Someone Help me decide: APPLE people (mac)

I wouldn't downgrade to an iBook. The loss in screen resolution would drive me insane.

I'll probably upgrade my PowerBook G4 that's about a year old when the x86 PowerBooks come out.

 

I woudn't expect an Intel based iMac to be introduced until late summer to autumn year at the earliest.

As for the iBook... my bets are that they'll get the Intel makeover first... probably in May or June of next year. Powerbooks are probably going to get switched soon next year too as the update last week didn't bump up the processor speed at all.

My prediction: first macs to get updated late spring of 2006 will be the iBook, the Powerbook, and the Mac mini. Most likely, they will use either single core or dual core versions of the Yonah mobile processor.

Mid 2006, expect a new iMac. In 2007, Powermacs will go.

 

i have only had my powerbook for about 6 months. so i have to wait and see what they come up with. if its good enough, sure why not?

an intel platform i have never had a problem with (ex-intel employee here...so biased a bit i guess) its microsoft that needs to get on the ball. with the amount of money they have, i cant understand why they have not done better than they have

 

Err.. you have the Pbook that came out last week, and you are wondering whether to dump it ??

Or do you have the prior gen 1280 pixel 'book ? If that is the case, I can recommend the 1440 pixel G4 pbook without hesitation. The extra pixels are a nice bonus, but the real improvement is the increased screen clarity, which is fantastic. My comments are based on owning both models.

I did consider waiting for the intels, but I am not willing to buy the 1st gen intel Pbook, and so was looking at a year wait.

 

osXcode

Are you a programmer -- osXcode seems to imply that?

How do you use your computers? Is portability, speed or size your primary concern. It seems to me that you are all over the map with what you have now and what you are considering?

If we know a bit more about how you intend to use it, we might be better equipped to help.

 

Completely agree with LaughingMan's predictions -- I think you're not going to see anything Intel-based until late in 2006, and it will be the iBook, then the PowerMac and the Mac Mini.

Another thing to think about -- migration of current PowerPC-targeted Mac applications to Intel. Yes, there will be emulation on the Intel-based Macs, but there will be a significant speed hit. The migration is going to take a while, particularly the large freeware/shareware community.

---

I think the move to the Intel chips is a Good Thing, but I see only one possible major benefitt to you: do you need to/want to run a lot of Windows software on the Mac -- i.e., with Virtual PC?

Under an Intel-based Mac, Virtual PC (for Intel-based Macs) should literally scream -- no more Intel emulation. A gigantic windfall for people wanting to run Windows PC games on the Mac.

For me, this would be a nice bullet item, but not major -- I only run Virtual PC for two programs, and neither has a significant performance hit. And I'm not a gamer. I much prefer having a PowerPC-based Mac, and access to the wide range of Mac software running out there right now.

Ask me again in 4-5 years.