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Another PPC or Intel?

I have a 13" 2012 MBP and the build quality is great, no complaints on it at all.

I had a 2006 MB and it wasn't nearly as nice, and as the white ones age they tend to show the wear more than the aluminum MBP's of any age.

I think the white plastic was a novelty when it was first introduced. It was different so it was cool, but I look back at those now and the iBooks and don't like them at all. Of course that's probably because when I upgraded to an aluminum Powerbook the build quality was very impressive. Same for the MBP's. I've never had a 17" one though to notice any creaks or problems like the other user is having.
 
Dronecatcher said:
I can understand how some may feel that spending money on a Mac that is absolutely not essential or needed at the time is just a frivolous waste of money
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No one, and I mean NO one is doing this.

Dronecatcher said:
...however most of us don't operate like that. When you actively immerse yourself in an environment where reading about, understanding and implementing a technology is something you enjoy doing, it's natural to spend money on a device purely to experience how it performs/feels/looks/works or whatever. The fact that it will be actually put to real regular use is a bonus.
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And this would be the purpose of buying it. This is what you intend to use it for. A perfectly reasonable purpose that no one, especially in this forum, is questioning. It's not a need but it is a purpose.

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HansiS said:
They also tend to have cracks at the hinges and the white ones seem to get a more yellowish color. The black models seem to be a little bit more sturdy, but are way pricier - at least here in Germany. I looked at them too, but I really like the Aluminium of my Powerbook and I don't want a plastic case.
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There is no difference in quality between the black and the white ones.
 
HansiS said:
Hi,

A few days ago, I bought myself a late-2009 Unibody 17" MacBook Pro. I also considered getting a Non-Unibody one, because of Powerbook-like casing, but in the end, I chose the Unibody for Yosemite etc.

I am dissapointed with the build quality or feel. The case is not firm, but it gives way to pressure, makes clicky-sounds and the plastic display hinge makes noises when the System heats up. In comparison, my Powerbook feels like a solid block. A hard to maintain solid block.

Maintenance of the Unibody is really easy and Yosemite is nice, but the most interesting features like airplay-mirroring or hand-off or airdrop need a more actual unit (2011+).

Sadly my MacBook is faulty and i have to send it back, but I really tend to get a non-Unibody MacBook Pro and be happy with Mountain Lion. But all these faulty GPUs in the early models don't sound that great too.
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In which case there's something wrong with that particular MBP. In my experience unibodies are just solid, unless they've been dropped and/or the bottom panel hasn't been fitted back on correctly after they've been opened up.

The non-unibody MBPs are somewhat more fragile. The lids bend with normal use after a couple of years, stop lining up correctly and don't sit flat against the chassis when closed. They're also an utter pain to work on. I believe it was 22 screws to be able to swap out the hard drive on my Rev A 15"...

Anyone that claims PowerBooks are better built than a unibody are just stoking a myth.

Dronecatcher said:
This is what I suspected/feared - a steady decline in build quality as Apple are more interested in chasing the dollar with machines with built in obsolescence!
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First bit isn't true. Second bit I won't argue with.
 
My apologies if I started a side argument. I was merely trying to point out that "need" is not a concern in my discretionary purchases - that's all.

I may have read the user who used that term incorrectly, but it's a common thing in the iPhone forums here to deride someone for purchasing more capacity then they need in an iDevice purchase. It's almost like a badge of honour in there for squeezing as much into as little space as possible.

I for one believe in buying what I want when I have the money for it even if I don't immediately have a need or purpose. This drives my wife crazy, but it's who I am.

I was merely commenting on that is all and I'm sorry if it started any fights.
 
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2009 13" MacBook Pro: Most reliable MacBook ever.
The MacPro1,1 and MacPro3,1 are also very reliable in my experience. You might be able to find one for crazy cheap.
 
AlecZ said:
2009 13" MacBook Pro: Most reliable MacBook ever.
The MacPro1,1 and MacPro3,1 are also very reliable in my experience. You might be able to find one for crazy cheap.
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I saw a MacPro 1,1 on eBay a couple of weeks ago for $250 shipped. I have no experience with them and never pay attention to prices but I guess they're out there for not much more than G5 money.
 
