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Apple Powerbook 17"... not suitable for college?

D

diehldun

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 15, 2003
674
0
Are there any people out there who use a 17" Powerbook for school/college/uni? I got my 17" just last year, and I'm afaid that it will be useless (size-wise) to bring to college (in backback between classes, etc.)

Honestly, it doesn't feel THAT heavy to me, but maybe it's footprint is a bit too big for a stuffed backback?

I guess if I were planning ahead, I should have considered the 12", or at least the 15"... :eek:
 
my friend has a 17in, brings it to college all the time... it is a little big, but it still gets the job done

I, personally, opted for the 15in... just because it is easier to carry around, and I do a lot of moving around at my college... I almost wish I had the 12in, but im very satisified with my 15... and my friend loves his 17in... so really its all a matter of whats more comforatable for you... I would keep the 17in. :)
 
JeDiBoYTJ said:
my friend has a 17in, brings it to college all the time... it is a little big, but it still gets the job done

I, personally, opted for the 15in... just because it is easier to carry around, and I do a lot of moving around at my college... I almost wish I had the 12in, but im very satisified with my 15... and my friend loves his 17in... so really its all a matter of whats more comforatable for you... I would keep the 17in. :)
Click to expand...

i'm in the same boat.. i wish i had a 12 simply to use for school... but the 15 is a great compromise.. glad i went with the 15. i have a Crumpler bag... i end up carrying books around because i dont have room in my bag.. but that's ok.. it all adds up.. i need to get a locker or something there so i can drop some off... not that it's THAT bad.. but i opt to not take books for some classes so i don't have to carry them
 
sometimes i wished that i had the 17" simply to plug into this 17" LCD and use as a dual monitor setup. I have the 12" and it is more than great to take too and from class... but if i had the 17" i'd probably keep the 12" for school and use the 17" as a desktop replacement...
 
I guess it really depends on your major. I'm a history major, and I don't ever take books to class, just my 12" powerbook. As for size, the 12" is quite useful in class, but outside of class, it's a pain. As a history major, I don't use Photoshop or any pallette-intensive apps, but even for my light use, I find the 12" 's real-estate a little lacking, and I often wish I had a 15".

My temporary solution was to haul my ageing 22" Sony CRT to school and go dual-screen when I'm in my room, but as soon as i can cough up for a 15"… :D

my 2 cents :)
 
I take mine with me to school. Not a big deal...

I just bought the 17". And I have been taking it with me almost everyday. I don't use it in class because you really can't for math and engineering classes. It really depends on what kind of bag you have. I got a crumpler and you really don't know the computer is there. Plus I can fit my books in the bag. Granted it gets pretty heavy but I don't mind keeps me in shape :) Anyways if you decide to go with one get a good backpack!

Nuc
 
When I start University (i'm going into history too) i'm going to be buying the 15inch pb 1.5Ghz. I'd recommend that one just because the screen is bigger. It really depends what your going into though... I know i'm going to be spending hours on it so investing a few bucks is worth it. But science guys don't even need laptops, so it really depends on how much your going to use it. :rolleyes:




by the way.... how do you get that bar thingy to come across the bottom?

-Sundance Kid :eek:
 
powerbook attraction...

just curious, do some people notice your powerbooks in class? because most likely, the majority of the students have black notebooks, and once-in-a-while, a nice, pleasant-looking Powerbook (or iBook) sticks out. It must be such a show-off item :p

without a doubt IMO, the powerbooks are one of the most gorgeous notebooks you can buy right now...
 
Honestly deihldun, I had a lot of friends that had the 15" PB - including my gilfriend - and some with 17" PBs in school, and I saw/heard absolutely no complaints about moving either of them around. I have a 17" PB now, and with a Booq Vyper sleeve it fits into my larger backpack and messenger with plenty of room to spare. To be fair, I haul around larger portfolios, sketchbooks and art books, so it may be a matter of perspective. But if you have a good, thin sleeve, the 17" really doesn't seem that large, and because of its thin size it "feels" very manageable on a daily basis, IMHO. I used to have a 15" Compaq Presario, and the 17" honestly feels easier to carry around. The one caveat: you just need a little more width/length in your bags to handle it.

