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Powerbook Temptation

L

laurensimpson

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2005
4
0
So the battery on my iBook G4 has died out after 2 1/2 years of student use (read: rough wear and tear). As I was thinking about getting a new battery, the thought occurred that I might just get a whole new computer. 800 mhz is not enough to run Dreamweaver and Photoshop well and the Powerbook is calling to me.

However I read that they are making the switch to Intel come 2006. Assuming that it is early 2006, that is still a long way off. Does anyone think there will be an update sooner than Intel? Also, this site says "Only buy if you need it - reaching the end of the cycle".

Is it the general consensus that it would be wiser to wait for the update, or would getting one now be a good move? I'm not entirely sure what the Intel update will mean, and it even scares me a bit. I love the way the Macs run right now, and planning to spend the big bucks to venture into the unknown makes me wary. It also may be quite a while until they come out in 2006 and I've got the itch.

I would love some advice!!!! Thanks all.

Cheers!
 
tuartboy

tuartboy

macrumors 6502a
May 10, 2005
747
19
there may be a small speed bump to the PB line (just like the recent ibook updates) but you could buy now with confidence that you will be good for a year or so. in a year, see if you really want to buy a rev A mactel, and then sell off your old one. they keep value really well.
 
FFTT

FFTT

macrumors 68030
Apr 17, 2004
2,952
1
A Stoned Throw From Ground Zero
I'd get a new battery for your iBook and sell it, then
evaluate how much you want to spend on single processor G4 technology.

OR...

Get the new battery and keep your iBook for portable needs and spend $1400 on a new 17" G5 iMac.
 
G

Gmac07

macrumors member
Jul 13, 2005
65
0
haha im in the same situation! ive got a 2 year old compaq P4 laptop with no battery, weighs a tons and is loud as hell! BUT it still runs decent, isnt TOO slow, but i need something portable! and even if i did get a new battery, the thing weighs a TON! so any way i think im gonna pick up the 12" powerbook on monday. do i absolutely NEED to buy it? probably not, i could suck it up and use campus lab computers while at school, but who wants to have to do that? but the way i look at it is that when the mactel pb's come out i wouldnt want to buy revA. so for me, with only 2 years of school left, why not get the best tools to help me succeed now. if i suck it up and wait, by the time i do get a nice portable, i probably wont need it that much longer. As long as this 12" powerbook lasts me a good solid 2 years till i graduate college, I'll be a happy camper and would never feel i wasted $1400 of my hard earned money.
 
amin

amin

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2003
977
9
Boston, MA
laurensimpson said:
Does anyone think there will be an update sooner than Intel? Also, this site says "Only buy if you need it - reaching the end of the cycle"...
Click to expand...
I think an update is coming soon. I'm pretty sure there will be an update prior to the Intel PBs. That said, I upgraded from a Rev A 12" PB to a new 15" PB two weeks ago since the current model does everything I'll need for the next year or two and I was pretty itchy.
 
mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
FFTT said:
Get the new battery and keep your iBook for portable needs and spend $1400 on a new 17" G5 iMac.
Click to expand...


I didn't have the battery problems but that's exactly what I did. I weighed up getting a PowerBook or an iMac and keeping the old G4 iBook and decided that since the only real benefit of the latter is a slight performance gain on the road, whereas a G5 will blow both away, that the iMac was the way to go.

Now, I've got a reasonably powerful laptop (fine for a student) and very capable G5 iMac for home use. I'm happy as Larry. :D
 
G

Gmac07

macrumors member
Jul 13, 2005
65
0
oh and as far as the ibook, i need to have the ability to work on an external monitor. I do plan on doing some video editing and other more intensive tasks. i just think that for the extra $400 i will have no worries of any sort of limitations.
 
mad jew

mad jew

Moderator emeritus
Apr 3, 2004
32,191
9
Adelaide, Australia
Gmac07 said:
i need to have the ability to work on an external monitor.
Click to expand...


Personally, that's the only reason I can see for getting a PowerBook over an iBook at the moment. Sure, screen spanning is possible on an iBook, but it's much easier/better on the pro machine. :)
 
FFTT

FFTT

macrumors 68030
Apr 17, 2004
2,952
1
A Stoned Throw From Ground Zero
When you look at the newest software system requirements for most of the Pro apps, they say you can get by with a G4, but nearly all of them recommend a G5.

