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Whats the right powerbook?

muffinman

muffinman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 1, 2005
394
0
San Diego, California
Ive been a pc user all my life. I "found' Mac computers after I got my iPod. I now want a 15 in. powerbook. I was just wondering though, for a college-bound student, what would be better, the 12 inch, the 15 inch, or the 17 inch? Mind you, I'll be setting off in 2 years, so I still have some time to decide, but still, which one do you think is right? Oh and how many gigs is sufficent?


Thank you all.
 
I think the 15" is the perfect balance of desktop screen size and portability. Plus the resolution is just so much sharper than the 12".
 
as a college student I would definately go for the 12''


If you plan on taking notes in college with your laptop in a lecture hall, you will see that the desk that is available is VERY small. A 12'' is already too big, with a 15 you might be playing the balancing act.


I would definately NOT suggest you take a 17''. I know someone who bought a 17 and was planning on taking notes in lectures like myself, however found the laptop is WAY too big so he went back to pen and a paper :)
 
wako said:
I would definately NOT suggest you take a 17''. I know someone who bought a 17 and was planning on taking notes in lectures like myself, however found the laptop is WAY too big so he went back to pen and a paper :)
Click to expand...


I agree with NOT getting a 17". TOO HUGE.

the 15" is the way to go. 12" is a little too small IMO, and 15" is just perfect.

Then again, I really do like this PowerBook.. :) *hugs*
 
For college, I would go with the 12" screen and then add an external monitor for your dorm. That way you will have the nice and small 12 to bring around to class and maybe a 20" Apple Cinema Display for the dorm when you have to write a big paper. You will love the 12" size for bringing to class, throwing in a bag (gently ;)), or surfing the web wirelessly around campus. I have a 15" PB now because I do a lot of work away from my desk, but I plan on going the 12" + ACD route soon!
 
To be honest, if the 12 inch screen is for you then most college users would be very happy with an iBook. The difference between the iBook and the PowerBook in doesn't warrant the price gap IMO for the 12 inch machines.

Having said that, the 15 inch PowerBook would be ideal.


muffinman said:
Oh and how many gigs is sufficent?
Click to expand...


Get as much hard drive space as you can afford. Get 1GB of RAM to keep you happy for a while and more if you plan on doing anything really intensive such as video production or running a nuclear power station (unlikely, but college can be a crazy place). :)
 
Scratch the 17" PowerBook from your list way to bulky to lug around.

I would either get 12" or 15". If portability is on top of your list go with the 12" and purchase an external monitor for your workstation at home.

If you don't want to fork out the extra cash for a monitor and you don't haul your laptop with you everywhere you go. Get the 15" those are really nice machines.
 
I've got a 15" powerbook myself, but I've worked with both the 12" iBook and the 14" ibook as well. For me, taking the 15" model everywhere with me is not a problem at all. if your bag is tall enough for the 15", you whould be okay. Since the 15" is actually thinner than the 12" or 14", that helps too. The thing I appreciate the most is the extra resolution. Working with big PDFs or doing web layouts I can see two pages side by side and still manage to read the text. After using the 15" for a while it was very hard to use the iBooks and there 1024x768 resolution. Regardless of how insignificant the diference may seem at first glance, after you work with them for a while there is a striking diference. Of course, working in a classroom at a little desk may not be ideal with a 15" or a 12" for that matter. It really depends on when and where you'll be using the laptop the most.
 
I'm in my second year of college (English/ Psychology double major) and I've found my 12" PowerBook to be the perfect size. It's actually smaller than some of my books, and I can just put it in it's sleeve and take it around campus with me. My friend who owns the 14" iBook G4 always tells me that she wishes she bought the 12" instead, because it's just so much more portable.
 
If you can afford it:

Get a 12" with a 20" display and a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. That way if you need to bring the comp to class... but then when you need to have 2 or 3 papers open at once you can.

If thats to expensive:

Go with the 15"
 
w_parietti22 said:
If you can afford it:

Get a 12" with a 20" display and a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. That way if you need to bring the comp to class... but then when you need to have 2 or 3 papers open at once you can.

If thats to expensive:

Go with the 15"
Click to expand...

I definitely agree here. And if you go for a 12" refurb powerbook and monitor, the price difference is minimal. Refurbs are great if you don't mind not getting a fancy box. A 20" ACD would make a fine TV for most dorm rooms, too. By the time you head off to college, every mac's gonna come with front row :D!!
 
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