[dreamBweaver]

On slashdot today, I found a link to a very interesting article (in French with translations http://www.macbidouille.com/news-2003-05-05.php#5440 ). There are preliminary 970 on PowerMac benchmarks which demonstrate that the 970 will certainly be a drastic upgrade from the G4. As for PB's I found posted by a user a rumor that covers Apple's activites, including when they might bring out new PowerBooks, for the next year (read with a grain of salt):

- [ Rumour ] Roadmap APPLE 12 next month old - Lionel - 05:53:00
"It' S only has rumor, goal before finding some obviousnesses, it might let you dream
bit has.

June-July 2003: PPC 970 PowerMac and Xserve, PowerBooks with G4 @ 1.25 GHz.
August-September 2003: iMacs with 1.25 and 1.4GHz G4 processors.
November 2003: iBook still equiped with G3 processors, goal APPLE will now uses the Gobi version of the processor At 1 and 1.2 GHz.
January-February 2004: Second generation of PPC 970, running At 2.5 GHz (maybe more). They will Be used in PowerMacs and Xserves. iMacs will run for the first time with PPC970 At 1.4 and 1.6 GHz.
March 2004 (less sour): First presentation of the PPC980, mobile version of the PPC970, probably used to replaces PowerBook' S G4.

Two new products are being developed by APPLE:
- The Xstation is has highly professional super computer with up to 64 processors (mini 4). It will Be equiped with the latest GPU and support has high quantity of memory. Price between 10000 and 75000$ (maybe more).The Xstation will aim people using some big apps have Maya and other CAD and high video resolution softwares.
- The Xserve Enterprise Edition (2 rackable units) will run with a Power 5 and will support a very large data flow."

Looks like a very exciting year and that the year of the laptop isn't a dud either. Too bad about the 980s being so delayed for PowerBooks! I had hoped that when I bought a PB17 for college this summer it would use the next gen chip

[Commodus]

Keep in mind that these are rumours, and so nothing is set in stone. The benchmarks in particular are suspect.

However, I wouldn't be surprised at all if 2004 meant the arrival of PPC 970/980 PowerBooks. I'm almost counting on it, since I think I may get a replacement for my existing PowerBook once there has been a second iteration of next-gen CPUs in the laptops (quite possibly in late 2004).

[xylon]

Yeah, there are rumors and speculation popping up all over the web. I'm a little cautious, it just seems too early. But I'd love to find out I'm wrong! That chip is just too awesome.

[dettociao]

Originally posted by xylon:
Yeah, there are rumors and speculation popping up all over the web. I'm a little cautious, it just seems too early. But I'd love to find out I'm wrong! That chip is just too awesome.

Agreed. I want them to be true, but I don't think they are.

[twil13]

I just want a 970 PB. Please apple, just a powerbook. Please? Just put a 970 in a powerbook. Thanks

Seriously though, I think that they will do something with the PB's sooner than march of 2004. The powerbooks are just too huge now, but I really don't know. I do know(from speaking to an apple account exec.) that WHEN apple announces a new chip going into the powermacs or powerbooks or whatever, then they will be ready to ship immediatelty.

The benchmarks given may be false, but I think that they offer some sort of idea of what the 970 is capable of. If this is so, then it is very exciting, especially for someone like me that wants to switch.

Tony

[Crusoe]

Well apple has been good at getting things to production fast and have surprised folks with adopting new tech early , 802 b and g, firewire 400 and 800 to name a few. If they could pull this off this summer, people will fork out $4K on a new mac before the shock wears off.

Hehe, someone needs to spoof the "I want to believe" poster. Put a Mac with references to the 970 subtitled with Summer 2003.

[mcs37]

Originally posted by twil13:
I just want a 970 PB. Please apple, just a powerbook. Please? Just put a 970 in a powerbook. Thanks

The benchmarks given may be false, but I think that they offer some sort of idea of what the 970 is capable of. If this is so, then it is very exciting, especially for someone like me that wants to switch.

I'm with you. I want to switch, but I don't want to throw $(2|3),000 or more into a system with an aging processor (how old is the G4? exactly). Now, if I could get a 17" PowerBook with 1 or 2 PPC 970 processors with specs on that highly questionable (but very desirable) page, I'd be happily computing for years without worries.

Furthermore, I refuse to believe Apple will release the PPC970 into desktops but wait more than a couple of months before releasing their PowerBook equivalents. Apple's laptops are the best out there, and I don't think they would go "Oh, we know you love our laptops, but you'll have to stick with that years-old gigahertz chip until we think it's right for the PPC970." I think if the G4 is replaced in PowerMacs, the PowerBooks will follow very shortly, if not immediately.

But perhaps this is just hope! Either way Apple, I won't give you my money for a 17" PB until I'm blown away with a PPC970. However, a 12" Rev B Yaobook will suit me come August if there is no other option.

[mcs37]

Originally posted by Crusoe:
Hehe, someone needs to spoof the "I want to believe" poster. Put a Mac with references to the 970 subtitled with Summer 2003.

Heheh, I was hoping to do that sometime actually. Every time a post about the 970 comes up (specifically in reference to PB's), I always think "I want to believe."