The Rev B 2.0 GHz, 17" WS iMac G5 with the 128 MB GPU is probably the best ready to go configuration Apple has come out with in years.

Your 867 MHz iBook is still fine for basic portable needs as long as it has at least a combo drive.
 
W

wako

macrumors 65816
Jun 6, 2005
1,404
1
laurensimpson said:
So the battery on my iBook G4 has died out after 2 1/2 years of student use (read: rough wear and tear). As I was thinking about getting a new battery, the thought occurred that I might just get a whole new computer. 800 mhz is not enough to run Dreamweaver and Photoshop well and the Powerbook is calling to me.

However I read that they are making the switch to Intel come 2006. Assuming that it is early 2006, that is still a long way off. Does anyone think there will be an update sooner than Intel? Also, this site says "Only buy if you need it - reaching the end of the cycle".

Is it the general consensus that it would be wiser to wait for the update, or would getting one now be a good move? I'm not entirely sure what the Intel update will mean, and it even scares me a bit. I love the way the Macs run right now, and planning to spend the big bucks to venture into the unknown makes me wary. It also may be quite a while until they come out in 2006 and I've got the itch.

I would love some advice!!!! Thanks all.

Cheers!
Click to expand...



Since this seems like you simply need a battery replacement... why not wait? If the case was that your system was a big dead paper weight, then I would say go and buy now. I really think you should probably wait.

However you did say that dreamweaver and what not doesnt work though. If that is very important programs that you absolutely need to run perfectly, I guess its better that you buy.

So i personally think it really depends on the circumstance you are in.


If you can suck it up and just replace the battery, i say do that.
 
crazzyeddie

crazzyeddie

macrumors 68030
Dec 7, 2002
2,792
1
Florida, USA
What do you think the updated Powerbooks will have? 1.8ghz G4 (high-end) with the 1.67 on the low. What else will Apple update though? 128MB Dual-link DVI on the high-end 15"? Dual layer Superdrives? What else?
 
L

laurensimpson

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2005
4
0
Some very excellent advice here, thanks for all the help everyone. First time to MacRumors Forum and I will surely be coming back frequently.

To elaborate on my situation: I'm a student primarily, but somewhat of a hobby web designer and photo editor. Thusly, Photoshop needs to work for me (and not lag like it does now! That can be immensely frustrating!)

Some were mentioning going for the iMac and that really made a lot of sense when I thought about it. I was always thinking: portability, portability, portability. But a fresh reformat and a new battery should keep my iBook in working condition to use the word processor, and a blazing G5 would have a lot more longevity in terms of withstanding the updates and still being able to run my programs.

The iMac is in good buying position, I assume?
 
G

Gmac07

macrumors member
Jul 13, 2005
65
0
yea believe me, if i already had a decent portable laptop to carry around, id prolly opt for the imac also. whenever my parents HP craps out, im gona make them get one. but unfortunately in my situation i cant afford both a new laptop AND an imac. so for now im gona get the 12" powerbook, and that will surely get me through 2 more years of school.
 
Alone2Gether

Alone2Gether

macrumors regular
Jul 27, 2005
113
0
crazzyeddie said:
What do you think the updated Powerbooks will have? 1.8ghz G4 (high-end) with the 1.67 on the low. What else will Apple update though? 128MB Dual-link DVI on the high-end 15"? Dual layer Superdrives? What else?
Click to expand...

an ATi 9800 Video Card? :eek: :D
 
L

lfielder06

Guest
Dec 5, 2004
193
0
I am in a similiar situation because I have a rev a 12" powerbook that has become too slow for everything that I want to do (ie iMovie, iDVD, and photoshop). It has accually become too slow for iphoto to really work well. I could still use this as my portable machine and get a rev b 20" imac g5 as my home machine and for most of my work, or I could get a 1.67 15" pb maxed out on everything as my only machine. I know the imac will be faster, but how much faster? I am still leaning towards a powerbook because then I will have everything on one machine. Any thoughts??
 
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