And everyone notices a 17" PB. ;) Although I was in an art school, so they were much more common than in the "real world." You just have to get over the tiny bit of uneasiness of pulling out a lappy that big next to another person chugging away on a 12".... That is unless you have no modesty. Heh. :D
 
diehldun said:
just curious, do some people notice your powerbooks in class? because most likely, the majority of the students have black notebooks, and once-in-a-while, a nice, pleasant-looking Powerbook (or iBook) sticks out. It must be such a show-off item :p

without a doubt IMO, the powerbooks are one of the most gorgeous notebooks you can buy right now...
Click to expand...

i get lots of looks with mine.. our school has about 30% mac use.. for faculty and students... that's not a lot.. that comes from a faculty member.. but i think it's probably smaller than 30%... though in university settings it seems mac has a bigger following that elsewhere.

i have people walk by (in the comp-sci and science wing) who go "woah, nice laptop" and the occassional student or faculty member who stops by to ask about it. i have one teacher who talks to me everyday since he's obsessed with my powerbook.. it's kinda funny, he has an older 12" powerbook. one day i couldn't get homework done since people kept interupting me to ask about it.. that doesn't happen everyday but it does occassionally happen.. just be prepared to field questions :) hehe
 
I would love a 17" in my dorm room... puurrrfect for WoW, Illustrator, homework...

I tend to carry a lot of stuff around with my 15"... making it kind of unbearable around campus. It usually ends with me swearing aloud to myself, trudging through snow or pledging eternal hatred for the Sun. ;)

With only a 17" and a power adapter, you would be just fine. I mean, you don't really need anything else... hopefully. :)

The trouble, I think, is finding the perfect 17" bag. There are a LOT more 15" bags than widescreen 17"... it needs just enough padding, and none of the fluff. I found my dream-bag (the Brenthaven Fusion) but it's not 17". :(

So for carrying around to class... it's all about the other stuff.
 
Logik said:
i get lots of looks with mine.. our school has about 30% mac use.. for faculty and students... that's not a lot.. that comes from a faculty member.. but i think it's probably smaller than 30%... though in university settings it seems mac has a bigger following that elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Well, i wished that i could say the same. My university has at most like 7500 students, and I've been there 2 semesters and I've been looking so hard to find another Mac user. I had 1 physics professor who seemed interested in my iPod, but that my be because all of the physics department is Unix based. As for students though, I've only seen 4 (other than myself) that have iPods, much less apple notebooks. And i've only had a class with one of those people... its almost depressing. Hopefully there are more users, but maybe they're mostly upperclassmen. Maybe, just maybe I can find some people who share my same passion about computers that work on my campus... but that's shooting high...
 
I once took a 15inch PowerBook to class. For classes with long tables, it worked really well. But for those all-in-one college chairs/desks (those chairs with the small tray type desk built in), the 15inch PB was a little too large. I doubt that the 17inch will be stable on those. If you have a fairly large backpack and a sleeve for your PB, carrying your 17inch would be fine, but putting it on those chair-desk that I'm talking about would not be so wise.
 
dotdotdot said:
You could always sell it for a 12" and buy a cheap external display for your room...
Click to expand...

Just remember to get white (or titanium) spraypaint to paint the display to match your notebook...and a bit of duct tape to get rid of the ugly Dell logo ;)
 
THought I'd way in on this, if you're still curious. I currently own the newest revision 17incher, and I'm very happy with it. It doesn't get much school traveling yet, cause my Timbuk2 messenger bag hasn't gotten here yet (hopefully tomrrow) anyhoo, I do take it with me to work, and it's perfect there, plus I have yet to be able to not come up with a use for the extra space, be it stickies, or an open dictionary thing, maybe a movie going in the background. Occasionaly I wonder if I should've gotten the 15incher, but then I look at my powerbook, and quickly realize this is perfect for me. As a side, I'm a social work major, and so I write a bunch of papers, as well as a composer so I use garageband. Realestate = happiness for me. Nothing is more satisfying then looking up somethign for a policy paper, and in the same screen having your stuff, without having to switch between windows.
 
