Apple Slashes PowerBook Prices

Obligatory by bpb213 · 2003-06-02 00:41 · Score: 4, Funny

Damnit.! They had to go do that a month after I bought mine.

(got a 12", love the little sucker. So small and light, goes with me everywhere)

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This .sig looking for creative and witty saying.

Re:Obligatory by RedWingsSuck · 2003-06-02 03:16 · Score: 5, Informative

I was told, by an Apple Store employee, that you could get the discounted price, if the unit was purchased within 30 days of the price cutting.
Re:Obligatory by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 04:56 · Score: 0

I was told, by my grade school grammar teacher, that commas, are often overused.
Re:Obligatory by chasingporsches · 2003-06-02 06:40 · Score: 1

yup, i just bought a 15" 1GHz Superdrive model for $2500 on ebay. coulda bought a new one for $2599. oh well. mine came with a lot of extras, (total value about $3800) so i'm not complaining TOO much. :-)
Re:Obligatory by mgrochmal · 2003-06-02 06:56 · Score: 2, Informative

Either the employee misunderstood, or the policy has changed. Here's what Apple has to say:
Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment.
I'm not sure which one is right, though.

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This .sig Intentionally Left Blank.
Re:Obligatory by phyxeld · 2003-06-02 07:22 · Score: 3, Interesting

A friend of mine has a 12'' AlBook on the way, and just got an email this morning with the subject "Great news about your recent Apple purchase". They're crediting him the difference, and he didn't even have to ask :)

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Choose mnemonic identifiers. If you can't remember what mnemonic means, you've got a problem. - Larry Wall
Re:Obligatory by Sentry21 · 2003-06-02 13:07 · Score: 1

Similarly, if you buy a system and then Apple upgrades the product line within 30 days, you can upgrade to the new model instead - in fact, Apple will (apparantly) not ship your order if you purchase a few days or whatever before they unveil a new line, so that they can ship you the new one instead.

--Dan
Re:Obligatory by rhpenguin · 2003-06-03 00:27 · Score: 1

Don't feel so bad, I just bought my iBook SEVEN days ago. But every time I buy something of any importance this always happens.

Now its time to contact my vendor and see if i can get the discounted pricing! :D
Re:Obligatory by SlamMan · 2003-06-07 13:18 · Score: 1

Thats a little different. This would be them sending you a check, or charging your visa for less.

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Mod point free since 2001

Re:x86 ? by chrisbw · 2003-06-02 00:42 · Score: 4, Insightful

Because it would ruin the entire Apple user experience of "it just works" that they can deliver on their own hardware platform. They'd be years behind Windows in driver compatibility, simply because they haven't had the legacy Windows has had in developing it.

Not to mention, hardware is where they really make their money. Everyone would probably just end up pirating the OS, anyway :)

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Chris -- http://www.bitter.net/

not bad by Blob+Pet · 2003-06-02 00:43 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'm no fan of Apple by an means of the imagination, but $1599's pretty decent and a heck of a lot more affordable than a tablet.

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"...today consumers have been conditioned to think of beer when they see a bullfrog..."

Re:not bad by Gropo · 2003-06-02 01:17 · Score: 4, Informative

The 12 inch powerbook is only a cacheless 867Mhz
No L3... 256k L2 cache. Find me a Pentium/Centrino with L3 cache and you've got a valid point. Udderwize...
and on top of everything else lacks several legacy ports it abandons in favour of firewire and USB.
Uhh... That spells "modern laptop" moreso than a big bulky, ugly 9 Lb monster with parallel and PS2 ports... You're conveniently ignoring 802.11g as well...
In that perspective, it's struggling to stay a competitive deal even if it dropped another $100
Somebody had better inform Sony

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I hate Grammar Nazi's
Re:not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 01:26 · Score: 0

yhbt yhl hand.
How could you not realize that was a troll? Honestly!
Re:not bad by Steve+Cowan · 2003-06-02 01:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

You can poo-poo the 1024x768 screen on the 12" PowerBook, but to my knowledge there is no higher resolution 12" display on a notebook anywhere. If you want higher resolution you need a bigger notebook. This is the right trade-off in my opinion, because things would start getting pretty tiny at higher res on a 12".

Also check the Apple PDF Datasheet on the 12", you'll see that the drive is stated to write at 24x, not 2x as you suggest. (I just checked, and interestingly the Apple Store page says the drive writes at 8x. Weird, but still faster than 2x.)
Re:not bad by CptChipJew · 2003-06-02 02:33 · Score: 3, Interesting

Slow burner?

The Combo drive burns CDs at 24x and rewrites at 10x. If you're reffering to the DVD burner, which is 2x, keep in mind we're talking about $1600 laptop.

Do 9lb PC laptops have faster DVD burners usually? Do they have DVD burners at all?

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Vonal Declosion
Re:not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:39 · Score: 2, Funny

heh. here I was looking through a maildrop catalogue of PC laptops from one of the local PC retailers. While I don't expect it to be representative of all sellers, or even of many, I found it interesting to be looking at laptops with similar features to the ibook or powerbook, and for similar prices, but with asterisks next to the cost and the weight

the subnotes at the bottom of the catalogue indicated the weight and price did not include a battery!
Re:not bad by NotoriousQ · 2003-06-02 02:46 · Score: 4, Informative

I have a Fujitsu P2000 series.....

10 inches screen, 1280x768 res. Low latency and high contrast ratio too. Looks great.

It could be too small....But then just crank up the DPI rating, and it will work perfectly.

Product site

The only laptop I was considering over this one was the powerbook. The fujitsu won based on the price.....

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badness 10000
Re:not bad by medeii · 2003-06-02 04:39 · Score: 1

12" Powerbooks with a SuperDrive write CDs at 8x. If they only use a Combo drive (like mine!) then CD recording goes at 24x.

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got standards? --- http://www.w3.org/
Re:not bad by ahbe · 2003-06-02 04:52 · Score: 0

Um.. Just wondering, if your "no fan of Apple by any menas of the imagination," why are you posting on apple.slashdot.org? Why even take the time?
Re:not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 05:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

The 12 inch powerbook is only a cacheless 867Mhz

My 4-cyl car runs at 6000RPM. Your big V8 only runs at 3300RPM. Therefore your car is slower.
Re:not bad by dhamsaic · 2003-06-02 06:00 · Score: 0, Offtopic

How's the processor working out for you? I'd want to run XP Pro if I were going to buy a Windows notebook, and I'm skeptical of the Crusoe processors at lower MHz. They've always seemed rather slow to me. I was interested in buying one of these but wary of the processor. How do you like it?

--
Every once in a while I like to masturbate a new word into my vocabulary, even if I don't know what it means.
Re:not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 07:02 · Score: 0

so he can whore for karma by posting a "I don't like Apple, but this is cool" post that everyone eats up.
Re:not bad by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 07:27 · Score: 1

crap, incredibly tired analogy

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:not bad by NotoriousQ · 2003-06-02 07:49 · Score: 2, Informative

They are not fast. Mine is also an older model, clocking at 866 Mhz.

I also run Gentoo Linux, so my opinion may not work for you....

In pure speed I do not notice much problems with performance. Windowmaker is perfectly responsive, so are all the other apps. The major slowdown it seems to me is not the processor, but the HDD. Mozilla runs quite fast, but the initial loading time is near 10 sec (unless cached).

Other benchmarks are my movie playing, which is perfectly fine with mplayer. Divx5 full screen decoding uses 20-30 % cpu. Compiling speed is approximately 50-70% of my desktop, A 1.2 Ghz tbird. I have heard that Windows movie playing is a bit slower, with some skip, but that was on the 833 Mhz reviews when I read them a year ago.

So in general, it is fast enough. Be ready for some noticable slowdowns, especially in drive sensitive operations. And the 8Mb Mach 64 video card is horrible....The have radeon mobility now, but I hope that they cranked up the ram....as 24 bit color will spill into your ram....

I do not recommend this for a Visual Studio machine, as it will die under the disc stress. I do not know if they improved 3d graphics by swithching to radeon mobility, as mine dies under simple GL apps, (but lack of linux drivers may be the cause).

In general I highly recommend this system. It is small, fanless, with nice battery life. Decent price. Oh, did I mention hardware stability. I have not managed to get a hardware freeze yet. I have not turned the laptop off for like 60-70 days once, and it worked just fine, (rebooted due to certain apps (AFS) stuck in kernel mode because they timed out during network outage).

The only repeated annoyance is that the rubber feet will unglue and fall off.

I have no regrets buying this system. I will recommend it to anyone not doing 3d stuff, or is extremely impatient.

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badness 10000
Re:not bad by nycroft · 2003-06-02 08:55 · Score: 1

My 4-cyl car runs at 6000RPM. Your big V8 only runs at 3300RPM. Therefore your car is slower.

Before you start throwing the stupid car analogy around, get it right: If your little four-cylinder car goes 90mph at 6000rpm, and my big V8 goes 90mph at 3300rpm, your car is slower. Think about it: when that big V8 gets to 6000rpm, it'll be blowing doors off your rice-burning POS.

Besides, cars, like computers have myriad variables governing their speed. Gear ratios, overall weight, fuel type, aerodynamics, engine condition and even tire pressure all have a say in how fast the car actually goes. Just like a computer has its FPU, RAM, Cache, bus speed, hard drive read/write access speed, etc.

