PowerBook,now or later?

[iQuit]

I own a few Mac/PCs and have desperately been wanting a PowerBook G4 17" and have the money to buy it. I have been waiting since I think BEFORE May(WWDC) to find out about a new PB update since it is outdated. The Expo has passed and no new PB like the rumors said. I am not willing to wait until the first Rev Intels and want a last Rev. PB, rumors are saying that one may come soon, how credible is this? What should I do and when do you think the new PPC PB will be released? Because I need/Want one really bad and don't want to wait until next year.

 

[mad jew]

To go with the new iMac?

The PowerBook's really aren't great value at the moment. I wouldn't be buying one if it wasn't entirely necessary. That's not to say they're bad machines at the moment (I don't want all the grumpy PowerBook-owning members coming after me), but rather that they don't offer all that much over an iBook considering their much higher price.

I imagine that the next revolution of PowerBooks, whether they be x86 or PPC, will provide a better performance/features/price ratio. Now is not a good time to be buying a PowerBook on a whim.

 

[MacPassion]

I perfectly agree with you guys. I'm trying to sell my 6-month old HP laptop to migrate to a PB, but honestly, it does not seems to me that the current models are that well equipped....I was really hoping for the Apple Expo, but....

I'm thinking about the screens-resolution. In that respect, Apple is far behind most of pc laptop...and that's a real pity. If it were not for the screen, I would have probably already get a PB..........

 

[chucknorris]

I perfectly agree with you guys. I'm trying to sell my 6-month old HP laptop to migrate to a PB, but honestly, it does not seems to me that the current models are that well equipped....I was really hoping for the Apple Expo, but....

I'm thinking about the screens-resolution. In that respect, Apple is far behind most of pc laptop...and that's a real pity. If it were not for the screen, I would have probably already get a PB..........

Ummmm......I don't think you really mean resolution here.

I'm not sure what benefit any of us would get if Apple crammed more resolution into the existing PowerBook screens.

Resolution means the amount of stuff displayed on the screen, I'm pretty sure the 17" PowerBook is still the overall champion in this department among notebook computers, so your point is useless.

I've heard people say that pc laptop screens are "clearer" or "brighter," but I think a lot of this has to do with Apple's use of font smoothing. Whether or not font smoothing is a good thing is completely debatable-I love it, others don't.

Apple is seriously lagging right now in processor performance (limited by the stagnant development of the G4) with its notebooks as well as graphics, but is competitive as far as everything else goes.

 

[cocozz]

I'm planning to buy a 12" Powerbook in 1 week...

I must wait or not ?? For how many time ???


ARRRGHHHH !!!!

 

[AP_piano295]

Dont buy a powerbook.

Just dont do it untill they make some significant updates. Dont encourage the commpany to sell very very outdated computers at a premium price and here individual buyers do make a difference. The powerbooks compared to any of the pro use pc laptops are a joke and a very expensive joke at that. Why pay between 1000 and 1500 extra for LESS features I love apple and all but the powerbook line is laughable right now and its holding the ibooks back.

 

[cocozz]

Dont buy a powerbook.

Just dont do it untill they make some significant updates. Dont encourage the commpany to sell very very outdated computers at a premium price and here individual buyers do make a difference. The powerbooks compared to any of the pro use pc laptops are a joke and a very expensive joke at that. Why pay between 1000 and 1500 extra for LESS features I love apple and all but the powerbook line is laughable right now and its holding the ibooks back.

You are right, I'll wait for 1 or 2 weeks, if there is no update for powerbook I'll go for a 12" Ibook.

Cheap and as good as powerbook, anyway, powerbooks are so cute ...

 

[wrxguy]

there is NEVER a wrong time to buy a PowerBook....you won't be disapointed

 

[tekmoe]

there is NEVER a wrong time to buy a PowerBook....you won't be disapointed

wrxguy speaks the truth. powerbooks are a symbolic icon of apple. you CANNOT go wrong buying one.

i dont care what nobody sez...hmph!

 

[brepublican]

wrxguy speaks the truth. powerbooks are a symbolic icon of apple. you CANNOT go wrong buying one.

i dont care what nobody sez...hmph!

Amen!

 

[KittenKrusher]

You said that you needed it, I say get one then.

 

[rjc]

I have been waiting since I think BEFORE May(WWDC) to find out about a new PB update since it is outdated.

You've been waiting since before May? Wow.

My guess is that the PB will be updated before year's end--hopefully by the end of October. But that's all anyone here has to offer--our hopes and best guesses. It's definitely time for an update, but Apple could well be late (well, they're late already, according to MacRumors' buying guide).

I hope that once the switch to Intel is complete, Apple will start to treat its computers the way it treats its iPods--updating them before they need it, keeping them state-of-the-art and staying ahead of the competition in technology. The computers haven't been that way for some time now.

 

[Tera]

You've been waiting since before May? Wow.

My guess is that the PB will be updated before year's end--hopefully by the end of October. But that's all anyone here has to offer--our hopes and best guesses. It's definitely time for an update, but Apple could well be late (well, they're late already, according to MacRumors' buying guide).

I hope that once the switch to Intel is complete, Apple will start to treat its computers the way it treats its iPods--updating them before they need it, keeping them state-of-the-art and staying ahead of the competition in technology. The computers haven't been that way for some time now.

