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Macworld to Bring Updates to Laptop Lines?
An anonymous reader writes "Reuters is reporting on the breathless anticipation that leads up to Macworld every year. Many analysts are hedging their bets that this year will bring a long overdue update to the Mac laptop family. From the article: 'We think the iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, and potentially Xserve are areas that are going to move to Intel first,' said Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research."
Apple Planning Intel iBook Debut for January?
If only I could get a hold of the old Mac commercials when they slam on the Intel Processors
The article suggests that they will introduce new G4 based models. I find this highly unlikely. They will need to push their new Intel Line. I suspect they will reveal new Intel Based laptops, and as always a surprise that rocks the world from Mr Jobs himself
I think at this point it's pretty much common sense that something is going to be done to the ibook line with macworld occuring.. tomorrow I guess it would be (unless you're in a timezone in which it is currently monday.. in which case.. greeettiinngs frromm the paaassttt..), we know the intel switch is coming, we know they have said that they are likely to release the ibook and mini lines first with intel chips (yonah most likely it seems, that's about the only thing that would make any sense)
:o I know I'd buy one >.> (typing from my beloved 12" ibook G4).
With the keynote occuring tomorrow, it's probably time to stop repeating the speculation, or at least vary it up a little, Jobs to release iRock, a portable Steve Jobs shrine, so you can worship him in all his bald glory anywhere you go!
My money is on the Apple Tablet being unveiled. ... but maybe that's just wishful thinking.
I had considered a Mac last time I was shopping for a laptop, but I couldn't get past the facts that:
/me crosses fingers...
a) I can't work on Microsoft products like SQL Server on a Mac
b) The Mac only has a few games, compared to the PC
If these Intel Mac laptops arrive, and they really can be dual booted into XP, these two problems go away. I could easily see myself getting a Powerbook and using OSX for all my daily fiddling, and then booting into Windows when I needed to.
If iPod is the defacto standard for music players, it's going to be difficult to raise the iBook to be the laptop standard. Everywhere I look companies are too heavily invested into Dell and other big name PC laptops. But I'd like to see Jobs try and win this one.
While, granted, there are a whole lot of rumors flying around about intel macs, what if there is no intel update? AFAIK, Apple have never stated that they would move to intel this early. So what will this do to apple, not only to the fans (myself included) but to the greater public, if we see another tiny bump to the laptop lines? Apple stand to loose a lot of face should they not be able to deliver...
Does this make my brain look big?
I think Steve Jobs will announce that Microsoft is licensing OS X to replace the plumbing in Windows Vista, and a giant kitchen sink will knonk him on the head as Bill Gates appears on the big screen behind in a Dark Helmet helmet with an girly laugh. Oh, yeah. One more thing... :P
'We think the iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, and potentially Xserve are areas that are going to move to Intel first,'
So, you think that Apple will switch one of it's own products to Intel first? Amazing prediction
If the warehouses are emptied out of G4 PowerBooks, they might think now is a good time cramming out a first version of an Intel based PowerBook. Otherwise, they are probably going to wait a little bit longer to avoid unnecessary losses (or get rid of the stocked up stuff for a great discount).
Two problems: Apple needs to upgrade its aging portfolio of laptops, but at the same time they can't risk introducing a flawed first Intel model; it's gotta be more or less perfect, and it's gotta be so much better than a G4 in almost every regard.
I will definitely buy one as soon as I hear the specs and reviews are good. Otherwise, I will most definitely postpone for a while, and get on with my current G4 PB.
Actually, the article suggests they will update the current G4-based models... "Apple has said it will start selling Intel-based computers by the middle of this year. But many analysts have said for months they expect an earlier introduction of some Macintosh models, particularly ones using the older G4 processor."
I think you misunderstood. The article is suggesting that models that are currently G4-based will be updated to something other than a G4 processor (most likely Intel).
sigs are a waste of space
An 'Intel Inside' tattoo?
