Price Drops on PowerBooks?

[Bear]

Originally posted by virividox
dont hold ur breath for the pb g5, they havent even gotten a new version for the desktops. i cant see them upgrading the powerbooks tho with speed bumps. what would be the point

To answer your second bit first, if Apple needs to tweak components in the powerbook due to availability, they're better off doing an incremental speed boost so they can get some mileage from the component changes. Also, a little more speed could be enough for some people to buy a new machine.

As for a Powerbook G5, I also think it is too soon, however, if they had a cool enough G5 to run at say 1.4 GHz, I could see them doing a powerbook with it before they did the Powermac upgrades. However, I expect we'll see powermac upgrades soon I also expect powerbook upgrades, but only to slightly faster G4s and other incremental improvements (and hopefully a price drop).

 

[elmerfudd]

I would never get a G5 PB before 60nm, second generation. If you want a powerbook wait for the next incremental update and buy. Personally I ordered a 12" some weeks ago and hope to get it AFTER the rumored updates https://forums.macrumors.com/newreply.php?s=&action=newreply&threadid=57315#
it's too underspecced for a powerbook...

Short of a miracle, don't get to huffed about G5 PBs, even if they come out, it would likely be in 17" models for people that can waste money on expensive, buggy, first generation toys that they can flash around. If you want to du useful work buy an established technology.

 

[psycho bob]

whats the point of using faster RAM the bus can't utilise whats in there at the moment.
Last time I looked Mororola were downsizing and selling off their processor and semiconductor departments. We aint goin above 1.42 GHz G4's. Can't see 1.42's goin in either otherwise surely they would have been used already?
I think just price cuts.

 

[Bear]

Originally posted by psycho bob
whats the point of using faster RAM the bus can't utilise whats in there at the moment.
Last time I looked Mororola were downsizing and selling off their processor and semiconductor departments. We aint goin above 1.42 GHz G4's. Can't see 1.42's goin in either otherwise surely they would have been used already?
I think just price cuts.

Well, they could increase the RAM speed. They could also just increase the seed of the 15" to 1.33GHz. Of course they could just tweak the superdrive speed and some other minor things. Any of the above mixed with a price drop would be good in my opinion.

 

[rmac]

First-Gen THAT Bad?

As someone who has owned:
a first-gen PPC desktop, first-gen G4 desktop and first-gen Powerbook G4, I don't understand what all the fuss is about waiting. They were all great machines. The Powerbook G4 has some issues (keyboard needed replacement and monitor has vertical lines in it now), but someone else owned it for the first 2 years and gave it quite a bit of a beating, so can't say whether that's normal.

Anyway, if I had waited for the second-gen G4 desktop, would have been a long wait, and those weren't that much of an improvement either. Granted, we are hoping progress will be quicker now with IBM, but generally timeframes between first and second-gen machines is much longer than, say, third and fourth.

 

[NNO-Stephen]

with the G4s, there really is nowhere to go. they can maybe get in an OCd G4 at 1.42Ghz but then the heat issue is still about the same as it would be to get a 90nm G5 in there, so no point in going that direction for the relatively small performance increase. just stick in 1.4 and maybe 1.6Ghz 970FX processors. yeah, it's not "that easy" you may say, but seriously, they NEED it to separate the PowerBooks from the iBooks. they need the G5s MORE than the PowerMacs do.

 

[rog]

I think the portable line would sell a lot better if a few things happened regarding prices. $999 tops for a 12" ibook. $1199 for a 14" iBook that does 1152x854. $1399 for a 1.33 GHz 12" PB, $1499 with SuperDrive. Make the highest priced 15" only $1999, and the top 17" only $2499. They need to be far cheaper considering how much slower they are than G5 desktops and PC world offerings. Put Airport Extreme cards in all the PBs and AE option in the iBooks. Put 7200 RPM drives in the 15 & 17" PBs and 5400 RPM in iBooks and 12" PBs. Give the iBooks the 512kb L2 model G4s and add substantial L3 cache to all the PBs.