I suggest you go with any Intel Core 2 Duo Mac or newer (not Core Duo) because they still are capable of running the latest software.
 
eyoungren said:
Why does need always have to factor in to these threads?

I don't need six displays on my Quicksilver. Hell, I don't need two. But I want six displays and so I have six displays.

This is just like the arguments in the iPhone forums about purchasing only the model with the capacity you need.

BS. I'll buy what I want and I don't give a frak if I need it or not.

Note, this is not a hostile post. I'm just stating my opinion.
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sounds just like people with smartphones. People don't NEED them and really have no actual use for them. They just want them because "everyone else" has one.
 
MatthewLTL said:
sounds just like people with smartphones. People don't NEED them and really have no actual use for them. They just want them because "everyone else" has one.
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Exactly, and if you've read any of the threads in the iPhone forums here that deal with capacity the general groupthink is that you are an idiot and financially irresponsible if you buy any capacity higher than what you need.
 
eyoungren said:
Exactly, and if you've read any of the threads in the iPhone forums here that deal with capacity the general groupthink is that you are an idiot and financially irresponsible if you buy any capacity higher than what you need.
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IMHO i actually agree with that. ..."you are an idiot and financially irresponsible"...... when it comes to ANY smartphone. Why? Because you shell out 750 for a iPhone when you can get a PowerBook or iBook or even a PowerMac that is 1000% capable of doing EVERYTHING a iPhone can do, MORE reliable and dependable, for 80-250 bucks. I would never pay over 50 bucks for any phone. I don't have and don't believe in smartphones for the reasons i have stated.
 
MatthewLTL said:
IMHO i actually agree with that. ..."you are an idiot and financially irresponsible"...... when it comes to ANY smartphone. Why? Because you shell out 750 for a iPhone when you can get a PowerBook or iBook or even a PowerMac that is 1000% capable of doing EVERYTHING a iPhone can do, MORE reliable and dependable, for 80-250 bucks. I would never pay over 50 bucks for any phone. I don't have and don't believe in smartphones for the reasons i have stated.
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OK, well you fall in to that camp then.

I'll just say this then, as I've said to the others…it's my money and my being financially irresponsible or an idiot has zero effect on your financial security. I.e., my wasting my own money doesn't have any effect on you whatsoever.

So, I guess we see this differently. That said, it won't stop me from buying what I want. My wife is about the only person who can. :D
 
MatthewLTL said:
IMHO i actually agree with that. ..."you are an idiot and financially irresponsible"...... when it comes to ANY smartphone. Why? Because you shell out 750 for a iPhone when you can get a PowerBook or iBook or even a PowerMac that is 1000% capable of doing EVERYTHING a iPhone can do, MORE reliable and dependable, for 80-250 bucks. I would never pay over 50 bucks for any phone. I don't have and don't believe in smartphones for the reasons i have stated.
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What utter rubbish. What do you actually think people use a Smartphone for? It's a pocket size convergence device - phone (obviously), digital camera, music player, Sat Nav and internet access. That's just off the top of my head.

You might at a push be able to use a PowerBook for listening to music on the train. You can't stick it in a holder in my car and use it as a Sat Nav to get to an address 200 miles away. It doesn't have an camera. If by some miracle it could do everything an iPhone could , it's still it's big, heavy and the battery would last a couple of hours.

I'll stick with a wallet size iPhone with 3 day battery life thanks.
 
cocacolakid said:
I saw a MacPro 1,1 on eBay a couple of weeks ago for $250 shipped. I have no experience with them and never pay attention to prices but I guess they're out there for not much more than G5 money.
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The shipping ruins it usually. My brother was lucky enough to find a 1,1 with upgrades for $50 with local pickup on Craigslist, so that's his main computer now. The guy selling them had a ton from an old lab.
 
My experience with a Mac Pro 1,1 is I bought it on ebay this time last year for $230 shipped, base 2.66 quad and 2GB of ram. After putting in 5355s and 12GB Ram, Blu Ray burner, and a Radeon 5750, I sold it on ebay for $600. The guy screwed me over and ended up getting $250 back and keeping the computer. I was pissed as I was saving up for my truck. Lost quite a bit of money but it's under the bridge now.

