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Next (full) iBook Revision
- Thread starter Durandal7
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I'm calling early October around the same time they revved last year. If they aren't revved by late december, we may as well expect an entirely new iBook or iBook replacement product line. I doubt that tho. The IceBook is one of the most successful Apple products ever, and is one of the main switch products.
I wonder how much faster a G3 processor can run? I mean, is the architecture similar to the G4 and can it reach 1Ghz? I would like to see the iBook reved up, but if they start putting G4's in them within six months I will be so pissed! 
I just got my 700MHZ iBook (which i love) so I would like to have the top dog iBook for at least a little bit! Is that selfish of me? Anyway, it would be nice to see Apple stick to one processor, the G4. I think that's the next update to the iBook...
Balin64.
PS: iBooks running Jag are speedy and super-responsive! Also, if you have a desktop and a portable you can now set up a network and go wireless on the portable using OS 10.2. And you know what? 200 smackers for two AirPort cards compared to 400 for the AirPort base set up makes it do-able. i am wireless at home with minimal buyer's remorse. ha!
I just got my 700MHZ iBook (which i love)
so I would like to have the top dog iBook for at least a little bit! Is that selfish of me? Anyway, it would be nice to see Apple stick to one processor, the G4. I think that's the next update to the iBook... Balin64.
PS: iBooks running Jag are speedy and super-responsive! Also, if you have a desktop and a portable you can now set up a network and go wireless on the portable using OS 10.2. And you know what? 200 smackers for two AirPort cards compared to 400 for the AirPort base set up makes it do-able. i am wireless at home with minimal buyer's remorse. ha!
i'd like to see a major price drop.
perhaps in an effort to win over college students who are buying crummy, but cheap, dell and gateway laptops.
hardware-wise i would not mind a speed bumped ibook, although i'm not sure how much more they can squeeze out of the current g3 chip.
maybe slight revisions to the motherboard, however, i still think the price of the hardware is key. the average student would probably not need more than 800Mhz unless they are planning on playing doom3 on their ibook.
i doubt that they would completely revamp the ibook. it would probably be more along the lines of keeping the current case with some slight revisions but droping the price.
perhaps in an effort to win over college students who are buying crummy, but cheap, dell and gateway laptops.
hardware-wise i would not mind a speed bumped ibook, although i'm not sure how much more they can squeeze out of the current g3 chip.
maybe slight revisions to the motherboard, however, i still think the price of the hardware is key. the average student would probably not need more than 800Mhz unless they are planning on playing doom3 on their ibook.
i doubt that they would completely revamp the ibook. it would probably be more along the lines of keeping the current case with some slight revisions but droping the price.
i would like to see a sub 1000 dollar iBook, even if it means no speed boosts. the current g3 in it seems to be doing ok.
i seem to recall a thread from a while back that discussed the merits of a sub-1000 dollar notebook.
i wonder if they could include a dvd drive in the baseline and a combo in the topend.
i'm not so sure if they would go back to the old cd-rom drive.
then again this is apple we are talking about...
one step forward, two steps backwards...
i wonder if they could include a dvd drive in the baseline and a combo in the topend.
i'm not so sure if they would go back to the old cd-rom drive.
then again this is apple we are talking about...
one step forward, two steps backwards...
in the past 2 weeks, macosrumors.com speculated on a 13" ibook, though there wasn't discussion of that would be a new case or a larger screen in the current 12" enclosure (would it even fit? i don't have one handy to measure). the fate of the 12" screen/model was undiscussed, as well.
i'm all for keeping the g3 in it, as it draws a fraction of the power of a g4 and generates less heat. i'm keeping a close eye on this one, as i'll probably pick one up next time they're updated.
it'd be groovy if they upped the system bus to 133 while doing a speed adjustment. maybe throw in a 32 meg video card, as well.
i'd like a BTO option of the top-end chip w/ a plain-old CD drive. i can burn stuff on my desktop and watch DVDs on my TV. i can count on one hand if I had one finger the number of times i've watched a DVD on my powerbook.
i'm all for keeping the g3 in it, as it draws a fraction of the power of a g4 and generates less heat. i'm keeping a close eye on this one, as i'll probably pick one up next time they're updated.
it'd be groovy if they upped the system bus to 133 while doing a speed adjustment. maybe throw in a 32 meg video card, as well.
i'd like a BTO option of the top-end chip w/ a plain-old CD drive. i can burn stuff on my desktop and watch DVDs on my TV. i can count on one hand if I had one finger the number of times i've watched a DVD on my powerbook.
