already own a 14" ibook... should i try getting a 12" pbook cheap???

[MUCKYFINGERS]

i love my 14" ibook but i do enjoy the small/sleekness of the 12" powerbook. BUT i don't like how small the screen is if i were to use it ALL the time (and i'd hook it up to an external while i'd be at home). does anyone think it'd be wise to look for a used/cheap powerbook 12 to get even though i already have a 14 ibook? i like the powerbook 12 mainly for its looks, portability, and ability to hook it up to a larger monitor. would love to hear ur opinions. thanks!

 

[devilot]

Seems like overkill to me. So you'd opt for a 12" PB and external display in addition to your 14" iBook?! I think you'd do better to save up and put it toward an iMac.

 

[California]

i love my 14" ibook but i do enjoy the small/sleekness of the 12" powerbook. BUT i don't like how small the screen is if i were to use it ALL the time (and i'd hook it up to an external while i'd be at home). does anyone think it'd be wise to look for a used/cheap powerbook 12 to get even though i already have a 14 ibook? i like the powerbook 12 mainly for its looks, portability, and ability to hook it up to a larger monitor. would love to hear ur opinions. thanks!

I have had both machines and have not been happy with the small 12" pb as my main computer -- even tho it is great looking. I got an old Tibook with maxed ram and faster hd and -- it reminds me of the 14" iBook with a wider screen and more readable screen.

I think the 14" iBook and 12" PB are a really good combo. Now I'm almost there with the 12" PB and 15" 550mhz Tibook (screen resolution the same as the 14" iBook). But I think you'll be using the iBook more -- as i am now with the Tibook, because the screen is so much more readable.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

Seems like overkill to me. So you'd opt for a 12" PB and external display in addition to your 14" iBook?! I think you'd do better to save up and put it toward an iMac.

yeah... see i didn't quite think of that point either!!! lol. having two portables is pretty pointless. but i just hate how clamshell mode isnt officially supported on my ibook, even though i can enable it with the hack, i'm still somewhat worried about overheating (even though i hear this is moot) but i'm more pissed at the 32 mb vram which makes expose a little choppy.

 

[RedTomato]

I have both a PB 15'' G4 1.5ghz and an iBook 12'' G3 700mhz.

The PB is my main home machine, and while I've thought about buying an external monitor, the screen is so lovely and bright, with the same effective dimensions as my old CRT 17'' that it just doesn't seem worth buying anything less than a dell 24'' LCD. So far, I've resisted that temptation as I couldn't really justify it.

I brought the iBook 12'' second hand as a backup in case the PB got stolen or broken, and also I was finding the PB just that bit too big and heavy to regularly take out and about.

I really like the iBook, as the small size makes a real difference, and also I can get it out in rougher places, where I would be worried about attracting too much attention with the PB.

Note: if your laptop is to be for road / cafe use, make sure you buy a secondhand one! Then you won't care too much if it gets stole / scratched / coffee spilled on it!

But, to be honest, I don't use the iBook as much as I thought I would, partly due to having a new baby makes it hard to get out much.

Another factor has been I brought a new laptop bag from Muji, the three way convertable one, which has been really fantastic. I used to use a Tucano Second Skin, and while it's good, it was a hassle putting the PB in it, then putting the Second Sin in whatever bag I was using, and extracting it when I wanted to use it and also finding somewhere to put the Tucano skin when I wasn't using it (it's similar to a dead whale carcass.. ).

With the new Muji bag, with special padded laptop compartment, [the PB didn't quite fit in at first - I had to unpick a couple of seams to enlarge it] I can just slide the PB in and out in less than a sec. Also the new bag is better balanced and just feels better. I take my PB out a lot more now, in greater comfort than I did previously.

I've now lent the iBook to my father to try to convert him I'm not too bothered as its main function is is to be there if my main machine gets borked.

Just my £0.02

xoxo ..RedTomato..

 

[weg]

i love my 14" ibook but i do enjoy the small/sleekness of the 12" powerbook. BUT i don't like how small the screen is if i were to use it ALL the time (and i'd hook it up to an external while i'd be at home). does anyone think it'd be wise to look for a used/cheap powerbook 12 to get even though i already have a 14 ibook? i like the powerbook 12 mainly for its looks, portability, and ability to hook it up to a larger monitor. would love to hear ur opinions. thanks!

Remind me, but the resolution is the same? I've a 12" Powerbook as my main computer (well, at least at home.. at work I have various other computers) and it works fine for me. But then, you already have an iBook, so I'd either stick with it (I'm sure it's a decent machine, and there's not much point in getting yet another G4 computer now that Apple is switching to Intel), or get rid of the iBook and replace it by the Powerbook.
The 12" Powerbook has a slightly better keyboard and driver a larger monitor, as you already mentioned. Apart from that, it's really just the looks. To be honest, I think that's probably the only reason why I bought a 12" PB over a 12" iBook (well, there's the Superdrive, too, but that's overpriced anyway and you can get much better external DVD writers for the same price).

I'd say: Stick with your iBook, you don't need a PB. You probably just want a shiny new thing to play with ;-) Get a Nintendo DS lite or a PSP, both look great, too (and are much cheaper than a Powerbook).

 

[FFTT]

You could buy a 12" PB for $1199 refurb, but you would be way better off keeping the iBook for real portable needs and buying an iMac for your heavy lifting.