Which notebook best suits my needs?

[kmendoza]

so i switched over to a mac because of repeated friends telling me that mac's were better for what i'm going to be doing in the long run

I recently got a used PowerBook G4 15" lcd, It has been upgraded to 1 gb fam , 60gb hd 1.33mhz

but i'm wondering is this going to be enough for what i'll be doing? or should i sell this one and get one of the newer models (as at times it feels awfully slow compared to my old PC)
(not sure if i should go with macbook or macbook pro (as portability /space is an issue for me)

the programs i will be using are mainly photoshop (for graphic designing/and print work doing custom card and web designing - but i'm also going to be using garageband quite often as i'm an aspiring singer wanting to record/make my own beats and music)

And i'm fairly new to macs as i've had a PC all my y li and probably because i'm not used to the mac - i don'i don't know if the powerbook is a little outdated.. for me because i also have TONS and TONS of photos (of my children etc etc) and maybe might do a little gaming - nothng serious like playing WoW or anything.. but just want to be able to have a camera so that i can post video's on youtube (nerdy i know but hey only way to get exposed in the music industry -- it's a start smile.gif )..


any advice for a mac newbie is greatly appreciated. my budget is is around 2k if not less (hoping more on the lesser side as my girls take up most of my shopping money smile.gif )

 

[neiltc13]

Get the 2.0GHz MacBook. No only is it the best value computer that Apple currently sells, but it will also meet your needs perfectly.

 

[kmendoza]

Thank You so much. for your quick response.

Would anything above that be overkill? (that's the last thing i want lol if i can avoid overspending the better!)

 

[wheelhot]

Would anything above that be overkill? (that's the last thing i want lol if i can avoid overspending the better!)

Erm not actually.

From my opinion, I will ask you to get the new MBP if money is not an option for you cause, since you are going to do web design and use photoshop a lot, the extra screen size will benefit you and the MBP have 2 GPUs, Photoshop uses a lot of processing speed that some of us will end up having a ScratchDisk to prevent Photoshop from slowing down. Having 2 GPUs will most likely solve this problem and in the future when SnowLeopard is released, 2 GPUs will definitely increase the MBP performance (providing Apple fulfill what it promises). And of course the extra performance found in the MBP will make your GarageBand work faster, and of course browsing through your photos much faster.

Anyway, just realize you have a budget, so well like the previous poster says, the MB (the new one, cause of the GPU and better processor) will also fit your needs.

 

[lasuther]

Thank You so much. for your quick response.

Would anything above that be overkill? (that's the last thing i want lol if i can avoid overspending the better!)

If you have the money for a MBP, go for it. But the 2.0GHz MB will meet your needs. The MBP gives you a bigger/better screen, FW800, backlit keyboard, and a express card slot. Your call.

 

[kmendoza]

thank you all for the responses i appreciate it!

 

[velocityg4]

Or you may consider a Macbook with external LCD, Mouse, Keyboards, Maxed RAM and a 7200RPM Hard Drive.

This way you will have a light and fast portable machine to bring with you. But then at home have a large roomy screen to do a lot of your work. Unless most work will be done on the where the screen will not be accessible then I would definitely recommend the Macbook Pro instead.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Or you might consider a refurb MBP; they have been tested and tried - individually - occasionally come with unannounced upgrades, have the MBP's great performance and power, as well as the superb screen, have Apple's warranty, and a generous discount (which makes them quite affordable) and are perfectly well designed for what you seem to have in mind.

Cheers and good luck

 

[kmendoza]

Ok,

So I was looking around and saw this and it's within my budget (well a little over but i'm sure well worth it) Does the built in web cam take video as well, or just pictures? This would make a big difference for me.

Someone also had told me (not here) to just upgrade my PowerBook G4 (like upgrarade to 2gb max, and harddrive and just buy a webcam l wht do you all think?)

Apple® - MacBook® Pro with 15.4" Display
Model: MB133LL/A | SKU: 8764429

Product Features

* Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor with 800MHz frontside bus, 3MB shared L2 cache and 2.4GHz processor speed
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory for multitasking power (2 SoDIMM slots)
* Slot-loading DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive with double-layer support records up to 8.5GB of data or 5 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media

