Question about ibook and pbook ...

[MUCKYFINGERS]

Was about to pull the trigger and buy a Powerbook 12" last night, but then when I went to the apple store I played with the pbook 12" and thought to myself, "wow... the 12" screen is pretty small." Then I glance over and look at the iBook 14", and think to myself, "much better viewing area."

Does anyone think that the screen size of the iBook 14" is reason enough to pick it up over the Powerbook 12" (relatively same price). I'm not really a power user, but it seems like the powerbook offers a lot more in terms of hd, ram, and cpu speed.

I also knew I wouldn't exclusively use the pbook on the go, and I'd definitely use the notebook (either the 12" or the 14") at home a lot too. That's when I began questioning whether or not I really needed the extra power/portability of the powerbook 12" at the expense of extra power if I opted for an iBook 14" (with 512 mb RAM of course).

 

[Tamer Brad]

The resolutions are the same, so it will only look a bit bigger. It won't actually be bigger.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

The resolutions are the same, so it will only look a bit bigger. It won't actually be bigger.

But you have a larger viewing area, right?

 

[dmw007]

I would go for the 12" PowerBook G4 (more portable, more firepower, etc...). If you really think that you will need more screen real-estate, then I would go for a 15" PowerBook G4 or hook it up to an external LCD monitor when you have it at home.

 

[ITASOR]

But you have a larger viewing area, right?

Nope, not even 1 pixel more. You just see the 1024x768 "blown up" to fit into a 14" screen. I think it make it look like garbage and unclear.

Think of it this way, it's easy. Bad eyes=14". If the resolution on the 14" was higher, this wouldn't be true, as you would just have more viewing space...

Go for 12" if you're getting the iBook....pb's are another story as the 15" & 17" DO indeed have higher resolutions than the 12".

 

[Heb1228]

The comments on the iBook resolutions are correct, the exact same resolution on the 12 and 14 inch iBooks and the 12 inch PB.

If you set up Hot Corners and get good at using Expose, the 12" screen will be ok for you (or the 14" iBook). Unless you use apps that just NEED screen space like Final Cut or Photoshop.

At any rate, if the question is between the 14" iBook or 12" Powerbook, i think you'd be way better off getting the PB. No real difference in the screens and the PB is way cooler. my 2 cents anyway

 

[cooknwitha]

I jumped back on my iMac yesterday which was the first time since I bought the Powerbook and I've got say, I prefer the 12" over the 15" iMac screen. Same resolution and everything. It just looks very silly now on a bigger screen. So I guess it would be very similar with the 12" Powerbook => 14" iBook comparison.

It's weird but the 12" doesn't feel small at all. In fact, it felt no different. I only noticed the difference when going back to the larger screen.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

I'm going to go to the store one more time to compare the various Apple notebooks, but it seems like unanimously, everyone recommends the 12" pb over the 14" ibook...

 

[mrgreen4242]

The 12" PB is a better machine all around... Stick with that and at some point just grab a cheap 17" LCD for home use. Add a BT keyb/mouse and a wireless router and you could have a nice desktop setup with only a couple cables (video and power) to dael with when you want to go mobile.

Plus the PBooks will span without hacks, which is nice but not great, but it outputs to DVI which will make a difference if you add a second display.

On the other hand, while the resolution on the screens is the same, so you will have exactly the same amount of space to work with, the extra size can be nice for a lot of things... things that jump to mind immediately are DVDs/movies in general, and games. Sure the resolution is the same, but the extra size looks good for those uses. Think of a TV... they all have the same number of lines, but a sice 30" looks better than a 19". (There is a limit to that - my grandfather in law has a 52" that I think looks like crap).

With expose and dashboard either the 12 or the 14" will have enough screen space for you, so you should base your choice on the machines and what you will do with them. Also, something worth mentioning is that I THINK the 12" Pbooks 5200go GPU is Core Image capible, so that may make a difference in your choice as well. I am sure someone can correct me if I am mistaken.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

The 12" PB is a better machine all around... Stick with that and at some point just grab a cheap 17" LCD for home use. Add a BT keyb/mouse and a wireless router and you could have a nice desktop setup with only a couple cables (video and power) to dael with when you want to go mobile.

Plus the PBooks will span without hacks, which is nice but not great, but it outputs to DVI which will make a difference if you add a second display.

On the other hand, while the resolution on the screens is the same, so you will have exactly the same amount of space to work with, the extra size can be nice for a lot of things... things that jump to mind immediately are DVDs/movies in general, and games. Sure the resolution is the same, but the extra size looks good for those uses. Think of a TV... they all have the same number of lines, but a sice 30" looks better than a 19". (There is a limit to that - my grandfather in law has a 52" that I think looks like crap).

With expose and dashboard either the 12 or the 14" will have enough screen space for you, so you should base your choice on the machines and what you will do with them. Also, something worth mentioning is that I THINK the 12" Pbooks 5200go GPU is Core Image capible, so that may make a difference in your choice as well. I am sure someone can correct me if I am mistaken.

I'm going to be using the i/pbook for web browsing, email, chatting, playing videos, and some light gaming (most likely via emulation/roms).

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

I was at the applestore and at compusa checking out the 12" pb and 14" ibook, and i felt like the 12" gave my eyes a little bit of strain and the 14" was more comfortable to look at. i like everything else about the powerbook, but the screen is a little small and it did strain my eyes a little.

dammit, decisions, decisions...

btw, i do consider myself to have good eyes, i'm only 19 years old.

 

[ITASOR]

Get the 14" iBook, then. They're both great computers. I actually am borrowing my grandma's 14" iBook until my 12" G4 comes. The screen is nice, but it looks blurry to me compared to the crispness of the 12".

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

Get the 14" iBook, then. They're both great computers. I actually am borrowing my grandma's 14" iBook until my 12" G4 comes. The screen is nice, but it looks blurry to me compared to the crispness of the 12".

I went one more time to the store and decided to go with the powerbook. It doesn't hurt my eyes, but it's just a little dim.

 

[MUCKYFINGERS]

And also, is it pretty much accepted that the Powerbook is going to be updated after Sept 24?