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The Placid Casual · Jul 30, 2003, 07:53 AM

I am very sceptical of this, but thought I'd report it nonetheless...

As per my other thread, I have been searching for a good deal on a 15" Powerbook...

Anyway I called 7 John Lewis (one of the biggest Mac Resellers in the UK) stores, and they have told me that the 15" models are without doubt EOL and being 'totally' discontinued. They have none in stock anywhere... They no longer even appear on the stock sheets or order sheets for the next few months.

I spoke to a manger at the London store, and he told me, that their Apple rep had told him that due to the 'overwhelming' success of the 12" Powerbook, the 15" form factor is now discontinued... with no immediate plans for a replacement after the current batch.

The rep is also alleged to have stated that the similarity to the current 14" iBook, and the sales of the 12" PB have sealed it's doom.

There will apparently be a 15" model introduced again at 'some point', but there was no word whether it would be in the 'Power' or 'Consumer' ranges... and not a 15" PB as we know it.

I usually take these things with a 'pinch of salt', and it could easily mean a 15.4" Uber Book is on it's way, but i thought I'd report it nonetheless...

What worries me is, that also ties in with the proposed improvements to the 12". The mini book could easily take over the space of it's middle brother features wise. Also I am getting a stupid discount on a 867 machine... waayyy above what I would have expected.

If it is true, this is one bad move IMHO,

Peace,

Marc

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 08:20 AM

Interestingly enough, I heard the same thing and reported it here and everyone poo-pooed the idea.

Now you're confirming it.

I also agree it's a bad move, but hey, Apple does weird things sometimes that befuddle me (and others).

Getting rid of the 15-inch gives people a tough decision: Buy a 12-inch "mini" or spring for the "Big Boy" at 17 inches.

It's certainly going to boost their 17-inch Powerbook sales because some people (like me) couldn't stand to work on a 12-inch Powerbook that lacks DVI (ANOTHER bad decision by Apple).

Go figure.

The Placid Casual · Jul 30, 2003, 08:25 AM

Originally posted by iWrite:
Interestingly enough, I heard the same thing and reported it here and everyone poo-pooed the idea.

Guilty as charged *hides face* :embarrassed:

Man I hope it is not true...

macxtal · Jul 30, 2003, 08:38 AM

I called this months ago, we'll see.

A 12" PB with good DVI .. you don't need the 15" anymore. Get a 17" or 20" Panel for when you're at home. From a marketing standpoint I can't see the 15" remaining, if there are problems with it in manufacturing, they might try running without it to see what the reaction is.

I'm waiting for a DVI 12".

coolmacdude · Jul 30, 2003, 08:42 AM

I am extremely skeptical of this. I have seen reports on other sites that say Apple has already taken a lot of orders for 15.4" displays. That and the fact that this would be an incredibly dumb move leave me hope that it is not true.

crispinwilliams · Jul 30, 2003, 08:52 AM

For a long time the 15 inch has not been available on the fnac site in France...
http://www.fnac.com/
but suddenly it has reappeared a couple of days ago with delivery promised between 4 and 9 days... (the 12 inch is quoted as not-available at the moment)...
What does it all mean?

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 08:54 AM

It makes sense if you REALLY think about it objectively.

IF Apple releases a 15-inch Powerbook (a new one -- again) what will happen to 12-inch sales? And 17-inch sales?

Seriously, THINK about it.

It would hurt the sales of their other Powerbooks.

On the other hand, modify the 12-inch to include DVI (which makes it more than a glorified iBook) and bump the speed on 'em. Sales will coast right along.

However, in another thread I was mentioning that the significant other brought home a new Sony Vaio...that is almost 3Ghz!

Was running Photoshop on it and burned a DVD and it's FAST.

The fact that the PC notebooks are now 3Ghz and Apple Powerbooks are 1Ghz is, uh, kind of scary.

slow moe · Jul 30, 2003, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by macxtal:
A 12" PB with good DVI .. you don't need the 15" anymore. Get a 17" or 20" Panel for when you're at home.

