[Saifk]

I am heading to the Miami Apple Store in an hour or two, and im going to ask the sales rep the same question but i was wondering what the benefits of buying it now as oppossed to waiting till the summer will pose?

I'm still confused on what issues are resolved:

I will be looking to purchase the 1.25Ghz G4 15" with superdrive and 80Gb hardrive with 512 Mb of DDR RAM, and will be adding more later.

Questions:

Is this the "rev B" version? or will the "rev B" version come out SOON??? if it does what will be SO MUCH BETTER about it?

Has the issue over displays been resolved (whitespots, fading, etc.,)

How long will this PowerBook "last" until the 'New' ones come out? (like the G5 or the next version of the G4)

Will the warranty allow me to TRADE IN my current PowerBook if dissatisfied (like for a 17" or the next "rev" if it hasnt come out already) ?


Thanks for your help, can't wait till i MAKE THE SWITCH!!!

Posting on my 22" Trinitron on my Dell, 2.3Ghz, 80Gb hardrive, 1024Mb RAM...crashes pretty often, and i cry alot at night when i can't finish a damn one page paper or a simple assignment...


thanks again.

[Saifk]

Umm....bump


Didn't buy because i HAPPENED TO wear my college shirt (leaving this summer) so the sales rep at the apple store asked me if i got accepted, i said "yes" and BAM! he said if i bring in the letter with my name on it i get THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS OFF!!! $300 ! ! !
So im going back tomorrow for the PowerBook, and gonna add 512 Mb of RAm, so 1024Mb of RAM, still would like someone who is familiar with those questions to tell me, the sales rep said basically the white-spots were only on a speciafic BATCH of books manufactured and the ones with the new serisl numbers are the newer ones.


any insight would be appreciated, thanks.

[velodev]

Originally posted by Saifk:
Is this the "rev B" version? or will the "rev B" version come out SOON??? if it does what will be SO MUCH BETTER about it?

The model you are asking about is a Rev. B. There are a couple items improved from Rev. A.

Has the issue over displays been resolved (whitespots, fading, etc.,)

If the Powerbook was released after December, which most likely yours has, and if it hasn't it was sent back, it will not have the problem. Mine did not and I purchased mine about a month ago.

How long will this PowerBook "last" until the 'New' ones come out? (like the G5 or the next version of the G4)

Aww jesus. I was waiting for this one. Well, neither he/she or I will have the answer to that. People at the Apple stores know as much as the people in this forum - we can only speculate. Apple is very quiet about these things. But since you didn't do a search before asking I will grant you one "pass" - Motorola released a 1.5Ghz PowerPC G4 that could fit in the Powerbook. IBM is also able to make a G5 PowerPC chip that could possibly work in a Powerbook (this is based upon its ability to fit in an Xserve). People have said Sept, EOY, this summer - no one knows and especially no one knows which one.

Will the warranty allow me to TRADE IN my current PowerBook if dissatisfied (like for a 17" or the next "rev" if it hasnt come out already) ?

Well, this isn't written in stone but Apple Stores are generally pretty cool about this. A friend bought a 14" iBook and then traded up 45 days later for a 12" Pbook. Don't expect it to happen however be cool and it just might.

Thanks for your help, can't wait till i MAKE THE SWITCH!!!

Welcome aboard. If I can recommend one thing, lurk/browse/participate in these boards. You will learn a great deal of info about Macs.

Posting on my 22" Trinitron on my Dell, 2.3Ghz, 80Gb hardrive, 1024Mb RAM...crashes pretty often, and i cry alot at night when i can't finish a damn one page paper or a simple assignment...

IMHO, I would keep that puppy and throw Mandrake/Suse/Xandros (Linux) on it... you'll see a whole new computer. But, take it slow... you've only begun to experience a real OS by the upcoming switch.

[Saifk]

THANKS!!! I actually got back in my car and drove back with my acceptance letters and I.D. BOUGHT IT (WITH THE $300 DISCOUNT w00t!) and a free printer (it sucks ass, but wtf ebay it )

Thanks for your reply i actually saw it whne i was in the Apple Store (using their demo notebooks) so you definitely solidified my purchase (if anything goes wrong ill kill you, joking.)

But this post IS INFACT BEING MADE WITH MY NEW 15" POWERBOOK G4 WITH THE COOLEST KEYBOARD EVER!!!(Backlit!!! omg) And i got .Mac for a year, and this thing is off the wire...I can't beleieve how freckin fast it is!!! OMG SUPERDRIVE DVD BURNER /drooling over it now....omg my DV Camera will have new life breathed into it tonight!!!





! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[galaga]

Originally posted by velodev:
The model you are asking about is a Rev. B. There are a couple items improved from Rev. A.

When did it go rev b?

[fizzlemynizzle]

Originally posted by galaga:
When did it go rev b?

It didn't. The 15" AlBook has not been updated since its initial release last September.

[Saifk]

oh crappers...i bought it already


one more question: what do rev B usually accomplish? are there prices lowered? improved system stats? what usually happens? and do the systes usually LOOK identical?

