[Nullpunkt]

T-Minus 78 Days...and counting...

Granted, we know of a few things on the horizon (Tiger's immenent release, etc.)

But what to you envision being released/previewed/exhibited during the show?
(whether it's hardware/software or something else)

Do you think they'll be any big suprises? (announcements, partnerships, mergers or otherwise)

Do you think they'll be any no-shows or disappointments?

Enough rambling, let's hear your thoughts, everyone...

[sCreeD]

78 days a leetle far off, but never-the-less Apple has posted the list of sessions.

Screed

[Jason]

I'd like to see some powerbook goodness but I think I need to switch out of 'Fantasy Mode' right now!

Still, just maybe...

[The Return of the 'nut]

i expect to see completely revamped power macs. the powermacs have been ignored for way too long. even their last update was a fairly simple one.

I'm expecting a completely near architecture, dual core processors, new case design etc. PowerMac sales are far below where they should be. There are a lot of reasons for that, but a major one is that they just don't offer much bang for the buck compared to other macs right now and they have been stagnant for so long that there is little incentive to upgrade.

[Robo]

Revamped Power Macs? Maybe, but I'd hope we'd see at least a speed bump before WWDC...

I'm hoping for a single-processor Power Mac G5 Cube (or "Mac Cube") and a 17" LCD.

But yeah, I'm in "Fantasy Mode" too.

[flail]

I can't wait to see what they do with the the PowerMac. Will the 5th Gen iPod come out at WWDC probably?

[rasmits]

Originally Posted by flail I can't wait to see what they do with the the PowerMac. Will the 5th Gen iPod come out at WWDC probably?

I'm sure I've said this before, but 5th gen iPod = iPod Photo

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by The Return of the 'nut i expect to see completely revamped power macs.

From your lips-- er, fingers to IBM's/Apple's ears.

[Roland]

I really hope they are going to release G5 Powerbooks. I want my first mac. damnit

Would the cell processor be suitable for the PowerBook? The G3 doesn't have an altivec engine so would the cell with all its otheer benifits out weigh the lack of altivec?

[GWARREN]

Originally Posted by flail I can't wait to see what they do with the the PowerMac. Will the 5th Gen iPod come out at WWDC probably?

Unlikely. iPods are consumer products, so we are more likely to see things like PowerBooks and PowerMacs IMHO.

[GWARREN]

Originally Posted by Roboman Revamped Power Macs? Maybe, but I'd hope we'd see at least a speed bump before WWDC... I'm hoping for a single-processor Power Mac G5 Cube (or "Mac Cube") and a 17" LCD. But yeah, I'm in "Fantasy Mode" too.

That would make me crack open the wallet

[abraham]

I am waiting for the Mac_Sphere (codename: Target). It will probably feature 50 Teraflops of power. Enough to do basic internet browsing, managing photos, and listening to CDs.

But anyway... I do not think they will revive the "Cube." It didn't really make sense. The Mac Mini makes sense. I feel.... DOMO :shock: DOMO :shock:

[staph]

Originally Posted by Addison Would the cell processor be suitable for the PowerBook? The G3 doesn't have an altivec engine so would the cell with all its otheer benifits out weigh the lack of altivec?

The general-purpose processing unit in the cell (the PPE) is not a G3 — not only does it have Altivec, but it doesn't support out-of-order execution.

[rasmits]

Originally Posted by Roland I really hope they are going to release G5 Powerbooks. I want my first mac. damnit

Then buy it. I really hope you're not waiting for that before you buy a Mac... If you are you could literally be waiting forever.

[Alcibiades]

I'm waiting for SOMETHING to be done with the powerbooks before buying my first mac. No way I'm spending $3400+ (cdn) WITHOUT Applecare on a laptop with a bum trackpad, and relatively weak specs. I know that Apple software is great, but I still can't justify laying down that kind of money on a Laptop that is in desperate need of a overhaul. I'm willing to wait until October, after that I'll probably just get a windows notebook, though I'd really much rather make the switch.

