[mrmister]

Given that the Quark promo for PowerBooks and PowerMacs expires in January, right at the same time as MacWorld, I'm wondering if it means no updates to powerbooks until then.

I'm on the edge of buying now--I need a Book before January, and *if* January brings G5 PowerBooks, which I would rate as a cautious possibility, I don't want one--I'm not buying another rev A Apple product.

At the same time, if there's a small rev to the PB line, with faster G4s and such in late October, I'll be kicking myself.

Comments? Opinions? I'm just about to pull the trigger.

[tavilach]

Originally posted by mrmister:
Given that the Quark promo for PowerBooks and PowerMacs expires in January, right at the same time as MacWorld, I'm wondering if it means no updates to powerbooks until then.

I'm on the edge of buying now--I need a Book before January, and *if* January brings G5 PowerBooks, which I would rate as a cautious possibility, I don't want one--I'm not buying another rev A Apple product.

At the same time, if there's a small rev to the PB line, with faster G4s and such in late October, I'll be kicking myself.

Comments? Opinions? I'm just about to pull the trigger.

Get it when you need it. Now that I turned off Norton, my PowerBook is lightning fast (15" 1.5 512). A speed boost to 2.0 GHz might piss me off a little, but I'm not worried...my only issue is RAM, not clock speed.

[Randman]

G5 PBs might be out in January. January 06 not 05, that is. You could see the Pb line go up to 1.7, maybe 1.8 on the next revision. I'd be surprised if they went to 2.0, even if they could. My thinking is a slight bump next revision and 2.0 in case the G5s prove difficult to get into a PB form.

[Saterik]

I think as people have said in almost every post of this topic in here, if you have an actual need and use for one now, buy it now, if you can affoard to wait, you probably don't really need it right now.

I ordered a powerbook on Monday, because Im going abroad in two weeks time... therefore I know an update might be soon, but I had the need for it now.

[Maflynn]

Originally posted by tavilach:
A speed boost to 2.0 GHz might piss me off a little

You should accept the fact that there will always be speed bumps. If the machine you have works well then be content.

As for speed in January, nobody really knows accept the high priests in Apple.
If you have a need now buy it, if you can wait till January wait, but if waiting is your choice you may be forgoing 3+ months of usage.

One last item to consider, depending on the upgrade, you may have to wait longer, that is if Apple updates its PB line in January, that does not guarantee that you'll get it in January. Just take a look at how long people had to wait for the 2.5 G5s, or the G5 iMac.

Mike

[urrl78]

I would wait. More than just a processor boost will be in the next upgrade.

[James L]

While I don't think you will see anything exciting in the nxt revision, it will come soon (I would say January). It has been 6 months since the last rev, so January makes sense.

If you can wait, wait. If not, buy. It really is that simple.

[mrmister]

Sigh.

I recognize that it is indeed that simple--buy if needed now, if not wait, etc. My specific issue is, "do people suspect that Apple will actually speedbump the PowerBooks at the end of October/beginning of November?" If everyone agrees that my Quark promo logic is valid, then there's no question--I need the new PowerBook before January.

[Mafia]

i doubt there will be any bumps before january. i'd go ahead and get it now if you need it before january.

[scottiB]

Originally posted by mrmister:
Sigh.

I recognize that it is indeed that simple--buy if needed now, if not wait, etc. My specific issue is, "do people suspect that Apple will actually speedbump the PowerBooks at the end of October/beginning of November?" If everyone agrees that my Quark promo logic is valid, then there's no question--I need the new PowerBook before January.

My two bits: Wait until November 16th. If a new 'book hasn't been released by then, it won't be until January. Apple would have its inventory all-squared for the holiday shopping season by then ( I would hope).

The last Powerbook to be updated in a November was the TiBook 867/1000 with SuperDrive option two years ago (November 6th).

No updates on 11/2 (election day), so, if Apple follows form and releases on Tuesdays we have 10/19, 10/26, 11/9, and 11/16, if my theory pans out.

[urrl78]

http://macosrumors.com/101004A.php

Personally I would kick myself if it were actually a matter of days.


Apple has done the totally unexpected before.

[Mafia]

Originally posted by urrl78:
http://macosrumors.com/101004A.php

Personally I would kick myself if it were actually a matter of days.


Apple has done the totally unexpected before.

heh definitely a reliable source. if u don't see it by mid november just go ahead and get it.

