UPDATE I am a bit embarrassed to admit how easy I am to get persuaded, but comments from two crazy Danes (and that’s a compliment) made me change my mind. I already cancelled my PowerBook order but since it’s already shipped I’ll have to receive and send it right back. I also ordered a NuPower battery for the old faithful to make me survive the five weeks until the MBP’s start shipping. Hope everything’s gonna go allright, but of course I’ll have the AppleCare to secure the purchase for a long time. Anyways, Thomas and David, I will now hold you partly responsible for the decision ;-)
PowerBook is dead! Long live the PowerBook!
A surefire way to make Apple release a new model is to order a computer from them. Three and a half years ago in Zürich I had just about unwrapped my then shiny new PowerBook when they announced performance upgrades.
This time it’s a lot more dramatic and complicated, though. PowerBook no more. MacBook Pro doesn’t sound as cool to me as the holy circle around PowerBook, but it’s quite hard to dismiss the performance gains even if they would be a bit overrated.
I’m not quite in a situation like Jason this time. My 17" PowerBook has not yet arrived, and I can according to the law return it no questions asked inside two weeks after the arrival. But does it make this any easier? Not really.
If I would have a working laptop at hand, I’d without a doubt cancel my order and place a new one for February. However, there’s a few things that make me wonder:
- Like John Gruber said in his this-time-not-quite-right predictions, the software firms just aren’t ready. The big ones maybe, but I haven’t upgraded to CS2 and I doubt CS1 will ever be available as a universal binary. Much less all the small apps I’ve grown just too dependent on.
- There have been a lot of small problems with version 1’s of every PowerBook during the last years. Given that the transition to Intel processors is maybe the biggest leap in the Apple history, I am a bit hesitant to pay for being their beta tester.
I wanted, and will get, a 17" PowerBook. Even if it’s slower, it’s got more screen estate. Besides, my Freitag sleeve is for a 17" model.- I need my new laptop yesterday. Not in February.
So, all things considered, I’m going to keep the PowerBook. I’m going to give it a spin for a good six to twelve months and see if the new model is mature enough by then. Given the good resale value of the PowerBooks, I can handle that.
Still, I’m happy I placed the order before yesterday. Even though all the rational things speak for keeping the 17" model, it might’ve been a bit too hard a decision to make after the announcement.