Powerbook Now Macbook Pro Later

[tfish]

I am a college engineering student and currently have an hp laptop. Windows is starting to "grind my gears" as they say. I recently reinstalled and Windows runs fine but I know that in a few months I will have to perform cleaning again. I began to look around ebay, craigslist and mac websites to buy a Powerbook G4 superdrive. I was then either going to keep it or sell it and then definitely get a macbook pro around christmas with leopard. I was first wondering if I should just wait and get a macbook when leopard comes out or get a powerbook now and get used to the mac osx. I am just unsure of how much I should look to pay for a used G4 and what would be the best configuration of powerbook. Thanks for any help/tips.

tfish

 

[Agent Smith]

If you are going to get an MBP anyway, you might as well get it now. You'll be able to learn the OS, and it will be perfectly capable of running Leopard when it's released in October. As people say in these sorts of posts, if you need it now, get it now.

 

[tfish]

The thing is I don't have the money right now to buy a mbpro. I have around $700 to spend and thought a powerbook would be suitable for now.

 

[iW00t]

The thing is I don't have the money right now to buy a mbpro. I have around $700 to spend and thought a powerbook would be suitable for now.

Get girls with your own charms and instead rely on a used Macbook.

Good bang for the dollar.

 

[hhlee]

i'd go with a macbook pro if i were you - especially if you're looking to get a few years use out of it.

i know how it is to just want to do your work and not worry about fixing up windows all the time...

if you really want to buy a powerbook g4, i have a 15'' i'd be willing to part with for about 650.

 

[tristan]

Just a data point: I will be selling my 15" 1.67Ghz 2GB/80GB/SD PBG4 locally in several weeks and expect to get $900 or so. It has 17 months of Applecare left. It's a somewhat outdated system, but still great for non-CPU intensive tasks like surfing, mail, word processing, etc. You wouldn't use it for desktop publishing, video editing, etc.

I don't think the MB is a great system. I know a lot of people like it, but I think the screen and keyboard is a little cheap and wouldn't want it as my primary computer. Of course, I'm used to PBs, so I'm spoiled... But take a look at it in the Apple Store, and see if you agree.

For you, I would recommend waiting until you could afford a refurb CD MBP. The Apple store was selling them for $1300 to $1400 recently and I got one for $1425. You would still need more RAM + Applecare. You will always want Applecare on your primary computer.