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Speed comparison - Powerbook vs Macbook?

C

clindner

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
134
1
I have been looking at getting an older Powerbook 12" versus a new Macbook, and I'm wondering just how much I would notice the speed difference in everyday usage for doing things like web publishing and typical office applications.

I currently use a Mac Mini 1.66 CD, so, I have a feel for that in doing some more processor intensive work like video production. I'm not looking for the notebook to do that, just to give me some portability to do my web stuff wherever I happen to be.

I've seen the geekbench numbers that would imply that the MB is a factor of 10 faster than the 1.33 GHz PBs I've been looking at.

What do you guys think. Will I be happy with the older PB, or should I save my pennies for the new one? I suppose I could also buy the MD model and sell my Mac Mini to use it for both....

Thanks for any thoughts you guys can throw out!
 
H

heatmiser

macrumors 68020
Dec 6, 2007
2,431
0
I've said this so many times, but once more...

do not waste money on old gear simply to save a little bit of cash. There is *zero* comparison, performance- and longevity-wise, between a G4 and a Core 2 duo. That's all I'll say, because it isn't worth going into detail if people wish to pour their money into sinkholes.
 
C

clindner

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
134
1
I might not have been totally clear in my first message...

I realize that getting the latest and the greatest would be the best option. However, what I need right now is something portable that is a Mac. I have the mini at home, and that will be fine for a while.

In the next few months, I need to be able to do some web stuff (RapidWeaver, Coda, etc.) and some general word processing and spreadsheets. Is the G4 PB passable for those tasks, or is waiting to get a MB a necessity? Keep in mind that I currently have to run VNC to access my Mac at home via a Windows Notebook. So, you can imagine how slow that is...

Thanks!
 
J

jpow112

macrumors member
Nov 12, 2007
87
9
I've got a 1.67 G4 15" Powerbook, and a 2.2 Macbook - both 2Gb RAM.

The powerbook is fine for office, surfing, email, and music. It is very slow in comparison with video rendering, and other processor intensive tasks.

However, if you are happy to leave a rendering job overnight, (for instance, using handbrake to convert a DVD for iPod use) then a G4 will be fine.

my G4 won't play back h.264 720p HD movies without dropping loads of frames. If I convert the h.264 to mpg2 then it will just about play them, notwithstanding the loss in quality from transcoding.

all depends on how much it's going to save you.

In summary my G4 is still going strong for specific tasks.
 
T

TheStu

macrumors 65816
Aug 20, 2006
1,243
0
Carlisle, PA
clindner said:
I might not have been totally clear in my first message...

I realize that getting the latest and the greatest would be the best option. However, what I need right now is something portable that is a Mac. I have the mini at home, and that will be fine for a while.

In the next few months, I need to be able to do some web stuff (RapidWeaver, Coda, etc.) and some general word processing and spreadsheets. Is the G4 PB passable for those tasks, or is waiting to get a MB a necessity? Keep in mind that I currently have to run VNC to access my Mac at home via a Windows Notebook. So, you can imagine how slow that is...

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would say go for the MacBook due to the larger screen (and higher res as a result) plus the inherent advantage it has in terms of multi-tasking. I have a 12" PowerBook 1GHz sitting right next to my 1.83 Core Duo MacBook, and the difference is night and day. I can easily have dozens of windows open from 10+ apps, and the MacBook handles them like its nothing. The PowerBook seems to get clogged after about 5 apps.
 
C

clindner

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
134
1
Thanks for the great feedback!

That is what I was looking for, some real world comparisons. As I said, I will be doing my processor intensive stuff on my Mac Mini, just doing web page editing on the old unit.

At the holidays, its much easier to sell my spouse on a $500 purchase than a $1000+ purchase...
 
masse

masse

macrumors 6502a
May 4, 2007
840
0
MA/GA
Unless you can get powerbook for under 300 bucks then forget it.

I got a powerbook over the summer after trading a friend a guitar amp I wasn't using that I paid about 400 for. It was a worthwhile trade because I had no use for the amp whatsoever...but this thing crawls sometimes. It's fine for basic tasks but I like games, and I like recording music and editing etc. I would also do some video stuff but it's just too slow.

I'm on the montevina bandwagon.
 
C

clindner

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
134
1
Well, I went for the Macbook today, took advantage of the $80 Microcenter rebate, so I was able to get the Santa Rosa white 2.2 for a nice price!

Thanks again for the feedback.
 
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