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RUMOR: Apple iBook to become ‘MacBook’ while ‘MacBook Pro’ will offer more screen size choices soon

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 · 8:40 am · 38 Comments

The persistent rumors floating around Macworld Expo are very simple, but still contain information of interest and might help clarify some questions:

1. “MacBook” replaces both “PowerBook” and “iBook.” The “MacBook Pro” will replace the “PowerBook” when it is discontinued (it’s still being sold by Apple) and “MacBook” will replace “iBook” (which is also still being sold).
2. At least two MacBook Pro models are coming “soon,” but weren’t ready to be presented. A smaller screen compact portable MacBook Pro and at least one larger screen MacBook Pro will round out the model line.
3. The Mac mini with new features, software and a whole lot of other surprises are due to be delivered consistently throughout the year via special media events and regular Apple events.

Those are the three main rumors that we feel confident enough to report as “rumors.” However, they are rumors, so please take them with a grain of salt.

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Comment Feed

38 Comments

« Previous 1 2

Macaday

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 11:21 am · Reply

Forget what the things are called…its what they do that does it for people.

Apple can call the PowerMac the MacIntheBoxPro6UpWindows and it won’t make a jot of difference. People will still want it..
Bartsimpsonhhead

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 11:35 am · Reply

Steve said it was Apple’s 30th Anniversary on April 1st – what better day to hold an event to announce new products!

12″ and 17″ MacBook Pro’s, MacBooks, Intel MacMinis and desktops…

…and one more thing.
How about OSX software for ‘other’ Intel PC’s!

Wouldn’t that be the biggest joke on Bill and his dancing Monkey ever!?!

MDN word: “world”. As in ‘Domination begins here!’
Mac & PC Guy

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:01 pm · Reply

Anyone else wonder if the 17″ MacBook will sport the 2GHZ CoreDuo proc?
Mac & PC Guy

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:01 pm · Reply

Anyone else wonder if the 17″ MacBook will sport the 2GHZ CoreDuo proc?
Mac & PC Guy

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:01 pm · Reply

Anyone else wonder if the 17″ MacBook will sport the 2GHZ CoreDuo proc?
Mac & PC Guy

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:01 pm · Reply

Anyone else wonder if the 17″ MacBook will sport the 2GHZ CoreDuo proc?
Kelso

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:02 pm · Reply

I can’t wait until Apple introduces those 42 and 56 inch plasma screen Macs with Front Row 3.0 and built in satellite support and pizza oven. I’ve already sold my other Macs to save up enough money to buy this when it comes out on April 1, 2006!

What’s a grain of salt?
Kassandra

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 12:21 pm · Reply

I’m sure I’m not alone, but I absolutly dislike the “MacBook” name. I really hope the iBooks don’t suffer the same fate, though it really wouldn’t surprise me if they did. Remember, the iBook is supposed to be the “portable iMac”. If you call it a MacBook, it loses that distinction with people, and also loses it’s connection with the iPod name, iLife, ect. Apple will be smart to keep the name as iBook I think. MacBook Pro, well, I guess they couldn’t call it MacBook or PowerBook Duo (for the Core Duo), because that was a good idea, but a failed product (afaik it didn’t do well back in the day). Anyways, I’m really hopeful that they iBook keeps it’s name. It’s a cute name, and consumers know an iBook when they see someone using one. Someone should start a petition to keep the iBook name, hell maybe one to change back to the PowerBook name. I dunno I’m just not feelin’ it for MacBook Pro. I understand the processor architecture distinction, but the word Power, when people think of that in the PowerBook or Power Mac names, they think of performance and power of the hardware being emphasized and thus being it’s main feature: raw power. They don’t think about the processor inside. They only think of that when someone says PowerPC or Intel.
ndelc

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 1:28 pm · Reply

I, for one, think the iBook will retain it’s name. I think the “pro” distinction on the Mac Book is simply so people know it’s their pro line. The iMac’s name didn’t change. I guess we’ll find out in the coming months.
DNA

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 1:29 pm · Reply

gzero said:
“Seeing that many of Apple’s rivals made Core Duo announcements at the CES, I guess Apple pretty much had to release some kind of laptop with Core Duo, in order to keep up with the competition.”

