Ibook Or Powerbook

[UWF404]

Need advice on laptop purchase. Need laptop for presentations and mostly for travel. Will be loaded with MS Office Pro and Adobe Creative Suite Premium. Most of the graphics work will be print production.

Looking at Ibook with following specs:
*1.256GB DDR266 (256MB built-in & 1GB SO-DIMM)
• 60GB Ultra ATA drive
• SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
• AirPort Extreme Card
• Bluetooth Module
• Keyboard/Mac OS X - U.S. English
• 14.1-inch TFT XGA display
• 1.2GHz PowerPC G4
• ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 w/ 32MB DDR video memory

Anyone using the above config? if so, how well does it perform? Considering the Ibook since it's over $600 cheaper than powerbook.

All comments appreciated. Thanks!

 

[apple2991]

Well,

As far as performance goes, the PBs can always go a little bit faster, be upgraded a little bit more, etc. But there is an decreasing marginality between iBooks and PBs these days. PBs look nicer though...mmm, sheer aluminum. If you want to dress to impress, definitely go with a PB.

Who doesn't wet their panties just looking at one?

 

[JzzTrump22]

I don't have that configuration but from what i can tell you from experience is that it will run well. Especially with that amount of ram in it. I mean you can't compare it to a powerbook because the powerbook is without a doubt noticably superior. But if all your doing is presentations (powerpoint etc..) i think you will be absolutly fine.

True Apple2991, the powerbook is definatly much more impressive looking. Very sexy. It will definatly turn heads. The iBook is just "eh".

 

[LeeTom]

The literal differences between the Powerbook and iBook to consider:
Powerbook has a higher quality display
Powerbook has a nicer keyboard (nicer to type on).
Powerbook has a line in.
Powerbook can span across a 2nd display, not just mirror.
Powerbook is a little faster (probably not that noticeable).
iBook has longer battery life.

As for myself, those were worth it, and I went for the Powerbook.

Lee Tom

 

[wPod]

im a powerbook man myself. had an ibook and a number of problems came along with it. plus it just felt a little cheaper. . . due to plastic. alluminum has (amont the things already mentioned) a stronger more durable feel. wont get scratched as quickly/easily as the iBook. . . but to put it numerically. . . # of times iBook has been sent back to apple for major repairs. . . 3 . . . # of times PB sent in for *any* repair 0 . . . . maybe i had a trouble prone iBook, but the PB has been MUCH more reliable in any way!

 

[vga4life]

Get a refurb 12" 1.33GHz (rev C) powerbook if you're looking at an ibook. The Radeon 9200 in the ibook won't support the upcoming Core Image API in Tiger which promises real-time (instantaneous) rendering of filters and such.

The refurb rev. C 12" is only $1349 with the combo drive, $1549 with the superdrive. After the announcement of Core Image support in Tiger, I wouldn't spend any money on an ibook. It'd be like buying the original dual-USB ibook after it was announced that Quartz Extreme (not yet released at the time) wouldn't support its video chipset - a bad idea.

-vga4life

 

[ThomasJefferson]

I have an iBook 600 and have used it for Keynote presentations as well as the garden variety web stuff. It lags occasionally while creating slides for Keynote, 3-4 letters behind what I am typing on a slide. (Sometimes it is spot on with no lag. Go figure.) The transitions lag a bit as well during a presentation, but I can live with that because I have the remote in my hand and can time the transition. The newer iBook G4 should have none of these problems with Powerpoint/Keynote.

Two days ago I decided to break down and order a new notebook and this time chose a Powerbook 12in. After playing with the new iBooks at the Apple store, I feel the fit and finish of my old iBook 600 is superior to the newer iBooks. I am sure they are still durable. Durability is a necessity when so many are heading towards the greedy hands middle schoolers.

I decided to go the powerbook route this time because I liked the fit and finish better. Also, the price (ed discount) made the 14 in iBook the same price as the 12 in Powerbook. I will just plug the Powerbook into a CRT at home, burn the presentation to a CD and take the CD to work where I keep the iBook locked in a 1/4 thick steel cabinet.

If the look and feel of the new iBook G4 had been as nice and my old iBook 600, I would have bought the same iBook you are considering. I think it is a capable machine.

 

[rastafari]

As far as performance goes, the PBs can always go a little bit faster, be upgraded a little bit more, etc. But there is an decreasing marginality between iBooks and PBs these days. PBs look nicer though...mmm, sheer aluminum. If you want to dress to impress, definitely go with a PB.

Who doesn't wet their panties just looking at one?

i agree mostly. i think the ibook is quite sexy also. bought my ibook 12" about 4 weeks ago and love every aspect of it. the 1ghz g4 is all I need. the 12" screen isn't too small for me because i'm so used to big crt's so the small lcd is a nice rest for my eyes. 1024x768 looks perfect on the 12" but is big and goofy looking on the 14". unless you really need a superdrive get the 12"