One more thing, Mr. 2Fast 2Furious, if you're running your little four-banger at 6000rpm; I got three words for you: POP THE CLUTCH!

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Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:not bad by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 09:54 · Score: 1

Can we get this cleared up once and for all, please?

Japanese cars manufacturers are compelled to abide by a 280bhp (300 in some cases) power output limit for their car engines. The Japanese certainly make better engines than does any American manufacturer, but the question of whether the low-tech/high weight/high torque combination of the classic American muscle car is more desirable on the public road than the high-tech/low weight/high SPECIFIC power output approach of the classic Japanese WRC replicar is - in the final analysis - a matter of PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:not bad by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 10:09 · Score: 0

Besides, cars, like computers have myriad variables governing their speed.

That was my point. If your car tops out at 4000rpm, and mine tops out at 9000rpm, yours must be slower, according to processor speed myth. Never mind that the 4000rpm car is doing 180kph while the 9000rpm car is doing 140kph, 4000rpm is a lower number, therefore it must be slower.

Of course, comparisons based on MHZ for one processor archetecture make sense, just as comparing a rice burner that runs at 4000rpm to more or less the same engine running at 9000rpm, the one running at 9000rpm is going to be faster.
Re:not bad by nycroft · 2003-06-02 10:38 · Score: 1

Exactly. So comparing a Mac Motorola to an Intel x86 is moot. :) Oh, and big V8 muscle cars don't top out at 4000rpm. I had a ' 69 Bonneville that got to 9000rpm on the stock engine, no problem.

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Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:not bad by Blob+Pet · 2003-06-03 05:41 · Score: 1

the karma-whoring didn't even occur to me until just now...i was actually just trying make an observation in relation to tablet pcs which seem to be insanely priced...but indeed, my previous comment was indeed, even if unintentionally, karma-whorific :)

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"...today consumers have been conditioned to think of beer when they see a bullfrog..."
Re:not bad by iocat · 2003-06-04 04:05 · Score: 1

I apologize for this off topic post, but while Alan is very insightful about wanting a big powerful car, or a little, relatively powerful car being a matter of personal preference, I have to take issue with the statement that Japanese manufacturer "certainly make better engines than does any American."
Show some evidence, please, when you make a statement like that, otherwise you come off like Consumer Reports, which says "interior had a cheap feel," about every American car, and no Japanese cars -- all it means is that "cheap feel" is their word for "American design," and it lessens the veracity of their reviews to people who seen that the interiors of most cars are pretty much made of identical materials.
Anecdotaly, my "quad-4" 1990 Grand Am LE -- a pretty inferior car -- is nearing 200K miles with no engine problems. Every other American car I've had, the whole car has fallen apart around a perfectly running engine.

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Dude, I think I can see my house from here.

How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 00:47 · Score: 5, Informative

Unfortunately the Australian PB prices still seem to be as high as they ever were. Not only has out dollar climbed in value against the US since the PB12 was released, and Apple have dropped the price of the PB12, we should be seeing some awesome savings, like with the eMac and iBook, both of which recently dropped quite a bit.

I'm looking buying a new mac soon. It would be tempting to go for a PB12 if they dropped as much as they should in price.,

Re:How about the rest of the world. by questamor · 2003-06-02 01:19 · Score: 4, Interesting

Holy crap there's a disparity there.

$1599US for a powerbook12 is $2451 australian, with a direct currency conversion - something that will always be under the real cost due to importing, our taxes etc.

Still, the Australian base powerbook12 is $3995. $1500+ difference.

bah!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by addaon · 2003-06-02 02:25 · Score: 1

I'm going to be going down to Melbourne from the states in a month or two... if you need help with smuggling, give a yell.

adam at addaon dot com

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I've had this sig for three days.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:45 · Score: 0

How about the rest of the world.

Oh, the prices dropped in Alaska and Hawaii, too. Apple's a global company, man.

Seriously: either quit whining about import prices or don't buy American. Buy one of those kick-ass Aussie-made laptops instead.

Oh, wait...
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Weavus · 2003-06-02 02:50 · Score: 3, Informative
Its the same for Europe...

Check out these prices:
- 15" Combo US: $1,999.00 UK: $3,101.26
- 15" Superdrive US: $2,599.00 UK: $3,588.84
- 12" Combo US: $1,599.00 UK: $2,285.31
- 12" US: $1,799.00 Superdrive UK: $2,530.07
Its even worse if you are paying in Euro's rather than GBP.

I could grab a plane ticket to NY, stay in a nice hotel for a couple of days, watch a show on broadway, buy a powerbook and still pay less than I would from Apple UK.

I really want to switch but not at these prices...
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 03:01 · Score: 0

I think they were just being slow putting the new prices round the world. As of now, the 12 inch base is 3099 - 900 bucks off, which isn't bad :)
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 05:34 · Score: 0

