Intel PowerBooks and iMacs in January?
posted Nov 12th 2005 3:15PM
You all know the story; we can't verify any of this information, but AppleInsider has stressed the reliability of
some inside details they have on the supposed
Intel-based Apple launches we're
expecting hoping for at Macworld in January. We think that Intel PowerBooks that soon would be really tight on
the production cycle side, but AppleInsider is pretty insistent upon Intel 17 and 20-inchers en route, and also
mentioned the real possibility of a 15-inch PowerBook due for February which would supposedly be 20 to 25% thinner and
have built-in iSight. No, but that's not all ladies and gentlemen; among AppleInsider's inside Apple plans are a
13-inch widescreen iBook and Intel Mac mini due in the Spring, but this is all pretty well ahead of schedule by our
estimation, so we're taking it with a grain of salt.
[Thanks, Sam]
There is 0 chance of Apple putting out iMacs in January. Natta. None. If anything the Mac Minis will be the first to go x86. The iMac was just updated and as far as I can tell is selling well. What possible incentive does Apple have to rush iMacs? Answer: NONE. I think someone fed Apple Insider rumors about releases in January and they filled in the holes. . .incorrectly.
This is just a bad rumor pure and simple.
if January was possible it wouldnt be harder to push it up another week for preorders for xmas presents? Order now recieve Xmas week!
The obvious problem with this is that Apple told the developers to expect the launch in mid 2006 and so if they lauch in January the software will not be ready for the Intels to run.
it wouldn't make sense to release the new products any other way than all at the same time, that way everybody has a chance to get on the same page at the same time for all of their Apple products.
This could all be totally planned. If apple made it seem like buyers had a good year and half before Intel Macs came out, they would feel confident in buying a G5 or G4 right now. Doing this, Apple was able to empty out a lot of its stock. What if Apple said back in June "We are going to release an all new lineup of computers in 7 months, but please go ahead and buy a computer now" People would just wait 7 months, rather than have a computer that seemed outdated and forgetten in less than a year.
It is a grain of salt... but on the other hand, the upgrades they made to the PowerBooks were not that extensive, and the article did mention that the two hottest selling lines Apple has are the PowerBooks, and the iMacs. It would make sense to make those the first models with Intel processors for support reasons, as well as other reasons.
Like I said before though, its a grain of salt.
#1 - This is talking about PowerBooks in January... did you even read the summary? There is no mention of iMacs in there at all.
I really don't expect Apple to put out a MacTel in January but given all these suspicious events surrounding OSx86, can you be 100% sure? Recall that everyone thought that Wall Street Journal was spinning tales when they announced that Apple was shifting to the Intel platform.
Look, Apple is really litigious so don't you think that they would have at least brought some kind of lawsuit (or "remove this article") against Zdnet UK for _supposedly_ illegally obtaining and installing the OSx86 on a *LAPTOP* and then to PUBLISH IT!?! Isn't it obvious that it was probably approved by Apple to drum up interest - read: free publicity.
http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/os/0,39024180,39235916,00.htm
I hope it does come out soon because I _know_ my next laptop will be a Apple MacTel with MacOSx86.
They are also using a lot of reference/standard parts now so hardware development cycle has probably dropped quite a bit. The harder part is the software.... oh and look, lots of people BETA TESTING it for them on some websites ... for free.
:-)..
20" powerbooks? that seems a little unnecessary.
nevermind, I can't read.
read it again fowler, it says 17 and 20 inch iMacs, 15 inch powerbook and possible 13 inch widescreen iBook
Please specify in the blurb that you mean 17 - 20 inch iMacs. The only place this is referred to is on AppleInsiders web site.
>We think that Intel PowerBooks that soon would be really >tight on the production cycle side, but AppleInsider is >pretty insistent upon Intel 17 and 20-inchers en route
Wow they better not be coming out that soon. I just put 2 grand down on a nice 15'' Powerbook last wee thinking the x86 version wouldn't be out till june. Even though i still think that this is nonsense....or I hope. Anyways it just doesn't seem reasonable for the Powerbook versions to come out so soon. It just is too soon. Please don't be true!
No body with any sense buys a new Mac within two months of January MacWorld. (Always thought Jan. MacWorld was stupid idea - should be in November or Oct. to catch the Holiday/Christmas/HoHoHo sales...)
Hey Engadget:
I got nothin against Intel, really. But could you take the intel inside off the apple logo, please. It makes me twitch uncontrollably.
>>(Always thought Jan. MacWorld was stupid idea - should be in November or Oct. to catch the Holiday/Christmas/HoHoHo sales...)<<
MacWorld isn't run by Apple but by a third party organization -- so the date of SF MacWorld does not take into account Apple product cycles in any way. Or anyone's product cycles for that matter, since most Mac product vendors are also showing products at MacWorld.
This puts vendors and Apple in a quandary -- do you announce products for the Xmas selling season, or hold off announcing them until MacWorld? If you put out your stuff for Xmas, then you're left with no buzz for MacWorld. It's hell having people come up to your booth asking for new stuff and you don't have anything.
I hope they come out with Intel PB's in January. That is when i want to buy, well i want to buy now but i am holding out. please be true!
Will the new machines run current software or will I have to buy all new Photoshop, Quark, etc...?
Adam,
the machines will run most PPC software through Rosetta. (As long as the app isn’t Altavec Too lazy to check if that is spelled corrected.) You should seen OK performance but don't expect wonders. Apple is saying 80% of the performance of a PPC system but I think they are being generous. The demos shown at WWDC showed Photoshop running in Rosetta at an OK pace but if you use your Mac for professional work I would stick with what you have unless it’s something REALLY old in which case a new Intel Mac with Rosetta emulation could indeed be faster then your current system. There are a lot of ifs out there. Once the first Macintels show up you can be assured that someone will benchmark apps in Rosetta and say for certain that the system will be the equivalent to X PPC computer that is currently on the market allowing people to figure out if its worth the upgrade.
Beyond Rosetta and emulation Adobe hasn’t committed to transitioning PPC Photoshop to x86. It should be doable but Adobe being the greedy bastards that they are you can be assured they will only release new versions you will need to upgrade to. I’m sure Apple is leaning HARD on them to update current versions of Photoshop so who knows.
The point being is that your current software will, by and large, run. It just depends on if it’s running in emulation (i.e. Rosetta) or natively (i.e. x86 compiled code.) Most apps have the ability to be upgraded to x86 based apps. Which will require a simple patch from the manufacture at some point. However it requires the developer to get off their asses and get a move on. By the time the first x86 system comes out 8 months will have elapsed. Over half a year. For smaller shops yes this could be a difficult tranition, to say the least, but for shops like MS and Adobe who have virtually unlimited resources they are just being lazy bastards.
Three years ago, there were rumors of Apple releasing a 17" PB at Jan MacWorld. They announced. I ordered. It shipped in April.
I think it's happening again.
hey John Doe:
actually ms and adobe(macromedia) joined Jobs on the day of the intel announcement to confirm that they would be supporting the os x86 transition. so when adobe and ms do this, is beyond me, but your information is false.
as long as somehting remains at 12" im happy.need small one to be portable
I wonder how much work it would be to "transition" PS to x86. If only Adobe products supported the PC...it might have made the job easier.
They come out with a new 12" iBook with an Intel processor in January and I'm all over it with the tax return by mid February. It'll be even sweeter if I can dual boot it with XP, with no warranty voiding hacks.