“Now that Apple Computer has officially started shipping some of its PowerMac G5 computers, attention is shifting to forthcoming updates of other product lines. The Apple grapevine, which has largely been quiet since CEO Steve Jobs pulled the trigger on the June announcement of the G5, is starting to warm up again,” Forbes.com reports.
“Speculation has focused on updates to Apple’s Powerbook and iMac lines. One rumor boasts that iMacs with 1.25-gigahertz processors and USB 2.0 ports are ready to hit the market any time, though many of the current models remain unsold,’ reports Forbes.com.
“Others say updates to the Powerbook line are imminent, particularly to the midrange Powerbook model with the 15-inch screen. Specifics are hard to pin down, but rumors suggest that a slight increase in the screen size of that product may be in the offing. Yet another says that the next revision to Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X version 10.3, aka Panther, will support wireless keyboards and mice, and that a wireless keyboard and mouse, using Bluetooth wireless technology, will become standard equipment for desktop models going forward,” Forbes.com reports. “The next opportunity for a major product announcement will be the Apple Expo 2003 in Paris, which starts Sept. 16. Another event on Apple’s radar screen is the Seybold conference in San Francisco, which starts Sept. 8.”
Full article here.
But i thought Apple was going to stop annoucing products at expo’s?
They have enough mindshare to just release any product at any time and enough people will talk about it, its getting boring having to wait for updates just because of a convention.
i think nearly everyone will agree with you there butter.
and another thing – why are 3rd party processor upgrades for macs always slower than the current top of the line. If for instance IBM has G5’s ready at 2.5GHz in late november (its a possibility im sure) then surely they could market them to 3rd party CPU board oems months before APPLE themselves actually deign to lower themselves to introducing speed updated models !! ..could this become the reality anytime soon??
All I can say is that Apple needs to implement IBM processors across their entire line of systems ASAP. Even ASAP isn’t soon enough, they need to do that *yesterday*. Whether it’s the iMacs, iBooks or PowerBooks, Motorola has gotten Apple into this mess with being behind performance wise and only IBM will bring them back in line again. I just hope Apple doesn’t rest on their laurels with only having the G5 in PowerMacs for too long. If they haven’t fully converted across the board to IBM CPUs (and not just the G5s either) by early 2004 it’s only going to spell trouble…
Lance,
The G4 is loads more heat and power efficient than the G5, G4s will remain in Macs for a while, until IBM develops a low heat-emission G5 that won’t suck up a PB battery in under 1 hour…
Patience!
IBM can’t sell any advanced CPU’s to 3rd party vendors that are any faster than the currently shippins systems for one simple reason, legal. I’m sure Apple has forced IBM to sign a non-compete and that they will set the calendar for upgrade releases.
Your prob right on the legal issue actually but its a real shame!
As many have commented, apple seem to have roughly caught up with wintel in the speed stakes with their G5 but apple’s product upgrade cycle is/has been so slow (for years..) that they will inevitably fall rapidly behind again. Unless IBM in cunning enough to push them into a more rapid upgrade cycle. eg Limiting supply of current CPU parts as Soon as it has volume production of the next round ready to go.
What’s the big deal about a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I am already using the MicroSoft bluetooth mouse with Mac OS X (10.2.6) and it works just fine. Haven’t tried nor seen the need for the bluetooth keyboard, but would expect it to work as well. The mouse worked right out of the box with OS X recognizing it and synchronizing.
Great delay Apple. This longtime powerbook user just bought his first Vaio – and is pleased.
mackedout and Glaken where do you think up these things? You should both know that IBM has not yet even announced the 2.0Ghz 970. So how could 3rd party developers create upgrades before a chip is available?
Apple has always used the fastest parts available to it (with the possible exception of some G3 chips) as soon as sufficient quanities are available. Combine that with the difficulty 3rd part developers have with making upgrades that will work in systems not necessarly designed to be upgraded and why would you be surprised.
As for announcements I also think the G5 needs to make it into the entire desktop very soon.
Lastly, bluetooth is a big deal because some people believe Apple is going to make it standard. This will then just be yet another thing Apple lead the computer industry to in much the same way they pushed the industry toward integrated sound, HighRes color monitors, USB, firewire, ethernet, 802.11, optical mice, LCD displays etc.
Just my opinion.