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Macbook Pro or Intel Imac + G4 Ibook

ieani

ieani

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 3, 2006
827
0
the states for now
I was looking at the 1.83Ghz Macbook Pro but then I saw the new Imac and it is cheaper but with a faster processor, bigger screen, more hard drive space, dual layer burner. Now I really need the portability of a laptop for travel but dont necessairly need all the Macbook features with me all the time. So would it be an intelligent idea to buy one of the Imacs and then use the remaining cash to get a lower-end G4 Ibook? Or should I just stick the simplicity of owning one computer? Would it be easy to transfer files from the Ibook to the imac?
 
I have the iMac and iBook combination (although it's an iMac G5, not an Intel iMac) and it suits me down to the ground. It gives you a spare machine if one goes down or is being used intensively plus an overall faster computing experience. :)
 
Maybe get the iMac now, see what you think of it, and then get an iBook (or whatever equivalent Mac laptop will be out then) when school goes back. :)
 
A laptop would currently be more useful. I already have a very fast WinPC desktop I can use for awhile. As much as I wanted to see the Macbook Pro announced. I think now I have more use for the intel ibook.
 
willing to wait?

yep. if u like you can by the iMac intel core duo now and buy the upgraded iBook this April.

Or, buy the g4 ibook now, and buy the 30th anniversary mac :) on april.

iBook is enough for school stuff really, and there are great deals with MS office now. some offer it for free especially in department stores... (eg MYER in sydney offers free office to any mac bought in the store till 27 Jan)
 
Ditto Mad Jew's setup. It's nice having a desktop (iMac G5) and then a small laptop (iBook) for wandering.

Since you're keen on a laptop, a little more than a desktop right now, perhaps you should go for the tried and trusted iBook and then a Rev.B Intel iMac.

If I were buying now I may be a little nervous about buying a iBook G4 - just because at some point the new iBooks are 'supposed' to be due.

Otherwise, since you don't actually need one just yet, sit on your hands and wait :)
 
Danksi said:
Ditto Mad Jew. It's nice having a desktop (iMac G5) and then a small laptop (iBook). I think if I were buying now, I'd probably go for the Intel iMac, but be nervous about buying a iBook G4 - just because at some point the new iBooks are 'supposed' to be due.

I find my combo does me nicely. :)
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Well the price of the G4 ibooks is what appeals to me. A current G4 would do everything I would need it to do as long as I had a desktop for DVD burning and authoring, storing my massive music collection, audio encoding and other CPU/Ram intensive tasks.
 
It would probably make more sense to get the Intel iMac now, and then whatever updated iBook in the Spring, when it comes out. The reason being is that you may use these machines for several years, and I don't know if I'd want to think I had *years* of a G4 ahead of me.
 
electronboy said:
we need to know what apps you run before I can make a recommendation
Click to expand...

Im actually on a WinPC now, hoping to convert to Mac. Heres what I run on this:

DVD decrypter
DVD shrink
LimeWire Pro
Bit Comet
Itunes
Smart FTP (so I can FTP to my modded XBOX)
GAIM
Nero Burning Rom
FireFox
DVD encoding with Intervideo(casual only, ive been encoding lost for my brother)
Xlink Kai (for free online Halo 2)
XVid movies on Windows Media Player

If I were to buy an Imac, what would I need so I could connect to my wireless network? I have a Dlink 524 router.
 
I decided somthing similar.

I'm replacing my powerbook 15" screen problem G4 and couldn't decide between macbookpro or imac..

I wanted the power of the new macs and the imac offers best bang for buck, bu t I liked surfing the net outside on the patio or tucked up in bed and so I would miss a laptop.

After maxing out the 1.83ghz macbookpro to best spec making it comparable to the imac duo 2Ghz there was around €700 difference... That's a big difference no matter who you are.

After racking my head I decided upon getting a 20" imac duo and then buying a G4 12" ibook off ebay or similar.. That way I get best of both worlds. Power of a desktop when I need it, and the flexibility of dinky 12" ibook for taking to bed :D
 
The reviews on CNET and PC Mag have come out today and I really am considering one now. I just need come convincing either way. Maybe Ill go to an Apple store and play around with them. Are they instock at stores now?
 
MacRumorUser said:
I decided somthing similar.