Although, I and many other people like the white iBook design very much, I think it will go when the iBook changes to a G4. My rationale is very simple for this. Every product that has gone to a G4 processor has had a fairly major case change. You can argue all you want, but what really catches people's eye isn't new DDR ram, but a new case. I don't think the iBook will switch to a G4 for a while though, because as apple has said the G3 has a great deal of life in it. Someone mentioned that the G3 has the potential for higher clock speeds than the G4, although the G4 has a great advantage if AltiVec is being used, which it is in OS X.
I really hope the low-end model gets a DVD or CD-RW. It seems like it should get a DVD, CD-ROMs should be abandoned by Apple and a DVD would be better suited to a laptop then a CD-RW.
edit- Here's what MOSR has to say:
The iBook is looking to see G3 processors at up to 933MHz, 133MHz memory, and new displays - a 13-inch standard flat panel, and a 14-inch widescreen. The timing looks to be between January and March of next year, but is very much subject to change depending on the economic climate that takes shape between now and then.
edit- Here's what MOSR has to say:
The iBook is looking to see G3 processors at up to 933MHz, 133MHz memory, and new displays - a 13-inch standard flat panel, and a 14-inch widescreen. The timing looks to be between January and March of next year, but is very much subject to change depending on the economic climate that takes shape between now and then.
system perfomance as a whole...
I personally will be in the market to buy a current iBook within the next 4 months.....so if they are updated then all the better for me and the other kats.
What I would like to see first up is a G4 processor. Nothing with 700mhz+ but about 500Mhz (the same as the initial TiBook) but with about 512MB of L3 cache or even 256L2 running at FULL CPU clock speed.
if not a G4 well then Apple should negotiate last years batch of IBM G3's which last I read were capable of running up to 1.5Ghz! Dont know if any batch does exist though--aftermarket buyers will know for sure.
I'm hoping for at least 32MB of DDR video RAM onboard via ATi or NVidia, please bebe please! And also a 5400 RPM ATA/66 or ATA/100 Hard drive!!!
THe TiBook i want at least 64MB of Video Ram being of PC2600 DDR or better and I want to see a 7200RPM or 5400RPM Hard disk drive on a ATA/100 bus not the ****** ATA/33 or ATA/66 that is the laptop universe main stay.
I kinda like the 12" iBook much better than the 14"; the size of a text book principle really suits the purpose and the image and the success of the iBook!!!!
I personally will be in the market to buy a current iBook within the next 4 months.....so if they are updated then all the better for me and the other kats.
What I would like to see first up is a G4 processor. Nothing with 700mhz+ but about 500Mhz (the same as the initial TiBook) but with about 512MB of L3 cache or even 256L2 running at FULL CPU clock speed.
if not a G4 well then Apple should negotiate last years batch of IBM G3's which last I read were capable of running up to 1.5Ghz! Dont know if any batch does exist though--aftermarket buyers will know for sure.
I'm hoping for at least 32MB of DDR video RAM onboard via ATi or NVidia, please bebe please! And also a 5400 RPM ATA/66 or ATA/100 Hard drive!!!
THe TiBook i want at least 64MB of Video Ram being of PC2600 DDR or better and I want to see a 7200RPM or 5400RPM Hard disk drive on a ATA/100 bus not the ****** ATA/33 or ATA/66 that is the laptop universe main stay.
I kinda like the 12" iBook much better than the 14"; the size of a text book principle really suits the purpose and the image and the success of the iBook!!!!
Uh, you can already do that.
$150 less.
