding it. I was wondering if anyone could give me a definitive answer regarding what rev b actually is? I asked this on the apple forums and got a fuzzy answer, so if someone could tell me once and for all I would be very grateful.

Is rev b when the machine is speedbumped and has (presumably) a few bugs fixed at the same time OR is rev b simply the second 'wave' of machine that come out a few months after the start of production and may have bugs fixed?

And does anyone know for definite if the 15" albook is on rev b yet or do I have to wait because presumably apple don't shout 'rev b' from the rooftops?

As you can see I am confused. I just want to buy a 15" albook asap without the risk of any of the problems that have cropped up...

[ibook_steve]

New models aren't officially called rev. B. That's just what they usually get called on the forums and web pages for clarity. Apple gives strange official names for products though they look almost exactly the same. For example, the first 12" aluminum Powerbook is called 12" Powerbook (867 MHz). The "rev. B" is called 12" Powerbook (mini-DVI) or (1 GHz). On the web, we just call it rev. B because it is easier to distinguish that way than Apple's way. So rev. A in my example would be the January 2003 12" Powerbook running at 867 MHz with VGA output. The rev. B would be the September 2003 12" Powerbook running at 1 GHz with DVI output through the new mini-DVI port. In the case of the 15", there has been only one aluminum version, so it is still "rev. A." So to answer your question, it usually refers to speedbumps or feature upgrades because Apple would never announce logic board changes that fixed something.

Steve

[galaga]

Okay, that sounds sensible. Thanks for the explanation. Without meaning to complicate the issue, are you implying that apple might very well tweak the logic board in a new batch of machines to fix a problem but make no announcement (because there is no speedbump etc)?

[new newton]

Yes. They don't change major components or design aspects, but they do make QC and other changes.

When people here talk about "revision b" it's the first major set of changes to a product line, "c" being the second, and so forth. That can get a bit confusing with long-lived lines like the TiBooks, and becomes increasingly less descriptive of the product. The last TiBooks didn't have much in common with the first ones beyond cosmetics.

Apple uses descriptive names as someone mentioned, but in reality they track things by their part numbers. Consumers really can't be expected to know those or to refer to them in polite conversation.

[MrCaN]

Ok, so I have a follow up to this question, I want to get a 15" powerbook, but I have been told I should wait until rev. B. So I am confused to why, or are the ones coming off the line now coming out in good shape? I also have another question about the airport base station, is it worth it, or should I just buy a 802.11g router for cheaper, I guess I don't understand if the airport basestation adds anything over a normal g router. Thanks for your help, and I hope to join your ranks soon.

[all2ofme]

Originally posted by new newton:
When people here talk about "revision b" it's the first major set of changes to a product line, "c" being the second, and so forth. That can get a bit confusing

Indeed it can - if for no other reason than it doesn't make all that much sense logically. What was "revision A" a revision of?

My theory is that this feels like it makes sense because "revision" is bloody close to an anagram of "version", which WOULD make sense.

[galaga]

Originally posted by MrCaN:
Ok, so I have a follow up to this question, I want to get a 15" powerbook, but I have been told I should wait until rev. B...are the ones coming off the line now coming out in good shape?

That's pretty much what I was getting at. It doesn't seem as if anyone knows for sure whether it's on rev b or not yet. And added to that, it's an 'unofficial' concept, so there may be disagreement over when/whether it is on rev b. But, if an Apple guy has publicly acknowledged the problems and said that they are now fixed, I would venture a guess that the albooks shipping now are okay.

I hope so anyway because I'm going to get one very soon. I might wait til Feb 2 though because I've heard that there might be some revisions then. (I'm not holding my breath).

[MrCaN]

Originally posted by galaga:
I hope so anyway because I'm going to get one very soon. I might wait til Feb 2 though because I've heard that there might be some revisions then. (I'm not holding my breath).

Yes, but how long can we hold our breath?

[naknek]

The first time I heard the term "Rev. B" was in reference to the first revision of the original bondi blue iMac. It didn't have a speedbump, but it had a better graphics chip, newer OS (8.5) and a few other enhancements.

People called it "Revision B" because its part number was identical to the original iMac, except it ended in B instead of A. Because the machines were almost identical, the easiest way to refer to them was "Rev. A" and "Rev. B."

Then a few months later, Apple introduced the multicolored iMacs, which were of course new machines, speedbumped and all, with a completely different part number. But people started calling those "Rev. C," and the rest is history.

More info on the first Rev. B iMac