Previous generation refubs: iMac 17" vs. 12" PB

[sigamy]

Hi all,

I'm dying to use iDVD to create home movies of the kids. I've been editing on a 2yr old Windows XP machine and I'm tired of the 7 hour render times (Athlon 800mhz). So I'm looking for a Mac with the Superdrive.

Apple Store has 17" iMac 1Ghz for $1299 and the 12" Powerbook for $1399. I currently have a 700mhz iBook which I'll have to sell if I upgrade. I love having a laptop, and I love the small size of the 12" but I wonder if I should just go for the iMac due to the larger screen.

Any ideas? Which would you buy?

[sigamy]

Any one have any input on this?

Which should I buy? 17" iMac w/ Superdrive or the 12" PB w/ Superdrive?

Thanks.

[jxyama]

not sure how quickly PB will render compared to a PC... did you consider a refurb PowerMac? (but it looks like you need a monitor from the tone of the post...)

performance probably won't differ much. 867 MHz vs. 1 GHz... take your pick, but if you like the portability, get the PB. i assume you won't be using the computer to view DVDs, right? (Because otherwise, nice large 17" helps...)

[Bear]

Originally posted by sigamy
Any one have any input on this?

Which should I buy? 17" iMac w/ Superdrive or the 12" PB w/ Superdrive?

Thanks.
The 17" iMac has a bigger screen which makes editing movies easier. Also, the faster harddrive and faster processor on the iMac should help a bit with movie rendering in iDVD.