Well this is what they need to do. instead of waiting 6-9 months, just keep updating them every three months because sales always drag after 4 months because everyone expects new models and the old specs just aren't worth the same price they were 4 months before. Apple needs to become like the PC world where there are incremental updates all the time so that deals are always as good as they can be and equipment always has the latest and greatest, not that a 1.42 G4 is the latest and greatest, but another 5% speed boost can't hurt.
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New Powerbooks on Tuesday - Part 2?
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Normally after seeing this i would think wtf. Now this will come as little surprise.
Remember the last update to the g4s before the g5 came out? It was actualy a very similar speed diference.
I think this is something to hold people out a little longer until the powerbooks get a large update. Hopefully a g5, but maybe not. Some mystery unrelesed portable ibm chip perhaps?
edit: some speed increase is better then none. even a 1ghz tibook would be my dream machine. I am currently limited to cumputers under 500mhz with no qe
Remember the last update to the g4s before the g5 came out? It was actualy a very similar speed diference.
I think this is something to hold people out a little longer until the powerbooks get a large update. Hopefully a g5, but maybe not. Some mystery unrelesed portable ibm chip perhaps?
edit: some speed increase is better then none. even a 1ghz tibook would be my dream machine. I am currently limited to cumputers under 500mhz with no qe
My expectation is that the announcement will not be a major upgrade, but something to mollify PB15 buyers (those who have white spots, and those who have nothing yet). I've been waiting nearly three weeks for my AlPB 15" 1.25ghz, and I'm told by the dealer ... one of the major mail order houses ... that their backorders on this model go back to early October.
It's interesting that the 1 ghz model is currently available from most sources. This tells me that indeed the screen and latch problems are all resolved. I doubt that the problem is a shortage of 1.25ghz chips, although I suppose that can't be ruled out.
Most likely, it's Apple putting a hold on shipments of the higher-end 15" model so that customers won't get pissed off by receiving what we ordered and having an improved/less expensive model appear a few days later. They've done this sort of thing before, several times. They figure that we'll all forget about the white spots, and even the delay of a few weeks, if we get something that's better than we'd bargained for. And they're probably correct.
It's like being pissed off because your significant other is sneaking around and for weeks, then discovering that you've been thrown a surprise party. All is forgiven, and then some.
It's interesting that the 1 ghz model is currently available from most sources. This tells me that indeed the screen and latch problems are all resolved. I doubt that the problem is a shortage of 1.25ghz chips, although I suppose that can't be ruled out.
Most likely, it's Apple putting a hold on shipments of the higher-end 15" model so that customers won't get pissed off by receiving what we ordered and having an improved/less expensive model appear a few days later. They've done this sort of thing before, several times. They figure that we'll all forget about the white spots, and even the delay of a few weeks, if we get something that's better than we'd bargained for. And they're probably correct.
It's like being pissed off because your significant other is sneaking around and for weeks, then discovering that you've been thrown a surprise party. All is forgiven, and then some.
G5 Powerbook and PowerMac announcement
I know some people stated that when the PowerMac G5 was debuted that Apple didn't release the PowerBook at that time for the fear of less sales for the PowerMac. Yes, it sounds sort of ridiculous... people either want a desktop or a laptop right? But if this is true then do you think releasing a G5 Powerbook and a 3Ghz PowerMac at the same conference will happen?
I know some people stated that when the PowerMac G5 was debuted that Apple didn't release the PowerBook at that time for the fear of less sales for the PowerMac. Yes, it sounds sort of ridiculous... people either want a desktop or a laptop right? But if this is true then do you think releasing a G5 Powerbook and a 3Ghz PowerMac at the same conference will happen?
Let's see...
My 1.33ghz 17"pb is 80mhz faster than last year's 1.25ghz desktop.
Bumping up to this year's 1.42ghz desktop is 90mhz better, but 160mhz better than last year's model.
If you been waiting for a 17", this might be good to spring for, unless...
unless...
there's something waiting in the spring.
My 1.33ghz 17"pb is 80mhz faster than last year's 1.25ghz desktop.
Bumping up to this year's 1.42ghz desktop is 90mhz better, but 160mhz better than last year's model.
If you been waiting for a 17", this might be good to spring for, unless...
unless...
there's something waiting in the spring.
This is absolutely correct, from what I understand there is far too much inventory in the retail channel for them to update the models. This is the first time in several months that the entire powerbook range is available from resellers to take away.
A price cut is a possibility although personally I don't believe it is necessary.
I don't think I'd call backorder lists going back two months for the AlPB 15 1.25ghz (at places like Macconnection, Macmall, and CDW) "the entire powerbook range ... available from resellers to take away." By and large the 1.25 ghz has been out of the retail channel for several weeks, with the exception of very limited shipments to dealers and to Apple stores.
I guess this situation in the US is not the same as in the UK. Almost every major UK reseller now has stock across the entire range. This would be a first since it is usually the US which sees stock before the rest of the world.
On the other hand this could mean the UK is gonna get shafted with lots of old models!
Originally posted by captain kirk
On the other hand this could mean the UK is gonna get shafted with lots of old models!
I'll wager that's the case. Folks in Cupertino are still awfully bitter about the war of 1812.
Seriously though, my strong suspicion is that Apple is holding back on 1.25 Ghz shipments (but not the 1.0 Ghz model), and that this is an indication of some small modifications to come, soon, on the high-end 15" PB ... maybe a small speed bump, or even a slightly larger screen (as the design originally called for).
There's no hold. My 1.25 GHz PB shipped yesterday (Saturday). I ordered it last Sunday. The high end 15" PBs _are_ shipping.
The only backorders, I believe, are on the 5400 HD BTO models. The rest are shipping.