 

[NNO-Stephen]

that would push the iBook and the Powerbook lines too close together. that's why Apple has to cripple the iBooks the way they do. if they dont, then they will literally eat the sales of PowerBooks down to nothingness. the iBooks can become more full featured once the PowerBooks go to the G5 processors. till that happens, the PowerBooks (and iBooks) will see no real advances in anything at all as they have nowhere to go! iMacs also won't get G5s till PowerBooks do because they won't put a consumer desktop higher than a professional notebook. Apple knows they need a G5 PowerBook soon, but how soon is the only question.

I doubt it'll be this revision, but if it is, holy **** I'm ordering but, if it isn't, dont expect anything except maybe a 1.42Ghz high end model with 1.33 and 1.25 filling out the rest.

 

[Mord]

Originally posted by jeremy2
I don't think the G5s are ready for the powerbooks yet. Even with the revision, they put out more than twice the power of the current g4 in the powerbooks.

no they don't the 90nm 970fx dissipates 10 watts at 1.4ghz compared to the 1.33ghz g4's 13 watts

your probably comparing the 130nm g5

 

[pigwin32]

Originally posted by elmerfudd
I would never get a G5 PB before 60nm, second generation. If you want a powerbook wait for the next incremental update and buy.
.snip.
even if they come out, it would likely be in 17" models for people that can waste money on expensive, buggy, first generation toys that they can flash around. If you want to du useful work buy an established technology.

Golly, lots of meaty goodness here. Are you suggesting waiting for three years to buy a 2nd gen 60nm G6 PB (a 60nm chip is news to me, according to AppleInsider IBM is aiming for a 65nm PPC980). Personally I enjoy using new tech, I've been hoarding my pennies for months now to upgrade my still useful but aging TiBook 667 and I'm going to wait for the G5 PB. There's nothing compelling about the current crop of AlBooks that would incline me to upgrade sooner. But suggesting the first gen G5 PB will be a toy and incapable of useful work is an astonishing claim. Maybe time to wipe some of the fud off your glasses elmer?

 

[cb911]

oh no!! i just got my PB (when they were released), i could have waited and got better features and a $300 (roughly AUD$5-600) price drop!

oh well, still glad to have been enjoying my PB all this time, but it would be good to see a small upgrade to the PB's, and a price drop would be sweet.

as long as Apple keeps up a regular release schedule... alot of people will be happy.

 

[aswitcher]

If the PBs get a slight speed hike and a price cut, then I think we can assume that it will be sometime before we see G5 PBs...Why tempt people in to buy a machine that is soon to be superceeded?

 

[Ambrose Chapel]

Originally posted by aswitcher
If the PBs get a slight speed hike and a price cut, then I think we can assume that it will be sometime before we see G5 PBs...Why tempt people in to buy a machine that is soon to be superceeded?

not necessarily
my point in a previous post was that apple price-cut the last generation of Power Mac G4 to give people a reason to buy an aging platform that was soon to be obsolete. those came out in Jan and the G5 came out in June (or Sept). so this could be history repeating.

 

[Bear]

Originally posted by Ambrose Chapel
not necessarily
my point in a previous post was that apple price-cut the last generation of Power Mac G4 to give people a reason to buy an aging platform that was soon to be obsolete. those came out in Jan and the G5 came out in June (or Sept). so this could be history repeating.

Actually the G4 isn't obsolete, especially since Virtual PC won't run on the G5 yet.

And if Apple odes do an update, why not, some people do need to replace their systems now, so why not let them get something that's [slightly] better?

History has a habit of repeating itself. Humans are hard headed and slow to learn.

 

[aswitcher]

Originally posted by Ambrose Chapel
not necessarily
my point in a previous post was that apple price-cut the last generation of Power Mac G4 to give people a reason to buy an aging platform that was soon to be obsolete. those came out in Jan and the G5 came out in June (or Sept). so this could be history repeating.

Well 4 or 5 months is still a far amount of time for those in need like me. But I also think it will be longer of the PM G5's 3.0GHz are slated for May/June because Apple will be busy with them...

