are the Powerbooks taking over?

[beta18]

this past weekend when i went to visit my girlfriend at Stanford i couldn't help but notice that a LARGE amount of students were using PowerbooksG4 instead of typical notebooks by Dell, Fujitsu, Compaq, Alienware, etc....

she told me that her advisors on campus as well as the RAs have been telling students to get Powerbooks instead.

i'm wondering with you guys is the Apple industry slowly taking over the computer world?


personally for me, i have a Fujitisu NSeries Lifebook for the last year and half and i already wanna switch over to a Powerbook G4. They seem simple, sleek and user-friendly. plus my lifebook, which is made for gaming as well as typical work, has been crashing hardcore on me. and its a heavy lil thing.


so anyways, what do you guys think? is Apple taking over? what would you guys want?

[jonjon42]

they are not taking over the world. The powerbooks are actually very nice labtops and easily configured (although I run linux on mine :P ) so they are popular with wireless networks especially at colleges.

[Willravel]

They combine clean and stylish looks (IMO, of course), and a very simple and effective OS (also IMO). Apple still only has about 2% of the computer market, so all those die hard PC only people have nothign to fear. I'm gojng to be buying one and giving my eMac to my little bro for christmas (after deleting all the porn).

[NavySEAL]

I've heard that Apple will be releasing G5 Powerbooks soon. I might be buying one of those when they come out.

[soopafreek]

i've got one. it's great. really getting tired of microsoft...

apple is also kind enough to offer educational discounts, which i believe is part of their marketing strategy.

they recently had a "cram and jam" promo. powerbook + ipod = $200 rebate. that's what i did.

NavySEAL, i've heard that the G5 powerbooks WON'T be out anytime soon due to the lack of sufficient cooling of the processor. where'd you hear that? could you post a link?

i'll be kicking myself in the ass if it's true. :-/

[bendsley]

The following is dated Sept. 1, 2004 from Macobserver.com

An Apple director reiterated on Wednesday comments made earlier this year that the company has no plans to announce a Mac laptop powered by a G5 processor for some time, and that technical issues of putting the chip in a small PowerBook have not yet been overcome.

Tom Boger, director of Apple's worldwide product marketing, told The Mac Observer that consumers shouldn't expect the G5 in a portable for the forseeable future.

"The new iMac G5 (desktop) is thin, but (the G5) is not thin enough for a laptop right now, "Mr. Boger said. "There are great challenges in putting a G5 processor in a laptop. The issues range from power to cooling and its overall size...You're not going to see a G5 in a laptop anytime soon."

Mr. Boger ruled out any G5 laptop this year, and would not even speculate when such a product would be available.

There has been much anticipation and rumor of G5-powered Mac laptop since earlier this year. Chipmaker IBM has made major improvements in its technology to create faster, cooler and smaller G5 processors. Big Blue has sunk billions into installing state-of-the-art chip-fabrication technology into several of its massive production plants, including one in Fishkill, N.Y.

Industry experts report, however, IBM has been unable to effectively make the G5 overcome many technical issues. Existing versions of the G5 chips can't run in laptops because they generate too much heat and consume too much energy. Experts agree keeping the inner enclosures of the laptops cool enough to prevent the processors from malfunctioning have proven difficult.

[bitrunner]

Apple has always had a big following in the academic world. Student and teacher discounts combined with targeted marketing make them a little more popluar in schools than the rest of the world..

[sailor]

Theyre good machines, but I think a lot of people buy the powerbooks because it fits with a certain "look" they are going for.

Before I get flamed for that statement, that opinion is formed by working the tech support center at my university. I personally love OSX and think it is one of the best, most powerful operating systems there are. But everytime a PowerBook comes in, its owner fits the sterotypical image to a T, and doesnt know squat about how to use their computer or what the strengths of it are--in short, they certainly didnt buy it because they needed or wanted the strengths of OSX or even the Apple hardware.

[jonjon42]

sailor: hello you just met the exception to the rule :P

A message from your local linux/BSD/OSS zealot ...who owns 2 macs

[oiekeooiyw]

Apple has always had really good deals for college students and staff. Find the best legit price online and then visit your local university... the university price is probably 10-20% less.

[beta18]

i think i'm going to try and save up to buy a 15 inch powerbook now

[pottsynz]

Its a shame more companies aren't interestesd in/making PowerPC chips, then we'd see a bit more innovation. Not that ithe arch iisn't innovative....we just need other companies to pick up the ball that IBM/Motorola have played and run with it