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And I should buy a PowerBook because of what?!...

Bengt77

Bengt77

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Not really the right place to post this in, but I'm too frustrated with Apple for this moment to go and search for a more fitting spot.

See this link. It's in Dutch, but of course Altavista can translate it for you. Then, when you're done drooling over all the specs, check out Apple's offerings. The 17" PowerBook costs 2699 against 1549 for the Medion laptop. Of course, you get a beautiful laptop for your money if you go the Apple way, but djeez! For little over half the money you get a 'good enough' (design-wise) laptop with features that make the PowerBook shrink to the miserable pile of junk it apparently is today.

See? That's why I'm a little frustrated with Apple today. 🙁
 
Bengt77 said:
Not really the right place to post this in, but I'm too frustrated with Apple for this moment to go and search for a more fitting spot.

See this link. It's in Dutch, but of course Altavista can translate it for you. Then, when you're done drooling over all the specs, check out Apple's offerings. The 17" PowerBook costs 2699 against 1549 for the Medion laptop. Of course, you get a beautiful laptop for your money if you go the Apple way, but djeez! For little over half the money you get a 'good enough' (design-wise) laptop with features that make the PowerBook shrink to the miserable pile of junk it apparently is today.

See? That's why I'm a little frustrated with Apple today. 🙁
Click to expand...

But you don't get OS X. The medion comes with another platform which makes it an unattractive offer (for me at least, and I know my way around windows very well.)
For a windows based notebook its a great offer. But its not OS X.
 
TreeHugger said:
But you don't get OS X.
Click to expand...

I'll second that. I don't buy Apple because I like the hardware all that much, or I think it's particularly fast/cutting edge.
 
yellow said:
I'll second that. I don't buy Apple because I like the hardware all that much, or I think it's particularly fast/cutting edge.
Click to expand...

Well I like the hardware a lot too, and I think its pretty cutting edge! Firewire 800! Oh and by the way, the Powerbook is one inch thick, which I think a lot of PB owners take for granted. Try to find a windows portable that is 17 inches and 1 inch thick. The only ones I know of are at least a couple of inches thick, like bricks and are massive, whereas the PB is sleek, thin and elegant!
 
Join the club, there are a lot of us out there a bit disapointed at apple's current laptop offering.

Windows is awefull, but at least the machines are up to date and there are quite a few awesome laptops out there with good designs, decent if not better battery life than the apple offerings and something that has been bothering me as of late, a decent MSN Messenger program. (Yes I've tried aMsn, Mercury, Proteus, Fire and Adium)
 
The Sony VAIO® A290 NotebookVGN-A290 comes fairly close.

But I don't want to argue the merits one way or the other of my statement. IMO, the hardware (not the aesthetics of the box) are not special. The video cards are expensive and underpowered, and bus is not all that fast, and the G4/G5 clock speeds are really lagging. But the shining plus, for me, is OS X. I'd rather be using a slow-ass Mac running OS X any day, then some bleeding edge PC running XP or Longoverdue. But that is just my opinion.
 
yellow said:
The Sony VAIO® A290 NotebookVGN-A290 comes fairly close.

But I don't want to argue the merits one way or the other of my statement. IMO, the hardware (not the aesthetics of the box) are not special. The video cards are expensive and underpowered, and bus is not all that fast, and the G4/G5 clock speeds are really lagging. But the shining plus, for me, is OS X. I'd rather be using a slow-ass Mac running OS X any day, then some bleeding edge PC running XP or Longoverdue. But that is just my opinion.
Click to expand...


Longoverdue... 😀 Thats the first time I have seen that. That's great
 
yellow said:
But the shining plus, for me, is OS X. I'd rather be using a slow-ass Mac running OS X any day, then some bleeding edge PC running XP or Longoverdue. But that is just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Well, that's mine too, actually. It's just that the laptop offer I linked to in my first post has sooooo much more to offer hardware-wise, that it almost seems silly to buy a PowerBook just for Mac OS X.