As far as the rest, I'd love to see a new iBook with 1 GHz G3, 512 MB PC133 RAM, 32 MB Video Card, 60 GB 5,400 RPM, etc. But it's probably going to be an 800 MHz G3, same FSB, same RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive (though 5,400 RPM would be nicer than the current 4,200. They already make the drives), maybe a VC upgrade if the TiBook gets a 64 MB one, and the usual. 32 MBs would be really nice.
I'd like to get one after I move, but I might just wait until they do get the 1 Gig, or buy an "old" 700 12.1 inch. I like the small form factor (and the smaller price). But the 14 does have better battery life.
And before anyone says they're too slow, have you actually used one? I got to play with one for a little while. I wouldn't be do audio/video on it much, but for basic stuff it was fast (even on 10.1.4). And durable. The guy dropped it from a few feet up, it just kept right on working.
Much nicer than my Mom's old 400 MHz G3 PB.
even with the 700 MHz one? on the apple configure page, there's no dropdown for the optical drive. the best you can do is select the 600 MHz one.
or am i missing something? my info's based on what i see on that page.
i agree w/ the 800 in the next revision. but w/ that, they could do a 133 bus and have it make sense. that would cinch it for me.
it's a good point. i borrowed a 700 MHz one w/ 10.1.5 and was quite happy. i just loaded 10.2 on my 400 MHz G3 PB, 192 meg RAM, and it has a new life.
EXCEPT the pointer sometimes freezes when coming out of sleep and i have to unplug it to reboot. anyone else see such behavior? (okay, i'm off-topic here)
The 14 inch has the option. I guess the 12 doesn't. That's kinda weird. Oh well, I guess we'll see...
we're both right! i love it.
i'd guess that the profit margins on the 12" are sufficiently small that it doesn't make sense for them to not make the extra profit on the drive (if anyone can parse that, well done
i want a small, fast machine w/ no frills. hey, i'd even trade in the optical drive for an extra battery if they offered such a configuration. i could always mount media from my desktop if i needed to install something.
Originally posted by hitman
i'd like to see a major price drop.
perhaps in an effort to win over college students who are buying crummy, but cheap, dell and gateway laptops.
hardware-wise i would not mind a speed bumped ibook, although i'm not sure how much more they can squeeze out of the current g3 chip.
maybe slight revisions to the motherboard, however, i still think the price of the hardware is key. the average student would probably not need more than 800Mhz unless they are planning on playing doom3 on their ibook.
i doubt that they would completely revamp the ibook. it would probably be more along the lines of keeping the current case with some slight revisions but droping the price.
the current g3 chip seems to have plenty of life left in it...as for doom 3 on an ibook...i'll be impressed when i see it running on a TiBook!! (min 64mb vid card)
iBook
- 800MHz G4 (750FXe from IBM)
- 512K L2 cache
- 100MHz system bus
- 12" screen
- $1199
Pismo (as iBook line diverges into two seperate products)
- 800MHz G4 (750FXe from IBM)
- 512K L2 Cache
- 133MHz system bus
- 14" screen
- $1399
I'd bet on October
- 800MHz G4 (750FXe from IBM)
- 512K L2 cache
- 100MHz system bus
- 12" screen
- $1199
Pismo (as iBook line diverges into two seperate products)
- 800MHz G4 (750FXe from IBM)
- 512K L2 Cache
- 133MHz system bus
- 14" screen
- $1399
I'd bet on October
ha ha ha! I WISH!
naw, just means i watched exactly one (1) DVD while on the road. i just never used it.
oh yeah -- and because i've got a lombard pre-firewire powerbook, i can't use my DVD player in osx. unsupported. the jaguar install didn't even give me the DVD player app.
i'd likely buy such a system. though i'd be much hipper on it if the FSB were 133.
btw, has anyone done any testing on the real-world use of the 512k L2 cache? my 400 MHz lombard powerbook has a 1 meg L2 cache. just wondering if 1 meg is overkill or is apple trying to save a few $$.
(and as w/ everything, i'm sure the answer is: it's a little bit of both)