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Apple Opens The Book On 17" PowerBook Specs

Posted by timothy on from the r2d2-has-a-hologram-of-this dept.

maxentius writes "Apple released detailed specs on the new Aluminum 17-inch PowerBooks, apparently intended to spur compatible hardware development. A PDF is available."

12 of 35 comments (clear)

  1. Apparently... what? by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...apparently intended to spur compatible hardware development.

    Huh? This technote isn't "apparently intended" to do anything. It's just part of Apple's normal documentation. Every time a new product comes out, Apple releases a technote documenting that product.

    In fact, technotes just like this one are available for every Apple product going back to the original Mac Classic.

    --

    I write in my journal
  2. Not compatible *computers* by 0x0d0a · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No, this is not being done to allow production of compatible *computers*, just compatible peripherals. Apple has always done this for all their computers. Why is this news?

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    May we never see th
  3. So what? by coolmacdude · · Score: 2, Informative

    Someone apparantly thought this was a nonstandard Apple practice. In fact they have always provided detailed specs like these on all their systems.

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    -You may license this sig for only $6.99.
  4. Apple != Sun by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apple = releases specs on their hardware

    Sun = does not release specs on their hardware

    there, got it? good.

  5. Great feature by Eslyjah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is not new for the Powerbook, but...

    The Ethernet port on the PowerBook G4 17-inch computer supports Auto-MDIX. It switches between MDI (Medium Dependent Interface) and MDI-X operation automatically, so it can be connected to another device by either a straight-through cable or a cross-over cable.

    This attention to detail is why I love Apple hardware. Why don't all computer companies do this?

    1. Re:Great feature by captainbonehead · · Score: 4, Funny

      3. Apple only does it for bragging rights.
      That must be why they have so many ads spotlighting auto-mdix ....

    2. Re:Great feature by Ster · · Score: 3, Interesting

      1. Cost.
      2. Number of people who use it.
      3. Apple only does it for bragging rights.

      1. I doubt that it costs more than a dollar (maybe two tops) at the volume that Apple runs.
      2. Almost everyone I know who has a machine with this capability has used it at some point or another.
      3. Nope. See (2). I've personally used it for large file transfers w/ PCs using SMB. (They don't have FireWire, so no target disk mode, and can't mount HFS+ natively anyway.) It's great for setting up appliances (i.e. Base Stations) or SSHing into a box who's GUI has locked (much less frequent of late, thankfully!).

      -Ster
    3. Re:Great feature by RzUpAnmsCwrds · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Buy the right ethernet card, and it does. MDI-X is a feature on my Gigabit card.

      When you build a PC, you get what you want.

    4. Re:Great feature by Space+Coyote · · Score: 2, Insightful

      That's all well and good for people who build PC towers. For laptops, though, it's absolutely rediculous to have to carry around an extra cable in my carrying case.

      --
      ___
      Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum.
  6. Re:Wonderful by LordNimon · · Score: 3, Insightful
    If you are paying for quality, then is it really a shame that the prices are high? Doesn't that also imply that the quality is high?

    I think it's hypocritical to praise Apple for producing high-quality products and then criticize them for charging more.

    --
    And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
    To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
  7. How does mac ownership make you not a troll? by solios · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You're beating a dead horse. The 970 is on deck and will likely come in the same time Apple kicks OS 9 out the door. I'll save the rest of the schpeal, as you obviously haven't been paying attention and hence won't want to hear it from me. Sufficed to say, if not getting a faster processor ASAP is going to kill Apple, then grab a sharpie and marker "RIP" on that iMac of yours, because by the numbers game, Apple has been DEAD for YEARS.

  8. Re:an interesting idea... by RalphBNumbers · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, if you follow the rumor mill, Apple did give serious consideration to putting dual processors in notebooks. They appearantly decided not to for the moment.

    It's just as well in my opinion. Dual processors wouldn't actually boost speeds that much for the kinds of applications most people run on notebooks, even high end notebooks. A bit of photoshop work is one thing and might benefit a bit, but noone runs a renderfarm of laptops or serves a big database intensive site from one. And the cost would be prohibitively high, not to mention the power supply and heat problems.

    It might be possible to build a dual processor notebook, but it would involve alot of compromises, and there wouldn't be much of a market.

    --
    "The worst tyrannies were the ones where a governance required its own logic on every embedded node." - Vernor Vinge