Need a laptop for college, not impressed with the PowerBook

[jamdr]

I recently gave my iBook to a family member for their first year of college, and now I find myself once again looking for a computer for myself. I really didn't like the iBook (800 MHz G4); it was too slow, I didn't like the feel of the plastic trackpad and the button was so loud when clicked!

So I looked at the 12" PowerBook, and it's better, but I don't really want to invest that much money in a computer when the technology seems so outdated (I say outdated because even the iMacs will be getting better processors next month--and the PowerBook are supposed to be pro machines). Does anyone have any suggestions? There's no way I can spend more than $1400, and even that's stretching it. Are the newest generation of iBooks better than the last? Is the button still so loud when you click it?

 

[vraxtus]

I recently gave my iBook to a family member for their first year of college, and now I find myself once again looking for a computer for myself. I really didn't like the iBook (800 MHz G4); it was too slow, I didn't like the feel of the plastic trackpad and the button was so loud when clicked!

So I looked at the 12" PowerBook, and it's better, but I don't really want to invest that much money in a computer when the technology seems so outdated (I say outdated because even the iMacs will be getting better processors next month--and the PowerBook are supposed to be pro machines). Does anyone have any suggestions? There's no way I can spend more than $1400, and even that's stretching it. Are the newest generation of iBooks better than the last? Is the button still so loud when you click it?

Here's how you get a 12" PB for $1400.

You said you live in the Bay Area? So I'll use 8.5% tax cuz that's what it is here in San Fran.

Go buy the 12" PB and a new iPod and get the $200 rebate. Sell the iPod to your friend for $200, maybe $250.

Assuming you can ditch the iPod you can get the laptop for $1399 + $269 + $141.78 (tax) = $1809.78 LESS $200 rebate LESS $200 from sold iPod = $1409.78 that you pay.

Here's the kicker, the rebate takes a while to get back to you... so there's the aspect of the time value of money.

Otherwise you could just get a refurb... that's what I did. Rev B 1ghz $1099 + tax.

I love the 12". It kicks my 12" iBook's ass (500 mhz). So I say go for it!

 

[Joeytpg]

let me tell you something my man......even when the new ibooks (1ghz, 1.25ghz) are better than the old ones....the powerbooks are the top of the line apple laptops so....if you want speed, get the powerbook..........

another thing............don't get confused.....even when apple has G5 chips already.....it doesn't mean the G4 chip is S L O W......and believe me when i tell you that Powerbooks are NOT slow!.....just make sure to add Ram to it (as you might well know, apple's LOVE RAM........even more than PC's) so don't waste your money on a PC laptop (they still have Windows, or maybe you can get Linux but hey....nuthin' like Mac OS X)

so if you want speed get a 1.5 ghz g4 Powerbook and believe me you won't regret it......and max out the ram up to 768 or more and you'll notice the difference right away!.........so once again i tell ya'.......powerbooks even with the g4 chip in them ARE NOT SLOW...................

but of course compared to a G5 dual processor, it'll be slowers than the g5, but a powerbook compared to any PC laptop would be rocking!

just make sure you run your repair permissions, run crons,....i mean just be on top of the maintenance and you'll have a great laptop.


by the way....ibooks RULE too......but powerbooks are the best !

 

[MacFan26]

As far as the clicking noise of the trackpad, I have a 15" TiBook and I don't think it's very loud. It's quieter that my mom's iBook. Last year my roommate had a Gateway, and the button was a lot noisier than mine. Besides, if you're going to be using your laptop quite a bit, I'd recommend getting a mouse anyway, it's a lot easier for long term use.

 

[jtgotsjets]

So lessee.

As a student, you feel that Apple's student-targeted laptop is too slow.
You also feel that the pro-targeted laptop is too expensive.
Apple sells no other laptops.
Why are you here again?

Mean, sarcasm aside, what sort of stuff were you doing on the iBook that made it run slow (heavy image/video editing)? And more importantly, how much RAM did you have installed?
I'm running a 1ghz iBook with 512 RAM and rarely have lag time (and even when I do, I wouldnt call it a slow computer, you just have to realize that computers do take time to perform tasks. (and the mouse button isnt loud, in addition to the fact that I have an external mouse)

Basically, I think that an iBook (with ample RAM) is fine for a student like myself that doesn't do a lot of "power using".
If you still dont want an iBook, and can't ustify the price of a PowerBook, then just hop on down to your local Gateway Country.