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Portables (Apple) Businesses Apple Hardware

Apple Ships 17-inch PowerBook 75

Posted by pudge from the wooo dept.
spathi writes "After a long wait, Apple has finally started shipping the 17" PowerBook. This thread over on the MacNN Forums shows a few people have received their tracking numbers. It seems Apple hit it's deadline of 7-10 weeks after all"
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Apple Ships 17-inch PowerBook More

Apple Ships 17-inch PowerBook

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  • Of course... (Score:5, Funny)

    by sekensirazu ( 581164 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:36PM (#5520624)
    Apple really did piss a lot of people off with their slow shipping. Not me... I got the 12". Who really wants to carry around a behemoth of a laptop? This is not to say, of course, that I wouldn't take one if I got it for free. But, err, Apples don't, um... grow on trees. heh.
    • I got a 12" PB too. I absolutely love it. Plus, it opens up and sits nicely on a tray table in coach on an airplane. My former Dell laptop was useless on a flight unless I was in first class, or leaned the seat back and rested the laptop on my chest so I could watch a movie on it.
    • Finally! I ordered mine about a month ago... I can't wait to get mine. Of course, the laptop itself wiped me out so i got the slow shipping, too. Oh well. As for the size, this is meant to be a desktop replacement with some mobile benefits. I checked out the 12" but I can't stand that small of a screen. What makes it worse, you can't hook up an Apple display to it. Here I am, crossing my fingers that it will come soon.

    • Re:Of course... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by EddydaSquige ( 552178 ) <jmb@@@gocougs...wsu...edu> on Saturday March 15, 2003 @09:29PM (#5521834) Homepage
      A friend of mine traded his order for the 17", opting for the 12" after he finally played with the one 17" they have on display at the SoHo store (it's in the window people, just ask). I asked about it and he replied "you mean the lunch tray?". The thing is really too damn big.

  • weird... (Score:5, Funny)

    by StillDocked ( 471133 ) <{stilldoc} {at} {nycap.rr.com}> on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:39PM (#5520630) Homepage
    where did Mini-me get his then?

  • Now I can see them for myself... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by inblosam ( 581789 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:47PM (#5520650) Homepage
    I was waiting until our University store got one in to look at, now I will have to be on the lookout. I could handle a big laptop like this. The thickness is still 1", so just a bit wider in 2 directions. I had my laptop for a study group and another guy came in with a brand new Compaq laptop. It must have been 3 times as thick!

    I would assume that for most people the majority of their laptop use is in 1-2 places, so carrying it around is a matter of putting it in some bag, walking it to the car/bus/etc., and then setting up in the next place. This is a nice option, having such a big screen.

    They didn't say the 17"-er was everyone, they just say you have more of a choice. But then again, everyone should have one. Way to go Apple.
    • I don't doubt that the screen is great and all, but right now I'm home from spring break working on my dad's 17" iMac...I can't even picture a laptop with a screen this big that could ever be lifted or have more than 8 minutes of battery life. All I have is my 12.1" iBook, and it does it for me quite well.

      Leave it to apple to do the unthinkable again.
    • I agree it's nice to have a choice. For me, a 17" laptop is simply not an option. Even the 15" powerbook is, for my purposes, a little too large. I ended up buying the 12" PowerBook, because it's small and fits in a daypack with a digital camera.

      Last summer, I spent 2 and a half months travelling through Mexico, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, back up through the States to Canada by land. Everything my wife and I needed for this trip fit into our knapsacks. At the time, I had a 15" PowerBook G3

  • Cool. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Hawthorne01 ( 575586 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:50PM (#5520660)
    The 17' looks real sweet, but I wonder if this means the 15' model will be be getting an update soon to match some of the features found on the new models, such as built-in Bluetooth, AE, backlit keyboard, Al instead of Ti, etc.

    Except for the video card, which IMO is a step back in the new models.

    • Whoa! I know I want a bigger screen on my next laptop (current one is 14"), but this is getting ridiculous!!! Do they make Targus laptop bags that big???

    • The 17' looks real sweet, but I wonder if this means the 15' model will be be getting an update soon
      Now that would be a funny ad, with Mini-me sitting there with a 17-foot laptop in front of him...

      that said, I'm waiting for the 15" update too...
    • After much deliberation I have decided that the 15' powerbook is perfect for me. I even have the dough ponied up to buy one. I am just waiting for Apple to release a 15' with all the new sweetness that is in the 12' and 17'.

