I'm ready to switch to mac, I hate xp blah blah blah. I've been holding out on my purchase since all the rumors about the updated powerbooks etc. I'm basically going to use it for school work(2nd year in college), which will also entail graphic design elements(flash, dreamweaver, PS, InDesign, etc), and I do a lot of WoW. I've had my eyes set on the 15" pb, 12" pb, and the 14" ibook(would the 14" ibook handle WoW efficiently?). The reason I have the ibook in the mix is because of the huge price saver and apparently the ibook performs nearly the same to the 12" pb, with the exception of screen resolution and hd speed. Which one would be the best option? Is it better to save the money and go with the ibook until the intel pb's?
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Which laptop to get(12" pb, 15" pb, or 14" ibook)
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Don't get the 14" iBook. The resolution is 1024x768-- The same as the 12" screen on the iBook and PowerBook. You get the same amount of real estate as the smaller screens, but everything is larger.
If you want to save money (and don't need the SuperDrive), I'd go with the 12" iBook. If you do need the SuperDrive, go with the 12" Powerbook.
My outlook is that if you're gonna buy a portable, buy a portable. Some people might be ok carrying a 15" laptop, but I'm not. I'm fine carrying a 12", though. The speed difference between the two is insignificant; the only real difference is the video card. People bash it, but the 12's GeForce works fine for the latest games (First to Fight, etc).
If you want a larger screen (that is, more real estate), buy a cheap-but-good-quality CRT for at home. I love my Viewsonic P95f+.
Do you need a 15" screen at Starbucks or in class?
If you want to save money (and don't need the SuperDrive), I'd go with the 12" iBook. If you do need the SuperDrive, go with the 12" Powerbook.
My outlook is that if you're gonna buy a portable, buy a portable. Some people might be ok carrying a 15" laptop, but I'm not. I'm fine carrying a 12", though. The speed difference between the two is insignificant; the only real difference is the video card. People bash it, but the 12's GeForce works fine for the latest games (First to Fight, etc).
If you want a larger screen (that is, more real estate), buy a cheap-but-good-quality CRT for at home. I love my Viewsonic P95f+.
Do you need a 15" screen at Starbucks or in class?
I have a 15" Powerbook and find it to be very portable. I started out with a 12" iBook, then went to a 12" PB, then to a 15" PB. I totally recommend the 15". Everyone is different, so just get what you need and what you can afford!
Macky-Mac said:
If you have some sort of vision impairment, sure. But the average person will have no problem with a 12" at the same resolution, and the size is reduced.
I know that a lot of people do, and that a lot of people hate the 12". Just don't expect any significant speed increase between the two. If you need a 15" display on-the-go, then thats what you should get. I don't, and I'd guess that many people don't.PaRaGoNViCtiM said:
If money is no object I recomend the 15" PB, screen size aside, it has the 128mb video card, so it is slightly more future proof than the other 2 (64mb 12"PB and 32Mb Ibooks). And I dont think you will have much trouble playing WOW.
I had a hard time deciding which size I wanted too.. I went to the apple store and played with the different sizes until I'm sure the employees were sick of me 
I decided that the 12 inch was just a little too small for me because I'm so used to my sony which also has a 15 inch screen. Anyway I decided that I should go with the 15 inch because I just liked the size. The 12 inch I'm sure is easier to carry, but my sony is much heavier than any of them so either way its an improvement.
If you're using it in class the thing to think about is in those huge lecture halls the desks are tiny, so if you're mostly using it in a space like that I would go with the 12 inch. If you are going to be using it in an area where you have more space like a dorm room or library or somewhere like that then the focus I guess would be totally on how much you're willing to carry. Go to the apple store and pick them up
I decided that the 12 inch was just a little too small for me because I'm so used to my sony which also has a 15 inch screen. Anyway I decided that I should go with the 15 inch because I just liked the size. The 12 inch I'm sure is easier to carry, but my sony is much heavier than any of them so either way its an improvement. If you're using it in class the thing to think about is in those huge lecture halls the desks are tiny, so if you're mostly using it in a space like that I would go with the 12 inch. If you are going to be using it in an area where you have more space like a dorm room or library or somewhere like that then the focus I guess would be totally on how much you're willing to carry. Go to the apple store and pick them up
First post as upcoming mac owner, mate converted me after having a 12'' PB since before the new updates and my frustration with other brands of computers.
Just wondering about what Microsoft *shudders* office 2004 for mac trial edition is like? On the Australian specs of powerbooks they've been cut. How long did the trial work, was it a demo version that lasts forever like shareware?
Will definiately be needing something similiar for new 12''PB for uni and being a primary teacher and all. Is there anything like this at all?
Also i've chosen 12''PB over other apple laptops (15'', 17'', ibooks) for few reasons. Speed, size, harddrive, power. Long as it had firewire, wireless, usb, big harddrive, dvd+rw, I was happy. I wanted something that would last me a few years, not months.
Depends individually what you are looking for in a laptop on what to get. Personally i'd love to get a 2nd rev intelmac but be waiting too long for that.
