View Full Version : Your perfect iBook specs
I've been looking to pick up a laptop now for about a year. Unfortunately, I've been sitting on the fence waiting for the ideal Apple offering. And as much as the Powerbooks are so nice, it sometimes strikes me as too slick (for my use).
The iBooks on the other hands are so rugged and tossable and seem ideal to watch a movie in bed with (not that you can't with the PB, but it's aluminum feel is not as friendly).
That said, part of my reluctance to go iBook right now is it's screen resolution. So what would your ideal iBook specs be for the next revision. Let's keep this realistic taking in consideration, Apple's PB line.
I'd like to see:
- G4 1.33 - 1.5 GHz
- Faster bus (167mhz minimum)
- 1/8" thinner
- 14" = 1152 x 870 (minimum res)
- Built in Airport Extreme
- True monitor spanning
- Same price $1499
*I did say realistic specs.
:)
Frank777
2004-08-23, 11:11
Current 12 inch model + Superdrive.
Period.
Not an actual spec this but an idea...
How about a dual G4 (1.5 or 1.33).
17" with a proper 1440 x what ever it is supposed to be screen.
4x Superdrive.
2GB ram etc..
Mainly I would love to see a dual Laptop... What fun!
It would also fill the gap for a G5 laptop as I really think that is further off than everyone even thinks now...
<ducks>
Not an actual spec this but an idea...
How about a dual G4 (1.5 or 1.33).
17" with a proper 1440 x what ever it is supposed to be screen.
4x Superdrive.
2GB ram etc..
Mainly I would love to see a dual Laptop... What fun!
It would also fill the gap for a G5 laptop as I really think that is further off than everyone even thinks now...
<ducks>
You should duck! Realistic, not wet dream! :grumble: :)
pscates2.0
2004-08-23, 12:29
Jeez-louise, scratt...who in the hell would buy a PowerBook?
Those are WAY beyond iBook-level things there. Doesn't make any sense, unless the PowerBook was dual, had even higher resolution, etc.
I really dig the iBooks, for what they are and what they represent. So many goodies packed in and it's ready-to-go, out of the box (Ethernet, FireWire, USB 2.0, Combo Drive, decent graphics, built-in modem, tough body, Panther, iLife, etc.).
Believe me...there are days when I think "you know, for the bread-and-butter work I do, I probably could've gone with an iBook and saved a wad...".
:eek:
About the only thing that I'd like to see on an iBook (other than the expected, no-brainer incremental bumps sure to always come) would be to maybe lose the 12" and 14" models and simply have one widescreen 13-14" model (like I mocked up a long time ago at the other place).
It would still be small because when you go wide, you can keep a small front-to-back dimension. I actually got fairly detailed with my mockup and based it on a legal size sheet of paper. You'd basically have the height (actually a tad more) of the current 12" iBook screen, just wider. I think I spoke of a 1152x768 resolution, which, I believe, was the first-generation TiBook's resolution)?
Anyway, that would be my one wish to see.
Other than the screen, which will probably remain the same for eternity, I think this is feasible in about two years:
14" extra-bright widescreen, 1152x768. This would be really nice. There has been this new, brighter screen technology around for a long time and Apple hasn't even transitioned their most expensive computers to it. I have no idea why they don't embrace it since the screens on many PC laptops are now far better than the very expensive PowerBooks, but I can only assume that someone high up has declared screen technology advancements "evil" and if they haven't adopted them yet, they never will. Give 'em five years on this front. And I don't expect there will ever be a widescreen iBook, but I can dream can't I?
1.4-1.6 GHz next-generation G4. This would either be the 7448 or the 750VX with AltiVec support. Either way, it would have an overhauled frontside bus that would realize the full potential of DDR RAM and the bus speed would easily be able to hit 200 MHz or more. Built in motherboard RAM probably won't exceed 256 MB, although I do think the 12" PowerBook will get 512 MB onboard eventually, once the higher end PowerBooks and PowerMacs get 1 GB standard.
