iBook or Powerbook? Which is better for me?

[mduser63]

I'm planning to buy a new laptop in the next couple weeks. I'm having a very hard time deciding between the iBook and the Powerbook. I'm leaning towards the 12" powerbook at this point, but I'd like more opinions. I'm a college student so I can get the educational discount, and while I can afford either machine, as any with any college student, price is important. I'll mostly be using the machine for the following (in addition to the usual email/web/word processing):

Webdesign with Macromedia Studio MX2004
Photoshop
Possibly some audio editing (using Bias Peak probably)
Matlab (for Electrical Engineering classes)
I'd also like to be able to do video editing with the Apple Production suite at some point, although it's not a certainty that I'll need it for that.

I don't play games, so that's not a concern.

So, which is it? iBook or Powerbook?

P.S. This will be my first Mac of my own, although I've been using my Dad's old Powermac for 2 or 3 months.

[asphalt-proof]

There are several threads devoted to this very debate. My opinion is to go with the 12"PB. Powerful (therefore will"last" longer), hot design, and a few other bells and whistles. I'm not sure which is cheaper: going with the edu discount or finding a a refurb from apple.

[ChrisFromCanada]

I don't see any advantages to getting a powerbook over an ibook. The only *major* thing is the video card which is not important for what he does. I would say either get a 12" ibook or a 15" powerbook (if you can afford it). The screen size is really what is important for him for photoshop. So the 14' ibook really isn't an option as it is the same rez. Oh ya, and you could get an ibook and an external monitor and use the hack to span and get a high resolution. Hope that helps :)

[dotnina]

Have you seen both in person?

I'd take the Powerbook, because of the video card and keyboard. Personally I think the price jump from a 12" iBook to a 12" Powerbook is too big, so I feel somewhat guilty recommending the Powerbook ... hmm ...

Whichever you pick, don't forget to save $$$ for accessories. Depending on how much of a starving / non-starving college student you are, this might be something to consider. Things like software, extra memory (if you think you need it), a case, input devices and so on can really make a big dent.

Not that I'm recommending them necessarily, but you might also want to check out amazon.com for the PB or iBook. Both laptops have ~$150 rebates right now ... if you live in a state where amazon.com doesn't tax, the discount might possibly be better than Apple's edu discount.

[mduser63]

Thanks for the replies so far. I forgot to add that I'll be using it for 3D modeling/animation with Blender 3D, if that makes a difference as to the better choice. In deciding between these two, I'm factoring in the price of extra RAM and accessories (case, etc). I have seen both in person, and I really like them both a lot as far as looks go. If they were the same price and exact same specs, I think I'd take the PB for looks, but they both look way better than any PC laptop I've ever seen. Oh, and I've got another screen here at home, so I'll be able to use that when I'm here. Because of that, the screen spanning feature on the PB is appealing.

[slooksterPSV]

Just to reply, I'd say the powerbook because you're going to need all the power you can get.

[puckhead193]

I would get the powerbook. Not to make you crazy but besides price, have u considered the 15". looking at the 12" screen for the stuff you listed can be annoying ( i tryed using FCE on the 12" pb at the store and found it to difficult so i moved up to the 15". )