Cheers, zane.
with other brands of computers.Just wondering about what Microsoft *shudders* office 2004 for mac trial edition is like? On the Australian specs of powerbooks they've been cut. How long did the trial work, was it a demo version that lasts forever like shareware?
Will definiately be needing something similiar for new 12''PB for uni and being a primary teacher and all. Is there anything like this at all?
Also i've chosen 12''PB over other apple laptops (15'', 17'', ibooks) for few reasons. Speed, size, harddrive, power. Long as it had firewire, wireless, usb, big harddrive, dvd+rw, I was happy. I wanted something that would last me a few years, not months.
Depends individually what you are looking for in a laptop on what to get. Personally i'd love to get a 2nd rev intelmac but be waiting too long for that.
Cheers, zane.
A fairly easy question to answer with a heavy hand of bias. If you don't have a desktop get the 15" PB. Just updated, small enough to move around, large enough to double as a desktop. If you have a desktop get the 12" for portability, and if you need something larger you can go to your desktop.
If you can afford the 15" 1.67 model now that they have dropped the price and improved the video support, that would be your best option considering
your field of study.
You really do need an A/V machine.
your field of study.
You really do need an A/V machine.
My vote: 15" PB
I just bought the 14" iBook. After owning a 12" PB I was ready for something larger.
The 12" is cute, but there really is not much room to type and you can't really rest your hand very well on the aluminum casing because its small and it gets so hot (Apple used alum on purpose to help keep the temp of the PBs down, something to do with heat conductor or something). Bottomline: 12" is a great portable machine but the small size can be a bit annoying as your only computer. (And this is coming from someone who's small, 5'2". You might want to visit your closest Apple store and test them out yourself.)
The small real estate of the 12" screen is annoying when you're using graphic programs (I was a graphic design major, just graduated) because if you have too many files or dialog boxes open then you have to do a lot of shuffling to make everything fit so that you can see what you're doing.
I'd love to recommend the iBook to you, but since you're going to be using WoW and lots of graphic programs, I'd def go with 15" PB. My roomie plays WoW and she has a 15" dell. It looks really beautiful!
(I went with the iBook because now I'll be doing most of my designing at work, so don't need as much power. Also, I wanted something less hot. You pay for that extra power in heat!)
Some people have mentioned the small school desks are problematic, but my friend has a 15" PB and she made it work.
I know it's expensive but my vote for you is the 15" PB all the way!
I just bought the 14" iBook. After owning a 12" PB I was ready for something larger.
The 12" is cute, but there really is not much room to type and you can't really rest your hand very well on the aluminum casing because its small and it gets so hot (Apple used alum on purpose to help keep the temp of the PBs down, something to do with heat conductor or something). Bottomline: 12" is a great portable machine but the small size can be a bit annoying as your only computer. (And this is coming from someone who's small, 5'2". You might want to visit your closest Apple store and test them out yourself.)
The small real estate of the 12" screen is annoying when you're using graphic programs (I was a graphic design major, just graduated) because if you have too many files or dialog boxes open then you have to do a lot of shuffling to make everything fit so that you can see what you're doing.
I'd love to recommend the iBook to you, but since you're going to be using WoW and lots of graphic programs, I'd def go with 15" PB. My roomie plays WoW and she has a 15" dell. It looks really beautiful!
(I went with the iBook because now I'll be doing most of my designing at work, so don't need as much power. Also, I wanted something less hot. You pay for that extra power in heat!)
Some people have mentioned the small school desks are problematic, but my friend has a 15" PB and she made it work.
I know it's expensive but my vote for you is the 15" PB all the way!
About the size of the monitor...it's all a matter of preference. I myself purchased an iBook 14" a few years back and was disappointed that it was as BIG as it was. Yeah, kinda backwards, huh? I was picturing something smaller, for easier portability. It's a miniscule difference, but I still regreted getting the 14" model. I have since bought a 12" as well and I like it much better. Bottom line...it's all a matter of preference and everyone's tastes are different. I would suggest you go to an Apple store and try all different sizes out to see which your more comfortable with. And if you can afford, definitely go with the powerbook...drool...drooool....
I think I've made my decision, I'm going with the 15" pb. The updates had a drastic weigh-in on my decision, higher-res display, dual-layer dvd drive, more battery life, 128mb stock gpu card(albeit a 2 year old card), DDR2 ram(although won't have much if any performance value) and all that for about $200-$300 cheaper than last week's prices for a similar configuration can't be beat. And the fact that my university bookstore has them in stock and untaxed, only made my decision more sweeter. Thanks everyone for their input. I'll be stopping by the bookstore tommorow to pick up my first mac and i'll update you guys with how everything goes.
and i'll update you guys with how everything goes.
Congrats on your decision. It sounds good to me. I can't wait to hear how it turns out. Ooh...a new powerbook...at the moment I'm living through you
screensaver400 said:
What is the deal with you people who bash the 14 because it's the same resolution as the 12? Who cares? Many people don't, and prefer the 14, and you just give bad advice by saying such things. The 14 is a bit bigger and fits on my lap more comfortably than the 12. Quite frankly I think it's easier to look at the larger screen too, plus it costs $200 less than the 12" powerbook and they both have a superdrive.