64 MB Mobility Radeon X300. The X300 is really slow, not really any faster than the Radeon 9200, but it's the cheap low end card for the next generation of ATI cards. Traditionally, iBooks have ATI graphics. Plus, with 64 MB of VRAM it'll finally be able to realize its full potential. The 9200 with only 32 MB of VRAM is terribly starved, so there should be a significant improvement even if the X300 isn't any faster than the 9200. And besides, 64 MB of VRAM is no longer a high-end or even a midrange feature. It's a bare minimum for the lowest end computers. I'm just glad that Apple will never resort to using shared memory in iBooks - I know they won't because they never have in the past and there's no reason for them to do so now.
Superdrive, at least as an option on ALL models. That would be really nice. The 650 MB of storage offered by a CD is pretty small nowadays, kind of the same way that Zip 100 MB disks seemed so big when you first got them and now they're tiny and near-useless. DVD burners used to be just for people who made home movies, but I have one and I've never made my own movie for it. They're just extremely useful for data backup.
Built-in 802.11g and Bluetooth, at least on the high end model. They can go ahead and keep it optional on the lower end ones but this is a big trend now to include wireless connectivity with a laptop instead of charging extra.
80 GB hard drive. Probably standard on the high end, optional on the lower end. 40/60/80 is most likely I think. No different options for higher RPM hard drives, that's a PowerBook feature.
VGA-only monitor spanning. I think the PowerBooks having DVI is enough of an advantage. Monitor spanning is a fairly mainstream feature so I'm not really sure why it still hasn't made it to iBooks. But it should. Again, VGA only... so it's useless if you want one of those huge pretty Apple monitors. Mainly it would be for using a larger screen when at home, or if you want to make a presentation and be able to view notes on the small screen while projecting the actual presentation.
Sorry! :err:
Got carried away and completely forgot that we were talking iBook...
I was of course talking about Powerbook and should be shot for not reading posts properly..
I am going to jump in a cold bath with my G4 powersupply now and shall not bother any of you again (today!).
:D
SilentEchoes
2004-08-23, 13:14
Up the bus speed to 167MHz and true monitor spanning and I'm sold.
I'm ordering a 12 inch soon for college, but the top of the line iBooks is so competitively priced I could get a 14 inch iBook and load it with ram or get the stock 12 inch powerbook and add ram later.
The biggest thing thats keeping me with the powerbook is monitor spanning. That and the performance of the 12 inch 1.33 is slightly faster. Not noticeably I'm sure, but I know that altivec loves huge pipes and the more bus it can get the better I would be willing to bet it just might show a difference in some work related tasks.
pscates2.0
2004-08-23, 13:26
Sorry! :err:
Got carried away and completely forgot that we were talking iBook...
I was of course talking about Powerbook and should be shot for not reading posts properly..
I am going to jump in a cold bath with my G4 powersupply now and shall not bother any of you again (today!).
:D
:D
Whew, okay that explains it!
And that's a very good post, Luca. I particularly like the end part about the spanning. Yeah, no DVI (make that a PowerBook/Cinema Display goodie), but the presentation example yu gave really makes sense. And apparently this is already kinda possible with an activation hack of some sort, so they should just take the governor off and make it a much-wanted features. Again, being VGA-only means it wouldn't cut into the PowerBook's DVI realm.
But it should be a feature that people can use with projectors and VGA displays.
Messiahtosh
2004-08-23, 14:24
I would like to see the iBook line go aluminum, like the models that pscates made. Those looked gorgeous.I would not mind seeing the iBook get a handle again, which is one feature about the original iBook that I absolutely loved.