I could grab a plane ticket to NY, stay in a nice hotel for a couple of days, watch a show on broadway, buy a powerbook and still pay less than I would from Apple UK.
But wouldn't HM Customs ding you for some money when you brought the laptop in? (Not trolling, just a curious American)
~~~
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Halo1 · 2003-06-02 06:00 · Score: 1

The rest of the world will probably follow in the next few days. It almost always takes a while for the international sites to be updated. And regarding your dollor comment: they did slash the Canadian prices a lot more than the US prices, so I expect the same for other countries.

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Donate free food here
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 07:32 · Score: 1

Nope, people do it all the time - but don't keep the fucking box! About 10 years ago I bought a Contax camera and some lenses in NYC working on the same principle - I saved just under 50% (about $1000).

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 07:43 · Score: 2, Insightful

Apple laptops aren't made in American factories you fucking fool - I think you'll find they're 'made with pride' in either Taiwan or China.

Arrogance + Xenophobia + Ignorance = American Pride

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 08:05 · Score: 0

Uh... hi, I'm a moron who doesn't understand the difference between "made in an American factory" and "made by an American company."

Yes, we Americans are arrogant. That's because we're better than everybody else.

We're not xenophobic, because that implies fear. We're not afraid of anything. We think people who are different from us are backwards, stupid, and primitive, but we're not afraid of them. In fact, in certain contexts, they're kinda cute. We watch specials about them on the discovery channel and go "Awwww..."

Ignorance? Evidently not. You're the one who didn't understand the post.

And hey, aren't you also the asshole who thinks multiple monitor support is called "video spanning?" Damn, dude. You're just a fucking tool all around, ain't ya?
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 08:23 · Score: 3, Funny

"We're not xenophobic, because that implies fear. We're not afraid of anything. We think people who are different from us are backwards, stupid, and primitive, but we're not afraid of them."

Is that why you were all taping up your fucking windows a couple of months ago?

Fucking wanker.

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:11 · Score: 0

Heh. Wanna hear something funny? NOBODY in America did that. It was a joke. And you fell for it. Basically, the whole fuckin world got trolled by one of the writers for the Daily Show. No big surprise, since major Yoorohpeeun newspapers pick up the lead story from the Onion and run it on their front page. Hell, with all that babytalk it's amazing that you Yoorohpeeuns ever understand anything at all, much less tell fact from fiction.

Just keep telling yourself you're somehow superior to us. Whatever it takes to help you sleep at night.

Meanwhile, I'll make sure the whole fuckin world knows that "Alan Partiridge" is a fuckin troll.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-02 09:19 · Score: 2, Funny

Is that why you were all taping up your fucking windows a couple of months ago?

Naw...That was just the folks in the midwest who believe everything the TV tells them to. After all, American Idol does the best in that market. Besides, a little microbe or two doesn't scare us Californians at all! Hell, we surf off beaches that are contaminated with medical waste. *cough cough*

Pardon me...*little bit woozy, head...spinning*...now where was I? Oh yeah, Apple laptops still kick ass. Just as long as they keep the price under that of a brand new Land Rover, I'm a fan for life! Surf's up!

--
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 09:34 · Score: 1

Guess what? Using the miracle of communication satellites, Europeans are actually able to recieve such top-notch televisual treats as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and ABC's Nightly News is actually rebroadcast by BBC News 24. Unbelievably, it's also possible to purchase American newspapers at retail outlets in major European cities!

So we know EXACTLY how stupid the American media thinks the American people are.

And we agree with them.

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 09:47 · Score: 1

"a little microbe or two doesn't scare us Californians at all! Hell, we surf off beaches that are contaminated with medical waste. *cough cough*"

That's a damn shame - I love California. Let's try to get a Californian into the Whitehouse next time though, eh?

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 10:03 · Score: 1

"Uh... hi, I'm a moron who doesn't understand the difference between "made in an American factory" and "made by an American company.""

Apparently you are. They're MADE by contract manufacturers in factories in Taiwan and China. The client may be an American company, but that's all.

But, then again, you must know that you're making a complete arse of yourself or else you'd log in, wouldn't you?

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-02 10:33 · Score: 1

Already had one. His name was Ronald Reagan. What a mess. But, staying on topic, Powerbooks kick ass!

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Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by sprayNwipe · 2003-06-02 10:51 · Score: 1

If you look now, they just dropped all their prices - the 12" is now $3099, $900AUD less than before, and the other books seem to have dropped that much also.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-02 11:25 · Score: 1

So we know EXACTLY how stupid the American media thinks the American people are. And we agree with them.

Come on now. I was just beginning to like you. :) Sure we have a pretty lame image over there...I mean we're using your language, and calling it our own with different spellings (ass/arse, color/colour, plow/plough, etc.); we copied your bicameral system of government and made a mess out of it; copied all your cool DIY shows (Changing Rooms, Ground Force, etc.) and kicked you guys out twice (but let's not dwell on that), not to mention the French, the Spanish, the Mexicans and, oh yeah, we herded all the Indians onto small tiny plots of land and now we're so shocked to see that they are trying to make a living by opening casinos.

But just because the American people are stupid, doesn't mean that an American is stupid (well, maybe in the Midwest, ibid my earlier post). Take the two of us for example: You and I both speak English, we both use Macs (I assume you use one, I always see you here), and we're both relatively intelligent though we disagree on a few points. Can't we just get along?

I like the UK. I like most things British. The first channel I usually turn to is BBC America. Graham Norton is way better than Leno or Letterman. Last time I was in the UK (Wales and Scotland mostly, golfing), I was astounded by how many of the Brits I met used Macs.

I think it sucks that you guys have to pay so much for a Powerbook. In fact, the phrase Apple slashes Powerbook prices should have an altogether different meaning (according to Brit slang). Bummer. Maybe you should cruise out to Cali and go surfing after all.

--
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 11:42 · Score: 0

Dude, if you can't love your country, you should get the fuck out of it.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 12:06 · Score: 0

We're not xenophobic, because that implies fear. We're not afraid of anything.
What a laugh, you guys are afraid of everything. It's obvious in the way you deal with the world. Always trying to prove "we know" or "we're right" - go and look up the meaning of "overcompensation".
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 12:35 · Score: 1

"we copied your bicameral system of government and made a mess out of it"

I think you're doing the USA an injustice there - your system is actually much better in theory, though I personally don't believe in an elected (or hereditary) head of state - that role is not needed beyond a prime minister figure IMHO. Unfortunately, both of our systems are permanently undermined by the fact that we live in plutocracies, but America at least has the decency to admit to it...

"You and I both speak English, we both use Macs (I assume you use one, I always see you here), and we're both relatively intelligent though we disagree on a few points. Can't we just get along?"

Sure we can, though I prefer a good argument over consensus any day of the week. I also spent a good part of my childhood in the USA (Pittsford NY, nr Rochester) so my perspective on things American isn't as blinkered as you might think. As for Macs in the UK, I think the market share is a little lower than it is in the USA (Macs were never, really, the default education choice over here) so you must've got lucky with the people that you met. I'm not much of a surfer either, though I reckon I could spend a good few weeks in Yosemite and not grow tired of the place.

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 12:41 · Score: 1

Why is that? Is the USA perfect?

It certainly WOULD be nothing were it not for the people who didn't like the way it was, and did something about changing it.

'Love it or leave it' is the empty chant of a slave.

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 14:53 · Score: 0

Is the USA perfect? No, not by a long shot. But it's demonstrably superior to every other socio-judicio-economic construct ever created by man.

'Love it or leave it' is the empty chant of a slave.

That's very cute. Did you think that one up all by yourself, or did you read it on a bumper sticker?
Re:How about the rest of the world. by stefanb · 2003-06-02 21:42 · Score: 1

Did you look before the updated the UK store prices?
The 15" Combo goes for UKP 1599 (about USD 2620). Also remember that the UK prices include VAT. If you were to buy a Powerbook in the States and bring it back, you would need to pay customs and VAT (or equivalent).
Re:How about the rest of the world. by tbone1 · 2003-06-02 21:46 · Score: 1

Look, I sympathize, but you can hardly blame Apple (or America) for the exchange rate, for VAT, and for other nations' import tarriffs.
And this works both ways, you know. Our idiotic government won't let us have broadcast HDTV until 2006, amost 20 years after it was first invented ... in Indianapolis!

--

The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
Re:How about the rest of the world. by mallie_mcg · 2003-06-02 23:10 · Score: 1

Still, the Australian base powerbook12 is $3995. $1500+ difference.

Between when you posted this and when I checked the top end 12" is now 3500. I dont know weather to be happy or upset, I got my 12" (60G/Super) for $4071 (well paid for it in Feb, got it in March), grrr!

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Do the following really mean anything? SCSA MCP CCSA CCNA
--I'm not actually after an answer!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 23:18 · Score: 0

Cool--thanks! I thought that customs might want a receipt or somesuch proving you had previously bought any expensive items in the U.K., but it's good to hear they're not that bad about it.
~~~
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-03 00:22 · Score: 1

it came to me as if in a dream

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That was classic intercourse!
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-03 02:32 · Score: 1

I do love my country. I just don't like the people in it. If you're so proud of who you are, stop posting as an AC. Baseball, Mom and Apple laptops. I'm all American, you AC buttnut.

--
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-03 02:50 · Score: 1

As for Macs in the UK, I think the market share is a little lower than it is in the USA (Macs were never, really, the default education choice over here) so you must've got lucky with the people that you met.

Well, you're probably right. At least the others that I met who did use Windows weren't so quick to discount Macs like they do here. I tell people "Yeah, I use a Mac for work." The usual response is something like "What for?" or, "Macs blow goats!" or, "You get your work done with that thing?" In the UK, responses were more polite: "What sort of work do you do?" or, "Does Windows being so popular hinder your work in any way?" See there American Windows fans? Politeness.

Though I personally don't believe in an elected (or hereditary) head of state

IMO, I think we have to have some sort of head-of-state. Everyone needs someone to blame when things aren't going the way they'd like. Might as well be the guy who can wage war for 90 days without congressional approval. The Queen can't do that...can she? Can Tony Blair? I'm not sure.

--
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-03 06:29 · Score: 0

Interestingly enough, I brought a factory refurbished iBook into New Zealand recently (paying about 2/3 of the NZ new price), and thought I'd have to pay around $NZ300 in duty/tax. Turns out that at 4:30am there's no one around that wants your money, even if you say twice "Hey, I'm supposed to pay duty on this." Sweet. YMMV.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-03 09:01 · Score: 0

retard... Ronny was was great... and fuck you Alan you're a cock sucker, the original post was a joke and you went off on a damn hissyfit because you can't get laid with that gay name.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by nycroft · 2003-06-03 10:52 · Score: 1

Ronny was was great...

Gimme a break. You wouldn't be calling him "Ronny" if you didn't have a problem with or were out of your diapers when he was in office. You are an AC anyway, so you can take your Trickledown Economics and bite me. At least Alan has the balls to use his name, not like you, you pansy butt-dart rimjobbing turd-burgular. Stop being such a pussy.

--
Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.
Re:How about the rest of the world. by spoons67 · 2003-06-04 16:48 · Score: 1

For chrissake, please don't be so confrontational about the whole thing. For one thing Alan, your broad generalizations about America just show your unwillingness to look at the truth: There are a load of morons in America. Unfortunately, there are just as many morons everywhere else. Being born in a particular place or being exposed to a certain culture does not predispose anyone to being ignorant, and since you indicate you believe that in your post, you only show your own ignorance. This is not an us versun them situation, don't make it out to be one.

--
Begun, this browser war has.

Education Prices by Pirogoeth · 2003-06-02 00:48 · Score: 4, Interesting

If you're eligible, the Education Store has them for only $1499!

--
Happiness is like peeing yourself. Everybody can see it but only you can feel its warmth.

Re:Education Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 01:03 · Score: 3, Informative

If you're eligible, the Education Store has them for only $1499!
And check your university for deals: mine threw in a 10 GB iPod for free. (Though they made you buy AppleCare, but I was going to buy it anyway.)
Re:Education Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 03:41 · Score: 0

What school is that?
I am in the Northeast. MA.
What a sweet deal.
Re:Education Prices by illusion_2K · 2003-06-02 04:11 · Score: 3, Informative

Another strategy, that I'll be using myself shortly, is to join the Apple Developer Connection (for about $100) as a student and then use their hardware seeding program, which gives you about 10-20% off your first hardware purchase with them.
Plus, the program has a bunch of developer tools and other discounts included. It's certainly wortha look.
Re:Education Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 05:29 · Score: 0

But you might be better off with a reseller (Small Dog is pretty cool), because Apple will add sales tax to the $1499, canceling the discount. A reseller's discount might be less than the educational discount, but the reseller probably won't collect state sales tax (check first).
If you live in a state with no sales tax or have ethical qualms about stopping the government from taking more of your money, this obviously doesn't apply.
Re:Education Prices by MoneyT · 2003-06-02 05:36 · Score: 2, Informative

Another plus of that program is your bi-monthly copy of OS X shipped to your door. Waiting to see what happens when X.3 ships, but if it comes free, the developer membership is a keeper.

--
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
Re:Education Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 07:05 · Score: 0

Which country is that?
Re:Education Prices by JLyle · 2003-06-02 15:12 · Score: 1

Another strategy, that I'll be using myself shortly, is to join the Apple Developer Connection (for about $100) as a student and then use their hardware seeding program, which gives you about 10-20% off your first hardware purchase with them.

Oh, man. Wish I had some mod points for you right now.

