01.08.03
No 12 Inch PowerBook For Me
Look at this as comparison between the iBook and the 12″ PowerBook:
* same screen size as iBook
* same RAM limits (640 MB Max) as iBook
* no DVI connector, no ADC support, same as iBook.
* only FW400, no FW800, just like iBook
* no PC Card slot, just like iBook
Sure, somehow they have the same screen size and yet were able to trim 1.8 inches off of the overall size, but that RAM limit is not a good thing. They could have easily put a full 512MB on on the MB leaving the *single* ram slot open for another 512.
But the lack of 800 Mb/s FireWire is just bizarre. Unless…
The 12″PB actually has simply a modified iBook base. At least that’s my guess, but comparing the port placement of the two, it’s easy to see the similarities.
All of the ports are lined up on the left hand side of the machine. As oposed to the 17″PB which has them all on the right hand side.
As opposed to the 15″PB with the ports all on the back. Which brings us to our strangest aspect of the new PBs:
The Hinge. The hinges of the new 17 and 12s are similar to the iBooks’ in that the screen actually rotates back behind the far edge of the laptop. It’s interesting in that it gives you a deeper keyboard area and a stronger hinge, but it makes for a screen that cannot be folded back to flat or nearly flat. That flexibility has been very useful on Amy’s TiPB on occasion, and I’d be surprosed to see it phased out.