•1.5 GHz G4
•512 RAM standard
•Faster bus
•60 GB HD standard
•64 MB graphics car, BTO to a 128 MB card
:)
DMBand0026
2004-08-23, 15:19
128 bto on a consumer notebook? :no:
Edit:
All your specs? :no:
Not on a consumer machine. You're intruding on PB territory there, I wouldn't buy a pro machine if the consumer stuff looked like that. There absolutely needs to be a separation, and with the specs you have there, there wouldn't be.
pscates2.0
2004-08-23, 15:56
Well, unless the PowerBook suddenly jumped up to some wild-ass level, of course (256MB graphics, 2GHz-plus 8x SuperDrive, 7200 rpm drives, AirPort Super Extreme, Bluetooth Xtra, etc.) ;)
DMBand0026
2004-08-23, 16:00
Well, of course. But we're talking about realistic situations here, and his specs aren't going to happen because the PowerBook won't go that way. Unless you all want the typical PC laptop (lasts less than an hour per charge, hotter than a fat guy dancing...ect). I love the current offerings. I'm not saying they shouldn't improve, but to get the iBook to those specs they would have to essentially move the PB backwards. Horrible idea IMO.
BenRoethig
2004-08-23, 16:29
For what I use it for:
12" screen
900mhz G3
640 mb PC133 RAM
40GB Hard drive
Since I did not use much besides Safari and Office on this computer, it's perfect for my needs. I want to play games, I have a destop..at least I had a desktop.
Messiahtosh
2004-08-23, 16:44
How do people feel about a possible return of the handle?
BarracksSi
2004-08-23, 17:21
Current 12 inch model + Superdrive.
Period.
I'd add a huge HD, especially since I've been filling my 30-gig to the brim, thanks to my iTunes library.
Monitor spanning can be done already, although you need to give it a hack. Apart from those few things, and keeping its processing power up to par, the iBook, is already a really competitive machine, and anything more would certainly creep into PowerBook territory.
I can't imagine Apple dropping the 12" size. It's at that perfect true notebook size, where it'll drop into a book bag sandwiched between spiral-bound notebooks, binders, and textbooks. If people want something larger, they can get something larger.
I'd say......
14" xbrite( I think thats what they're called) screen
1.5GHz G4
64 mb RADEON Mobility 9700
metallic gold color(personally, I love that color)
maybe 1/8 of an inch thinner than the current ibook is
8x superdrive
all the software the emac has bundled plus virtual pc 7.
All for $1699 CDN(perhaps 1250 or 1300 USD?)
DMBand0026
2004-08-23, 22:41
Again, no one seems to get it. VPC on a consumer machine??? :smokey: :no:
8x superdrive? On a consumer machine??? :smokey: :no:
I could see the 64MB graphics card, but not until the PB has 128 standard or at least available across the line.
Frank777
2004-08-24, 03:23
Again, no one seems to get it. VPC on a consumer machine??? :smokey: :no:
8x superdrive? On a consumer machine??? :smokey: :no:
I could see the 64MB graphics card, but not until the PB has 128 standard or at least available across the line.
VPC is indeed completely unnecessary and unrealistic.
However, 8X Superdrives are commodity items now - with retail prices of $100 and less.
They should be standard across the entire Mac line.
I agree totally with Frank777. If the 12" iBook had a SuperDrive, I'd...I'd...
...I'd wet my pants. And then I'd buy one :D
No I think Apple should pay Pioneer a chunk of change to start making 4x DVD burners again.
pscates2.0
2004-08-24, 08:23
How do people feel about a possible return of the handle?
Great, because then I'd finally have a place to put my hand.
Frank777
2004-08-29, 16:30
The 8X Superdrive is now a commodity item. Deal with it, Luca. :)
If Apple did move to an all-Superdrive lineup, the gap between the 12" iBook and 12" Powerbook narrows considerably.
Which is why I'm going to go on record predicting a new 12" widescreen Powerbook to come by MWSF. The additional space in the casing will allow the 12" PB to gain the PC Card slot and illuminated keyboard of its 15" big brother.
Aw damn, why can't they still make 20 GB hard drives and 64 MB RAM modules and 2.4x DVD burners? We NEED to get those onto low-end machines to keep costs down! :lol:
On a more serious note, having the 12" go widescreen would be sweet. Dell already has a widescreen subnotebook, so Apple should go ahead and do one as well. It would be a good trade-off - the 12" PowerBook would pick up some new pro-level features like the widescreen, PC card slot, Firewire 800, and Gigabit ethernet, while as a trade off the iBooks would get DVD burners across the board.
