12" Powerbook vs. Macbook Air, Discuss...

[madmaxmedia]

I think if any particular factor (weight, power, battery life) is not of primary importance to you, then it's easy to say "a MB is not that much heavier than a MBA anyway," or something like that.

But if you truly value portability, then yeah going from 3 to 5 pounds is significant. I think your point about the Air are very good. Compromises have to be made in any ultraportable, but I think the choices Apple made were good ones on the whole.

 

[jonswan]

I just sold my 12 inch PB and got an MBA, but what is there to say? It's not as if the benefits of either are not startlingly clear. PBs are great machines but old + may have issues. MBAs are very expensive, very light, very nice too. I went for the MBA as I love the screen/size/weight + didn't want a dead PB on my hands.. go with the one you can afford right now, but with PBs, choose wisely.

 

[Tensakun]

Move on...

I'm going on four years with my PB 12", and I think it's a fantastic machine--good footprint for crowded trains (with people who "spillover" in the seats) and rock solid dependability. However, unless you find a super-good deal and just want a stopgap machine, I would move on and get a MB or, if you got the dough, a MBA. The G4 is noticeably lagging in Leopard, MS Office 2008, and other upgraded apps.

After I get my next machine (am also mentally struggling with the MB-MBA-MBP decision) in a couple of months, will reinstall Tiger on my PB and use it as a radio player/backup machine.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I'm going on four years with my PB 12", and I think it's a fantastic machine--good footprint for crowded trains (with people who "spillover" in the seats) and rock solid dependability. However, unless you find a super-good deal and just want a stopgap machine, I would move on and get a MB or, if you got the dough, a MBA. The G4 is noticeably lagging in Leopard, MS Office 2008, and other upgraded apps.

After I get my next machine (am also mentally struggling with the MB-MBA-MBP decision) in a couple of months, will reinstall Tiger on my PB and use it as a radio player/backup machine.

I agree. My fiancee made the mistake of giving her 12" PB to her brother and he destroyed it. No one knows where it is now or in what condition it is now. Either way I am looking for a 1.5GHz 12" just for the nostalgia of it all. And to put the largest HDD I can in it and use it for minor tasks and traveling.

Maybe that is.... if I am not too spoiled by the MBA.

 

[Kirbdog]

I was considering a new laptop a few months ago when my trusty 12" PB's warranty ran out. After weighing the pro's and con's I decided to keep my PB. I bought a fresh battery pack and stuffed a 250GB HDD in it. It should serve me well until OSX 10.6 comes out, I assume powerPC support will be dropped then.
Until that day comes it will continue to travel with me and be used to surf the web. It also gets used as a DVD player and to stream content onto my TV from other machines in the house.