Umm… My guess is that the design and development of the new iMac and MacBook Pro took a little longer than a week to get to the point of near release. I would also venture a guess that this was NOT a reactionary announcement, since Apple tends to like being the innovator and all.

Q: Is the iMac the first shipping computer with the new Core Duo chips anyone?
Cubert

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 1:58 pm · Reply

I personally like the MacBook Pro name. I’m tired of other companies stealing Apple’s “i” naming scheme. Look around – the copycats are everywhere.

And MacNut222,
I haven’t played with iWork ’06, but I have looked at the new features on Apple’s website, and for me, it’s a must-buy. I use Keynote extensively at work (PowerPoint sucks!), and the new version of Keynote is enough for me to upgrade.

P.S. I love seeing the faces of people who see Keynote for the first time. It is sometimes reason enough for people to go out and buy their first Mac!
Ampar

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 3:43 pm · Reply

How soon until a Windows PC troll calls it a “MACbook”?

Or maybe. “MACBOOK” since they seem to like to shout?

P.S. Are those analysts pushing for a higher AAPL stock price known as Macbookies?

MW: gone. The PowerBook days are gone.
Rainy Day

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 3:56 pm · Reply

“”MacBook” replaces both “PowerBook” and “iBook.” The “MacBook Pro” will replaces the “PowerBook” when it is discontinued (it’s still being sold by Apple) and “MacBook” will replace “iBook” (which is also still being sold).”

Well duh! Anybody who didn’t figure that out about 10 seconds after Steven announced “MacBook Pro” isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
edgeknight

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 3:56 pm · Reply

iBook -> MacBook
PowerBook -> MacBook Pro

iMac -> Mac
PowerMac -> Mac Pro
Mac mini -> Mac mini (so it stays as-is)

iPod lines will retain the same naming stragegy!

MacPhone and MacBook mini (the PDA version of an iPod) are still rumored…

PS: Does anyone know why http://www.arstechnica.com listed “Winton Marsellis, Jazz, and the new blue iPod” in their rundown of the keynote?
Anon

Wednesday, January 11, 2006 - 4:02 pm · Reply

Yea, it’ll be something like Mac Pro.

Although Mac Box has an interesting ring about it… esp. in this respect:
“What sort of computer do you have?”
“I have a Mac Box”.
DoggerBlue

Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 7:03 am · Reply

“MacBook Pro” is the stupidest name for a Mac since the Performa. Not only is it an unwieldy mouthful, but for the first time it breaks the expectation that Macs or Macintoshes are hardware and ‘Mac’ used as a modifier is for software (MacDraw, MacWrite, and literally hundreds of third party examples still being updated today). The result is that ‘MacBook’ sounds like an accounting package, but there has never been an accounting program called that, because accounting software marketers were never stupid enough to choose such a clunky name as ‘MacBook’.

If they couldn’t think of anything better than this, they should have simply stuck to the existing naming conventions:

iMac Core Duo
PowerBook Core Duo
etc.

And don’t tell me that ‘Power’ has to be dropped because they aren’t PowerPC chips. If that’s the case, then how do you explain the PowerBook 100, 145, 180, and many other PowerBooks that predated the PowerPC.

In closing…..BLEEEEEAAAAAAH!
Dave H

Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 9:00 am · Reply

<a >Macbidouille</a> makes an interesting point about why the 15 inch PowerBook and iMac were released together, which would also explain why the iMac now screen spans. The speculation is that the two machines now share a motherboard design.

Rough Translation (pardon my french) is:-

If one looks closer at the configurations of the Intel iMac and the MacBook Pro, one has to remark that the two computers possess the same input and the same outputs. Both possess a video output that supports dual displays, an optical sound output, a SO-DIMM port and the same graphics chipset. There isn’t much thought requiried to see that the two motherboards are identical, or come from the same design.

Interesting if true. Macs going modular to cut production costs perhaps?
Dave H

Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 9:02 am · Reply

And that HTML tag should be Macbidouille. Sorry.