I am in the same boat. I have apple desktops at home and sold my old Sony because it was way too big and bulky to bring to school. I think the 12" superdrive PB is a pretty good deal with the ADC discount (1,359) compared to 1,699 at regular price.

I am going to up the ram from OWC and I think it will be a great computer. I have already bought all my accessories for my 12 inch and I have been waiting since August, since the rumors started. All my Mac friends say to wait but it is killing me!! I hate using my schools computers when I am there...

Since I am only using mine for minor Final Cut projects, Word Processing, and Internet...it should not be a huge difference if they update right? Does anyone still think they will have the dual processors?

AHHHH!!!!!!

 

[ammon]

Unless you must have the 17", the iBook is the way to go!

 

[sjjordan]

Unless you must have the 17", the iBook is the way to go!

I'm suprised no one has pointed this out yet, but if you need a PB right now, buy one off the refub list. (Click the "SAVE" red tag in the bottom right of the main apple store page)

You can save up to 29% on some powerbooks, so if you decide to sell it and upgrade later, you can still get almost full price for it on ebay.

 

[Bern]

Alternatively you could just wait until the updated models are updated, or maybe wait for the updated, updated models to be updated, actually wait for the updated....

 

[AP_piano295]

wrxguy speaks the truth. powerbooks are a symbolic icon of apple. you CANNOT go wrong buying one.

i dont care what nobody sez...hmph!

yeah except when you cant afford to eat because you spent 3000 dollars on A LAPTOP

 

[ionisation]

on waiting.....

i was waiting to get a PB since this time last year....until i finally got one in july. i thought that basically i would be waiting forever otherwise, and i really needed to get one then for music/portability and so on.
however, given the current climate - ie updates of some sort likely - you may do well to wait for a few days/weeks. no updates in France at the expo, probably means no major update. so likely to be small speed bump. etc etc.
the point about the refurb store is good though - you could get one from there.
i am very happy with mine - was very pleased to have made the decision finally.

see what happens this tuesday. then wait a bit....

 

[steve_hill4]

I'm in no major rush for mine, so I was thinking of waiting for the first intel powerbooks to be announced to see what they offer over the last revision PPC. If it isn't much, I should be able to pick up a bargain PPC PowerBook, if it is a lot, it will have been worth waiting for it. I am really looking for features like built in wireless pre-N, (whatever apple would decide to call that version of airport), a better performing processor, better graphics, (with perhaps higher resolution display), bigger hard drive, digital audio in and out and maybe even a blu-ray writer. I am not saying I want every one of those features, but those would be revisions I would expect along the line somewhere.

Honestly, I do not need another computer of any description at the moment, so unless my needs change all of a sudden, I will hold out, even if it is paining me doing so.

 

[AP_piano295]

just buy an ibook

 

[rjc]

Since I am only using mine for minor Final Cut projects, Word Processing, and Internet...it should not be a huge difference if they update right? Does anyone still think they will have the dual processors?

The most likely update, if/when it happens, is a switch to the 7448 G4 processor. This is not a dual (or dual-core) processor, but it's a good upgrade from the current Powerbook processor, the 7447A. The 7448 is faster (over 10 percent) and requires about half as much power as the 7447A. I'd also look for an upgrade in the 12" RAM to 512, and hopefully new graphics cards (or more RAM in the current graphics cards) all down the line. Those are the obvious components, and the simplest, so I think they're likely, if the update happens at all.

For you, I would say that the upgrade won't make too much of a difference. There have been rumors (or wishful thinking) of a widescreen 13" replacing the 12", but I think that sort of form-factor change is unlikely to happen before the switch to Intel (if only because it would require significant resources which are currently focused on the Intel transition).

At this point, I want to wait a little longer for the speed and battery boosts that will hopefully come with the update. Are they major upgrades? No. But it will be nice. Then again, it's even nicer to actually have a computer and get to use it, rather than just read rumors and ponder the machinations of the infinite loop (1 Infinite Loop, that is). I think you'll end up happy either way.

 

[Tera]

The most likely update, if/when it happens, is a switch to the 7448 G4 processor. This is not a dual (or dual-core) processor, but it's a good upgrade from the current Powerbook processor, the 7447A. The 7448 is faster (over 10 percent) and requires about half as much power as the 7447A. I'd also look for an upgrade in the 12" RAM to 512, and hopefully new graphics cards (or more RAM in the current graphics cards) all down the line. Those are the obvious components, and the simplest, so I think they're likely, if the update happens at all.

For you, I would say that the upgrade won't make too much of a difference. There have been rumors (or wishful thinking) of a widescreen 13" replacing the 12", but I think that sort of form-factor change is unlikely to happen before the switch to Intel (if only because it would require significant resources which are currently focused on the Intel transition).

At this point, I want to wait a little longer for the speed and battery boosts that will hopefully come with the update. Are they major upgrades? No. But it will be nice. Then again, it's even nicer to actually have a computer and get to use it, rather than just read rumors and ponder the machinations of the infinite loop (1 Infinite Loop, that is). I think you'll end up happy either way.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I am going to just go ahead and order it on Tuesday either way because I really need a new laptop since I sold my old ecky Sony one when I switched to mac. My dog hates it when I can't lay in bed with her..the desktop computer is her enemy! I can't wait to be able to do hw at school on my new PB (updated or not) and snuggle with my doggie in bed! haha (Sorry to be mushy!) I will keep checking back though for any new insight.