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Looking to buy 15" G4 Powerbook

R

rbro

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 20, 2003
59
0
Hey all,
I am ready to sell my trusty old Bronze Keyboard Lombard G3 Powerbook and buy a new G4. I'm liking the new 15" model with the backlit keyboard. I'd like to get it with Superdrive, and 1GB Ram. Now the questions:

1.Should I wait until Macworld before I buy? Might there be a new model or would prices drop enough that I'd be kicking myself for buying now?

2.Should I buy online from Apple, at an Apple Store near me, or through one of their "resellers" like Club Mac? If a reseller is the best choice, which one and why?

3. Apple Care is expensive for a PB ($300+ I believe) Do you think it's worth it?

Thanks in advance.
 
I personally think that it will be a while after Macworld before we see any updates. Some of the resellers often times give away free ram, etc when you buy your mac. Plus, often times you don't pay tax, depending on where you live:) I always buy Applecare on my portables, it has paid for itself practically every time.
 
Thanks. Yeah I'm not so much expecting any updates to the PB line (although you never know) as I would be expecting some Macworld deals or specials possibly....and I hear what you're saying about the resellers, althoug I'm somewhat swayed to buy directly from Apple to be sure I get the latest G4 PB, hopefully without screen problems. Panther installed etc.
 
suck it up and go for the 17" PB. you'll be glad you did. i like buying directly from apple. it just makes me feel better. that and my company gets a corporate discount. :)
 
The 17 is really too big for me. I use my PB 99% of the time connected to an external keyboard and 20" CRT Monitor. I don't really need that kind of screen real estate. I almost went for the 12" actually, but figured the 15" was a better compromise....
 
15-17 its all the same

I have the 17 inch and it's gorgeous, my friends has the 15 and its gorgeous, if you are going to spend any time on an external monitor then get the 15, if you want it all in one get the 17.

Either is an awesome machine.:D
 
I ordered a 15" today. I like the 17", it is good as a portable, that is, taking it to another office/house and using it on a desk, but it's too big for me to actually use in transit, as a laptop. So I went the 15" which is perfect for me. Get whatever suits your particular needs.

EDIT: oh yeah and I just bought a wicked 21" Sun/Sony trinitron cheaply from ebay (i'm not an LCD fan) so the screen size isn't a huge issue.
 
The more I think about it, the more I think I need to wait until Macworld. I would kill myself if there was some speed bump (unlikely), new model (even more unlikely), or at the least some price drops, Macworld "specials" (very likely) etc. So as much as I want to pull the trigger now, I think I'll wait the 6 or 7 weeks. I like the anticipation anyway!
 
dont hold your breath

The g5 roadmap doesnt have laptops onboard yet, they are too hot, and they are figuring a liquid cooling solution for the laptops in late 2004. best I can imagine is a 1.42 processor for upgrades, but I am on a 1 gig machine and I am never ever processor bound....just get the excess of ram, and all will be good.
 
I plan on getting 1GB of Ram. Still a good chance of some Macworld specials, either through Apple or a reseller like Club Mac etc. Do they ever bundle an iPod as a bundled "gift" kinda thing with new PB's or did I just imagine that?
 
yeah the one gig is all mine can take, but I managed to make a 430 meg photoshop/illustrator billboard file off this 17 inch machine much faster than I could with my pentium 2.66 P4, which has been relegated to full time gaming duty....

Maybe if you buy at a best buy or a london drugs, 29 days before the apple fest or whatever the 30 day price protection will allow you to upgrade just in case, getting your fix sooner, with options for cash back or bigger better
 
apple care, is important with any expensive apple product. but you get the first year of all hardware defects free, so you don't have to buy it for the first year.

so kick back and relax, and make that $300 bones over time.:D
 
Originally posted by Brundlefly
apple care, is important with any expensive apple product. but you get the first year of all hardware defects free, so you don't have to buy it for the first year.

so kick back and relax, and make that $300 bones over time.:D
Click to expand...

Yes, but phone support only lasts 90 days, so if you want phone support beyond that, you need Apple Care.
 
I wouldn't recommend MacConnection

I ordered a 15" 1.25 GHz PowerBook bundle (sku #463657) from MacConnection on October 30. When I ordered it, the availability was listed as "usually ships in 5-10 days." I still haven't received it. The ship date has been pushed back a third time -- this time to December 5.
 
1. I think that there is a reason to wait, especially if you are considering the purchase of a 15 inch Al PowerBook. The problems with white spots on the screen, broken latches, and warped screen lids show that waiting for a rev. B PowerBook may be a safe choice. I know many people have purchased and received perfect PowerBooks, but some have gone through nightmares. I'm going to wait a little longer before making a purchase.

2. I think that at any given time, the prices vary at different stores and resellers. I'd buy from the online Apple store because of the BTO option, such as faster hard drives or customize a 1Ghz PowerBook with options which would still keep costs down by not having to select things you don't want.

3. The standard warranty is something that I think turns many people off when purchasing Apple computers. A $3000 laptop should come with a standard 3 year warranty and 3 year 24/7 phone tech service. That said, many computers start breaking down after their first year, so I think it's worth getting. It's really a shame that Apple spends so much on color cardboard boxes and makes us pay for reasonable tech support!
 
Re: I wouldn't recommend MacConnection

Originally posted by bmarston
I ordered a 15" 1.25 GHz PowerBook bundle (sku #463657) from MacConnection on October 30. When I ordered it, the availability was listed as "usually ships in 5-10 days." I still haven't received it. The ship date has been pushed back a third time -- this time to December 5.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, but it seems beyond their control. I too had this model on order on Oct. 23, to take for an extended business trip to Europe on Nov. 13. When times kept slipping and it was obvious there was NO WAY it would be delivered before I left, I cancelled and got the newly released iBook G4 14" 933. When I return in March 2004 I'll sell this and get the PB.

While I've been happy with the iBook compared to my old Ti400 PB (tricked it out with fast 30 GB HD, CD-R and 1GB RAM but couldn't get past the 8MB VRAM), I do miss thenew PB's 64 MB video card and FW 800 (I'm using a FW 800 drive on my iBook's FW400 port).

MacConnection does provide a good upgrade with the free 512 MB upgrade, etc. Unfortunately, you ordered about the time the Apple assembly line was stopping production while they fixed the screen fiasco. Now they are working through the back-log, and MacConnection must be behind all Apple's website orders. But remember that you're saving $300 (not including sales tax) on the RAMM, so treat yourself to a nice relaxing massage while you wait.

Good luck hope you enjoy the new machine when it comes.

david
 
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