The Mothership
I think the time would be right for the new dual-core Yonah PowerBooks to be introduced. To wait until spring, I think, would suck a lot of air out of the line. Imagine how many dual-core Yonah WinTops will be available by then.
The Admin and the Engineer
First, they don't move that platform very quickly. Secondly, their real cluster sales go towards SciViz, which have a particular fondness for the G5 platform.
There exists no way of exchanging information without making judgments. --Bene Gesserit Axiom
considering Steve Jobs said the laptops and the mac mini were to be converted to Intel first.
"According to Intel marketing materials, the Xserve RAID uses Intel's IOP 331 chip, a derivative of the XScale processor. The IOP chip, which is used in many storage systems, is designed to speed the task of shuttling data in and out of a computer system." but yes, for its primary processing power, it may be switched to Intel although I wouldn't count on it..the G5's are probably going to be the last to switch as they're still pretty competitive..
Here's an idea: Apple, do everything you need to do to create the next "impossibly small" version of one of your products. Then don't do it. Keep it the same size, and fill the available space with a BATTERY so we actually use and enjoy all of those cool features.
A video iPod that can barely display two hours of video? Please.
Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
This is an instant where you actually want to be the later one with the Apple MWSF "pre-game", because it isn't until tonight or tommorrow or Tuesday that non-Mac-fanboys (I'm prolly one) will be noticing MWSF (if at all).
iBook (all with 13.3" widescreen display and integrated graphics - 945GM MCH)
$799: Intel Centrino Solo 1.66Ghz
$999: Intel Centrino Duo 1.66Ghz
$1199: Intel Centrino Duo 1.83GHz
Mini
$499: Intel Centrino Duo LV 1.5Ghz
$599: Intel Centrino Duo LV 1.66Ghz
$699: Intel Centrino Duo LV 1.66Ghz (but with included DVD+DL burner, bluetooth, etc)
Plus the MacTV annoucement (42" and 50" Plasmas with Minis built in), and the new 1GB shuffle replacement (possibly the 1GB Nano).
The Doormat
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
I'm interested in what the new speakers will be like. rumours suggest it'll be more than just an ipod-compatible boombox.
also, airport with possible video is interesting, but support for streaming of all audio (or at least support for itunes/quicktime/dvd player video files with audio in sync) would be fantastic.
Is needed, and can be thrown out where Steve Jobs is concerned. However you have to look at the switch to Intel from some kind of business plan model and POV. For instance there are reports everywhere from Adobe execs among others that say they won't have Intel binaries ready for a while. Couple this with how slow emulation/translation is (any *nix users running PearPC and Mac OS X by any chance?) of any OS, means that it is unlikely that the pro lines of PowerMac and Powerbooks are going to get Intel chips.
I can see the consumer "i" products getting Intel chips. Like the Mac Mini with Viiv... now that sounds realistic. So does an iBook... I guess we find out tomorrow....
From the future....
You meant to write "a chair," didn't you?
I'm generally "Interesting," "Insightful," and even "Funny" here. What the hell happens to me at parties?
has this "analyst" even considered that the new server chips intel is developing are not even close to being ready for production? does he honestly think steve would let intel put a couple of xeons in an xserve? the new duocores or whatever they're being called (yonahs to most /. users) have been priced and formally introduced. fine, let's speculate if apple is ready to put them into the products that will use them-ibooks, powerbooks, and mac minis. the merom, conroe, and whatever else intel has up their sleeve are at least 6 months away from production, and that's optimistic.
the state of journalism, especially tech journalism, is absolutely revolting these days.
Back in those days it was Apple/Motorola slamming the first gen Pentium II versus their first gen Power PC 750 "G3".
The G3 in 233 and 266 MHz flavors was faster than the PII in its 233 and 266 MHz flavors. But eventually the PII was shipping at 450 MHz while Motorola was still churning out 350 MHz G3s. Apple slipped behind and had to use other tactics (more cache, wider busses, etc) to try to compete.
Today Intel has the Pentium M, more specifically, the second generation Pentium M, available with dual cores. Sure looks a lot better than the vaporware that Motorola/Freescale is advertising, or the big and hot IBM PowerPC 970 "G5" or the in-order (poor for multitasking) game console versions of the G5.