 

[centauratlas]

Originally posted by wordmunger
Integrated iSight? A new speaker technology to give more lifelike sound? A better way for laptops to work with ipods--I'd like to just plug my ipod right into the top of the computer while it's closed and recharging, to automatically recharge and sync without the need for any cords.

I like all three of those. Particularly the integrated iSight as an option. That would be nice - nothing else to lug around.

 

[elmerfudd]

apples and oranges baby. I'm upgrading from an aging iMac DV and a slightly better 12" would be great. You're upgrading from an 'ageing' Tibook. I guess if we met in the real world I would be the guy cleaning your office

 

[tsk]

D'oh! Damn you Apple.

I've all but decided on the iBook now and then you do this to me.

I'm looking at the prices and this doesn't seem totally plausible to me:


12" PB $1599 (edu $1399)
15" PB $1699 (edu $1499)
17" PB $2699 (edu $2399)

So $100 more for the 15"? It seems to me if they drop the prices on the 15" $300 they've gotta drop the 12" price and also the iBook pricing.

I know that all this stuff is rumors but it seems kinda odd to me that this would be the new pricing.

 

[Steven1621]

i have accepted the fact that i just don't need a g5 in my powerbook and would certainly welcome a pricedrop. i would put the money saved towards more ram.

 

[sboyle]

Rest of World Price

The fall in the value of the Dollar has left US and Rest of World prices seriously out of allignment. 17" is US$2999 versus €2999 (+21% sales tax) in Ireland.

That's $4605.66 at today's rate! At least 3 acquiantances have either flown to the US or flown their relatives home for the holidays to get one.

A €300 price reduction would not be outrageous.

(Most US resellers have a notice on their website saying Apple prohibits them from selling to international customers).

 

[pigwin32]

Originally posted by elmerfudd
apples and oranges baby. I'm upgrading from an aging iMac DV and a slightly better 12" would be great. You're upgrading from an 'ageing' Tibook. I guess if we met in the real world I would be the guy cleaning your office

Actually my cubicle is just the way I like it and if I catch you moving anything you're in big trouble. BTW, just read on The Register that a 1.4GHz 90nm G5 consumes 12.3W. Surely that new G5 PB can't be far away. Interested in a used TiBook?

 

[ITR 81]

Re: This rumor is just hope

Originally posted by varmit
It is just hope that this rumor is giving us. I was hoping for something yesturday but I guess Apple didn't think the actual birthday was good enough to give updates, they want to wait as long as possible and do it during the super bowl, which was also its birthday. I just didn't like how Apple did nothing yesturday.

As for the design of the powerbooks, I'm sure the new 970FX processors are being rolled out just because of the lower heat and power consumtion, ideal for a lap top.

Price drop, I would like that, because my gf would be able to get one, and then she would be able to get and isight so we can see eachother. Me in PA, she in TN. For now its Yahoo messanger and the webcam sharing. Personal note: has anyone heard any more news about ichat and aim compatability for video chats yet????

Apple opened it's 74th Apple store yesterday and did a give away.

 

[bnemesis]

Im about to buy a new powerbook and went to Macwarehouse.com and clicked on the powerbook graphic on the front page.

It says "15" Powerbooks starting at $1795"

I guess Ill call them tommarow and see if its a typo or a lesser model then the base 15".

Macwarehouse Powerbook page

 

[MikeAtari]

PB G5

I'm starting to think a PB G5 isn't so far off. There's no upgrade path from Motorola, the IBook is using a G4 and the current Powerbooks have an upgrade program in place( to move inventory? ).

Of course, we don't want to be disappointed by premature speculation...

 

[RichP]

Originally posted by bnemesis
Im about to buy a new powerbook and went to Macwarehouse.com and clicked on the powerbook graphic on the front page.

It says "15" Powerbooks starting at $1795"

I guess Ill call them tommarow and see if its a typo or a lesser model then the base 15".

Macwarehouse Powerbook page

Strange, you cant click on a model at those lowered prices; in addition, it seems like the rebates do not addup to that amount of savings.