Agreed, but I've gotten poo-pooed in the past for suggesting to someone who's looking at 15", to buy a 12" instead and with the money saved buy a nice 17 - 19" LCD monitor, or better yet, if you've already got a nice monitor you're half way there.

The 12" PB is the new Cube - but portable and minus the "headless wonder" part.

BrunoBruin · Jul 30, 2003, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by The Placid Casual:
I spoke to a manger at the London store, and he told me, that their Apple rep had told him that due to the 'overwhelming' success of the 12" Powerbook, the 15" form factor is now discontinued... with no immediate plans for a replacement after the current batch.

BS. In the first quarter the 15-inch sold only about 10,000 fewer units than the 12.

If Apple drops the 15 they've lost a sale. I dumped a 12-inch iBook in favor of a PowerBook. And the 17 is almost comically big. No thanks.

My experience with Apple reps is that they know less than a casual reader of these boards.

Phanguye · Jul 30, 2003, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by The Placid Casual:
Anyway I called 7 John Lewis (one of the biggest Mac Resellers in the UK) stores, and they have told me that the 15" models are without doubt EOL and being 'totally' discontinued. They have none in stock anywhere... They no longer even appear on the stock sheets or order sheets for the next few months.

I usually take these things with a 'pinch of salt', and it could easily mean a 15.4" Uber Book is on it's way, but i thought I'd report it nonetheless...

there is more chance of apple putting windows on their computers than there is of them dropping the 15" powerbook... i think you answered your own question in the second part, The 15" Ti has been discontinued, but it will be replaced with a 15" Aluminum

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 09:41 AM

I don't think 15-inch aluminum will be around anytime soon. Just my opinion, which means little, but from speaking to an Apple friend in Executive Relations (Cupertino) I get the *feeling* (wink wink) that it won't be around for quite a while.

This is the scoop: Apple wanted a 15-inch aluminum system but getting them manufactured has been really tough. One thing? The 15.4-inch LCD had to be custom manufactured. The standard LCD sizes are 12-inch, 14-inch, 16.1-inch, and 17-inch.

Now think about it: Are you going to pay an extra few hundred bucks for a notebook with a custom screen size? Apple thinks that consumers won't like it and it will hurt their sales. That means that they'd have to go to the 16.1-inch LCD which is readily available.

They're not going to go to the 16.1-inch LCD because they have a 17-inch LCD!

Apple thinks that way. They got rid of the 17-inch Apple Display because it would sabotage display sales because if a person has a 17-inch Powerbook he has no motivation to hook up to an external monitor, see?

Apple supposedly was going to bring them out at Christmas for the holiday season, but supposedly they're "rethinking the 15-inch system due LCD availability issues."

Just a little FYI for everyone.

m@ · Jul 30, 2003, 09:47 AM

I wouldn't trust anyone from John Lewis about Apple's future PowerBook strategy.

They make nice curtains though!

My god, you will be trusting Alastair Campbell's next!

Eug · Jul 30, 2003, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by iWrite:
This is the scoop: Apple wanted a 15-inch aluminum system but getting them manufactured has been really tough. One thing? The 15.4-inch LCD had to be custom manufactured. The standard LCD sizes are 12-inch, 14-inch, 16.1-inch, and 17-inch.

Huh? 15.4" LCDs are already available, and have been for months. There are also 10.4", 13.3", 15", etc, and various widescreen permutations of the above.

Apple thinks that way. They got rid of the 17-inch Apple Display because it would sabotage display sales because if a person has a 17-inch Powerbook he has no motivation to hook up to an external monitor, see?

That of course makes no sense whatsoever. I use my 15" TiBook all the time with my 17" Samsung display. I get 1093120 pixels on the TiBook and another 1310720 pixels on the Samsung. In otherwords, using an external 17" more than doubles my work space.

Furthermore, a 17" PowerBook has 1296000 pixels, and again, adding a 17" external TFT more than doubles the workspace.

BrunoBruin · Jul 30, 2003, 10:08 AM

Originally posted by iWrite:
This is the scoop: Apple wanted a 15-inch aluminum system but getting them manufactured has been really tough. One thing? The 15.4-inch LCD had to be custom manufactured. The standard LCD sizes are 12-inch, 14-inch, 16.1-inch, and 17-inch.

