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ibook vs powerbook vs imac for college

Z

zeeko

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 15, 2005
44
0
Okay. I waited and waited and i am slightly disappointed in the ibook update. I was planning on getting a 12" ibook or powerbook for college for maximum portability and an external monitor and keyboard/mouse for my room to make writing papers and doing other tasks (games?) much easier and easier on the eyes. I really was waiting for the ibook to get a 64 MB video ram upgrade but that did not happen and i'm quite sad. I want to be able to play SOME games, maybe not doom 3... and i want it to last me for college and i would like to be able to run future operating systems decently. I just don't really know what to do. I do not want a 14 or 15" laptop because that is too big for what i want. and yes, i have played with both and am typing this on a 15" pb. It's too big. I would consider getting the 12" powerbook, but is another 32MB of vid ram really worth 500$? I'm sorta stuck. I don't know what to do but i have to make a purchase in the next week or 2. On the other hand, i see that beautiful white chicklet the 17" imac g5. for a bit more than the ibook and cheaper than the powerbook, i can get a tiny, sexy desktop that smokes the crap out of all of the mac laptops in more ways than one. It would eliminate the need for an external monitor as well. :( But i don't really know how much portability i will need at college. i know a lot of people there don't even bring computers at all and just use the school computers, which there are a lot of (and there are mac ones), but i will be definately be getting a computer of my own. What do i do?
 
I don't think portability in college can be over estimated. Do you really want to be in your dorm or apartment doing homework when its nice outside or your friends are studying in the library? I wished I had a portable when I was in college.

Now than I am out of college, I just ordered a 12" iBook. It is light and portable when I need it to be and I can hook it up to an external monitor and keyboard/mouse at home.
 
zeeko, what about what you are more at ease w/ using? I personally love using a desktop more so than a laptop. So I chose to have more power for my desktop, and well, I want to downgrade to have lesser power in a laptop. Maybe you could get a refurbished iMac and a refurbished iBook?
 
One things to think about is what are you planning on doing with the computer outside of gaming. If your are planning on doing a lot of media editing, then definately go with either the iMac or the PB. However if you just want a computer that is relatively cheap, portable, easy to use, and not needed for extremely strenous tasks, get the iBook. I'm a Computer Science major, but all I needed was an iBook. In the end it is your choice, but think about what you need, and then decide whether the next level up is worth the extra cost to get what you want.
 
it isn't really that i want to do a lot of gaming, but i want something that isn't going to be hardcore obsolete in like 2 years ,and the "new" ibook, to me, seems like it is practically obsolete for running TODAY's operating system, will it run 10.5? will 32MB be enough to support a 17" external display running 1280x900 or whatever the resolution is?
 
zeeko said:
it isn't really that i want to do a lot of gaming, but i want something that isn't going to be hardcore obsolete in like 2 years ,and the "new" ibook, to me, seems like it is practically obsolete for running TODAY's operating system, will it run 10.5? will 32MB be enough to support a 17" external display running 1280x900 or whatever the resolution is?
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It wont become obsolete that fast. If the iBook can do what you need now, it will still do it in a couple of years.
Buy it, and maybe ebay it in a year or so when a huge PB upgrade happens. That's my plan. For $1K, you cant really go wrong. You'll still get some resale value off that puppy in a few years.....macs dont depreciate like pc's
 
well for 1000$ you could get a dell that slaughters the ibook
 
and you don't see what i am asking, i want something to last, i don't want to have to resell it in a year!
 
funny, but one day you just have to put the pipe down and look at the big picture. Is this really worth it? Why are you buying this "new" crappy laptop that you aren't really sure will run next year's operating system decently?
 
zeeko said:
funny, but one day you just have to put the pipe down and look at the big picture. Is this really worth it? Why are you buying this "new" crappy laptop that you aren't really sure will run next year's operating system decently?
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If you dont want an iBook, dont buy it. Quit your whining.

If you want a more powerful machine, plunk down mommy's credit card and be done with it.
 
The new iBook with the specs it has will last you five years (or more) no problem. My friend has a g3 and his computer is over six years old and runs tiger great with no problem. I think your thinking of a windows timetable when it comes to specifications on hardware. A dell laptop isn't cheaper with what you can get with the education discount plus the student union deals from apple.com. (that is if your enrolled in higher education.) Free iPod mini ($179) with the purchase of any new mac (mac mini excluded I think) plus $100 credit for any printer you want besides the free iPod mini. Try the inspirion 1200 notebook. It does come out to $718 which is cheaper, but keep in mind that the iBook has a lot of features the dell laptop doesn't. Standard bluetooth 2.0, standard airport extreme, sudden drop sensor that senses the unit falling and stops spinning the hard drive. Plus obviously 718 + 179 + 100 credit for printer of your choice comes out to almost exactly what apple is charging ($997) It's your choice, but the iBook would last you longer no doubt than a similiar configured dell.
 
