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OK. Explain something to me please…

The 12" PowerBook is a popular model among PowerPC Albook users. Why therefore, based on the responses I see in this thread, is the 14" iBook desirable like the 12" PowerBook?

I mean, if you're going for the 14", why not just go a bit farther and score a 15" PowerBook which guaranteed is going to have better specs than the 14" iBook?

Is it just down to having the largest size iBook that you can get? If so, I get that. That's one of the reasons I have the 17" PowerBook. But I don't get it if it's for other reasons.

To me, once you get under 15" it really doesn't matter what you have. Maybe that's because I'm really not an iBook fan, IDK, but just the way I see it.

I'll admit though, this iBook is a nice little Mac. My daughter really got a good deal with this one.
 
Reasons why there is gap in popularity:

12" PowerBook had nVidia GPUs which were reliable, Apple bundled more useful programs(OminiOutliner/Graffle/GraphicConverter), better screens were used on these over the iBooks(my old university had them side-to-side on display with same brightness settings, 12" PB always looked better & 10% nicer viewing angle). Students got a better discount $100 more on "PowerBook/PowerMac" so a discounted AppleCare made the 14" iBook less worthwhile for students who took care of their notebooks.

14" iBook: Over-priced for the same screen resolution, G3 versions suffered similar GPU failures of the 12" so G4s were less popular, software bundle were for kids(Nanosaur 2, Bugdom and AppleWorks) and Superdrive wasn't standard until 2004... following year most people opted for the shock sensor-ed 2005 12" PB.

Edit: Depending upon where you live, 14" iBooks weren't popular in higher education beyond research labs where professors tried to stretch their grant money or grade schools so you have fewer 14" iBooks in good condition.
 
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OK. Explain something to me please…

The 12" PowerBook is a popular model among PowerPC Albook users. Why therefore, based on the responses I see in this thread, is the 14" iBook desirable like the 12" PowerBook?

I mean, if you're going for the 14", why not just go a bit farther and score a 15" PowerBook which guaranteed is going to have better specs than the 14" iBook?

Is it just down to having the largest size iBook that you can get? If so, I get that. That's one of the reasons I have the 17" PowerBook. But I don't get it if it's for other reasons.

To me, once you get under 15" it really doesn't matter what you have. Maybe that's because I'm really not an iBook fan, IDK, but just the way I see it.

I'll admit though, this iBook is a nice little Mac. My daughter really got a good deal with this one.


I don't know really. I like 14" iBooks and 15" PowerBooks. I am not a fan of 12" models at all. I would buy one, but I much prefer the larger models.
 
12" ibook G4, 1,33GHz, mid 2005 (it has the shock sensor, too).
better graphics card, than 12" powerbook. The ibook has a ATI 9550, which is a crippled 9600, it even displays *mts2 files under 10.5 and VLC. The 12" 1,2GHz ibook had a 9200 and that can't handle these files (only like 5 frames out of 10minutes, stop motion show). The 12" Powerbook had the Nvidia 5200, which was to be said, inferior in power, to the 9550. I didn't have this myself, though.
But, with the 12" PowerBook, you have 1,5GHz versus 1,33GHz (a difference of 0,1GHz between the ibook 1,2GHz and 1,33GHz, for me resulted in 30min. shorter encoding time for a 23min sample. The whole time was 12h30m, if I remember correctly (with h.264).

If one goes for the 14" ibook G4, he has 1,42GHz, so maybe, if encoding gets shorter by 30min, for 0,1GHz, than it might be an 45-60min, here. Of course, the 12" PowerBook, would then have 1,5GHz.

But, when someone takes the 14" ibook, he can even take the 15" PowerBook with 1,67GHz and ATI 9700.
If it is not for the looks, white versus aluminium.

The shape difference is:
PB G4 15"
1.1 x 13.7 x 9.5
Avg. Weight: 5.6 lbs (2.5 kg)
Details: In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (2.8 cm, 34.8 cm, 24.1 cm).

PB G4 14"
1.35 x 12.7 x 10.2
Avg. Weight: 5.9 lbs (2.7 kg)
Details: In inches while closed - height by width by depth, (3.4 cm, 32.3 cm, 25.9 cm).
 
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