I was aware of the ADC program, but didn't realize they had a student membership. After reading your post I starting doing some research on that. Ended up at the ADC Student Hardware Purchase Program page, which further directed me to the U. S. Purchase Program page, and eventually back to a page at the Apple Store where the discounted price for the 15" SuperDrive PowerBook is only $2,079 (versus the $2,599 regular price). This change of circumstances makes it a lot harder for me to wait for whatever it is that Apple's going to announce at the WWDC ;)
Re:Education Prices by dangermouse · 2003-06-02 16:31 · Score: 1

Another strategy, that I'll be using myself shortly, is to join the Apple Developer Connection (for about $100) as a student and then use their hardware seeding program, which gives you about 10-20% off your first hardware purchase with them.
Hate to poop on your parade, but I don't think you will be using that strategy.
NOTE: Please note that the ADC Student Program Membership does NOT include access to the ADC Seeding Program, Technical Support, or the ADC Compatibility Labs. If you require these program benefits, we encourage you to consider joining the ADC Select Program which may better suit your needs.
I found this here
Re:Education Prices by illusion_2K · 2003-06-03 03:07 · Score: 1

You`re right - that`s what I get for not reading the fine print.

Nevertheless, there are still discounts for students which amount to about the same.
Re:Education Prices by illusion_2K · 2003-06-03 03:18 · Score: 1

Actually I was wrong again as this page demonstrates...http://developer.apple.com/students /sthardware.html
Re:Education Prices by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-03 03:58 · Score: 0

massachusetts USA

looking into the developers discount, seed prog
???
Re:Education Prices by entropy1980 · 2003-06-03 06:31 · Score: 1

You may not be eligible for the seeding program but the Hardware Discount Program you are eligible for....

Re:x86 ? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 00:50 · Score: 0

do much reading of the Apple news on Slashdot do you?

G5? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 00:51 · Score: 1, Informative

Are upgraded Powerbooks with the 970 already on the line of being announced, or is this just because they expected their sales to be larger?

Re:G5? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 00:53 · Score: 0, Insightful

PPC 970s will be out before the end of June. Fabrication of the new powermac enclosures is well underway.

Anything more, I cannot say.
Re:G5? by Znonymous+Coward · 2003-06-02 01:23 · Score: 4, Informative

If you are informed enough to ask a question like that, you shouldn't have to ask a question like that. Anyway, the rumor mill has been going full steam after months of, well, nothing. Here is the latest...

RIP G4???

G4 iBook???

Yes, conflicting reports... But it's always safe to assume that when Apple lowers prices, their main goal is to clear out inventory for a new or updated model.

--
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
Re:G5? by glowurm · 2003-06-02 02:13 · Score: 1

Low Dirty Bad. Do not believe the rampant rumors - they'll only serve to disappoint at a later date. Any AC can post unfounded speculation - But I don't have to tell the intelligent readers of Slashdot this do I?

Rumor = Bad thing, planted my Microsoft to undermine the confidence in current Apple products.

Unfounded Rumor = My Uncle knows this guy who works at a plant that met someone at an IBM booth at a trade show and then happened to wander into an Apple store while a fellow that bought an AMD chip was talking to a cashier who owns a few CD's which means that Universal is buying AMD and Apple is buying Universal and IBM and Universal are going to merge so that Apple can buy SuperPowerPC 9945xm Series chips running at 660GHz in eight-way configurations which means a speed improvement of 10x2^16562194465336 times over the current line! Especially once they implement the HyperTransport Bus!
Re:G5? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:25 · Score: 0

Yes, unfounded rumours are bad

However I know for sure I am correct.
Re:G5? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:34 · Score: 1, Insightful

Uh. When Apple lowers prices, it's because they want to sell more units. Why, exactly, they're looking to sell more varies depending on the circumstances, but on several occasions Apple has lowered prices in the middle of a model's lifespan for no other reason than to drive sales. Consider the way Apple lowered the price of the G4 iMac by $100 for no apparent reason several months ago. (Of course, they had to later raise that price by $100 again when LCD prices spiked back up, but that's life.)

The only thing you can read into this is that Apple wants you to buy a PowerBook. Anything else is rampant speculation.
Re:G5? by Znonymous+Coward · 2003-06-02 02:53 · Score: 1

I think that's pretty insightful... However, I still believe that the primary driving force behind price drops is to eliminate excess inventory for updates that are coming down the pipe "sometime".

--
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
Re:G5? by johnpaul191 · 2003-06-02 07:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

it's kind of odd that the 15" has not been updated to match the other G4 powerbooks, seeing how the other books have been out for months now. i wonder how true that assumption is about massive backstock of 15" powerbooks. Apple rarely has more than a few weeks worth of stock. they give these figures in their quarterly earnings reports. there is no way they had 6 months worth of 15" powerbooks sitting on the shelves. i think there are a few obvious possibilities:

either they are waiting to leapfrog the 12" and 17" models and *possibly* require features in the next OS revision.

OR they want to keep the 15" as is for the OS 9 users (graphic designers needing Quark), till everyone is ready for OS X only.

OR Steve Jobs is just silly and you'll never figure him out.

Upgrades pending? by Jeff+Kelly · 2003-06-02 00:51 · Score: 5, Interesting

Seems to me like Apple is going to upgrade some of their Powerbooks in the near future. 15'' PBs are nearly sold out and are hard to get.

I have been waiting for a very long time now for Apple to upgrade the 15'' PB to an AI Model with Bluetooth and Airport Extreme. But now it won't probably be long until I get my PB and iPod. (My precious)

Regards

Christian

Re:Upgrades pending? by shayborg · 2003-06-02 00:55 · Score: 4, Funny

I have been waiting for a very long time now for Apple to upgrade the 15'' PB to an AI Model with Bluetooth and Airport Extreme ...

The HalBook? Might be interesting ... ;-) (I think you meant Al with a small letter L, not AI.)

-- shayborg
Re:Upgrades pending? by lowmagnet · 2003-06-02 04:28 · Score: 2, Funny

Yeah, but when your AI model Powerbook decides it wants to rule the world, then you're screwed. In fact, we're all screwed at that point.

--
Heute die Welt, morgen das Sonnensystem!
Re:Upgrades pending? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 05:49 · Score: 0

Just don't plug it into the network and keep it out of wireless range! Oh, the humanity!

There is more than "just works" by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 00:52 · Score: 3, Insightful

There is more than "it just works". How about "It not only works, it creates, it plays, and it does a lot more"

Re:There is more than "just works" by chrisbw · 2003-06-02 11:37 · Score: 1

I didn't mean "it just works" as in context of its richness in functionality, I meant "it just works" in the sense that it *always* works, as compared to Windoze machines melting down.

--
Chris -- http://www.bitter.net/

Dammit! by DiSKiLLeR · 2003-06-02 01:02 · Score: 2, Interesting

This has eroded the resale value of my powerbook even further!

The 667mhz powerbook simply doesn't sell at all on ebay.com.au anymore :(

What do us people with old powerbooks do?

I want to finance a nice sexy 15.4" Aluminium PowerBook (coming out real soon) or a nice PowerMac PPC970 (G5?) Tower, with 64bit Panther :)

D.

--
You can tell how powerful someone is by the magnitude of the crime they can commit and be able to get away with.

Re:Dammit! by Mikey-San · 2003-06-02 01:13 · Score: 4, Funny

"What do us people with old powerbooks do?"

Um, use them?

"I want to finance a nice sexy 15.4" Aluminium PowerBook (coming out real soon) or a nice PowerMac PPC970 (G5?) Tower, with 64bit Panther :)"

I also want $UNANNOUNCED_PRODUCT! :-D

(These jokes may not be as funny as I think they are. The coffee pot's still churning this morning.)

--
Mikey-San
Karma: +Eleventy billion (mostly affected by watching Celebrity Jeopardy)
Re:Dammit! by mikedaisey · 2003-06-02 01:41 · Score: 1

Maybe you should simply keep using your powerbook...who the hell looks at a laptop as an investment? Hello?
Re:Dammit! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:39 · Score: 1, Funny

No, they're pretty funny. The old "I will represent an abstract idea by a shell variable" thing is old hat, though. It would have been funnier if you'd just flamed the bastard for being too wedded to the rumor sites. See, I would have said something like this:

"And while I'm at it, I want a pony."

See? Much funnier.
Re:Dammit! by Ford+Fulkerson · 2003-06-02 03:50 · Score: 4, Funny

who the hell looks at a laptop as an investment?

Actually, the PowerMac I bought in January 2000 can't possibly have dropped as much in value as the tech-stocks i sold have done since.

--

Somewhere in the heavens... they are waiting.
Re:Dammit! by jellomizer · 2003-06-02 04:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

Well I am still using my 667mhz PowerBook as my primary computer. I will probably use it for a couple more years. Then Ill probably make it a low end server and/or a digital picture frame. The 667 mhz systems may not be speed deamons. But they are still pritty formatible systems, and I havent ran into an application I cant run yet. Computers have an average 4-5 year usabile life to them. Compared to a Cars average 10-15 years, Houses 100+ Year Life, A Refridgerator 15 Year life. So with a Computer after it because to Dated to use for normal use then you can give it "small" tasks that it can handle such as print serving or a firewall and Mod it up so it doesnt look dated, Or you can trash or donate it so someone else trashes it. Or you can keep it use it for spare parts. Or Just keep it and have it collect dust. Dont expect computers to have a large return on investment.