      But I don't know how much longer I can wait. I want it now. It will be my first new computer in 4 years. My B&W G3 is still going strong, but I want a portable.

      • Re: cool (Score:3, Interesting)

        by feldsteins ( 313201 )
        I am in that same boat with you. I took a different job at work and in the process had to swap my 15" TiBook 500 for a BW G3 350. Ouch! The good news is, it's obviously so old that they want to replace it for me and I convinced them to get me a 15" PowerBook.

        Here's the tricky part. The money's there, I could put the order in on Monday. But I do not want to find out that I just missed the 15" AlBook by a week. On the other hand, the money is budgeted for this fiscal year ending July 1. So if the 15"

        • Re: cool (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Alex Thorpe ( 575736 )
          As the Mac forums posters usually say, a Mac in the hand is worth two on a rumors site. It's usually better to go for it.

          • Re: cool (Score:3, Interesting)

            by feldsteins ( 313201 )
            Yeah I know. Jesus, if I had a dollar for every time I myself have told a user that... But knowing that I'd be living with sub-standard wireless range, no bluetooth, no firewire 800...not just today but for the next 3-4 years...somehow that makes me want to wait. I mean I know damned well that the current 15" models will be replaced between now and July. It's just a question of when.
        • If I were you, I'd buy the 15" now. In my experience, it's always better to have the last of a generation rather than the first. Even if the 15" AlBook is the best laptop in the world, it will have some wrinkles associated with it. I'd rather own the 1GHz 15" Ti, which is practically perfect (I own the 667/DVI Ti, which is identical in most respects - only exceptions being the processor, video card which was bumped to a Radeon Mobility 9000, and the SuperDrive). Believe me, it's impossible to regret buying
          • After having spent top-dollar on a 400 Mhz G3 B&W desktop way back when, I'd have to agree with you. Although I am still running the machine daily at home, I can't get around the fact that I replaced the HD twice and finally went with a 3rd party IDE controller to bypass the nasty one built onto the motherboard.

            Still, there are known issues with the existing 15" powerbook. Wireless range, for example. It's just not up to par with either the iBook, new PowerBooks or with 3rd party cards.

  • Is it possible? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by xdfgf ( 460453 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:55PM (#5520673) Homepage Journal
    That the delay was caused by Apple putting the 7457 [motorola.com] in them which does 1ghz with 512k L2 cache with less power? I know the 57 isnt in production yet but Apple and other big buyers have had samples for some time. So could Apple have put the squeeze on Moto for early chips and that was the cause of the delay? Not to mention the few 17" in stores are display models only and cant be turned on. Were the ones at Macworld working? anyone know the details?
    Bueller?

  • They got the link wrong ... (Score:5, Informative)

    by snowtigger ( 204757 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @03:59PM (#5520687) Homepage
    The discussion thread can be found at

    http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?&threadid=1 50756 [macnn.com]

  • I wouldn't completely agree. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mikedaisey ( 413058 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @04:01PM (#5520696) Homepage
    "It seems Apple hit it's deadline of 7-10 weeks after all."

    Well, perhaps--after blowing right by the February ship date that Steve Jobs stated at Macworld. I'm not too terribly impressed--they really need to make their announcements more realistic, because I no longer believe them and refuse to preorder anything. I know a lot of folks who are doing the same.

    • Re:I wouldn't completely agree. (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Who Cares!!! Its people like you that pressure companies to produce CRAP. If apple wishes to take longer, either because of missing marketing peices, inventory issues, or fixing problems with its design, LET THEM.. don't complain or else you will get a crappy product that is flawed and will not work properly. If I had to wait 2 weeks longer to get my 17" PowerBook, I wouldn't complain. Apple most likely has their reasons for delivering it late, or else they would be shipping it, and generating revenue.
      • "Its people like you that pressure companies to produce CRAP. If apple wishes to take longer, either because of missing marketing peices, inventory issues, or fixing problems with its design, LET THEM."

        Fine. Then let them make more accurate "estimations" in the future...a lot of people are sick of their track record on this, and rampant Apple apologizing isn't going to help them.

  • Oh, you mean, "Apple ships the Mini Me laptop" (Score:5, Interesting)

    by weave ( 48069 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @05:38PM (#5521079) Journal
    I bought a 12" PB and have used it extensively in many places in Delaware, Phoenix, and on flights in between. I'm really amazed at how well the Apple ad for these things have worked. People that I don't know, and others that I do know but don't have Macs, have remarked to me "Oh, I see you got the Yao version."

