Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

ACD or laptop to keep my G5 company?

L

letterbox

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 13, 2004
112
0
I'm back, sorry this is sorta a repeat of my other questions but here goes...

Short and simple.

I am going to school in the fall, Graphic Design major @ an art school.

I have a Dual 1.8 with a 20" Dell CRT which is killing me and I will be staying at my own apartment near the school.

Should I get a new 20" ACD or a 12" laptop?

If laptop is your choice, which model, iBook/PB and why?

I have maybe $1250 at this moment, and a possibility of more money in the future, but not much. It will take me 6 months or more to get the other item, because I eventually plan on having both.

Thanks,
Jay
 
If you need an ACD, then why don't you just get the ACD? Great for graphics and such. Actually, I wouldn't even get the ACD and go with a non-Apple brand of display. You may save a lot of money that way.

I'd get a laptop, though, since I can't imagine using a desktop full time anymore.
 
You can get a 12" iBook with the student discount and with adding on an upgrade to a 40GB HD, Bluetooth, Airport, and AppleCare for $1320 plus tax, or you can wait to add AppleCare and come in under your $1250 limit, even with a 60GB HD and tax (but add AppleCare within the year!).

I'd get that instead of the ACD initially, as you have no laptop, but you do have a monitor.

A PB is nice, but, in your price range, you'd have to get a used one. A very used one.
 
I guess the best counter-argument to my post above is that, assuming you're getting both within six months (safe assumption or no?), the ACD will be beautiful and useful for a long time and won't be updated for some time, whereas the same money ($1250) might get you a better laptop in six months.

So, contrary to what I said above, if you don't really need a laptop until early next year, and if you're jonesing for the new ACD (I've seen it, and it is beautiful!), go for it.
 
I would get a non-Apple display, however I am looking for a widescreen display. Mostly because I am doing design, and I need the horizontal space more than the vertical, and partially because I only have a small 12" TV from the 70's/80's and would like to watch DVD's on my computer's monitor.

The thing is, I really do have good reasons for getting both.

LCD
1. LCD isn't as hot as CRT. My apartment is small and the CRT generates a lot of heat, while this may be fine in the winter, in the summer it will roast me and my electric bill (window unit AC). The CRT makes my room in my house 4 to 5*° F warmer already.

2. Widescreen provides more usable space (for me)

3. movies (see lack of good viewing screen above, tv)

4. ergonomics - easier on eyes, less clutter, can be put farther away on desk

Laptop
1. portability - something i don't have right now and could use, however laptops are not mandatory at school. There are iMac g4's in the labs, 17 or 20 inches, i don't remember, so they have decent computers. It's just the other things, like doing work outside during class, or going places, etc.

...okay so basically laptop has portability.

I would try to get a PB if possible because of the better keyboard, my previous ibooks kb was too mushy and is partially what has given my carpul tunnel (mostly my fault, i know) and even the newer ibooks kb isn't as stiff as the pb...

if i get a laptop i will add applecare later.
 
AFAIK there aren't any 20" widescreen or any decent 20" 4:3 lcd monitors out there...I am afraid that an 800MHz iBook from the refurb store would not run the applications I am looking to use at an acceptable speed for me in the near future (a year).
 
letterbox said:
AFAIK there aren't any 20" widescreen or any decent 20" 4:3 lcd monitors out there...I am afraid that an 800MHz iBook from the refurb store would not run the applications I am looking to use at an acceptable speed for me in the near future (a year).
Click to expand...

you'll be hard pushed to get a (new) laptop that will run the applications you are thinking of at an acceptable speed in the near future for $1250.

maybe you could get a refurb but they start at $1349 for a 12" powerbook, latest spec.

if i were you i wouldnt bother getting a laptop unless you really need it, and you wont know that until you start. if i were you i would get a nice new lcd screen if thats what you want, i would maybe go for a non apple one as you could save a bundle and then have something to put towards a laptop if you need it in a few months time.

if it were me , also being a graphic design student. i would get a Lacie 22" Electron Blue IV CRT Display. :D :D :D
or maybe the 19" then id put whatever you had left towards a g5 powerbook when they finally decide to show themselves.
 
I would go with the laptop, but that's just because I'm always for getting a new computer.

If you manage to save up another 200 or so, you could get a decent 12" PB.
If you would rather not save up that much more, my iBook was $1245, with airport extreme, 512 ram, 1 ghz processor, 60 gig HD. Those aren't terrible specs for running light graphic art operations.
Besides, the heavy stuff you're probably doing on your G5.