--
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Re:Dammit! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 05:55 · Score: 0

But they are still pritty formatible systems

Ah yes, that's what I like to do all day with my aging powerbook: admire its pritty[sic] design while formatting the hard drive, over and over again!

But seriously, is English your first language? If not, that's totally cool; I was just having fun with you and I wish you luck in continuing to learn the language. But if it is... my faith in humanity is seriously eroded! :)
Re:Dammit! by tres · 2003-06-02 06:12 · Score: 4, Insightful

Still using my 400 MHz G4 PowerBook & still loving it more than I ever did any of my PC laptops--no matter how fast they were.

It feels so good finally being content with something.

I look back to the foolishness of my former self with pity; I was never satisfied with my laptop. Somehow I thought that new hardware or a new OS would fix my problems. Somehow I kept at this for years, searching for the right laptop. I became a computing nomad--jumping from laptop to laptop, thinking that maybe my issues would be solved with the latest hardware. And jumping from OS to OS--from Windows to Suse to Debian to Mandrake to OpenBSD to FreeBSD... on and on. I couldn't find anything that really fit my needs.

I find that it wasn't really speed I needed all those years I was on the MHz treadmill--it was just a computer that worked the way it was supposed to.

I'm quite happy with what I have, and for the first time, I know I'll be using a computer until it dies its natural death. For the first time I can concentrate on getting things done rather than that gaggle of concerns and problems I had to think about before I could even start a project.

So, I've found out first-hand what people with old PowerBooks do--a lot more than people with old PC laptops.

--
Notes From Under *nix: blas.phemo.us
Re:Dammit! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 07:39 · Score: 0

I don't think it's a good thing to be expecting the next powerbooks to have new processors (probably just faster current processors [or maybe no processor speed gain]) unless Apple really isn't about to update them and they wait a while.

The PPC970 will put the power back in powermacs way before it reaches the powerbook. You recall how long it took the G4 to get to portables? It's a technical issue (heat, battery life, etc) as I'm sure most people here are aware.
Re:Dammit! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 08:48 · Score: 0

But they are still pritty formatible systems, and I havent ran into an application I cant run yet.

Really? I would've bet the farm your spelling/grammar checker doesn't work!
Re:Dammit! by milkman_matt · 2003-06-02 09:27 · Score: 1

This has eroded the resale value of my powerbook even further!
I feel your pain dude.
What do us people with old powerbooks do?
I've got a G3/400 Lombard (got it in '99) with all the fixins, it was top dog when I bought it, but i've recently found it lacking, so I bumped up the ram to 396 (I want to max it out at 512) which really upped my performance, threw in a 20GB HDD and i've been happily using it as my primary work computer ever since. That's right, My company had a PC for me, but it just doesn't suit my needs as well as this powerbook. At half the MHz it just allows me to get more done with less hassle. So what do people with old powerbooks do? Same thing we did when they were new, everything ;)
PS: This is not to say that I wouldn't -love- to have a new 15"er, but since i'm not able to afford one just now, this ol' lombard will do.
-matt
Re:Dammit! by gklinger · 2003-06-02 11:59 · Score: 1

Does it bother you that you have a Powerbook which is perfectly capable of running OS X but Apple decided NOT to support the hardware DVD decoder and to make things worse, they have actively supressed the information that would make it possible for a third party to write a driver.
The Cinemaster DVD decoder in your Powerbook is useless under OS X (and Linux, may I add). I don't mind Apple end-of-lining products but going out of their way to force customers to purchase newer hardware is unforgivable.
PS- I don't have a Lombard but a good friend does and I feel his pain (as well as having to listen to his rants on this subject).
Re:Dammit! by andrewski · 2003-06-02 17:18 · Score: 1

"And while I'm at it, I want a pony."

Not really much funnier. The whole gamut of unobtainable items is represented by $VAR, conjuring up images of 48qb machines with unlimited states, rocket cars, and personal teleporters.

Also, both of you are cowards for posting AC. Why not revel in your inane, bantering ways instead of shamefully concealing them?
Re:Dammit! by milkman_matt · 2003-06-03 04:27 · Score: 1

Does it bother you that you have a Powerbook which is perfectly capable of running OS X but Apple decided NOT to support the hardware DVD decoder and to make things worse, they have actively supressed the information that would make it possible for a third party to write a driver.
Oh, totally, I thought that sucked. I've run -every- version of OS X since the beta. I was thinking when I got it "well, it's a beta, i'm sure they'll make my system work when the official release is out" But here we are at 10.3 and it still doesn't work. I've read up on the subject and I guess they said it's because the lombard uses a PCI Video card and all systems after that are AGP (I dunno, whatever). Anyhow, don't get me wrong, this system does have its downfalls. No DVD, no firewire, the cool screensavers such as Flurry and how the other screensavers all faded from one picture to another all look like complete ass because they're totally choppy.. HOWEVER, I was only stating what I did as a testimant that this system is, in fact, EXTREMELY useful and gives me the ability to help me get my work done better and faster than my PC which is over twice as 'fast'.
One thing I wish Apple offered is a trade-in. I don't care, even 500 bucks, I think that's fair when this thing cost over $3500 to begin with. Let me send in my system and give me a $500 credit on my new system. That's what I'd like to see.
-matt

So now... by Gropo · 2003-06-02 01:03 · Score: 4, Interesting

An extra $300 gets you video spanning, AltiVec core, DDR (extra 128 Mb), 802.11g port and Bluetooth... Oh and teh sheckshy Aluminium case.

Makes you wonder why the Combo Drive iBook is still $1,299 base...

--
I hate Grammar Nazi's

Re:So now... by BigBir3d · 2003-06-02 01:10 · Score: 1

I guess Apple was tired of the iBook undermining 12" PB sales...?

Notice that the price drop is only for the 867MHz models? Maybe the 1GHz G4 is soon going to be the new low end?
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 01:24 · Score: 1, Interesting

Well, the 12" doesn't have a DVI connector, either.
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:43 · Score: 0

Hint for you: if you don't want to get your ass flamed into oblivion, don't say "video spanning." For two reasons: first, because it's not video. That thing coming out of your computer is not a video signal. Video means TV, either SD or HD. Video means Final Cut. So don't say video when you mean graphics.

Second, because no Mac user would ever say "video spanning" or "monitor spanning." It's just multiple monitors. When you hook up a second monitor to your Mac, you can either mirror your display onto it, or you can simply use it as a second monitor.

If you're trying to pose as a Mac user, get the vocabulary right.
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 03:23 · Score: 0

I erroneously wrote "video mirroring", corrected the mistake in a half-assed manner... But either way I don't see myself getting "flamed into oblivion" over such a petty little inadvertence.
Re:So now... by Van+Halen · 2003-06-02 05:58 · Score: 1

Actually the prices dropped on all models except the 17". Compare:
Apple Store
Google cache

--
Say hello to zMac.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 07:57 · Score: 1

especially as you're in the right

grandparent's a total dick

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 08:03 · Score: 0

Blow me. Saying "video spanning" is totally wrong, twice.

Repeat after me, moron: GRAPHICS IS NOT VIDEO!

Repeat after me, moron: MULTIPLE MONITOR SUPPORT IS NOT "SPANNING!"

Repeat as necessary until these facts sink in to your primitive reptile brain.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 08:27 · Score: 0, Flamebait

if you'll take a look at the Displays prefernce panel on OSX 10.2.6 you'll find this sentence:-

" (X) Show modes recommended by display

Additional modes are provided by the VIDEO card and may not be supported by the display."

You reeally must be a dozy cunt.

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Gropo · 2003-06-02 08:51 · Score: 1

video adj.
3. Computer Science. Of or relating to the production of images on video displays.
Would you like your ass for here or to go?

--
I hate Grammar Nazi's
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:05 · Score: 0

spanning tr.v.
3. To extend across in space or time.
AC is TEH SMART!
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:08 · Score: 0

I love it when people look up technical terms in a fuckin dictionary.

Video refers to very specific signal formats: 525i, 625i in the analog domain, or one of the 18 ATSC formats in the digital domain. Anything else can't be called video. It's called graphics.

Tool.
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:12 · Score: 0

455,000 Google hits for VGA Graphics
1,060,000 Google hits for VGA Video
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:15 · Score: 0

DVI = Digital VIDEO Interface.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 09:40 · Score: 1

You'd log in if you actually believed your own bullshit.

'Video' is simply electronic moving pictures, 'graphics' applies to pretty much any artwork, illustration or display.

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:41 · Score: 0

Goodness gracious you angry, misinformed young man!
"Multiple Monitor Support" in boolean terms includes both the ability to "mirror" and "span" the active displays connected to a system via 1 or more video cards.
The original post in this thread wished to convey the alternate Multiple Monitor functionality from "Mirroring" known as "Spanning," which is exactly what they wrote.
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 10:04 · Score: 0

"Multiple Monitor Support" in boolean terms includes both the ability to "mirror" and "span" the active displays connected to a system via 1 or more video cards.

Wrong. A video card converts a bitstream into either a 525i or 625i analog signal or an ATSC digital signal. "Video card" means something very specific. It means tee vee, okay? When you hear "video" think "tee vee."

The original post in this thread wished to convey the alternate Multiple Monitor functionality from "Mirroring" known as "Spanning," which is exactly what they wrote.