In fact, that would be awesome... Apple could be the first company to have a DVD burner standard on all their computers. It could take a little while but I am sure they could be the first to do it.
BarracksSi
2004-08-29, 21:06
On a more serious note, having the 12" go widescreen would be sweet. Dell already has a widescreen subnotebook, so Apple should go ahead and do one as well.
Aw, man, noooo.... just because Dell does something doesn't mean that Apple should do it... :lol:
More to the point, though, I don't think that the 12" even should go widescreen because the proportions are so book-like already. You can put a 12" iBook or Powerbook in the same places as you put textbooks, notebooks, Trapper Keepers, etc etc. -- same book bags, same backpacks, same space in the locker, and everywhere in between. To make it widescreen, it would have to be either wider (which eliminates its "True Notebook" size) or narrower (which makes the screen even smaller than it already is).
The other Apple laptop sizes can go wider, narrower, or whatever -- I don't care. The 12" notebook computers, however, should stay at that size because of the world they share with paper notebooks.
The next iBook should go WXGA, 1280x800. OS X simply does not run well at 1024x768. They could make the iBook WXGA/Widescreen and still keep the same form factor. The low-resolution on the iBook was what made me sell mine.
Of course, the video card should be upgraded also, something faster...maybe 64mb of VRAM. If not, then at least make it a faster video card with just 32mb.
-M
Frank777
2004-08-30, 00:29
I was, of course, thinking about the new Dell machine when I made that call. Since we now know that a 12" XGA 1280x800 widescreen display is available, why wouldn't Apple use it?
With regards to size, the Dell machine (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_700m?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~page=1#tabtop) is less that 1" wider than Apple's present 12" PB.
The biggest problem they face is how much weight the extra features would add.
I was, of course, thinking about the new Dell machine when I made that call. Since we now know that a 12" XGA 1280x800 widescreen display is available, why wouldn't Apple use it?
With regards to size, the Dell machine (http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_700m?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~page=1#tabtop) is less that 1" wider than Apple's present 12" PB.
The biggest problem they face is how much weight the extra features would add.
Again, they could add the WXGA without adding any weight or change to the dimensions.
-M
The next iBook should go WXGA, 1280x800. OS X simply does not run well at 1024x768. They could make the iBook WXGA/Widescreen and still keep the same form factor. The low-resolution on the iBook was what made me sell mine.
Of course, the video card should be upgraded also, something faster...maybe 64mb of VRAM. If not, then at least make it a faster video card with just 32mb.
-M
I dunno, 1024x768 is fine for a small-screened laptop in OS X. A bit cramped for the OS, but good enough. Any higher on the resolution and it would cause too much eye strain. Personally, I run my 17" monitor at 1152x864, even though I can run it at 1344x1008 and have it still look good and sharp. It's just too hard to see things on the screen when they're so tiny.
As for the video card... well, the Radeon 9200 is already starved with just 32 MB of VRAM. Bumping it up to 64 MB with the same Radeon 9200 video card would probably bring about a major performance increase. On the other hand, most video cards have enough VRAM and adding more doesn't help. For example, upgrading the VRAM in a PowerBook from 64 MB to 128 MB makes little difference.
Here are my proposed upgrades for the 12" iBook.
- video spanning enabled
- DVI - why wouldn't they want people to buy Apple screens?
- better *quality* screen, more brightness, viewing angle. Better keep such a small screen 4:3.
- that's it!
These are the only reasons why I got the 15" Powerbook rather than the 12" iBook (or a 12" Powerbook). I couldn't stand the 12" screen's lack of contrast and viewing angle, and because of the resolution I would have needed an external display for desktop work. With iBook pricing, I could have afforded a good external display to go with it.
I don't like the 14" iBook, I don't think it offers anything substantial over the 12". The screen should be better at least, but isn't.
