Help me choose for college!

[Rob587]

I will be going to college next year so keep in mind it will be with whatever is out by then. Feel free to make your decision based on your expierances. The description of the way I will use my new Mac/Macs will be for very small amount of gamming, alot of Garage Band, I want to get into some video editing, Internet, Word, Aim ect.. Take into acount: the difficulty of taking the G5 home every six weeks, cant really use a 17" in class, If im gonna get a moniter might aswell just get a G5 cuz how much more work are u actually making by bringing it home if yor going to bring a moniter home anyway? ect... Just post your suggetstions on which one of these options I should go with.. Plz Give me your first and second choice and some reasons why. Thanks!

1)17" pb(maxed out)
2) G5(almost maxed out)
3) ibook(cheap) and less fast G5 with 20" moniter
4) 15" pb(maxed out) with external 20"
5) 12" pb(maxed out) with external 20"

[PlaceofDis]

12 or 15 powerbook

reason: you dont have to take the monitor home, and you have the portability. i have the 12 inch and the screen is big enough for me, sure it would be nice to have some more estate, but im content

however if its going to be a while before you buy there is no reason to make a 100% decision now, because things are just going to change by the time you buy and undoubtedly change your opinion as well

[quagmire]

I am sure by next year the Pbook G5 will be out. So I say go with number 4. But, by any chance the pbooks are still G4's by college I say get the G5.

[Ryan1524]

by next year, i would suggest a Powerbook G5, maxed out with maybe a 20 or 23" LCD, hell maybe a a 30" one by then (the new PB G5 might have a Dual DVI link). but i would suggest you go there and see first. come with the PB only, then if it looks like you might need the LCD, then go get it. the less valuables you have in your dorm room the better, and that Cinema Display is an object of pure lust, anybody who see it would want it, not a good idea in college setting.

i would recommend a 15", but that's only because i don't plan to have an extra LCD for the above reasons. but if you are going to have one, it might be okay to go with a 12".

[crowdaddy]

A G5 mostly maxed out would be sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet, how much portability do you really need?!? Well if you are doing humanities or business i guess you would need to.

[Rob587]

anyone else?

[jcook793]

I would go for the 15" maxed out with monitor. It will probably have a CPU as fast as the 17" and using it to take notes in class will be great (make sure you take typing in high school!). You might also consider the 12" for backpackability...

I wouldn't go for the iBook/PowerMac combo just because college is very hectic and keeping one computer running/backed up will be enough work as it is.

[JzzTrump22]

Get a 15" PowerBook maxed out. There is no need for an external monitor. In my opinion, it's a waste of money. The screen is big enough for all your needs.

[wide]

I'm for the cheap iBook and the midrange G5. iBook is good for taking notes and working on projects between classes (longer battery life and better AirPort reception than the PowerBooks), and the G5 is good for serious processing. I think you'll regret getting a PowerBook, especially because you will be able to sell your iBook in a year or so for about 600 dollars, and then its only 400 dollars more to get another iBook that will probably be faster than the current line of PowerBooks.

[vraxtus]

How's this for a more sensible assessment?


Buy a low end 15" now, save some money.

If a new PB comes out in a year, hopefully a G5, get the new one and sell the old one.

That way you stay up to date and you save some initial money anyways.

[mac_gal]

Rob, buddy, friend. This is at least the third thread you've had on this. I know because I responded to the other two threads about the same topic.

It's time to pick. You have threads full of thoughtful advice.

Decide. Please. Yes. Thanks.

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says....if you are not going to college until next year, and not looking to buy until a year from now, I think it is a bit early to be asking all these questions. Wait until next summer and see what all the specs and prices are then, then start asking for opinions. Asking for opinions on purchases a year away is sort of pointless.....oh yeah!

[SolidGun]

With Duffman's advice, you should consider purchasing essentials and expanding from there. Buying everything at once is convinient, but costly. Also, you may have better insight once you own the product and know what you need. I built my PC from part by part and haven't regreted it yet.
When I bought my first Mac, I picked up the 12" PB three weeks ago from Apple store and then started buying necessities from there (memory, software, case). The prices added on from there and I realized that I planned it well.
Also, you may want to save money for software...many people don't consider this in their purchases and realize later that they need so much more. I have already spent $600+ in software and hope to purchase more later when I have more money to spare.

