Switcher: 12" versus 15" PowerBook -- couple of questions

[Cuckoo]

I use a 15" for everything. Now, in retrospect, for the next upgrade, i would like a decent desktop with a whopping screen and a small as possible laptop....

the 15" doens't cut it for me -screenwise- for home use and the 15" is a bit to big and powerhungry for underway -for me-

But apart from this, the 15" is a great great great machine, which doens't disappoint me what so ever....

 

[Argelius]

I got the 15"

Hello All,
I picked up a 15" Powerbook (with superdrive) last night. I'm so pleased with the size. The Powerbooks are so svelte, they are smaller than comparable windows PCs.

Now I just have to figure out how to right click...

 

[nagromme]

I have a 15" and I love it, but next time I'll go with a 12" (ultra-portable!) AND an external LCD (bigger screen). I'd happily trade a little speed and a few ports for better portability AND a better screen at home. (Now, if you use the internal screen a lot, the 15" is the far superior screen.)

Wait until 11 months to get Apple Care--no need to decide until your warranty is ending. Also note that you can replace SOME parts (HD, RAM, maybe others) yourself if you ever care to, and that the current PowerBooks are a very well-proven design by now. That makes for good reliability.

 

[nagromme]

Now I just have to figure out how to right click...

You probably know, but for anyone who doesn't:

* Ctrl-click is right-click

* External mice are supported fully

* Click-hold works (but with a delay) on Dock icons (and in some browsers, not Safari)

* In the Finder, the "action" (gear) button is pretty much the same thing.

* Unlike Windows, nothing vital is found only in context menus: they're all in the regular top menus too. Thus the right-click menus are a nice shortcut, but not vital.

I find that the major need for two button mice is for 3D games... and for that, a 2-button trackpad is terrible. I can aim just fine with it--but you can't freely hit both/either button at will while aiming. It's very awkward (with most button layouts). So I prefer alt-fire to be my pinky on left-shift anyway, when no mouse is handy.

 

[.Andy]

My 2cents...

I've had a 15" titanium 550 for a long time and have loved it so much. The screen has just died and I'm biting the bullet and getting a 12" SD + external 20" ACD for home. The 15" isn't too bad to carry around but it is noticably a lot bigger than the 12". The 12" is something I can throw in my ordinary satchel bag (in sleve of course ) and just go.

In comparison the portability of the 12" is something that I really value over my old 15".

Whatever you get you'll love it so don't stress too much . Good luck

 

[efoto]

Get the 15'. i am in the same boat as you and the 15 is a lot nicer than the 12. its just to small... Tiger is the OS so it sould be pre loaded i guess or load it yourself. Im waiting for my 15 powerbook, there unreal. cheers

I hate comments like these, the 15 isn't BETTER than the 12, it's DIFFERENT! It is a performance increase along with a size increase, or verse visa it is a slight performance decrease with a considerable size decrease (you can see my bias )

You don't compare them in directly, they are meant for different jobs in most cases.

 

[efoto]

Don't listen to those 15 inchers with their l33t speak, it's all jargon
J/k, just had to find a way to use l33t for once...anyway, onto what you may care about.

[1] What is the real-world battery life of the 12" PowerBook?
- Using it day in and day out here in France it can easily watch nearly two full dvds (assuming 2.2hr per) while spinning the discs, more so if the vid is on your HDD. Usually I can 4+ with low brightness with airport on and browsing the net.

[2] What is the real-world battery life of the 15" PowerBook?
- Don't know, don't have one.

[3] Will any LCD monitor work with the PowerBook (as long as I have the necessary adatper)?
- Yes, given the proper adapter (no need for a dvi external from 15in)

[4] Do all PowerBooks sold at the Apple store come with Tiger preloaded?
- Any PowerBook you currently can buy in an Apple store will have Tiger on it, unless there is some odd old-school blowout that I am unaware of.

[5] Is the AppleCare extended warranty a "must"? It adds a considerable cost to an already expensive machine. (I've never had to have any previous notebook repaired)...
- You can purchase AppleCare 364 days after the purchase of your PowerBook if you so choose, just has to be within the first year to extend the coverage to 3 years total (including the first...NOT four). I did not purchase AppleCare for my 12" however I still have a few months to decide and depending what is on the market at that time, I may be selling my 12"PB and updating by then, so I will wait and see, but zero problems here, thing works like a charm.

I'll save you more rambling about 12 vs. 15. It comes down to a preference of what you want/need and generally what you think you may prefer. I took what I thought was a gamble at the time and went 12". Today, having used it for months, even if it cost more than the 15, I would still buy a 12 today. Hope it all helps, either way you are getting an awesome machine, be confident in that.

 

[Argelius]

I'll save you more rambling about 12 vs. 15. It comes down to a preference of what you want/need and generally what you think you may prefer... Hope it all helps, either way you are getting an awesome machine, be confident in that.

Thanks, all for your thoughts. I picked up a 15" PowerBook (with superdrive) last night. Just lovin' it so far. Once I got it home, I realized the 15" isn't bulky/large at all. Very pleased with what I ended up with.

Now to transfer data, music, pictures, etc in preparation of giving my last Windows computer a burial at sea (eBay, actually...)