Here are my proposed upgrades for the 12" iBook.
- video spanning enabled
- DVI - why wouldn't they want people to buy Apple screens?
Yeah. Plus bumping the video (preferably staying with ATI) to fully support Core Image.
Which are pretty much the reasons why I havent relented about a iBook home.
I hope the iBooks get a Mobility Radeon X300 (if such a thing exists, which it probably does) with 64 MB of VRAM in the next upgrade. The Radeon X300 is pretty slow, not a lot better than the Radeon 9200, but it's a logical upgrade. The iBook doesn't need super fast graphics but it should have 64 MB of VRAM.
I really hope audio line in would be available
I remember a lovely 14" widescreen iBook mockup by pscates v1 from that other forum.
Courtesy of pythagoras we at that time figured out that a 14" 16:10 notebook would not increase the vertical height by any significant amount (about .1 of an inch, and only be about 2" wider, a little less overall.)
What Apple should do with the iBook is scrap the 12 and 14" squarebooks, and have a single model line-up with all 14" widescreens.
Thickness is fine. CPU's should continue to be Powerbook handmedowns.
Options/model distinction on Optical
edu only DVD/CD-rom model
Combo drive model basic -- less VRAM, less RAM, smaller HDD
Combo drive model loaded -- more base RAM, VRAM, bigger HDD
Superdrive model basic
Sperdrive model loaded
Or some combination of the best 3 of those.
Widescreen is good, it keeps the book small in the all important vertical dimension -- good for travel, library cubicles (you haven't been in some of the libraries I've been to), will fit in just about any pocket designed for the 12.
Should be a cheaper build too -- one shell, judiciously applied options.
Apple might consider enabling spanning support, it's a silly artificial handicap. There's enough to reccommend powerbooks in their own right -- faster CPU's, More RAM, more HDD options, a strudier case, lighter, thinner, included extras, more I/O options etc etc...
Only thing I'd really like to see in an iBook right now is 64MB VRAM and SuperDrive as BTO for the 12" as well. That's why I'm leaning towards buying a 12" SD powerbook as my first mac instead in a month or so. Only I think the iBook is more striking as far as product design goes... The choices we have to make... :D
pscates2.0
2004-09-10, 13:49
I'd bet $100 that the next iBook update will include a SuperDrive BTO option for the 12" iBook. Just makes sense, really. As much as Apple pushes the digital hub and iDVD thing, they have to realize not everyone needs a PowerBook, or wants a 14" iBook.
A 12" SuperDrive iBook would sell like crazy, I have no doubt.
I don't think the 12" iBook makes sense as an iDVD vehicle.
I think small books are great, but I wouldn't want to edit video on one unless I could plug in an external display.
I think the better option for Apple is to update the overall form-factor and eliminate the 12 altogether in favor of a 14" widescreen that's only marginally larger.
It will look much more impressive with the wide screen; provide a more useful size for iMovie/iDVD users (especially if spanning is still not supported); reduce production overhead; and accomodate the longer battery life ofthe 14" models with less of the size and weight of the 14" models.
If the current 12 weighs 4.9 lbs and the current 14" weighs 5.9, expect a widescreen version to come in at no more than 5.4-5.5, about the same height as the 12, about the same width as the 14.
pscates2.0
2004-09-11, 06:04
That's fine and all, but, for the moment let's deal with reality: the 12" iBook DOES exist, and that is often the computer someone is able to afford (or, as mentioned earlier above by me, the one they actually want/need). They shouldn't be "punished" with buying the iBook they prefer by not having the SuperDrive as an option. As a BTO option, at the very least.
If your reasoning about "video editing on a 12-inch" were true, then why put a SuperDrive on the 12" PowerBook? You know not every 12" PowerBook owner has a separate monitor for spanning, and that plenty of people are using iMovie and iDVD on 12" PowerBooks, as is.
The 12" Apple laptops are still 1024x768...the same resolution people would be using on the 14" iBook, 15" iMac G4 and discontinued 15" Studio Display...I'm sure tons of people are using those three above products to run iMovie and iDVD.
