29/01/05
102Waiting for new Powerbooks
I recently decided that my Titanium G4 Powerbook is finally due for a replacement. Like an old car, its starting to get costly repair bills. At the moment, its suffering from ‘floppy screen’, and when that goes, it just isn’t worth considering a repair. I’m not bitter, its two and half years of use and hard abuse has been a very good innings. Its also been my favourite Mac I’ve ever owned – more so than my G5 desktop, and I’ve been thinking of using a setup like Mike Matas where the Powerbook is the main machine.
For the last couple of months the advice from rumour sites has been unanimous. Don’t buy now – new lines are on their way. What they will be no one is sure – The Register and DigiTimes had reports that suggested the possibility of G5 Powerbooks, whereas Mac Rumors were more conservative predicting just another bump in processor speed and HD size. Whatever they were, they were expected any day now.
I asked my Account Manager at MacWarehouse who in turn spoke to his rep from Apple. I wasn’t sure how honest an answer I would get, but he claimed that there would not be any new powerbooks until May/June! While that would tie in with the DigiTimes report that delivery was set for the second quarter, Powerbook G4’s (at least in the US) have been marked end of line, and with stocks drying up, what are Apple going to sell in the meantime? It seems unlikely that Apple would release a new Powerbook, and then again in a few months time, but according to Appleinsider “sources say that Apple also holds a PowerBook G4 upgrade in the pipeline—rumored to be the last G4 bump before the laptops acquire G5 processors in the second half of 2005’. To complete the optimism, MacMinute stated as far back as last February that “All of the key components for Apple to produce a PowerBook G5 appear to be ready, and Mac users should expect to see the new laptop no later than this summer’. Obviously that hasn’t happened.
However, the problem with using a G5 processor in a Powerbook has always been heat. A desktop G5 needs no less than 9 fans to stop it boiling over, how on earth could they acheive that in a small Powerbook casing? Apple’s chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, stated that for Apple to produce a G5 equipped PowerBook would be the mother of all thermal challenges.
The rumours (and certainly my heart) are pointing towards a G5 Powerbook soon.
One more thing though – if you use a 17” Powerbook, please leave your experiences here, as I can’t decide between that and the 15”.
Update : More on the dual core G4 rumors.
Another update : In the end, I opted for buying Dunstans ever so slightly older 17 incher, rather than a brand new one right now. It was a great decision – I love that screen!
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Brian Fox said 1352 days ago:
There are several things that make putting a G5 in a laptop hard – Heat is one, but power is another. The G5 Power Mac has a 600W Power Supply!!! (your PowerBook has as 45-65W!). I am, though an eternal optimist, so I hope we see something great come out shortly…As to the 17”/15” debate, it is one that is a personal thing. I just sold my 17” to get the 15” – I LOVED the screen ony my 17”, however the 15” just feels right. The physical difference is size allows me to have a wider array of bags to choose from too – I am a road warrior so staying somewhat light when I travel is nice too….. They are both great machines. If you are gonna mostly use it in one location, then get the 17” – Gonna take it around everywhere you go? Maybe the 15” is a better fit.
David Barrett said 1352 days ago:
It’s certainly annoying the crap out of me.I’ve committed to buying the next revision of the Powerbook, G5 or no. I really don’t care. Although I have a decent PC, my laptop is a crappy 12” G3 iBook. A new G4 or G5 Powerbook with a decent amount of RAM would be sweet.
A friend of mine actually has the cash sitting in his bank account waiting for Apple to release one. He’s been holding off because of all the rumours. If Apple were to announce that they weren’t releasing a new Powerbook until May, they’d already have his money.
I’m sure large organisations love this lack of information!
Jon Hicks said 1352 days ago:
David – yup thats me too. I have the cash ready to spend right now, and have almost bottled out and bought a current model because I can’t bear the wait!Sony said 1352 days ago:
That stuff wont get near mi country. I have a lot of money, but the entire economi is relativly weak.Jeremy Flint said 1352 days ago:
Hi Jon.I went from a 15” Dell to the 17” Powerbook and have really enjoyed it. When you are using the computer in your lap, there is plenty of room for your hands/wrists to rest when you are typing.
Some people have claimed that it is too big to use as a truly portable computer, but it really isn;t any bigger front-to-back than most laptops, it is just longer (the 17” comes from the diagonal measure on the widescreen monitor). I had originally wanted a 15”, but when mine was orderd (it is actually a work computer), my boss went ahead and got the 17”.
The extra real estate on the screen is also a plus. Besides, only the 17” has the backlit keyboard for when you are working in darkened rooms.
Andrew Day said 1352 days ago:
Does any one know what’s more likely: a G5 powerbook or a dual G4s?Jack said 1352 days ago:
I’d say a dual core G4 would be more likely purely because of the heat of the G5.Personally I’ve been killing myself for the last month trying to decide whether to buy now or not. Since this is a (mostly) recreation purchase, maybe I should do the sensible thing and wait to get the most bang for my buck. The Powerbook line is more frustrating simply because they haven’t been updated in so long that few people are game enough to buy one.
Jeff Minard said 1352 days ago:
I’d say a dual core G4No way that would happen in a laptop before it happened on the desktop.
