Powerbook - iBook what now...

aaike

aaike

bacteria-troubled-brain
As some people around here I was awaiting the keynote for an updated 15" PB... Since there were none anounced, I don't really now what to do. I need a laptop for sure and my first generation iBook is getting dog slow and the hard drive is just too smal (3 Gig.). What would you do: rather buy an I book and keep the rest of the money for st. else/later or buy a 15" now (I think the price isn't that bad after all) or just wait and keep complaining about my iBook untis G5 PBs are released?
 
Here's a thought - would you be able to afford a G5 PB if/when they come out? Figure that a 15" won't cost any less than the current - $1999, and in fact probably will initially carry at least a 33% premium like the G5s do (now figure about $2600).

I'd say that it'd be silly to pick up a G4 PM system right now if one was craving the power of the G5 and could afford it. However, we know they're coming.

G5 PBs, on the other hand, are a mystery. I doubt they'll make it into portables in the very near future - did you see the massive cooling setup for those things? *Several* dedicated fans? Massive heatsinks? Perhaps the 1.4ghz model is relatively cool, but we just don't know, do we?

You have to weigh against - how much happier would you be with a new machine? Do you do work on it? How much time do you waste with the old machine (time == money)? How much can you get for the iBook if you sell it used, now? If new G5 PBs come out in a year, would you be willing to sell your NEW iBook/PB, and take a bit of a hit (Macs hold their value EXTREMELY well, especially the portables)?

If I had the money and the need, I'd pick up a new system today. No point suffering through with a painfully sluggish machine for what could be a year or more (as someone else mentioned, it took 1.5 years for G4 PBs to show up)

Rip
 
OK, you're right. I think I could afford a G5 PB, but how long will it take before they are there... I'll prolly just buy a 15" right now... Well at least I'll have a look at them tomorow in the store... and yes I use it for work (as a PhD student)!
 
My reply is somewhat biased: Go for the TiBook! :D

Why is my reply biased? Because I own the TiBook 1GHz/DVD-R and I love it! ;)

Boom! :D ;) :)
 
As another proud TiBook 1ghz owner, I can't say enough good things about this puppy....

That said, unless you absolutely have to have it - I'd wait. Even though no 15" replacement was announced at WWDC, an upgrade is right around the corner. There will definitely be something release before or at Macworld Creative. My guess, is that Apple will announce it quietly before, and have them on hand for demoing at the conference.

The TiBook has been out for 8 months now, and the only thing holding up the new models release is the remaining inventory. I'd also expect speed bumps to the 12" and 17", as they have been out for over 6 months too.
 
I would go with the TiBook. I did.

I bought my 867/Combo new for $1588 with the Apple Care (and a couple other goodies like ram), and I figure that it will last me a while. Sure, im going to miss out on a couple things when the new ones come out, but how can you beat the prices right now? Its still a great machine...
 
i doubt the g5 will debut in the powerbook any time soon, for the cooling issues listed above. expect to see slow-but-steady speed increases in the g4 line.
 
Straight from Greg Joswiak's mouth (via MacCentral)...

"Motorola is huge for us," said Joswiak. "Our partnership with Motorola is not going away, G4s are in every other part of our product line. As you can see, [the G5] is not going in a PowerBook anytime soon. Motorola remains very important to us, but IBM is the one that can take us to the next level."
Click to expand...

I think that pretty much rules out the next 15" PB being a G5. But, speed bumps are imminent. With the pro line now at 1.6ghz on the lowend, Apple could bump the PB lines up to 1ghz for the 12", 1.25ghz for the 15" and 1.4ghz for the 17"...

Remember, the Powerbook needs to have good battery life and stay cool. You can't really keep a Powerbook cool when a single chip requires 9 fans as the G5 currently does...

My guess is you won't see G5s in a mobile enclosure until IBM moves to the .9 micron fab next year...
 
And its kinda good that there not revamping the whole line yet as it would not be wise to increase the price of everything so id say maybe after the powermac drops we could expect to see it through the whole line...
 
And its kinda good that there not revamping the whole line yet as it would not be wise to increase the price of everything so id say maybe after the powermac drops we could expect to see it through the whole line...
Click to expand...

With regard to the chip, I've read that IBM970s are cheaper for Apple to buy then G4 chips from Moto. Of course, with any new design, your first run absorbs the cost of that designs R&D, so some profit is lost there...

But overall, the CPU shouldn't make that big a difference in overall cost of the computer.
 
Wait for a 15" speedbump, then go for it. These TiBooks are great and a 'next-gen' will be even better.
 
Well thanks, but I am not exactly a newbie on the mac. As a kid I worked on a clasic (remember those small screens). We worked with ragtime on it for the time quite a good app! Some time later I got to now Quark... I am really curious about version 6!
 
Originally posted by aaike
Well thanks, but I am not exactly a newbie on the mac. As a kid I worked on a clasic (remember those small screens). We worked with ragtime on it for the time quite a good app! Some time later I got to now Quark... I am really curious about version 6!
Click to expand...

I didn't want to offend you! :eek:

I apologize deeply! :(

Really, really and for what it is worth (if at all) SORRY... :(
 
No problem! Btw. I happen to run into some problems now and then... because I am quite a heavy computer user (often more than 15 apps open at a time and almost never logging out) and a haxie (unsanity) lover... and when I do run into a problem I'm not at all affraid to post it here.
Btw. I really meant thanks, sorry if that wasn't clear. So thanks again!
 
This thread has been very helpful. I have a first generation icebook. I need more power and hard disk space than it has. A Power Book is the logical choice. There are some good buys on even the 1GHz PBs. That is the same chip I have in my desktop, so they will be equivalent in power. Perfect match.

I will wait until after Monday. A lot of the special promotions expire on that day which makes me think the new ones are real close, maybe even Tuesday. In any case then I can decide between a new one and a left over from Smalldog.:cool:
 
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