#291884 - 02/01/2007 23:24
Should I ebay my PowerBook?
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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My 1.67GHz 15" PowerBook has served me well for nearly two years now. It's beginning to show its age in Aperture and CS2, but other than that it performs just fine. I want a higher res screen, and while the new ones are slightly higher it's nothing to write home about.
Next week is Macworld Expo, complete with Stevenote. The macbook pro is the same design as the aluminium Powerbook that came out in 2003. The macbook was the first to get the intel insides, but it recently got the Core 2 Duo upgrade.
Are new MacbookPros coming out next week? The rumor sites don't seem to think so, but it seems logical to me that a redesign is in order.
So, should I ebay my powerbook tonight?
Matthew
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#291885 - 03/01/2007 00:29
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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New MacBook Pro models have been in development for some time already, but I doubt very much they'll be announced at Macworld. It's too early since the last revision. You might see a speed bump if there are faster Core 2 Duo chip out there, but that would be about it. Does anyone else have faster processors in their systems?
I also doubt Apple will significantly change the external appearance of the systems very much foor the next major revision. They have a winner with the aluminum design. It's been the best looking notebook since the finish was first introduced and it doesn't seem like anyone else is even close to matching their style nor fit and finish. Really, every other notebook from every manufacturer is a total piece of junk compared to any Apple notebook of the past 4 years.
I don't think your PowerBook will drop in resale value significantly in the next two weeks regardless of what happens with Macworld.
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#291886 - 03/01/2007 03:38
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: hybrid8]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Quote:
I also doubt Apple will significantly change the external appearance of the systems very much foor the next major revision.
That's kind of disappointing. I think the AlBook still looks great, and I can't really imagine what Apple will do to make it better, but I'm beginning to get the impression that Steve and Johnathan think "this is it" when it comes to computer design. Aluminum and even radius curves are nice, but they're getting a bit overused.
Matthew
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#291887 - 03/01/2007 05:31
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: matthew_k]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
The macbook pro is the same design as the aluminium Powerbook that came out in 2003. The macbook was the first to get the intel insides, but it recently got the Core 2 Duo upgrade.
The design to me is fine. I liked my 1.25 G4 Powerbook, and it was handy to then be able to reuse the same bag for the newer MacBook Pro that I now have. There have been some changes in the case, but all just small improvements though. The wireless antenna location change helped reception quite a bit.
As far as the order of the systems going to Intel, it was the iMac (January) MacBook Pro and Mac Mini (February), MacBook (May), Mac Pro (August), and XServe (November). The iMac, MacBook Pro and Macbook has followed the Intel release schedule within about a month or so. Right now, the lineup is pretty solid and waiting on faster chips from Intel. 2.2 and 2.4 ghz Core 2 chips are the next likely bump, and a bump in bus speed from 667 to 800. Current release dates for those chips seem to be set for Q2 2007.
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#291888 - 03/01/2007 06:03
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: matthew_k]
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I just bought a 15" Pro. This thing is like a porsche compared to all the plastic clunkers other manufacturers are putting out. I don't see how they could improve this design. It's almost perfect. My only gripes are the one-button mouse (though I'm getting used to it), the lack of a ctrl key on the right-hand side (what am I supposed to do with two enter keys?), and that the latch button can be difficult to press. The bootcamp Windows drivers need some improvement, too, but that's got nothing to do with the design of the machine. So I'm curious -- how do you think that they could improve the design?
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#291889 - 03/01/2007 06:17
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: ]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
the lack of a ctrl key on the right-hand side (what am I supposed to do with two enter keys?)
The small one is enter, the same key as the enter on the number pad on a full size keyboard. The return key is different, and some programs do treat them separately. I use return for a new line in Adium, and enter to send the message.
http://www.kodachi.com/software/fKeys/ will let you remap that enter key to something different. Mapping it to command (apple) is probably the best thing to do, since pretty much Windows Control key = Mac Command key for things like copy, paste and other commands.
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#291890 - 03/01/2007 06:37
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: drakino]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Quote:
The wireless antenna location change helped reception quite a bit.
Mmmm yes. That's certainly one of the improvements I'm looking forward to.
Quote:
As far as the order of the systems going to Intel, it was the iMac (January) MacBook Pro and Mac Mini (February), MacBook (May), Mac Pro (August), and XServe (November).
Right, though the MacBook Pro was announced at the same time as the iMac, the iMac just shipped first. I mistyped earlier when I said the MacBook was, I meant the MacBook Pro.
Quote:
Right now, the lineup is pretty solid and waiting on faster chips from Intel. 2.2 and 2.4 ghz Core 2 chips are the next likely bump, and a bump in bus speed from 667 to 800. Current release dates for those chips seem to be set for Q2 2007.
That sounds very likely.
Matthew
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#291891 - 03/01/2007 07:10
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: ]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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Quote:
So I'm curious -- how do you think that they could improve the design?
The BBS ate my reply.
In short:
Aluminum dents and scratches, which means AlBooks don't age as gracefully as they could. Of course, they look better than TiBooks, but that's progress.
People aren't perfectly flat or perfectly round. I'd be interested in seeing what kind of human-centric design apple could come up with. I'm not saying it'd be better, but it's a standpoint that doesn't seem to get much attention.
I never knew I wanted a backlit keyboard until I heard about them. And I'm sure apple can come up with something else.
All I really want is a WUXGA screen. A friend of mine put one in a 15" MBP, it was a beautiful thing for the few weeks it existed before he decided he couldn't afford to keep it. Of course, we're not going to see apple selling high resolution screens until Leopard comes out.
Matthew
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#291892 - 03/01/2007 11:37
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: matthew_k]
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enthusiast
Registered: 06/08/2002
Posts: 333
Loc: The Pilbara, Western Australia
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Quote:
All I really want is a WUXGA screen. A friend of mine put one in a 15" MBP, it was a beautiful thing for the few weeks it existed before he decided he couldn't afford to keep it. Of course, we're not going to see apple selling high resolution screens until Leopard comes out.
Matthew
Anyone in this thread?
_________________________
Peter.
"I spent 90% of my money on women, drink and fast cars. The rest I wasted." - George Best
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#291893 - 03/01/2007 16:27
Re: Should I ebay my PowerBook?
[Re: pedrohoon]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
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We read that thread but I don't think he ever posted to it, though I told him to as he managed to get it working before anyone besides the initial PowerBook guy who invented the mod. He got it working with the screen from his Inspiron 6000, with everything working except the dimming. He then had to send the MBP in for service for some unrelated issue, so he had to undo the whole thing. Once it came back (a month later, but I digress) he decided to sell the thing as his finances are, shall we say, perpetually restrained.
Matthew
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