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JzzTrump22

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 13, 2004
1,229
0
New York
My dad is looking into buying a laptop soon to replace his old winblows desktop. So he said he might take a look at mac. He said to get him some good pricing on laptops. H esaid basically he wants a dvd burner because he plans on burning home videos to dvd, also pictures. But he also wants a decent sized screen. I told him a 14" iBook should do the job. I don't think he wants to spend the extra money on a powerbook. What do you guys think? A 14" iBook w/ super drive, 512 ram, 1.33 ghz processor???
 

tamara6

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2004
225
137
Why not get an iMac? A 17" with superdrive costs the same as the 14" iBook and it is faster, has a bigger screen, and a bigger hard drive. And they are so small, they really take up very little desk space.

So unless your dad has a good reason to need a portable computer, I'd look seriously at an iMac.
 

40167

macrumors regular
Sep 5, 2004
202
0
tamara6 said:
Why not get an iMac? A 17" with superdrive costs the same as the 14" iBook and it is faster, has a bigger screen, and a bigger hard drive. And they are so small, they really take up very little desk space.

So unless your dad has a good reason to need a portable computer, I'd look seriously at an iMac.

Quote: "My dad is looking into buying a laptop soon to replace his old winblows desktop."

As for the iBook, it should do the job... personaly id only go with a powerbook but thats just personal opinion... for him the iBook would take care of him. Unless hes going to do like FCP for movie editing before he puts them on dvd... then its more or less powerbook or desktop.
 

toughboy

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2003
790
14
Izmir, Turkey
Well.. "why 14???", I said to myself when I read your post, but there was a little doubt of mine that maybe Apple does not let 12" iBook buyers to have superdrive in the custom-built-to-order part of the Online Store. And when I looked into it, I saw that you really cant upgrade the optic driver to superdrive on 12"s... That seemed weird, isn't it? or is there a logical explaination that I can't see?..

Back to topic, if he's going to do video editing, I guess a powerbook 15.2" would do better for him, but I guess you say the price will be a important matter... If it is, go iBook 14" then..
 

Yotabyte

macrumors member
Nov 15, 2004
49
0
Perth, Australia.
Yeah if your dad is looking for a desktop replacement, a powerbook would be a good idea. And aye, go for the 14" ibook if you definately NEED the burning ability but not the price, it's still pretty good except for the 1024 x 768 screen.
 

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5
Jun 6, 2003
12,110
77
Solon, OH
Yotabyte said:
Yeah if your dad is looking for a desktop replacement, a powerbook would be a good idea. And aye, go for the 14" ibook if you definately NEED the burning ability but not the price, it's still pretty good except for the 1024 x 768 screen.
Some people buy the 14" iBook precisely because its resolution is 1024x768...they have trouble reading the screen if it's any smaller. I second the motion about a PowerBook if a desktop replacement is intended. One other thing...why does everyone except me on these forums struggle so mightily with the word "definitely"? It doesn't make any sense to me at all.
 

tamara6

macrumors regular
Apr 28, 2004
225
137
Neglecting the screen, what would make a 15" powerbook a better "desktop replacement" than a 14" iBook? The differences between them (their processor, system bus, etc.) do not look all that great. Worth the extra $500? Probably not.

Powerbooks and iBooks are older technology. The desktops they replace went extinct a while ago. They are, in my opinion, only an option if what you need is portablility. If you can handle staying at your desk an iMac is a much better option.

JzzTrump22 does not say why his dad wants a laptop computer. Is it because he travels a lot and needs portablilty? If that is the case, then he could get either an iBook or Powerbook and be fairly happy. But if he just wants something small and quiet sitting on his desk, the iMac would be a better choice, imho.
 

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5
Jun 6, 2003
12,110
77
Solon, OH
tamara6 said:
Neglecting the screen, what would make a 15" powerbook a better "desktop replacement" than a 14" iBook? The differences between them (their processor, system bus, etc.) do not look all that great. Worth the extra $500? Probably not.