David Barrett said 1352 days ago:
I’d say that, since dual-core G4s are only going to be sampling in 2Q 2005, that a G5 is more likely. A speedbumped G4 is more likely still, at least if it is coming out any time soon.Besides, dual-cores are nuts for heat. You’re basically banging two CPUs together in a slightly larger area. It’s quite possible that it will be hotter than a G5.
Anton said 1352 days ago:
Let’s not overlook the fact that Apple was able to put the G5 into a 2” thin iMac. That’s a huge step forward toward the Powerbook’s case size.Jeremy Flint said 1352 days ago:
The iMac g5 is 2 inches thick though. A powerbook is about half that size, and you don’t have as much room for fans and extra cooling slots.Julian said 1352 days ago:
I’m waiting for a Powerbook G5 as well. I don’t think it’s a good idea to purchase a new Powerbook G4 now, if you don’t really need it. Currently I’ve got a PC, but although I love Macs (and hate Windows), but I don’t see another way today…deepkid said 1352 days ago:
Also, waiting to replace my tibook 550.. screen is completely off the hinge. I’m waiting for any kind of pbook update g4 or not. If it’s another non-revolutionary G4 update, I’ll buy a refurbed holdover until the G5 book is announced, and then revised.To correct a comment above, the 17” pb is NOT the only model with backlit keyboard. That is also available on the 15” model.
matsimpsk said 1352 days ago:
Do you think you’ll be using the PowerBook with an external monitor, and will you need to be carry it long distances? If the answer to either of those is yes, I’d say go for the 15”That said, I really, really love my 17”, but both my home and work are just around the corner from tube stations, so I never have to lug it far. Those extra pixels really feel luxurious :)
If you do decide to go for the 17”, I’d recommend a Timbuk2 bag with their powerbook sleeve. Not only is the computer as snug as a bug in there, it also looks fairly inconspicuous.
Ran Aroussi said 1352 days ago:
I got my PowerBook 15” 4 months ago and I too did not know weather to wait for the new PowerBook G5 or not. That’s right – there were rumours about PowerBook G5 then too, only then the rumours talked about 1st quarter of 2005.I decided not to wait and my advice to anyone out there is to get the best you can afford when you need it. There is absolutely no point in working with an old/broken laptop for 6 months just to see if something better comes along.
Apple have great laptops and the latest G4 PowerBooks do a darn good job.
Andreas Øye said 1352 days ago:
Hi, I just wanted to put my 10 kroner into the fray! I´d reccommend the 15inch one, just for portability of it, the 17inch one is huuge, and a bastard to lug around if you plan to travel a bit with a laptop. Thats why I changed to a 15inch, since I allways just plut it into my 21inch screen at home and work whenever I need to do some serius work, also an extra keyboard is reccomended, the angle of the screen and keyboard on the laptop isn´t the best ergonomics for long work-sessions !Apple powerbooks =
Smokey Ardisson said 1352 days ago:
I’m just a casual web author/grad student, but I’ve found the larger screen on my 17” (rev 2) a real boon. I can have three windows visible at once—source doc, HTML, and browser preview most often in my case. I take my PowerBook with me everywhere—to campus daily by foot, ca. 3/4 mile one-way; on planes (fits fine in Delta’s coach)—and I haven’t found it too big, too bulky, too heavy, or anything of the sort. It’s my only Mac (no external screen) so it works well this way. If you’re really considering doing a “Mike Matas setup,” the extra cost for the extra screen real-estate might not be worth it…Martin Neczypor said 1352 days ago:
Unfortunately I do not own a powerbook, only a g4 ibook, but my graphic design teacher has a 17inch powerbook and its the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I think the main factor is what you will be using it for. Since you are a designer, perhaps the increased screen size is worth the increase in width… the 17 inch is really a desktop replacement.David Barrett said 1352 days ago:
You should take a look at some interesting rumorsOne thing to note is that a G5 probably won’t give you much (or any) performance increase compared to a similarly clocked G4, at least on 32-bit apps (which is what almost all apps are).
Rob Scriva said 1352 days ago:
I’ve been waiting for something to happen with the PowerBook range as well. Bloody Apple never give any clues as to what’s about to be released, no doubt to keep current model sales moving.Again, I’ve been torn between the 17” and the 15”. It just depends on what i want to use it for. Desktop replacement or mobile computing. If it were just mobile computing, i’d go the 15” but it’s likely that my portable will be my desktop, so i’m leaning towards the 17”.
Michael said 1352 days ago:
The ‘heat issue’ and ‘power consumption issue’ everyone keeps claiming is based on misinformation. The PPC970FX (G5) actually consumes far less power at the same clock frequency than the a PPC7447A (G4) does.13.2W
1.4GHz for the G5, 21W1.4GHz for the G4. At 2.0GHz the G5 only consumes 24.5W.The G5 becomes a power hog above the 2.2 to 2.3 GHz area…hence the need for the cooling system on the current DP 2.5 PowerMacs (probably the main reason Apple put 2.3GHz G5s in the Xserve instead of 2.5GHz G5s). The 9 fans are there because they’re using multiple smaller, slower, quieter fans to do the same job as 1 or 2 larger, faster, noisier ones.
We’ll probably see the G5 laptops soon. I’d bet on 1.8GHz for the PowerBooks and 1.4GHz for the iBooks. The major limiting factor is IBM and their supply issues for the chips. As soon as they iron that out, we’ll be in good shape.
