So for a while I've been weighing every single choice to getting a new laptop. My iBook has served me well, but with the PPC computers becoming less relevant, I find myself missing out on more and more things. My laptop is DEFINITELY my main computer. I'm rarely one to sit down in front of a desktop for long periods. My iBook gets about 80% of the use, compared to my iMac, so perhaps it's time to upgrade.
As it stands, my laptop and desktop (both G4s in my signature) serve specific purposes. My iBook is my on-the-go simple and nothing special laptop, and my iMac is my iPhone's home buddy, photo center, guitar companion, and my hub for all my files I don't want to take on-the-go, or that I have no immediate need to have with me. Seeing as both Hard Drives are rather limited (40gb iBook / 80gb iMac) my entire main iTunes library is on yet another computer; a Windows desktop, that's basically the family computer. All that music is kept on my 30gb iPod.
Well, if you've read all that, thanks for sticking with me, but here's where the debate comes in. I've complied a list of what I have versus what I'd like...
My iBook works great for what I do.
What I would like in either the MacBook Air or Black MacBook.
From this list, it looks like I really shouldn't sacrifice for portability. For the area of $500, I'm looking at a 1.6ghz MacBook Air, the Rev. A, because I believe that's the only time that 1.6 was offered on the original version. OR... $500 could get me a Black MacBook. I'm just waiting for the right one to come along, without abuse, and especially, that cracking issue. It would irritate me to no end. The corners of my iBook's screen bezel have cracks, but that's because it's 5 years old. A 2008 MacBook should be better than that.
Additionally, the best of both worlds seems to be the unibody MacBook, and if any of those come along around that price, I'll snag it up in a heartbeat. For a little bit more $$, I think the one upgrade I've done since I got my G4s should be done well, so I could justify it I suppose.
I'm both grateful and sorry for all of those who stuck it out to read so much, but this is an important decision for me, and I want to do the right thing. My gut says to go with the BlackBook, but what are your thoughts? Should I get a cheap Air? Go for the standard BlackBook? Suck it up and go Aluminum?
As it stands, my laptop and desktop (both G4s in my signature) serve specific purposes. My iBook is my on-the-go simple and nothing special laptop, and my iMac is my iPhone's home buddy, photo center, guitar companion, and my hub for all my files I don't want to take on-the-go, or that I have no immediate need to have with me. Seeing as both Hard Drives are rather limited (40gb iBook / 80gb iMac) my entire main iTunes library is on yet another computer; a Windows desktop, that's basically the family computer. All that music is kept on my 30gb iPod.
Well, if you've read all that, thanks for sticking with me, but here's where the debate comes in. I've complied a list of what I have versus what I'd like...
My iBook works great for what I do.
- Attending college. It's a great little portable college laptop, and every now and then, someone wants to chat about my little retro Mac. It's a great size.
- Using Office. I've had Office '04, and recently got '08. I have to say, it's pretty great in that department. I haven't had any problems.
- Address Book and iCal are 2 tools that let me organize my life. Every name, number, event, time, and birthday I know is there, and there's a lot.
- iTunes is something I use a good bit, even considering my limited space to work with.
- I use iChat daily, again, without issue.
- Internet browsing, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, is ok... I use ClickToFlash though. The Web is really taxing on my little 1.33ghz iBook.
- Widgets are fun little toys to have and play with, and I recently cut down my collection, again, due to space.
What I would like in either the MacBook Air or Black MacBook.
- I would gain a nicer screen with each, but the weight of the Air would be a huge plus.
- Space. The BlackBook would have a much bigger hard drive, and I would love never having to worry about space again. Especially handy with music and movies.
- I'd likely start syncing my iPhone to a newer laptop instead of the iMac. Now, I have my calendars pushed to my laptop, manually manage contacts, have no pictures, limited music, etc. I'd like to have everything just right there on my laptop. BlackBook wins there.
- VIDEO!!! Holy crap, the only thing I don't like is how limited I am in video viewing. It works, but I have to work around it. Like YouTube has to load entirely before I play it, full screen Hulu stutters, etc. You know. Intel in either would be welcome.
- A webcam in iChat would be nice, especially when someone wants to show me something, which happens fairly often. My iBook's mic recently went, so I can't talk anymore, and I miss the hands-free chatting. Again, either would work, but I've heard iChat on the Air is taxing. BlackBook wins again.
- I would love a backlit keyboard. It would be a great little something to just have. When others want the lights off, or I'm up late working, it'd come in handy. I have still not mastered sightless typing.
- Gaming. I don't game a lot at all, but every now and then I like having fun. Widget games, Enigmo, games on websites... Anything graphic intensive is starting to lag. Sometimes its flawless, but when it hangs, it's irritating.
- Windows. I hate to say it, but there are select times that Windows would come in handy. The space on a BlackBook, again, would be very handy for that.
From this list, it looks like I really shouldn't sacrifice for portability. For the area of $500, I'm looking at a 1.6ghz MacBook Air, the Rev. A, because I believe that's the only time that 1.6 was offered on the original version. OR... $500 could get me a Black MacBook. I'm just waiting for the right one to come along, without abuse, and especially, that cracking issue. It would irritate me to no end. The corners of my iBook's screen bezel have cracks, but that's because it's 5 years old. A 2008 MacBook should be better than that.
Additionally, the best of both worlds seems to be the unibody MacBook, and if any of those come along around that price, I'll snag it up in a heartbeat. For a little bit more $$, I think the one upgrade I've done since I got my G4s should be done well, so I could justify it I suppose.
I'm both grateful and sorry for all of those who stuck it out to read so much, but this is an important decision for me, and I want to do the right thing. My gut says to go with the BlackBook, but what are your thoughts? Should I get a cheap Air? Go for the standard BlackBook? Suck it up and go Aluminum?
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The SSD's benefits versus the price blow apart my spending logic. I would just never do it. Additionally, isn't the first Air's screen resolution in 2008 the same as the BlackBooks of that year?