buy now or wait-Powerbook

It's a hard one, all the software works with the current machines. No one can be certain of how well or how supported x86 will be when it is first released, but then there is the possibility of HELLA FAST PowerBooks! Personally I'm waiting until Rev B before I move to Mactel, by then we will all have a better idea of what is happening with the software. At the moment you also have to worry about the lines on the LCDs of the 15" PowerBooks, so I guess I'm saying buy a 17".

fjs08 said:

Hi,
with more info out about possible Mactel releases, any recommendations on waiting or buying now. My Powerbook is 2.5 yrs old. Great, but I'd like a new one.
Thanks.
Frank

Click to expand...

i've said this many times...wait...
but if you can't just buy it...
no one can tell anything about it i guess, one day they say its gonna be the iBooks that'll come out first...then after a few days, the Powerbook and imacs...
You've a Powerbook and it works great...so why not wait?

buy now. 17 inches of raw orgasmic excitement!

i love my 17". it rules.

Wait till january, 15" powerbook has line problems. x86 one probably out in next few months.

I would say buy now but not a rev e, get a refurb rev d or get one on ebay. The macintel powerbooks will be very buggy. Moving to a whole new architecture and a whole new os with whole new software... I would wait. Apple is notorious for making crappy rev a products. Almost every rev a product has had a major defect. As much as I want a macintel powerbook I will not buy one.

Look at the facts:

- Rev A titanium powerbook: paint chipping, cd drive won't eject cd, overheating.
- Rev A G5: Hard drive heat sensor in wrong place, fans out of control
- Rev A ibook: Massive motherboard failure.
- Rev A aluminum powerbook: Battery exploding, screens have white dots.
- Rev D aluminum powerbook with new screen: Lines in screens all defective.
- Rev A ipod mini: Software failure, constant resets.
- Rev A ipod video: scratching, battery failure, OS problems.
- Rev A imac: Overheating, bad screens, system crashes and kernal panics, bad DVD drives.

Buy Now!!

In my opinion, there is no good reason to wait.

1. Apple isn't going to announce powerbook updates 3 months after the last updates.

2. PowerPC will be supported for the life of your Powerbook, so you don't have to worry about compatibility.

3. The lastest revision is fantastic ( I'm typing this on a 15" actually)

MacTruck said:

I would say buy now but not a rev e, get a refurb rev d or get one on ebay. The macintel powerbooks will be very buggy. Moving to a whole new architecture and a whole new os with whole new software... I would wait. Apple is notorious for making crappy rev a products. Almost every rev a product has had a major defect. As much as I want a macintel powerbook I will not buy one.

Look at the facts:

- Rev A titanium powerbook: paint chipping, cd drive won't eject cd, overheating.
- Rev A G5: Hard drive heat sensor in wrong place, fans out of control
- Rev A ibook: Massive motherboard failure.
- Rev A aluminum powerbook: Battery exploding, screens have white dots.
- Rev D aluminum powerbook with new screen: Lines in screens all defective.
- Rev A ipod mini: Software failure, constant resets.
- Rev A ipod video: scratching, battery failure, OS problems.
- Rev A imac: Overheating, bad screens, system crashes and kernal panics, bad DVD drives.

Click to expand...

Also, the first ipod nano's had a paintchipping and scratching problem too.


I say buy now. That's what I did and I'm lovin' every second on this PB.

obrien234 said:

3. The lastest revision is fantastic ( I'm typing this on a 15" actually)

Click to expand...

do you have "the lines"?

I have "the lines" on my Rev E PB 15...but honestly I don't notice them unless I'm looking for them. The extra "space" and crisper graphics are well worth the upgrade in my opinion. But I've also heard that some people have the lines worse than others...

MacTruck said:

I would say buy now but not a rev e, get a refurb rev d or get one on ebay. The macintel powerbooks will be very buggy. Moving to a whole new architecture and a whole new os with whole new software... I would wait. Apple is notorious for making crappy rev a products. Almost every rev a product has had a major defect. As much as I want a macintel powerbook I will not buy one.

Look at the facts:

- Rev A titanium powerbook: paint chipping, cd drive won't eject cd, overheating.
- Rev A G5: Hard drive heat sensor in wrong place, fans out of control
- Rev A ibook: Massive motherboard failure.
- Rev A aluminum powerbook: Battery exploding, screens have white dots.
- Rev D aluminum powerbook with new screen: Lines in screens all defective.
- Rev A ipod mini: Software failure, constant resets.
- Rev A ipod video: scratching, battery failure, OS problems.
- Rev A imac: Overheating, bad screens, system crashes and kernal panics, bad DVD drives.

Click to expand...

Go MacTruck!!

tekmoe said:

buy now. 17 inches of raw orgasmic excitement!

i love my 17". it rules.

Click to expand...

Is it fast enough for you?

fjs08 said:

Hi,
with more info out about possible Mactel releases, any recommendations on waiting or buying now. My Powerbook is 2.5 yrs old. Great, but I'd like a new one.
Thanks.
Frank

Click to expand...