Kiran Max Weber said 1352 days ago:
Michael I’m with you. I aggree that the heat and power issues about a G5 are bogus. I’ve heard that certain Apple “partners” are running G5 chips in G4 casings. Something, either bumped G4’s or G5’s are near. The timing, post MacWorld, pre WWDC is just strange to release something so huge or go so long withought something. Either way, I’m waiting with 3K to drop on a loaded 15”.Chris McElligott said 1352 days ago:
I know how you feel waiting John, I bought a 12” Superdrive model two days before Christmas. I knew from a friend at Apple that they weren’t coming at Macworld (or in the weeks after). I would have loved to have gone with the 15” because it seems a perfect balance of Power and Portability. But the 12” was more in my price range.Hold out a little longer, you never know you may get lucky and Apple will release them earlier than expected.
Tore Mogensen said 1352 days ago:
I’m on a 4 year old PC and I’m dying to switch back to Mac as well. I’m bying the next PB revision no matters if it’s just a 0.01 speed bump.Nathan Borror said 1352 days ago:
I have to agree with you on the TiBook… I’ve had mine for about 2.5 years now and it has been my best buddy. It’s bounced off a few door frames, made the journey to work every morning, and keeps on ticking as my primary workstation. However, she’s beginning to show her age and it’s approaching that time.I sure hope the rumors are true. I need a new machine if only for the reinvigorating feeling of newness to jump-start my motivation. Plus Airport Extreme, built-in bluetooth and 64bits of sexiness sure would be nice :)
Lets all cross our fingers at once!
Nathan Borror said 1352 days ago:
Sidenote: I was in Microcenter yesterday and they had a sign up on the 15 inch powerbook indicating “Temporarily Out of Stock.”Peter Daugulis said 1352 days ago:
macconvert.comAnother g5 link to Apple’s website…( another type??)
Caleb Jaffa said 1352 days ago:
I had a TiBook 800 from work for almost a year when I got a sweet opportunity to buy my own PowerBook and have work lease it from me for me to work on. I got a rev. A 17” PowerBook, since the 15” wasn’t in the new Aluminum case when it was time to buy. I’ve liked it, but almost every day has me at work, school and home, so the portability differences between a 17” and a 15” add up. Also it is slightly cramped to use on planes. I’m pretty set on getting a new 15” whatever they may be, though if it does go G5 I’ll wait and make sure there aren’t massive reports of engineering problems before I bite. I’ll most likely be getting an LCD to go with it for when I am at the desk. If that is what you are planning on, which I gather you intend from the link, then a 15” is better at being portable when you are on the go, and will power an external display just as well as a 17”.George Lien said 1351 days ago:
Get the 15-inch. While the 17-inch looks great, it’s a bitch carrying around. I have a 12-inch iBook G4, two 14-inch PowerBook G3 and two 15-inch PowerBook G4. Believe me, while larger screen PowerBooks look great, they are pain carrying around when compared to the iBook.Dave said 1351 days ago:
Apple can go several ways on this…Remember, Tiger finally opens up 64 bit apps. Many are saying they are closer to RM than the pessimists that talk of June 30. March 24 is the anniversary of the Mac. When Tiger is released, it would be nice if they had a laptop offering that fits. Maybe this is the date that’s both post-MWSF and pre-WWDC.
To the comment about offering a dual-core G4 laptop before a desktop version… remember, eliminate the new Mac Mini and the also long-in-tooth eMac – and every single desktop offering is a G5. Why offer a G4?
During their Q1 conference call a few weeks back Apple described a G5 laptop as “mother of all thermal challenges”. Ever listen to one of these conference calls? They speak as openly in them as anywhere – after all, this is where the stockholders and investors make their decisions on how to spend their money. No reason to think any deception is going on here.
My personal opinion? I’m expecting the dual-core G4, but probably not until March. They may announce something, but target the availability to coincide with Tiger. I’ve been using the latest seed and they are getting quite close with the desktop version. (The server seed is still rather buggy.)
But the question posed here is G4 or G5 – on a laptop. I’m figuring that if you are primarily using a laptop, you don’t require heavy-duty graphics and/or scientific calcs in your daily uses. Remember, it isn’t just the G5 that makes a PowerMac so powerful… it’s the entire architecture. So my question to you would be this:
Can you name me a specific quantifiable reason you NEED a G5? Or will the current crop of G4 laptops provide everything you need?
Bottom line? It appears to be too late now for you to buy a PB G4 today. The iBook G4s – they did a very sweet rampup on them last year – are very very good, and can be had today. (BTW, don’t believe those rumor sites that say both the PowerBook AND iBook will have a G5 coming out at the same time.)
But if you require a PowerBook, you may now have to wait until a new one comes out. I’d wait a couple of weeks after the reviewers get their hands on them too – particularly if it’s a G5. You never know about a Rev 0 release.
One last thought – what about a Mac Mini? I hear they are scarce right now, but if you absolutely need to upgrade from a PB G3, that’s a relatively inexpensive buy… cable it to and run the thing from your laptop. The day will come soon when you can purchase that PowerBook – and then you’ve got a nice backup box!
