PowerBook 12 Comfort

[EJBasile]

Since everyone told me to get a 12" SuperDrive 1.33ghz over a 15" ComboDrive Refurbished I have on last question...

After using the 12"er for long periods of time does it get unfomforable becuase the screen is so small and the keyboard size.

Thanks

[0s and 1s]

Why don't you go to a store and try the PB out for yourself? As much advice as one has given you the past few days, nothing is better than personal experience.

[EJBasile]

yea i know i have been asking a lot of questions lol

[mms]

I personally find that the 12" screen is enough for whatever I want to do. Also, the smaller size of the PowerBook makes it ideal for portability, and still packs in plenty of power for anything you want to do. Also, FYI, the keyboard is full size, the same size as any other size PowerBook.

[JOD8FY]

Even for extended periods of time, I still don't have a problem with my 12" screen size. If you're doing something computing intensive though, on battery power, it does tend to get warm on your lap ;) . But as far a screen size goes, it's perfect.

Good luck with your new PowerBook,
JOD8FY

[mms]

I don't know if that warming up problem is specific to the 12" though, or if it's something that affects all PowerBooks. In my experience, most laptops do tend to get warm with processor intensive tasks, and are not very good for use on your lap.

[PlaceofDis]

my pb 12" is my only computer now and has been for almost a year now, i never get annoyed with its size, however, whenever i visit the apple store i realize just how tiny this baby is because if i havent seen any other pbs for a while i just see this as the norm its wierd but i think the 12 will be fine for you

[spaceballl]

I have a 12" iBook, not a powerbook, but I can answer your screen related question. The screen can get cramped as Mac OSX really needs a big screen to be most effective. HOWEVER, that was really only the story until OSX 10.3. Expose really has changed the way I use my computer. I no longer minimize apps to the dock. I just flick my mouse to a corner and I can see all of my available apps, click the one I want, and get back to business. It's VERY efficient and really takes away the claustrophobia you can get w/ a small screen usually. So yes, the screen is small, but Expose makes it all better for me :-). It honestly was a small pain in the ass before Expose, especially because OSX is so much better with high res screens.
-Kevin

[logicat2001]

Howdy,

I purchased a 12" 867 PBook last June. I've been using it full time since then: I'm both a technology consultant (database development, unix administrator, open source implementation) and media developer (motion graphics, sound designer, video editing, etc.). I definitely put that little thing through its paces and loved every minute of it. Yes, the 12" screen got tiresome after a while, but I tend to have 3-9 applications running simultaneously depending on the project I'm working on. Exposé helps, but it's still cramped.

Three weeks ago I jumped on the 1.25 GHz 15" PBook, selling for $1,999 (at the time) refurbished.

This new PBook blows the 12" away in every single possible way, except for one: the size. The form factor of the 12" is perfect to pick up and move around. It's only 4.5 lbs. and battery life is really great. I feel like I've got to be more careful with the 15", than the 12".

However, I must reiterate that the 15" blows the other laptop completely out of the water. It's an absolute dream to work with, the screen is incredibly bright, crisp and clear, all applications run like sweet butter. I can't even believe how f'kin stark the improvement is.

So, my advice is this: if portability and battery life is of great importance, definitely go for the 12". You'll save some bucks, have use of a SuperDrive, and you'll have a ball carrying it e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. However, if you really need to squeeze Power out of your Book, run don't walk to the 15". You can always pick up an external SuperDrive later for $200-300.

Final point, my original 12" was Rev. A. There were a couple of architectural changes made with the Rev. B 12" PBooks and forward, so perhaps the tremendous gains I experienced had something to do with these changes. As others suggested above, go to a local dealer if at all possible, and hang out for a while to actually use it.

Best of luck and enjoy whatever you choose!

Best,
Logicat

[Bhennies]

I asked the same question on an earlier post because I ordered a 12" today (put down 500 refundable deposit). In the store, the 12" seemed that it would do just fine. My worry was for the long term, but people I know have no problem with it- especially with expose. It's way more portable than the 15"...I got it to serve as a large-scale palm pilot (I'm gonna carry it with me all the time).

By the way- the 12" is not going to be that much slower than the 15", if at all. Even the 1.5 is barely showing much improvement over the 1.33. The only thing lacking from the 12" is Firewire 800 and 2 gigs RAM capacity as well as a Radeon graphics card- in my opinion, not worth the extra cash if you want a portable book anyway. The more expensive the portable, the more I would get worried carrying it around.