 

[efoto]

Thanks, all for your thoughts. I picked up a 15" PowerBook (with superdrive) last night. Just lovin' it so far. Once I got it home, I realized the 15" isn't bulky/large at all. Very pleased with what I ended up with.

Now to transfer data, music, pictures, etc in preparation of giving my last Windows computer a burial at sea (eBay, actually...)

I'm glad you waded through all the comments and purchased a machine you seem to be happy with. Everyone will always have unique preferences, it is difficult to recommend something without throwing a bias in there too, but like I said I am just glad you are liking your knew PB, they awesome computers and a great product to boot. Happy computing

 

[Argelius]

I'm glad you waded through all the comments and purchased a machine you seem to be happy with. Everyone will always have unique preferences, it is difficult to recommend something without throwing a bias in there too, but like I said I am just glad you are liking your knew PB, they awesome computers and a great product to boot. Happy computing

Thanks!!

 

[weg]

i have a 12" pb....i love the size....in fact with expose you don't really need a bigger screen....i'm stuggling to justify buying an external monitor...

Expose is nice, but as an former Linux user I prefer Desktop Manager, which provides virtual desktops. I think it's more efficient than Expose.

 

[efoto]

Expose is nice, but as an former Linux user I prefer Desktop Manager, which provides virtual desktops. I think it's more efficient than Expose.

I used Desktop Manager for a little bit too but found the multiple hot-keys and scrolling to be quite annoying considering I can get the same effect with Expose in a single hotkey with mouse-action which I prefer since my hand is nearly glued to the mouse like most users when not typing.

DM basically does Expose like functions porting windows to *different* desktops but it is esentially just shifting them around like Expose. If you prefer to see your background on the edges of your screen and don't like the idea of 6-infinity layered windows, I guess you may prefer DM. Personally I see it vastly inferior to Expose however, and it also crashes rather frequently forcing a restart of the app just to get access to your windows back....great

 

[tuartboy]

My 12in powerbook gets about 3 and 1/2 hours battery life, its only a month or so old.

tuartboy I'd keep good care of that battery its a good one

Oh I will.

Been off the wall for 1.5 hours and I still got 3:50 left...

 

[efoto]

Oh I will.

Been off the wall for 1.5 hours and I still got 3:50 left...

What exactly are you doing to attain those numbers? I am not that far off, but just curious to see what loads you are applying during these times. Just Mail and Internet or are you actually working on something that uses some power? Screen settings? Processor priority (underclocked or high-performance)?

I checked a little yesterday and coming to work after charging it overnight my PB had 99% battery when I woke it up, and then using SketchUp, Mail, and Firefox all quite frequently, with cable ethernet plugged in, a wired mouse, and screen brightness at dead center (8 or 16 squares) my PB lasted from 8:40am until 11:49am (3:09), at which point I put it to sleep and went to lunch. I came back around 12:22pm and woke it up to find around 18% (I think) which lasted almost a full hour, just under if my memory serves me right. I'll chalk it at 48 minutes. So for the day with the settings listed above actually using my computer, I got 3:57 out of my battery which is nearly 1.5 - 2 hours more than my co-workers brand-new (two weeks old) HP with Centrino (sorry, couldn't resist sticking out my tongue).

It is all just FYI, hope it helps a little bit.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Make sure to calibrate your battery! Other than that, you can't go wrong with either. I love the portableness of my 12" Rev. C.

It can go anywhere, do anything, and last for 5 hours and up if I play it right. My friend gets less than that with his 15" but he is really happy with it too.

I bought AppleCare and have used it, although it was still inside my 1 year period. It is nice to have peace of mind.... and the ability to call and say, "Hey, help me!"

 

[TBi]

I don't have a powerbook (yet) and am debating which one to get. I currently have a 12" iBook and came from a 15" i8000 dell. The dell was a lovely (for a dell...) laptop (especially compared to new dells). But was far too big for casual use. The 12" ibook is a wonder because it is so easy to carry around, so light and a lot nicer to use. I don't really want to upgrade but i feel bad using my 2005FPW on VGA and not DVI.

However as much as i want a 12" PB, i'd rather get something with a better graphics card. The 5200 is rather crap (to put it nicely) compared to the base graphics card in the 15".

 

[bodeh6]

I don't have a powerbook (yet) and am debating which one to get. I currently have a 12" iBook and came from a 15" i8000 dell. The dell was a lovely (for a dell...) laptop (especially compared to new dells). But was far too big for casual use. The 12" ibook is a wonder because it is so easy to carry around, so light and a lot nicer to use. I don't really want to upgrade but i feel bad using my 2005FPW on VGA and not DVI.

However as much as i want a 12" PB, i'd rather get something with a better graphics card. The 5200 is rather crap (to put it nicely) compared to the base graphics card in the 15".

I would wait 3-7 weeks to see if the Powerbook is updated before Paris. Most likely it will get a ATI Radeon 9550/9700 with 64MB with upgrade to 128MB.

 

[TBi]

Thats the best plan really. Also i just bought an Athlon X2 so i think i shouldn't go buying anything else for a while.

I kind of regret getting the X2 now. In the week i was waiting for it i used nothing but OSX on the iBook. Going back to Windows XP was a pain! Also i don't really need the power of the X2 but i had been waiting for it for SO long i just had to get one

Although in the X2's favour it is most definately the fastest processor i have ever used. Now if only it could run OSX