Jon Hicks said 1351 days ago:
- #19 David: “a G5 probably won’t give you much (or any) performance increase compared to a similarly clocked G4, at least on 32-bit apps (which is what almost all apps are).” – true, except apps like the adobe creative suite are optimised for G5’s, which is good seeing as how I use them a lot!– #21 Michael: “The ‘heat issue’ and ‘power consumption issue’ everyone keeps claiming is based on misinformation.” – Not entirely, the heat issues are from comments made by Apple themselves.
– #30 Dave: Whoah, a lot here!
“But the question posed here is G4 or G5 – on a laptop. I’m figuring that if you are primarily using a laptop, you don’t require heavy-duty graphics and/or scientific calcs in your daily uses.” – Its more a case of I’m going to buy the new Powerbook whether its a G4 or a G5, but just wondering when it’ll be, and what it’ll be?
“Can you name me a specific quantifiable reason you NEED a G5? Or will the current crop of G4 laptops provide everything you need?” – sheesh! I’m sure you didn’t mean to sound so aggressive! There’s no point buying a powerbook right now, if a better specced version is quite literally around the corner. Whether a G5 makes little difference to performance isn’t the point, as there will be other bonuses, such as larger hard disks.
“Bottom line? It appears to be too late now for you to buy a PB G4 today.” – not so in the UK. Most dealers have large stocks still!
“One last thought – what about a Mac Mini? I hear they are scarce right now, but if you absolutely need to upgrade from a PB G3, that’s a relatively inexpensive buy… cable it to and run the thing from your laptop. The day will come soon when you can purchase that PowerBook – and then you’ve got a nice backup box!”- ah but its not a G3 PB, its a G4 TiPowerbook. When I’ve got a desktop G5, it seems a little silly to buy a mac mini and use it as an external hard drive.
Brutal said 1351 days ago:
I would rather have a dual G4 PB than a G5 PB.I used to have a Fujitsu-Siemens 2Ghz P4, which basically had a desktop processor put in a laptop shell. The fans in this laptop had to be on full blast permanently to keep it cool, and this made the laptop a noisy bastard that annoyed the hell out of me.
neil said 1351 days ago:
I own both a G5 iMac and a 15” powerbook (2004 model), and have used the 17” for a couple of months while working on-site (and off) with a client, and I gotta say, don’t do the 17” unless you own a car. The 17” is great if you do work in a very small number of places, and drive between the two (office and home, etc.), but as a portable machine it’s not so great. Lugging one of them around in a backpack on foot for a few hours can get tired very quickly.Personally, I find the 15” even a bit too big for pure portable use. Now that I have the iMac (and thanks to the beauty that is subversion) I use my powerbook mainly for when I go away on trips or need to get out of the house for a bit. I love the screen, but it still gets heavy after a day of walking around with it on your back.
If there’s any possible way for Apple to put out either a 12” G5 (doubtful), or a dual-core 12” G4 (slightly less doubtful), I’m there. I guess it comes down to what you’re looking for, Jon – pure portability and a smaller screen, or some portability and more screen. I prefer portability.
Also: Desktop Manager (or Virtue) helps to reduce the limitations of a smaller screen. Really essential stuff.
Matt Carey said 1351 days ago:
I use my G4 titanium powerbook as my work machine and have been doing so for 2 years now. Still running well, though could do with more speed! I have it hooked up to a flat screen as a second monitor and now cannot manage with just one screen. When a G5 powerbook comes out I will be fighting you all to be first in the queue…David Barrett said 1351 days ago:
I think it’s a bit odd that people are making unreasonable assumptions about a dual-core G4.The dual core G4 will be available soon
Everything I’ve read indicates that the dual core G4 will go into production in the second half of 2005 – at the very earliest in 2Q 2005. Bear in mind that production is not the same as delivery.
Here are some articles on the dual core chip that a quick Google turned up ( 1 , 2 )
The dual core G4 will run cooler than a G5
I don’t understand this one at all. Dual core chips will output roughly twice as much heat as a similar single core.
The MPC8641D is described on Freescales site here: ( New e600 PowerPC SoC Platform Products ).
If you look carefully, you’ll see that the power figures quoted are almost useless to us. Vague statements like “able to consume less than 10 Watts” for the 7448, and “starting at 15 Watts” for the 8641D… these aren’t the figures you need to now.
You need to know the typical power dissipation and the maximum power dissipation figures at a given clock frequency. If you look at the chip currently used in the G4 Powerbooks (if I recall correctly), the 7447A, its data sheet shows useful information. These are figures we can use to compare with other chips.
If I recall correctly, we have no information on the low-power version of the G5. If anyone could dig up the information about the latest 970FX processor (the one in the new XServes) that would give us a hint.
Duncan said 1351 days ago:
Quick Note: Sorry Jeremy, the 17 is not the only book that comes with the backlight, you can get the 15 with or without it.Here’s to hoping the 12 gets the option either this time or with May/June updates. ::fingers crossed::
Small Paul said 1351 days ago:
I’m with you Jon – been waiting for months now for new PowerBooks. I really don’t want to buy one of the existing line up, because the spec don’t justify the price, especially compared to the iBooks.If the rumoured speed bump occurs, I’d happily pay around £1500 for a 15”. And if they go G5, I’d happily pay more, because the machine will then be all ready for Tiger and 64-bit babylon in a year or two. But right now, the machines don’t seem like good value.