[meatyocre]

I was in line with all the people "on the fence", but I totally caved in. I have been waiting since late August for a new Rev, and personally could not wait a day longer. I ordered a BTO PB 15" 1.5/80G 5400/128 Mb Video and it is a day or two away. It replaces a maxed out Rev A 867 12�, so I will definitely experience a speed bump of my own. Now I can relax and watch the new PowerBook drama unfold.

[zed57]

apple updated their store, the powerbooks no longer have the green "new" circle next to them, and they also added an est shipping time of 1-3 days.

not sure what to make of it, but there it is.

[Daniel Bayer]

Originally posted by meatyocre:
I was in line with all the people "on the fence", but I totally caved in. I have been waiting since late August for a new Rev, and personally could not wait a day longer. I ordered a BTO PB 15" 1.5/80G 5400/128 Mb Video and it is a day or two away. It replaces a maxed out Rev A 867 12�, so I will definitely experience a speed bump of my own. Now I can relax and watch the new PowerBook drama unfold.

Now that my one year old and still mint cosmetic condition PB 17 1.33 is all maxed out, 7200 rpm drive included, I would have to see one MAJOR improvement over the current line to give in.

This machine is by far the most productive I have ever had with the drive and 2GB of RAM on board.

So even if the G5 is in the gate with a 1.8 GHZ processor and up to 4 GB of very expensive RAM, it will just not quite be enough to part with this screamer until maybe Summer of next year.

I practically need a seatbelt with this thing, just TOO fast!!!

[Lateralus]

I'm placing my bets on a 1.8GHz 7448 with 1MB of L2 and a Radeon 9800 128MB as standard on the high-end.


Which is fine by me as I'd rather see a fast G4 with some cache than a G5.

[mrmister]

"I'm placing my bets on a 1.8GHz 7448 with 1MB of L2 and a Radeon 9800 128MB as standard on the high-end."

Ah, but when do you predict that will appear?

[MrForgetable]

I say they still have at least another month and another month after that before it'll ship.

[minton7]

If you wait 'til January, then there's a good chance you can get Tiger to go along with your fancy new machine.

[Simon]

Originally posted by PowerMacMan:
I'm placing my bets on a 1.8GHz 7448 with 1MB of L2 and a Radeon 9800 128MB as standard on the high-end.

I'd take that anytime, but I thought the 7448 wasn't even going to sample in volume until mid 2005...?

[MilkmanDan]

Blah. Buy now. Now is when you need it. Not later. Something is only worth your while if you can use it.

[RogerR]

I agree with the earlier poster. If, as you said, you need it before January, then wait until mid-November. If no update has been announced by then, buy. That way you cover yourself if the persistent rumours of a late-October, early-November update turn out to be true.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Simon:
I'd take that anytime, but I thought the 7448 wasn't even going to sample in volume until mid 2005...?

Correct. At this moment there is no new CPU for the Powerbooks in the horizon. At least publicly known. My guess is a slightly improved processor from the 7447 family. This would last until the 7448 goes into production, unless IBM manages to produce a truly mobile G5 for the beginning of next year.

[Fiete5401]

Originally posted by Pierre B.:
Correct. At this moment there is no new CPU for the Powerbooks in the horizon. At least publicly known. My guess is a slightly improved processor from the 7447 family. This would last until the 7448 goes into production, unless IBM manages to produce a truly mobile G5 for the beginning of next year.

I would surely not buy a Rev. A G5-Book. The heat issues (fan noise) will be gigantic.

That's why I hope for a last revision of the G4-Books before Thanksgiving. I'm from Germany but I have heard that this is a big event in the US and that it's likely to see new PowerBooks on or before November 25th. The next hint is the end of the Cram&Jam-Promo on November 2nd.

All this tells me that we can expect something between 11/2 and 11/25.

The problem is that I can but don't want to wait for new 'Books.

[mrmister]

i thought Cram & Jam had already ended.

[Fiete5401]

Originally posted by mrmister:
i thought Cram & Jam had already ended.

Nope, ends on November 2nd here in Germany.

[mrmister]

Hmmm. I think it ended already in America, which I wouldn't take as a good sign.

[Mafia]

Originally posted by mrmister:
Hmmm. I think it ended already in America, which I wouldn't take as a good sign.

it did end last month in US

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by Fiete5401:
I would surely not buy a Rev. A G5-Book. The heat issues (fan noise) will be gigantic.

