15" - Albook vs. TiBook

[pushlatency]

Hi,

I'm interested in picking up a 15.2" powerbook. However since browsing these boards and reading elsewhere, i've come across a significant amount of complaints regarding the new AlBooks. I'm pretty neurotic when it comes to nitpicky things like the latch not closing properly and what not, so I'm a little turned off to that machine. It seems that the previous generation had far fewer complaints

In any case, I'm more concerned with the performance and usability improvements over the last batch of TiBooks, how significant are they? Are the new Albooks much faster then the TiBooks (1.25 Ghz vs. 1 Ghz, considering G4 7455 vs 7447)? How does the battery life compare between the two?

Yeah, I guess the backlight keyboard and airport extreme are nice, but if the changes aren't really that big, I might just try picking up a lightly used TiBook for less, anyone have an idea the price range they'd fall under. Thanks.

 

[kwajo.com]

I would think a TiBook would still be a great pickup. remember, the titanium was gradually perfected over several generations, and in the last revision the heat is not a problem, the hinge is at its best, as is the strength of the screen. as for specs, there is a difference, I would say primarily in graphics chip, but the tibook at 1GHz would give the current low end a run for its money, but be a bit slower than the top of the line. If I were you I would go tibook if you are not concerned about bleeding edge technology. The battery life should also be better, and while airport reception is not as good, it had made inroads for the last revision

also, i like the look of the titanium better than the Albook 15", I guess the two-tone grew on me.

 

[dennis88]

The new 15" al 1,25ghz is about 30-35% faster than the 1ghz tibook cpu wise.
The double L2 cache makes more than up for the missing L3 cache, and the new cpu is faster per mhz because of this.
And the new graphic chip is much better, in fact it's the best you can find for a notebook today.

My 15" 1,25ghz i flawless and I love it.
Can't wait to install panther!

 

[Grokgod]

i disagree!

I bought a ALubook and it was really bad.

Bad in these ways..

Bad screen, there are many stories of screen issues...
I found my contrast ratio to be far less than the Ti.

Bad Video ,, refresh or redraws were a constant problem, there is much documented on the net about this issue.

Bad, ALU, I hate the feel of it. ouch...
Bad keyboard, the Ti keyboards was far better IMHO.

HEAT, i hate hot palm rests, thats the worst. The Alu distrbutes the heat across the entire powerbook.

This is good because there is LESS fan noise, in fact i never heard my fan come on.

But the other factors were so irritating that I didnt use it much before boxing it back up.

Bad latch, oh yea , its closed , its open, its slammed to the ground, now the ****er is closed!

I bought a Ti 1 giger,, after selling my 800.
I still regret that and always will!

Ti has far better LCD, and the speed is almost equal in my eyes, I dont see 30 percent increase, I see maybe 10 and thats pushing it.

The downside on the Ti is fan noise, that fan does come on and when it does, well the neighbours will not like it.

Still the Ti was a better choice considering the cost and the fact that it was the final REV and the Alu is obviously in serious need of a REV 2.

I will add that Panther is the BOMB and has brought APPLE back into my good list. It makes the Ti really fly and any differences that i felt tween the ALU and the TI, speed wise are gone.

Save the cost difference on the ALu and get the G5 when it comes out.
that will be worth getting and I think that the Ti's resell value will be far better than the ALU, which I think is destined to become an APPLE lemon!

Also the new iBooks are starting to look good for me and bear closer examination.
For about 1 G its a great machine to wait out the G5 powerbook. Once i figure out the heat and fan issues, depending on the chip,,, etc

 

[beefcake]

I have the Ti and I love it. A lot of the pros have already been stated so I'll just give you the few cons I've come across:

1. There is a slight flex in the casing, not enough to do any damage, but if you pick it up and try to bend it, it'll give a little

2. The fan is a little noisy. I never hear it because I always have music playing. Also, when on battery power you almost never heard the fan, its just on Power Adapter settings that it kicks in.

3. Not really a problem, but the Alu books are sturdier. I'm slightly paranoid about taking my TiBook out because of the scratching issue. Mine has never scratched, but I've also been careful with it. If you're looking for a laptop you can throw around a little, buy the AluBook. However, if you're going to treat it well, a TiBook will definitely not disappoint you.

 

[mactastic]

Unless the speed issue is really important, I'd consider the TiBook. I have one myself, the 1Gig model with a 64Mb Radeon graphics card and 1024Mb RAM. It is definetly the product of several revisions worth of bug fixes. I'm always a little skeptical of anything in the Rev.A catagory.

AE isn't that great unless you plan on transfering large files wirelessly within your network. Most internet connections are under 1.5Mbit, and the "b" card in the Tibook will give you 11.

Oh the keyboard isn't as nice as the Albook's. And be careful of the keys leaving a mark on the screen. Get one of those cloth things if you go Ti.

My 2¢.