Sorry, but tell your friend in Cupertino to spend a little time checking the competition. Dell has had 15.4-inch notebooks, in three resolutions, on sale since March. Compaq and HP also have 15.4-inch notebooks, and no doubt others do as well.

EDIT: Eug beat me to it!

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 10:16 AM

The POINT is that availability of displays is dependent on MANY things...

What is current NOW...

What Apple is willing to pay...

Who their LCD display provider is...

Etc.

I DO trust my Cupertino friend, actually...he's forecast several things coming down the pike with respect to Apple.

Of course, he may be wrong, but the thing is, his biggest point was that Apple was trying to analyze whether or not 15-inch sales would hurt the sales of the other two Powerbooks. THAT was/is his "job" at Apple: Making analyses.

Figures he'd have more info than the average bear, wouldn't it?

JHromadka · Jul 30, 2003, 10:19 AM

Originally posted by macxtal:
I called this months ago, we'll see.

A 12" PB with good DVI .. you don't need the 15" anymore. Get a 17" or 20" Panel for when you're at home. From a marketing standpoint I can't see the 15" remaining, if there are problems with it in manufacturing, they might try running without it to see what the reaction is.

When I'm at home, I use my TiBook on the couch, so I'm not going to connect it to an external monitor. I need the 15" screen. The 12" is too small and has too small a resolution, and the 17" is too big for economy flights.

I swear feel like Goldilocks and the three bears with these models!

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 10:29 AM

I swear feel like Goldilocks and the three bears with these models!

Good call -- LOL!

slow moe · Jul 30, 2003, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by JHromadka:
When I'm at home, I use my TiBook on the couch, so I'm not going to connect it to an external monitor. I need the 15" screen. The 12" is too small and has too small a resolution, and the 17" is too big for economy flights.

That's fine a dandy, but most young PC switchers have good eye-sight, and more importantly they most likely already have a decent monitor sitting next to their used "now hard to sell because you can buy one new from Dell for $500" PC.

btw/ I use my 12" all over the place too, but when I need to get some (design) work done, it's hook to a monitor. Even if I had a 15" PB, I would need more pixels than it comes with.

murbot · Jul 30, 2003, 11:49 AM

Of course, he may be wrong, but the thing is, his biggest point was that Apple was trying to analyze whether or not 15-inch sales would hurt the sales of the other two Powerbooks.

This is assuming that a potential buyer will buy a 12" or 17" PowerBook should the 15" disappear.

Not everyone wants to use their laptop with an external display (or has the room for one), and not everyone wants a mammoth (and expensive) 17" laptop. If Apple dumps the 15" model, you can bet there will be soaring sales of current and previous version 15"ers from various resellers.

I don't think Apple is stupid enough to drop the 15". At least I certainly HOPE they're not.

Eug · 11:56 AM

Originally posted by iWrite:
The POINT is that availability of displays is dependent on MANY things...

What is current NOW...

What Apple is willing to pay...

Who their LCD display provider is...

Etc.

I DO trust my Cupertino friend, actually...he's forecast several things coming down the pike with respect to Apple.

Of course, he may be wrong, but the thing is, his biggest point was that Apple was trying to analyze whether or not 15-inch sales would hurt the sales of the other two Powerbooks. THAT was/is his "job" at Apple: Making analyses.

Figures he'd have more info than the average bear, wouldn't it?

I still don't understand your logic.

15.4" screens are current NOW, and have been used in other laptops for many months now.

Apple uses many LCD display providers.

As for hurting the sales of the other machines, I don't doubt it, but that's not a bad thing if the sum of the sales is significantly more than the 12" and 17" alone. Indeed, from a revenue point of view, one might be more concerned that the 12" is hurting the unit sales of the 15", not vice versa.

Also, EOLing the 15" TiBook doesn't mean scrapping the mid-range altogether. Indeed, if they did do that they'd probably lose a lot of customers. Did your friend actually give you a summary of his findings, or are you just making guesses on minimal information?

