I am buying an ibook, but it may cost me the price of a powerbook...

[igmolinav]

Hi !!!

I am getting a 12" ibook instead of a 12" powerbook.

The ibook with 60 GB hard drive is expected to cost me $994 (student price + tax), as opposed to 1,399.00 of the powerbook that also comes w/60 GB.

However, talking to other member from the forum I realized that i would need an audio-in jack to record dialogue in the ibook. The ibook doesn´t come with an audio-in jack. The imic, (audio-in jack), from griffin costs $46.00 w/s&h, so the ibook rises in price to $1,040.00 when buying this item.

I wonder, that later on, when i get the ibook, i may regret two things. On one hand, having to buy more expensively from other sources a lot of extra stuff that is part of the powerbook. On the other hand, to feel that i may have missed on some additional features that may not be sold separately because they are only contained when one buys the powerbook. Features like firewire 400, faster HD, faster "chip", etc.

I plan to use the ibook with programs like archicad, vectorworks, photoshop, logic pro, audacity, and some graphic design software like illustrator.

Do you consider, i can manage well with what the ibook has or should i go with the powerbook.

Thank you,

ignacio molina.
igmolinav

 

[PaRaGoNViCtiM]

I would think that you should just spring for the Powerbook.

 

[Stampyhead]

I wouldn't try to use Logic Pro on an iBook. If you're using pro apps, you should get a pro computer. Just my opinion...

 

[igmolinav]

I wouldn't try to use Logic Pro on an iBook. If you're using pro apps, you should get a pro computer. Just my opinion...

Thank you for your responses !!!

You mean with the powerbook i´ll be ok?

 

[finalcoolman]

Thank you for your responses !!!

You mean with the powerbook i´ll be ok?

Ya, just make sure you wait till Tuesday to see if anything new comes out!

 

[Chrispy]

If you are having second thoughts about buying an iBook then get the powerbook. You get two huge advantages by going with the powerbook. First, you get a 5400RPM hard drive standard and, second, you get the ability to span to a second monitor or have closed lid operation. Wait until Tuesday just in case but it sounds like there will not be an update to the powerbook. I say go powerbook!

 

[kimchimonkey]

at my school the powerbook is on sale for 1299.. go with the powerbook if you can afford it.. the key is if.. its not that big a deal imo going with the ibook setup. From what I heard if you upgrade the hard drive to a 60 or 80 or 100g its actually a faster 5400rpm one just like the powerbook.
The 12" powerbook is just not a good buy currently and I guess for a while.

 

[Xeem]

On the other hand, to feel that i may have missed on some additional features that may not be sold separately because they are only contained when one buys the powerbook. Features like firewire 400, faster HD, faster "chip", etc.

Both the 12" and the 14" iBooks have a Firewire 400 port.

 

[montom]

When available, refurb PowerBooks from the Apple Store go as low as $1039 for 12" 1.33Ghz 60GB 256MB/64MB. They look and function good as new. The audio-in jack is line-level, so if all you have is a microphone you'll need a preamp ($30-$100) to boost the signal.

The best reason to go powerbook is build quality, the keyboard, and monitor spanning ability. Ibooks can also span with a hack, though.

But an ibook comes with a built-in microphone (like the PowerBook) for basic dialogue recording and things like Skype. For better quality you'll need the iMic, or if you can afford it then get the M-Audio MobilePre or Edirol UA-25 to enable good USB recording.An iBook plus iMic will win in cost, ruggedness, battery life, and wi-fi signal range.

On the other hand, the PowerBook's line-in will let you use a simple preamp like the M-Audio AudioBuddy ($80) rather than comparable but necessarily more expensive USB recording interfaces to get decent sound.

I guess it depends on the type of recording you want to do. The ibooks were updated recently, so get 'em while they're new, or get a refurb PowerBook. I don't think the price of a new PowerBook is worth the extra features over the iBook unless cash is no obstacle to you...in which case you wouldn't even have started this thread.

All I can say is, you'll be more in awe of a PowerBook but more at ease with an iBook.

 

[Mechcozmo]

PowerBook.. better GPU, faster hard drive standard, FW800, GigE, spanning screen, faster chip, backlit keyboard, etc.

That's for the 15" and the 17", while I love my 12" the iBooks are too close now...

 

[TheSisko]

Sounds like you want a PowerBook.

 

[cb911]

i always recommend to people that they buy the best hardware they can afford.

and since you're using PhotoShop/pro apps i'd strongly recommend the PowerBook. sure you can use PhotoShop on an iBook (i know guys from college that had iBook ~800's) but trust me - on a PowerBook it'll get things done ALOT faster.

 

[Deepdale]

I plan to use the ibook with programs like archicad, vectorworks, photoshop, logic pro, audacity, and some graphic design software like illustrator.

Experiencing regret shortly after the purchase of a new computer is something that will linger for some time. I think you have a bonafide need for a PowerBook given the applications you will be using.

Avoid P-envy, spend several hundred more and ensure greater happiness. It'll be a wiser choice for you. iBooks are wonderful, but not the best possible fit in your case.

 

[Abstract]

Thank you for your responses !!!

You mean with the powerbook i´ll be ok?

Nope. Read below.

I don't think the price of a new PowerBook is worth the extra features over the iBook unless cash is no obstacle to you...

Bingo! The 12" iBook and 12" Powerbook are so similar that they're not worth the price difference. Not at all. When I bought my 12" PB, it was worth the difference (the iBook was still using the PowerPC G3), but right now you're not going to notice a difference. And for your tasks, they're both going to be a bit slow. The question isn't whether one of them is good for your tasks, and the other one is bad. The question is how slow they both are for your tasks.

Okay okay, they won't be THAT slow, but they'll definitely do the job at around the same speed. Anyone at MacRumors that says you should buy a PowerBook because it's faster (by a very very small margin), weighs less (by what......0.3 lbs?), it's smaller (around 0.2 inches thinner!), and it has a faster front-side bus (133MHz in the iBook, and 167 MHz in the PB........both are still so slow that it's similar to being asked whether crap smells better than s***), and the PB has a better keyboard (okay, that's a fair point ) is a salesperson, or just biased for some reason.

The only real difference is the harddrive, but they're both slow anyway (although almost every laptop on the market still uses the 4200 rpm and 5400 rpm Harddisks, so Apple is on par with everyone else), so who cares.

That makes the difference in video card/vRAM, and the keyboard the major factor. Oh, and the appearance, although many people prefer the look of the iBook anyway. If you want to pay more for the video card and the keyboard (and audio-in, I guess), then go ahead. Screen spanning can be taken care of because of the screen hack for the iBook.