[iDaver]

I'll just add my voice to the chorus of those who are NOT looking forward to Intel Macs. In coming months, I'll be carefully watching PPC Mac progress, planning to get one before it's too late.

Maybe in a few years, when I finally have Intel versions of all of my software, I'll be ready for the switch. For now, I'll gladly take any nice PPC upgrade over Intel stuff that's likely to come out in the next couple of years.

That said, I use my old G3 iBook for casual web surfing and email. At some point, maybe next year, I won't mind replacing it with a nice Intel iBook since I won't be needing to do much real work with it.

[oldmacfan]

What is interesting to me is that no black iMac was offered. I think Apple underestimated that glossy black in the iPod line-up and this option will be added later if black goes as well as we think it might be going.

[oldmacfan]

I can also see another event coming to follow this one up with the Mac Mini and iBook updates. But then again Steve has to save something for MWSF hardware wise.

[709]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan What is interesting to me is that no black iMac was offered. I think Apple underestimated that glossy black in the iPod line-up and this option will be added later if black goes as well as we think it might be going.

You think? Honestly, I'm not a fan of this 'black' idea. I think it's just fine for the iPod, as it's (like it or not) partly a fashion accessory. But a black iMac? I don't know...

Someone in this thread (I think) mentioned the idea of a white/consumer - grey/midrange - black/pro lineup. I might be on board with that, if in fact the black turns out to be more of a dark grey/gunmetal.

[Brad]

Hello 1993.

[rasmits]

Originally Posted by 709 Someone in this thread (I think) mentioned the idea of a white/consumer - grey/midrange - black/pro lineup. I might be on board with that, if in fact the black turns out to be more of a dark grey/gunmetal.

Then, you could sit in Starbucks and estimate everyone's household income.

[PKIDelirium]

I'd like to see a black iBook. it'd just look cool!

My next iPod will be a black one, I'm sure of it.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by Brad Hello 1993.

Yikes, but then again the design on those (although nice for 1993) isn't what Macs looke like now. It would be nice if you at least had a choice.

[miniuser]

Black is very 1993. It's very retro, but not in a good way, i don't think I'd like it. However, you never know what it will look like in real life.

[PB PM]

Again Black worked very well on the 1998, 1999, and 2000 model G3 Powerbooks, and I think it would look good on a upgraded line of Powerbooks now, but not on Pro Towers, keep the current look, its fine as is.

[dviant]

Yeah add me to the getting in on the last PPC revs crowd. I think Matsu has things a bit backwards. Instead of worrying about future PPC support, I'm more worried about Intel support initially. All my software is currently PPC, so to get the full benefit I'd have to upgrade all my frequently used stuff. Doing that with all my graphics packages is quite a costly venture. I'm sure Rosetta will work fine for most things, but I expect there to be some issues in the beginning and as stated there will be a speed hit. Perhaps the blazing speed of Intel will offset the speed hit enough to warrant the hardware upgrade but I don't know.

I'm planning on picking up the last of the PPC Powerbooks to hold me off 'til I've upgraded most of the software I use. The sky is falling attitude towards poor PPC support post-Intel is not thought out. PPC machines will outnumber Intel machines for quite some time so it's in developers (and Apple's) best interest to keep things up to speed on both processors.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by Brad Hello 1993.

Hello 2005, iPods...

I just can't see Apple not doing it if the black iPods outsell the white ones.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan I can also see another event coming to follow this one up with the Mac Mini and iBook updates. But then again Steve has to save something for MWSF hardware wise.

And then there is the Shuffle, they could go black and white and drop in price.

This would be based on the comments from the conference call about a whole new iPod line up. Well the Shuffle is still apart of the old line up.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by dviant Yeah add me to the getting in on the last PPC revs crowd. I think Matsu has things a bit backwards. Instead of worrying about future PPC support, I'm more worried about Intel support initially.

I don't believe that the last PPC's are coming next week, what I see next week is the last form factor changes before the Intel transition and that there will still be speed bumps on the Pro lines into 2007.

I am also a little worried about the Intel support initially. Man I am getting close to 1000 posts, I'll have to come up with something big for that.

[alexluft]

Whispers: Does anyone know what time this event is held? I searched the forum and the news sources, but they don't say.

[Robo]

Black is the new white is the new silver is the new black.

I'm the one who mentioned Apple moving to a white/silver/black "product matrix" (or just white/black, for the time being). That would explain why we're seeing black iPods all of a sudden (if you think that needs "explaining").

Oldmacfan, I could easily see Apple continue to only offer the iMac in white, no matter how well the black iPods sell (and we don't know if they'll continue to sell better). But who knows.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by Roboman Oldmacfan, I could easily see Apple continue to only offer the iMac in white, no matter how well the black iPods sell (and we don't know if they'll continue to sell better). But who knows.

If the sales (black iPod) are not there, they won't. I agree with you.

[dviant]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan I don't believe that the last PPC's are coming next week, what I see next week is the last form factor changes before the Intel transition and that there will still be speed bumps on the Pro lines into 2007.

I guess I should clarify. My thoughts are that this will be the last PPC update for Powerbooks. I think it's a pretty safe bet we'll see Yonah-based PB's in January. But Powermacs will likely be G5 for quite some time as you say.

