Will the 17" Powerbook make me look like an idiot? [Archive]

Sun Baked

Jul 25, 2004, 01:14 AM

I look like a wierdo if I sat down in class and opened up a 17" powerbook? Im going to need it to be a desktop replacement while im in college so I really dont want to sacrafice to a smaller sceen size. What do you guys think?A mirror test will probably tell you much quicker than the forum here will about that question. :p

It'll all depend on which one you'll feel more comfortable carrying around all the time, because you can always get a bigger external monitor for those time you sit down at home for the 15" PB -- but it's real hard to make a 17" PB smaller.

Brother Michael

Jul 25, 2004, 01:19 AM

-- but it's real hard to make a 17" PB smaller.

Nah just use a saw...a bandsaw at that!

Seanb23

Jul 25, 2004, 01:27 AM

Besides think of it this way, you have the laptop that eats others for breakfast.

Mike

Ahem, not until Apple fits a fast processor into it, it won't. I like my 17" PB just fine for what it is...a beautiful, reliable, well built machine with the best OS on the planet...but a fast laptop it is not. Check out comparably priced peecee laptops with M chips or AMD 64s if you want to see FAST. Of course, the owners of these machines are stuck with XP, and therein lies the problem.

Now, why, oh why is it that Apple will not allow us to run OS X on something in that league in a laptop ? Though I will concede that the news about the dual core IBM CPUs is good...

Brother Michael

Jul 25, 2004, 01:31 AM

Now, why, oh why is it that Apple will not allow us to run OS X on something in that league in a laptop ?

Man if they did that, half my problems would be solved.

Mike

smurfsgonewild

Jul 25, 2004, 02:39 AM

Heck no man. It'll make you the king of the laptop world in that class. All the mac owners will come to your side and the windows users shall bow before you. They know who their master is. Just scared to admit it. Been a mac user for all of a two days and I have seen the light. Really, if I would have had the money for a 17" pbook, I would have been all over that. But if somebody does think you look stupid. Just stare at the might of your big ole' computer and that'll make it all worth it.

Megaquad

Jul 25, 2004, 03:39 AM

I have 15" one, and.. more screen would be nicer but I'm not sure I'd like lack of portability and looking like a weirdo slightly. I mean 17" it's great but it would draw too much attention... Don't know.

Jalexster

Jul 25, 2004, 04:52 AM

The bigger the better.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=65706&highlight

Read this and you will know what I mean.

the future

Jul 25, 2004, 05:01 AM

...but a fast laptop it is not.

Max out the RAM. It makes all the difference in the world.

thejazzman10

Jul 25, 2004, 07:33 AM

The bigger the better.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=65706&highlight

Read this and you will know what I mean.
no fair!

I was gunna post that :D

Lancetx

Jul 25, 2004, 09:21 AM

I like my 17" PB just fine for what it is...a beautiful, reliable, well built machine with the best OS on the planet...but a fast laptop it is not.

I guess speed is relative because I certainly have no complaints with the speed of mine. I've never owned anything electronic in my life that is more of a conversation starter and that gets more envious stares than my 17" PowerBook. Granted, that's not what I bought it for, but it's like what a PC using friend said to me recently..."wow, that has to be the finest notebook on earth, I've never seen anything like it." That pretty much says it all.

edesignuk

Jul 25, 2004, 09:36 AM

For taking to classes and such I'd go the route of a 12/15" PB and and external CRT/LCD in your room to hook it up to.

BornAgainMac

Jul 25, 2004, 09:37 AM

but a fast laptop it is not. Check out comparably priced peecee laptops with M chips or AMD 64s if you want to see FAST.

Increase the Ram-a-Mhz. It will feel like a PB G5.

