ibook 14'' or PB 12''?

you will certainly find alot of threads on this board concerning this subject.
keep in mind that both have the same screen resolutions.. so room on the screen will be the same, but the iBook will make things look a little bit bigger.

Another thing to think about is durability. I know the iBook is really durable, but last week i was flying back from europe and during takeoff.. the overhead bin flew open and out came my backpack with my 12" PB inside. though the backpack was padded, it took about a 7 foot fall to the empty seat's arm rest beneath it. ouch. There was a 'dent' on the side just above the modem port... it wasn't too bad and i have managed to sort of push the metal back into place as best i can. The moral of the story: had i opted for the iBook instead, it would have most certainly cracked the ibook's poly casing instead of just denting it.

i'm sure you never plan on dropping it, but this is one of the intangibles that will forever make me a powerbook guy and not an ibook guy.

get the powerbook. The much better graphics card and slightly faster processor means the computer will be faster for longer and you won't have to upgrade so soon

It really depends on what you plan on doing with your computer. The PowerBook will outperform the iBook in every task, but if you are only doing word processing and internet browsing, then the iBook would be a better choice due to its bigger screen.

Personally, I would go for the PowerBook. The smaller screen shouldn't be that big of a problem, and the keyboard is perhaps the best I have ever used.

wide said:

It really depends on what you plan on doing with your computer.

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Exactly. You need to figure out what you need to do and how good you need to look doing it. JK.

The PB will kick some serious butt in most things, but do you really need the extra power and portability that come with it (for the extra price)? Only you can answer that... and at least try to be truthful with yourself.

The iBook will probably suit most tasks just fine, but if you are going to be doing anything "pro" with the 'book, then I would recommend the PB. Plus, it just looks cooler.

- reaper

adamjay said:

you will certainly find alot of threads on this board concerning this subject.
keep in mind that both have the same screen resolutions.. so room on the screen will be the same, but the iBook will make things look a little bit bigger.

Another thing to think about is durability. I know the iBook is really durable, but last week i was flying back from europe and during takeoff.. the overhead bin flew open and out came my backpack with my 12" PB inside. though the backpack was padded, it took about a 7 foot fall to the empty seat's arm rest beneath it. ouch. There was a 'dent' on the side just above the modem port... it wasn't too bad and i have managed to sort of push the metal back into place as best i can. The moral of the story: had i opted for the iBook instead, it would have most certainly cracked the ibook's poly casing instead of just denting it.

i'm sure you never plan on dropping it, but this is one of the intangibles that will forever make me a powerbook guy and not an ibook guy.

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no, the ibook would probably have come up without a mark. Surviving falls is exactly the sort of thing that ibooks do incredibly well. The PB is a lot more scratch resistant, but in terms of surviving impacts, the ibook will do *much* better.

Regarding the screen, the ibook has a bigger screen, but the powerbook screen is higher quality. If the check the tech specs on apple.com, you'll see that ibooks have TFT XGA screens, whereas powerbooks have true TFT screens. 12" PBs used to have TFT XGA screens also, but in the latest rev. they have been brought up to spec with the bigger powerbooks. So not only will the PB be faster, its screen will be brighter and crisper.

I have always defended the 14" ibook when others criticized it, but in the latest revision, it's way inferior to the PB when they are nearly the same price. It's only advantages are better battery life, better airport range, and a bigger (but lower quality and same resolution) screen.

adamjay said:

you will certainly find alot of threads on this board concerning this subject.
keep in mind that both have the same screen resolutions.. so room on the screen will be the same, but the iBook will make things look a little bit bigger.

Another thing to think about is durability. I know the iBook is really durable, but last week i was flying back from europe and during takeoff.. the overhead bin flew open and out came my backpack with my 12" PB inside. though the backpack was padded, it took about a 7 foot fall to the empty seat's arm rest beneath it. ouch. There was a 'dent' on the side just above the modem port... it wasn't too bad and i have managed to sort of push the metal back into place as best i can. The moral of the story: had i opted for the iBook instead, it would have most certainly cracked the ibook's poly casing instead of just denting it.

i'm sure you never plan on dropping it, but this is one of the intangibles that will forever make me a powerbook guy and not an ibook guy.

Click to expand...

Just out of curiousity: can't you make the airline pay for any damages done in a case like that? Technically it is their fault that the compartment opened, because the flight attendants always (or are supposed to) make sure all compartments are shut before the plane takes off.

When I get my PowerBook, I certainly will not have to pay for any damages that happen because the airline failed to close the overhead bin.

Go with your gut

I am also going through this ‘opening’ stage of indecision. The ibook 14” or the powerbook 12”…

And after extensive research…

Great thought…

All kinds of financial feelings!

my choice is...

the powerbook.

I believe that most people, no matter how ibook hardy, would go out and buy a powerbook were they given the chance. They come with so much more… I mean, if you try and upgrade a 12” ibook to match the 12” powerbook… find the difference in the prices… its hardly enough to buy your breakfast.
Okay, the screen. Many will say that it is too small to be taken practically, bad for your eyes and many feel deep down that a smaller screen at such a high price is a bit down-hearting. However, when you read these comments, and feel these feelings, just remember miniaturization. In today’s modern world miniaturization is such an important area of development; small truly is beautiful, and everyone knows it. We all secretly respect a smaller piece of technology… it stands for advancement, price and style. Take the ipods for example… they struck the right nerve didn’t they.
Anyway, on the go a 12” screen is superb. It takes up little space and it makes you feel good… ‘In with the times’. You don’t notice the small size so much when you are sitting next to a middle aged gentleman on the bus, in fact you praise the size! And when you get home, plug it into your PC monitor with the supplied VGA (come on, everyone has a PC monitor…). Hey, get a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and hide away the laptop under the table and you would have a desktop, hey presto.

Screen size sorted, we move onto the advantages that the 12” powerbook has over the 14” ibook.

1) Speed. Not just with the GHZ, but also with the front side bus
2) Graphics, twice as much… get your itunes visualiser as it should be!
3) More easily upgradeable… have you seen the different methods of changing the ram? Much nicer to have a simple slot on the back of the comp than having to remove the whole keyboard!
4) Everyone likes the looks of the powerbook, and if you haven’t yet held one... go and do it. It beats the ibook hands down.
5) Peace of mind in the long run…

You will go back happy of your buy, knowing that you got the ultimate in miniaturized computing technology, and still beat the performance of the bigger model.

It’s up to you, but I too have had the same feelings as you for two months now… and have come to a final conclusion…

The powerbook 12” - technology with a feel good factor...

Lets just go out and buy it... and then take the role of the others on this thread... helping the newbies decide on which mac is for them...

-End-

Don't waste your money on a 14" iBook.

The 14" iBook is no better than the 12" iBook. In fact, it's worse. The screen is bigger, but it doesn't have any better resolution. What this means is that you will not have more desktop space, or be able to stretch windows out wider, or anything like that, it just means that everything will appear bigger than it would on a 12" iBook. To make matters worse, the 14" iBook is considerably bigger than the 12" iBook, making it bulky and awkward to carry around.

When compared to the 12" PowerBook, the 14" iBook is a joke. Don't be fooled and waste your money on the 14" iBook because it has a "bigger" screen. As long as the resolution is not any better than 1024X768 there is no difference except that your computer will be much more bulky and needlessly expensive.

Get the PowerBook.

I vote PowerBook and external display.

I wished I had gotten the 12" powerbook as opposed to the 15"

Oh well