If someone opts for a 12" iBook, they themselves know their eyes are good for it. And since the resolution is the same as other popular Apple products, then so what?
The 12" iBook needs a SuperDrive option, end of story. You're shutting out a lot of people from the iDVD and large-scale archiving thing by not having that option. This isn't the only forum I visit (I lurk at several more) and that seems to be quite a desired option by many out there.
It's the only Apple product class without a SuperDrive option. Just seems unfair, particularly since it's an otherwise popular, affordable and full-featured product.
The "whole line goes to 14" widescreen" idea is definitely neat (hell, I'm the guy who pretty much planted that particular seed, I don't mind saying...and someday, down the line, maybe it'll come to be). But in the here and now, we work with what's existing. Wouldn't it be 50x easier to just offer a SuperDrive BTO on the 12" iBook and call it a day, issued solved?
Yes, it would.
:)
No it wouldn't :p
HAHAHA. The thread title says my perfect iBook spec, not yours, neener neenr neener...
But seriously, I think the differences are not so clear cut.
A 1024x768 screen is a 1024 screen is a 1024 screen, regardless of size, yes, to a degree that's true, but for many tasks it is considerably less comfortable than a larger screen of the same res, due to the squintronic factor. For word documents, email, iChat, iTunes, web browsing (depends on the site) its about the same, but for graphics and video it ain't, the palettes and sliders and menu bars already hog the screen, making thm tiny is that much worse.
As good as the 12" PB is, I know, I own one, it would not be my first choice for video editing. Because portability is more important, I choose. If video is a close second, I choose the DVD model, and add a second monitor, or make use of one that I have lying around. If my goal were video editing on the move, it would be a 15" powerbook, though for the price one has to seriously consider a fully optioned 12" with an external display. Still that's more of a get home and work video solution, a 15" is more of a work on the go video solution. But i digest...
I think the point of the iProducts is to have wholistic solutions -- that is, they do what they do without requiring additional hardware, or at least very minimal additional hardware.
Unquestionably a 14" iBook is a better video editing solution than a 12" iBook. It's generally speaking a better solution for the iBook target audience -- the affordable notebook buyer. These machines are typically sold to people who use them around the home, at school, carry them in a largish bag.
Notice that the rest of the notebook world tends to equip their budget machines with 14-15" screens, and it is the 12" models that carry a premium.
I guarantee you that if the 14" model iBook cost the same or less than the 12" iBook, it would outsell the 12 by an enormous margin. As it is now, the 12" iBook is a nice find for the space conscious road warrior on a budget, but it's all sorta accidental. It was given a 12 to keep it cheap, but for the majority of budget buyers ask for screen size first.
This forum is atypical -- mac users, and slightly fanatical ones at that, not that that's a bad thing :)
A 14" widescreen iBook would turn a very good consumer notebook into a stunningly good consumer notebook.
BarracksSi
2004-09-11, 07:56
Notice that the rest of the notebook world tends to equip their budget machines with 14-15" screens, and it is the 12" models that carry a premium.
Exactly --
Apple's practically the only one who has a kickass 12" notebook that's not prohibitively expensive. They'd better not abandon that size, because for those of us who have portability near the top of our priority list, it's absolutely the perfect machine, whether it's a PB or iBook.
I've posted before about the how's and why's the 12" makes sense. Apple can change the size & proportions of the larger iBook all they want, but they'd better not make the small one any bigger, nor should they ever slightly consider dropping it altogether. If a bag can carry a textbook, it can carry an Apple laptop.
pscates2.0
2004-09-11, 08:38
Matsu, I'm not arguing against a 14" widescreen at all. Great idea, for all the reasons you give. I'd dig it immensely and could totally see myself owning one (with a 20" iMac G5 as my home-based "heavy lifting" Mac). After all, a 14" wide iBook would be smaller, more rugged/roadworthy and most likely get better AirPort performance and battery life than my 15" PowerBook. So hell yes, I'd totally be interested in one!