As for me, I dunno if I'd stick with Apple if they dropped the 15". I probably would, but it'd be a much harder decision. I think the 17" is a nice machine but anything over 6 lbs is getting into the really chunky category IMO. (The 17" is almost 7 lbs.) And I'm not terribly fond of the screen of the 12". Too high dpi and poor backlight. Plus it has no DVI or PCMCIA. The 15" is the sweet spot for me (and a lot of other people).

schmoe · Jul 30, 2003, 12:05 PM

*nod* the 15" is the only PB I'd consider. The first time I've not been interested in upgrading is when the 12" and 17" came out. I really doubt Apple will drop the 15", more likely they'd drop the 12" since its not much more than a glorified iBook.

macxtal · Jul 30, 2003, 12:12 PM

It makes NO sense to have a 12, 15, and 17. You want mobility, get a 12 and pick up a monitor and keyboard for the office. You want a mobile desktop replacement, get a 17.

A "perfect" 15 would eliminate the need for a 12 and a 17, and murder the sales of each. The 17" is a premium model, and has a high markup and good profit as a result. The 12" is selling really really well, although currently it IS an AliBook.

Add DVI, PCMCIA, drop the thickness, fix the screen issue, put in another ram socket, or pre-wire 256/512m - and you have one hell of a little machine. Mobile cube, exactly, and I want one BAD.

murbot · Jul 30, 2003, 12:13 PM

As for hurting the sales of the other machines, I don't doubt it, but that's not a bad thing if the sum of the sales is significantly more than the 12" and 17" alone. Indeed, from a revenue point of view, one might be more concerned that the 12" is hurting the unit sales of the 15", not vice versa.

Exactly. The argument that a new 15" would "hurt sales" of the other models is ridiculous. The notion that all three models may be revised never crossed your mind?

If the goal is to sell as many PowerBooks as possible, dropping the 15" is a bad move. I'm sure Apple would LOVE people to buy a new 15" over a 12" model. This is a bad thing, why exactly?

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 12:15 PM

Well, who knows what is happening right?

Let's forget the case for a moment, shall we?

Apple has a serious deficiency in the speed department along with other issues.

Like I mentioned in the "Apple Should Face Reality" thread (great thread), my significant other brought home a totally maxed out 2.8Ghz Sony Vaio with DVD+/-RW with every bell and whistle. Came with a wireless router coupon that you send away and they send you a brand new wireless point. Has built-in WiFi. 80GB hard drive. I took it and played with it when no one was looking and it is FAST. The screen is huge. Chassis has an aluminum look and feel to it. It's really not bad looking and the new metal looking case is an improvement over their previous cases.

The downside? 1.8 inches thick. 7 pounds 8 ounces heavy. Runs Windows XP (at least it's pro).

The big upside? $1900 cash-and-carry. (Plus tax.)

Here's the rub that I mentioned: I'm kind of pissed off at Apple because this machine is 3 times as fast as the current Powerbooks!

THAT is where the problem is. Forget the case or size of the Powerbook for a minute...consider the internal workings and issues with the processor.

Even if Apple "bumps" the processor it will be minimal, maybe to 1.25 Ghz or 1.33Ghz. Meanwhile, in October, just in time for the holiday season, the 3Ghz PC notebooks are rolling out. It's just kind of really pathetic on Apple's behalf.

Now, I grant you, the current processor and speed is probably plenty speedy enough for everyone as is, but the Mac and the PC have become the proverbial hare and tortoise story -- and you know which is which!

murbot · Jul 30, 2003, 12:18 PM

Originally posted by macxtal:
It makes NO sense to have a 12, 15, and 17. You want mobility, get a 12 and pick up a monitor and keyboard for the office. You want a mobile desktop replacement, get a 17.

God, people sling this line around like it's the most obvious thing in the world. It's a royal pain in the ass for some people to buy an external monitor and keyboard. What if I want to use my laptop at the office, down the hall in another office, then at home in my study, then over at the kitchen table for a few hours? If I don't want to stare at a small display all day, I'd get the 15". The 17" is too damn big for many users - complete overkill.