But there's no such thing as "spanning" on a Mac. The idea doesn't exist. Either you're using multiple monitors or you're not. If you're mirroring, you're not using multiple monitors. You've got two monitors hooked up, but you're only sending out one graphics signal. So talking about some form of multiple monitor support that's different from mirroring is meaningless. Mirroring isn't multiple monitors!

Wow. I'm amazed by how many dumbasses there are on Slashdot today.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 10:21 · Score: 1

Yep, sure does. You know, I think VGA = VIDEO Graphics Array too!

This AC is just about the dumbest Slashdoteer I've ever come across, I may save this thread for posterity - maybe he's VIDEO blind?

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 11:39 · Score: 0

You keep saying the same thing over and over again. You're ignoring the fact that YOU ARE WRONG! Video means television, and that's all. I don't care who else misuses the term. Video means television.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 12:22 · Score: 1

Nope, TELEVISION means television.

Are you 5 years old or something?

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 12:56 · Score: 1

Whever told you this nonsense about video really did you a disservice.

You should come round and look at my Snell & Wilcox Transphix sometime, all the inputs are described as video or sync, outputs likewise.

Come to think of it, I span my desktop across THREE monitors 2xSony G400s on ATi Radeon video cards and a Sony BVM F1 on a Digital Voodoo D1 Desktop 64AV video card.

--
That was classic intercourse!
Re:So now... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 14:49 · Score: 0

I'm in my mid-40's, am happily married with a wife and two lovely daughters, and run a small broadcast production company. I enjoy pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.
Re:So now... by Alan+Partridge · 2003-06-02 21:08 · Score: 1

"I think I know more about this than you do."

Ah, therein lies the problem. You THINK that you do, but you don't. If you can THINK of a way that I an prove to you that there's an S&W Transphix in the rack behind me, I'd be happy to oblige.

--
That was classic intercourse!

ReRe:not bad by krilli · 2003-06-02 01:21 · Score: 1, Informative

From the Apple web site: Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW); reads DVDs at 8x speed; writes CD-R discs at 24x speed; writes CD-RW discs at 10x speed; reads CDs at 24x speed (12-inch model)

They may be lying, though. The legacy ports don't matter. How could they matter?

I agree with you on the cachelessness being bad, and the display resolution is just idiotic. MacOS X has pretty large window dressing and fonts.

--
Jag pratar lite svenska.

my joke appreciation level by krilli · 2003-06-02 01:24 · Score: 3, Funny

verdict: not bad.

the coffee is not neccessarily making you unfunny, but it definitely isn't helping your anxiety and paranoia.

--
Jag pratar lite svenska.

Re:x86 ? by kalidasa · 2003-06-02 01:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

Now, why doesn't Apple make OSX for x86 machines ?

I know I shouldn't feed the trolls, but everyone, repeat after me:

Because Apple is a hardware company!

Selling OS X for x86 machines would cut into their margins, encourage their competitors, and there's simply no way they could survive as an OS-only vendor (remember BeOS? That was a lot better than Windows, too).

Down From What? by nanobug · 2003-06-02 01:39 · Score: 3, Insightful

What price were they before?

Re:Down From What? by questamor · 2003-06-02 02:16 · Score: 4, Informative

While the article doesn't mention it, macnn's story on the price drop does.

The prices are:

12" Combo drive PowerBook - $1,599 ($200 drop)
12" SuperDrive PowerBook - $1,799 ($200 drop)
15" Combo drive PowerBook - $1,999 ($300 drop)
15" SuperDrive PowerBook - $2,599 ($200 drop).

Nice drop on the 15" combo drive powerbook.
Re:Down From What? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:30 · Score: 0

Dude, the original poster asked for the old powerbook prices, not the price drop on the new powerbook.
Re:Down From What? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 02:47 · Score: 1, Informative

Dude, if you can't add $200 to $1,599, you really shouldn't be trying to operate a computer this early in the morning.
Re:Down From What? by artur9 · 2003-06-02 04:08 · Score: 1

These prices make no sense.
It's $200 to go from Combo to DVD on the 12"
It's $600 more to do same on 15"?!
What are the other differences?

--
------- MacOS X, WebObjects, Apple (G5) hardware triply tied
Re:Down From What? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 04:17 · Score: 0

What are the other differences?

1 GHz (as opposed to 867 MHz) CPU and built-in AirPort. Maybe others? I dunno.
Re:Down From What? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 04:25 · Score: 0

MacOS(9,X), WebObjects, Apple hardware in that order

What?
Re:Down From What? by doce · 2003-06-02 06:00 · Score: 3, Informative

the $600 difference between the two 15" powerbooks is not just the drive.

for $1999, you get
867MHz, 256MB RAM, 40GB hard drive, no airport, combo drive

for $2599, you get
1GHz, 512MB RAM, 60GB hard drive, airport, superdrive

so.. faster processor, more ram, bigger drive, wifi, and better optical drive.

--
woof!

Same on the flip side of the planet. by thatguywhoiam · 2003-06-02 02:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

$1599US for a powerbook12 is $2451 australian, with a direct currency conversion - something that will always be under the real cost due to importing, our taxes etc.

We're experiencing the same thing in Canada - because of the recent plunge of the US dollar versus our own, prices should have dropped... but they haven't. Apple gear in Canada still costs approximately 10% more than it should, at the current rates.

Now, I have some sympathy as Apple Canada/retail stores probably had to buy all that stuff at the old rate, but still.. I certainly won't buy another Mac until they adjust this discrepancy (and said Mac model starts with the letter 'G' and ends in '5').

--
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.

Re:Same on the flip side of the planet. by gnuadam · 2003-06-02 05:42 · Score: 1

Mod this ad down, please.

--
You say :wq, I say ZZ. Why can't we all just get along?
Re:Same on the flip side of the planet. by dadragon · 2003-06-02 10:12 · Score: 1

Hey, Apple Canada DID lower their prices. The 12" PowerBook G4 Superdrive is now $2549, compare to $3219 earlier. That's a $670 difference. It's not on par with the american prices, we're still overpaying by $100, but it's a bigger drop than theirs.

--
God save our Queen, and Heaven bless The Maple Leaf Forever!

Rubbish! by jo_ham · 2003-06-02 02:51 · Score: 5, Informative

What media are you talking about there?

If it's 2x DVD-R, then you are correct - Apple has DVD burners in their laptops - something that few (any?) PC laptops have.

If you're talking about CD writing speed, it's bollocks - my iBook is a year old and has an 8x combo CD burner. The newer iBooks have 16x burners - I see no reason that the powerbook would have a 2x burner.

If it was a typo and you meant to type "24x" and call it slow, then you're just impatient. I doubt there's much point putting a burner of that speed in a laptop - the faster you spin the disc, the more battery you use doing so.

You also note that it "lacks several legacy ports in favour of firewire and USB" as if this is a bad thing. I don't want a paralell port or an RS232 port on my laptop. I'm sure there are people who do need these ports, for them there are two options - buy a PC laptop or buy an adapter. There's no reason to include them on 98.7654% of modern laptops*.

* 88.2% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Re:Rubbish! by Knife_Edge · 2003-06-02 15:00 · Score: 1

"I'm sure there are people who do need these ports, for them there are two options - buy a PC laptop or buy an adapter."

And given that the adapters frequently do not work correctly in important ways, only one of these options is real.

Yellowdog Linux for your old Macs an option... by SYFer · 2003-06-02 03:16 · Score: 4, Interesting

"What do us people with old powerbooks do?"

Well, one suggestion might be to give it a new, longer period of usefulness by loading Yellowdog Linux, but that strategy may well not suit your needs as you may require certain OS X apps.

In my case, I primarily use a current generation tower with OS-X loaded--this is needed for my work. I also happen to have an old G3 Firewire laptop laying around that is about to go Yellowdog. Since it only has 128 megs of RAM, its not really a good candidate for OS X (and I won't put any more money into it at this point).

It is currently doing duty as my "legacy" OS 9 machine and I use it to run the 2 or 3 remaining pesky OS 9 apps that I have not/can not upgrade to OS X. And I no longer even care to run "classic" on my main machine.

The minute those apps are no longer needed, that old laptop will get a new lease on life running Yellowdog which does very well with older Macs. Then I'll be able to run more meaningful apps like GIMP (and hopefully even filmGIMP).

This is a great solution because instead of becoming increasingly meaningless (OS 9) or redundant (and underpowered) as an OS X machine, it will now fulfill a unique and useful roll in my studio.

To find out more, visit hwww.yellowdoglinux.com of course.

--
"...all the labours of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness..." yada yada

New chips soon? by Synistyr · 2003-06-02 03:57 · Score: 2, Interesting

So is this in anticipation of the new Apples using a PowerPC chip from IBM? Or is this that only for desktops?

Re:New chips soon? by kalidasa · 2003-06-03 05:13 · Score: 3, Interesting

Noone knows yet what machines the 970 (the new IBM chip expected to replace the Motorola G4) will be used in first. There's been some speculation that all G4s will be replaced by 970s at the same time because the 970s are cheaper, other speculation that the PowerMacs would be the first, followed by PowerBooks then by iMacs, and yet other speculation that it would be PowerBooks first.

Apple have used IBM chips for years by Xenex · 2003-06-02 04:18 · Score: 2, Informative

Apple have bought CPUs from IBM for years. The modern example is the G3; most of the later G3 models are from IBM. The current iBook still uses an IBM G3.

