Quanta Computer has been beaten out by Asustek Computer recently (Apple PowerBook, iBook, Xserve, and iMac manufacturer) on a 500,000 order from Apple for a “14.1-inch widescreen iBook model,” according to the Chinese language Economic Daily News.
In 2004, the paper said that Asustek had shipped more than one million portables to Apple. Asustek has also secured orders for a “15.4-inch Apple iBook”, which will be launched in 2006.
MacDailyNews Take: These translations always come out jumbled. What exactly does “widescreen” mean and did they mean it the way we use widescreen to describe PowerBooks today, are they mixing up PowerBook and iBook models in regards to a 15.4-inch model, etc.
The Register also has an article regarding this story from The Economic Daily News here. Macworld UK covers it here.
thats what I have been waiting for, the resoloution of the iBooks is what has kept me from buying
make it so
Um, its Asustek that will be delievering the new iBooks, not Quanta.
Yes, Asustek. That’s what the original article says at least.
Yes, Asustek. Exactly as the MDN article above explains. If you read it, that is.
The question is….is it an Intel iBook?
wait until intel is inside….
It´s apple why are you bringing out any new computer unless it has intel inside?????
doesn’t matter who the manufacturer is… laptops are starting to ALL go widescreen… apple is behind the game on this… they were ahead with the powerbook widescreen… but haven’t kept up…as many small laptops have widescreen available…
I’ll be so happy when I’m hopefully not locked into waiting for eternity for apple to change their hardware or give a few choices when i can run OSX on an intel PC… a nice fuji lifebook or one of the newer vaios are gorgeous… OS excepting.
Queezie, maybe cos’ they have a business to run?
“It´s apple why are you bringing out any new computer unless it has intel inside?????”
No one really pays attention do they? Amazing.
I am a powerbook man myself but Apple really needs to find a way to differentiate the Powerbook from the iBook – they are way too close in specs right now and it is hard to justify the extra money for the Powerbook. Oh well, I will be waiting for an Intel Powerbook anyway so Apple will have some time to remedy this.
jack, i think there is a lot setting PBs apart-
for starters, backlit keyboard….then a faster CPU, bluetooth, built in wireless (if you are counting the ibooks with that, then add a 100 GB drive to the PBs), FW 800, superdrives, DVI? idk if ibooks have that. they might. and then there’s the “i can have more ram than an ibook”.
yes, ibooks can get dvd burners and bluetooth and wireless etc but they dont, hence they are cheaper….aren’t ibooks just stripped down PBs??
and no backlit keyboard!! that alone is worth the price diff. almost.
A widescreen iBook is long overdue. It’d be very nice to get something with a 1440×900 screen.
That being said, I hope Apple keeps up its trend of introducing new models with better/more features at a lower cost. It’d be great for them to speed bump the current 12.1″ model and drop the entry price to $799. That should keep Mac sales humming.
In response Jack Arends comment about the need for more differentiation between iBooks and PowerBook, another key difference is that PowerBooks come with scrollpad technology (which allows you to scroll and pan a web browser or other windows by using two fingers instead of one).
Although it seems features like the backlit keyboard and scrolling touchpad should be made standard features – they are just too useful to stay a PowerBook-only feature!
Another thing that should give pause to this widescreen iBook rumor is that there is nothing said about the 12.1″ PowerBook. A widescreen iBook would probably devastate sales of the compact PowerBook and it’s something Apple would need to address simultaneously.
All part of the “insanely great” upcoming PowerPC Products…
Sigh… I’ve been saying to move to Intel for the last 3 years… and what pisses me off is that Apple’s been sitting on it for 5. The G4 blows giant monkey chunks.
Hey guys, I still would buy a Powerbook myself, but then i am a major Machead. I’m just saying that when I recommend an Apple Laptop to someone contemplating switching, I find myself having to go with the iBook as the best bang for the buck. Lots of little things such as you mentioned make the powerbook the choice for me – it is just very cumbersome to explain them all – especially to a cost wary refugee from patchland. Now if there were different chips…..
Oh and NewType I have been using trackpad scrolling on my Powerbook 667 Titanium for years. Sidetrack – 15 bucks shareware.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20854
Works on the iBook too.