I think Apple made the right move, I just wish Intel had a better naming system for their CPUs.
Many people I know will definitely buy an iBook if they go to Intel, but need new laptops now and will probably get a ThinkPad if Apple decides not to update the iBook line. Why they would do all this after Christmas is beyond me.
That seems a bit strange, since it would give the Mini Mac a performance lead over all but the highest end PowerMacs. For the Mini Mac and iBook, single core processors seem much more likely. I also suspect that they will upgrade the PowerBook line at the same time as the iBook line, since any Centrino based iBook would be faster than any G4 based PowerBook. You have to consider positioning, and Apple not wanting to kill their high end sales, when making predictions.
If this shrine works as a networkable PVR and is available next week, sign me up for three of them.
I hope Apple (or anyone, really) steps up to the plate with a PVR system that JustWorks. One that I can buy an use today without having to work around bugs or the cruft an entire Windows OS or have to wait for "the next upgrade".
Extra points to someone who gets it to work nicely with DirecTV and/or DISH Network.
..that Steve Jobs will be wearing a rather tight black shirt of some kind.
Even though there might not be any new G4 products, there is still a possiblity for G5 notebooks since IBM made an announcement that they had developed multicore and low-power consumption G5 chips, which came right after the announcement that Apple was switching to Intel. Even though we haven't seen the low-power consumption chips, we have seen the dual core chips in the newest power macs. Jobs did say that we would still see new PPC products before the complete switch to Intel.
Steve Jobs never said that. All that was 1) Intel-based products will be on the market by WWDC 2006, and 2) the migration will be completed by the end of 2007.
Check the keynote yourself.
http://www.esm.psu.edu/Faculty/Gray/movies.html
l
Might have to wait until thier server is functioning again
But your welcome to slashdot effect my site
http://homepage.mac.com/hogfish/PhotoAlbum2.htm
With a mac you can install MySQL and serve from your own SQL databases. And you certainly can work on a Microsoft SQL server with your mac :P
Perhaps but if apple is close to an intel based ibook or powerbook, why would they invest the time/money to engineer an G5 based model?
MidnightBSD: The BSD for Everyone
that the iBooks will have single-core Yonahs @ 2 GHz and the powerbooks, or whatever they will be called, will have the dual-core Yonah at 2 GHz. Look for Apple to pass on the 2.16 GHz Yonah, which costs more than $200 above the 2 GHz model, to keep the prices down a bit for both lines. Here's a random question: will I have to wait until 2007 to get a universal binary of MS Office for Mac?
Too much engineering work for too little effort.
Instead apple will announce that the powerbook line will be a G4, but this time a really good G4. They're bumping standard memory up to 640M, and the hard drive will be 7200 RPM. And they're lowering prices $50.
And just to make sure people are not confused, they're finally changing the name from "powerbook" to "mediocrebook" to more accurately reflect the line's performance for the past 18 months.
Assuming they're Intel-based (which is now in doubt), my question is whether there will be any barriers to running Linux and Windows. I'm intrigued by OSX, but I can't shift my work environment over all at once. Too disruptive. So if I could get a single laptop running OSX, Linux, and Windows, then maybe transition gradually to OSX depending on how I find it, that would be great.
Come on Jobs, give us a Yonah-based Powerbook I can triple boot!
Because that model would have been designed before the Intel switch, and all Apple apps will be Universal Binary for a good while anyways.
the local NPR station here in the Los Angeles area, KCRW is having their spring fund-drive and will be giving away one of the newly announced products to a subscriber. the DJ said she didn't know what it was, as it was still secret, but they would announce what it is on tuesday. my guess is similar to what some previous posters have said: a mini-based plasma DVR.
"...that's as white as it gets; all the bits are on..."
I'm sorry. You must be new here. Usually these threads are full of speculation and wild-ass guesses, not someone reading article. Sheesh!