You're obviously talking about the PowerPC 970, but if Apple use that it will not be the first time they've sourced chips from IBM.

Re:Apple have used IBM chips for years by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 13:12 · Score: 0

I think you have this backwards. IBM makes the G4 for Apple, and Motorola makes the G3.
Re:Apple have used IBM chips for years by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 21:20 · Score: 0

I think you're a clueless troll.

Why buy from Apple? by kwerle · 2003-06-02 05:01 · Score: 1

Honest question:
Why don't you just buy one "unused" via eBay, or some other US reseller?

Seems like they could mark up 5% and everyone would be WAY ahead...

Re:x86 ? by MarcQuadra · 2003-06-02 05:16 · Score: 3, Interesting

For the same reason Microsoft doesn't give you Office for free. You don't kill the cash cow. Apple makes money on the hardware, off people who are dead-set on the Apple product. Apple's software sales are puny in comparison to the $BIG_MONEY made off the hardware sales. Many mac users don't even buy OS upgrades, there's a 'I paid $BIG_MONEY for my Mac, I'm entitled to a free copy of Jaguar' attitude thats left over from the pre-system 7 days when Apple gave the OS away for free.

--
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails

Pssst: Switzerland by theolein · 2003-06-02 06:06 · Score: 1

Here the base powerbook is CHF 2999.- which makes it $2230.- US. My sister lives in Sydney, and I'm well aware of the huge price differences in Australia, so if some folks club together to get some swiss Powerbooks and buy me a ticket to OZ, then bob's your uncle.

Offer's also open for Germany(Berlin) and the UK.

For even better deals check out their refurbs by Mean_Nishka · 2003-06-02 06:21 · Score: 2, Informative

Whenever I'm in need of a new Mac, I generally purchase them from the 'special deals' link which is generally towards the bottom of the store page. There you'll find a rotating stock of refurbished Apple machines, from desktops to powerbooks, available at a nice discount (with a full 1 year warranty).

If you don't need something absolutely brand new, check it out. I got my girlfriend a 700mhz ibook (with CDRW) last Christmas for about a grand.

--
www.lonseidman.com

Re:For even better deals check out their refurbs by JLyle · 2003-06-03 03:08 · Score: 1

I did notice that after they announced this price drop on PowerBooks that the refurbished ones are no longer listed...

You didn't wait for the AU Apple Store to update by Xenex · 2003-06-02 06:55 · Score: 1

"$1599US for a powerbook12 is $2451 australian, with a direct currency conversion - something that will always be under the real cost due to importing, our taxes etc."

Still, the Australian base powerbook12 is $3995. $1500+ difference.

You were a little too quick for them. The Australian Apple Store has since updated following the price drops, and a base 12" PowerBook is now $3099.

Sure, that's still a huge markup of over $600, but it's not quite the $1500 figure you came up with.

Please stop. by Dr+Reducto · 2003-06-02 06:55 · Score: 1

I have bills to pay and I have some money lying around the house. I can't afford all of these price drop topics!

working on a 15" by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 06:56 · Score: 0

The price is getting there for me. I'm a Multimedia Designer/Graphic Artist. Desperately wanting to get a "togo" Mac. Get out of the office! Wondering if anyone uses the 15" for this kind of work. I design for 1024 by 768 so that would work. Wondering about trying to cram palettes and docs onto 15" real-estate.

Re:working on a 15" by Dr+Reducto · 2003-06-02 14:49 · Score: 1

Obviously, you would not really be concerned with the screen size in Inches, but rather pixels. The 15" TiBook has a screen that is 1280x854. This is nice and wide and will be a little squished if you keep all the Photoshop pallettes open, but you can always hook up that extra monitor while you can, and plus it's DVI, so it will have a better quality picture and color calibration.

in the end by McAddress · 2003-06-02 06:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

It won't even matter whether Apple is competitive with the PC world. The mac users will always buy macs, and PC users will never be able to be cconvinced that

OS X is better than windows.
RISC chips outperform CISC chips, even at much slower speeds.
Macs are just way cooler than windows machines.

In the end, it sucks for mac users, b/c if Apple had 20% market share, their prices would be lower, and we could buy more songs from the Apple music store with the money we save.

Re:in the end by ichimunki · 2003-06-02 08:03 · Score: 1

I guess we should be grateful that in spite of their insistence that Microsoft Windows constitutes a worthwhile computing environment that "PC" users are not stupid enough to believe the three canards you just threw out. There are many good reasons to choose Apple over Wintel, but you listed not a one of them. And your supposition that Apple would lower its prices if it had a higher market share is... naive, at best. It assumes a benevolence not proven by facts and-- more importantly-- has no basis in economic theory.

But thanks for playing the Windows vs. Mac troll game. Here is your shiny metal "False Dichotomy" award. Have a nice day. :)

--
I do not have a signature
Re:in the end by diamondc · 2003-06-02 09:35 · Score: 1

I really really like my iBook (700mhz) and Mac OS X, but I have to say that the left underside of the laptop gets mighty hot after an hour or so. This is probably a hard drive cooling problem, but still.

--
"I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
Re:in the end by mraymer · 2003-06-03 19:17 · Score: 1

I would buy a Mac right now if they had more computer games for Mac OS.
I agree with everything you said, though... but MS has really got me by the balls when it comes to games.
At least Blizzard usually releases their games on Mac, but that's not enough for an addict like me! ;)
P.S. Anyone here have WC3 for Mac? What are your system specs and how well does it perform for you when there's a ton of units on screen?

--
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking
Re:in the end by porkchop_d_clown · 2003-06-04 00:40 · Score: 1

WC3 is playable but awfully slow on my iBook - but I've got a 2001 model with the 8 meg Rage Mobility video chip.

--
Clear, Dark Skies
Re:in the end by mraymer · 2003-06-04 08:07 · Score: 1

that's actually pretty impressive, since it is rather sluggish on my p3 850 with a geforce3 and 256 MB of ram
The last Night Elf mission is really slow for me. How do the game menus perform for you? Before I got the GF3, they were far less smooth. But that's about all the GF3 did to help the performance over the TNT2. What it really wants is a new CPU.

--
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

only 10 day price security....... by johnpaul191 · 2003-06-02 07:03 · Score: 2, Informative

that's true... i *thought* it was 30 days, but i just found this:

Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 10 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Sales Support at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 business days of shipment

i found that right here under the "Prices" section. i am 99% sure i heard 30 days too, but i don't know where i saw that.

PowerPC to x86 does not mean PC clone by AHumbleOpinion · 2003-06-02 07:03 · Score: 3, Insightful

Your argument applies to Apple introducing MacOS X on generic PC clones. This has nothing to do with a switch from PowerPC to x86. The realistic scenario is simply Apple replaces the PowerPC at the core of it's proprietary design with an x86, much like the transition from 68K to PPC. This could also be a relatively painless transition. Emulation would not work as well this time around, however MacOS X apps are much more likely to be less CPU dependent than MacOS apps of the mid-90's.

Re:PowerPC to x86 does not mean PC clone by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 13:21 · Score: 0

No.

All of the software compiled for the PPC would have to be recompiled for the x86 architecture.

Every single app, not to mention the operating system.

It would be hellish.
Re:PowerPC to x86 does not mean PC clone by AHumbleOpinion · 2003-06-02 14:50 · Score: 1

No. All of the software compiled for the PPC would have to be recompiled for the x86 architecture. Every single app, not to mention the operating system. It would be hellish

When I wrote "however MacOS X apps are much more likely to be less CPU dependent than MacOS apps of the mid-90's" I was referring to recompilation. Apologies for failing to mention that.

You are mistaken. It would be simpler than the 68K to PPC recompiles. What you have now emulates. What comes later gets delived in "obese" binaries/packages that contain both PowerPC and x86 code. MacOS X is inherently setup for such things due to it's NeXTStep origins.
Re:PowerPC to x86 does not mean PC clone by kalidasa · 2003-06-02 14:58 · Score: 1

The parent posting made it clear it was talking about commodity hardware, not an Apple-proprietary x86 architecture. There is no reason to believe that an Apple-proprietary x86 architecture would be any cheaper than the 970-based architecture we are likely to get.
Re:PowerPC to x86 does not mean PC clone by andrewski · 2003-06-02 17:33 · Score: 1

One would have to be on crack to think that Apple will move to X86.

Why cripple themselves and be just another PC clone? Jobs learned his lesson well with NeXT. Don't expect him to make the same mistake twice.

heh. by thatguywhoiam · 2003-06-02 08:14 · Score: 3, Funny

Still using my 400 MHz G4 PowerBook & still loving it more than I ever did any of my PC laptops--no matter how fast they were.It feels so good finally being content with something.

--

"My name is Tres, and I'm never buying another Mac again."

"Okay, okay, cut!... we're going again. Writers, get over here."

"What did I say?"

--
If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.