I know, I run Tiger on an 800MHz iMac G4 and ABSOLUTELY LOVE it. Yes, I know it's more about the software than about the hardware on the Apple side of things. The weird thing is, though, that the Power Mac G5 is actually pretty darn good. And so is the iMac G5. Those computers offer some great value for decent money. And when mainly considering the cost, the iMac wins from the Power Mac hands down, of course. Why does Apple then still use the G4? Where is Freescale's next version of the G4, with actually decent FSB speeds and dual cores? Until then, any Apple computer using a G4 processor is just sad a excuse for a computer.

Again, yes, with the laptop in the link you don't get Mac OS X. You don't get iLife either. You don't get the 1" thinness. You don't get the looks from other people. But anyone owning it and knowing what Apple has to offer, will know better than to envy somebody owning a PowerBook.
 
Bengt77 said:
Well, that's mine too, actually. It's just that the laptop offer I linked to in my first post has sooooo much more to offer hardware-wise, that it almost seems silly to buy a PowerBook just for Mac OS X.

I know, I run Tiger on an 800MHz iMac G4 and ABSOLUTELY LOVE it. Yes, I know it's more about the software than about the hardware on the Apple side of things. The weird thing is, though, that the Power Mac G5 is actually pretty darn good. And so is the iMac G5. Those computers offer some great value for decent money. And when mainly considering the cost, the iMac wins from the Power Mac hands down, of course. Why does Apple then still use the G4? Where is Freescale's next version of the G4, with actually decent FSB speeds and dual cores? Until then, any Apple computer using a G4 processor is just sad a excuse for a computer.

Again, yes, with the laptop in the link you don't get Mac OS X. You don't get iLife either. You don't get the 1" thinness. You don't get the looks from other people. But anyone owning it and knowing what Apple has to offer, will know better than to envy somebody owning a PowerBook.
Click to expand...


don't underestimate usability, which comes from both hard and software.

of course some pc notebook have better specs than my pb. but in a presentation, on the plane, in a car i found my pb more reliable and faster.

while others still don't get the access to the wifi and are already scared of setting up the beamer i'm already in the middle of a presentation and everything including presenter tools works perfect.
when in need an extra file i just open it and show it on the beamer while others wait for the program to start and then the resolution of the beamer is off.
also my screen is usually better than pc notebook screens. you need to invest $2500 to get a really good notebook. forget the theoretical specs. look what your colleagues have, what they paid, and then compare real world experiences.

my 2 cents.

andi
 
Bengt77 said:
I know, I run Tiger on an 800MHz iMac G4 and ABSOLUTELY LOVE it. Yes, I know it's more about the software than about the hardware on the Apple side of things. The weird thing is, though, that the Power Mac G5 is actually pretty darn good. And so is the iMac G5. Those computers offer some great value for decent money. And when mainly considering the cost, the iMac wins from the Power Mac hands down, of course. Why does Apple then still use the G4? Where is Freescale's next version of the G4, with actually decent FSB speeds and dual cores? Until then, any Apple computer using a G4 processor is just sad a excuse for a computer.
Click to expand...

Uh...excuse me? I'm confused. One second you love your iMac G4 running Tiger and the next "any Apple computer using a G4 processor is just a sad excuse for a computer"? I think you're just being grumpy. Apple has explained time and again that the G5 will not fit in it's notebook format due to heat and energy use issues. I'm sure it'll get there at some point. Until then, enjoy your "sad excuse for a computer" iMac G4. 🙂
 
In answer to the original question, I guess the answer is Mac OS X. So I'd recommend, if you must get a computer right now, get a refurb PB 12" 1.5, or else a refurb 12" iBook, both at good low prices at the online store. If you can wait, I'd suggest waiting until a little after WWDC.
 
A Windows laptop is really the ONLY choice right now.

If you are running a render farm made out of laptops...

But if what a computer DOES is more important to you than GHz, I see no alternative to OS X.

And in every regard but speed, Apple laptops have outstanding hardware too. Thin, light, durable (mine has zero scratches in 18 months), lots of high-end ports, lighted keys, instant-wake, etc.... and they are the most reliable laptop brand on the planet (see Consumer Reports).

A PowerBook is the ONLY computer that meets my needs. I wish it had a G5. It doesn't yet. What it does have is a year-and-a-half-old 1.25 GHz G4 that still handles all the high-end tasks I throw at it, up to and including 3D gaming.

