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Fix PowerBook 12 or Buy MB or MBP?

Z

zeesa

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 11, 2008
31
0
Hello all and thank you for reading this!

I currently have a Powerbook 12", 1.5, 1.25 ram, 120 HD and it's been having major problems and after taking it to the Genius Bar, I think it's my logic board. It's also incredibly slow and it's hard to type sometimes and watch movies. Oh and I have third party ram and HD (not sure that matters but it might for my choices below).

About me:

I use my computer for typical things (school, photos, etc) but I also want to dabble in some Photoshop soon (there is no way my PB could do that in it's condition!). Nothing serious, but maybe it will turn into that.

Here are my options:

1) Send it to the Apple depot and get everything fixed for a flat fee of $300 (no, I'm not under AppleCare and has anyone done this before?)

2) Buy a MacBook/MB Pro

Please help!

Thanks in advance :eek:

Julie
 
For your needs a MB will serve you more than well. It's time to let your PB go to Apple heaven.
 
Flat fee?

How are you getting a flat fee of $300? I was told that it would cost almost the price of a macbook to get the logic board in my powerbook replaced. If it was that cheap, i'd get mine repaired.

If you can afford it, you may as well get a macbook as it will be a lot better than your powerbook, but if you do get your powerbook repaired, it should be able to cope with what you need to do with it.
 
Another person who’s Powerbook is dying?

It seems like you would be wiser using that $300 for a new (or even refurbished/used) Macbook instead of replacing the logic board which is a major part of the system. If it was just a HD that died, I would get it fixed, but I think this is different. You might even get some money from it to fund a new laptop (to be used for replacement parts, since still many of us use the 12" Powerbooks).

Like another post recommended, let her go to mac heaven...
 
I'm not sure on your $300 flat fee. I've heard it's much closer to the price of a MB as well. Somewhere in the $600-800 range. But, if you can fix the PB for $300, then by all means do it. Even if you want a new machine, once you fix the PB you can resell it for more than the repair costs.
 
I'd get myself a new MB and not look back.

I'm also the ex-owner of a beautiful little 12" 1 GHz PowerBook. I loved it, but it had to go. I need battery power, and where I am located, a new battery would have cost around $180 USD. It wasn't worth paying so much for a battery if I could just buy a new MB and sell the PowerBook.

Also......I sold my 12" PowerBook for around $750 USD. It's so funny, because it was also 3 years old, the screen was dim, the HDD was dying, and the battery life was around 1 hour. I took the money and bought myself a new MacBook for around $1250 USD.
 
:)

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

I really am struggling with it because the PB is the mac I've ever known. I'm worried about not having a medal finish and having a glossy screen (yuck) for the MB. Also, does the MB do okay with Photoshop? I'm still a novice PS user but I want to play with it every once in awhile especially if I get a new computer. Abstract, do you like how the BlackBook feels? Does it smudge a lot? How do you like the screen?

More replies are always welcome!
 
why a macbook? why not a macbook pro? If your going to be using photoshop, i would say a MBP would be your best bet. My powerbook 15 has just crapped out on me, I'm actually going the route of picking up a MacPro, and then fixing my pb for school use. Best of luck to ya. If a glossy screen concerns you then pick up a MBP
 
Yeah...

Dude, the Macbook will beat the crap out of your 12" powerbook in everything but portability (and screen quality, because I prefer matte).

My 1.5ghz 12" has served me well, but it's just too old to be repaired. I'd spring for something new at this point.

Unless you have a desktop too, but my laptop is my only computer.
 
It really depends on your budget I would go for the Pro because they are the New Powerbooks I know it's bigger but it has all the features the powerbook has just updated. Unless you really need portability Get the Pro.
 
See that's the thing... I really want portability and now I'm struggling with if a 15" is gonna be too annoying to carry around coming from a 12". When it comes down to it, my problems are: If a get a MB, I'd have to deal with a glossy; if I get a MBP, I'd have to deal with a bigger computer...

decisions, decisions...
 
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