Attn: Macheads!
I don’t want for much materially. I have books and music galore, am not into home decorating or furnishings, hate clothes shopping. Any money outside of bills, Jeremy and I tend to spend on the occasional going out to eat, second-run movies, charitable donations, and special classes that come up/whatnot. The only big ticket item I have really coveted in the last year is an Apple laptop. Wifi has me drooling, especially since PSU campus is one giant hot spot.
I haven’t used a Mac since high school, but I’m convinced that I want to switch when I get a laptop. Apple programs are just way cooler; I like the look better, etc. I haven’t committed to purchasing a laptop yet, but I keep pining. So here’s my question to anyone who can answer - is it totally worth the heftier price tag to go with a PowerBook over an iBook? Also, is a 12″ screen just too small (is 14-15″ the only way to go)?
Alex said,
October 21, 2004 @ 3:50 pm
Emily, I work with Apple computers. I have a PowerBook G4 15″ with wi-fi. I love it. However, I also do a lot of work on my computer (including software development). I have a 20″ Apple cinema display I connect to the laptop when home. This is a must when feverishly working on software development and lots of stuff open. I would consider an iBook, however. Buy yourself a moderate external LCD display to hook up to it. But make sure the iBook can take an external display. I forget and i’m too lazy to look it up right now. Otherwise, if you can do without the portability, you might want to consider a 20″ iMac G5 and put 1/2 - 1 gig of memory in it (and maybe wi-fi?). If I could do with out the wi-fi experience for now, and, if I could live without portability (sorta), and, I wanted to be more responsible with my money, I would go with the G5. Alotta bang fer the buck. Then again, you could be the first person (?) on campus using your brand new iMac G5 as a portable (luggagable). Well, there’s my opinion, reread, and stamped with my seal of approval. abs.
Del Miller said,
October 21, 2004 @ 7:12 pm
I use a 12″ iBook at work and it’s a pretty good little machine, but the screen is too small for my not-so-young eyeballs. Unless you are plan on carrying the machine with you everywhere I’d say get the bigger screen.
µø˜˚´¥ said,
October 21, 2004 @ 8:03 pm
Go with the 14″ - not only is it easier on the eyes, but you get a faster machine as well.
I bet you qualify for an educational discount - it should save you a couple hundred.
Alex is right - get at least a half-gig of RAM. Newer Macs aren’t so picky about CPU speed unless you’re running heavy video editing apps or Photoshop or something, but they love RAM. Need RAM. Crave RAM.
Mark said,
October 21, 2004 @ 8:28 pm
Hi,
The PowerBooks are considered pro machines, while the iBooks are educational/consumer level machines. Therefore the Powerbooks come bundled with software which caters to the pro. Quickbooks is one example. The iBooks are bundled with software the PowerBooks are not. World Book Encyclopedia and Quicken are good examples. The iBooks have slower RAM and bus speeds and their graphics cards are not as powerful. If you don’t need the power of the PowerBook, then the iBooks are great machines. Keep in mind that the resolution on the 14″ iBook is the same as the 12″. This can be a deal breaker for some. Those that desire higher resolution in a larger screen usually go for the widescreen 15″ PowerBook. In my opinion, the best thing about the Mac is OS X. It is very stable and still virus free. I’m sure you’ll be happy either way. Enjoy!!
-Mark
Lee Conley said,
October 21, 2004 @ 9:32 pm
I have the 12′’, 1 ghz iBook G4. I love it. It’s also my first note book computer. I went with the 12′’ for portability reasons. I bought a tight fitting neoprene case called “Glove” that I found over at Radtech.com, slide in the iBook, zip it, and toss it in my back pack and I’m good to go. The iBook computers are not exactly the lightest portables to be lugging around 4.9 lbs. for the 12″ and 5.9 lbs. for the 14″. Not to mention the larger size, which is great while your looking at it but, not so great when your packing it. Whatever you decide is best for you if it’s a mac , you will be happy.
Cleis said,
October 22, 2004 @ 8:36 pm
I have the 12″ iBook G4, and I have never been so in love with a machine. (And the next generation is just out; they’re faster…but mine in plenty fast.) I take it everywhere. The size and weight difference between the 12″ and the 14″ is significant, I think. The 12″ weighs practically nothing and can be carried like a notebook. I carry mine in this bag: http://www.clivebags.com/11201.html (in black; the photo doesn’t do justice to its coolness; I call it my “cyberpunk bag;” I am a geek–no, worse, I have geek aspirations)
The 14″ seems unwieldy to me. I have a friend who got the 14″ when I got the 12″, and she wishes she’d gotten the 12″. We’re both academics.
Powerbook v. iBook depends on your needs. Phaon has a Powerbook - a “vintage” tiBook - the fastest of its generation. He says (and I quote): “I wouldn’t buy the new Powerbook. It’s too big. It’s inelegant. Mine is the only computer that has ever spoken to me.” Also, he doesn’t carry his everywhere.
Since I’m an academic, I use my computer for everything, but that “everything” isn’t highly technical: dissertation, teaching, blogging, iTunes, life on the web, etc.
My town is largely wireless, so I can get on the web most places I go. I’m sure Portland is much the same way. (Is Powell’s wireless? Blogging in the Powell’s cafe on my iBook would be HEAVEN.)
Every time I use my machine, I am thrilled at its elegance and sensuality. You can’t say that about a Dell.
Medley said,
October 25, 2004 @ 4:57 am
Dori over at Backup Brain does a comparison between the Powerbook and the iBook and comes out in favor of the ibook:
http://www.backupbrain.com/2004_10_17_archive.html#a004229
Asher Abrams said,
November 1, 2004 @ 7:02 am
Hi Emily,
I just switched from PC to Mac this summer. I am blogging from a 17-inch G4 Powerbook, and I also own a 12″ that I take to class.
First off, there’s no question that the Apple is a vastly superior piece of technology. I can watch a DVD movie, surf the internet, run Word and Excel, and plot functions on Mathematica (I’m taking Calculus) - ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Try that on a PC. (Note: Mathematica is a separate purchase, and it’s a bit spendy.) You simply cannot crash your Mac by running too many programs on it. And I really like the quality of the sound and graphics - it’s light-years ahead of the PC.
That said, a couple of caveats. Contrary to myth, Apple computers DO sometimes freeze up. It’s not caused by anything you do; it’s just that, once in a while, the computer simply says, “Sorry; I don’t feel like doing that right now.” Expect to become familiar with the phrases, “Spinning Beachball of Death”, “This application has unexpectedly quit”, and (more rarely) “kernel panic”.
Also, I find I don’t care for the design of the PowerBook keyboards; the keys are flat and hard to distinguish from one another. I particularly don’t like that the cursor arrow keys are tiny, and located right next to the Shift key: this occasionally results in my pressing Shift + up arrow inadvertently, which highlights and deletes a whole block of text. Arrrrggghhhh!
If you do get a Mac, be sure to get a book (e.g. the Missing Manual guide) about OS X; that will answer a lot of your questions. Also I recommend getting MS Office for Mac - they sell it at a student discount at the PSU bookstore. Composing documents in TextEdit gets old fast, and you’ll like having the flexibility of Word.
Good luck!