Solafaa

Jul 25, 2004, 11:21 AM

I dont see the need to take it to class, but thats just me

TreeHugger

Jul 25, 2004, 12:23 PM

The 17 inch is about one inch deeper and one inch wider than the 15 inch and only 1.2 pounds heavier. This slight difference will not make you look like an idiot.
But in the end, you have to get whatever you will be comfortable with.

ifjake

Jul 25, 2004, 12:44 PM

i think you should go to an applestore somewhere and take a look at them. the 15 inch has the same kind of widescreen aspect ratio that makes it feel bigger than it actually is. plus you'd have a few dollars more than you would buying the 17 inch to max out on what needs maxing out. but get your hands on them to see what feels right.

kirk26

Jul 25, 2004, 12:49 PM

I will be attending college shortly and taking a 17" powerbook to class would be no problem..(I dont care about portability, lol) but would I look like a wierdo if I sat down in class and opened up a 17" powerbook? Im going to need it to be a desktop replacement while im in college so I really dont want to sacrafice to a smaller sceen size. What do you guys think?

Yes

18thTomorrow

Jul 25, 2004, 02:26 PM

I dont see the need to take it to class, but thats just me

One of the most important reasons I just bought my iBook is the ability to take it to class and use it for notetaking. I type much faster than I write and I can be a lot more organized with the iBook than I could with a bunch of spiral notebooks. It's also a lot easier to share notes with other classmates if I can just give them a printout, rather than having to photocopy my notebook or something...

but that's just me.

Brother Michael

Jul 25, 2004, 03:04 PM

One of the most important reasons I just bought my iBook is the ability to take it to class and use it for notetaking. I type much faster than I write and I can be a lot more organized with the iBook than I could with a bunch of spiral notebooks. It's also a lot easier to share notes with other classmates if I can just give them a printout, rather than having to photocopy my notebook or something...

but that's just me.
That is the exact reason why I bought my iBook.

Mike

GFLPraxis

Jul 25, 2004, 03:19 PM

Ahem, not until Apple fits a fast processor into it, it won't. I like my 17" PB just fine for what it is...a beautiful, reliable, well built machine with the best OS on the planet...but a fast laptop it is not. Check out comparably priced peecee laptops with M chips or AMD 64s if you want to see FAST. Of course, the owners of these machines are stuck with XP, and therein lies the problem.

Now, why, oh why is it that Apple will not allow us to run OS X on something in that league in a laptop ? Though I will concede that the news about the dual core IBM CPUs is good...

You mean peecee owners with AMD 64s and laptops that are 2 and a half inch thick, and two hours of battery life? Compared to our powerbooks that are as fast as the centrinos, get as good battery life, and to top it off are only one inch thick?

Sure, not the fastest, but definitely the most portable.

Chip NoVaMac

Jul 25, 2004, 04:31 PM

Think twice about the size of the 17". Some colleges have small desks, and the 17" will out size many of them. That is why I think the PB 12" is so sweet.

papersushi

Jul 25, 2004, 04:35 PM

I have a 17'' PowerBook and I take it to work and coffee shop almost everyday. I can tell you that unless you need to bring it with you ride subway in NYC or SF everyday, its not a big deal. Remember actually 17'' PowerBook is almost 2 pounds lighter than most 15'' Dell Inspiron laptops.

When you pull out your 17'' PowerBook, the only thing you get from others will be the "wow factor". You will be surprised how many people will engage a conversation with you when they see the 17'' PowerBook.

If someone will be looked like an idiot will be the person who sitting next to you holding a plastic 3 inches thick PC laptop.

17'' PowerBook won't let you down I can ensure you.

JzzTrump22

Jul 25, 2004, 04:35 PM

I don't think so. I'm sure some people will look at you like your a wierdo for bring a "big" machine to class. But then once they start looking at it they'll be like "damn, that is sexy!" I wouldn't worry too much about it.

TreeHugger

Jul 25, 2004, 04:58 PM

small college table = powerbook partially sits on table = better air circulation = depending on wobblyness increased risk it may fall

aswitcher

Jul 25, 2004, 05:09 PM

The 17 is great although after a month and a half I am still getting used to just ho wbig it is when I pull it out...especially when it gets plonked down next to a "PC" 15" which tends to be as heavy and half as thick again.