I'm replacing my powerbook 15" screen problem G4 and couldn't decide between macbookpro or imac..

I wanted the power of the new macs and the imac offers best bang for buck, bu t I liked surfing the net outside on the patio or tucked up in bed and so I would miss a laptop.

After maxing out the 1.83ghz macbookpro to best spec making it comparable to the imac duo 2Ghz there was around €700 difference... That's a big difference no matter who you are.

After racking my head I decided upon getting a 20" imac duo and then buying a G4 12" ibook off ebay or similar.. That way I get best of both worlds. Power of a desktop when I need it, and the flexibility of dinky 12" ibook for taking to bed :D
Click to expand...


if you're going to just be surfing the net on your laptop, just get a windows pentium m machine. about the same price as an ibook and it surfs the net so so much faster
 
dwd3885 said:
if you're going to just be surfing the net on your laptop, just get a windows pentium m machine. about the same price as an ibook and it surfs the net so so much faster
Click to expand...

Maybe hes like me. I am done with windows, fast or not I will not spend any money on a non-mac.
 
ieani said:
Maybe hes like me. I am done with windows, fast or not I will not spend any money on a non-mac.
Click to expand...

I would not spend my money on a windows laptop, as simple as that. For surfing the web and stuff I'll stick with safari or firefox running without the hassle of updating virus definitions etc.. Besides the speed of a pentium m machine running norton or similar in the background is comparable to the ibook.

I dont want a laptop with windows XP, not out of any hatred for microsoft, it's just not for me personally. I fix enough of the bloody things for people in my locality that makes using my macs (i have a number of them) so much more reasuring...

Even the ibook has a better build quality than anything Dell have ever put out.
 
Get intel iMac now , and when you go back to school get an iBook/MacBook/What ever it's going to be called with intel chip

i have iMac+iBook and its a great Combo! Your PC notebook should do when your out
 
zap2 said:
Get intel iMac now , and when you go back to school get an iBook/MacBook/What ever it's going to be called with intel chip

i have iMac+iBook and its a great Combo! Your PC notebook should do when your out
Click to expand...

How would the intel imac perform in comparison with my 3Ghz P4 HP? Could it handle DVD encoding , itunes, ichat, and firefox/safari all running at the same time? Dual processors are great for multitasking but to what extent, how does this compare to hyperthreaded processors?
 
The Duo in the iMac will be significantly faster than that Hyperthreaded Pentium 4. It's not strictly a dual processor but rather dual core FWIW.

Oh, and multitasking on Windows is a joke compared with OSX. :)
 
I, too, have to say that owning two computers is pretty nice. I have an iMac G5 20" and a PowerBook G4 (you all can read the sig). It's nice having both of them, because when you have a desktop computer with the computing power of the G5 or the new Core Duo, you really appreciate it more after using your portable computer. Not that the G4 wasn't a good chip, it's just quite dated, especially my 1 GHz G4.

To the OP, if you are anal about having all of your files on both of your computers, Apple makes it very easy to use the Target disk mode to transfer files between your computers over FireWire. I wish Apple had some sort of program integrated into OS X that allows you to sync your computers, without having to go through your HDD and find the files that are on one computer and not on the other. I realize you can do this through .Mac, but I don't have the money for that!
 
mad jew said:
The Duo in the iMac will be significantly faster than that Hyperthreaded Pentium 4. It's not strictly a dual processor but rather dual core FWIW.

Oh, and multitasking on Windows is a joke compared with OSX. :)
Click to expand...

This is very true. Hyperthreaded CPUs only emulate the dual CPU experience but cannot match the speed from a true dual core processor. Also, OSX does, indeed, do a better job of multitasking than windows by far.
 
Chrispy said:
This is very true. Hyperthreaded CPUs only emulate the dual CPU experience but cannot match the speed from a true dual core processor. Also, OSX does, indeed, do a better job of multitasking than windows by far.
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This is fantastic news. I love the speed of this machine and was worried I wouldnt see that with a chip made for laptops.
 
ieani said:
This is fantastic news. I love the speed of this machine and was worried I wouldnt see that with a chip made for laptops.
Click to expand...

Just be sure programs you are going to use have universal binaries before you take the plunge. Rosetta is ok but won't watch the speed of something written for the Intel chip.
 
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