[iDaver]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan I don't believe that the last PPC's are coming next week, what I see next week is the last form factor changes before the Intel transition and that there will still be speed bumps on the Pro lines into 2007.

I hope Apple isn't afraid to make case design changes before Intel but I'll be surprised. (They just did with the iMac, after all.) If they offer a smaller Power Mac or new midrange desktop next week, I'm on it.

[powerbook911]

My thoughts on black computers: For a while now, I thought the simplicity and clean design of white macs (and aluminium in the pro line) was special. However, I guess if they made the machine entirely black, like the iPods, it is still unique and clean. When PC makers do a black machine, there are lots of extra lines and decorations, making it look silly. Still, I couldn't bring myself to buy the black iPod. I still prefer the white I think, but I do say the black is very attractive.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by dviant I guess I should clarify. My thoughts are that this will be the last PPC update for Powerbooks. I think it's a pretty safe bet we'll see Yonah-based PB's in January. But Powermacs will likely be G5 for quite some time as you say.

Well, I don't see Yonah coming in two months and not to PowerBooks at all. I take a lot of heat for that, but I am sticking to my guns.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by powerbook911 My thoughts on black computers: For a while now, I thought the simplicity and clean design of white macs (and aluminium in the pro line) was special. However, I guess if they made the machine entirely black, like the iPods, it is still unique and clean. When PC makers do a black machine, there are lots of extra lines and decorations, making it look silly. Still, I couldn't bring myself to buy the black iPod. I still prefer the white I think, but I do say the black is very attractive.

I could see Apple's black computers having silver trim. They'd still have the simple, clean design of Apple's white computers, but there has to be some contrast. Look at Apple's white computers - they're not entirely white; they have silver trim for contrast. I see Apple's black lines being the same way.

Imagine a matte black aluminum Power Mac G5, with a silver Apple logo on the side, for instance. Just as sleek as the current Power Mac, and possibly even more striking.

A change in color wouldn't mean a change in design philosophy. We'd still enjoy the zen of Apple's design - they're not going to add a bunch of excessive curves or different textures to their computers anytime soon.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by iDaver I hope Apple isn't afraid to make case design changes before Intel but I'll be surprised. (They just did with the iMac, after all.) If they offer a smaller Power Mac or new midrange desktop next week, I'm on it.

I think these changes can set them up for easier change overs to Intel. As for the midrange, I have speculated plenty on this in the past and will again in the future.

[scuttlebuttin]

Originally Posted by oldmacfan Well, I don't see Yonah coming in two months and not to PowerBooks at all. I take a lot of heat for that, but I am sticking to my guns.

why not? seems to me like Yonah represents exactly why Apple wanted/needed to switch.

If Apple is an early adopter of Yonah they immediately become performance competitive with every PC laptop.

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by scuttlebuttin why not? seems to me like Yonah represents exactly why Apple wanted/needed to switch. If Apple is an early adopter of Yonah they immediately become performance competitive with every PC laptop.

Yonah is the end of the Pentium M line. I believe that Apple is truly looking at Merom, Conroe, and Woodcrest to start the transition with. There has been plenty of crazy speculation around here about this and if you haven't read it yet you might want to.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by scuttlebuttin why not? seems to me like Yonah represents exactly why Apple wanted/needed to switch. If Apple is an early adopter of Yonah they immediately become performance competitive with every PC laptop.

I agree with Oldmacfan in that I think Apple wants to bypass Yonah entirely, and use Merom in their Intel Powerbooks. Yonah does not represent why Apple wanted to switch - it's more of a stop-gap solution before Merom/Conroe/Woodcrest, the true next-generation processors. Just as Apple will likely never use a Pentium 4 in their desktops, they're probably hoping to wait until the true next-generation mobile processors. Not because the current Pentium M platform is as god-awful as the Pentium 4, but because they simply wouldn't want to design a notebook for Yonah with Merom available so soon after. I think they'll wait for Merom, although if that would mean missing their June deadline, and they don't have any other Intel computer to unveil, who knows what they'd do.

My opinion could, of course, be changed, depending on the nature of the Powerbook update next week.

[Dave Hagan]

Originally Posted by alexluft Whispers: Does anyone know what time this event is held? I searched the forum and the news sources, but they don't say.

Noon Wednesday at the Javits.

http://news.com.com/2061-10793_3-5895841.html

[franksargent]

:smokey:

Color schmolor, who gives a damn!

I'll take mine in aged beige!

Or how about all those ugly PC gamers boxen, fugly!

Or to be real, how about color choices a la voodooPC for your PM/PB?

This fixation with black must come from the nano halo effect?

You do realize that when you stick your PB/PM in your pocket, that your likely to sit on it, crack the display, and scratch the hell out of it!

Oh, and the obligatory "Apple are you listening?"

:smokey:

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by Roboman My opinion could, of course, be changed, depending on the nature of the Powerbook update next week.

Mine too.

[PB PM]

If its still the 1.67Ghz G4 in the upgraded Powerbooks, then I think they will need to think about switching it to Intel sooner. If they cannot get the PPC 7448 G4 into them that is. Having the 7447 G4 PPC in the Powerbook till mid to late next year would hurt them big time IMO.