No one has complained its too big or too heavy. Its just taking some getting used to :)

juxel

Jul 25, 2004, 05:11 PM

leftbanke7

Jul 25, 2004, 05:21 PM

What are your majors that you can actually take decent notes on your laptops?

-Juxel

As a film major, taking notes via computer is very feasable hense why I bought one. The lectures are never too fast nor overly complicated and I also can't write for an long period of time without my wrist becoming sore. I found this out the hard way in my Sport In American Society class last semester. A lot of notes and no recording devices allowed. Added to this is wireless internet points all over campus to make those long boring lectures go buy muuuuuuch faster!!!

justinshiding

Jul 25, 2004, 05:43 PM

You mean peecee owners with AMD 64s and laptops that are 2 and a half inch thick, and two hours of battery life? Compared to our powerbooks that are as fast as the centrinos, get as good battery life, and to top it off are only one inch thick?

Sure, not the fastest, but definitely the most portable.

Some get considerably worse battery lives than even that! I think it was the dell dimension XPS that got either 45 minutes or 1 hour and 45 minutes...either way it was pretty bad (although it was a best of a laptop.)

Although those centrino chips are considerably faster than the G4's that are in the powerbooks right now. Especially the new generation of pentium Ms (up to 2 ghz and faster than a p4 per mhz). Supposedly they get excellent battery lives as well (greater than 4 hours). They still haven't done anything really to cure that "looks like a brick" problem though.

amyhre

Jul 25, 2004, 06:00 PM

My Cisco Networking Academy had one of those "Mobile" Pentiums or whatever, Centrino, I think. She was saying that the 4 hours is a myth. In reality it's still closer to 2, if that.

nyprospect

Jul 25, 2004, 06:07 PM

Unless your 3 feet tall (im not making fun of little people) or unless you are 110 pound female,Then you might get some stares.Who cares what people think.Its a powerbook baby! :cool:

TreeHugger

Jul 25, 2004, 06:07 PM

I would never trust the battery rating of a manufacturer.
for it to be somewhat accurate, the more power consuming usages, like optical drive, screen brightness, wireless networking, etc, all are at there lowest setting or turned off completely.

Chip NoVaMac

Jul 25, 2004, 08:42 PM

Unless your 3 feet tall (im not making fun of little people) or unless you are 110 pound female,Then you might get some stares.Who cares what people think.Its a powerbook baby! :cool:

Amen, with Apple and OS X you have a system that is both stylish and rock stable compared to the Win PC's.

yamabushi

Jul 25, 2004, 09:16 PM

I think that the 17" is kind of ugly actually. If you compare the size and location of the keyboard, touchpad, and speakers to the 15" you will see that the proportions are very strange. The keyboard is much smaller than it needs to be and the touchpad is much larger than it needs to be. The speakers put out the same sound and so are probably the same internally but just have a larger grille to disguise the small keyboard. The keyboard is actually the same size on all the sizes of aluminum Powerbooks. It looks like the designers balanced the appearance of the 15" quite well but didn't know what to do with the extra space available on the 17".

When you move down to the 12" you sacrifice a lot of performance and gain some portability but when you move up to the 17" you gain nothing but extra display area at the cost of weight and bulk. Since you can always use an external display at your desk I don't see much value to having a 17" when a 15" will do just as well. Get a 15" and trick it out with all the options. Span out to an external display of some kind if you feel the need.

juxel

Jul 25, 2004, 09:36 PM

Rod Rod

Jul 25, 2004, 10:07 PM

The only thing I wish is that you could do a higher resolution than 1280x854. If I could get my pbook to do 1600x1200 like the dell laptops will do..mmmmm

my 12" PowerBook does 1600x1200@90Hz. (21" IBM P260 CRT).

to the original question, no, a 17" PB will not make you look like a dork.

