Sell PB and buy Mac Mini/Apple Display

[glay]

Hi everyone!
I need some advice. I am currently using a 12" PB 1.33 Combo, I was thinking of selling it and getting a 20" Apple Display and 1.42 80Gb Mac Mini.
What do you guys think?
Initially I bought the laptop but I never seem to take it out of my house. I do use it around the house though.
Will the Apple Displays be updated soon? As in the style of them? And do they have a good resell price? With the recent price drop in them I am thinking that they might be outdated by a newer series of Apple Displays? Sorry, I am an Apple newbie and I do not know much about this. Thanks alot!
Take Care! 🙂

 

[illustratorDavi]

Hi Glay

I can't see the displays being changed this year. I think they have just reduced the price to make them competitive, also apparently the inside LCD prices have shot down recently.

I'm not sure if you'll notice a speed distance with the mini mac. For all I know the motherboard could be based on an ibook.

All i know is that the mini mac is a great idea. Personally I'm considering one as a step up from my imac G4. Its compact size means that i can also use it in my school workshops. The main disadvantage is the lack of G5 (so no 64bit) and the lack of memory - although they are likely to be 2Gb memory cards available soon, at least when the warranty ends.

David

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Why not just get a 20" monitor and run the PB in clamshell mode?

 

[Rod Rod]

Why not just get a 20" monitor and run the PB in clamshell mode?

It's very likely glay would have to sell the PB in order to have the funds for the display and Mac mini.

I need some advice. I am currently using a 12" PB 1.33 Combo, I was thinking of selling it and getting a 20" Apple Display and 1.42 80Gb Mac Mini.
What do you guys think?

I think that's a great idea. The only thing you'll miss is the ability to use your computer in bed and on the sofa. It's up to you though whether an amazing increase in screen space is worth sacrificing the ability to use the computer in bed and on the sofa.

I got a 17" Apple Studio Display LCD yesterday for my dad's Mac mini. It's pretty neat how the DVI-ADC adapter box is very close in size the the mini (which is probably going to get here within a couple of weeks hopefully).

Anyhow, the current aluminum displays are very unlikely to get redesigned anytime soon. The lucite style displays were in production from 2000 to 2004.

 

[neilrobinson]

you dont have to buy an apple display - their is a lot of good ones round on the market - dell even have a great 20" widescreen which a lot of members round here recommend

 

[hcuar]

I agree with the other person recommending to keep the PB and use it in clamshell mode with a new display. That way you won't look the portability of the PB... 😎

 

[stoid]

I have considered the same thing, but aside from the fact that I do enjoy my PowerBook's portability a bit more than you do, note that the Mac Mini only has a Radeon 9200 card and therefore will NOT be able to handle CoreImage and CoreVideo as featured in Tiger. Your PowerBook I think will retain it's resale value more than the Mac mini and monitor.

 

[iJon]

I agree with the other person recommending to keep the PB and use it in clamshell mode with a new display. That way you won't look the portability of the PB... 😎

Yeah, but if he did that he would have to find $999 to buy it, where as if he sells his machine and buys a display and a mini he will either break even or have to front a little cash.

As for you Stoid, I wouldn't jump to conclusions. Apple pulled those specs that said the requirements. Mini might still have some hope with some tweaking and further coding. I would just wait till Apple gives a final answer or until Tiger rolls off the line.

jon

 

[glay]

Does that mean?

I have considered the same thing, but aside from the fact that I do enjoy my PowerBook's portability a bit more than you do, note that the Mac Mini only has a Radeon 9200 card and therefore will NOT be able to handle CoreImage and CoreVideo as featured in Tiger. Your PowerBook I think will retain it's resale value more than the Mac mini and monitor.

So, does the current Powerbook have the capacity to handle CoreImage and CoreVideo in Tiger? What does CoreImage and CoreVideo do?

Also, I will be using the cash from selling the PB to get the mac mini and apple display.

I wanted a PB for protools but it seems that a PB would not be that powerful enough for it anyway. Other than that I mainly use the web & iTunes.

Also, would be be good to wait until Tiger comes out and then get a mac mini with Tiger and iLife 05' bundled?

 

[iJon]

So, does the current Powerbook have the capacity to handle CoreImage and CoreVideo in Tiger? What does CoreImage and CoreVideo do?

Also, I will be using the cash from selling the PB to get the mac mini and apple display.