Some people are just clueless. I hate it when people try to predict what they will do next. Apple is tight liped on everything they do. They do what they want. This is why I do not pay attention to ANY rumors about Apple on the internet.
\
....Powerbook I can triple boot!....
Why bother with booting those other systems. Just wait for an Intel version of virtual PC or equivalent and run those other OS under the umbrella of OSX. This actually works reasonably well today with a fast powerPC based Mac with slower emulation of the x86 chips. With a real x86 chip, the system speed penalty should be small. Instead of waiting for each system to boot, you can run them all and instantly switch from one to the other.
All theory is gray
I can't imagine that a new line of iBooks with Yonah CPUs (either Core Solo or Duo) will be announced with no updates to the PowerBooks as well...wouldn't that make the iBooks more powerful than the PowerBooks?
Specs:
.85"
640 x 364 x 24 bits 4.25" 16x9 LCD
Weight 257g, 6.5" x 2.8 x
40GB Hard Drive, 2GB Flash (Instant On/Standby)
Touch screen with Inkwell, full Qwerty Keyboard Twistable Clamshell
(see Sharp Zaurus SL-C3100), touch wheel as joystick in landscape, edge buttons for gaming - see Zodiac/PSP
OSX Lite based on FreeBSD w/ Linux Layer Enabled
802.11G/Bluetooth/IR/IEEE 1394
Headphone Jack
USB 2.0 (2)
Compact Flash Slot
4 AA NiMH 2300Mah batteries, user replacable
Software
Open Office
iCal Sync
iTunes
Price $649
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
The last iBook rev was a disappointment for me mainly because the screen resolution wasn't improved. The rumours seem to be suggesting a new 13.3 widescreen format which sounds good - remains to be seen just how much extra space that yields however. The Intel/PowerPC thing doesn't bother me as long as It Just Works(tm), and the extra speed will be welcome. I do wonder how they will manage with all those third-party drivers, etc though? They will have had to work pretty hard getting all of those manufacturers to rev every driver to fit the new Intel model - either that or early Intel adopters are going to be going through a fair bit of pain waiting for their favourite gizmos to be supported again. I hope that's not the way it's going to be - any developers know anything much about this side of things?
He did say that the low end would be making the switch first, with the rest of the lineup switching by 2007.
I don't know... that would make current Powerbooks worth less than $1200 to most people. Who's going to buy an undeniably slower, hotter, and older-looking Powerbook for $2000-2500?
The problem I see is that Mac isn't going to have a way to differentiate their products if everything is intel. The "home" whitebox line will have to be single core, and the "pro" blackbox line will be dual. I guess an argument could be made for dual dual-cores, but I don't see that except for the Powermacs of this summer.
The article didn't suggest that they were going to release new G4 models, they said they were probably going to update the models that currently use G4's (Presumably with intel processors).
I, for one, welcome our new karma-whore sig writing overlords
This may have become a commonly held belief due to the last 6 months of rumour-mongering (and it may quite possibly happen), but no-one at Apple has ever said it would be the case.
At no time did Steve or any other Apple representative suggest which models would be available with Intel processors first. Watch the Keynote.
There have been rumors to that effect, practically since the beginning. Obviously, the focus on "low power" suggests laptops and small-form-factor machines like the Mini, and the relative strength of the G5 compared to the G4 suggests G4-based models would be replaced first. But never have any public announcements or statements from Apple corroborated this.
The US free market: two halves of a government-granted duopoly are free to set the market price.
As someone who knows nothing about Windows, I was wondering if it be booted from HFS+ or UFS...
I get the impression that it is tricky to get separate HFS+ and FAT32 partitions on a single hard drive, and NTFS I haven't heard of at all.
While a desktop could have a couple of separate drives, not many laptops have room for more than one so are dual-boot laptops even possible? For that matter, what HD format are the developer intel Macs using?
Foxtrot
You're not a non-Mac-fanboy. You just haven't gotten in touch with yourself yet. =)
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
So, anyone think we'll be seeing more games for OS X once the Intel switch is complete?