TreeHugger

Jul 25, 2004, 11:01 PM

I think that the 17" is kind of ugly actually. If you compare the size and location of the keyboard, touchpad, and speakers to the 15" you will see that the proportions are very strange. The keyboard is much smaller than it needs to be and the touchpad is much larger than it needs to be. The speakers put out the same sound and so are probably the same internally but just have a larger grille to disguise the small keyboard. The keyboard is actually the same size on all the sizes of aluminum Powerbooks. It looks like the designers balanced the appearance of the 15" quite well but didn't know what to do with the extra space available on the 17".

I disagree. I think everything is the right size on the 17. I like the fact that i have a bit of an armrest with the extra size, and the keyboard on all powerbooks is full sized. It would have been weirder if they would have increased the keyboard size.

I guess it all comes down to personal preference, and I guess whatever you get, it will grow on you.

FlamDrag

Jul 25, 2004, 11:03 PM

If you're unconcerned about the portability - even though the 17 is quite easy to...port... - and you can afford it, then get it. It's a GREAT machine. I love mine.

If you can't afford an external monitor - or don't have room in the dorm room / greek house / micro apartment - the 17 is what you want.

The screen size is a nice bonus over the 15, but physically, it's not much bigger.

IMHO, the argument b/w 15 and 17 is price + screen size

Difference bw the 12 & 15/17 is portability

I have a rev. a 17, so the 15's were still TiBooks when I bought. If they had updated the 15 at the time I bought I would have gotten the 15. I probably still would (and spend the extra on upgrades) - but the 17 screen is VERY nice.

Anyway, that was a TOTAL ramble.

:p

slughead

Jul 25, 2004, 11:07 PM

I will be attending college shortly and taking a 17" powerbook to class would be no problem..(I dont care about portability, lol) but would I look like a wierdo if I sat down in class and opened up a 17" powerbook? Im going to need it to be a desktop replacement while im in college so I really dont want to sacrafice to a smaller sceen size. What do you guys think?

I'd get my oversized bug catching net out and wait for you after class. Other than that I do think it might seem like you're compensating for something.

Rob587

Jul 25, 2004, 11:08 PM

aswitcher

Jul 25, 2004, 11:20 PM

I just dont want to get the 15" and still not want to bring it to class and on top of that, having a smaller desk replacment.. and the 12" is kinda outa the question... its too slow for me. I just like how the 17" powerbook looks(I wish I didnt so I could just get a fast powermac desktop) BASICALLY: Im going to college and I would preffer the speed of the powermac, but I love how the 17" powerbook looks. Portability doesnt matter cuz the only notebook im drawn to is the 17" powerbook, which I wouldnt take anywhere. Any more suggestions?

Tough call.

My 17" is my desktop replacement and it works fab.

The new iMac may through things into a spin for you in September if it looks hot and you dont need a portable.

Thing is, you dont know how much fun a portable is until you get one and take it places all the time for music or to share files etc...movies in bed...

Rob587

Jul 25, 2004, 11:25 PM

well i hate how the current imacs look... so if they are in anyway similar it shouldnt be a problem. lol

MacNut

Jul 25, 2004, 11:39 PM

I got the 15 and love it, the wide-screen aspect helps, the 17 looked nice but was way to big for my taste plus the price was about the same as a desktop so its not much of a savings. If you are taking it to class I would suggest you buy the Brenthaven case, a little pricey but well worth it for the protection and all the room that it offers.

kasei

Jul 26, 2004, 12:49 AM

I have a 17" PowerBooks that I carry with me through crowded airports every other week to attended classes for my Executive MBA. The first time I pulled it out of my bag a lot jaws hit the floor. I am in class with a lot of Intel engineers and they were the first ones to come over and want to check it out. Secretly all of them want Apples, but without an Intel chip in it, it is kind of hard for them to breakdown and buy one.