Michael said 1351 days ago:
Thought you all might find this funny, its a picture of the new Powerbook G5Chris said 1351 days ago:
I have had the 17” for nearly two years and agree with the statement about if you commute by car: I am a teacher and carry my powerbook back and forth to school every day. No problems and I have loved the machine. (My first Apple was an Apple II in 1978.)I love the bigger screen when putting a Keynote presentation together—main window, pics in another window, and now with Keynote 2.0 they I just got, music can be open in another window.
I often have two documents open, side by side, dragging and dropping as needed.
I carry the powerbook in a sleeve type case and if I have to carry books or papers, then I use another bag. That puts a bag on each shoulder, but it’s never been a real problem for me with my own car.
I also carry the computer to summer camp with me. The powerbook, projector, handouts, etc. all go in a backpack that I got from a company in Canada as they went out of business. Wouldn’t want to carry it all day, but I easily walk 1.5 miles with everything I need to teach.
Trevor said 1351 days ago:
the 15” PB can have the backlit keyboard… just need to get the BTO 1.5GHz model… it is way cool…. here’s hoping (and not hoping…!!!) that a bumped G4 or G5 is announced in the next few days… only got my 15” 3 weeks ago…cheers
Nathan Logan said 1351 days ago:
I want a new Powerbook, but are G5’s on their way?Magic 8-ball says, “It is decidedly so!”
Chris Winfield said 1350 days ago:
I really don’t see why people say the 17” is such a pain to lug around. It isn’t. I bought my 17 as soon as the 1.5GHz model became available in the UK and it’s a beauty. It’s not heavy to carry around at all and while you’re at it have a look at the picture at the top of the page where the PBooks are stacked on top of one another, hardly a big difference in size). More impotrant is what you get: the larger screen is the big draw but memory wise you get one 512MB DIMM instead of two smaller 256MB DIMMS on the 15’s (unless you BTO).In the UK going with a stock configuration is much easier if you have a problem early on – BTO models must be sent back to Apple whereas a stock PBook can be exchanged wherever you bought it. Also consider buying from John Lewis as they offer two years warranty instead of the standard year you get from Apple so you might not need that Applecare plan afterall. They can take a while to get them in (they had them in stock about a month after the 1.5s came out in the US) but that’s not too bad. On the case front, Incase make nice sleeves for the 17” and I’d be lost without my MX900. Overall I couldn’t be happier with my 17” and if you’re pushing pixels all day long then you’ll be really glad you didn’t go with the 15”.
Wim Bezemer said 1350 days ago:
I have been working on my 17” PB and there is only one downside….. you cannot go back!Sheer brilliance..
My 2c is to waite, J. A few months will safe you probably around £300. Now, that’s easy money earned..
Chris Winfield said 1350 days ago:
Doh – excuse the little Textile problem. It should have read:I bought my 17inch as soon as the 1.5GHz model became available in the UK and it’s a beauty. It’s not heavy to carry around at all (either there are a lot of 7 stone weaklings around or people don’t realise that there is only a tiny 0.5kg difference between the 15 and 17 inch models – take a look at the specs <http://www.apple.com/uk/powerbook/specs.html> and while you’re at it have a look at the picture at the top of the page where the PBooks are stacked on top of one another, hardly a big difference in size).
There, that’s better.
dik said 1350 days ago:
I’d go for the 15” and try to get a 2nd monitor.Width Whilst the screen real estate is lovely, London Underground turnstyles always reply with a bone crunching thud as my PB is in a courier style bag.
Backlit Keys Nice idea – wholy unusable. If your in dim conditions the white lights render the key letters unreadable, and I don’t tend to work with all the lights off, so its not a big sell for me.
Display This is a HUGE problem for me as a designer, I get very bad colour shift from the bottom of the screen to the top, so I actually become limited to a sweet spot somewhere dead centre of the screen.
So whilst I enjoy the screen size of the 17”, next time I would go for the 15” (as I truly believe it to be somewhat more portable) and spend the extra cash on a 2nd monitor for a work station.
(But then seeing your posts, you don’t have that issue as you have a G5 desktop)!
Josh H said 1350 days ago:
Sit tight Jon. I’m pretty sure there’ll be some modest speed bumps/spec improvements any week now (usually on a Tuesday).I’m certain there won’t be a G5 BUT they may be cheaper, especially in the UK where current exchange rates mean Apple could probably afford to sweeten the deal when they upgrade them.
Tore Mogensen said 1350 days ago:
New Powerbooks are available now!Rob Scriva said 1350 days ago:
Funnily enough, they’re here :)Speed bump, Bigger HDD and 512MB standard. Visit your online apple store today :)
Matt Carey said 1350 days ago:
and a price drop!Benjamin Jackson said 1350 days ago:
They’re here!james caldwell said 1350 days ago:
advise from the child is “If they do get a G5 into a laptop? Wait for six months to see how many explode !!”Jon Hicks said 1350 days ago:
hurrah! at last!Jon Hicks said 1350 days ago:
although looks like US only at the moment!Josh H said 1350 days ago:
They’re out in the uk too. Check the store.David Barrett said 1350 days ago:
Is it just me or have memory prices seem to have shot down?Upgrading the 17” to 1 gig of RAM only costs 149 euro… I think it used to be around 400. Might actually buy the RAM from Apple now :)
Rob Whiting said 1350 days ago:
Amazing John ! You mention something on your site and Apple jump right to it. Tomorrow, hows about writing an article about free Powerbooks for designers ; )Paul said 1350 days ago:
yes, quite interesting timing with this thread.now, do we take the plunge on the latest speed bump or keep our patience for a G5 (if we have any patience left at all)?