An Intel CPU and an Intel chipset do not make a system "PC compatible". Apple does not need to support BIOS or various pieces of legacy hardware (PIC, PIT, UART, etc.). It is trivial to not be compatible, it would be suicidal to be compatible. Apple is a hardware company, Mac OS/X is merely the justification for buying the more expensive (with the possible exception of the Mini) Apple hardware. Mac clones nearly killed Apple when Apple had control over them.
I would welcome dual booting as well. In the 90s I was excited by CHRP and the idea of booting Windows XP for PPC and Mac OS on the same box. I still find this idea attractive. However, Apple will have proprietary hardware and Microsoft will have to port Windows to it. The versions of Windows that we have today will not be compatible.
Someone send me this link. Is this the Apple/Intel machine?
Apple can't use the number of cores to differentiate the lines. Look at the new Yonah lineup. Out of half a dozen processors, only one is not dual-core. What does this imply? Intel is moving aggressively to dual core. If they weren't, there would be no point to releasing Yonah, since the top Yonah actually clocks lower than the top Dothan. Also, look at Intel's pricing --- the dual core 1.66 GHz is only $40 more than the single core 1.66 GHz. You'd be an idiot to buy a notebook with the latter instead of the former.
No doubt about it, as far as Intel is concerned, the number of cores is part of the basic performance spec. Apple wouldn't be able to sell single-core iBooks at $1299 any more than they could sell 733 MHz G4s in the current iBook line.
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
that is the only factor from this whole "switch" to intel thing that has had me worried. What do you guys think or know of this?
Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d encule de ta mere.
Instead of waiting for each system to boot, you can run them all and instantly switch from one to the other.
I'm just waiting for fast OS switching, ala fast user switching. The technology is already there (safe sleep to the hard drive for OSX, sleep for Windows) - someone just has to implement it.
moox. for a new generation.
Many analysts are hedging their bets that this year will bring a long overdue update to the Mac laptop family.
Can we now please hear how they are hedging those bets? Or does "hedge(v)" simply mean something different than you thought?
sudo ergo sum
In the past the different lines were to give different groups options. They could dump the powerbook line by bringing the ibook line above it. I also think that Intel, IBM and Motorola will have things to say about a Power labeled intel machine which means it might just best best for Apple to drop the power label.
When it comes to a wide product range, its more of a liability than a benefit in the modern world that wants their new machine Today. If they can reduce their laptop range to 4 units in total over a wider performance spectrum while narrowing the price point, more people will consider their products.
Cool running system (Mac Mini) with WiFI, OS X support and won't cause the wife to complain when it appears in the lounge. So please apple a MAc Mini with Intel running OS X would be lovely
Cheap UK and US VPS
This (probably overpaid) analysist is just predicting that (in clearer terms) "potentially, almost the whole Mac catalog could be switched to Intel, soon" ... this is'nt even funny. ... but we need to publish something where we are right whatever happens ... so here it is ... bla bla blazzzzz"
It's just plain "we don't know anything about what are their plan
my question is whether there will be any barriers to running Linux and Windows
According to Phil Shiller, Apple's VP of Marketing, no, they won't be doing anything to prevent you from running Windows (Fool that ye may be!). That doesn't mean it will be easy or practical or supported or anything, but it's at least been stated that Apple isn't going to intentionally get in your way.
Don't become a regular here -- you will become retarded.
Perhaps Intel made Apple an offer they couldn't refuse (or vice versa), but how long will the romance between Intel and Apple last? Apple will be an important, but not major customer for Intel. Apples association might provide a halo effect for Intel, but customers like Dell have much more sway on the bottom line. Ensuring compatibility and feature-availability with Windows will be more important than the Apple marketing-driven relationship.
Place your bets...in two, three or five years will Apple be trashing the Intel proessors and touting the new improved (pick one) Sparc, PowerPC, custom.
I suspect their are some big egos involved all around.
Enough with the speculation, just get the damn things released already. I'm desperate for an Intel Powerbook here.
My 2 roubles worth of info and speculation.