Powerbooks and iBooks are older technology. The desktops they replace went extinct a while ago. They are, in my opinion, only an option if what you need is portablility. If you can handle staying at your desk an iMac is a much better option.

JzzTrump22 does not say why his dad wants a laptop computer. Is it because he travels a lot and needs portablilty? If that is the case, then he could get either an iBook or Powerbook and be fairly happy. But if he just wants something small and quiet sitting on his desk, the iMac would be a better choice, imho.
You're right, tamara6. An iMac would give more power for a similar price. However, if you don't like 1024x768 on a 14" screen and you want portability, that just screams 15" PowerBook to me. Apple can be frustrating at times - not offering what we want in each line they sell. I don't know how long you've been a Mac user, tamara6, but the same problems preventing the G5 chip from appearing in an Apple notebook plagued the G4 chip when it was introduced. In fact, it took about one year before the first G4 PowerBooks appeared. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if the G5 goes one year from its introduction without appearing in a PowerBook (unless, of course, that one year timeframe has expired already ;) ).
 

JzzTrump22

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 13, 2004
1,229
0
New York
He doesn't want to spend a ton of money a machine, thats the reason the PB is out. He bought me a PB and he doesn't want to get another one, i guess it hit the wallet too hard. He's not doing any video editing. Just burning movies and pictures. Mabey i should tell him to go for the new iMac. It might actually be better. Plus it's about the same price as the iBooks.
 

Solafaa

macrumors 6502a
I would recomend an iMac G5, i have one in my office and i can tell you that they do take very little space. If you father will not be using it on the move then an iMac would be the best thing since Power/speed/price wise the Mac is a better deal.

If he "wants" a laptop then the iBook will be wha i get.
 

wrldwzrd89

macrumors G5
Jun 6, 2003
12,110
77
Solon, OH
Solafaa said:
I would recomend an iMac G5, i have one in my office and i can tell you that they do take very little space. If you father will not be using it on the move then an iMac would be the best thing since Power/speed/price wise the Mac is a better deal.

If he "wants" a laptop then the iBook will be wha i get.
Actually, if you're only going to be moving the computer from outlet to outlet, and not using it on batteries, an iMac G5 is almost ideal for this. It's especially easy if you get Bluetooth pre-installed; then, all you need to do to prepare to move the iMac is shut it down and disconnect its power cord.
 

JzzTrump22

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 13, 2004
1,229
0
New York
He didn't tell me that he definatly wants a notebook, he basically said he was thinking of getting one and he wanted me to price out some macs for him. He's not even sure if he wants to get a mac. I personally think it would be a good idea because my mom is a total deush when it comes to computers, and macs i find are easier to use then windows. Plus with the iMac he can get the giant screen. I don't think he realizes he has the option of the iMac. He probably thinks the iMac is just a monitor. Plus when i say the words "G5" he will most likely take a look.
 

matt335

macrumors newbie
Nov 22, 2004
5
0
Sydney Australia
I was in the same boat

JzzTrump22 said:
He didn't tell me that he definatly wants a notebook, he basically said he was thinking of getting one and he wanted me to price out some macs for him. He's not even sure if he wants to get a mac. I personally think it would be a good idea because my mom is a total deush when it comes to computers, and macs i find are easier to use then windows. Plus with the iMac he can get the giant screen. I don't think he realizes he has the option of the iMac. He probably thinks the iMac is just a monitor. Plus when i say the words "G5" he will most likely take a look.

I moved from PC to Apple Mac last year and decided to buy a G4 iMac. I ended up getting more memory as they ship them with little memory. I use mine for music (cd's and recording) and photography (digital and analogue). I think your Dad would prefer a faster machine, ie, the iMac G5, than a slower G4 PB or iB. As it happens I transport my iMac to certain functions to play music, even to studios to dump digital photos onto. In a perfect world where money was no hassle, I'd love a G5 PowerMac on my desktop and a PB in my rucksack. Like others have already said; if your Dad needs a small portable machine, then go G4 PB or iB, if not, the G5 iMac is the best bet.
 
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