Tim said 1350 days ago:
I think you’ll need to be extremely patient if you’re waiting for a G5. Frankly, no one has ever explained how big a benefit a G5 would even be in a laptop. I doubt that it would be worth the trade-off in power consumption and heat.At any rate, just placed an order for a 12” which has hit the sweet spot for me on power/size and all for $1499.
David Barrett said 1350 days ago:
The difference in performance between a G4 and a G5, clock-for-clock, with 32-bit code, is minimal if not non-existent. I’m too busy to google for my original sources.G5 has to hit 2GHz in a laptop to be worth it, in my opinion.
Chris Fonnesbeck said 1350 days ago:
Well, you don’t have to wait any longer for new powerbooks, though not the G5 variety. This morning, new G4 powerbooks were announced, featuring 1.67GHz processors.Derek said 1350 days ago:
If you’re looking for a nice laptop sleeve, definitely check out the Vyper Sleeves by Booq Bags. I own one of their PowerSleeves and I love it, but now I want one of these!Also, I would suggest the 15” just for the fact that I think you’ll appreciate it’s portability.
nick said 1350 days ago:
Jon – as a few others have said, the 17” is to die for. Period.But if you plan to travel regularly, or will be carrying it for long distances (walking cities, etc) then you may be inclined to go 15”.
When I fly (rarely) it’s not the simplest to use in cramped airplanes. when I worked in the city, and had to carry it 8, 10, 15 blocks from meeting to meeting, it got a little heavy (but I got a workout!).
all that said, I can’t deny my love for the screen real estate. It’s awesome, and since I have no Apple desktop, it’s a great dual purpose machine for me. Hook up an external monitor, use Desktop Manager, and Expose, and I’ve got screen space out the wazoo. :)
Austin said 1350 days ago:
The updated PowerBooks were released this morning. I had a tough time deciding between the 12 and 15 inch models. I was looking for the optimum blend of portability and function. I went with the 15 for size and weight reasons. It works great with an external monitor but if I have to travel the screen is more than adequate for design work.Kevin Tamura said 1350 days ago:
I love my 12” PowerBook, It’s extreamly portable and get’s the job dones — though if I had to do it all over again I’d get the 15”. That extra screen space would be nice when I travel, but what I would really like is a 13” wide screen like the Vaio.I never even thought about the 17”, it’s just too big and cumbersome for comfortable travel.
Cheers
Rob Waring said 1350 days ago:
Here you go Jon. This is the latest on G4 updates for you.Eloy Anzola said 1350 days ago:
Here they are:“The New Powebooks”
http://www.apple.com/powerbook/
Small Paul said 1350 days ago:
Still too expensive for what you get, I reckon.Ah well. Roll on G5s.
Ryan Fait said 1350 days ago:
Aww… it’s hard to believe I’ve had my PowerBook almost two years already. I don’t think I could live without the thing. It’s a shame mine looks like it’s been used too; it would be nice to sell it and then fork out the money for a faster one. Maybe I’ll get an iBook. There’s nothing better than sitting at a cafe and looking at a 17” PowerBook and a 12” iBook. Well, maybe except everyone else looking at your 17” PowerBook and 12” iBook. I guess you can’t have everything though… Good luck with your PowerBook when you get one!Veerle Pieters said 1350 days ago:
Hi Jon, since I have my 17” PowerBook (1,5 Ghz) I love the fact that I can work wireless in front of the TV in the evening. I love the wide screen, wouldn’t doubt for a minute to choose between 17” and 15” since the price difference is doable. You don’t get the feeling you have a rather big laptop… which is definitely the case with a Dell 17”. For me the weight is also OK, I’m not on the road all the time so weight is less important for me. The only downside is ‘maybe’ speed, for production it’s not 100% optimal if you’re doing heavy Photoshop-ing. I used to work on a dual 1Ghz G4 for a year, now I have a newer machine but it doesn’t feel like a faster one. But that’s understandable it is not a dual and portables are always a bit behind. I was actually waiting for a G5 but it took too long. My previous portable was already more then 4 years old so it was really time to replace it. It’s my intention to buy a next generation G5 and this laptop would then become my 2nd computer. The 17” is a pleasing machine, but if I were you I would hold on to your G5 desktop as main computer for production work.Shane said 1350 days ago:
“Let’s not overlook the fact that Apple was able to put the G5 into a 2” thin iMac. That’s a huge step forward toward the Powerbook’s case size.”I have an imac G5 20” at home and my wife runs a 17” Powerbook. I don’t know if the likelihood of a G5 Powerbook is that close…my imac runs pretty hot…whenever I take discs in and out they seem to be kinda steamy.
The 17” Powerbook is genius, but it does feel a little weird as big as it is. I am thinking about getting a 12” ibook for travel (price is a huge issue for me), but that titanium shell on the powerbooks is pretty sweet. For designers, the extra screen real estate is a good thing. Someone already said that, but I wanted to reiterate it. However, if you are running another display, I would stick with the 15”.