I'll buy the Devil a new pair of skates if this happens - he'll need them to get around.

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 12:20 PM

Oh, and how can anyone argue that the fast PC notebooks aren't hurting Apple sales, right?

You walk into a store like CompUSA and you have on one hand a $3200 1Ghz notebook. On the other hand you have a $2000 3Ghz notebook.

Which one are you going to buy -- especially if you're counting your pennies?

Yes, you may say to yourself, "Mac OS X really is the best operating system, but on the other hand, XP will do for a while, especially when I can do the same things on either."

Apple is ruining "The Year of the Powerbook." It's more than half over and nothing phenomenal has happened yet -- in hardware or sales.

BrunoBruin · Jul 30, 2003, 12:46 PM

Originally posted by iWrite:
You walk into a store like CompUSA and you have on one hand a $3200 1Ghz notebook. On the other hand you have a $2000 3Ghz notebook.

Which one are you going to buy -- especially if you're counting your pennies?

What does that have to do with the fate of the 15-inch PowerBook?

The other sizes are no faster.

Originally posted by iWrite:
Apple is ruining "The Year of the Powerbook." It's more than half over and nothing phenomenal has happened yet -- in hardware or sales.

Notebook sales were 46 percent of Apple's total last quarter, a record for them and for the industry. "Year of the Notebook" refers only to the fact that laptop sales have almost achieved parity with desktops. It has nothing to do with hardware advances. I wish people would stop flinging that phrase around as if it meant we should expect nuclear-powered OLED PowerBooks that weigh three ounces and can be folded to carry in your pocket.

eddievedder · Jul 30, 2003, 12:50 PM

Originally posted by iWrite:
It makes sense if you REALLY think about it objectively.

IF Apple releases a 15-inch Powerbook (a new one -- again) what will happen to 12-inch sales? And 17-inch sales?

Seriously, THINK about it.

It would hurt the sales of their other Powerbooks.

On the other hand, modify the 12-inch to include DVI (which makes it more than a glorified iBook) and bump the speed on 'em. Sales will coast right along.

However, in another thread I was mentioning that the significant other brought home a new Sony Vaio...that is almost 3Ghz!

Was running Photoshop on it and burned a DVD and it's FAST.

The fact that the PC notebooks are now 3Ghz and Apple Powerbooks are 1Ghz is, uh, kind of scary.

If that makes sense to you then you're an idiot.

Eug · 01:03 PM

iWrite, not that it has much to do with the 15" PowerBook, but I hope your husband knows what he's getting into with the Sony Vaio PCG-GRT170, because even most PC users wouldn't touch that laptop with a 10 foot pole.

That Sony's 2.8 GHz processor is a Pentium 4. No, not a Pentium M Centrino and not a Pentium 4M. It's a plain desktop Pentium 4. Not a good idea. The 7.5 lbs is gonna be the least of his worries. Battery life will be terrible. In fact, the Pentium 4 2.8 consumes more power than a G5 2.0.

The much better option on the PC side is the Pentium M Centrino. Not as fast, but the chip is much better suited for laptops. I'd take a Centrino 1.5 GHz over a Pentium 4 2.8 laptop any day, and so would most informed PC laptop buyers.

schmoe · Jul 30, 2003, 01:06 PM

Geez Eug, always a step ahead of me =P

The Pentium 4 chip is crap, particularly in laptops. Clock for clock it is slower than a P3 and has massive power requirements. Pentium-M, based on the P3, is where the PC laptop market is. A P-M 1.6ghz benchmarks around P4 2.2-2.4ghz and the next revision will have double the L2 cache, 2 megs! Plus some of the laptops get real world runtimes of 6+ hours on a single battery.

Still, in my benchmarks with "openssl speed" a P-M 1.6ghz is ~50% faster than a G4 @ 1ghz. So a P4 2.8ghz is unlikely to be 3x faster.

However the G4 is bandwidth limited with the pokey 167mhz bus, and I wouldn't be surprised if that Sony had a much faster DVD drive. I totally agree that Apple needs to play catchup, it just isn't as bad as it seems, believe me, I just switched back from a Pentium-M

graphics84 · Jul 30, 2003, 01:08 PM

SWEET... can't wait but I'm glad I got a Ti book...

it's been great.. as the last revsion of a product line should be... the bugs are worked out.