I wanted a PB for protools but it seems that a PB would not be that powerful enough for it anyway. Other than that I mainly use the web & iTunes.

Also, would be be good to wait until Tiger comes out and then get a mac mini with Tiger and iLife 05' bundled?

No one knows about Tiger. Apple posted some requirements but quietly pulled them after the mini was release, so it's up in the air right now.

As for Protools, have you considered Garageband 2, Abelton Live, or Logic Express or Pro. I have a friend who writes and performs all his music on your laptop, but his is the Rev. A (867 Mhz).

If you are doing fine you could wait. If Tiger is priced the same as other Mac OS X releases, iLife and Tiger will run you about $200 for your PowerBook, almost half a new mini. Plus when Tiger comes out later this year a speedbumped mini might be approaching, who knows.

All depends on your needs compared to wants, plus your financial situation.

jon

 

[solvs]

Both have 167MHz FSB, the 1.25 will be a little slower, the 1.42 a little faster, but more expensive. You could also get a Superdrive. But there are some things to consider about the PowerBook.

Besides the better video card, the P'Book also has audio in, whereas the Mini doesn't. I don't know if you need that, or have usb or firewire audio, but that's something to consider. It may still be worth it if you also get and M-Audio or iMic as well as the Mini. And don't forget a USB keyboard and mouse if you don't have them already. I'd get another display if money is an issue. The Apple displays are nice, but overkill for the Mini. Plus you'll need more memory, as 256 is not enough. The P'Book has 256 on board, but also an open slot if you haven't already upgraded, whereas the Mini has only one slot. And by the time Tiger comes out, even by the time the Mini and iLife '05 are out, there may be new P'Books out, so yours might be worth a bit less, though it will probably only be a minor speedbump.

You might want to just get iLife and Tiger as they come out, and a nice CRT. You can mirror or run dual displays on the P'Book, not so on the Mini, might come in handy. Either way, when you can afford it, maybe add an external hard drive or faster internal hard drive. Or just more RAM if you still only have 256. As you can afford it.

 

[Mord]

for protools get an external firewire HD you cant do serious audio work with a 4200rpm 2.5" HD which is the same speed you will get in the mac mini.

 

[Inspector Lee]

I'm entertaining the same idea with my 15" TiBook (1 GHz/ 1 GB) because I also have a 12" iBook (girlfriend's) in my apartment for the sofa/bed computer work. Granted, I take the powerbook to work every day and I think it is a fantastic machine but I could get by with the iBook (which always stays home). I'm itching to get a display (23") to watch movies because the powerbook cuts it but barely. But I don't know... I spec'd a Mac mini with 80 GB, combo, airport, keyboard and mouse, maxed ram and even with an academic discount it would come to over a grand with tax.

If I was to get the display I would want to get more use out of it than just a movie or two on the weekends and some slideshows for friends and family. Feel like if I had the Mac mini, I'd be "forced" to use it as opposed to occasionally going clamshell with the PB.

 

[Jsmit]

If I were going to sell my PB and get an Apple desktop, I would get an iMac. The mini is cool, but the iMac is just a much more powerful computer. The cost of a Mini and Apple display is right in the middle of iMac territory.

 

[glay]

for protools get an external firewire HD you cant do serious audio work with a 4200rpm 2.5" HD which is the same speed you will get in the mac mini.

I am planning to not use protools at all. I would only be mainly using iTunes, iPhoto, watching dvd's & Office or perhaps iWork. Would the mac mini be able to handle that? Is there any way of being able to upgrade to the mac mini in the future? Or would I be best of waiting and getting a G5 Powermac or something along those lines?

 

[3Memos]

As great as the Mac mini is, I'd keep the PowerBook, because even though you use it at home most of time, you still can take it out if you need to. With a mini, you'll be stuck. And with a S-video to DVI adaptor, it still works as a great DVD and Divx player for your TV. PowerBook, you can also do monitor spanning to another LCD or even to a 22" CRT (like what I have), which the mini won't be able to do.

 

[3Memos]

I was thinking of selling it and getting a 20" Apple Display and 1.42 80Gb Mac Mini.
What do you guys think?

Even if you do that, you'd be losing more money in doing so. First you had to pay taxes on your PB purchase, which if you were to sell it, you'd take a hit for depreciation and the fact that its used. Then the money is put towards a Mac mini, which you would to pay taxes for again. So it's a triple whammy, and the benefits of doing that don't seem to make much financial sense.