I take mine to School/Work/Church/Everywhere all the time... But here is my opinion for the PowerBook size question...

First and Formost what is it you are going to accomplish or wanting to accomplish with the powerbook?
-constantly running around and simple word-processing, web surfing, simple editing (Video/Audio/Pictures)... go with a 12".

-little less mobility (although I have not had any problems with mobility...) complex editing (lots of information, and need to see more timeline), running more complex programs (need for desktop real-estate)... Go for the 17".

I'm usually editing and running several programs, it is my main computer...
If your just using it in and out of classes, and it is a secondary computer, go smaller...

Just get what fits you...
 
I've been around a fair share of college campuses, and I have to say that the 17" is pretty impractical for any sizeable university. The overwhelming majority of lecture halls have extremely tight rows with ridiculously small desk areas. If you actually have to write on paper and juggle with the 17" PB, you'll find it tough...but more importantly, the desk space doesn't bode well for the large footprint it has and the density of seats can make it pretty awkward. Beyond that, it's difficult to fit a 17" into a typical backpack or laptop case, and so it's something you have to plan around. It's great for professionals and desktop replacements, but for the college student on the go, the clear winner is an iBook or a 12" PB. You can get away with a 15" if you want the wide screen and the higher resolution, but 17 is very likely pushing the limits of convenience.

Always be on the lookout for halls and rooms with the large desktops! They exist, and they are a godsend, even if you are using an actual paper notebook for classes.
 
Also Timbuk 2 has a specific 17 inch bag, as do others if you look in that stickies thread. lol, I keep weighing in, but that' only cause i haven't had my 17inch long, and so I keep running into new expereiences. At my university, CSU (24K or so enrolled) I have no problem with it in my classes. It fits on the desk just fine. Plus sincedi can type faster than I write, I get the notes done neatly, and quickly. I can't say how the powerbook would be in a lecture hall though, since i don't have those clasees anymore. Good luck with your decision, and elt us know what you choose.
 
So for university you guys think the 12pb is the best? I was just thinking having the 15inch would be the best compromise. You get a bigger screen, so it'll be a bit easier to use for extended periods of time, and it is very protable. Mind, not as protable as the 12inch.

But is the 15inch really that awkward to carry around? Some guys here say thats the case. I mean I could see why the 17inch would be too big lol. I think the best way to find out (i don't have one yet) would be to go to one of the lecture hall/theatres where the seats have those small tables that fold across your lap. The 12inch would probably fit, but i don't think the 15 would.

Is it comfortable then, to just use the 15inch on your lap? Some people say it gets damn hot... Thats especially uncomfortable if your a guy. :p



my two cents :rolleyes:
 
I was a bit worried about the 17" Powerbook being too big; I was deciding between that or a BTO 15" with everything (aside from RAM) maxed.

I ended up getting the 17" instead of the 15" and I'm glad I did. The screen size is perfect for doing a lot of work; I was planning on buying a 20"/23" ACD shortly after getting the Powerbook, but I might just stick to the 17" screen now, as it's bigger than I thought. (I thought I'd find it really small after having a 20" iMac G5)

I've used it on my lap a few times, and I don't have any trouble. I got about 3 hours when using WiFi (constantly downloading/streaming radio) and the screen at 50% brightness, which seems pretty good to me. It does warm up a bit, but not to the point of it being uncomfortable. I would assume the 17" is a bit cooler as the heat can spread out more.

It's fairly light too; I wouldn't have any trouble carrying it about with me.

If you're able to, go to either an Apple store, or a store that sells them, and actually try them out first.
 
I also bring mine with me everywhere i go... I mean - it weighs less than most little fat pc laptops, so...

If you have a nice bag for it, it's definately no problem. And, yes, people do get rather impressed by it ;)

A
 
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