As was mentioned earlier it is a personal preference as to which system you should buy.

Good luck

EGT

Jul 26, 2004, 04:52 AM

If/when apple make a major upgrade to the powerbooks the next computer i buy will be a maxed out 17" ...

tristan

Jul 26, 2004, 05:38 AM

would I look like a wierdo if I sat down in class and opened up a 17" powerbook?

Do you already look like a wierdo? Then yes you would. :-)

You're going to get noticed no matter what. Your computer is silver and has a big lit up Apple on the back. But so what? It's our differences that make us interesting. Maybe it'll help start a conversation with the professor or a classmate.

But still, just get a 15" and save your parents a little cash. Leave their nest egg with a little something so don't have to move in with you when they retire. :-)

Megaquad

Jul 26, 2004, 05:43 AM

I really think you should get G5, G4 is slow.

Vanilla

Jul 26, 2004, 06:27 AM

I just have to take a little issue with the “G4 is too slow” argument.

I prevaricated for an age before I took the plunge and bought a 17” 1.5 G4 and have never regretted it for one moment.

The screen is drop dead gorgeous and I carry it with ease between home and work.

As for speed I use Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Illustrator and Go Live with no discernable issues. They all load plenty quick enough and operations are smooth. iTunes runs with no visualize jerkiness, iMovie plays clips smoothly with no dropped frames and iPhoto is fine.

In short whether the Centrino etc. has faster specs or not is completely irrelevant to my real world interaction with my computer. Friends ask me how fast is it and I just say how long is a piece of string? The machine satisfies my needs, quietly and efficiently so in that respect its “fast”, what more does one really need?

The latest iteration of the PowerBook line is nicely mature, with the majority of previous foibles ironed out and a plenty fast enough, well established G4 chip inside, married to a rock solid OS, which can also easily interact with a windows environment. Personally, though I am biased in an almost evangelical way, it’s a no-brainer.

The only issue really is how strong a priority is pure portability. If its important I’d go for the 12” or maybe the 15”. If it’s not that much of an issue the 17” will be a beautiful machine.

Finally, in the short space of time I have had mine, I have converted two friends…the quiet revolution in a corner of London, UK continues.

Vanilla

rt_brained

Jul 26, 2004, 07:24 AM

I will be attending college shortly and taking a 17" powerbook to class would be no problem..(I dont care about portability, lol) but would I look like a wierdo if I sat down in class and opened up a 17" powerbook?
Look at it this way...the kind of people who would use "lol" after the phrase, "I don't care about portability"...

...those kinda folk are usually weirdos.

Actually, as long as you're in the mood for feedback, here goes:

A. You're attending college shortly and you own a 17" PowerBook. I don't care what you're studying in college, but by the time you're proficient enough to take full advantage of the capabilities of it, the machine will be outdated. So yeah, it's a bit like a child wearing clothing 4 sizes too big because the parents figure the kid will eventually grow into them. No one will believe for a second that you really need something that big for school.

B. Yeah the 17" looks cool and there's always going to be that subsection of society that will always justify buying one. They also gravitate toward anything else in life that will draw gawks from their peers or help improve their self image.

C. Given the fact that all of Apple's portables, from PowerBooks to iBooks will drive large screen CRTs with relative ease, it's hard to understand why anyone who needs to run from class to class across campus wouldn't rather lugging a 12" PowerBook and plugging into a 17", 19", 20", 21" or 22" at home or in the dorm at the end of the day. Not only is it easier, it's far cheaper.

So yeah, a lot of people will stare at you and your big honkin' portable computer. Some will point and say, "Cool" while others will point at you like the dork who came to the prom wearing one of dad's suits.

It won't be long before you grow tired of carrying all of that extra dead weight in your bag around campus or having to close it up and carry it into the bathroom with you every time nature calls for fear of having it stolen from under your nose...or beaten out of you late one night after class.

