Buying Quandry - A big PB or a little PB?

If you want real power, you have got to get either the 15 or 17 inch... The graphics are so much better, along with other specs of the laptops. I find the 15" big enough for almost anything i do (and i also have a 22" Trinitron that i find myself almost never using).

I'll Chime in for the 15"

I know you didn't mention the 15" in your original post, but I honestly think it's the best balance between desktop replacement and road-warrior tool. IMHO, the 17" is too heavy to have with you on the road, and the 12" is too cramped when at a desk.

As for your concern about screen real estate, I think the 15" does just fine--but then, I don't know how you'll be using it. I will say that the 15" screen on a Powerbook is different than 15" on a desktop; the Powerbook is designed as a widescreen computer and it's possible to have multiple windows open side by side. I do it quite frequently.

Hope this helps!

From reviews I've read of the new 15", the speed increase isn't 25% over the 1 Ghz. I'm biased (as a proud owner of a 1 Ghz TiBook) but I absolutely love my machine and have had no problems with it. If its only a slight price difference, go for the aluminum casing, but if you can get a TiBook cheap, get it.

i've had two different 15" TiBooks (667 and 1GHz) and then dropped down to the new 12" for the size and i'm loving it so far.

I have the 17, and I had the 15 before that (and the Pismo before that...). I certainly don't find the 17 too big or heavy to carry around, it gets slung in my bag every day and moves with me from lecture to lecture in the Uni. Recently I spent an hour editing and burning a DVD for my brother in laws first hang gliding lesson, right there on the mountain (well, in the van actually), by the time we'd got back to the house, he could show the family what we'd been doing.

I have to say, I only did that cos I thought I ought to be able to, but it worked a treat.

I would agree that the 17 is probably too big/heavy if you're small, but at 6'ish and 13.5 stone I find it a breeze, I don't use a second monitor or mouse, and I find it the most complete laptop I've ever owned.

i got a rev. A 12" PB... i had a chance to play with my friend's Al 15" PB this weekend...

i realize your needs are different than mine, but i don't think i can ever go back to anything larger than my PB 12". (well, i need the full sized keyboard, so i don't think i can go any smaller either.) the portability is just great. it really makes the 12" mobile computer. i do like screens better than 1024 x 768, but it's not worth the mobility as far as i'm concerned... and 15" screen is not *that* much bigger than the 12". if you get the 17", i think you get much more significant diff. in the screen size...

so i like the idea of using the external monitor with the 12". you get the best of both worlds..?