Comments on: Prediction for Apple’s October 12 media event: Intel-based Powerbooks and iPod Minis that have no hard drives (UPDATED Oct.12/05) http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/ Business • Technology • Society • Environment Sun, 16 May 2010 21:41:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Anonymous Tue, 11 Oct 2005 05:29:17 +0000 http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/#comment-146 heh i think we are all wrong it will be airport express for video and something completely unanticipated heh i think we are all wrong

it will be airport express for video and something completely unanticipated

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/comment-page-1/#comment-145 Anonymous Mon, 10 Oct 2005 14:20:23 +0000 http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/#comment-145 Actually, I can see them maintaining the Mini form factor and differentiating it through drive size: Nano less tha 10GB, Mini from 10GB to 40GB, and iPod 40GB or up. Lots of people really liked the Mini form factor, and the fragility of the Nano screen is not exactly generating great press. Wouldn't bet on it, but it's feasible. Actually, I can see them maintaining the Mini form factor and differentiating it through drive size: Nano less tha 10GB, Mini from 10GB to 40GB, and iPod 40GB or up. Lots of people really liked the Mini form factor, and the fragility of the Nano screen is not exactly generating great press. Wouldn’t bet on it, but it’s feasible.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/comment-page-1/#comment-144 Anonymous Mon, 10 Oct 2005 03:03:10 +0000 http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/#comment-144 Um, they just came out with an iPod Minis that has no hard drive. It's called the Nano. Pay attention. If they want to put 6 or 10 gigs of flash memory into a tiny iPod, they can do that with the Nano. Um, they just came out with an iPod Minis that has no hard drive. It’s called the Nano. Pay attention. If they want to put 6 or 10 gigs of flash memory into a tiny iPod, they can do that with the Nano.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/comment-page-1/#comment-143 Anonymous Sun, 09 Oct 2005 22:11:40 +0000 http://www.troyangrignon.com/2005/10/09/prediction-for-apples-october-12-media-event-intel-based-powerbooks-and-ipod-minis-that-have-no-hard-drives-updated-oct1205/#comment-143 What's the phrase..."Don't quit your day job"? First, the reason Apple is switching to Intel has to do with the "performance per watt" equation. This is not yet on Intel's side--it will be with their next generation of processors. So why would Apple use the present generation of Pentium chips in a PowerBook? Heck, Apple's timeline says 2006. I look at my calendar and I don't see 2006, although you could dance and say FY2006. Heck, Freescale also has the MPC7448 which Apple is not currently using and is plug-compatible with the MPC7447. Also, with higher-resolution displays becoming available, a PowerBook upgrade with a higher-resolution screen and an MPC7448 is far more likely. There's also the MPC8641 and MPC8641D which would be great, but would require a complete rework of the motherboard which would be kind of silly with Intel machines approaching in 8 months. Don't forget Mac OS X, as well. Yes, Apple has an Intel version of Mac OS X for developers. That doesn't mean it's ready for prime time. Next, I'm not convinced that Apple will be pursuing the "mini" form-factor. If you consider pricing, Apple's "mini" would be bumping up against the iPod. Figure the 2GB iPod nano is $199, the 4GB iPod nano is $249, and the 20GB iPod is $299. There's not a whole lot of room to fit in a 6GB or 10GB iPod mini. But let's say that Apple decides that price-overlap is not a problem. You now have a 6GB iPod mini selling for $299--which is $50 <I>more</I> than the old 6GB iPod mini used to sell for. And it's advantage? "It uses Flash memory"? Well, okay, that makes it lighter than the old iPod mini, I guess. That'd be about the only difference. So, nope, I think both guesses are off-base. What’s the phrase…”Don’t quit your day job”?

First, the reason Apple is switching to Intel has to do with the “performance per watt” equation. This is not yet on Intel’s side–it will be with their next generation of processors. So why would Apple use the present generation of Pentium chips in a PowerBook? Heck, Apple’s timeline says 2006. I look at my calendar and I don’t see 2006, although you could dance and say FY2006.

Heck, Freescale also has the MPC7448 which Apple is not currently using and is plug-compatible with the MPC7447. Also, with higher-resolution displays becoming available, a PowerBook upgrade with a higher-resolution screen and an MPC7448 is far more likely. There’s also the MPC8641 and MPC8641D which would be great, but would require a complete rework of the motherboard which would be kind of silly with Intel machines approaching in 8 months.

Don’t forget Mac OS X, as well. Yes, Apple has an Intel version of Mac OS X for developers. That doesn’t mean it’s ready for prime time.

Next, I’m not convinced that Apple will be pursuing the “mini” form-factor. If you consider pricing, Apple’s “mini” would be bumping up against the iPod. Figure the 2GB iPod nano is $199, the 4GB iPod nano is $249, and the 20GB iPod is $299. There’s not a whole lot of room to fit in a 6GB or 10GB iPod mini.

But let’s say that Apple decides that price-overlap is not a problem. You now have a 6GB iPod mini selling for $299–which is $50 more than the old 6GB iPod mini used to sell for. And it’s advantage? “It uses Flash memory”? Well, okay, that makes it lighter than the old iPod mini, I guess. That’d be about the only difference.

So, nope, I think both guesses are off-base.

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