But it DOESN'T EXIST, so we work with what we have.
12" iBook needs some lovin' in the form of a SuperDrive, at least as a BTO add-on. Seems like a fairly easy thing for Apple to do.
A popular existing product that would tap into the popularity of iDVD and whatnot, and not leave a signifcant chunk of Mac customers out in the cold. Let THEM make the decision on the whole "1024x768 and its suitability for heavy iLife use" thing. Not you, not me. Like I said, you know good and well bazillions of folks are using their 12" PowerBooks for this stuff, most of them WITHOUT spanning and so forth. If it's good enough for the 12" PowerBook, then it's good enough for the 12" iBook.
And it'll be included on the next rev anyway...just watch.
;)
The 14" wideBook would be super cool, but it doesn't address current reality. That's all I'm sayin' here...
:)
kscherer
2004-09-11, 20:47
As the next revision of the PowerBook family approaches, I think we will likely see a new line of iBooks soon behind. Likely, the Powerbook line (at least in 12" and possibly 15" sizes) in its current form will probably be devolved into some form of new iBook, along with almost all of its current specs. The iBooks will maintain the G4 processor (due to high expenses involved in migrating the G5 or G4 dual core to a laptop). The high-end specs associated with the Powerbook have flowed downhill into the iBook as time goes by, and this will continue to be the case.
Also, keep in mind that Apple is migrating, sooner rather than later, to an all widescreen lineup, so widescreen iBooks may begin to appear in the next true revision, possibly by WWDC 2005.
Also, as we saw with the new iMac G5, Apple will NOT offer screen spanning or high end video chips in the new iBooks. If they don't spend the dough with the iMac, they certainly will not do it with any other "consumer" computer.
My guess for new iBook specs will be as follows:
12" iBook
1.25Ghz G4
60GB HDD
Slot Loading Combo Drive
256 MB Ram expandable to 1.5GB
Nvidia Gforce 5600 Go
All other specs same as current line
$1099
15" Widescreen
1.25 or 1.5 Ghz G4
80GB HDD
Slot Loading Superdrive
256 MB Ram expandable to 1.5GB
Nvidia Gforce 5600 Go
All other specs same as current line
$1299
Considering Apple's new G5 iMac received ONLY a new processor and system bus (and overall desing), I seriously think the new iBook will get better treatment.
Exactly --
Apple's practically the only one who has a kickass 12" notebook that's not prohibitively expensive. They'd better not abandon that size, because for those of us who have portability near the top of our priority list, it's absolutely the perfect machine, whether it's a PB or iBook.
I've posted before about the how's and why's the 12" makes sense. Apple can change the size & proportions of the larger iBook all they want, but they'd better not make the small one any bigger, nor should they ever slightly consider dropping it altogether. If a bag can carry a textbook, it can carry an Apple laptop.
It's still an accident of product planning. Size is not a priority for the iBook, and it isn't a priority for the target market either. Look at what students buy? HUGE screens. Not just the budget 14" 4:3 screens, but the widescreen 15.4" (16:10) has practically replaced every other screen size in the student/consumer/budget categories. You virtually don't find anything else in the 1.5K category.
A bigger screen, the right screen, not a square 4:3, but a widescreen would murder in 12" iBook in sales. Any 14" widescreen book would for all intents and purposes be no bigger than the 12" (only in one dimension, probably thinner, no difference in weight, practically speaking)
The 12" powerbook will get smaller and thinner. There's no real reason for a 12" iBook except to have a really cheap entry level notebook -- but they can have that notebook with a larger screen -- it would still fit anywhere a textbook would, only it would be a thousand times more attractive.
kscherer
2004-09-12, 09:54
A bigger screen, the right screen, not a square 4:3, but a widescreen would murder in 12" iBook in sales. Any 14" widescreen book would for all intents and purposes be no bigger than the 12" (only in one dimension, probably thinner, no difference in weight, practically speaking)
The 12" powerbook will get smaller and thinner. There's no real reason for a 12" iBook except to have a really cheap entry level notebook -- but they can have that notebook with a larger screen -- it would still fit anywhere a textbook would, only it would be a thousand times more attractive.