I'm sticking with my Ti until there is a 2 gig G4 chip for a 15 or a G5...

and I have only had it 6 months... I may upgrade the HD but only with a +80gig 7200rpm drive (crossing fingers)...

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 01:32 PM

by "eddievedder"
If that makes sense to you then you're an idiot.

And I really believe you're Eddie Vedder.

goMac · Jul 30, 2003, 02:03 PM

My Apple sources tell me that Apple is waiting on 15.5 inch displays...

version · Jul 30, 2003, 02:05 PM

Originally posted by murbot:
God, people sling this line around like it's the most obvious thing in the world. It's a royal pain in the ass for some people to buy an external monitor and keyboard. What if I want to use my laptop at the office, down the hall in another office, then at home in my study, then over at the kitchen table for a few hours? If I don't want to stare at a small display all day, I'd get the 15". The 17" is too damn big for many users - complete overkill.

I'll buy the Devil a new pair of skates if this happens - he'll need them to get around.

Exactly, and that's the issue facing me just now. I've had a pismo for a few years, lovely 14.1" screen, etc. There's no way I'd go for anything less than that now, and especially when the larger screen models come with those little hardware extras.
The 17" is just too big, and unwieldly for me as I need the comfort of something that is really portable, but the 14" screen gives me enough real estate for when I need to just kick back at home with the thing. Hence the 15" being a perfect solution for lots of us, I'd hate to see it go.

Phanguye · Jul 30, 2003, 02:17 PM

Originally posted by goMac:
My Apple sources tell me that Apple is waiting on 15.5 inch displays...

my source who is high up in apple winked at me and told me that the 15 is discontinued because the 17 is becoming the middle of the road... they are going to start offering a g5 with a HD display duct taped on to it because all people use laptops for is desktop replacements

iDaver · Jul 30, 2003, 02:47 PM

Apple is ruining "The Year of the Powerbook." It's more than half over and nothing phenomenal has happened yet -- in hardware or sales. [/B]

I think the new 12" and 17" models are pretty phenomenal, personally.

ae86_16v · Jul 30, 2003, 03:08 PM

Originally posted by Phanguye:
my source who is high up in apple winked at me and told me that the 15 is discontinued because the 17 is becoming the middle of the road... they are going to start offering a g5 with a HD display duct taped on to it because all people use laptops for is desktop replacements

Hahahaha. . . .

15" PB discontinued. . . . Isn't going to happen.

Fyre4ce · Jul 30, 2003, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by schmoe:
*nod* the 15" is the only PB I'd consider. The first time I've not been interested in upgrading is when the 12" and 17" came out. I really doubt Apple will drop the 15", more likely they'd drop the 12" since its not much more than a glorified iBook.

Perhaps they will "kill" the current iBook line altogether and just make the 12" PowerBook the new iBook. I think it's about time we got at least G4's in the whole product lineup.

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 04:00 PM

I can't believe I allowed this to happen...

I got sucked into yet another mental masturbation thread about the 15-inch Powerbook...

"To be or not to be?"

Sakino · Jul 30, 2003, 05:39 PM

Originally posted by iDaver:
I think the new 12" and 17" models are pretty phenomenal, personally.

They both offer great things for people that need a small laptop, and an extra large laptop. There is still a large amount of people waiting out for the people that want a midrange laptop that packs the punch. Apple is just waiting to release it. There is no way in hell they would cut the 15 inch pb from their production line.

bbales · Jul 30, 2003, 05:58 PM

Apple needs that mid-range model of the 15-inch. I got a 12-inch and it's perfect for me. The Ti book was too expensive and I wanted a G4, hence, no ibook. But what was perfect for me won't satisfy others. I have a desktop, too -- if I had to use the 12-inch for everything it would drive me crazy.