How do you know that? Of course, if they try to put in the Powerbook a G5 like the ones in the iMac, then the thing is going to burn itself in ashes. I am talking about a really improved and specially designed for mobile use G5.


I cannot believe Apple would use in the Powerbooks (given that they don't add size and thickness) a G5 like the ones we have right now. This means that a Powerbook G5 may be still far away, depending on how well IBM refine their design and production technology at 90 nm. If they resolve the yield issues they have right now, it would not be surprising to see the G5 going in the eMac first and then in the Powerbook (at least this is the lesson from the iMac G5).

[Fiete5401]

Originally posted by Pierre B.:
How do you know that? Of course, if they try to put in the Powerbook a G5 like the ones in the iMac, then the thing is going to burn itself in ashes. I am talking about a really improved and specially designed for mobile use G5.

Argh, you got me!
I can just feel that a rev A won't be a real killer.
I'm looking forward to a last G4-rev that I can put on my lap/desk.

[John123]

Ugh, I can hardly wait. This is killing me!

[Eug Wanker]

MacGadget says new iBooks next week. If true, that probably means new PowerBooks as well. Big "if" though.

[southmanitou]

I can't think a single Rev A PPC laptop from Apple that's been any good. Always huge bugs. True for the 5300, the 1400, the 3400, the G3 233, the TiBook 400, and MOST ESPECIALLY (okay, nothing was worse than the 5300) the Rev A Al Book 15".

Why would you even consider the first Rev of the G5 book when you could get a (finally) functional AL book and pick up a (finally) functional Rev C G5-book in a couple of years.

NEVER NEVER NEVER buy the first edition. This is a great time to get in on the g4 books. I'm so glad I waited until the last three months of the TiBook line to get a Rev C Ti. Likewise, you'll still find people who think the Pismo was the best book ever made (again, the third try at the slick black-books).

Cheers,
Michael

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by southmanitou:
I can't think a single Rev A PPC laptop from Apple that's been any good. Always huge bugs. True for the 5300, the 1400, the 3400, the G3 233, the TiBook 400, and MOST ESPECIALLY (okay, nothing was worse than the 5300) the Rev A Al Book 15".

Why would you even consider the first Rev of the G5 book when you could get a (finally) functional AL book and pick up a (finally) functional Rev C G5-book in a couple of years.

NEVER NEVER NEVER buy the first edition. This is a great time to get in on the g4 books. I'm so glad I waited until the last three months of the TiBook line to get a Rev C Ti. Likewise, you'll still find people who think the Pismo was the best book ever made (again, the third try at the slick black-books).

I bought the first PowerBook model ever with a SuperDrive. It has been excellent. It wasn't a true rev. A though obviously, being a TiBook.

However, my friend loves his rev. A dual 2.0 G5, and my colleague seems to like his 20" iMac G5 too.

I will likely buy the next-gen rev. A PowerBook when it comes out.

[Voch]

Originally posted by southmanitou:
I can't think a single Rev A PPC laptop from Apple that's been any good.

How's about the Rev. A. iBook/500 (the first white one)? It was a little crippled with the 66Mhz bus but it was a very solid machine.

Voch

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by Voch:
How's about the Rev. A. iBook/500 (the first white one)? It was a little crippled with the 66Mhz bus but it was a very solid machine.

iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program

[Voch]

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:
iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program

I didn't think the original iBook/500 was part of that (just 600Mhz and faster). Oh well. The one I sold to my step-aunt is still chuggin' along with no problems...

Voch

[SEkker]

The revA PB17 model are terrific machines.

Even the revA PB12 models, heat and all, were excellent.

The revA Lombard and Pismos were also terrific.

And the horrible clamshell revA iBooks, hate em or love em, were indestructible (some consider that a curse, of course).

But Intel's announcement that they have declared 4 GHz off limits just added a year or more to my personal timeline for a PBG5. We'll see one more speed bump single G4s, then some form of dual (either two CPUs or a dual core CPU) before we'll ever see a G5.

[historylme]

I'll wait till january either way... I want to get my hands on Tiger.

But if I actually had a need, I would buy it now. Good luck either way.

[Chopper3]

...of a Powerbook G5 in January is about 10%, on the other hand I would say that the chance that there will be a Powerbook G4 Dual Processor (i.e 2 cores on one chip) is about 50%.