You're absolutely right. However, I think the 15" Powerbook screen is the more logical choice. At this point, I haven't seen any 14" widescreen monitors on the market, leaving Apple with the uncomfortable position of having to design a completely new format. The 15" format would give Apple a platform that already exists, is popularly proven, and would have minimal production costs.
BarracksSi
2004-09-12, 10:26
I can't possibly see how a larger screen wouldn't result in a larger computer.
As I keep saying (and sometimes I feel like I'm speaking to a brick wall), the 12" is the only size that fits everywhere that a standard 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper or spiral notebook can fit. Thank goodness Apple wasn't charging a premium price for the well-stocked 12" iBook.
Cheap is good, and was certainly a bonus for me. But, I literally couldn't make good use of anything larger -- my clamshell iBook stayed at home during many travels, not because it's so thick, but because it's so big diagonally. The friend that I bought my iceBook from really enjoyed its tiny size, too.
I can't imagine that it would ever be a good idea to abandon the 12" size. If there were no sheets of paper or other notebooks with which a laptop had to coexist, then I might feel differently, but the fact remains that my iBook is just one of many things I need to be able to carry easily, and the 14" version is just *that much* too big.
Only thing I'd really like to see in an iBook right now is 64MB VRAM and SuperDrive as BTO for the 12" as well. That's why I'm leaning towards buying a 12" SD powerbook as my first mac instead in a month or so. Only I think the iBook is more striking as far as product design goes... The choices we have to make... :DDo you know what sort of speed difference there is between 32MB and 64MB VRAM in Quartz Extreme? I took a look at Quartz Debug (in developer utilities), did some quick calculations in my head and came up with a figure of 60MB, give or take, for my active window buffers. That's a slightly above average workload, with about 10 different programs running, and (very significant!) >15 tabs open in Firefox. Open Firefox tabs seem to be pretty much the same as open windows from Quartz' standpoint. I doubt my PB would speed up any if it got 64->128MB but I think 32->64MB should be a noticeable improvement with these loads. Sadly, in 3D gaming the additional memory is useless, because the processor is the bottleneck anyway - UT benchmarks show identical scores for 64MB and 128MB cards.
BTW, you're not alone in liking the iBook design. I, too, think the 12" iBook is nicer than 12" PB.
pscates2.0
2004-09-12, 10:55
On the 14" wide iBook I mocked-up a while back (which Matsu referenced earlier), the dimensions can out to be roughly (within a quarter inch or less) of a legal size sheet of paper (8.5x14).
If your backpack or bookbag can carry a legal pad...
;)
Going slim and longer, rather just "a larger square" doesn't mess much up, I'd imagine. Take an existing 12" iBook and pull it out from the sides, 2 or 3 inches total.
It's even less than that.
Notebook size is standardizing around the 16:10 screen ratio. Apple only sells one notebook at this "widescreen" size -- the 17".
The 12" PB/iBook and 14" iBook are 4:3
The 15" PB is 3:2 or 15:10 -- slightly less wide than most competing laptops, but it does get you some additional vertical pixels, which are extremely useful -- 1280x854 vs 1280x800.
14" widescreen and 13" widescreen product exists, Sony uses it. Apple wouldn't be going it alone at all. They'd be far more "standard" than they are right now.
The point of all this is that a 14" widescreen book would fit anywhere that the current 12" does. Heck, the current 14" iBook fits just about anywhere that the current 12" iBook does.
If we're talking about how to improve the iBook to make it better overall, given its mission, the 12" screen is an impediment.
The PB 12 is the machine for the road warrior, better stronger more durable case, thinner, lighter -- built for portability all around. And because it commands a premium, it can continue to get lighter/thinner -- the iBook can't
vBulletin® v3.6.4, Copyright ©2000-2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.