Its not about the G5 specifically, but some sort of processor update is needed for the system to still be considered "professional", be it dual cores, or whatever. With the current system, I simply don't feel I'd be getting my money's worth.

[rasmits]

Originally Posted by Alcibiades Its not about the G5 specifically, but some sort of processor update is needed for the system to still be considered "professional", be it dual cores, or whatever. With the current system, I simply don't feel I'd be getting my money's worth.

So you'd be getting your money's worth with a Windows laptop based on an equally as old Pentuim 4?

[Alcibiades]

hardware wise, yes. For that kind of money I can get a gig of ram, a 256 meg video card, and a high res screen. Pentium 4? I'd be getting a centrino, and they've been recently updated, great mobile chip. Hardware wise, I'd be getting my money's worth moreso than with a powerbook. However, the gap isn't as big as I make it out to be, as the software the powerbook comes with helps to balance it out. Just not enough to win me over. Hopefully something will be done with the laptop before octobor rolls around.

[_Ω_]

Can we start having a countdown for the event? Puh-leeze!

[porter]

I think everything will get a speed bump because I don't think the PB G5 will be ready by then- it will be Apple's way of appeasing the masses yearning for a PB G5. I personally will be shocked if they drop a PB G5. Really I'm looking for a speed bump in the iMacs and iBook.

[Alcibiades]

You actually think a speedbump would appease the masses yearning for a PB G5? If anything, it would infuriate them more than nothing at all. A lot of fans were upset by the last lackluster bump, not just because it really bring more to the table, and that the new revision was riddled with problems, but because it signaled that a PB G5 wouldn't be comming until the summer at the earliest.

Were Apple to make another speedbump, people would go nuts. A speedbump would do more harm than good I'm afraid, Apple would be better off letting people think that a major revision is right around the corner, than to confirm that they have to wait until after christmas.

The Powerbook is in need of a major revision, not another Paltry speedbump, that is if Apple ever wants it to be a competitive product again.


EDIT-Back to what I was saying before, about Apple not giving the Powerbook enough Bang for the buck, I configured my ideal HP Pavillion at their site.

Intel Pentium 4 630 3 ghz w/hyperthreading
17" WXGA Brightview display
1 gig DDR2 SDram
80 gig 5400rpm HD
DVD+/-RW/R CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer (was a free upgrade)
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600
54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth

And comes with MS works and money, not a huge bonus, but I couldn't save any cash by not getting it, lol. This comes to $1749 American dollars. If I had to get a PB now, my ideal config would be the following.

15'' display
80 gig 5400rpm processor
Combo drive
1.67 ghz G4 processor
128meg Radeon 9700
Airport extreme card
Backlit keyboard
1 gig DDR333 SD-ram (2x512)

This comes to a total of $2399 American.

The hardware/price disparity is staggering. However, Mac does get a lot of points for its OS, witch is by far superior. However, it becomes very hard to justify turning down a bigger, better screen, better video, better ram, better optical drive, for just a better optical system. I still fully intend to making the switch when Apple revises the PB over the summer. If they don't revise it by the end of October, well, I guess I'll just have to look into other laptop option available...However, I'm confident Apple will do the right thing.

[runner91786]

Originally Posted by Alcibiades EDIT-Back to what I was saying before, about Apple not giving the Powerbook enough Bang for the buck, I configured my ideal HP Pavillion at their site. Intel Pentium 4 630 3 ghz w/hyperthreading 17" WXGA Brightview display 1 gig DDR2 SDram 80 gig 5400rpm HD DVD+/-RW/R CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer (was a free upgrade) 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth And comes with MS works and money, not a huge bonus, but I couldn't save any cash by not getting it, lol. This comes to $1749 American dollars. If I had to get a PB now, my ideal config would be the following. 15'' display 80 gig 5400rpm processor Combo drive 1.67 ghz G4 processor 128meg Radeon 9700 Airport extreme card Backlit keyboard 1 gig DDR333 SD-ram (2x512) This comes to a total of $2399 American. The hardware/price disparity is staggering. However, Mac does get a lot of points for its OS, witch is by far superior. However, it becomes very hard to justify turning down a bigger, better screen, better video, better ram, better optical drive, for just a better optical system. I still fully intend to making the switch when Apple revises the PB over the summer. If they don't revise it by the end of October, well, I guess I'll just have to look into other laptop option available...However, I'm confident Apple will do the right thing.

