why I'll buy a Powerbook instead of a MacBookPro

[dambro1978]

Next week I'll buy a powerbook instead of a macbookpro.
I've read somewhere that Photoshop and Office won't be universal till next revision. This means 2007.

Cannot go for maximum Ram only because of Rosetta.
A Powerbook 12" will last perfectly for my purposes at least 3 years.

I hope you understand.
I like new apple toys but they can't force me to use an emulator for main applications.

I use an emulator only to emulate an old Commodore Amiga 500.

Andrea, Trieste, Italy

 

[combatcolin]

You'll regret it.

 

[skubish]

Next week I'll buy a powerbook instead of a macbookpro.
I've read somewhere that Photoshop and Office won't be universal till next revision. This means 2007.

Cannot go for maximum Ram only because of Rosetta.
A Powerbook 12" will last perfectly for my purposes at least 3 years.

I hope you understand.
I like new apple toys but they can't force me to use an emulator for main applications.

I use an emulator only to emulate an old Commodore Amiga 500.

Andrea, Trieste, Italy

I wouldn't buy any of the Macs right now unless I had to. I am waiting for a Rev. B. of the iMacs before I buy one. Until then, my iBook will work fine.

 

[cwedl]

I hope you understand.

Don't worry we won't have a go, well I won't. I totally understand where your coming from, I have a 12" powerbook G4 at the moment and will not upgrade until a) It breaks beyond repair, b)Microsoft and adobe release macintel versions of their software. I use them everyday.

adobe photoshop isn't too bad on my powerbook, I'm sure rosetta will give roughly the same performance my powerbook i.e. on a more powerful processor anyway etc.

If you need a powerbook right now, then g4 it is, intel laptops haven't started shipping yet.


I personally will wait if you are going to use the your powerbook for standard stuff i.e. web browsing. In three years time all these big companies would have released, their software, and the intel chip will be established. Also I never by Rev A hardware anyway! (well except for my mac mini I sold on later)

 

[iSee]

However, in 6-8 months...

Yeah, people that need to use Pro apps are in a tight spot in regard to the MacBook/Powerbook decision.

If you buy today:

Status Now: Judging by the i(ntel)Mac benchmarks, a G4 powerbook will generally outperform a MBP on pro apps... because they are translated.

Status 18 months from now: The same MBP will outperform the powerbook. BUT you need to wait 18 months AND you will need to shell out cash to upgrade your pro apps. This probably won't be cheap except for the Apple pro apps. Apple will stick to the $50 cross-grade price, but everyone else will use the Adobe model (eveyone else IS mostly Adobe/Macromedia).
----
However, consider the likely possibilities in 6-8 months when the merom-based MBP is released. If you buy the merom-based MBP:

* Translated pro apps perform at least as well on merom-MBP as they do on the best G4 powerbook ever released.
* Upgraded Universal pro apps on merom-MBP *kill* the powerbook, in every way, every day, and every which way.

So, pro app notebook users looking at an intel upgrade:
Wait for merom if you can.

 

[LFrascogna]

I'm going to hold out until

A. Universal Office, Adobe Illustrator
B. 12" MacBook Pro
C. Rev. B

Until then my 2.0ghz G5 iMac and 800Mhz Powerbook will still be just as good as they are now.

Even then, I have had the same copy of office for almost 3 years now, and I have seen no major change that justifies an upgrade. I used Illustrator 10 and Photoshop 7 for almost 3 years before I changed to CS2. The longevity of your computers is directly related to the programs you run.

So my view is that in 2007/8/9 whenever the Universal binaries become Intel only binaries, you still have 2-3 years left with the last apps you bought. Especially if you use your laptop for one thing (word processing for me, and the heavy graphic stuff saved for the imac) you shouldn't worry about it.

Finally, if my estimates are correct, you should get almost 5-6 years out of any current PowerPC. If you want to keep a computer longer then that, then wait, but you have about a year before the Intels are completely operational (ie, software and 2nd revisions)

 

[cnakeitaro]

I don't think Rosetta is going to slow down your main apps that badly. Its not like they are unusable, so your basically going to spend the same amount of money on a slower machine, when you will get better performance with a MB Pro on those same apps in 6 months? If you need a powerbook, buy the MB Pro if you can wait til they ship. The only reason in my mind people would still buy Powerbook G4's is if they positively can not wait til they start shipping, but even then I would rather buy a cheap iBook G4 to get me thru til MSWF 2007, so that I can upgrade the moment that intel powerbooks become appealing.

 

[TheMasin9]

if i were you....

i would still wait on pbp (powerbook pro) and get one of em, i think that adobe and m$ are just talking right now, they will have stuff out this summer for WWDC. or they are going to be hurting in thier mac sectors

 

[velocityg4]

I was going to say that the new macbooks would still be faster in Photoshop and other Adobe apps than the powerbook since they have a dual processor that Adobe software does utilize. This was until I came across an article that listed Adobe speed tests between a 1.8Ghz G5 iMac versus a 2.0ghz Duo iMac. You can check for yourself http://www.macspeedzone.com/html/hardware/machine/performance_in_the_raw/06/1_23.shtml. But the G5 crushed the intel processor . Therefore I must say Dambro1978 get the G4 Powerbook until Photoshop CS3 is released.

 

[mongoos150]

I'm waiting for my Intel iMac...just sold my G4 powerbook. I'll be happy when the iMac gets here; I won't be able to use pro apps for a while - but my university library has dual 2.7GHz PowerMacs, 4GB ram with dual 23" cinema displays - I'm definitely set.

 

[rimrocka07011]

Don't worry we won't have a go, well I won't. I totally understand where your coming from, I have a 12" powerbook G4 at the moment and will not upgrade until a) It breaks beyond repair, b)Microsoft and adobe release macintel versions of their software. I use them everyday.

When you say Microsoft applications, are you referring to Microsoft Office? Because I hear that Office for Mac is running just fine with Rosetta and that all will get a free upgrade to the UB version once it is released.

As to the person who created this thread, I completely understand why you are buying a PPC PowerBook instead of an Intel MacBook Pro... the pro-apps simply are not available for you to use on the new MacBook. As for me, however, I have been waiting for a LONG time to purchase a new PowerBook (inevitably the MacBook Pro) and am not really heavy on pro-app use for right now, seeing that I am a student and all. Once I get rolling on some music editing, however, I'm sure the MacBook Pro will greatly fit my needs. Hopefully my conversion from PC to Mac will go smoothly with "My First Mac (see sig)."

 

[ChrisA]

quickly becomming a moot issue

Next week I'll buy a powerbook instead of a macbookpro.

Buy it today. They may not be available next week. If the notebooks are like the iMacs Europe will be the first place to run out of inventory.

If you wait discussion of which to buy will become a moot issue

 

[Sdashiki]

though macs always hold their value, when compared to PCs, I would love to wait for all the apple laptops to go Intel

so the G4 lappys will drop in price on eBay.

I need a nice quick desktop, but a P.O.S. lappy would suffice for roaming around.

Hurry up apple.