Apple today announced a variety of updates across their popular line of PowerBook laptops. Key new features include faster G4 chips (1.67GHz), more memory (512MB) as standard, and better connectivity via AirPort 802.11g and Bluetooth 2.0. The new PowerBooks also feature scrolling 'TrackPad' technology and Apple's much hyped Sudden Motion Sensor.
“Apple continues to lead the industry with the most innovative notebooks,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With new features like the scrolling TrackPad and Sudden Motion Sensor, the new PowerBooks are the ultimate combination of performance and portability.”
Read more for the updated specs on the PowerBook; the new PowerBooks will be available for purchase online later this week. Speculation last week was rife that the company would be imminently announcing a G5 version of the PowerBook; the rumours were triggered when a placeholder on the Apple website with the text "apple_g5_powerbook". Clearly, this update dismisses these rumours and suggests that a G5 PowerBook is still a few months off. Apple VP Tim Cook has apparently described the task of getting the G5 chip inside a laptop as "the mother of all thermal challenges". In other Apple news, Apple was nominated "top brand" of 2004, bumping previous winner Google off the top spot.
View: Apple Store | Apple Homepage
“Apple continues to lead the industry with the most innovative notebooks,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With new features like the scrolling TrackPad and Sudden Motion Sensor, the new PowerBooks are the ultimate combination of performance and portability.”
Read more for the updated specs on the PowerBook; the new PowerBooks will be available for purchase online later this week. Speculation last week was rife that the company would be imminently announcing a G5 version of the PowerBook; the rumours were triggered when a placeholder on the Apple website with the text "apple_g5_powerbook". Clearly, this update dismisses these rumours and suggests that a G5 PowerBook is still a few months off. Apple VP Tim Cook has apparently described the task of getting the G5 chip inside a laptop as "the mother of all thermal challenges". In other Apple news, Apple was nominated "top brand" of 2004, bumping previous winner Google off the top spot.
View: Apple Store | Apple Homepage
The 1.67 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,849 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• a 100GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;
• DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire® 400 and 800;
• optical digital audio input and output;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.67 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,579 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual Link DVI functionality;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,379 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open memory slot, expandable up to 2GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;
• a scrolling TrackPad; and
• illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,199 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of £1,049 (inc. VAT), includes:
• 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;
• a 60GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
• a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;
• NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;
• DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;
• AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
• Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;
• two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; and
• a scrolling TrackPad.
Additional build-to-order options for the new PowerBook line include up to 1.25GB DDR RAM on the 12-inch model and up to 2GB on the 15- and 17-inch models, an 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive, 128MB graphics memory with Dual Link DVI on the 1.67 GHz 15-inch (for enabling the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display as an external monitor), a 100GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive running at 5400 rpm on all models, AirPort Extreme or Express Base Station, Apple displays and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Two fingers anywhere will scroll and it can also do circular scrolling like the ipod wheel
Responding to two fingers makes it harder to accidentaly scroll unlike the side scroll area on most touchpads
i think apple just wants to quiet down the hype of g5 pb rumors
The best thing about the new powerbooks is their lower price IMO. they are excellent laptops, always have been, but they are pretty expensive. at one point the 15" TiBook cost something like $6,500 AUD
i want one
My old Macintosh Classic has an IBM hard drive.
I'm still somewhat angry that my PowerBook isn't top of the line anymore though. At least it was for 280+ days.
Edit: Just read this confirming my thoughts, "Apple VP Tim Cook has apparently described the task of getting the G5 chip inside a laptop as 'the mother of all thermal challenges.'"
Last edited by 11680 on 31 Jan 2005 - 22:22
im not sure how much faster an iMac would be, but my guess would be something like 25-30% faster
And the winner of the most ignorant comment of the day is... m!ke!!!!!!
Please report for some de-n00bification: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_velocity
ps. SVT, you're forgetting that the data is more closely packed together because of the smaller platter sizes on a 5400 RPM drive.
Last edited by 11680 on 31 Jan 2005 - 22:25
and they think that you dont really need all kinds of buttplugs on computers
Wow, good on them
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