Your also leaving out the part where HP SUCKS! The only good thing they have done lately is lightscribe technology which still has a lacking support with media for it.

I have seen more problems with HPs then almost any other computer, excluding dell as they are shit for hardware. You will get your 17", I am guessing the zd8000 series, and realize holy shit, it weights 10lbs. Which it weights I believe 9.8? . Not to mention it is over 2 in thick. You will also see that it runs hot as all hell. We have one of these at work, and not only will you get roughly 2hrs or less of battery life, but you will scrorch your testicles. Even the wrist rests are uncomfortably hot on this thing. The power cable going into is the size of a desktop power cord. The thing is a beast.

If you want a desktop replacement and the same shitty software you have been dealing with for years, go right ahead and get the HP monster. But you sure as hell better get some kind of in-home service plan with that thing.

If you want a thinner, more portable and lighter laptop that actually gets acceptable battery life, go with the powerbook. You could stand a wait for the updated powerbooks or go with their current model. Either way you will be pleased.

Why did you configure a p4 laptop when you declared "I'd be getting a centrino" ? Not only is it a Pentium M, not centrino, but not offered in that series laptop. HP makes few things that actually do include that processor. The dv1000 series is pretty much it. Yes, the Pentium M is a great chip, but unfortunately is not risk architecture and does not run PPC applications. Doh!

Choose wisely!

[Bryson]

As runner says, you have to compare like with like. I was going to try to post a comparison with some model of Sony Vaio (A much fairer comparison in terms of styling and target market) - but there isn't really anything comparable to a 15" Powerbook - they've either got smaller screens or they're much, much thicker than the 'book.

I agree, however, that Apple's pricing on RAM is astronomical - they really need to sort that out. I'm not sure I take the point about the graphics card - I'm willing to bet the Mac with the 'lesser' card has similar graphical perfromance to the PC with the greater vRAM. Surely performance, rather than brute numbers, are the real clincher.

I also can't understand 'just for a better operating system' (I assume you meant operating, not optical?) - what is a computer but a means to run applications and also an operating system? The biggest difference to your computing experience will be made by an OS, not a extra few numbers on the internal chips.

To be fair the Powerbooks run as hot as hell too, mind!

[Alcibiades]

Just a couple of quick points:

"I'm willing to bet the Mac with the 'lesser' card has similar graphical perfromance to the PC with the greater vRAM. Surely performance, rather than brute numbers, are the real clincher."

You're dead wrong. Mac video cards have always had lower performance when compared to their windows box counterparts, in games at least. Most games and apps simply arn't optimized for Mac hardware, and when games are ported to Open GL, they often need more power to yield similar results. An AGP 8x 9700 mobility on a PC laptop will beat a 9700 mobility on a powerbook every time in benchmarks. But its simply hard to turn down the offer, that for $50, I can double my vram to 256.

"If you want a desktop replacement and the same shitty software you have been dealing with for years, go right ahead and get the HP monster. But you sure as hell better get some kind of in-home service plan with that thing."

Yep, the HP is huge alright. Though I'd be mostly using it for home, and only taking it to campus once and awhile when I needed some peace and quiet. However, I find your attack of the HP's quality interesting, as you fail to mention that the current gen of powerbooks have just as many, if not more problems documented than the HP. Either way, I'd need to get an insurance plan (neither estimate included a warranty). Also, they both run hot as hell. Anyone who has used a recent powerbook can testify to how hot those suckers get.

"Why did you configure a p4 laptop when you declared "I'd be getting a centrino" ? Not only is it a Pentium M, not centrino, but not offered in that series laptop. HP makes few things that actually do include that processor. The dv1000 series is pretty much it. Yes, the Pentium M is a great chip, but unfortunately is not risk architecture and does not run PPC applications. Doh!"

