PowerBook 12" vs. 15"

Well the best thing would be to go and see them for yourself in an apploe store or reseller if there is one close to you. I have the 17" and it is very portable, i have not had any problems with it in terms of taking it to where i am going. If screen size is not a major fact then go with the 12" PB, with the 15" it is easyer to do more then 1 thing on your screen and its a + when watching a DVD.

The major diffrence is screen size and graphics crad, if you need the extra power go with the 15"

Well, everyone asks this. It is really up to YOU. You know what you need, want, can handle, can afford, etc. You, and only you. What would I get it? It doesn't really matter. I got a 12''. Does that affect your decision? I sure hope not, as I got it for every reason that probably won't get one for. The facts are there..The 12 is smaller and more portable with a few less features while the 15 is a little bigger, still portable, and has those few missing features. So go sleep on it and decide, then get back to us with your followup decision, as then we will be interested in knowing what you decided to go with. Good luck.

IMHO, the 15" is going to be better, with the apps you'll be using. You're going to have several toolbars open at the same time as the file you're working on, and the 15" will give you the room to have a full size image, as well as the toolbars. The 12" won't. That, combined with the slightly better performance/features, makes the difference.

Having a DVD burner on board will be nice, too. You'll have lots of stuff to back up, and CD's just aren't big enough for my pics (never thought I'd say that...)

The only downside to the 15" is the slightly greater fragility of the screen, due to the size of the thing. Just make sure you get a good bag to keep it in, with at least one fairly hard side for the screen to rest on, so it doesn't get pressure.

I carry my 15" on the road 15-18 days/month, with no problems. Can't imagine having a square screen anymore.

same dilema

you are certainly facing the same dilema as me.

i adore small things and i figured i'd get the 12" + ext monitor as well.

i've used 12" ibooks for years as my main computer and they are fine for most work. but... whenever i use it for design, formz, quark, the screen seems cramped. and for archicad, well, really cramped. i'm just so used to the small screen, that somehow i make do and can't imagine what it would be like to work on a larger one.

portability is great and i imagined with a new pb12" (smaller and lighter than the ibook), i would carry it everywhere, all the time, using it almost as a pda.

well i got the pb12" and it is wonderfully small and super portable... but... it seemed such a pity to have 'so much' processing power and still a screen no bigger than the ibooks i'd been used to. apple store was real sweet and after trying it out for 10days, i returned it.

now i am waiting for the (soon?) upcoming rev to the pb 15".

i know i will be sacrificing portability, but i am hoping the pleasure of a larger screen will be a fair trade off. they do say however, as far as ergonomics go, that it is easier to go up in screen size than to downsize. so i hope once i make the step up, i will not regret it.

the absolute BIGGEST PLEASURE i get out of a laptop, especially now with airport express, is to use it anywhere around my apartment. desk, sofa, bed, (even toilet!). so having a bigger screen with the benefit of not being tethered to a fixed monitor should be wonderful.

we'll see.

good luck to you on your choice, will be curious to hear how you decide.

🙂