Gaming on a Mac

If gaming is something that is going to factor your decision at all then I wouldn't get a Mac. As much as I hate to say it Mac's are pretty bad for gaming. If you are getting it to do school work and research and surf porn and stuff then the Ibook will serve you perfectly. If you get any Mac now I dont think that you will have to worry about upgrading for several years at least. Any Mac that you purchase now will run the most current version of OS X and suitable productive software for many years. The form factor of the Ibook or the Powerbook would be perfect and once you get used to the screen size you really dont need a external monitor. My advice would be get a 12' PB if you can swing it if not get the Ibook.
 
yea sorry i kinda said some stuff i didn't really mean i just wanted to see what you guys would say, but i think i am going to lean more towards functionality, and windows just sucks so much balls, so i will probably end up getting ibook but i'll maybe try to go for the 12" powerbook if i can swing it :)

sidenote- ok if i got a 7200rpm external firewire hd for my ibook would that hd be faster than the 4200 one in it?
 
yes it would run at full speed. I agree with the previous post too which I didn't include. OS X is better for functionality, worse for games.
 
The iBook will be great for what you would want it for in college. It is portable and you can run word, excel, photoshop, powerpoint, and use the colleges wireless internet access on campus. Now when you look at the powerbook versus ibook they are nearly the same. Except the powerbook can play games slightly better. In my honest opinion get the iBook and use the difference between the powerbook and ibook $500 to build a PC gaming machine (i'd get the parts through newegg.com). Then you can have a nice gaming machine and a great portable.

You could easily get refurbished parts through newegg and an Athlon 64 3000+, Radeon 9600 pro or xt with 256mb VRAM maybe even a 9800 pro, (the 9800 se is worse than the 9600's), 512mb or 1gb of ram.

PM me I'll give you a list of pc parts I got from them for $350 that rock games like Rome Total War and Knights of the old republic 2 at high settings.
 
Since i am a desktop kind of guy, i would get an iMac. Also since i am still in college, and am getting ready to graduate, i can honestly say that i would of rather had a Powerbook than buying my Dual G4.

Trust me when i say Portability is the key, when its comes to buying a computer for college. However, before you go and spend money on a laptop i would make sure the the college you are choosing has a good wireless setup. Are/Do they have access all over campus? FYI, my college has access in every building, but most buildings and made with cinder blocks [concrete]. This makes it difficult to transmit/get a signal sometimes. However, ever mac laptop that i have used in the buildings on campus have had a good reception.

Now it boils down to the speed issues or what you want. personally, since using an ibook 500, and a newer one, i would have to say they would be able to handle most anything you could toss at it. But, the Powerbook i think would be your better option [just because of the graphics, and speed].

Another thing which i would think about getting, to keep your laptop up to date, is a Superdrive.


</Recommendations>
 
If money is tight then get the best iBook you can.
If you can afford it get a PowerBook.
iMac is great, we have one, but not portable and in college I would want that.
 
I'm pretty muched settled on a 17" PB. Will use it mainly for audio (logic), video (final cut), graphics (photoshop, illustrator), and minor gaming (homeworld 2, Age of Mythology).
I'm gonna hold it out and see what happens in Paris. C'mon a PB update!
 
I'd go iBook. I was using a 400 mhz Titanium G4 Powerbook (which I recently fried) for a while; it ran OS 9 originally and had no problems with Panther five years later, so I wouldn't worry about your iBook going obsolete anytime soon. After years of using my TiBook and my dad's newer 15" Aluminim PB the 12" PB just feels cheap to me for some reason. The iBook does too, but it's meant to be cheap.
 
I actually will have a powermac g5 by the end of the week, and already have a powerbook. But I must say, I'd be lost without my PowerBook. It's nice being able to go anywhere on campus and access wifi.

G5, is a great desktop, don't get me wrong. But for College, I definetely recommend getting a portable.

Get a PowerBook and a Nice display, and you'll be all set.
 
You'll still get some resale value off that puppy in a few years.....macs dont depreciate like pc's
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I don't necessarily agree with that, given the advent of the MacTels. You're talking about a processor that (rightly or wrongly) is going to be seen as a two hardware generations behind and one major software generation behind.

As Mactels being to integrate into the lineup, traditionally high resale values are going to drop quickly. That's a big reason I went ahead and sold my G4/933 now - had I waited until closer to the Intel introduction, my resale value would have been much lower. A dual G5 will last through at least Rev. B Mactels and retain some value (being only one processor-generation behind).
 
well, I will need to buy a new 12" 'book for law school within the next month. If the PBs get updated, that's what I'll get - if not, the current PB is not worth $500 more to me than the new ibook.

I wouldn't go the imac route, if I were you. I started undergrad with a G3 imac and had a laptop by the time I graduated, and it was definitely the better way to go. I do think it depends on your school though - is the whole campus wi-fi? Is it the kind of place where people actually lay out on the lawn with a laptop on a nice day? Basically, is it a school with a "laptop culture?"
 
Go with the iBook

I am going to get an iBook soon, and if I were you, I would do the same. Its case is more durable for lugging around in a backpack around college, its got way better batery life, and is probably more than powerful enough to handle anything you throw at it (with 3D gaming and graphics being the exception; it will choke, and frastrate you to no end). Your going to college; between classes, homework, and friends, gaming will probably be the last thing on your mind. Download the spanning hack, and get a great 19" monitor with the $500 you will have saved.
 
switchr92 said:
Download the spanning hack, and get a great 19" monitor with the $500 you will have saved.
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How is the spanning hack on a 19 inch monitor that can only be supported by 16mb?
 
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