12" or 14": Apple special deal

[CrackedButter]

I'm after the iBook and i was gunning for the 12" iBook. But Apple in their wisdom have lowered the price of the 14" iBook down to the level of the 12", i think there is £50 difference now instead of £150 pound difference. There is a special Winter offer for students in the UK

Which is the better one to get now?

The most important things in either iBook i want is long battery life and the weight, the processors are the same. I don't know the difference between 12" or 14" screen so you guys can sway me either way.

Watcha think, 12" or 14"? The offer finishes in March 31st 2003 so i have some time to decide.

Or just wait even longer for the iBook update? Which i think will be after March in April.

 

[melchior]

i personally don't like the 14", i feel it's disproportional to the model. in fact i'd like to see a smaller ibook.

the size difference is significant. how valuable is your screen real estate? will an external monitor be available when you need more space? do you want it in your backpack?

 

[CrackedButter]

I have a 14" wintel laptop now, the screen is something i cannot say, i've never seen a 12" screen so i can't compare.

But yes i want it in my bag as i travel to and from college alot, however if i can hook it up to a bigger screen what type of screen can i use? Can i use a normal monitor not of the mac variety? If so then i might as well stay with the 12".

 

[DeadlyBreakfast]

I went with the 12". The resolution is the same but on a smaller screen so it is nice and sharp. I use it everywhere...Its truly a laptop. I guess it depends on what you do with it. ....Im glad I went with the 12....

 

[melchior]

yes, all ibook's come with a vga adapter for use on garden variety monitors

 

[lmalave]

Keep in mind the 12" and 14" operate at the same maximum resolution, 1024x768. I like the 12" size better - more compact and weighs a pound less, and still gets 4 to 5 hours battery life.

That being said, if I were in the market now I might be tempted to hold off and wait until the iBooks get built-in Bluetooth like the new PowerBooks. It's not that I use Bluetooth now, but I anticipate doing so in the future (Bluetooth stereo headphones, for example). For now since the iBook has no built-in Bluetooth and no PC card slot, I will be stuck using one of the USB Bluetooth dongles. Not a huge deal, but still a consideration.

 

[RBMaraman]

Definitely go with the 12". I think you'll be much happier. Like others have said, the resolution is the same on both, and the 12" screen looks much sharper than the 14". Plus, the 12" is easier to carry around.

 

[OSeXy!]

Yeah, I agree. 12" is better. I wonder if apple is discounting the 14" because it's not selling so well here (they will need to shift those babies with pound-signs on the kbds)? That said, I'd be very tempted to wait for the next rev... But I don't know exactly what you want to use it for - the current model might be great for you. You might not care about AirPort Extreme or Bluetooth...

 

[CrackedButter]

Well i have a Nokia 6310 and its equipped with Bluetooth. Airport looks nice and all but Cable nor DSL isn't going to be in my neighbourhood for at least another year maybe 2 looking at the registrations.

I cannot really say i have a need for them yet REALLY and i am being honest here. There's only so much you can do with a phone and a laptop and it isn't a huge plus.

I'm thinking i should still go for the 12" i so want the portability, i was just wondering if the 14" was worth it considering its extra 2 inches.