And think of it this way: if your concern with the CRT is cooling costs, its just now getting into the cooler months. Getting the LCD in 6 months will be setting you up to cool down your house just as you get into warmer months.
 
Thanks for the replies.

If I were in the market for a new CRT, I would definatly check out Lacie, as I've heard nothing but good things about them. However, I don't really have the space to accomodate this CRT or want to deal with the heat fluctuation involved with CRT's, mainly the heating they cause. I could get an LCD in 6 months as suggested :) to cool things down when they heat up again, but it stays hot here until late October! :eek: But, honestly I can think of so many reasons I don't want this CRT. Oh, here is another one, I can see the screen refreshing in some areas with the lines appearing to be crawling up and down the screen.

I saw the new displays in person today...sexy. And wonderful screens. Much better looking IMHO than the others, and this is from comparing them in the same Apple store at the same time.

I can think of a bunch of reasons to get an ACD, and I can think of the few situations that I might want to have a laptop for. Maybe the best thing to do is put off any purchase until classes are in session. Then I could get a laptop if it looked like I needed that, or I could get a monitor if I didn't and off this one on some other student for cheap.

I also think if I get a laptop, it is going to have to be a PB, I can't stand the keyboard of the iBook.

stevehaslip, where are you a design student at? Do you find yourself in need of a laptop at all, or ever wishing you had one, or find that not having one (if you don't) sets you back?

Thanks all,
Jay
 
I know, I know! Just, ahh so hard to let go of this money incase buying a laptop would be more beneficial...:(
 
blackfox said:
Lacie CRT and a fan...save the rest for a PB...
Click to expand...
^^^hehehehhe :D

letterbox - I'm a Graphic Design Student at Central Saint Martins in London. Its one of the best places to do it in the country and is quite well respected throughout the world. And as its London the heat isnt really an issue!

i wouldn't say that not having a laptop holds you back, but after your first year all the people who don't have (apple) computers find that they're being held back because they can't do any work at home. So they all go out and look at apple computers and alot of them go for powerbooks. If you have a g5 like me, then you're laughing because i find myself much more productive at home than on the road as it were. You could get away without a laptop by using the computers at college, we have about 40-50 1.25Ghz emacs in one room. (its London so its not hot!)

But if you do have a laptop it means that you can take stuff in to show your lecturers without having to do a high quality print out. and my printers ink costs a bomb here in the uk. It also means that you always have a current version of whatever it is that you are working on. I find ical seriously useful because whenever we have to remember something i open the lid of my powerbook and tadahh! everythings in it!

last point! we have wireless everywhere so i can cruise the internet where ever i like


so to sum up
i would hold off on a powerbook if you dont know what its gonna be like at your college, it may be that they have lots of computers there with open access. and that they have a few powerbooks they can loan out if something important needs to be done. (we do) its not like when you start everyone will have powerbooks, lots of people wont even be able to use commputers.:pDont Laugh!:mad:hehehe

how bout a new lcd screen then?? :D :D :D
 
Steve,

Thanks for making up my mind! Hehe. There are a bunch of computers in the labs, and there are open labs (iMacs as well :) ). I am going to the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, arguably the best fine arts school in the US and one of the up and coming digital arts institutions as well. Since you are in school as well, you might find my thread about my school in the Community Discussion interesting, I have some pics up of it. It is titled "My G5 themed school".

But back to the current. I would probably not be very productive out and about, and I will probably have the money in the next 6 months or so to get a PB. By then, it is possible (but not likely, I know) that there will be some significant revision (like G5's) to the line and my money would be well spent there. As someone stated lcd will last a long time and laptops will change more frequently so the same 1400 today might go much farther in 6-12 months.

That being said, keeping away from laptops will help keep my wrists in healthier shape while I am trying to minimize stress on them. I'm sure the flexibility and portability will be really great when I get it, but the best all around solution seems to be going ahead with the LCD screen now.

Now just to decide if I should order online and possibly have to wait a month or wait 'til they pop up in retail stores, :D .
 
glad i could help! :D

i've already seen the thread you mentioned, nice building. must be a great place to go to college every day!

but you know what will happen, you will go to buy a powerbook in 6 months or so and there will be loads of g5 rumours! then you'll hold off a bit again!!!
sods law! :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back