Jeremy said 1350 days ago:
Jon! Go with the 17” all the way. I live on mine and could not live without the extra screen real estate. Most apps that we as designers work in have a million palettes and the 17” screen is lovely. Friends of mine with the 15” wish they had gotten the 17” when we work together. Food for thought. – cheersHeiser Erwin said 1350 days ago:
Funny to read all these power-craving powerbook users hankering after a G5.I still do all of my laptop work on a G3/500 “Pismo” powerbook (vintage 2000!). Runs Office, BBedit and Photoshop like a champ…
Tim said 1350 days ago:
There is an article on The Register about a commented out placeholder gif on the Apple website for a powerbook G5.Interesting.
Jon, I think 17” laptops, although great when they’re on a desktop are too big and cumbersome for true portability. I even chose a 12” Powerbook over the 15” because it has all the functionality in a smaller package and I can connect a 17” monitor if I want no problem.
Rob Scriva said 1350 days ago:
_- #72 – Heiser_, i think it has more to do with buying something now (god forbid buying something when you need it ;) ) and then having a G5 PB released soon after…Apple are painful like that :)
Jon Hicks said 1350 days ago:
When I rang my Account Manager back at MacWarehouse, I mentioned the ‘May/June’ estimate that he’d given me last Friday. The reply was interesting:“Oh, we thought you meant G5 powerbooks.”
Insider information, or trying to cover up a gaff? Make your own conclusions!
ABigSmall said 1350 days ago:
I’m considering selling my current Power Mac G5 and buying a PowerBook, G5 or not. This may seem weird, but they looks so beautiful!Patrick Kelley said 1350 days ago:
well there you go Jon, they updated them today. You ask and you shall recieve.Sunghwa Park said 1350 days ago:
New PowerBooks have been released today here in the US. I didn’t expect them coming out on Monday. You can find some interesting new technologies, such as Bluetooth 2.0, Scrolling TrackPad and Sudden Motion Sensor on the new PowerBooks.Well, I still think of a possibility of PowerBooks G5 coming out with Mac OS X Tiger in June. I hope I’m right on that. Is 5-month too short to be an update cycle? Maybe…
Tore Mogensen said 1349 days ago:
I just bought a 15” with super-drive. I sure as shit don’t hope you’re right about the May/June Powerbook G5 release, Jon! But then again how would they know…?Mark said 1349 days ago:
I have been very happy with my Aluminum 15” powerbook G4. That may be a suitable upgrade from a titanium. I also opted for Apple Care which covers EVERYTHING! for 2 more years. I got that because my powerbook is pushing it’s second year and has been my home & work computer for that time duration as well. It has been solid and fantastic and I have no desires to replace it yet. Just my thoughts on the aluminum models. Amybe a 1.33 is just waht you need? Mine is a 1.25Ghz.Ryan Fait said 1349 days ago:
Mark, AppleCare covers just about everything, but it doesn’t cover the keyboard. I had to reach in the corners of my wallet to retrieve enough to pay for a new keyboard when I broke a single key. They wouldn’t just send me the plastic key, but inisted that I pay for the whole keyboard. I was extremely annoyed to say the least. I had to have it installed by Apple too. The second I got it in the mail and took a look inside my computer to replace it myself, I quailed at how perfectly sealed it was and called Apple. About 500 USD later I sat there with my ‘I’ key back in place. I would’ve thought that after the amount of money I paid for, 1) my computer, and 2) AppleCare, they wouldv’e just sent me a key free of charge saying “Thanks for buying an Apple product!”Roly Miller said 1349 days ago:
Super topic Jon and very timely!I was thinking about this last summer and there were plenty of rumors about a G5 Powerbook but I decided to buy a 1.5GHz 15” then, I’ve had it for 6 months now and I’m totally in love. In fact I just got a delivery from Crucial of 1Gb of RAM for it today so I’m loving on it too.
I would still be surprised if we see a G5 PB in the next 6 months, so I would recommend getting one now and make the most of it! (You too DAVE!) If you totally have to get one, then upgrade, after you have had the a beauty of a Powerbook gracing your life, it will retain it’s value well and you can watch the rev0 and see how they get on.
As for the size. I’m very happy with my 15” and since I travel quite a bit I’ve had it on my back through a good few European airports. By the time I get home I normally have some shoulder/back issues so I’m very glad that I don’t have a 17”er. If I do decide that I need more screen space the price difference will get me on the way to a decent flat screen.
Guys, all the best with your deliberations.
(BTW, Jon my Lacie D2 is on the way from dabs too!)
John Blaze said 1349 days ago:
Mr. Hicks… The answer is to wait until they announce Tiger’s release date and then purchase a Powerbook… The OS will be coming in 3-4 months…. why pay an extra $129 USD for OS X 10.4 when you can get it for free with your new powerbook? Call me cheap…AkaXakA said 1349 days ago:
I’m guessing a G5 is more likely because of the following:IBM is developing it. IBM also develops the Cell processor (another PowerPC proc) that Sony (playstation 3!) and others will be using.
It is quite likely that they found a way to achieve a considerable heat reduction and lower powerusage.
That’s my bet anyway.
