camping with an iMac

[tigercrane]

First time poster, long time lurker

I want an iMac real bad. I went to play at the apple store and the 20" just sucked me in and away from the MBP.

So here's my deal:

I'm about to leave my cushy university job to roam the country with my girlfriend camping and exploring for a few months. Then plan to relocate up to New Hampshire.
My current desktop computer is about dead and I want to take advantage of my edu discount.

In the long run the iMac is the computer for me. The most bang for my buck. Unfortunitly with my trip and a potentially long transition in my relocation and job hunt , a portable is necessary. Especially for watching dvds in the back of my pick-up.

So...
Do I buy the soon to me intel Ibook if I like the specs. Then get an iMac down the road sometime.(which could be awhile)
Or power up and get a MBP now and a display down the road.

My concerns are screen size because I like the 15.4 for dvds and photos.
Also other expenses might get in the way during my transition which will prevent me from get the iMac when I want it.
I could hold off on the display indefinitely and "deal" with the MBP as my one and only.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Rock on

 

[andiwm2003]

Unfortunitly with my trip and a potentially long transition in my relocation and job hunt , a portable is necessary. Especially for watching dvds in the back of my pick-up.

Rock on

your needs are watching videos, doing email, surfing the web, storing your trip photos.

chances are >>50% that you get your computer stolen or you break it somehow, dent the screen, get it wet, scratch it badly.

my advice:
the new stuff may be cool and fancy. but go for a used 14" G4 ibook and a portable external HD for backup.
it does what you need, is cheap, robust and you can buy a real fancy machine after your trip with the money you save now.

 

[hikeNM]

your needs are watching videos, doing email, surfing the web, storing your trip photos.

chances are >>50% that you get your computer stolen or you break it somehow, dent the screen, get it wet, scratch it badly.

my advice:
the new stuff may be cool and fancy. but go for a used 14" G4 ibook and a portable external HD for backup.
it does what you need, is cheap, robust and you can buy a real fancy machine after your trip with the money you save now.

I agree. Find the cheapest thing you can find that will do what you want. My wife and I are taking a trip this summer, much in the same fashion as yours, and I'm buying absolutely the cheapest thing I can find(and still be an Apple) and probably sell it when I get back.

 

[tigercrane]

hey guys
thanks or responding.
I totally understand your logic but how much would a used ibook cost?
800? To be that's a lot for an "out of date" used machine that could potentially be more hassle than it's worth. I'm not so into buying used electronics anways.

I looked on the refurb apple site and G4 ibooks are still around 1k. New 1200. New intel book 1300?
To me a better computer for a little bit more outways the need to buy used even if there is risk of robbery and/or damage.
Trust me , I'll treat it like a baby. Laptops in general have a high risk of theft no matter what. Where I live now, I wouldn't even leave spare change in my truck for fear of robbery.

 

[MacMosher]

I might even suggest a G3 (with DVD reader of course ) It will do all of the things listed above.. only problem could be the airport card needed but you can usually find them being sold with the airport card.

These machines will take a licken and keep on ticken (a necessity for camping ) so to speak. you can pick up a G3 800mhz for like 350$.

This would be good especially if your trying to save for your future iMac

 

[xyian]

I agree with most everybody here. An older G4 would do you fine unless you're trying to make 3d stuff with Maya. Who does that when they're camping in the beautiful wilderness????!!?!?!?
You can pick them up for relatively cheap~$350-800. It would be money well spent and then you could pick up the lovely 20" iMac down the road.

 

[tigercrane]

bummer
You guys are supposed to tell me what I want to hear.

My only question is: what's the difference in having a new laptop that I take around with me on this trip and me using the same laptop all over town and on campus. The risk is the same in my mind.

Portable is portable. It's meant to go where you go.
I could damage it just as easy spilling coffee on it at the cafe or dropping it off the table.

 

[Macky-Mac]

bummer
You guys are supposed to tell me what I want to hear.

My only question is: what's the difference in having a new laptop that I take around with me on this trip and me using the same laptop all over town and on campus. The risk is the same in my mind.

Portable is portable. It's meant to go where you go.
I could damage it just as easy spilling coffee on it at the cafe or dropping it off the table.

yeah but when you're camping there's always the danger of a crazed chipmunk taking a bite out of your laptop.........or maybe you'll chop down a tree and it'll fall the wrong way

 

[knights]

If you go camping with it, don't use it as firewood. I tried that and it got all melted and ****. I don't know what I was thinking. Anyways, I tried to return it but they wouldn't let me.

 

[MacMosher]

bummer
You guys are supposed to tell me what I want to hear.

My only question is: what's the difference in having a new laptop that I take around with me on this trip and me using the same laptop all over town and on campus. The risk is the same in my mind.

Portable is portable. It's meant to go where you go.
I could damage it just as easy spilling coffee on it at the cafe or dropping it off the table.

its presumed that if you are camping with it, it will be subject to much more rugid life then say sitting on your desk or the ocassional trip out.

 

[tigercrane]

from what I here of the MBP's I may not even need a fire. I'll just huddle around the computer.

 

[m-dogg]

bummer
You guys are supposed to tell me what I want to hear.

My only question is: what's the difference in having a new laptop that I take around with me on this trip and me using the same laptop all over town and on campus. The risk is the same in my mind.

Portable is portable. It's meant to go where you go.
I could damage it just as easy spilling coffee on it at the cafe or dropping it off the table.

I'd agree that risk is everywhere when you own a laptop. I think many people's thoughts are that the risk would increase on trip where you are outside of your usual surroundings, routines and habits.