Not all of the 15" Powerbooks have this line issue (or not all users of them can notice it). I own a 15" and looked at several at my local Apple store and didn't see any problems with "lines" whatsoever.

There's still a chance that the Mactels won't be released at the expo (nothing is certain after all). If they are you have to contend with possible problems from purchasing a first revision (some will refute this). There is also the issue of getting your hands on one.

With me I decided I loved what was available with the current Powerbooks so much that I didn't mind not waiting and just bought it. If I was hell-bent on this Mactel thing I would have waited. Do you think you'll regret buying now if and when the Mactels come out? I already made up my own mind that I won't. I'll enjoy reading about the new tech. and playing with it at the stores but I'm happy with what's available right now.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

MacTruck said:

Apple is notorious for making crappy rev a products. Almost every rev a product has had a major defect. As much as I want a macintel powerbook I will not buy one. Look at the facts:

Click to expand...

Given the list of problems you outlined, it makes me wonder if the time has come for Apple to retire the letter "A" from their product revision line in the same way that many elevators skip over the 13th floor. It looks like "a" major jinx is hovering over the initial new releases.

Even if a new 15' PB comes out in January, chances are they will probably use the same screen manufacturer no?

DJTJ said:

Even if a new 15' PB comes out in January, chances are they will probably use the same screen manufacturer no?

Click to expand...

You got it spot on.

But at least it will be faster, so you won't be paying apple's rip off pricing for a slow computer which ALSO has a lousy screen.

well, I'm in the same boat as you (one the edge between a 15" and 17"...) but I figure, I might as well wait. because worst case scxenario, nothing happens in january and you just waited an extra couple of weeks. best case scenario: Either something new comes out and the current pBooks prices are dropped a coule hundred (that would def make me want a 17") or they release a solid 1st gen intel pBook line. And if its the later, they will keep selling the old pBooks (at a discounted price) until they run out. so I'm not in such a rush that I cant wait another ~23 days (not that i'm counting ) so I'll make up my mind on jan 10th.

fjs08 said:

Hi,
with more info out about possible Mactel releases, any recommendations on waiting or buying now. My Powerbook is 2.5 yrs old. Great, but I'd like a new one.
Thanks.
Frank

Click to expand...

I would say buy now, but I'm biased because our new Powerbook 12" just arrived at the weekend!!!!

It is seriously beautiful, we also got a wireless keyboard and 23" ACD to go with it and so far I couldn't be more impressed. Even the packaging itself is like a work of art compared to what you get with a Windows PC. The industrial design is superb, just a shame we had to get a Logitech wireless mouse, but that will be replaced as soon as Apple bring out a 2-button bluetooth mouse.

This is our first Apple purchase, and I'm glad we didn't wait any longer.

Billy

I think that if you can wait, you should... not because you should get a Mactel PB IF they come in jan (and arrive in the hands of their owners in March ) But because the prices on the G4s will drop and I could imagine a 17" going for 15" prices (especially if there is a price drop on the line in general) Also, if you just have to grab a Mactel the option is there! Anyways maybe I am being cheap... but hey I am a student... Either way you will love your new toy (I mean productivity tool... yeah...)

powerbook? I would not wait. iBook? I would. Didn't they just upgrade the PBs a few months ago? Updates for them in January are unlikely, and you'll be happy with the current powerbook anyways, as Apple makes great products. Omg, I've become a fanboy...

If you're going to get a 15" PowerBook, I'd wait until Apple addresses the quality control issues. It is a beautiful machine, but the lines on the screen are unacceptable (at least for anybody who gives a rats a** about graphics.)

There's also the squeaky keyboard problem, although it's not as big of a deal as the lines, it's annoying, and shouldn't have this problem.

I'm about to go take my second one back, and try to exchange it for one with a keyboard that doesn't have any defective keys, or lines, but I'm not very optimistic about finding a perfect PowerBook. The dozen I have seen so far all have problems.

On the note of Intel PowerBooks, I doubt they'd update them until at least March, or possibly later. I'm pretty sure Apple's going to test the waters with their consumer machines first, to get all the major bugs out of the way before starting to make pro machines with Intel architectures.

Whatever you choose, I hope you're happy with whatever new PowerBook you eventually do get.

I just got my brand new 15" PB today and so far I'm happy with it. I'm installing some software, listening to music, installing WoW, in other words, I want to fully use it while I have the 30-day return policy from Amazon.
I'll find out if it has any kirks or other issues within the next few days.
I do have lines, but they're very faint, and you can only see them when you put your nose up in the screen. They aren't bothering me, and aren't visible under normal use.
So far I'm happy with it, but I've only had it for 2 hours.

I would wait till MWSF in 3 weeks or so and get Apple's plan on Intel hopefully. Then decide if you the current machine wait till at least March or later for a Intel Powerbook.