[drsuse]

software...if you can deal with open-source stuff, such as the gimp instead of photoshop, openoffice instead of ms office, etc. you can get pretty much everything you need for free, without resorting to pirating software.

i'm running suse linux on my computer (as in my name), and all free open source software, and it works great for me.

until i get a powerbook for university, at which point i'll just run the same software either in aqua or x11. however, i'm not really going to worry about it a whole ton until i need to buy, maybe around june or so, because things will change a lot by then.

[justinshiding]

Hmmm what about a 12in powerbook w/ a bit of extra ram for moving about and then a refurb (granted not everyone likes having already used products) g5 1.8 dp w/ a decently sized crt monitor (cheap mmm). Actually this one might end up being a bit more costly....but you get portability and power both :)

Justin

[iLikeMyiMac]

I'd go for the 12" pbook because you have more portability than the 15" but if you need more screen space just plug it into the 20" monitor you want to buy.

edit: post 100 :) I'm now a regular.

[beefcake]

15" definitely. Here's why:

A G5 would be sweet, nobody will deny that. However, because you'll be getting a large external monitor with the 15", the only thing the G5 gives you is a performance boost. For day to day tasks, the 15" will more than meet your requirements. I have a 1Ghz TiBook and use it at work on 400mb+ photoshop files and have no complaints about its speed. As far as screen real estate goes, expose and multi-button mice make any screen big enough. I would steer clear of the 12" because the added portability is so marginal you might as well buy the clearly faster computer.

I bought a laptop so it would be easy to bring back and forth to school, and never thought I'd have much use for its portability on a daily basis. However, once school started I found myself moving it around and testing the battery's limits more and more. It has taken a trip every day for the past 2 and a half weeks.

You're not a big gamer, so don't be concerned about the extra specs of the G5; go with a powerbook.

[puckhead193]

I just got a 15" powerbook for college and from what i used it for its great! I'm going to be doing video editing so.... it nice to have the bigger screen and portabliy.. cause i plan to use it in class to.... but you should wait to see what they have out when you do go. try to get as much as you can because it wil be less out dated.

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Well, I know that in a year, I'm going to be getting a G5 Powerbook completely maxed out.
I know I'll be doing a ton of video editing. If I could get an external monitor to use for tools, more windows, etc. I'd totally go for it.
So, my advise: Wait until the G5 Powerbook comes out, then get that and an external monitor.

[Rob587]

Well the thing is.. I could end up going to college and decide that I dont want to take notes in class on a computer anyway(or I could decide that I love using one in class) :p . So then not getting the 17" pb would be a complete screwup. From what I understand most everyone here feels I should get some sort of laptop configuration and hold out for a while on the powermac. So basically do I go with the 15" and end up not taking notes in class on it or do I get the 17" and love to take notes in class and not be able to(eventhough everyone says I could take notes in class on a 17" and I wouldnt look stupid, except Ive been to compusa and the 17" is huge.. I would have no problem taking it to class(dont care about 10lbs) but I really think it would look totally overdone.) The only problem is that the 17" is exactly what I need.

[njmac]

) The only problem is that the 17" is exactly what I need.
Well, it sounds like you have your answer right there. Buy what you need, when you need it.

[beefcake]

It might just be my school, but I never seen people taking laptop notes in class. I personally always found it distracting and preferred a notebook and pen, but that's just me. If you think the 17" is exactly what you need, definitely buy it.

[Skilz34]

dude, you need to get the 15" or 12", not the 17" (unless you are doing photo stuff) because you will look like a dork in class. I have a 15" and it's great but I'm thinking about going with the 12" on the next powerbook I get just because of the size of the 12". The little guy looks great. Also, I don't use the superdrive and am only using about half of my 60 G hard drive.

Take it from me and get what you need. Just you considering the 17" makes me think you'd be best with the 15". So go for that.

I take notes with my 15" and it's fine.

