Ibook 600...please convince me!

[Navius]

Dear friends...
Im planning on a getting a Ibook 600 14''...so for this reason i payed a little visit to my cousin cause he has an Ibook with the following: 500 mhz, 10gig, 128 MB, standar config...

Problem is that i tried several "tests" to measure the performance of the system (opening photoshop, imovie and others...)...and my conclusion was pretty bad...(i'm sorry for current ibook owners). To me the system was pretty slow i can't see this machine to last for more than a year.

So my question is, will the top model ibook (the one i wanna get) have any difference in performance or will a get the same crappy thing? should i be looking for a Powerbook instead? I will be using it for web design mostly... cause if so...i must say: too bad for ibooks...

System I used: System I want:
-500 G3 Mhz -600 G3 Mhz
-128 MB -512 MB
-10 Ggs -20 Gbs
-12'' -14''

This should be it...ahh and don't forget the faster burning and system bus on the top model...
Thanks for all your help...and i hope this also helps others like me.

Mario

[dualburn001]

Originally posted by Navius
Dear friends...
Im planning on a getting a Ibook 600 14''...so for this reason i payed a little visit to my cousin cause he has an Ibook with the following: 500 mhz, 10gig, 128 MB, standar config...

Problem is that i tried several "tests" to measure the performance of the system (opening photoshop, imovie and others...)...and my conclusion was pretty bad...(i'm sorry for current ibook owners). To me the system was pretty slow i can't see this machine to last for more than a year.

So my question is, will the top model ibook (the one i wanna get) have any difference in performance or will a get the same crappy thing? should i be looking for a Powerbook instead? I will be using it for web design mostly... cause if so...i must say: too bad for ibooks...

System I used: System I want:
-500 G3 Mhz -600 G3 Mhz
-128 MB -512 MB
-10 Ggs -20 Gbs
-12'' -14''

This should be it...ahh and don't forget the faster burning and system bus on the top model...
Thanks for all your help...and i hope this also helps others like me.

Mario

well the system you used, you tested in X right?
Well thats cause os X eats memory and so does photoshop. With 512 you'll be good but i recommend 1 gig

[Backtothemac]

Well, I have used both, and I have to say that Photoshop on the iBook 500 may be slow. The question is, which OS were you using? If 9, how much memory did you have allocated to PhotoShop? Those things do matter. The 500 is a great portable for people who just need to type papers, and surf the web ala students. The 600 however, has much more muscle. The 600 that I own is very fast. I have no problem with photoshop, or anything else that I throw at it. Yesterday in OS X, just for fun, I had photoshop, Virtual PC with win 95, 98, 2000, and NT all open, Entourage, and IE. The system would hesitate for about a second when changing through each open program, but I only have 384 MB of ram. I think it would do well, but I can tell you that the PowerBook will be faster, last longer, have a better screen, better storage options, more ports, and both the 12 inch iBook and the PowerBook look better than the 14 inch iBook. See one in person before you buy it.

[eyelikeart]

I think the difference u will see from both of the models u listed is going to be like night and day!

the 100 mhz faster isn't much...but u can tell the difference...

4 times the RAM of what your cousin has....that's a huge difference...

twice the hard drive space is going to be nice....

and going from a 12" to a 14" screen will be big difference...

plus u are doing web design....I'm not a web designer by any stretch...but from what I know it doesn't take a killer system to get the job done...

if u were doing some sort of animation rendering I'd suggest a TiBook or G4 tower....but from what it sounds like u will have one hell of a system for web design...

[mcrain]

I'd get the TiBook for longevity. A G4 will have better resale when the G5's come out, and you won't feel 2 steps behind.

[menoinjun]

I don't completely agree with that last statement. I don't think that the ibook is substantially slower than the tibook. My roomate has a 600mhz with 384mb ram, and it is suprisingly fast. I would defintely get one over the tibook, but the 14" screen doesn't impress me. I like the subcompact size of the 12" screen.

Whatever you do, don't get a 500mhz one. The bus speed is only 66mhz, and is substantially slower than the 600mhz ibook. I have used both side by side.

-Pete

[eyelikeart]

if I weren't so freaked out over the screen size of my TiBook 500....I'd consider dumping it for an iBook 600 14"...

but....like they say...once u go G4...u can't go back....he he he :p

[cleo]

Don't buy the 14" iBook till you've seen it in person. The 14" iBook has the same screen resolution as the 12", so for the sake of larger pixels you're losing out on the best feature of the iBook- its compact size and portability. If you really want a larger screen, go for a TiBook.

(And as far as web design goes... any designer worth his/her salt can do perfectly fine coding in TextEdit, so you shouldn't worry about the G3 :))

[eyelikeart]

Originally posted by cleo
(And as far as web design goes... any designer worth his/her salt can do perfectly fine coding in TextEdit, so you shouldn't worry about the G3 :))

I'm not a web designer...but I can use Dreamweaver...minimally Flash....and know HTML code somewhat...

and when it comes down to it....any tool that creates shortcuts to get to the same results doesn't necessarily make any less insignificant than the guy who does it from scratch....it just makes u more productive...

[Backtothemac]

I agree with Cleo on this one. Since it is the same real estate in pixels, same processor, same drive, same Combo drive, and a hell of a lot better looking, I would do what I did and get the 12 inch. I have no regrets at all. I use it 8 hours a day at work, and another 3 a day at home. The beautiful thing about the screen is that it doesn't feel like a 12.1 inch screen, and it is the best looking LCD I have ever owned, and I have owned a few. That is my 2cents.

[Navius]

well friends...thanks a lot for all your input... my final decision was to get the 12'' 600mhz model...i appreciate all your knowledge and thanks again...

Mario

[Backtothemac]

Congrats!!!

Welcome to the family so to speak. You will love it, believe me I love mine. Look forward to talking to you on posts.

[oldMac]

You made the right choice with the 12" model.

I really don't *get it* when it comes to the 14" screen. Essentially, the 14" model is just bigger. You gain nothing in screen resolution.

Why would I want to pay extra for a laptop that is bigger? (Unless it's primarily targeted at "older users" who squint a lot. :)

Also... have you seen the 14" model? It's amazing how ugly the iBook can be with that tiny keyboard in the middle of all that space. It just looks awkward.

[eyelikeart]

Originally posted by Navius
well friends...thanks a lot for all your input... my final decision was to get the 12'' 600mhz model...i appreciate all your knowledge and thanks again...

Mario

congrats Navius! just keep comfort in knowing that u will have access to tons of information via sites like macrumors...

I've actually gotten a some help here from time to time... :p

[mcrain]

Congrats. Hopefully I'll be joining the family soon too.

[Navius]

:D to all!!!

Mario (Navius)