Apple Archive

More than Thermal Issues Hold Up the PowerBook G5

, 2005.01.28

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Now that the rumor of the headless Mac has been laid to rest by the Mac mini, people have been turning to new speculation about the PowerBook G5. Some say that it's inevitable that it will be released shortly; others say that it's impossible at present given cooling problems. I'm inclined to agree with the second group.

One interesting article that I read recently, PowerBook G5: Held up by the Sleekness Factor? by Chris Seibold, said that it's not the issue of Apple not being able to put out a G5 laptop, but it's the issue of whether what Apple could put out would be accepted by the Mac-using community. A PowerBook 3400c-type machine was perfectly acceptable in 1997; unfortunately, it just isn't in 2005 - especially following 2001's ultra-thin titanium PowerBook G4.

Apple is an image brand, and the image that it's created for itself is currently in fashion. When you say "Apple," everyone immediately thinks of the PowerBook G4, the flat-screen iMac, or the new Mac mini. Everyone knows what an Apple computer looks like, and there are expectations to be met each time Apple updates a model.

When BMW redesigned it's 5-series cars for 2003, it had a similar set of expectations to meet when it comes to design and performance. Regardless of whether you've ever owned or been inside a BMW in the past, everyone knows what a BMW looks like. If BMW decided to come out with a somewhat gaudy Infiniti-type design featuring lots of gold trim, there'd be two problems. First of all, a lot of buyers would be put off simply because it doesn't conform to their idea of what a BMW should look like. Secondly, no one else would recognize it as a BMW, so the image would be ruined.

The design they came out with for 2003 was controversial enough to get people talking about the new 5-series, but it was enough like the previous models to get people buying it as well.

This is part of Apple's problem. Ever since the titanium PowerBook, expectations have been high. So far, Apple has done just as well as BMW. For example, the Mac mini was controversial enough ("There's no way it can be that small - and no keyboard or mouse?!") but at the same time it was interesting enough - with a fairly fast G4 chip, Combo drive, and all the other features that computer users in 2005 need - to get people wanting to buy it.

And don't forget that Apple is "in" these days.

Suppose Apple were to release a Dell-like chunky, gaudy laptop G5 computer. Sure, it might have the Apple logo on the top and a G5 processor inside, but would people actually want to buy it at 9 pounds with two fans and a two-hour battery? Chris Seibold's article is absolutely right in saying that there's no way Apple would ever do this.

Where I think he may not quite be correct is when talking about the people that would buy it. In principle, perhaps there are some people wishing for a G5 laptop to be released tomorrow. However, when they actually see their "dream machine," I think they'll put their credit cards away. It's one thing to say what one wants in a laptop and when one wants it; it's another thing to actually get those things, especially within a strict time limit.

BMW's second problem was performance. While this doesn't affect anyone who's never owned or planned to own a BMW, it certainly affects the people who want to spend $50,000 on a new one. For that amount of money they expect to get something not only well designed visually, but also well designed technologically. Even if it has a huge 4.5L V8, if it handles like a truck, is too heavy to get out of it's own way, has the most uncomfortable seats one could imagine, and has a stereo system that sounds only marginally better than a ghetto blaster, I somehow doubt anyone would buy it regardless of the badge on the front or the engine inside.

A fast G5 laptop sounds great - until you find out that it runs hotter than your oven and runs down its battery faster than your four year old iPod.

At that point, it might still sound great to some people. But how about they try living with a machine like that for a few weeks - then we'll see what they say. LEM

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