[jcampa]

I'm taking my decission to buy a new 17" PB, and I've read a lot of sites and posts and I have some last questions:

1.The Mac Intels seems great, but at what price, I can ignore the fact that this PB cost $800 less than my first 17" PB, so we will return to the $3,300-$3,500 old price range, or more?
2.What do you think will be the specs for the new intel PB? Just a tought maybe.
3.The first intel chip on the PB, will be too much faster than the 1.67 PPC one?

Thanks.

[psmith2.0]

1. Yes. The number I'm hearing is $4,199. There will be an entry level model, starting at $2,799.

2. Dual-core Intel Casper processor, running at 3.8GHz. Everything else the same as the current PowerBooks, just bigger/faster (FireWire 1600, USB 3.0, etc.), but no built-in modem because nobody uses them anymore. There are rumors of a 21" model (with a built-in iPod dock), but not yet confirmed.

3. See first part of #2 above. A significant increase, by anyone's standard!

- Ryan M.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

[Luca]

How can unannounced products "seem great"? We actually have no idea what the Mac Intels are going to be like. We don't know when they'll come out, which computer lines they'll be a part of, or anything about what those computers will be like. Furthermore, we have no clue as to how well OS X software will be adapted to the x86 architecture once the switch happens.

There's absolutely no way for anyone to give reasonable purchasing advice regarding the Intel-powered Macs. You're asking what the specs are, for "just a tought (sic)," but anything you hear will be a complete fabrication based entirely on speculation. There's no way of predicting since there's no precedent for how Apple uses Intel processors.

YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 1. Yes. The number I'm hearing is $4,199. There will be an entry level model, starting at $2,799. 2. Dual-core Intel Casper processor, running at 3.8GHz. Everything else the same as the current PowerBooks, just bigger/faster (FireWire 1600, USB 3.0, etc.), but no built-in modem because nobody uses them anymore. There are rumors of a 21" model (with a built-in iPod dock), but not yet confirmed. 3. See first part of #2 above. A significant increase, by anyone's standard! - Ryan M. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Subtle, but good.

I've noticed you've become a little impish lately.

[Bryson]

Originally Posted by LudwigVan Subtle, but good. I've noticed you've become a little impish lately.

A little too good... I was with him up until "21" model" and then it all came crashing down...

Lets be nice though: The simple fact is that Intel Powerbooks are nothing but random speculation right now, so we can't answer any of your questions jcampa. Sorry!

Just a tought

Tought, like a Toiger! (Sorry...watched Goldmember last night...)

[psmith2.0]

Originally Posted by LudwigVan Subtle, but good. I've noticed you've become a little impish lately.

It's Halloween. I'm allowed a little fun, especially when some threads (and posts) here lately are practically begging for a good-natured poke.

I'll be good again tomorrow (or when the temptation no longer exists, whichever comes first).

But I'm telling you right now: if Roboman continues his (self-admitted) streak, and creates another "I'm bored and think I'll start a thread" thread ("What's your favorite length of USB cable?" or something along those lines), I'll have no choice but to don my cape and go to work...

It's really not my fault.

[SKMDC]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 "What's your favorite length of USB cable?"

6'

I've been dying to get that out.

[Bryson]

Surely you mean "The Official USB Cable Length™ Thread" ?

[JayReding]

Now now, don't be feeding him misinformation!

All we know is that the Intel-based Powerbooks will abandon the aluminum look of the PowerPC models in favor of cases made out of sewn up human skin bound with sinew. The new Intel "R'yleh" mobile processor will be made with a new non-Euclidian chip design that increases clock speed to 6.66gHz. However, heat dissipation is a problem, which is why the new laptops will need to be liquid cooled with the blood of a virgin. (And believe me, that's gonna cause some supply shortages these days!) The new ATI Mobile Radeon i666 graphics chipset will be compatible with both CoreImage and the new "Pickman's Model" shader libraries that are supposed to be able to render 2D, 3D, and 16D images with incredibly lifelike precision. Plus, the new "Miskatonic" chipset from Intel should allow for DDR666 RAM, SerialKiller ATA II, USB (Universal Satanic Bus) 2.0, and Fire-Which-Cannot-Be-QuenchedWire 666.

Of course, all that's just speculation...

