pb12" 867mhz, free isight... to buy or not to buy?

[five04]

click here

i've been thinking about ordering the new 12" ibook g4, but now that i see this, i'm not sure what to do. i would think the pb would be faster since it's 867mhz and the ibook is 800mhz. also, aren't they the same revision g4? what would i lose/gain if i went with the pb instead of the ibook?


p.s. i think it should also be known that i'd be getting a student discount with the ibook to bring its price down to $999.

 

[mikeyredk]

order you get a free isight if you buy before tomorrow

 

[micvog]

Same situation... to PB12" rev A or not?

I am in the same situation.

Amazon.com currently has the rev. A 12" PB (NEW!) and iSight for $1094. I would probably Craigslist/eBay the iSight (~$100?), making the PB only $994!

Comparing the two, here is how I see it:

PowerBook Advantages
* Aluminum - it may not be as sturdy, and it may hurt the AE range, but it more professional looking than plastic.
* 867MHz G4 - an extra 67MHz can't hurt.
* Audio line-in - the iBook doesn't have it.
* Third internal speaker - like extra MHz, it can't hurt.
* Internal BT - cool feature not available on non-BTO iBooks.
* Smaller & lighter - though not by much.
* Extra 10GB HD on the standard config.
* Monitor spanning officially supported.
* Includes QuickBooks 5.0 NUE and some other "professional"-like software that I haven't heard of (e.g. OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner, Graphic Converter, etc.)

iBook Advantages
* Plastic - better AE range, and it doesn't get as hot as Al.
* RADEON 9200 - it owns the GF4MX in the rev A 12" PB
* USB 2.0 - the rev A 12" PB only has 1.1.
* Extra hour on the "official" battery life.
* Includes AppleWorks, Quicken Deluxe 2004 and some other "consumer"-like software (e.g. Deimos Rising, et. al.)
* Includes Panther - does the PB qualify for a free Panther upgrade?

As I put this together, it is occurring to me that the Amazon.com deal is very fair, but it isn't a once-in-a-lifetime deal either. Too bad Apple charges sales tax, or a BTO iBook (larger HD, Bluetooth) would be my choice. Unfortunately, I would have to pay $200 extra in taxes for the privilege of paying to BTO an iBook.

Michael

 

[five04]

i might just wait until christmas, when i go to new hampshire to visit my girlfriend, to buy the ibook g4. the only reason i'm not buying the powerbook is because of the gf4mx. not that i'd play many games on the laptop, but i would like to be able to play a little something. the thing about new hampshire is that they have no sales tax. so i'd get the ibook for $999 even. the pb still looks like a great deal though.