PowerBook Updates. When?


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My friend and I have been thinking about buying PowerBooks. I would like to get the 15" 1.25Ghz PowerBook, while he wants the 12" PowerBook. What concerns me is that these PowerBooks may be approaching the end of their cycle. .The last update was made 155 days ago, on September 16th. On average, PowerBooks are updated every 163 days. I have read a couple of rumors that the new PowerBooks are on their way and should be released in early March or April. The expected updates are:

12" PowerBook G4

1.25Ghz G4 (Possibly the 1Ghz will be kept?)

Updated Video Card.

Possibly a Backlit Keyboard

15" PowerBook G4

1.33 or 1.42Ghz CPU

Updated Video Card

Even if it is a minor update I would be willing to wait. The updates I am most concerned about are the Video Cards. Do you guys think that these updates seem possible? If so, when do you think they will happen?

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All we have are rumors. Nobody really has any idea how long will go between updates out side of the elite on the Apple board of directors.

The only 100% accurate advice any of us can offer (free of wishful thinking) is to purchase what you need when you need it.

For what it's worth Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying not to expect G5 Powerbooks any time soon. That much is truth, everything else is speculation.

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then just wait.

although if you buy one now, and the newer ones do come out soon, you could probably sell your current one on ebay for not much loss and get the newer one.

of course that is only viable if you don't mind losing a couple of hundred bucks.

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Consider yourself lucky. I got flamed when I created a topic like this a few months back.

Anyways, like they said, buy it if you need it, which it looks like you don't. I needed to sell my iBook before the value got any lower, and got my 12-inch PowerBook in early January despite updates that were expected to come soon. Now who's smart one. ;)

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Consider yourself lucky. I got flamed when I created a topic like this a few months back.

Anyways, like they said, buy it if you need it, which it looks like you don't. I needed to sell my iBook before the value got any lower, and got my 12-inch PowerBook in early January despite updates that were expected to come soon. Now who's smart one. ;)

Good grief....you didn't get flamed at all :rolleyes:

If you are waiting for the "next hardware update", you'll always be waiting, as there is always something in the pipe to be released. IF they are updated, I wouldn't expect much of an update aside from processor speed, max ram increase, and MAYBE a different video card. Although I don't know what card they would put in to trump the 9600. Are there 9800s out for laptops?

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If I bought the 1.25Ghz 15" PowerBook at CompUSA and the updates were released, how long do I have to return my current PowerBook and get the updated one? Does this still apply even if I was using the Student Discount?

I could also just sell it on eBay, buy the updated model and take a minimal loss.

Even if it's a very minimal update, I would be willing to wait a month. I want to know the reasons why it's possible that the updates are coming soon.

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10.3.3 was seeded (again) to developers yesterday. Rumor say that 10.3.3 brings features for products that haven't been announce yet, and updates to graphic drivers and hopefully a working bug-free SMB network integration. These products are expected to be announce in March/April. Remember these are rumors, and nobody knows (except steve-o) what these "new" products are, new powermacs, new imacs, new powerbooks..new g5 powered toaster who knows. If you truly need a new powerbook get it, if you don't, wait a bit longer.

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I could really use a G5 toaster... Other than that I am good!

10.3.3 going to be a downloadable update right? I've only heard bits an pieces about it, so I'm not sure.

Stealth -

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*shrug*

Picked up the 12" iBook G4 recently, I was pleased w/ the way it ran X.3 Peppy little machine, and a helluva lot cheaper than a Powerbook. Since I'm not doing video editing or any sort of statistical analysis, it meets my needs just fine.

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Damn.....I have all the cash line up and everything to get back into the world of mac with a new powerbook, I waited because they were due to update in late Jan....and here I am today; No rumor site has anything either

:( :( :(

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  • 3 weeks later...

I went to the Apple Store site earlier today and I saw the message they post when they're updating the site, so I thought something big was coming.

Now that it's back I've clicked on every link and apparenly there were no significant changes. :cry:

/me wants updated PowerBooks NOW! :crazy:

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  • 4 weeks later...

Updated PowerBooks Tomorrow, I say.

I've kept an eye on the PowerBooks they have in Stock at several CompUSA locations, and according to CompUSA.com the following stores are out of stock or have dangerously low quantities of PowerBooks:

El Paso, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Houston, Texas

Las Vegas, Nevada

New York, New York

San Francisco, California

Also, ClubMac only has 64 12" ComboDrive PowerBooks in Stock. (ClubMac usually has several hundred units in stock, sometimes close to a thousand)

Most of these stores have absolutely no PowerBooks in Stock, which leads me to believe that updates are due very, very soon. I doubt CompUSA or Apple could afford more than a few days on a dangerously low supply of PowerBooks.

Besides, my birthday is tomorrow, so it has to be :D

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happy early birthday..BUT..i doubt we would see anything until WWDC. Sad yes, whats Apple doing? Enjoying their ipod success ..docking and undocking ipod minis? Mixing paint to come up with an easter themed ipod mini? All i know i want powermac updates dammit lol

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