New PowerBooks Announced - no G5
by Anand Lal Shimpi on January 31, 2005 10:44 AM EST- Posted in
- Anand
It looks like Apple has updated their PowerBook line and there's no mention of a mobile G5. Regardless, from a performance standpoint the improvements are pretty decent - the slowest processor offered is a 1.5GHz G4, the same CPU I used in my PowerBook review; replacing the 1.5GHz G4 on the higher end models is a 1.67GHz G4.
All of the PowerBooks now come with 512MB of memory standard - so their out of box performance should be much more acceptable than before. Apple has also dropped the price on their PowerBooks, with the 12" starting at $1499, the 15" starting at $1999 and the 17" starting at $2699. With a student/teacher discount that kicks the prices down to $1399, $1799 and $2399 respectively.
Available as an option (and standard on the 17" PB) is a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700. The added video memory is useful for Exposé but what's even more interesting is the fact that the 128MB model has a dual-link DVI output, meaning it can drive the new 30" Cinema Display.
The new PowerBooks also add a 8X SuperDrive (DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+R/DVD+RW/CD-RW burner) and Bluetooth 2.0 support. Other features include a new trackpad that has built-in scrolling support as well as Apple's "Sudden Motion Sensor" which will automatically park the hard disk's heads in the event of a fall (IBM introduced a similar technology a year or so ago).
The performance of the new PowerBooks should be much improved over the older ones thanks to more memory, faster processors as well as their new 5400RPM hard drives. I'd guess that the sweet spot for the new PowerBooks would be the default 1.5GHz/512MB configuration. Remember that the 1.67GHz models offer only an 11% increase in clock speed and in a best case scenario you'll get 50% scaling, meaning a 5 - 6% increase in performance due to the CPU. More than anything the new PowerBook line offers an improvement in value over the previous generation which was in need of an update.
Hopefully the fact that all of the new PowerBooks come with 512MB standard means that the next revisions of all of Apple's computers will use at least 512MB of memory. The problem is that I don't see the iMac, Power Mac or mini getting updated at least until Tiger's release (and even then, not all at the same time).
It looks like the new PowerBooks are ready to go as Apple lists ship dates of between 1 and 3 days for all of the models.
All of the PowerBooks now come with 512MB of memory standard - so their out of box performance should be much more acceptable than before. Apple has also dropped the price on their PowerBooks, with the 12" starting at $1499, the 15" starting at $1999 and the 17" starting at $2699. With a student/teacher discount that kicks the prices down to $1399, $1799 and $2399 respectively.
Available as an option (and standard on the 17" PB) is a 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9700. The added video memory is useful for Exposé but what's even more interesting is the fact that the 128MB model has a dual-link DVI output, meaning it can drive the new 30" Cinema Display.
The new PowerBooks also add a 8X SuperDrive (DVD-R/DVD-RW/DVD+R/DVD+RW/CD-RW burner) and Bluetooth 2.0 support. Other features include a new trackpad that has built-in scrolling support as well as Apple's "Sudden Motion Sensor" which will automatically park the hard disk's heads in the event of a fall (IBM introduced a similar technology a year or so ago).
The performance of the new PowerBooks should be much improved over the older ones thanks to more memory, faster processors as well as their new 5400RPM hard drives. I'd guess that the sweet spot for the new PowerBooks would be the default 1.5GHz/512MB configuration. Remember that the 1.67GHz models offer only an 11% increase in clock speed and in a best case scenario you'll get 50% scaling, meaning a 5 - 6% increase in performance due to the CPU. More than anything the new PowerBook line offers an improvement in value over the previous generation which was in need of an update.
Hopefully the fact that all of the new PowerBooks come with 512MB standard means that the next revisions of all of Apple's computers will use at least 512MB of memory. The problem is that I don't see the iMac, Power Mac or mini getting updated at least until Tiger's release (and even then, not all at the same time).
It looks like the new PowerBooks are ready to go as Apple lists ship dates of between 1 and 3 days for all of the models.
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G - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
#38 & 39: I guess you guys are right.crtfanboy - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
feed the troll, we need a new cramitpalDavid Smith - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
Guys, it's a troll. Don't feed it. They're only here 'cause they're getting a reaction.G - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
By the way, what's wrong with using Macs and PCs simultaneously or Mac as an exclusive desktop/laptop.I personally like the Mac and if you don't like it then either keep those opinions to yourself or post them in an educated manner.
#32: "today nobody uses Intel laptops under 2.8GHZocessors"
This easily shows your ignorance. Just to let you know, Intel's Pentium M CPUs are much better than their higer Mhz 2.8Ghz CPUs, which is why the Centrino technology is so popular. There are lots of people who use laptops around the 2GHz point, especiall if its Centrino, which any educated person knows they are the best thing that has ever happened to laptop computing experience.
Please check your facts, dumbass.
Anonymous - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
hey you gay #34, don't even try to put mac higher than PC. Will be fucked immediatelyAnonymous - Saturday, February 5, 2005 - link
fuck you assholeMephisto - Friday, February 4, 2005 - link
#32 and #33Oh dear, the asylum field trip was to an internet cafe this year.
Peace in grave for macintosh - Friday, February 4, 2005 - link
You are right man. Kick there asses. Fuck the Macintosh through its nasty gray cover.F*** Mackintosh - Friday, February 4, 2005 - link
If you want to say that the new mac with 1.5 GHz procesor is the same as th pentium 1.6 GHZ processor i would say that today nobody uses Intel laptops under 2.8GHZocessors. And your F***ING mackintosh doesn't have support of PCI Express which is sucks. Your freaking radeon ith 128 Mb o memory is good only for f***cking brain of those stupid gays that think that mac is better than PC. You guys suckers. I tell you some day you apple will be junked out of the stores.Also want to say that new mac mini is real junk. It is ready for museum aleady. 256 mb of DDR. You kidding me. It is not enough even to run microsoft Word. And if with monitor you can get it for $800 bucks you can get Dell desktop with Intel 2.8GHZ processor for th ame price. Anyways PC store kicking ass of Mac.
Anonymous - Thursday, February 3, 2005 - link
Oh Jeff, spend more time with your wife then on this forum about all the dreaded things in the world; The Macintosh.