Good luck! lol <-------- for real.

Over Achiever

Jul 26, 2004, 09:01 AM

I own a 17" powerbook, and I've carried it to class for the past 2 years. While personally I don't mind carrying it around (it's not as heavy as you think), from what people do in college, a 12" powerbook will work just as well. You don't need a gigantic screen to take notes ... Word is at a perfect width across the 12" screen, etc. Multiple windows can be managed by Expose.

I'd get the 12" powerbook for the portability, and if you really care about what the opposite sex thinks *cough*sad*cough* then it's not bad. They'll think it's cute and stylish ... why else do you think the iPod mini is so popular? Then invest in a good LCD at home, preferably a wide screen (if you stick with Apple then get the 20" display, otherwise any LCD would work) and you'd have a decent desktop at home to use.

If you're serious about college, then I think this is the best route, but hey, I'll keep bringing my 17" pb to class, library, and outside. It's the one computer I use, and I use it everywhere I have to.

Oh, if you get the 12" pb now, you save enough money to actually buy a new 12" pb in say 2 years if you feel you have to.

-OA

Lancetx

Jul 26, 2004, 10:25 AM

So yeah, a lot of people will stare at you and your big honkin' portable computer. Some will point and say, "Cool" while others will point at you like the dork who came to the prom wearing one of dad's suits.

Spoken just like a person who's jealous that he doesn't have one himself. :D But seriously, people should quit worrying what anyone else thinks. If you have the money and a 17" PowerBook is what you really want, then by all means get it. I wouldn't give a damn what anyone else thinks. Besides, anyone that thinks negatively of someone that has one is probably just jealous anyway and that's their problem. :rolleyes:

Rob587

Jul 26, 2004, 12:47 PM

well i dont hik u guys understand the dilema.. i dont care anymoreabout what other ppl think.. my decision is now btrwn the G5 powermac with a 20" display or the 17" powerbook and I cant decide... portability isnt really why im having to decide, its the fact that i just love the way the powerbook looks... obviously if they were the same i would get the G5, but there not.. which one should i get?!?!?!?! Help :confused:

rdrr

Jul 26, 2004, 01:22 PM

Depends on the school, or school of thought for that matter. If you are going to Texas A&M or any Texian University then BIG is in. Something like MIT, CAL Tech, RPI, or any geekery school then smaller and wearable is better. :rolleyes:

In the end it boils down to adding a few more ounces and with the amount of books you'll be lugging around, it will be negligable(sp? too lazy to check spelling). :p

yamabushi

Jul 26, 2004, 05:39 PM

Laptops are better for students unless you have a real need* for the extra power of a desktop and such power is unavailable through the school. If you like the 17", by all means you should get it.

Seanb23

Jul 27, 2004, 11:44 PM

Increase the Ram-a-Mhz. It will feel like a PB G5.

Well, a single 512 stick is a little more than $100 right now. Seeing as g5 powerbooks or some revamped g4 versions are probably about a year away, it's probably not good money after bad, not right now, anyway.

How much of a performance boost did you see with increasing your RAM ? The situation I am in is that my 1Ghz 17" pbook simply chokes on a powerful audio editor/sampler I use that is very CPU intensive...the program (reaktor 4) simply shuts down until you drastically lower the fidelity with several applications open...and no, it's not a bug or a simple cache issue. The fact of the matter is that 1 or even 1.5 Ghz is, well, slow by 2004 standards.

Now, you might get the idea that I would be willing to switch back over to Intel's or AMD's much, much more powerful laptops from the tone in my posts...such is not the case, not at all. I wouldn't be here to begin with if I wanted to utilize that sad, buggy platform. I'm simply frusturated that Apple seems to be neglecting it's laptop line's hardware development, while the evil competition is running roughshod over them in every laptop benchmark I can find. It's almost as if they are counting on the niceties of the OS to keep people interested whilst they spend R&D money elsewhere...