[velodev]

Originally posted by Saifk:
oh crappers...i bought it already


one more question: what do rev B usually accomplish? are there prices lowered? improved system stats? what usually happens? and do the systes usually LOOK identical?

Seriously I must have been thinking one thing and typing another. In detail, the 15" came out with a Rev. B pretense. The 12" and 17" had been out long enough to have the kinks worked out. I also made the mistake thinking the 1.0Ghz became a Rev. B by going to 1.25Ghz. My bad.

But seriously, the world isn't over... you didn't buy a lemon, You have one year of a good warranty and buy AppleCare when you can, it's worth it.

Rev's are speed bumps and small feature additions possibly.

[intake]

REV B machines usually have most first run bugs worked out of it by making design changes. It can also introduce new features as well as processor speed increases.

[Saifk]

and prices are usually increased? im assuming since there are usually better specs...?

[velodev]

Originally posted by Saifk:
and prices are usually increased? im assuming since there are usually better specs...?

Not always, sometimes you get more for the same price so basically more for less.

[crenzer]

Originally posted by Saifk:
and prices are usually increased? im assuming since there are usually better specs...?

No, prices are usually the same or a little lower. That's just the way the computer business works -- today's computer is better and cheaper tomorrow.

Having said that, don't have buyer's remorse. You got a great computer at a great price. If you always wait for the next computer, you'll be letting your life pass you by in the meantime. Nobody knows whether the next PB will be announced next week or next autumn. It sounds like you are still in high school now, so you'll get a few months out of it to type your papers on something besides that Dell that keeps crashing on you. Once you start college, your PB will be good enough to get you through four years there, unless you are one of those that has to have the latest & greatest.

You can't get AppleCare in Florida, by the way. It has something to do with a state consumer law.

[msSwitch]

There is a Rev B 15" Albook. The Rev A's don't have backlit keyboard and are only 1Ghz, I believe. These appear to be the only differences between Rev A and Rev B. I purchased my PB in early Feb '04 shortly after I heard about a Rev B.

[Saifk]

Well thanks for all the info guys, im loving this bad-ass PowerBook, 1.25Ghz extremely kick ass and the backlight in my keyboard is THE COOLEST thing ever...especially being able to dim it at my leisure thought he keyboard....omg i was playing Warcraft3 and HALO to test...over 802.11b wireless connection (getting 802.11g soon) witht he built in airport and it ran FLAWLESSLY like i was connected to my DSl through ehternet directly...graphics...AMAZING!!! this thing will last me lol!!

thanks again...ill post some pictures once i get my camera back from the shop (cracked lens )


thanks!


OH ONE MORE THING THE SUPERDRIVE (DVD-R) IS THE BEST ONE IVE EVER SEEN THE SLOT-LOADING IS SO COOL...NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY TRAYS GETTING LOOSE OR ANY SCREWS COMING OUT THIS THING IS SOLID BUILD AND PERFORMANCE!!!

[galaga]

Originally posted by msSwitch:
There is a Rev B 15" Albook. The Rev A's don't have backlit keyboard and are only 1Ghz, I believe. These appear to be the only differences between Rev A and Rev B. I purchased my PB in early Feb '04 shortly after I heard about a Rev B.

Both of those machines came out at the same time, Oct 03 if memory serves, meaning that they are still rev a since there has been no speed bump.

[ingeniero]

Originally posted by crenzer:
You can't get AppleCare in Florida, by the way. It has something to do with a state consumer law.

Where did you hear this? I live in Florida and Applecare is available here. You can even see the little applecare packs sold in the Applestore and CompUSA's for those buying it after their Mac purchase.

[Boondoggle]

fwiw I've got a 15" 1.25 superdrive refurb that cost me a cool $2099 from the AppleStore and it has been great.

[rambo47]

I think the next revision of the 15" Al Book will be very minor if it comes at all. Maybe a speedbump to 1.33 MHz from the current 1.25 MHz. I doubt there'd be a change to the graphics card which is aleady pretty kick-ass. They might bump up the SuperDrive speed from 2X write to the newer 4X. All pretty minor stuff and Apple might figure there's no point in even updating this model.

Overall, I'd say you got the best PowerBook. Even when the G5 PowerBook comes out this summer there are liable to be lots of bugs. The first run of a whole new breed of machines can be very scary, especially lately. I wouldn't touch the rev.A G5 PB with a 10' pole, especially for the $300+ they'll cost. You done good.

[porieux]

Is there any advantage to the backlit keyboard for people who can type without looking?

[rag on a muffin]

Originally posted by porieux:
Is there any advantage to the backlit keyboard for people who can type without looking?

LOL. useless isnt it? it just looks cool.

[nate_02]

Originally posted by porieux:
Is there any advantage to the backlit keyboard for people who can type without looking?

For me it helps with the F keys at the top, because i haven't memorized where the volume/screen brightness keys are yet. I think its worth the money.

[rag on a muffin]

you will remember fast. it takes almost no time. i do like the way it looks with its blueish white light. you can brag to your pc friends.

[Mac Zealot]

One thing you might want to check out is camino (http://www.mozilla.org/camino), it's even faster (your mileage may vary) than safari

Congrats on the new powerbook