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neon

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 27, 2004
85
0
UK
hi all

i'm not looking to buy a new machine until late this year but i want to think about what i'll get now, here's why:

i currently run windows xp on a getting-elderly dell, though since getting this i have added firewire and usb2, new hard drive, new cd-r, etc, i could get a couple more years out of it if i add some more ram and maybe got a new cpu

i use macs at work and love os x 10.2/3 (i use both, 10.2 on my machine and 10.3 on my coworkers) and the look of the machines, everything about them. when i was working with a g4 i realised i should switch, and thought, ok, imac, perfect. but now i work with an imac and yes they're beautiful but the novelty has worn off, so i'm thinking ibook?

hmm sorry this might read as rambly, but in choosing i decide what to do in the meantime - if i decide to get an ibook then i'd keep running a windows machine, and thus invest a little in this dell, maybe even get a new tft monitor and those aren't cheap, prob end up using the ibook as my main machine but not totally leave the world of windows, while i much prefer os x and see all of windows' faults i dont hate hate hate the os altogether (then later replace windows machine with a ?mac because i cant imagine not having a desktop and then the ibook becomes the 'second' machine)

but that said i wouldnt miss it for a nanosecond either so if i got an imac it would be bye bye windows full stop - which would mean coping with the dell for the next 6 - 8 months and then not having the luxury of portability (i absolutely dont need to be able to carry a machine around, i'm sure if i had one i'd find reasons to but i havent had a laptop in about 6 years and cope just fine)


so really i guess i'm asking what might be the best thing to do in the long run, or am i looking at this from the wrong angle, maybe in 6-8 months i'll want a powermac instead, what i DONT want to do though is pump a few hundred £'s into this for it to become just an expensive box on a scrapheap after then paying £1200-£1500 for a mac

so yeah
all advice opinions and suchlike very welcome :)
 

intrepkid21

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2004
145
4
Long Island, New York
Stick with the Dell for the 6-8 months like you said and see what happens to the iMac in that time period..I expect a significant update in that timespan. Don't use a iBook as your main machine if you are doing any serious work on it (digital audio/video/photography) because the max of 640mb just doesnt cut it for those apps..wait for an update to that too.
 

Krizoitz

macrumors 68000
Apr 26, 2003
1,724
2,065
Tokyo, Japan
What do you plan to do with the computer? That can make a big difference in your purchasing decsion. How soon are you looking to purchase? How much are you willing to spend?
 

neon

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 27, 2004
85
0
UK
thanks for the replies :)

my main uses are pretty basic right now, web/email, instant messaging, word processing, music (computer > stereo). i am into photography a little but nothing major.

i'm thinking i'd purchase around october, until then i have a few other money eating things to get out of the way :)
budget wise, not entirely sure, i think i'd play it safe right now and guesstimate a max of £1400 inc any upgrades to a stock machine (lovely expensive ram :( ) and any accessories. i think the power___'s would be out of my range unless there happened to be a great deal on. i am eligible for education discount too. but uk prices are so high :(

although, side-note (thinking outloud) i *may* be going to new york later in the year, if i chose ibook could i purchase it there without it being sort of dodgy?
 

Krizoitz

macrumors 68000
Apr 26, 2003
1,724
2,065
Tokyo, Japan
neon said:
thanks for the replies :)

my main uses are pretty basic right now, web/email, instant messaging, word processing, music (computer > stereo). i am into photography a little but nothing major.

i'm thinking i'd purchase around october, until then i have a few other money eating things to get out of the way :)
budget wise, not entirely sure, i think i'd play it safe right now and guesstimate a max of £1400 inc any upgrades to a stock machine (lovely expensive ram :( ) and any accessories. i think the power___'s would be out of my range unless there happened to be a great deal on. i am eligible for education discount too. but uk prices are so high :(

although, side-note (thinking outloud) i *may* be going to new york later in the year, if i chose ibook could i purchase it there without it being sort of dodgy?