Apple can go two ways with Intel Macs: either
1) make it reasonably difficult, or a non-documented feature, to install Windows on a Mac (possibly with OS X as well), or
2) make it as easy as possible to install multiple operating systems on the Mac
If (1) is true we have the old-school Apple (Steve Jobs?) wanting an integrated user experience with no possibility of fucking it up by installing another OS on it. Or we have (2) and all the people saying Apple is a hardware company is true!!
I'm hoping for (2) [I did hear a rumour about an easy fast-OS-switcher with pretty graphics, so maybe its not too far fetched] then people will buy Apple products for the same reason people buy nice looking things. Even with 1-5% of the Windows buying public buying a Mac to install Windows on it so they can place their computer somewhere other than the corner of a room - Mac sales wiil go through the roof.
Ciao
- CPU will most likely be upgraded to Intel Yonah Single Core CPU
- FSB will be upgraded (142MHz to ?)
- Default RAM will stay at 512MB
- 802.11G and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR will remain
-Optional HD upgrade might go from 100GB max to 120GB max
- don't know about displays (widescreen ?, 13.3 ?)
- Video RAM BETTER be upgraded to 64MB (32MB isn't enough for games or full Core Image functionality and the iBook has had 32MB for 5 or 6 updates (3 or 4 years!)
- Firewire 400 WILL continue to be on the iBook (lots of people with Digital Video Cameras and iMovie would be useless otherwise)
- Battery life might go from theoretical 6 hours to theoretical 5 hours
- LCDs might be upgraded the same way Powerbook LCDs were, BUT resolution might not change
- Hopefully the iBook will gain an internal iSight like the iMac G5
- The iBook won't get a remote (people would lose it too easily) but it might get a few function keys added/changed to allow easier FrontRow control
- The iBook P4 will look somewhat different just like the iBook changed when the CPU changed from G3 to G4
That would be an iBook that I would be willing to trade up for (I have an early 2004 iBook G4 14" 1GHz)
AFAIK Intel Macs won't have BIOS functionality, which means booting the kernel won't work the same way as on the common PC, i.e. current i386-compatible operating systems won't (most likely) boot of the shelf. It does not however prevent OS developers adding OpenFirmware support to their products.
I demand the Cone of Silence!
if I can dual boot that laptop then I will have my first Apple. See, the mini never excite me. Yeah its cheap, but only for the base model. To be usuable it gets up in price quickly, to the pricepoint of where I quickly forget about buying one.
But a dual boot laptop would be nice. Still I would hope for something other than Intel integrated graphics. Half-way decent system from Nvidia or ATI won't add that much to the price, please have them as an option.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
Does anyone have any idea how long it will take before the main Linux distributions extend their x86 offerings to work on the new Macintels? I'm really hoping an official version of Slackware supports these things...
No, I meant that I am a mac fanboy. I just didn't make it clear.
I just visited Apples' site. On the front page it had an ad for its 'New Powerbooks' (i.e. the last updated Powerbook). I dont think they would be doing this if they where going to release new ones tomorrow. Otherwise its a sure fire way to annoy anyone that just bought one.
"We think the iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, and potentially Xserve are areas that are going to move to Intel first," said Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research.
"We also think they might move the iMac or Power Mac," he added. "There, that should cover everything"
Now before I get modded down, I be to remind whoever might read this that what I am saying is FACT. - bogaboga
Apple was selling Powerbooks before they moved to the PPC cpus - so I can't see any reason why they would need to stop using the name just because they are moving to a 3rd CPU architecture.
Cheers, Liam
RISC OS with pre-emptive multitasking would've been da bomb!
There is something about using the new architecture on low end macs first that makes me really nervous.
If dual core yonah is more powerful than the existing G4 laptop line, which I'm sure it is, why isn't it being rolled out in the performance centric PowerBooks and iMacs?
I suspect the answer to that is application support, ie, Office and Final Cut are both running via Rossetta. But that just makes me even more nervous as that seems to imply that although good, Rosetta just isn't good enough for pro users.