If I could have one of TODAY'S PowerBook G4s instead, I'd be even happier!

What percentage of people need extra speed more than they need functionality? Maybe some people do. Windows laptops are for them: the Pentium M is a nice chip.
 
You get what you pay for.

It's the same as those cheap Dells. My folks bought a cheap PC at the same time I bought my old imac. The imac is still going strong and runs Panther just fine. The PC is junked.

Only a fool would run Windows these days. It is an antiquated and insecure OS with poor graphics and a poor user interface. If you want to actually get work done a powerbook is a better choice.
 
I don't understand why people compare Mac to Window$ 😕

From a Mac user prospective I think it's a moot point. On my Rev D PowerBook I run Adobe CS2 and Painter IX and I'm yet to see a pc that runs them any faster or "better" despite that pc's apparent faster processor.

I know from side by side comparison my artwork colour looks a lot better and is more accurate on my screen than any pc I've viewed it on (and yes my screen is properly calibrated).

I was of the opinion that part of the reason for pc's having higher processor speeds was because it is necessary to run bloated, clunky window$ OS. Let's face it when Longhorn is eventually released to these poor unsuspecting *bleep* they'll have to upgrade their computers just to run it.

Do I want my Mac to be faster because the OS depends on it? No I don't. Do I think it could be faster so I can gloat "Tim Allen Tool Time" style about my processer speed etc? No I don't, everything I use my Mac for works just as it should.
 
After literally years of waiting for a major revision to the PB line sufficient to cause me to dump my 1999 Lombard (400 MHz G3), I finally gave up last night and decided to buy a 12" PB Combo to "tide me over" until decent PBs come out.

See, I'd been paying too much attention to nay-sayers in this forum and decided that the current G4 offerings weren't really all that much better than my G3 - I mean, hey, they're so underpowered and outdated, why shouldn't I just wait until Apple made a competitive laptop?

Man, was I ever wrong. Sure, I might get a new PB when the next rev comes out (I'm a developer, and I'm yearning for higher resolutions more than I want faster speeds). Yeah, spec-wise, the PBs and iBooks pale compared to Wintel versions.

I bought my PB last night at 9 PM. At 2:30 AM, I forced myself to put it down and go to sleep. I was up at 7 AM. This little bugger is just the most fun I've had in years. And I'm used to Macs. Used them since 1984. Own an iMac, the aforementioned PB, a dual-2.0 PowerMac. And I still barely slept last night because this is so cool. And this is the smallest and slowest and least-tricked out PB. I'm sure I would have been as excited about an iBook as well.

Whatever it is, the synergy between a PowerBook (or iBook) and OS X is amazing. OS X is a fantastic OS for portable computers. And, as noted numerous times in posts above, you cannot just look at the hardware - although I think the PB is beautiful. The OS and the hardware together combine in ways Windows cannot with any laptop. I have, through work, a very nice 1920x1200 resolution Dell laptop running XP. I never use it.
 
First of all: you don't have to buy a powerbook if you don't want to 😉 .
And second, I don't see how that laptop of yours shrinks the pb to a "miserable pile of junk". Seriously, lets go over the features:
-Processor: They don't even list the Ghz (Very suspicious I would say). Ok, so the G4 is not bleeding edge anymore, so what? I was a bit skeptic about buying a new laptop with an old G4 processor but once I saw how it performed I realized how useless it is to compare chips by means of Ghz. Of course, I'd be better off with a G5 but I don't see a 64 bit processor on your Medion either.
-Hard drive : Comparable, except hard drives have a short lifespan and it gets even shorter when its a cheap brand such as -Seagate??- 🙂
Wireless: I'd say airport is better
-Memory: Same amount, yet apple's is better quality and faster (ok I admit, its also more expensive)
-DVD: ok so you can't burn dual layer dvd's with the superdrive, other than that its the same thing.
-Graphics card: Yours has a decent card, I personally prefer ATI (nvidia is not what it used to be). Anyway, I'm neutral in this category, pick your favorite.
-Speakers, headphone inputs, etc: It doesn't specify the brand of any of your multimedia hardware but I guarantee its a piece of 😱 (even if it has 6 channels) The powerbook has great sounding speakers, optical inputs/outputs, close to 0 interference (wireless card won't mess up your audio), etc.
-Ports: Yours has 2 more usb, Powerbook has better firewire (is it 6pin?).
-Software: I won't even discuss this... 😛 Windows XP vs Tiger? they're not even at the same level.. It's like comparing a beetle and a Ferrari.
-Design: Weakest point of the Medion... PB is the best designed laptop I have ever used. I can almost guarantee the medion gets very hot and is very noisy.
-Price: The Medion is cheap because it is made out of cheap hardware. The powerbook is a bit overpriced because it uses a Powerpc (which are sadly more expensive) processor, other than that its worth every penny.
-Finally, just look at how happy powerbook users are (most of them at least). I spent a lot of money on mine (saved money for about 4 months) and I am very, very happy with it. I would never go back to pcs no matter how cheap they get.
 