Re:heh. by tres · 2003-06-02 12:07 · Score: 1

I find it interesting that a part of the whole paradigm of consumer computing is that you should have to buy the same thing again in two years or less. GM used to operate under this same paradigm--you probably don't remember, but back in the olden days, you were lucky if you got a car to last 80k miles. You were expected to buy a new car every 2 years--not only because it was a "status symbol," not only because there was a new one with "better" features, but because the darn thing wasn't dependable after 2 years. Only after Japanese imports forced them to, did American automakers improve the quality of their cars.
PC equipment is in the same mass-market quality vaccuum. And just like the car buyers of the '50s, '60s and '70s, most people are just quietly accepting it as a matter of fact.
Until the Japanese started building cheaper, better cars for the mass market, the only cars that you could depend upon to last upwards of a quarter of a million miles were high-end European imports. I think the metaphor holds true for PC hardware and software.
Windows is like a Ford Pinto or AMC Gremlin. It's the, American built 'what were they thinking' economy car built for no other purpose than to reinforce the idea that automobiles equate status. It's the car you hate to have and hate to be seen in just because it sucks (and it was meant to suck--more incentive to buy a newer, more expensive car next year). But since there's no other choice, you buy it anyway.
Linux or FreeBSD right now is like a tricked-out, custom 1983 Toyota Land Cruiser with a 350 cubic inch engine sitting in it. It's an awesome car that has lots of power, is easy to work on, has the features that you need to have if you're going off-road. But really, it's not much fun to ride around after a while because it just lacks amenities, and you've got to put so much work into keeping it up.
And holding true to the metaphor, Apples are more akin to a European Luxury import. Great reliability, comfort, support, features, but ultimately it costs more. Just like the European imports, purchasers of Apple computers tend to hold on to their computers longer because they work well, are reliable and they are more expensive.

--
Notes From Under *nix: blas.phemo.us
Re:heh. by Knife_Edge · 2003-06-02 15:41 · Score: 1

At some level, I groan whenever I see these comparisions of operating systems and platforms based on analogies relating automobiles. Then again, since those were the other disruptive technology of the twentieth century, I suppose some analogies may be warranted. Want to hear one I came up with myself? I knew you would.

Windows/x86 is just like a model T ford. Ever see film footage of the busy intersections of cities during the twenties, when the T was at its height? Practically every single car is a model T, and there are thousands of cars! There were other makes of cars in existence, but almost nobody had one compared to the model T. We know that eventually, there were several other big manufacturers of cars, and that their reliability, safety, and efficiency improved by leaps and bounds since the heyday of the model T (the second best selling car ever). However, their basic features were all present in the model T.

If you thought this was going somewhere really elaborate, sorry. I refuse to flesh it out any further, since all analogies like this describe reality in the haziest fashion possible.

Incidentally, I produced this post on a 400mhz G4 powermac with a gig of ram in it, and for all practical purposes it feels as fast in everyday tasks as the Dual 1ghz G4 on the desk next to it (less ram, perhaps? - the dual still has 512mb). Including, interestingly enough, in launching applications. Although this happens seldom because the platform is so stable. I could conceive this computer lasting for several more years. Most probably computing will change enough in a few years that this machine will be left behind, like all the other older Apples I have that still work. At least, that has been the past trend. The old Performa I was fooling with today just cannot browse the web well (too slow to render), even though it can do it. It still is a functional machine, but I would not use it unless I had to. I have seen people with Apple computers that are waaay older than this that still work fine, BTW. People shy away from continuing to use them because they perceive a qualitative difference using newer computers.

Yes, Apple computers cost more initially, but they do in my experience also last longer. But how much is this extra reliability worth in the face of constantly increasing demands put upon them? Not that much, with the benefits from extended reliability falling to nearly zero after a few years. The only way to keep many old machines in service, as some other poster pointed out, is to put them into other roles that they still can fulfill, while the main computer on everyone's desktop for general use is upgraded.

I think that the computer industry is based around the idea that we should upgrade every two years or so because people generally wanted to do that in the past. The new machines had tangible features (like faster web browsing, good application launch times) that they saw as benefitting them. Yet since the last upgrade most people had, there have not been any dramatic changes in what they have been doing with their machines, and thus little reason to upgrade. Should you be one of the people in this situation, paying more for a computer that lasts longer could be a good idea, depending on how much longer that you thought it would last, versus how much more you were paying.

Or maybe you could just keep the current one as long as possible. When it fails, you might want to consider an Apple, though.

Me too!! Me too!! by Anonymous Coward · 2003-06-02 09:40 · Score: 0

Oooh! Can I send you some money too? Maybe we all should - you seem sooo trustworthy.

Cash OK?

Did you really post your real email address really really?

Unless... by batobin · 2003-06-02 14:33 · Score: 1

Unless, of course, they're doing what they're doing right now with the 15" TiBooks. What are they doing? They dropped the price so that they could get rid of them. I highly doubt Apple would drop the price on a product they're end-of-lifing, then not ship it to you so that you could instead get the new 15" AlBook.

Maybe any orders that come in after the Ti's are all sold will get the Al instead.

pish! cars and expensive Apples. by MrChuck · 2003-06-02 18:06 · Score: 1

Engine doesn't matter; it's the gearing.

See, my 3(!) cylinder bike goes 70 at 5000RPM.
In second gear.
Of 6.
Where 5000 RPM is still less that 50% of the redline.

Full up: 3cylinders, top gear, 160 MPH at redline.

And 50MPG for normal calif highway driving (70ish-80ish,
not that I'd go that fast).

You could buy a BMW (Bavarian Made Winnebago) for $17k,
or you could get an SV650 from Suzuki for only $6k.

--- --- ---
Relevantly, Apple sort of notoriously runs slow bus speeds.
They've done it forever. Since the Mac II series, they'd introduce
at 68030 at 30MHz 2 months after Motorola was shipping 040's.
Quite irksome.

They put out machines with FSB's half the speed of PCs. The
PPC chips are quite nice. It was the clones that drove prices
down and performance up. So they died.

Apple seems to be forgetting that the public's whims change
and that as they are perceived as a poor value, people move away.

I just went and got a gaming laptop with the nephew (note that
I'm writing this on a 14" black powerbook next to the GirlF's
new 17PB and down stairs is a working Mac Classic II and Mac
CI, running OpenBSD and NetBSD respectively. They are
on top of the Alpha's, a NeXT and a pair of Apple ][s. I really like
NeXTStep. I can't figure out why my 33MHz NeXT isn't much
slower than a 400MHz RISC machine. Oh, Aqua.).

So the boy wanted an Intel box for travel and games.
We got him a $1300 Compaq - 16", ~3GHz CPU, 512MB RAM.
40GB disk. 802.11g.

Could get 2 of these for the price of a Mac that runs at about
80% the speed.

Me? I figure the black PB's gonna die and all I need is
a nice Unix box. $2600 gets me a computer and leaves
me with $1300 to blow on other toys.

When *I* have to maintain the rel's boxes, I make them
use Macs. But it's a long hard sell for laptops. The company
won't touch them because of the price. Status seekers like
the CEO can get them, but that's about it.

APPLE:
Cheap (cancelled)
Fast (waiting for IBMotorola on that)
Solid Tech support (we'll get back to you on that).

Price drops can mean only one thing... by osguru · 2003-06-02 19:39 · Score: 1

New hardware.

heh. by mikedaisey · 2003-06-03 12:48 · Score: 1

That's true. Touche!

Re:in the end [OT] by SiMac · 2003-06-03 14:36 · Score: 1

And if you discount "Mac OS X is better than Windows" what are those reasons? I'm a Mac user myself, and I'm not afraid to admit Macs are (at least currently) significantly slower than PCs at most common tasks. The truth is, however, that Mac OS X is a far better operating system than Microsoft or anyone else ever put out. My server runs Linux, but I'd never think of running it on my desktop, simply because asthetics are a major concern of mine and inconsistency is simply annoying.

I think that Apple would indeed lower prices if they sold more, simply because R&D would be lower per machine. The cost difference might be negligable compared to what the original poster was thinking (I'd guess $50-$100) but there would be some. Remember, even if you have 20% market share, you still want to sell as many machines as you can while keeping a good profit margin.

Re:in the end [OT] by ichimunki · 2003-06-03 14:58 · Score: 1

Saying Operating System ZZZ is "better" than OS ABC is way too subjective and really makes too many unspoken assumptions to be a useful (or even universally true) statement. Both MS Windows and Mac OS X suck at running my old C-64, for instance. They're also complete duds when it comes to powering my PlayStation. Mac OS X doesn't run on any of my x86 processor systems, and Windows doesn't run on PPC (except with an emulator). Neither one runs on my Palm Pilot either. An OS is just that: an interface between the software and the machine. It's only real purpose is to expose the devices to applications through a combination of the OS kernel and lower level utilities.

So the question remains: which is better? And the only proper answer is another question: for what?

--
I do not have a signature

Re:in the end [OT] by SiMac · 2003-06-04 09:51 · Score: 1

I think when you say one platform is better than another, there is an implied "for the things for which a typical user would use it." It's irrelevant for you to talk about how they both "suck at running on your old C-64" simply because we're talking about the the platforms, not the operating systems. That's implied. I'm sorry if you didn't get that.

If you said, "Hop on Pop is a less important literary work than Romeo and Juliet," I sincerely doubt many people would disagree with you. It's an opinionated statement, but one rooted in fact and experience. No one would ask "less important for what?" or point out that "a book is just several sheets of paper containing marks necessary for the reader to understand a story." That would be ridiculous. So why are you trying to apply the same fallacious argument to PC vs. Mac?

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Apple Slashes PowerBook Prices

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