    Remarks that are a dream of a markeeter. Not only brand awareness, but retention and recall of the ad too... (remains to be seen if it actually drives people to buy the things though...)

  • Still not at (one) Apple Store (Score:3, Interesting)

    by tbmaddux ( 145207 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @06:01PM (#5521149) Homepage Journal
    I was at the Apple retail store in Salem, NH today and they had just the display model of the 17" PowerBook; still none for sale. It's striking how thin it is compared to all the other Apple portables. It's like a 15" Powerbook with just the light grey rim around the case and no bottom third.

  • You know the world's crazy when... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Whatsthiswhatsthis ( 466781 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @06:05PM (#5521164)
    ...people start buying laptops that are bigger than their desktops.

  • not ready yet (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Personally, I will not buy this new 17" laptop. I'm holding out for the 24" Cinema Display edition. I hear it will double as a card table!

    Seriously, why aren't *all* computers laptops yet? I'd love a portable 21" display+computer all in one!
  • A couple of the shipping notices in that thread say that the total price was $2639. The Apple Store [apple.com] states a starting price of $3299. Can anyone explain this discrepancy? I didn't think the student discount was that deep.
    • Apple Developer's Discount is quite sweet.
      • You say Apple Developer's discount is that good. What is required to become a "Developer"? I am an ADC member already, but I didn't pay for any membership or anything. Please advise...

        • Re:how do I become one? (Score:4, Informative)

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 15, 2003 @10:18PM (#5522006)
          select membership is 500/year and on the second year renewal you get 1 hardware discount. Each renewal after that you get the 1 hardware discount. They expire and last no longer than the select membership.

          The spendy devel program costs thousands but you get a handful of discounts (10 maybe???) Sometimes they are tranferable to other developers... If you find someone that isn't going to use their discounts I think they can transfer them..

          Spending 500 for a hardware discount isn't usually worth it.

    • Re:$2600 for 17-inch PowerBook? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 16, 2003 @12:58AM (#5522494)
      If you are a student though, you can register for $100.
      Then you can get all the cool discounts, which compared to the regular student discount is more savings then the cost of the membership.
      Also you get all the other cool stuff.

      Here is a link.

      ACD Hardware Purchase Program [apple.com]

      Click on ACD purchase program to get into the store.
      You might have to have a login password for it work though, which you can get for free (after registration).

      Biggest draw back that I have seen is that the student developer can only do this once in a lifetime, but the full developer can do this once a year. Furthermore, the regular student can only buy once a year at the reduced rate.

      Here are some developer prices if you can't get to these pages:
      12.1 PowerBook - $1439 (or $1699 student, or $1799 everyone)
      Dual 1.42 - $2159 (or $2459 student, or $2699 everyone)

      jsmith38

  • Detailed techinical info about it (Score:5, Informative)

    by teridon ( 139550 ) on Saturday March 15, 2003 @10:18PM (#5522005) Homepage
    Can be found in this developer note [apple.com].
  • I have been enjoying people's questions about my powerbook alot.

    neophyte non-apple user:"is yours the big one"
    me:"yes it is sweetheart, come over to my place and let me show it to you"

    nnu:"what about mini-me?"
    me:"there's nothing mini about it"

    etc. . . . . .

  • You all should be more than lucky with your prices in the U.S.

    Here in Austria the 17'' PowerBook in Standard-Apple-Web-Store-Edition makes 4198,80 EUR, compared to only 3299,00 US $ in the U.S. Apple-Store...

    Pricing for all other gadgets is similar. I don't see where these 900 EUR difference should come from since actually (due to Irak-Crisis) the Euro has a significantly higher value than U.S. Dollar. So the above mentioned 17'' PowerBook should be around 3000 EUR...

    I call this discrimination!!

    • Re:Pricing in Europe (Score:1, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward
      You did forget that your price in Austria is incl. VAT.

      In the US all retail prices are without VAT. That's extra (quite annoying, I reckon)

      As your "Mehrwertsteuersatz" is 20% you should see where the difference come from.

      Apple has actually lowered their prices off late quite a bit.
      Still it could be cheaper :-)

      Why not fly over and buy one? (I did that...)
    • My guess is they get the parts from Asia, ship them to California for completion and then ship to Europe. Plus it's my understanding you have that dumbass VAT to pay as well.

      Why should apple take the loss? You want cheaper Apples move to the USA. Otherwise just enjoy the Eastern-Block.

    • I guess I was a fairly wrong.... Thank's for VAT information...

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