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12" 1.33GHZ iBook vs 12" 1.33 GHZ Powerbook

vgoklani

vgoklani

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 2, 2004
186
0
Hi,

I was debating either getting a 12" 1.33 GHZ iBook (NEW) from Apple's store, or a 1.33GHZ powerbook (refusbished for $1099) from Apple's refurbished section. Which would you recommend? What are your thoughts on the NVidia video card in the Powerbook?
 
Personally, I would recommend the iBook because, a) it's $100 cheaper and b) it's practically almost the same hardware. If you are planning on playing games on it go with the Powerbook. If you want to play major games you probably going to want to, I'm gonna regret it and people are going to send me hate mail, buy a PC. There I said it. I regret it though. It all just depends what you want to do with it. But, I'd recommend the iBook.
 
I'd recommend PB. It has much better design and keyboard. Its scratch-resistant and has a better GPU. You also can attach an external display to it for extra screen space. It has some features that iBook doesn't. And its only 100$ more expensive. I'd get a PowerBook. Definately.
 
eXan said:
I'd recommend PB. It has much better design and keyboard. Its scratch-resistant and has a better GPU. You also can attach an external display to it for extra screen space. It has some features that iBook doesn't. And its only 100$ more expensive. I'd get a PowerBook. Definately.
Click to expand...
It might be scratch-resistant, but it isn't dent-resistant. The GPU all depends on what you are going to be doing. But, in the end, it's your choice.
 
zflauaus said:
It might be scratch-resistant, but it isn't dent-resistant. The GPU all depends on what you are going to be doing. But, in the end, it's your choice.
Click to expand...

haha don't drop it. i never understand why people always mention that about the powerbooks. if you drop it, it deserves to be smashed up haha.
 
Powerbooks will have a greater resale value over time. I'd say to go with the Powerbook. Plus, the 12" model excites girls. They'll want to touch it.
 
thanks for the replies. the ibook does have some other nice features (such as bluetooth 2.0, and it is a newer design (new screen + 512M soldered onto the motherboard instead of 256M)), but I wish Apple would expand on the differences between the PB and iBook.
 
"the 12" model excites girls. "

that's the best reason to get one!
 
btw, how hard is it to swap out the hard drive on the 12" PB? I would like to put in a 7200RPM 120G drive. Also, does it have speakers? where are they?
 
Actually I just bought the iBook a few weeks ago and it's a really solid little computer. The speakers are crap but who cares? I went out and bought some nice headphones.

Basically though it does everything I need it to do really well. Word Processing, e-mail, surfing, some light PhotoShopping. Add a gig of RAM for $170 and you can throw just about anything you like at it.

But, like everyone says, it depends on what you use it for, personally I'd save the $100 and put it into more memory.
 
vgoklani said:
Also, does it have speakers? where are they?
Click to expand...

Of course it has. However I dont know where they are, cuz I never seen a 12" PB (aside from the Apple Store)
 
I would also recommend the Powerbook becouse of the comfortable keyboard and design. The Powerbooks are also lighter and thinner.
 
I'd go ibook because it's cheaper, the GPU has less VRAM but is a lot better, and it has 512 built in. But really, this one is a toss up.
 
The NVidia card on the Powerbook is 3 years old (in design) - what's up with that? I guess all the parts are newer on the iBook?
 
I would say go for the powerbook if you want to output to an external display. The graphics are about equal since the powerbook has an older GPU but more VRAM. If you don't have to output to an external monitor, I would go with the iBook.
 
vgoklani said:
Hi,

I was debating either getting a 12" 1.33 GHZ iBook (NEW) from Apple's store, or a 1.33GHZ powerbook (refusbished for $1099) from Apple's refurbished section. Which would you recommend? What are your thoughts on the NVidia video card in the Powerbook?
Click to expand...
Seeing as I own that very PB and I will soon be owning that iBook... You need to take a cold hard look at what you want to do w/ your notebook.

If your plan does not include anything crazy, than an iBook would more than suffice for your needs (which is the conclusion that I have come to).