What a strange sales pitch that is!
Sales Rep: How will you be using your computer?
Mac Guy: I'm a pro photographer who spends 80% of my time on the move, and in my spare time I edit music videos for a couple of local bands.
Sales Rep: Cool! We've got just the job for you. Its a PowerBook!
Mac Guy: Well thats good, I need all the power I can get!
Sales Rep: Actually sir, the PowerBook is actually 2/3 of the power of the cheaper iBook.
Mac Guy: I'll take that then! If its cheaper and faster whats not to like?
Sales Rep: Well actually sir, for your purposes the PowerBook will be faster 50% of the time... that is of course until they release the next version of the Pro apps in 6 months time, then your new PowerBook will be crushed like bug by the cheaper iBook.
What would you buy? The sensible answer is not to buy a PowerBook for another 6 months until the pro apps have caught up unless your current PowerBook explodes (stupid korean batteries).
You can have a similar conversation with a noob.
Noob: I want a mac. I bought an iPod and it was neat, and the iBooks look cool.
Sales Rep: Excellent choice sir, would you like anything else with that?
Noob: Well, I know macs arn't that hot at games, but I think I'd like a copy of Sims 2 to tide me over until I can afford a XBox 360.
Sales Rep: I'd have to recommend against that. You see the new macs are in a state of transition, and high powered games like The Sims 2 will run really badly on you new iBook.
Noob: Thats irritating, I guess it will just have to be a copy of Office. Its a good things Macs support office, otherwise I'd never be able to get any work done.
Sales Rep: Again, not such a great choice. Although this mac will run Office, it be like trying to run through treacle. You probably won't notice any performance increase on your 2003 mac. We'd recommend that you use Pages... its really cool?
Which leaves the questions, who would buy a Mac right now and why?
Scared of flying, pointy things snce 1979!
IBM and Motorola have no claim over the word "Power" in Apple's product line. The PowerBook designation predates the use of PowerPC processors in any Macs, much less laptops, by several years.
Never trust anyone who treats a collection of myths like a science book, or a science book like a collection of myths.
I went to the site that you linked.
Every single link on that site was dead! Yes, even the ones that linked back to Apple's site were gone.
Apple have catagorically stated that Intel based Macs will not use Open Firmware. They may use a standard BIOS. They may use Intels next gen boot system.
No Open Firmware
Thanks for the correction. Dropping Open Firmware in favor of BIOS might be wise if they want to ensure compatibility with existing i386 operating systems, but I that is mostly a transition time problem, which I doubt is big enough reason to convert to BIOS. That would leave us some kind of new system. But I leave the speculation here, as we will find out that sooner or later anyway.
I demand the Cone of Silence!
Do you think the Intel marketing department care about what happened a very long time ago? They are going to put a some huge pressure on Apple to kill the Power name and it doesn't mean anything anymore.
I've got an old 68k based powerbook here in my pile of junk but I guess we will find out soon enough but my guess is the Power name is going away.
I understand (correct me if Im wrong) that PowerPC has been 64bit since the G4's
You're wrong.
WNYC in Manhattan recently gave away a 17" powerbook and a nano. WBUR in Boston recently gave away a nano and an G4 iBook. This seems to be a trend among public radio stations during this season of fundraisers.
Chances are, they're essentially giving away a donated Apple laptop with a value in a certain range, with the specifics to be determined once the line is announced.
Which is pretty cool, actually. Between the time the WNYC giveaway was announced, and the time the drawing happened, the new-screen G4 powerbooks came out. It was unclear whether the prize would be an old one or a new one.
September 2011: Looking for Cocoa/iOS work in Boston area Cocoa Programmer Quincy, MA
Does anyone have any idea why Apple didn't go with AMD? I have no problem with them going with Intel, but AMD seems like it would have been a logical choice. AMD's already got the lead in the 64-bit space, is still the preferred platform for gamers and other CPU-intensive applications (like video and audio processing), and has always been the Underdog. They could have been a perfect fit for Apple.
Harold