Matt said 1348 days ago:
This CNET article is a good write-up on the current state of affairs with the G5 PowerBook.Mark said 1348 days ago:
Ryan, sorry to hear about your problems. However I was told that they would cover anything large or small and they also tol dme they would pick the computer up and have it fixed in 3 days. My experiences with Apple have always been pleasant and cost free. So don’t know what to say.Jinketsu said 1347 days ago:
Check out engadget’s PBG5 entry.Lefteris said 1346 days ago:
Waiting for TextPattern.spkelly said 1346 days ago:
Can anyone tell me why I should wait for the G5? Is 64-bit going to make that much difference for web design, over and above the newly specced G4s, which I’m days from purchasing? In other words, should I wait or, given it’s currently exquisite form-factor, should I go with the G4?By the way, I’m switching from PC/ Windows, so you’ll realise that I’d rather it were sooner rather than later!
ben said 1346 days ago:
don’t know if a G5 is worth waiting for-but 64 bit stuff will help Tiger out when released, it’s probably a good idea to get the pbook with the 128 bit Vcard if you plan on keeping it for a while
Miko£aj said 1345 days ago:
Well, with 64-bit you can have massive amounts of memory… that costs twice as much as your new computer to max it out.Michael said 1345 days ago:
John Hicks – #31 : Not entirely, the heat issues are from comments made by Apple themselves.Where and when? Are you talking about the PPC970 or the PPC970FX? Heat’s directly related to the power consumed. Look at the consumption as noted further down in this post…the G5 is much less, especially below 1.8GHz. If Apple did comment on something, it was either pre-PPC970FX or was misinformation. Would you rather have stock holders and investors think: A.) You’re having a minor heat issue with your chip, keeping it out of one (maybe two) products temporarily; or B.) You only supplier for said chip, which is also used in the other top products you sell, is having major supply issues…they can’t produce enough working chips to meet demand. If I was in that position and had to pick one I’d definitely pick A and hope for the best, as picking B would be akin to corporate suicide.
David Barrett – #35 : If I recall correctly, we have no information on the low-power version of the G5. If anyone could dig up the information about the latest 970FX processor (the one in the new XServes) that would give us a hint.
PPC7447A : 18.3W at 1.33GHz, 21W at 1.4GHz. Based on trends, probably 23.5W to 24W at 1.5GHz and somewhere around 26W to 27W at 1.67GHz.
PPC970FX : 12.3W at 1.4GHz, 24.5W at 2.0GHz.
___
I was planning on a new laptop in March and a new desktop in September. Now I have to decide if I want to just settle for a 1.67GHz G4 15” model, or wait it out. Have to think about that for a bit.
Jon Hicks said 1345 days ago:
Do you know what? I just don’t care that much! I’m sorry I mentioned the G5 bit now…Greg said 1345 days ago:
THEY’RE HERE!!! Check out apple.com!!!Greg said 1345 days ago:
well, new G4’s anyway…Johnnie Manzari said 1345 days ago:
Interesting report from Red Herring this week (page 13):“If you’ve been waiting for Apple to put the G5 processor into Powerbooks before upgrading your G4, your wait is coming to an end. Apple contract manufacturer Quanta Computer in Taiwan is expected to being shipping 30,000 to 50,000 G5 Powerbooks in the second quarter this year.”
Peter Cooper said 1345 days ago:
I have certainly changed my opinions on the G5s after seeing some benchmarks of the G5 versus the Mac Mini. The G5 won due to graphics and hard drive speed, but the CPU difference was negligible. G4 -> G5 is not the giant speed leap we were promised. A 1.667GHz G4 will match a 1.6GHz G5. The only difference is in the architecture and the number of bits you have to throw around, but if you’re not in high end bioinformatics or metereology, it seems rather pointless anyway. It does prove, however, that Apple’s marketing department works if everyone is waiting for the G5..Andrew said 1345 days ago:
The new G5 powerbook could double as an oven or a grill,...place two slices of bread in the middle, add desired filling, close lid, leave for 2 minutes et voila, a perfect toasted sandwich!David Barrett said 1342 days ago:
Roly – #82: My iBook is up for sale… now all I need to do is sort out the loan and figure out if the 17” is worth the extra 300 euro.No way I’m waiting for the G5, but I’ve told you this already :)
Michael – #92: Interesting. Has the chip surface area increased or decreased?
styke said 1339 days ago:
hi, i think apple just release their updated G4 Powerbooks. Check it out here: http://www.apple.com/powerbook/index17.html.New Features:
• Bluetooth 2.0 (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless networking with speeds up to 3 Mbps
• Sudden Motion Sensor technology to protect data
• A new scrolling trackpad
• Dual-link video support, letting you connect a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display to the 15- and 17-inch PowerBooks(1)
• iLife ’05, Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications
David said 1332 days ago:
Just some info—I just bought my first Apple product, a Powerbook. A few days after ordering, the released the new ones, and were nice enough to send me one that was better than what I ordered, and cheaper.I have no complaints so far, and the G4 seems to do just fine running Illustrator, Photoshop, Firefox, iTunes, and whatever else I can throw at it at one time.
tougie said 1331 days ago:
i’ve had my 17”powerbook almost a year, its the first apple-thing i’ve ever had and its been burning into my lap and bending my spine ever since. if i could loose the extra screen space, id have the 15.. but the 2gb memory, backlit keyboard and massive screen are fookn lush.. who needs g5 central heating?