To my benefit he lost his job working at a furniture store for being on facebook too much, idiot :D
 
poiihy said:
I suggest you go with any Intel Core 2 Duo Mac or newer (not Core Duo) because they still are capable of running the latest software.
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I just bought an original Intel Mini that was upgraded to a C2D 1.83 with a 64GB SSD. It included the remote and a Snow Leopard retail disk for $100. I upgraded to 2,1 firmware, but it still stuck at 10.7 or maybe 10.8 if I want to hack it. It will be my closet headless server.
You can go all the was to 2.33Ghz for another $40 if you feel the need, but it is surprisingly fast as is.
 
catzilla said:
. I upgraded to 2,1 firmware, but it still stuck at 10.7 or maybe 10.8 if I want to hack it.
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The only reason to up the firmware is to be able to install more than 2GB of RAM. Why Apple felt the need to limit this by firmware is anyone's guess.
 
Here's my long overdue update to buying another Mac and the woes of buying secondhand vintage hardware.

After my original post and getting feedback on my original intentions I decided to look for 1 of 3 options:
An excellent condition Macbook with nearly new battery - budget: £200 ($308)
A good condition C2D Macbook Pro with decent battery - budget: £200 ($308)
An excellent condition 1.5ghz 12" Powerbook with newish battery - budget: £100 ($154)

I thought those price limits were a reasonable outside figure and gave Ebay an intensive search for 3 weeks however couldn't come up with a result. Plenty of £200 Macbooks but most of them cracked, scratched and unmentioned battery lives (I always assume if a seller doesn't mention the battery life it means it's nearly dead), C2D Pros tended to start around £250 for a decent example. The Powerbooks were the biggest shock though, cheapest great condition one was £140 - and no mention of battery life!
Maybe I just had an unlucky 3 weeks because bargains do come and go but on the whole I'd say in the UK PPC Macs now have enough collectable status to barely be a good secondhand choice - unless you're purely a collector (which I'm not).

In the process of looking I cast my net wide and by chance came across a refurb HP Compaq NC2400 - a magnesium alloy framed 12" notebook with DVD writer, bluetooth, wireless, 1.2ghz Core Duo, 1280X800 LCD and firewire...for £40! Ok, it's not the Powerbook I wanted but it is the same form factor and has twice the muscle power. It can be hackintoshed but at the moment I have it double booting XP and Elementary OS. I only mention all this to compare and contrast and highlight the financial penalty one can pay when sticking to PPC.

Although the NC2400 is a great addition I still would like a 12" Powerbook and as is the case on Ebay, a bargain popped up that had to be looked into. A guy was selling 3 ex college 12" iBooks that cosmetically looked rough but were all running ok. I set my sights on the 1.33ghz one and got it for £16!
Although I'd prefer a 12" Powerbook, I still think iBooks are pretty classy and actually feel more rugged than Powerbooks - especially in the 12" format.
Bad points were some initials in permanent marker on the base and a security stamp on the lid..plus I found it had the failing airport card problem.
Good points were all the grime and stickers came off and the case is in great condition, the airport card was bypassed by a £3 USB wifi bud and the battery turned out to be only 18 cycles old!

So, all in all I'm happy with the outcome. As ever with Ebay, it's just the luck of the draw!
BTW whilst looking I watched a boxed Cube go for £410 ($632)!!
 

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Dronecatcher said:
Bad points were some initials in permanent marker on the base and a security stamp on the lid..plus I found it had the failing airport card problem.
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I found that if you use an old T-Shirt drenched in 91% isopropyl alcohol it will remove a lot of cosmetic marks. If the permanent marker gives you issues try tracing over it in identical color dry erase marker and wiping it away a few times. I used that on a PowerMac G4 coupled with the alcohol trick and it looked good as new!
 
Altemose said:
I found that if you use an old T-Shirt drenched in 91% isopropyl alcohol it will remove a lot of cosmetic marks. If the permanent marker gives you issues try tracing over it in identical color dry erase marker and wiping it away a few times. I used that on a PowerMac G4 coupled with the alcohol trick and it looked good as new!
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I'll try that sometime, although I can easily live with it as the security address mark on the lid is etched in - that's there to stay!
 
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