New PowerBooks and PowerMacs likely next week…no really, they mean it this time
posted Oct 14th 2005 9:00AM
Ok, we've heard it before, but AppleInsider and other fanboy sites are again reporting what may be the final PowerPC updates to the PowerBook and PowerMac lineups prior to the hotly anticipated Intel rollout. Apple Insider claims the new 15 and 17-inch PowerBooks will be announced on 19 October sporting DDR2 memory, PCI-Express graphics, and dual-layer SuperDrives. The 17-inch model may even throw down a high-density 1920 x 1200 display. Sadly, no increase in CPU performance is expected nor is the 12-incher likely to see anything but the most minor tweaking. At the same time, expect Apple to launch new PowerMacs flaunting two IBM dual-core PowerPC 970MP CPUs (for four cores-o-power) as well as PCI-Express graphics and dual-layer SuperDrives. Please Apple, let's just get this over with so you can plunder the remaining PowerPC engineers for the Intel projects, k?
I want one... As a supplement to my laptop
I think we should stop speculating, and just wait to see what happens :P
Knowing before hand spoils the surprise, and it doesn't really help, because you can't get it until its officially announced anyway :P
Josh
Mini, Mini, mini, mini!!!! ...I want info on the mini!!! What the frag it going on with it?...some have speculated that all the recent mini upgrade gumbo is due to apple clearing out all of their Mini and powerbook parts in anticipation of releasing Intel based mini's and powerbooks in time for the holidays (I know jobs said intel was an '06 ambition, but he has given us head fakes before.)
Give me an upgraded mini with the hardware to fully support Apple's Core Audio (enough to push HDTV on a large monitor or TV via HDMI), combined with apple's new "Front Row" AND wifi'ed new apple video downloads from Itunes 6 and it would make a great combo with my own big LCD monitor or TV...(also, since I’m in the UK, I could buy one of these USB dongle DAB receivers and record free vid right to my new media center mini).
Sorry stevo, but even your 20" I-Mac isn't enough to get me to agreed to h'roid aquisition from watching countless 2-hour Vids in my office chair from 3 feet away...
I'm sure they will announce iTunes 7 as well.
You heard it here first!
;-)
Gawd!!! I really hope this isn't true cause I just ordered a 17" powerbook this week....I hate this feeling...
Ya Jchc611, I know how you feel...I just sent back my new/old Mini in the hopes for the (un)promissed land I mention in #3 above...
I'm interested. These may be the last DRM free Power Macs.
I still find it hard to accept the notion of Apple completely abandoning the PPC architecture in favor of an all-Intel lineup. I think it would be pretty sweet to see the G4 (and even the G5 maybe) eventually be used in configurations for things like set-top boxes (TiVo killers) from Apple. But then again, Intel-based devices would probably perform better under those circumstances.
Either way, bring on the new Macs! And I want Front Row without having to buy a new Mac!
jchc611, how this for a horror story:
I purchase a 15" Ti 550 PB. 3 weeks later (now mind you, I bought the laptop right after Apple released it) Apple starts shipping combo drives (CD-R and DVD) in the PB's by default. My machines was obsoleted in THREE WEEKS. So, Apple was just trying to get rid of all their CD-R drives and DVD drives. I survived, less portable burning. Combo drives were not an option initially when the 550 was released.
3+ years later, I rarely would have used the CD-R capabilities. I'm holding off for a real revision on the PB's though: faster bus speeds. Only faster bus speeds will make me pay the cash for a new PB.
What, no press confrence invite that has the text "Oh, by the way" written on it?
Good news, I called the reseller I was going to buy the PB from but they apparently are out of stock and could not get a hold of one for 3 weeks. Good news is I canceled my order...till next week at least. I was getting a real deal something like $2245.99 no tax charged, just shipping. It was a new not refurbished PB 17"/100GB/512MB/BT/Superdive/1.67 not a bad deal, what is even a little bit more odd is I found this other site that is selling the same PB for $1802.17...Rock Bottom prices for discontinued models?? Humm...Stay tuned!
On a side note I'm also shopping around for a case, Im looking at the only messenger bag that 'll fit the 17" Beast at Radtech, its some black one. Any suggestions out there for another case?
Derek, actually... yes! There's one on the 19th of October: http://www.macworld.com/news/2005/10/14/nypro/index.php
How 'bout another Mac Mini update with PCIe graphics, a videocard that can do the CoreImage stuff, and an IR port to do the Front Row stuff?
Of course, to be media savvy friendly, they do need to move the Airport line up to pre-N status.
Anyone remember a few weeks back about news of a patent for a camera integrated into a powerbook screen? I didn't expect that to see the light of day until the latest imac update, now it seems like the perfect opportunity.
> AppleInsider and other fanboy sites
Hey Engadget, the pot called and the kettle is on line 2!
They are actually rumor sites. Fanboy sites are always rah, rah, rah'ing. AppleInsider and Think Secret are often quite critical of Apple.
They are also ad revenue based and use rumors to generate income, whereas fanboy sites just want to spread the word.
But even the true Apple fanboy sites (eg, www.applematters.com) are usually more critical of their favorite company than Windows fanboy and shill sites like Chris Pirillo and Paul Thurrot.