However, even if you don't need the extra ports of the PB, the 64MB of VRAM vs the iBook's 32MB, nor the native screen spanning of the PB, but you have the extra $ and you do love the feel/look of the PB, then by all means, go for the PB.

I do prefer the PB's keyboard, but I'd rather save a few $ as my computing needs for a notebook don't justify wanting a "nicer" laptop.
 
vgoklani said:
Hi,

I was debating either getting a 12" 1.33 GHZ iBook (NEW) from Apple's store, or a 1.33GHZ powerbook (refusbished for $1099) from Apple's refurbished section. Which would you recommend? What are your thoughts on the NVidia video card in the Powerbook?
Click to expand...

Wow it seems like a long time since an iBook vs. PowerBook war broke out.

A few points to consider in addition to video card related ones:

- 12" iBook CPU FSB speed is 133MHz. 12" PowerBook CPU FSB speed is 167MHz
- 12" PowerBook has DVI out, 12" iBook has only VGA out
- 12" PowerBook has Apple supported screen spanning. 12" iBook has only screen mirroring (unless you hack the firmware)
- 12" PowerBook has Apple supported lid-closed mode. I'm not sure if the iBook supports lid-closed operation; I suspect not
- 12" PowerBook has an audio-in jack. 12" iBook does not
- 12" PowerBook is both marginally smaller and lighter than 12" iBook
- 12" PowerBook has a keyboard which is considered by many to be superior to that of iBook (personal preference obviously).

The default hard drive size on the 1.33GHz 12" PowerBook was also 60GB, and I think it's only 40GB on the stock 1.33GHz 12" iBook.

Personally (and of course I'm biased as I already own a 1.33GHz 12" PowerBook) I'd definitely pick the PowerBook for only $100 extra. It's much more flexible (with the screen spanning, lid-closed mode, DVI/VGA/Video output options, audio input), and the keyboard is simply fantastic. IMHO, of course. YMMV.
 
eXan said:
Of course it has. However I dont know where they are, cuz I never seen a 12" PB (aside from the Apple Store)
Click to expand...

The speakers are on the rear of the main CPU/keyboard part of the PowerBook. They face backwards towards the screen, so that sound is reflected back off the screen and towards the user's face. I find the sound quality of the 12" PowerBook to be quite good (for a laptop), and the reflective sound trick works surprisingly well.
 
oingoboingo said:
Personally (and of course I'm biased as I already own a 1.33GHz 12" PowerBook) I'd definitely pick the PowerBook for only $100 extra. It's much more flexible (with the screen spanning, lid-closed mode, DVI/VGA/Video output options, audio input), and the keyboard is simply fantastic. IMHO, of course. YMMV.
Click to expand...
Ooh, I didn't read the OP properly... for only $100, I say definitely opt for the PB. When I bought mine (last August) I paid well over $1400 for it. Still, it's in amazing condition and I really do love it!
 
Yeah, for $100 it would be hard to justify not going with the added power of the PB. I vote Powerbook, despite the fact that I prefer the styling of the iBook.
 
Hardware-wise, it doesn't matter. At all. Seriously.

A few points to consider in addition to video card related ones:

- 12" iBook CPU FSB speed is 133MHz. 12" PowerBook CPU FSB speed is 167MHz
- 12" PowerBook has DVI out, 12" iBook has only VGA out
- 12" PowerBook has Apple supported screen spanning. 12" iBook has only screen mirroring (unless you hack the firmware)
- 12" PowerBook has Apple supported lid-closed mode. I'm not sure if the iBook supports lid-closed operation; I suspect not
- 12" PowerBook has an audio-in jack. 12" iBook does not
- 12" PowerBook is both marginally smaller and lighter than 12" iBook
- 12" PowerBook has a keyboard which is considered by many to be superior to that of iBook (personal preference obviously).
Click to expand...

And almost none of that matters.

The only reason to get the PB is if the keyboard of the iBook bothers you THAT much, whether you need audio-in, and which one looks better. And remember that the iBook has useful features that the older 12" PB doesn't have. And even if we were comparing a new 12" iBook and a NEW 12" Powerbook, it would still almost be a toss-up.
 
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