[zoetrope]

The slimmest form factor, for the at least the next 9 months, of a G5 machine is out now, is the new iMac! If there is an update for the PBs, and I expect that there will be, in January, it will be a multi-core G4, or a minor speed increase in chip speed. Say mmm......1.5GHz on the low end to 2.0GHz on the high end, with a FSB speed bump as well.

I have a Rev C. PowerBook 12" and its the best computer I've ever owned. Its fast, does what I need (Photoshop, MS Office, Reason, Illustrator). If you're waiting for a G5, you can expect to wait for a while. If you need one, January isn't really that far away to wait for even a moderate speed bump. Of course, you'll have to decide.

[mrmister]

Now there are strong rumors of an iBook bump on Tuesday...hmmmm. There's a german site, and the times for iBooks have jumped at the Apple store.

They don't often bump the iBooks without the PowerBooks, unless something major is happening to the PowerBooks in January. Otherwise I'd expect SOMETHING, even if just price drops, for the PowerBooks now.

[watchall]

Would it even be possible to have Tiger in Powerbooks or any Apple products released in January, cause I know that Tiger is shipping in March 2005 so would they release it earlier compared to the shipping date? and really hoping that PowerBook G5s come out it is a heating issue, but if they can manage to pull it off in ImacG5 than Im guessing so can the powerbook.

[Pierre B.]

Originally posted by mrmister:
They don't often bump the iBooks without the PowerBooks, unless something major is happening to the PowerBooks in January.

Exactly. And the example is very recent: eMac update, then some months later, iMac G5 .

[mrmister]

That would be my wild-ass guess...and if that is true, then I should go ahead and get my last-gen G4, because I don't want to wait until January announce, and a March ship, for a new PowerBook G5.

[P]

Originally posted by watchall:
Would it even be possible to have Tiger in Powerbooks or any Apple products released in January, cause I know that Tiger is shipping in March 2005 so would they release it earlier compared to the shipping date? and really hoping that PowerBook G5s come out it is a heating issue, but if they can manage to pull it off in ImacG5 than Im guessing so can the powerbook.

It's very unlikely to for Apple to actually ship products with Tiger in January. They could announce them and then ship two months later - that's what they do, often as not - but the QA process for the OS must be finished before it ships, and if the process is finished then they might as well ship for all machines.

Note that the OS is built from source for all machines. The only thing that is added are drivers for the new hardware. The latest OS should even build for Intel machines. There aren't any drivers for the hardware on Intel, and Apple will never release it, but it is a robustness test.

The issue with the the Powerbook G5 is dual - power consumption and heat. Not just from the CPU either - the surrounding chips also eat a lot of CPU with the high system bus frequency.

I could see a 1.6 GHz Powerbook G5 with a 400 MHz system bus shipping reasonably soon, but what would be the point? The battery life would suck, it would still be hot to the touch, the speed wouldn't be all that great anyway with the clock speeds so far down...

IMHO, a Powerbook G5 will sport a G5 with a DDR memory controller on the CPU die. That is already a fact on the Power5s, so it's happening, and considering how many chips Apple is buying it could probably make some requests on the future development priorities of the 970s. The 970 right now has the following things coming down the pipe, I think:

* on-die DDR controller
* multicore
* SMT (what Intel calls HT)

Either of these would require a new stepping as well, and that stepping could improve clockspeeds a bit. When one or all of them are coming? No idea. But not by January.

[balls]

While I don't think the next version will be dual-core, it would be quite a PR coup for Apple.

[tycheung]

G5 would be nice...

but what I'm really looking for is a 12" PB that can dual head well with quartz extreme. meaning, at least a 128mb fast video card giving 64mb to each screen. if they can put that 9700 mobility into the 12" and have 128mb ddr vram in it, then i'm sold. my ibook 800 doesn't like dual heading that much, with its 32mb radeon 7500mobility or whatever it has.

That and Firewire800.

[tycheung]

err...upon further research...

basically if they can get the 15" spec into the 12" machine, i'd be happy.

[narkoreptik]

Originally posted by Fiete5401:
Nope, ends on November 2nd here in Germany.

For what its worth...

Although the Powerbook/iPod Cram&Jam through Applestore has already ended, I know that my university offers the Cram&Jam extended until November 2nd. Since the school is on quarter system, the term started later than semester schools. I'm guessing that other schools which started late might have done the same.