[stevehaslip]

dude, you need to get the 15" or 12", not the 17" (unless you are doing photo stuff) because you will look like a dork in class. I have a 15" and it's great but I'm thinking about going with the 12" on the next powerbook I get just because of the size of the 12". The little guy looks great. Also, I don't use the superdrive and am only using about half of my 60 G hard drive.

Take it from me and get what you need. Just you considering the 17" makes me think you'd be best with the 15". So go for that.

I take notes with my 15" and it's fine.

Exactly this is my point, in alot of these threads people suggest buying the best that you can afford which is good solid advice. BUT don't go buying more than you need, I mean sure times change and eventually you might make use of something like bluetooth but if you don't ever burn dvds then don't feel like you have to pay for the superdrive. Its your computer remember and you're gonna be the one using it. Not everybody needs the latest and greatest of everything, it could end up saving you a bit of dosh and it could mean that you could buy an iPod or something instead. :)

[Skilz34]

yeah, get caught up in the hype but then don't get caught up in the hype, you know what I mean?

[Bonnie]

You should wait until next summer to decide and get a cheapie iBook or something to hold you over until then. You want to take the most recent technology to school, right?

Don't get a 17" Powerbook. Are you going to be flying to college out of state or far away? If so, the 17" is a bit too big to take on a plane. I measured it and it is a tad larger then a standard tray table on a plane. It's more of a desktop replacement, you know?

I'm in college and I take my laptop everywhere with me. I have the 15" 1.5ghz right now, but I sometimes find myself wishing I had the 12" instead because it is just SO portable.

I think a 12" Powerbook with a 20" display is the perfect set up for a college student. But if I were you I would wait and see what next year's technology holds.

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Here's some advise. Don't use the laptop to take notes in class. It'd be better to take notes with pen and paper, then retype them. It'll help you remember.

[Sven071]

I just got the pb 15 ,and im really happy with it, i cant keep my hands off it for more than 6 hours.....hehe, I would highly recomend the 15.......... i could consider it very portable........ i take it with me everywhere...... i wouldnt know what to do with myself if i had a 20 in monitor......... no matter what you get you will be pleased................ but if you really want to get a g5 pb, get the cheapest ibook then when the g5 pb's come out sell it, and get yourself a screamer.

[advres]

I just wanted to put my 2 cents in.

Take a look at what I use. I just graduated this year and majored in Communication Media with a concentration in video editing and 2d compositing. I kept buying different powerbooks and selling my used ones on eBay to keep the cost down and I always had a top of the line unit. The powerbooks have plently of power to do all the video you are going to need if you are just starting out and with all your media on a firewire drive you can always use your schools heavy hitting computers as a render farm. I personally would do all my work during the day and just let my book do all the rendering at night so I could spend as little time in the labs as possible.

If you are going to be doing extensive video work and are thinking of doing ANY graphic design that is intended to be printed I would recommend staying away from an LCD. The resolution on LCD's are just not up to par with a good CRT monitor. Plus they will save you a grand which could go to getting 2G worth of RAM in that powerbook.

I wouldn't spend your life savings on your setup because remember, you have 4+ years to go to school. Your "MAXED OUT" system will probably be obsolete (or somewhat close to it) by the time you are finished so my suggestion is go middle of the road and keep upgrading.

again, for the record, just my $.02

[stevietheb]

iBook and a cheapish G5

I do the following with my 12" iBook (at college) and have no complaints:
Word
Email
Web
Photoshop
Final Cut Pro
GarageBand (and SoundTrack)
DreamWeaver
(no games...yet)

How often are you going to want to edit video on the road? I find that I don't usually...well, sometimes--and I edit video for supplemental income.

The iBook FEELS more rugged to me than the powerbook--so I didn't mind stuffing it in my back and toting it all over campus...I might have baby'd the powerbook a bit more.

If money were no object, I might get a 12" powerbook and a G5. But with money being a consideration...I would do 12" iBook and G5 (or maybe a G5 iMac...which is actually what my wife and I are about to do...hopefully)

[timsq]

That's my current setup and You Will Be Pleased. The 20" is the perfect monitor and the 15" PB is such a righteous size and weight. You will need some good security to keep that monitor safe. It is beautiful. I would have considered the G5 all the way, but it's like nukes to kill mosquitos.