YIKES. I just did a currency conversion and £1400 turns into $2500. Wow, those foreign prices suck. Tariffs must be terrible. You could easily pick up a PowerBook 12" w/ superdrive + accessories. Dang. The only problem you run into is if you need service.
 

tuftywhite

macrumors member
Jul 17, 2003
52
0
Nottingham/UK
iMac vs iBook

I bought a G3 iBook in November 2002. I have been so pleased with my purchase. My sister has recently bought the G4 and it flies compared to my G3. Like they previous chap said, if you're doing heavy duty stuff get a desktop, but it sounds like you're doing general stuff which the iBook will be fine for.

I'm on Broadband at home and have a wireless router, so I sit in the lounge watching the telly with the iBook on the arm of the settee, doing whatever I want. I also have a CRT iMac upstairs, hard wired to the router and linked to my external FW HD. Wirelessly, from my iBook, I can link to the iMac and the HD and by the miracle of Windows XP, enable the remote login to my PC at work. You could, from the comfort of your living room, still use your PC desktop, from your iBook if you wanted. Hours of endless fun with a remakably low set up time.
 

josepho

macrumors regular
Mar 12, 2004
240
0
Surrey, England
tuftywhite said:
I bought a G3 iBook in November 2002. I have been so pleased with my purchase. My sister has recently bought the G4 and it flies compared to my G3. Like they previous chap said, if you're doing heavy duty stuff get a desktop, but it sounds like you're doing general stuff which the iBook will be fine for.

I'm on Broadband at home and have a wireless router, so I sit in the lounge watching the telly with the iBook on the arm of the settee, doing whatever I want. I also have a CRT iMac upstairs, hard wired to the router and linked to my external FW HD. Wirelessly, from my iBook, I can link to the iMac and the HD and by the miracle of Windows XP, enable the remote login to my PC at work. You could, from the comfort of your living room, still use your PC desktop, from your iBook if you wanted. Hours of endless fun with a remakably low set up time.

That really opitimizes the reason why I've just ordered an iBook - the total freedom of movement when combined with a wireless router. BEAutiful!

One thing I'll really enjoy is being able to lie in bed, in the morning or at night, in my pyjamas, still enjoying all the benefits of the computer, without getting my lazy a$$ out of bed. I might end up getting a desktop again in 9-12 months, maybe an iMac, but I don't know if I'll really need it - we'll see.

G'luck all. :)
 

wPod

macrumors 68000
Aug 19, 2003
1,654
0
Denver, CO
the only reason to get an iBook instead of an iMac would be protability. if you really do not need the portablity then get the iMac. it will have a bigger screen and be a little nicer and faster. But either one will cover your desired user of e-mail web and such. just sit back and see what is availble in 6 or so months, might be something cooler then that will make the decision for you.
 

rueyeet

macrumors 65816
Jun 10, 2003
1,070
0
MD
neon said:
prob end up using the ibook as my main machine .... (then later replace windows machine with a ?mac because i cant imagine not having a desktop and then the ibook becomes the 'second' machine)

...(i absolutely dont need to be able to carry a machine around....i havent had a laptop in about 6 years and cope just fine)
Carving up your post as I have, it sounds like you don't have any specific need for a laptop, and may even miss having a desktop after awhile. While you might use an iBook around the house, or occasionally take it with you, it doesn't sound like you're really about that.

Like the others have said, if you're buying later in the year, there may well be new product designs by then. Maybe Apple will make a new iMac with enough "novelty" to entice you (but novelty and "eh, why not" are not good enough reasons to choose a laptop over a desktop).
 

neon

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 27, 2004
85
0
UK
thanks again guys :)

i guess for now i'll not invest too much into the dell, maybe get an external fw drive so when i change machine (whichever way i go) i can take it with me, and just make do with putting some more ram in for now, thats not too much to forfeit when it goes

the idea of being able to use an ibook in bed though, thats got me daydreaming :D


maybe i'll get rich and get both :p ;)
 
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