I think apple will eventually come out with a mid-Al, though...

beachmark · Jul 30, 2003, 06:07 PM

I am the proud owner of an apple powerbook 17inch as well as an acer travelmate 800 with 1.3 pentium centrino. all i can say is that both computes have their advantages as wel las disadvantages. only the negative points for thepowerbook are diffiutl to find however. the centrino has certainly its advantages over apple but one of his great downsides is (and that applies for any pc) is that tthe value drops singificantly over the weeks where the powerbook remains quite valuable.

nect to that nothing beats an apple in audio and video. i merely have the pc for cross reference and such but otherwise i can find a reason to work with or it should the the slightly bended keyboard that makestyping compfrtable but the rest it is a night mare.

to finish off one more thing why a pc will neverbe as good as apple: spam control as a standard item in the mail programme. if i had picked up only one per cent of all offers theat go through on a pc and that are blocked by apple i now would have have a male part of at least 88 inch, breasts the size of four hands, a never stopping viagra stamina and a waist of maximum 28 inches. and let us not forget a mortage of 10 million with no interest all on amy freebee credit card that i never have to pay back

no, stop the comparising and stick to apple is my advice

rcarlosnyc · Jul 30, 2003, 06:18 PM

I hope the 15" PBook is discontinued. I'm sick and tired of reading "waiting for the 15 AluBook" threads.

I have a 17" PBook and I carry it with me everyday. It is not to big and it's not heavy.

Eug · Jul 30, 2003, 06:57 PM

Originally posted by rcarlosnyc:
I hope the 15" PBook is discontinued. I'm sick and tired of reading "waiting for the 15 AluBook" threads.

Then there'd be a zillion "Why did they cancel the 15" PBook?" threads.

I have a 17" PBook and I carry it with me everyday. It is not to big and it's not heavy.

I find it big and I find it heavy. If the 15" has close to the same speed and features of the 17", the 15" is my preferred laptop.

That said, if the 17" went with say dual 1.3 GHz G4s with full DDR support in 2004, I'd actually consider it. (Not that I'd actually expect duals, but the power specs of the new G4s make this option actually plausible.)

turboSPE · Jul 30, 2003, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by murbot:
This is assuming that a potential buyer will buy a 12" or 17" PowerBook should the 15" disappear.

Not everyone wants to use their laptop with an external display (or has the room for one), and not everyone wants a mammoth (and expensive) 17" laptop. If Apple dumps the 15" model, you can bet there will be soaring sales of current and previous version 15"ers from various resellers.

I don't think Apple is stupid enough to drop the 15". At least I certainly HOPE they're not.

What if Apple dropped the 15", came out with "better" and "best" versions of the 17" with pricing appropriate to each model? Certainly more than what the 15" was/is, but enough to make it worth the upgrade to a larger screen. I'd definitely jump on that.

turboSPE

Eug · Jul 30, 2003, 07:18 PM

Originally posted by turboSPE:
What if Apple dropped the 15", came out with "better" and "best" versions of the 17" with pricing appropriate to each model? Certainly more than what the 15" was/is, but enough to make it worth the upgrade to a larger screen. I'd definitely jump on that.

turboSPE

The issue with the 17" is the physical size and weight. It's great for some people, but not for others.

todrain · Jul 30, 2003, 10:17 PM

The best selling laptops among all brands right now are 15" models.

Apple wouldn't give up the sweet spot out of fear of losing 12 or 17 sales.

David Hagan · Jul 30, 2003, 10:30 PM

It does not surprise me one bit that Apple will dump the 15-inch. Apple now fashions themselves as trendsetters and maybe they see something with the sales figures for PowerBooks that is pointing them in this direction. After the endless wait for a friggin' 15-incher, I may just hunker down and get me a 17-inch model.

iWrite · Jul 30, 2003, 10:43 PM

At last...a voice of intelligence and reason.

neutrino23 · Jul 30, 2003, 11:09 PM

This is the silliest thread I've ever read. The 15" PB is the mainstream PB. No way Apple is dropping it (apart from the various bits of information that have come out about the 15" Al PB). If indeed the 15" Ti was declared EOL in some places it is only to make room for the new and improved 15" Al PB. I can't till it comes out so goofy threads like this will fade away.