Several sources point to a new Apple announcement for Monday August 18 or Tuesday the 19. It could be the PowerBook with Aluminum 15" and an increase in frequencies for the 12" and 17", as well as new display which will port the new G5 look with grilled border. Lastly, less probable, however, we'll never know, a little update for the iMac to spark the sale which is rather weak these last month.
While of uncertain reliability, this offers the first specific timeframe for the PowerBook updates since the World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC). PowerBooks were last updated in January, 2003 with the introduction of the 12" and 17" PowerBooks. Speculation about PowerBook updates begin shortly after that introduction... however, few credible rumors have emerged.
Recent reports claim that difficulties with PowerPC 7457 production have delayed the release of the updated PowerBooks (and iMacs). The PowerPC 7457 is said to be shipping in Q4 2003.
The only word from Apple has been hints that the G5 would not make it into the Powerbooks "anytime soon".
Based on our Buyer's Guide, both PowerBooks and iMacs have approached the end of their product cycles.
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...