iBook vs TiBook for Java development

[jalagl]

Hi.

I posted this to another thread, where it went unnoticed.

I want to hear your opinion on this issue. I'll buy either a 900Mhz ibook or a 867 TiBook in the next few days (I'm leaning towards the TiBook for the screen). Apart from browsing, email, etc. I'll use it for Java development - How much of a performance gain, if any, will I get from java apps in the TiBook? Is this one application in which the additional investment would be justified? What have been your experiences doing this type of development on an ibook?

I mostly run JBuilder, Eclipse, Tomcat and JBoss.

The thing is I need the laptop right away and can't wait for the new 15" tiBook to come out ... even though they finally apear to be on the horizon. I might even sell the iBook in a few months and buy the PB then.

Thanks!!!

[zulgand04]

Im getting into java next year when i go to college, and i was woundering the same thing, is the pb over kill?


-Neal

[Wyrm]

Originally posted by jalagl
How much of a performance gain, if any, will I get from java apps in the TiBook?

Actually, don't think you'd see much if any "gain" but then it all depends on what you are doing. The iBook may be faster since Java is pretty much all about cache, and the PPC750FX has 512kb of L2 at 900Mhz... the TiBook has 256kb L2 and it might have an L3 (too lazy to check) - if you can cache the VM and classes you fly, otherwise performance is dismal.

I can't imagine AltiVec really plays any part in a server-side java app, so your decision should be more based on the screen, graphics (which are better on the TiBook), or form factor (more personal)

-Wyrm

[bousozoku]

As far as caching goes, the 12 inch PowerBook is less capable than its bigger brothers. There has been nothing from Apple about AltiVec usage in the Java Virtual Machine. I also don't believe that will happen until there are only AltiVec-capable models throughout notebook and desktop computer lines. They've been trying to simply the JVM for quicker adoption of changes from Sun and AltiVec and non-AltiVec code would certainly complicate things.