I really don't understand what point you're trying to make here...I put out a suggestion that I may get a Centrino machiene, but in my comparison used a different chip. Whats the big deal? I know it isn't offered on that series of laptop...I'm still not seeing a point to where you are going with that line, maybe you can clarify what you're trying to say. Of course it doesn't run PPC apps, why would it, and why would anyone think it could?

"I also can't understand 'just for a better operating system' (I assume you meant operating, not optical?) - what is a computer but a means to run applications and also an operating system? The biggest difference to your computing experience will be made by an OS, not a extra few numbers on the internal chips."

Yep, you're right. However, being raised a windows user, I know the OS pretty will and can get by on it. While I prefer OSX, I don't see how I can justify paying that much more for a powerbook. Let me put it this way. If I were to put the two systems side by side, and make them equal in price, I would buy the powerbook, despite the lower specs, lack of a DVD burner, etc because I like the OS more.. However, it becomes a larger problem when Apple asks for an extra $650 on top of that to use their OS, though their hardware is still lacking in comparison. Does it make more sense now?

[Unbeliever]

Originally Posted by Alcibiades Just a couple of quick points: *SNIP*

Couldn`t agree with you more.

But that doesn`t stop me from trying to earn 800 euros in my damn country of Serbia to buy the (here) overpiced Mac mini

Being a student sux

[Alcibiades]

Yes, yes it does *feels his wallet and sighs*

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by Alcibiades Mac video cards have always had lower performance when compared to their windows box counterparts, in games at least. Most games and apps simply arn't optimized for Mac hardware...

Games, yeah, but which apps aren't optimized?

[julesstoop]

I suppose that things like Motion and Shake and Apple's own core Open GL implementation are pretty optimized on OS X.
Games don't interest me.

[Kyros]

The 1.67 model of the 15 inch powerbook comes with a dvd burner. It also has built in bluetooth. Also, since battery life is a big concern with laptops, you should include those in specs lists. Powerbooks get around 4 hours new, at least the ones I have seen do, how much does that laptop get? Furthermore, the P4 chip is very inefficient, and I wouldn't be surprised if the g4 were able to perform at a comparable level. By this time they are almost equivilent specs and the powerbook just costs more. However, it is lighter and smaller by a huge amount. I wouldn't really call the 17 inch hp portable, even for rare trips. If you want a desktop machine, why not get one?

[Alcibiades]

Kyros, what the hell are you talking about?

"The 1.67 model of the 15 inch powerbook comes with a dvd burner"

Right, a rather expensive one for what you get. I was trying to help the PB save same face, by taking it off and lowering the price WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATE. You have no point there.

"Furthermore, the P4 chip is very inefficient, and I wouldn't be surprised if the g4 were able to perform at a comparable level."

The P4 chip is ineffcient as far as cycle use goes, however in most new Bench's the new P4's are beating the G4's, and matching or beating the G5's. If you can't manage it on your own, let me know and I'll look up some benches for you. But thats not reawlly the point, no one buys a mac soley for the raw processing power it is capable of, but for the excellently designed OS. We've been over that before, if you'd bothered reawding the other posts, you'd know that.

"By this time they are almost equivilent specs and the powerbook just costs more. However, it is lighter and smaller by a huge amount."

Okay, I'm just boggled here. How are they almost equivalent in specs? Tell me how dammit! Unless you spend an extra lump of cash on keeping the DVD burner (you'd be better off with a external IMO) there is a combo drive, the HP has a PCI-E 256meg video card, A bigger and better screen, the same amount of ram, and even if you put the burner in the PB, the HP still supports dual layer burning.

You are correct in a certain sense, in that the HP isn't really portable, it is heavier than most. However, it is still portable, for me, it'd be tolerable to bring to campus to work, and then walk back to my apartment. However, I'm confident in Apple's ability to refresh the PB, and bring back the glory sans defects. In fact, I've already begun budgeting to make my purchase this fall.