Changing PowerBooks Before the Intel

If I was to buy a Powerbook with Intel would I still be able to install software realeased before this?

uh i didnt read the other comments but im pretty sure that someone mentioned that the first intel computers will be buggy, to say the least, as with the first generation of any new kind of hardware transistion. when i graduate (this spring) my gift is a new 15" powerbook. yay. i have a mac mini now. the cheaper one. so i will be happy. im just hoping that fat binaries are as good as they say they will be.

If you need the 'book stop the suffering and get it now. These machines are fast, run cool and have been under bug-removal and refinement for years. Major software apps you already own are also pretty bug-free. Mactel will take a while to soften edges on hardware and apps. Plus, software re-writing comes at a price, upgrades won't be free and if you have a lot of apps that's some money. If you need the 'book, get it now.

Right when they switch over I will but the last version of then PPC PowerBook ... ... and run Ubuntu Linux (see http://www.UbuntuLinux.com >) on it! :-D I am NOT going Intel!

Right when they switch over I will but the last version of then PPC PowerBook ... ... and run Ubuntu Linux on it! :-D I am NOT going Intel!

Being a relatively new person to the Mac world 12 months ago with a new G5 PowerMac I have thoroughly enjoyed the many aspects of working with Macs. Due to being out of the office for a length of time I found myself needing a Laptop. Yes, the Intel play was in the back of mind yet when a tool is needed to work with you purchase it. The new 17 Powerbook I am working on has been an asset to have. If a new piece of Apple equipment is needed in your business I feel that should take priority.

I saw a study that stated that the minumim time before Apple would no longer support the Macintosh OS as being able to be installed on an older Macintosh computer was seven years. And that was for the low end systems (ie. eMac,iBook, mini). It was stated that higher end systems (ie. imac G5, G5 tower) would be supported even longer. This was all based on looking at what has happen with past Apple Macintosh systems. So I would not worry and if you want to buy a new Mac go ahead!

While I have been watching this and other INTEL to MAC discussions, I have noticed no one in the MAC community has followed up on the potential changes in both IBM and INTEL chip sets from those vendor announcements. IBM came back with the "..oh you wanted something with lower power consumption... ok we do that now" with new versions of PPC and INTEL has announced that the new Pentium M based chips will strike a lower clock speed in order to get "Performance per watt" (what ever that is) to an optimum level. So is Intel saying that 4.0 ghz chips are not in it's notebook future and that a lower clock speed direction is right (like IBM is correct heaven forbid?) to fight heat generation or is it that something else is going on? Or is Apple in a bait 'n switch with their chip vendors to leverage price / perf points for the PowerPC chip for more years? Dunno - love my iMac 1.8 so I have no axe to grind and I like to watch Steve J. confound people.

I'm actually considering switching to the Mac but I really can't decide if I want to wait until the Intel's come out to do the switch. My biggest issue with switching has always been the software. I really like the software that I use and I spend a lot of time researching software before I put it on my PC right now. Do you think the software offerings for the new Mac will be mature enough when the Intel version comes out?

I have just upgraded by iBook G3 to a fully tricked out top of the lin 15" G4 powerbook. I can't wait any longer. Since it is on a lease I will be able to upgrade inb 12 or 24 months time to a new intel powerbook. Hopefully by that time wine will be running nicely on OS X!!!