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by JayReding Now now, don't be feeding him misinformation! All we know is that the Intel-based Powerbooks will abandon the aluminum look of the PowerPC models in favor of cases made out of sewn up human skin bound with sinew. The new Intel "R'yleh" mobile processor will be made with a new non-Euclidian chip design that increases clock speed to 6.66gHz. However, heat dissipation is a problem, which is why the new laptops will need to be liquid cooled with the blood of a virgin. (And believe me, that's gonna cause some supply shortages these days!) The new ATI Mobile Radeon i666 graphics chipset will be compatible with both CoreImage and the new "Pickman's Model" shader libraries that are supposed to be able to render 2D, 3D, and 16D images with incredibly lifelike precision. Plus, the new "Miskatonic" chipset from Intel should allow for DDR666 RAM, SerialKiller ATA II, USB (Universal Satanic Bus) 2.0, and Fire-Which-Cannot-Be-QuenchedWire 666. Of course, all that's just speculation...

You forgot about the refurbished virgin store Apple will be opening. Like new, full Applecare.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 It's Halloween. I'm allowed a little fun, especially when some threads (and posts) here lately are practically begging for a good-natured poke. I'll be good again tomorrow (or when the temptation no longer exists, whichever comes first). But I'm telling you right now: if Roboman continues his (self-admitted) streak, and creates another "I'm bored and think I'll start a thread" thread ("What's your favorite length of USB cable?" or something along those lines), I'll have no choice but to don my cape and go to work... It's really not my fault.

Another site I frequent uses the occasion of April first for the back-log of shenanigans that people have pent-up. Nothing like 5000 women and 5 guys for pent-up shenanigans.

[benkraft]

Originally Posted by JayReding Now now, don't be feeding him misinformation! All we know is that the Intel-based Powerbooks will abandon the aluminum look of the PowerPC models in favor of cases made out of sewn up human skin bound with sinew. The new Intel "R'yleh" mobile processor will be made with a new non-Euclidian chip design that increases clock speed to 6.66gHz. However, heat dissipation is a problem, which is why the new laptops will need to be liquid cooled with the blood of a virgin. (And believe me, that's gonna cause some supply shortages these days!) The new ATI Mobile Radeon i666 graphics chipset will be compatible with both CoreImage and the new "Pickman's Model" shader libraries that are supposed to be able to render 2D, 3D, and 16D images with incredibly lifelike precision. Plus, the new "Miskatonic" chipset from Intel should allow for DDR666 RAM, SerialKiller ATA II, USB (Universal Satanic Bus) 2.0, and Fire-Which-Cannot-Be-QuenchedWire 666. Of course, all that's just speculation...

...yeah,ditching all subtlety - it'll run hot as hell...

[jcampa]

Sorry guys, wrong questions and I promise no more.

I think I'm buying the new Powerbook this week.

happy halloween.

[psmith2.0]

Cool...a good sport who can take a friendly poke.

You'll fit right in, and enjoy it here.

That new PowerBook sounds like a good machine, especially with that new, roomy resolution!

Just so many unknowns on all this Intel stuff right now. Could be another 4-10 months before anything is truly clear on all that. Then add to that the inevitable Rev. A woes and glitches...it could very well be 2007 before there is an Intel PowerBook that many folks would buy and feel 100% comfortable doing so.

Many people (including myself) thought the new 15" PowerBooks released in September 2003 would be relatively glitch-free, since they were just a mid-range version of the 12" and 17" that have been out since January of that year. But damn if they didn't have some all-new problems, specific to them: white spots on the screen, latch issues, some heating/battery concerns, etc.



I'll be truly shocked if 10-30% the Rev. A Intel PowerBooks don't explode in your lap.

[JayReding]

Back to seriousness, the PowerBooks are good computers. Maybe a bit pricey, but it's never really a good idea to wait until The Next Great Thing(tm) before buying. It could be another 8 months before we see PowerBooks with Intel processors - maybe even longer. We have no idea what the specs will be, and in the meantime there's a lot of software that will have to run with Rosetta, and that could cause a pretty big performance hit.

My usual advice is this: if you need a new machine, buy it now. Waiting for the next release means that you might get something slightly better, but then you've lost x amount of time waiting that could have been used for better things.

[Mugge]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan You forgot about the refurbished virgin store Apple will be opening. Like new, full Applecare.

Now there's a business plan that might end up drowning you in money.