MacBook Pro’s momentum

speckledmind · Jan 12th, 2006, 01:56 PM

Let’s play Q & A, and feel the air, I will go first.

Q : How many where hoping for a new powerful laptop ???
A : I think a lot of us.

Q : How many where hopping, but did not expect anything ???
A : Most of us, because the new Intel chip was only suppose to happen in June 2006

Q : How many got real anxious to hear “ there’s something else “ ???
A : I was on the edge, after all, the iMac was out with the DuoCore Intel shipping " now ", and in the past, the laptops took a back seat to new things and power, think PowerPC, the laptop did not get it first.

Q : How many people did the jaws drop when the MacBook Pro was announced ???
I did, never though it would happen so quickly, the heat and consumption issue of the battery is to much for the G5 chip, so maybe a dual G4, but that would have been thinking backwards.

Q : How many flipped over when Steve said, " MacBook Pro " shipping in February ???
A : A lot, read what follows.

If you did not catch the momentum, check out the various sites now displaying PowerBooks G4 up for sale, O! don’t forget to check Ebay this weekend, it will be flooded.

Now for the zinger ???
Q : If a MacBook Pro sells for $2299.00, what should a used and latest G4 PowerBooks sell for, what about the new ones still on the shelves ???
A ??? : For sure the sellers are flipping out. The buyer on the other hand are sying, why should I pay as much for a used G4 latest rev. purchase possibly two weeks ago, or even a new one, if I can get a MacBook Pro for $2299 ???

Q : Sounds familiar to any previous Mac owners ???
A : It does for me.

What say you on this ???
Are you seeing the momentum ???

Macaholic · Jan 12th, 2006, 02:17 PM

I'm glad I decided to drive my old Sawtooth into the ground rather than replace my heavy-iron Mac with a G5.

HowEver · Jan 12th, 2006, 02:31 PM

These questions resonate, but there are computer users who need FireWire 800, S-Video out, better resolution and a couple of other little things that escape me, oh, and Pro apps usage right this minute, so even with the speed bump, there are a lot of people for whom these machines hold little appeal.

I'm not one of them, I'd just like there to be a 12" form factor so that the affordability factor would resonate also.

groovetube · Jan 12th, 2006, 02:46 PM

I'm in no hurry to replace my new powerbook yet. I intend to use this one out, it has plenty power for me and I'm willing to bet many others, it runs everything native still, and isn't rev A. If a pile of 'must have the latest right f* now' put up their new(ish) powerbooks up for sale and lose cash to have a faster processor, let them. There's always going to be faster, better right around the corner no matter when you buy.
The same goes for my dual G5. It still has more power than I need, and will for quite a while.

da_jonesy · Jan 12th, 2006, 02:53 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by HowEver
	These questions resonate, but there are computer users who need FireWire 800, S-Video out, better resolution and a couple of other little things that escape me, oh, and Pro apps usage right this minute, so even with the speed bump, there are a lot of people for whom these machines hold little appeal. I'm not one of them, I'd just like there to be a 12" form factor so that the affordability factor would resonate also.

If I were to guess... I would say that the 12" form factor is history. As are the iBooks.

If I were Apple I would role both iBooks and the 12" PB and replace them with that 13.3" model rumoured a while back.

That would be the MacBook (sans pro). This was their lines gets consolidated which means more profit for Apple. There was way too much overlap between the 12" PB and iBook anyways.

Atroz · Jan 12th, 2006, 03:40 PM

HI,

I bought my 15" PB in August (it was one off the January 2005 release). I'm still quite happy with it.

It's got a FW800 port that I use with my external HD (although I could use the FW400).

It's got a PC card slot which I can use with my reader to read compact flash cards. I wanted to run Linux on this too, and would need a PC card WiFI adapter for that. I don't know if I ever will though, after using MacOS (this is my first) I don't have a lot of desire to go back to Linux (and I have other systems with it).

I'm quite happy with the screen on it.

Generally speaking, it's been plenty fast enough. The only 2 things that I've done which could have really benefited from a faster CPU is compliling KDE, X-Windows and a pile of apps. That took it days. I also converted 375 music CD's from lossless to AAC which took it 40 hours. Beyond that, web browsing, photo shop, etc have been just fine.

It's been well tested.

So, there's nothing really missing in the new MacBook that would be a problem, but at the same time, there's nothing really there that I need.

I think this PB will last for a few years.

Zeus · Jan 12th, 2006, 03:54 PM

I wonder if Apple isn't contemplating a price drop on the PB line. How can they justify the price structure vs. the MacBook Pro? Maybe sellers now contemplate reaching February and seeing their PBs retail list dropping by $300-$400 CDN.

da_jonesy · Jan 12th, 2006, 03:59 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Zeus
	I wonder if Apple isn't contemplating a price drop on the PB line. How can they justify the price structure vs. the MacBook Pro? Maybe sellers now contemplate reaching February and seeing their PBs retail list dropping by $300-$400 CDN.

Given the tight margins on these products a price drop of $300-$400 shouldn't make that much of a difference.

Macaholic · Jan 12th, 2006, 04:02 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Zeus
	I wonder if Apple isn't contemplating a price drop on the PB line. How can they justify the price structure vs. the MacBook Pro? Maybe sellers now contemplate reaching February and seeing their PBs retail list dropping by $300-$400 CDN.

The cart and horse of that is that demand -- or lack thereof -- will instigate bundle deals, easy payment plans, and eventually as demand withers some drop in price. But demand will probably hinge on how the third party pro apps come along. The ball is really (REALLY) in their court, now. The only major with universal binary out at this point is Quark (surprise surprise), but it's a public beta. Office is supposed to be the end of the year (although it runs under Rosetta well -- so we've heard). Anybody hear from Adobe?

Zeus · Jan 12th, 2006, 04:06 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by da_jonesy
	Given the tight margins on these products a price drop of $300-$400 shouldn't make that much of a difference.

If the channel still has a healthy supply of 15" and 17" PBs how do they expect to sell them at a premium to the MacBook Pro. How many will dismiss the MB based on its perceived lack of FW800, dual layer DVD, etc. At best, unless there isn't a price drop, the sensible thing would be to put off a purchase decision on a PB and wait.

Promoting the MB Pro as a superior machine (its hard for most customers to dismiss such claims of a tremendous performance "advantage") while asking for a price premium on the PB line doesn't seem like a recipe for success