Considering a Mobile speed boost... wise?

[SuperCompu2]

So my current situation at school has me with three units. Each serves a specific role.

A) iMac CD @ 1.83/1.5GB/160GB/BT/APE/SD, used most often for basic stuff, but also is used for windows stuff (games and windows specific applications)

B) PowerBook G4 @ 1.33/2.0GB/160GB/BT/APE/Combo, used for times when I can't be at my iMac, but still need access to web and a decent amount of power. Dual boots Tiger and Leopard for classic needs, and Tiger sees a significant performance boost as well.

C) Asus EEE PC @ 700MHz/1.0GB/4GB/802.11bg/(N/A), used for in-class needs, aka typing notes or essays, viewing presentations or reading word documents containing assignments. Currently running the standard Linux distro it came with, and offers no access to the WiFi at my school (WPA Enterprise). Basically, it's a convoluted toy which I have found a few uses for.


So my dilemma is:

Should I get rid of 2 of 3 (or all three) and get a MacBook Pro to encompass all my needs? I love my PowerBook to death, I love the size of the EEE, and the iMac just looks really nice. However, a MacBook Pro would be much more functional as a single unit.

I just worry that having one central unit puts my data at risk, and also makes theft a greater worry because I'd be reliant on one machine. Having three (or even 2/3) means I can still operate fine with one or two machines going out of commission for a while.

Is it worth it for me to upgrade to an older (or if I sold all my units), or even a refurb MacBook Pro?

 

[mgridgaway]

For me, I find that having a decently powerful main computer and then an on-the-road computer is the best option. To this end I have an standard 20" aluminum iMac and a 1.22 Ghz iBook.

Honestly, I think your current set up is just fine. All of your computers are still fairly powerful, and unless you really need the extra power, I think you're going to be disappointed with the return on your money. I know the urge to have the latest and greatest can be hard to resist, but when i upgraded to my iMac from my quicksilver G4, I hardly noticed a difference in speed except for things that were hard on the processor.

Instead, I would try other more conventional upgrades. Max the ram in your iMac. Upgrade the hard drive in your powerbook to 7200rpm if you haven't done so already. Install a different linux distro on your eee pc. Xandros is alright, but there are far better options out there... often ubuntu based. There's even a distro specifically for eee pc, and I've read that these people have no problem using WPA Enterprise secured networks. These things should help seal your hunger for a while.

Also, if you're really worried about storage, consider making a file server using cheap computer parts or buy a nice raid 1 enclosure.

 

[SuperCompu2]

Thanks! I'll look into getting a new EEE distro soon. I tried loading vista on it but I failed.

 

[mgridgaway]

Just a few other notes, you'll probably have to nix the new hard drive in the powerbook. 7200RPM drives are hard to come by and very expensive.

As far as Vista goes.... don't bother installing it on any netbook expecting it to work like a dream. Stick with good linux distros and heck, you can google mac4lin and make a pretty close copy cat with ubuntu!

 

[SuperCompu2]

I typed vista and meant XP. Oops.

I hate Vista with a passion.