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Macbook intel OR powerbook g4 alum.

TheG3Guy

TheG3Guy

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
66
0
New Milford,CT
Got a tough choice and its too close to call... go for a used 1.83/2.0GHz macbook and get the speediness of intel but the bad graphics, or a high end 1.67GHz/1.5GHz PB g4 15"/17"? Im guessing the powerbook would be better for light gaming due to the dedicated graphics but the macbook can run windows and is more modern. very hard choice your input would be much app.
 
Please go with the Intel Mac. Have you tried looking for older MacBook Pros as well? You didn't mention what your budget was either...
 
well i dont have much of a budget... 800$ to be exact... but i suppose i might go with the G4 because even with intel the macbook is still WAY overpriced for a used coreduo let alone core2 and macbook pro sellers think their 1.67Ghz coreduo's are still worth a grand and change.... so i might just powerbook it
 
TheG3Guy said:
well i dont have much of a budget... 800$ to be exact... but i suppose i might go with the G4 because even with intel the macbook is still WAY overpriced for a used coreduo let alone core2 and macbook pro sellers think their 1.67Ghz coreduo's are still worth a grand and change.... so i might just powerbook it
Click to expand...

There was never a 1.67 GHz MBP, they were bumped up to 1.83 and 2.0 before they shipped. Secondly, the G4 really is not what you want to get. Benchmarks: fastest PowerBook G4: 879, slowest MacBook: 2298. True the integrated graphics are bad, but at least the processor can handle the game.
 
Trick is, are the games you want to play even compatible with the G4?

And really, unless you're planning to get a new Intel MacBook Pro soon (and it sounds like you are not), once Snow Leopard (10.6) ships, we might very well see a large shift away from Universal binaries to Intel-only. Even now, some applications slated for their next release are going to Intel-only so if you get the MacBook, you are at least ensuring that you'll be able to run applications a couple of years from now.
 
I'm a big fan of the PB G4 (had one for years), but my vote is for the Intel MB as well. (or a used MBP). you might make a small sacrifice on GPU, but you're getting a faster, modern processor. And if you plan hang on to it for a while, the PB G4 might lose OS compatibility with OS 10.6 (snow leopard), which will probably not support PPC.
 
Okay, since everyone else here seems so in love with the Intel option, I'll go the other route. The last G4 Powerbooks are equipped with a DL Superdrive and had bigger hard drives than the older MacBooks. Plus for the G4. Not only that, but they had FW800 and S-Video on board. another plus. If you want the bigger screen and like the looks of the Pro laptop over the MacBook, then I'd say give it a shot. The G4 is still a damn good machine for everyday life.
 
well i said LIGHT gaming anyone..like halo which i KNOW it can handle..... but like i said besides the 1.67GHz thing becuz i just watched the macbook pro intro on youtube and had it stuck in my head......i wont be using it for anything intensive....just as a web browser... photo storage and a dock for my iphone. (itunes etc>) And between the two for the price i know the ntel is MUCH faster and snow leopard is optimized for dual cores but for what im using it for i dont see TOO much of a difference thanks though
 
Definitely get an Intel machine. I've used a Powerbook G4 1.5 Ghz 12" and it is actually pretty slow. The Intel machine will run circles around any Powerbook and will last much longer usage wise plus more programs will be available for it in the future. I wouldn't get a PPC Mac at all when you have a choice of an Intel Mac.
 
TheG3Guy said:
well i dont have much of a budget... 800$ to be exact... but i suppose i might go with the G4 because even with intel the macbook is still WAY overpriced for a used coreduo let alone core2 and macbook pro sellers think their 1.67Ghz coreduo's are still worth a grand and change.... so i might just powerbook it
Click to expand...

Keep an eye out for used MBP systems in the Marketplace. Systems with cosmetic or non-essential failed components (like a bad superdrive) might sell in that price range.

Cheers,
 
Getting a G4 only makes sense as a secondary computer, not primary.
Click to expand...