Well, that may be your experience, but it's not mine. And I've checked with several dealers (all volume shippers) who are reporting the same order backlogs for the high end 15" AlPBs.
Where did you order yours from? Was it directly from Apple, or through a vendor?
Re: Does anyone own the 12" PowerBook?
I recently purchased one on September 25th. I got mine with the Superdrive and no RAM upgrade. It was pretty quick then, when Apple upgraded the L2 cache from 256 to 512MB it really helped performace I think; I haven't dealt with the old 867Mhz models very much, so I can't be a real authority there but the new 12'' Pbook seems fast. I upgraded the RAM to 512MB(Crucial.com, I got a discount) and installed an Airport Extreme Card, and I have had no problems with anything so far.
Now would be a good time to buy 12" if Apple is bumping the processor speed, and the fact that Panther is now available. I had Jaguar 10.2.7 on my Pbook originally, then I upgrade to Panther, what a difference I think Panther is optimized better so its faster (initial booting and program execution). That's important with the slowest processor and FSB in the bunch. I would say if you care about screen size and need better than 1024x768 resoultion then go with the 15", but if you want something that you can carry through airports, etc. Or if your buying one for a student, then the 12" is a good chose. It only weighs 4.6 pounds.
I recently purchased one on September 25th. I got mine with the Superdrive and no RAM upgrade. It was pretty quick then, when Apple upgraded the L2 cache from 256 to 512MB it really helped performace I think; I haven't dealt with the old 867Mhz models very much, so I can't be a real authority there but the new 12'' Pbook seems fast. I upgraded the RAM to 512MB(Crucial.com, I got a discount) and installed an Airport Extreme Card, and I have had no problems with anything so far.
Now would be a good time to buy 12" if Apple is bumping the processor speed, and the fact that Panther is now available. I had Jaguar 10.2.7 on my Pbook originally, then I upgrade to Panther, what a difference I think Panther is optimized better so its faster (initial booting and program execution). That's important with the slowest processor and FSB in the bunch. I would say if you care about screen size and need better than 1024x768 resoultion then go with the 15", but if you want something that you can carry through airports, etc. Or if your buying one for a student, then the 12" is a good chose. It only weighs 4.6 pounds.
Re: probable
Hmmm, more likely cause for a sales rep to be pushy is that he has a mortgage to pay and quota to hit.
Apple sales reps really know no more than you or I do about upcoming products, at least not until they are really close to coming out.
Hmmm, more likely cause for a sales rep to be pushy is that he has a mortgage to pay and quota to hit.
Apple sales reps really know no more than you or I do about upcoming products, at least not until they are really close to coming out.
This is precisely why I seriously doubt such rumors:
If they're significant, they will reduce holiday sales, not increase them. With any significant product change, you have all existing inventory going to seed, an initial backlog, and people dealying their purchases to avoid the transition period.
Morover, you generate ill will because of the rather large number of folks who ordered at the end of last month and have a now-obsolete product sitting under a Christmas tree waiting to be unwrapped.
This is not the time for a major update of any sort. If there is an update, I'd expect it to be extremely minor. I would expect an update of any significance to come, at the earliest, at the January expo, or in the weeks surrounding it.
What this looks like to me (*if* true) is that the speed bumped PBs were
Jobs' back-up plan for MWSF in case the other, bigger thing he's planning to announce (XServe G5? 2.4 GHz G5 & displays?) had last-minute problems, wasn't going to be available, etc.
I've noticed this strategy from him before. A few weeks before the conference, a smaller update on *another* product is announced, because that was his Plan B for the keynote, but the major thing came through and thus Apple's announcing the smaller thing before the conference.
He's such a perfectionist, he wouldn't be without a backup plan if plan A fell through. So if we get PB updates now, this probably means Jobs just learned that whatever he *really* wants to announce at MWSF will in fact be ready and working!
That's an interesting idea. And that's what we saw with the iPods and iMacs in September. They as good as told us that PowerBooks were arriving at the Paris Expo else they would have been announced the following week.
However, even if they have PowerBooks ready, there is no particular nessessity from Apple's point of view to release them now. They could just hold back that update until a little later *unless* G5 PowerBooks are closer than we think...
However, even if they have PowerBooks ready, there is no particular nessessity from Apple's point of view to release them now. They could just hold back that update until a little later *unless* G5 PowerBooks are closer than we think...
Store's online at the moment, with nothing new that I can see. 20 minutes after your post about it being offline.
Still, one can hope.
Still, one can hope.
Some of you guys sometimes don't realise that there is civilised life outside the shores of the US.
The UK, French and German sites are all currently down with the "back soon" post it note!
However I will eat my powerbook if there are new powerbooks within the next month and very tasty it will be
Originally posted by captain kirk
Some of you guys sometimes don't realise that there is civilised life outside the shores of the US.
The UK, French and German sites are all currently down with the "back soon" post it note!
However I will eat my powerbook if there are new powerbooks within the next month and very tasty it will be
Actually, I'm Canadian, although I live in the US currently.
One would expect, however, that if one Apple store is "down" for a product update all of them would be ... particularly the one for their "home" market. I don't think it's a sign of chauvanism to look at the Apple store in the US, see that it's up, and not proceed to try the two dozen or so other Apple sites around the world to see which one you might have been alluding to.
By the way, the UK, French and German stores are up. Just for good measure, I checked Taiwan as well.
I am about to order a 17, and est. shipping time is 2-3 weeks as of last week when i checked on friday I think. I'm waiting till tomorrow to order.
Uhhh, it's Tuesday.
Where do I go to buy my new PowerBook?
Good luck to all waiting for today to be the day!
Where do I go to buy my new PowerBook?
Good luck to all waiting for today to be the day!