Buying a Powerbook in June

[Micah]

ok, you all know I'm a geek.

But, I've decided to buy an Apple Powerbook. Turns out I can do all the same stuff I do on my pc (mp3, shoutcast, emulators, dvd ripping, just about everything but all the games, and I already have a home pc for that anyway) ; So I want some input. Anyone here a MAC user?

I'm between the 12" Powerbook G4 or the 15" Powerbook G4.

Here is the build up. (for comparison's sake)
The 12" Powerbook
1GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR266 (256MB built-in & 256MB SO-DIMM)
80GB Ultra ATA drive @ 4200rpm
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
AirPort Extreme Card
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
iSight
Rechargeable Battery - 12-inch PowerBook G4
APP for PowerBook (w/ or w/o display) - Enrollment Kit
12.1-inch TFT Display


Subtotal $2,750.00

The 15" Powerbook
1.25GHz PowerPC G4
512MB DDR333 SDRAM - 1 SO-DIMM
80GB Ultra ATA drive @ 4200 rpm
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
Backlit Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
AirPort Extreme Card
iSight
Rechargeable Battery - 15-inch Aluminum PowerBook G4
APP for PowerBook (w/ or w/o display) - Enrollment Kit
15.2-inch TFT Display


Subtotal $3,326.00

I know the price difference is kinda considerable - but it's really not an issue. I'm saving right now, and I'll have the money in June, which gives me plenty of time to think about it. I'm kind of hoping they release a G5 Powerbook by then, but from what I have read, the G5's run way too hot currently and until they move to a smaller manufacturing process.... blah blah - enough geek s***.

The processor speed is faster on the 15" and so is the bus speed 266mhz vs. 333mhz. Now I know that it shouldn't make a huge difference, but with the faster bus speed, and the faster cpu - it's going to make a difference. Plus, I can add more ram to the 15", - and there is the screen size and higher resolution.

But then - the 12" is so nice and small - really could take it and use it just about anywhere.

Grrr..... - any thoughts?

Yeah, these are the only things I kinda worry about. Life is good.

 

[RyanJayG]

damn lucky dog.... I want!!!!

 

[pHase1]

Get the one with the better battery

 

[vmoose22]

I would get the 12inch. I have seen them both upclose, and I think if you will be travelling with it at all, the 12inch is the way to go. It is so nice and very light. And if you aren't going to travel with it, get the PowerMac G5!

 

[rt66protege]

15" powerbook... *drooool*

I have an iMac. Macintosh ROCKS! (upyours) PC's... i would kick them to the side in a second.

 

[mountjonas]

go with the 15 inch. i love the 12, but the screen is almost too small. that's the one i'm saving up for next. it'll be a while before they release a g5 powerbook. remember how long it took them to release the g4 powerbook after the g4 tower came out. either way, you won't be disappointed.

 

[garretts77]

I am in IT so as a rule, I always kind of stayed away from the Apples. My girl, on the other hand, is a graphic artist, and they use Macs almost exclusively. She has the newest iBook 15inch and it is pretty sweet. I love that when you turn on the Console, that it is expecting UNIX commands. It is fast and light and I have absolutely no complaints once we worked out the software upgrade issues (she used to have OS 9, and most of that software doesn't wotk in OS X). I would say that you would probably be safe just getting th iBook and saving the other $1500.

If you wanted to stick to only the ones listed, then I would say get the 15. I think that the 12 is too small.

 

[Micah]

I like the look of the powerbook - so I don't mind paying more for it. Plus the ibook has the lower bus speed. If I was going with the 12" - I might consider the ibook instead.

The money isn't really an issue, not that I'm rich - but I've got the time to save. As long as I have it in time for H2K4 - I'm fine.

Yeah, I realize the G5 is a long ways off, I have a friend with one, and the cooling inside reminds me of some overclocked setups I've seen in PC's... obviously - heat is a concern. Not to mention voltage. Still would be nice if at least they did a little price drop by June.

 

[505zoom]

You can get the 15" without DVD-R and the illuminated keys for way cheaper. Mine was 1800$ at compusa. Go with the 15" for sure, it is the perfect size for a laptop.

You will love this thing, very good choice. I have had it for a few months now, and never had a single problem. The screen's clarity is amazing, and the speed on a cable modem is ultra fast. All of the included programs work good, itunes blows away any music program on a PC. I had a Vaio laptop before this, and it sucked bigtime.

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

 

[Micah]

Let me say this one more time : the money is not an issue. I don't mind spending up to $3,400 on a laptop, and I already plan to do so.

Yeah, the more I look at it, the 15" is the way to go. Portability isn't being comprimised very much. And there is just so many reasons - the only thing I can say for the 12" is that - it's smaller. Not a huge deal.

I like my DVD Burner in my pc, I want one in my laptop too!

 

[chuyler1]

We got a Dual 2GHz G5 at work for our development server.

I set it up for Xcode distributed builds. Besides the fact that Xcode crashes on a regular basis, I like it. I can't stand the finder though...I'm thinking about writing a basic Windows Explorer Cocoa App so I can have the folder tree on the left and the file icons on the right.

 

[RyanJayG]

All of the included programs work good, itunes blows away any music program on a PC.

hha, dont forget that you can get iTunes on the PC now...

I miss my mac

 

[subaruwrx]

I have had them both. I like the 15 better for day to day use. However, I like teh compactness of the 12. Oddly enough, the 12 feels heavier in the bag.

Anyway, the 15 is as close to perfection...

Oh, and I am a Sys Admin for Windows and Unix Servers and I ONLY use my powerbook. I think its fun to administer a Windows network with ADS only using a mac.
Windows sucks.
--A

 

[chuyler1]

Windows has its place, as does Mac OS X and Linux...that discussion belongs elsewhere.

My only problem with Apple is that they forget that their users don't upgrade to the latest release as soon as it comes out and they drop support for their older releases way to fast. Example, Safari 1.2 is only available on Mac OS X 10.3. It hasn't even been six months and their adding features that won't work on 10.2. They could at least allow 10.2 users to install it. Then they would get the bug fixes and any feature that won't work on 10.2 could just be disabled. Microsoft kept supporting Windows 95 with their releases of Internet Expolerer up to Version 5.

 

[Micah]

Yeah, I've long ago accepted the fact that Windows is the everymans OS, while Mac is more of an elitist OS. My iMac G3 266mhz used to run 8.5 but I put YDL 3.0 on it, and it breathed new life into what would have otherwise been a nearly useless machine. I did upgrade the ram from 32 to 288 however.

Job interview today at 10, wish me luck. If this goes through, I'll bump my annual salary from 40k to 73k+.