Unless you can't afford a new machine like me, Powerbook G4 800mhz and 1gb of ram, 80GB HD...I wish I could get something else.
 
For light computing, I'd prefer the PowerBook G4, for the screen, looks, and because I have a soft spot for PowerPCs. It will be a great deal slower, since its' Dual core 2 GHz, and they're also a bit faster clock for clock the the G4 on top of it.. so less then 1/2 speed.

However, I believe I'd be quite happy for 90% of what I do on a G4; just not for everything.

For the rest of what I do, I'd definitely want nothing less than what I'll be getting, a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo-based MBP next revision (unless they boost it a bit, which wouldn't hurt).

If by light gaming you mean Quake III to Unreal Tournament 2003, sure, go for it. If not, uh... you might want to forget it, the chip in the PB G4 isnt' very powerful.

In terms of sheer speed, obviously the MB... you should be able to get one for $800 or less.
 
I'll make this easy:

Collector - Powerbook G4

Non-collector - Macbook

Why? Because the Macbook will run circles around the Powerbook G4. How do I know this? I have a friend with the exact same config that you're wanting to get. I compared my Macbook to her Powerbook G4, and it's not anywhere as snappy, or even opening up an app takes 2-4 times longer. Little things like that can make a difference.

The GUI also runs much smoother, especially in Leopard. The Macbook could stay at a brisk 60 fps scrolling through in Coverflow, while the Powerbook pauses sometimes, and the framerate is sluggish, depending on how many documents are in a folder, etc. So even though the Macbook has a crappy, integrated solution for graphics, the drivers are tuned well enough for the GUI of OS X. I'm guessing that slow 167 Mhz FSB of the Powerbook slows down the GPU quite a bit...

Anyway, point being, get something new. Getting something old is like getting an old computer that you already have, if you've got a computer like that...that is. :p I mean, get a Macbook now, then later, if you're inclined to, get a Powerbook. By the time you plan to get a Powerbook later, it'll be much cheaper later I imagine. Those PPC Macs are losing their value FAST.
 
Games? On non intel machine? You not talking about windows games, are you? Are there ANY (good) games for G4?

I think more current thing is better. You can easily dump $800 and it is always easier to add up a few hundred dollars than save from the $0.
 
Get the intel. You will seriously regret the powerbook.

Also, if you want to do gaming, why the hell are you getting a Mac? You could easily build a Windows PC for that purpose.

But I repeat: Get the damn Macbook!
 
Get MacBook, G4 PB is too way outdated now, GMA X3100 is closer to ATI Radeon Mobility 9700 for performance.

If you need laptop for heavily gaming then get PC laptop, Mac is sucks for games but great for internet and other applications.
 
i like to tool around with computers and did find a cheap macbook that i could get instead of a powerbook but it would involvme replacing the plastic around the keyboard and trackpad, getting a new battery and fixing it up.
 
My question is, do you enjoy the speed of your Mac Mini?

If you want to game, both machines will suck.

If you want, build a cheap, $500 hackintosh, and then you'll have Windows and vanilla boot OS X. Trust me, I built one, and it runs like a champ. Quad-core with an 8800GT. All for $500. Can't beat that, especially if you're on a budget.
 
fiercetiger224 said:
My question is, do you enjoy the speed of your Mac Mini?

If you want to game, both machines will suck.

If you want, build a cheap, $500 hackintosh, and then you'll have Windows and vanilla boot OS X. Trust me, I built one, and it runs like a champ. Quad-core with an 8800GT. All for $500. Can't beat that, especially if you're on a budget.
Click to expand...

In this same vein, if you want a laptop but not the Mac expense, get a PC laptop with a graphics card (used, perhaps, perhaps not) and you can run OS X on it as long as it's got an Intel (Core or later) CPU.
 
I bet if you look around hard enough you could find a decent intel MB for close to $800. It is well ahead of the PB G4 in terms of overall performance.
 
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