New PowerBooks this Week?

PowerPage claims that Apple will be releasing new G4 PowerBooks this week.

According to the site, the new machines will retain the Aluminum form factor, and have improved graphic cards and hard drives.

PowerPage has not historically been particularly accurate.

Lets just see if this is just a hype about the 'tuesday release dates' or not'

According to the site, the new machines will retain the Aluminum form factor, and have improved graphic cards and hard drives.

Based on the speculation of no new PowerMacs upgrades to the portable line make sense. For the upper level PowerBooks which are already on Radeon Mobility 9600s the only realy upgrade is to a Mobility 9700. This is not really a lot faster. In terms of hard drives PowerBooks already ship with up to 80Gb drives which is near the top of mobile capacity, even in the PC world. Perhaps we will see 5400rpm as the default and an option for 7200rpm drives (although the only one of these that I've seen is a 60Gb Hitachi so you would loose a lot of space)

blah blah blah.

G5 PB out the week after.

blah blah blah blah

PowerPage claims that Apple will be releasing new G4 PowerBooks this week.

According to the site, the new machines will retain the Aluminum form factor, and have improved graphic cards and hard drives.

PowerPage has not historically been particularly accurate.

They are saying 2 more G4 revs before G5. If this were true, then clearly no G5s until next year...possibly mid next year...

If this rumor is true I ask myself whether I would be tempted to switch to one. Processor speed bump, video card bump, better hard drive... all nice if true. I guess I will wait and see if they get released this week before I ponder this too deeply! :p

Based on the speculation of no new PowerMacs upgrades to the portable line make sense. For the upper level PowerBooks which are already on Radeon Mobility 9600s the only realy upgrade is to a Mobility 9700. This is not really a lot faster. In terms of hard drives PowerBooks already ship with up to 80Gb drives which is near the top of mobile capacity, even in the PC world. Perhaps we will see 5400rpm as the default and an option for 7200rpm drives (although the only one of these that I've seen is a 60Gb Hitachi so you would loose a lot of space)

How much hotter are the 7200s?

Seems like the 12inch is already near its heat dissipation limit - I don't think a hotter drive would work there (and most of the heat comes from the drive not the processor).

Could we see Motorola's new G4s with their lower power dissipation?

oh ya! bla bla bla... or next week... or sooner.... or never...

How much hotter are the 7200s?

Seems like the 12inch is already near its heat dissipation limit - I don't think a hotter drive would work there (and most of the heat comes from the drive not the processor).

Could we see Motorola's new G4s with their lower power dissipation?

7200rpm laptop drives are not meant to be a lot hotter than 5400rpm ones. The big problem here is that the 12" is not available with a 5400rpm drive at the moment. My comments were generally aimed at the 15" and 17" models. I do not expect the 12" to get a Mobility 9700 or a 7200rpm drive.

Often linked to and oldish Toms Hardware Article

you know what...
powerpage was right as they claimed that new powerbooks will shown at the paris macexpo. And they now that powerbooks will feature a ati card with 64 mb... let's see what happens. But G4 chips for the next next revision? i doubt that they reach 1.8 Ghz at all...

Powerbook revisions this week would restore peoples faith in you apple, do it for the non-believers, and we know there are more and more of those around these days. Heres some handy hints from a not so technically minded-excitable computer fan.

A larger processor with a larger hard drive, oo oo and a slightly bigger screen please, yeah i suppose a higher resolution would be a bonus, a better graphics card? i wouldnt say no... a tad more ram would be welcomed, as would a free bluetooth mouse for those of us with big hands, and do you know what id really love- id love it to be cheaper as well...and lighter.

any of the above would go down nicely, and you would have my business (to the tune of £2000+), for the first time apple- would that go down well with YOU?!

(PS i only really want the new revision because no-one else has it in the office- i dont mind whats inside it, im sure it will be enough for little old me)

(PPS anyone in the UK know a good (and cheap) insurer for brand spanking new powerbooks)

I find it silly that some of you are upset on the upgrade just because it is not a G5. I mean, towermacs ended at 1.42, so I would find it extremely likely that all the the other Apple products will follow suit and end at that mark as well. Baby steps people. Besides, do u honestly beleive the new build of the G5 could fit in a Powerbook? I don't. So let's just wait and have Apple do what we want, get it right.