Are you going to be car-camping or backpacking? If you are mostly going to be car camping and keeping it (with a nice case/bag of course) safely in the car when you aren't using it, I don't see why you couldn't get a MBP.

Are you the type of person who goes through electronic devices quickly, or do the things you buy tend to last a long time? If you baby your toys and they tend to last long, again, the MBP sounds good.

Have fun on your trip though,whatever you buy. I did a cross-country trip like that a few years back and had a blast! The sensory overload of seeing so much in such a relatively short period of time is a great thing!

 

[tigercrane]

I was just in Thailand scubadiving and met a dude who was about to go to the basecamp of everest in Nepal. He had a very fine powerbook with him.

 

[stonyc]

I'm going to have to echo the "get something cheap" crowd. Camping is not just sitting at a table in a cafe, or just taking it to class. There's higher risk of damage if you're going camping. You didn't say where you were camping, what about temperature extremes? Morning dew on the LCD screen?

Why take those risks with a $2500 laptop, and hope that nothing happens to it... if something does, Applecare won't cover accidental damage so keep that in mind too.

If your needs aren't that demanding, which they don't sound like they are, just get a higher-spec G3 iBook or a low-spec G4.

You say that $800 for a used iBook is a lot of money to you, but what about a top-of-the-line broken $2500 Macbook Pro?

 

[tigercrane]

I'd agree that risk is everywhere when you own a laptop. I think many people's thoughts are that the risk would increase on trip where you are outside of your usual surroundings, routines and habits.

Are you going to be car-camping or backpacking? If you are mostly going to be car camping and keeping it (with a nice case/bag of course) safely in the car when you aren't using it, I don't see why you couldn't get a MBP.

Are you the type of person who goes through electronic devices quickly, or do the things you buy tend to last a long time? If you baby your toys and they tend to last long, again, the MBP sounds good.

Have fun on your trip though,whatever you buy. I did a cross-country trip like that a few years back and had a blast! The sensory overload of seeing so much in such a relatively short period of time is a great thing!

Thanks man
I love road trips. I love quiting my jobs to go on them even more.

But to answer your questions, yes I like to buy for the future as much as I can. I'm not an electronics junky but computing is a must for anyone these days. I see such great potential for me with these Apple machines. There is so much you can do.

And bottom line is that my lifestyle is never stable. I'm all over the place and that's just the way it is. I don't want to limit my computing power because of it.

 

[stonyc]

I was just in Thailand scubadiving and met a dude who was about to go to the basecamp of everest in Nepal. He had a very fine powerbook with him.

And what are the chances that when he returns that PB will still be "very fine"? Just playing devil's advocate here because I'd hate for you to come back 3 months later and start a thread titled "I ruined my MBP!!!".

 

[tigercrane]

And what are the chances that when he returns that PB will still be "very fine"? Just playing devil's advocate here because I'd hate for you to come back 3 months later and start a thread titled "I ruined my MBP!!!".

That would SUCK!
Yeah the guy was a little bit "unusual". But hey, I went 80 feet under water with him as my dive buddy so go figure.

Needless to say, I've been pining over this for some time. Just waiting to strike.

So I think that I will get the new intel ibook or the g4 ibook if the price comes down enough. Then save up a bit more and get me a iMac. My girlfriend will need a computer at some point.

I think the MBP is out of the question. To high of a money/risk ratio.



Apple hurry up with the damn intel ibook already.

 

[stonyc]

Like you said, the iMac is your dream computer to begin with... getting an iBook (G4 or Intel) for now and getting your iMac later is probably the most prudent way to go. That way, when you do get your iMac you'll not only have the power setup on your desktop, you'll be mobile too when you need/want to be.

 

[MacMosher]

Apple hurry up with the damn intel ibook already.

A men, good choice though.

it's pretty much all in how you treat your computers and electronics. If you baby them then theres pretty much no troubles regardless with what you get (except for the occasional freak accident).

Mosher

 

[D0ct0rteeth]

I would absolutely recommend a G4 iBook

especially because you'll be probably using WiFi exclusivelu and the MBP has well documented airport issues. and the difference in performance/speed is about the same for basic web/iLive usage

plus the $800 vs $2000 price difference means that you have more freedom and cash in your pocket for the trip.

 

[tigercrane]

I would absolutely recommend a G4 iBook

especially because you'll be probably using WiFi exclusivelu and the MBP has well documented airport issues. and the difference in performance/speed is about the same for basic web/iLive usage

plus the $800 vs $2000 price difference means that you have more freedom and cash in your pocket for the trip.

yeah or use that 1200 for a future iMac

Like I said earlier I don;t like used but if they start selling the G4 ibooks on the cheap when the new intels come out, it's going to be a hard call to make.

What I need vs new coolness

 

[Eniregnat]

Go cheep! Buy an external drive to back your stuff up. Get a SuperDrive and burn DVDs. Mail them back to your family for safe keeping.

Hey, the biggest part of the trip is the trip and your girlfriend. If you guys survive this trip together, she will support your technologic needs when you get back.

 

[D0ct0rteeth]

yeah or use that 1200 for a future iMac

Like I said earlier I don;t like used but if they start selling the G4 ibooks on the cheap when the new intels come out, it's going to be a hard call to make.

What I need vs new coolness

New coolness is still used two days after you buy it

and Airport Connectivity Issues are def not cool when trying to check email at a library/starbucks/hotel in Monument Vally or Zion National Park