* The next-generation Intel® Core™2 Duo processor is based on the innovative Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, so it runs faster and is more energy-efficient for cooler, quieter operation
* 15.4" widescreen TFT-LCD display with 1440 x 900 resolution
* 200GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 256MB GDDR3 memory; dual display and video mirroring capabilities; dual-link DVI and VGA outputs (DVI-to-VGA adapter included)
* 2 FireWire ports (one 800 Mbps and one 400 Mbps) and 2 high-speed USB 2.0 ports; built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless interface
* Built-in AirPort Extreme wireless network card (802.11n); 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet LAN
* Weighs 5.4 lbs. and measures only 1" thin for easy portability; lithium-polymer battery with up to 5 hours of battery life; illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensors
* Built-in iSight webcam, stereo speakers and microphone
* Solid-state trackpad with multitouch gesture support allows you to use specialized touch gestures to navigate your applications, enlarge text, advance through a photo album or adjust an image with ease
* Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" preinstalled; software package included with Time Machine, Quick Look, Spotlight, Dashboard, iChat, Safari, iCal, Photo Booth, Xcode Developer Tools, iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand) and more
* Apple, PowerBook, AirPort, FireWire, QuickTime, iTunes and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. MacBook, SuperDrive and iLife are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
* Intel, Pentium, Celeron, Centrino, Core, Intel Inside and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...3ll/a&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1203815206412


Is this a Perfect Fit? (I would buy refurb but i can't have it any downtime to wait for the computer to get here)

I'm really excited!

 

[Wardotron]

A G4 is pretty old news now; my G4 eMac barely runs OSX 10.5, never mind Photoshop!

I think your best bet would be the new Macbook or Macbook Pro (if you have the cash). Looking to the secondhand market, any Intel Apple will do; just bear in mind that the plastic-cased MacBooks are pretty slow on the graphics front. The 17" Macbook Pro is still pretty nice, even despite the aluminium 'books stealing the show. The Apple refurb store is always worth a look.

Good luck!

 

[Wardotron]

Ok,

So I was looking around and saw this and it's within my budget (well a little over but i'm sure well worth it) Does the built in web cam take video as well, or just pictures? This would make a big difference for me.

Someone also had told me (not here) to just upgrade my PowerBook G4 (like upgrarade to 2gb max, and harddrive and just buy a webcam l wht do you all think?)

Apple® - MacBook® Pro with 15.4" Display
Model: MB133LL/A | SKU: 8764429

Product Features

* Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processor with 800MHz frontside bus, 3MB shared L2 cache and 2.4GHz processor speed
* 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory for multitasking power (2 SoDIMM slots)
* Slot-loading DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive with double-layer support records up to 8.5GB of data or 5 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media

* The next-generation Intel® Core™2 Duo processor is based on the innovative Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, so it runs faster and is more energy-efficient for cooler, quieter operation
* 15.4" widescreen TFT-LCD display with 1440 x 900 resolution
* 200GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 rpm)
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with 256MB GDDR3 memory; dual display and video mirroring capabilities; dual-link DVI and VGA outputs (DVI-to-VGA adapter included)
* 2 FireWire ports (one 800 Mbps and one 400 Mbps) and 2 high-speed USB 2.0 ports; built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless interface
* Built-in AirPort Extreme wireless network card (802.11n); 10/100/1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet LAN
* Weighs 5.4 lbs. and measures only 1" thin for easy portability; lithium-polymer battery with up to 5 hours of battery life; illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensors
* Built-in iSight webcam, stereo speakers and microphone
* Solid-state trackpad with multitouch gesture support allows you to use specialized touch gestures to navigate your applications, enlarge text, advance through a photo album or adjust an image with ease
* Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" preinstalled; software package included with Time Machine, Quick Look, Spotlight, Dashboard, iChat, Safari, iCal, Photo Booth, Xcode Developer Tools, iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand) and more
* Apple, PowerBook, AirPort, FireWire, QuickTime, iTunes and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. MacBook, SuperDrive and iLife are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
* Intel, Pentium, Celeron, Centrino, Core, Intel Inside and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...3ll/a&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1203815206412


Is this a Perfect Fit? (I would buy refurb but i can't have it any downtime to wait for the computer to get here)

I'm really excited!

Looks good, just be aware that looks like the old Macbook Pro, not the new one.

 

[drossad]

Pretty sure those specs are for the old MBP, but I think you should go for it. That's what I would have suggested anyway.

You might want to look on the Apple store (under clearance) first though, it might be cheaper?

Have fun, you'll love it!

 

[neiltc13]

The only real reason that MacBook Pro is much more expensive is because it has a much more powerful graphics card. If you aren't going to use that then you'll be spending a lot of money to get something which you won't be taking advantage of.

I don't think that in day to day use you'll notice any difference between the speed of the two processors.

 

[Vulcan]

If you want to avoid over spending, your best bet would be to go for the White MacBook in the refurb store, they were down to $750 (which is $450 less than the aluminum ones) a few days ago. It's very cheap and meets your needs perfectly fine.