No-one seems to have mentioned battery life!
Am typing this on a PB G3 500 "Pismo" running 10.4.1 an OS that is about 9 days old! I have only ever added 256MB RAM to the free slot- all I've done!

That's a 5 year-old laptop running a 9 day old OS and running it WELL - and I mean WELL! Try to find me a 5 year old PC laptop running XP that well.

This laptop is still functional to me, more functional than ANY PC i've EVER used. I'd rather be opening or editing any document on this than on the year-old DELL in the Lab.

It has 2xUSB, 2xFW400, S-Video, VGA, Modem, 10/100 Ethernet, Headphone, Line In, BT via USB dongle, Airport (built in should I have the money but at the moment via PCMCIA) and 2xUSB2 (via PCMCIA). - Remember 5 years old!

Can run office & safari & mail all concurrently.
You can expect all this from the current range of PBs.
 
asanchezm said:
1 inch thick Carbon Fiber Laps

They are out there in the PC world, give it to us in Steves Reality Distorted Mac World!
Click to expand...
Sure, and it's almost twice the price ($3629.77 for the base options).

My Thinkpad is also barely over an inch thick, but it cost my employers about $3600 a year ago (with 1.5GB RAM and a docking station).
 
plinden said:
Sure, and it's almost twice the price ($3629.77 for the base options).

My Thinkpad is also barely over an inch thick, but it cost my employers about $3600 a year ago (with 1.5GB RAM and a docking station).
Click to expand...

You could always buy the Asus equivalent, the same machine, less customizable but you are still talking carbon fiber, etc..
 
Damn right!

I've been sitting on my 3+ year old PowerBook and have still not been given a reason to upgrade. While it does make me feel good about my purchase years ago, the current line is embarrasing hardware wise. The OS is the only reason I would buy an Apple portable now. Granted that's the most important thing in my opinion (I will never go Windows).

Apple won't get another damn dime of my money for my next laptop until they put a next generation chip, better video and a bigger HD into the PowerBook series.

If you feel ripped off by the whole "high end" route of the PowerBook, get a PowerBook Light (a.k.a iBook) and then sell it once Apple comes out with a real revision, not this "167mhz bump with the same damn video chip over a year a half " crap.

Stutz
 
The PowerBook vs. the something 17" Wintel

In the end, the Wintel laptop is just another laptop.
The PowerBook will be a PowerBook that you clean, use Q-tips on, and make sure is in great condition.

You just use them differently and it makes a big difference.
 
Mechcozmo said:
In the end, the Wintel laptop is just another laptop.
The PowerBook will be a PowerBook that you clean, use Q-tips on, and make sure is in great condition.

You just use them differently and it makes a big difference.
Click to expand...
i haven't treated my pismo with that kinda stuff, but 5 years on when i get it out on the train, and open it up and tiger pops up i get a huge sense of self-satisfaction. IMO it looks better than any PC laptop I've seen still!
http://www.brezhnev.net/oldpage/images/pismo.jpg
 
Agreed, they still run windows, but they show what could be.

AMD has a 64bit mobile processor, the turion, so if apple introduces a G5 mobile they won't be the first with a 64 bit laptop. At the rate they are going it seems that they will be the last.
 
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