ibook or powerbook ?

Synkronite

I know this question has been asked and debated upon many times- but say if you had the money (for a high end ibook or a low end powerbook which would you go for?)

ibook 14,1" g3/700mhz (maxed out to 640Mb Ram)
powerbook g4/667mhz (512Mb Ram)

Usage: The usual Apple Works, Web browsing, Email, BBEdit, FTP, Terminal (For college java/c assignments), mp3s, the occassional DVD, probably iPhoto- but I wont be doing high end 100+Mb graphics or Video editing. Id also want for it to last for upto 2-3 years. Which would you suggest I go for?

Gordon

Gosh, thats very tricky. To be honest I would go for the powerbook. Having used it once or twice and messed around on the iBook the size difference is the main thing I have issues with. The keyboard on the iBook afair is tiny, it just doesnt make typing a pleasure, whereas the powerbook is more substantial. Add that to the size difference of the screens, it's only an inch or so but its a big difference.

The powerbook just seems to ooze sexiness whereas the ibook screams "LEGO"!

but its tricky, they are very very similar. (G4 chip would make a difference but if all you want is for general household type computing then it isnt much of a big deal. 640 megs is an awful lot of ram for just doing terminal work and email and ftp by the way.)

In fact, why not just get a lesser priced iBook with small screen and save the €1000 for college beer money!

timod

The powerbook definitly

The ibook can only go to 1024 x 768 which would drive me bonkers. Also the G4 is a good bit better than the G3 - and you get extra cache, and I think a faster bus aswell.

I played around with a 700Mhz iBook last week, wasn't that impressed. About 3 weeks before that I played with a 600Mhz powerbook. nice.

---

Oh yeah (and OT) guess who got a job working for Apple?

Gordon

... Bill Gates?

Hehe, well done timod, great stuff, congratulations.
What job?

Rufus T Firefly

The Power Book, definitely. The key phrase you used was "maxed out". With similar money, you may get similar speeds - but that's just looking at the financial situation you find yourself in today.

Allah willing, you get a few more bob together later in the year, you might want to muscle up your Mac laptop a bit. With an i-book, you're limited and approaching top speed. By getting a Power Book, your capacity to beef up is much greater. And the larger screen would definitely be a big influencing factor for me.

Power Book. Mmmmmm.....

timod

Originally posted by Gordon
What job?

Its an internship (I'm just outta college) in software testing. All the pre-release stuff. The money is crap, but things are so dead at the moment I'm happy.

alastair

get the ibook.
don't bother with so much ram (not for your requirements anyway)
the keyboard is exactly the same as the ti-book, just a different colour (though you get less space around it admittedly)

you'll just be paying for technology you won't be utilising otherwise.

Hecate

Go for a top of the range 12" ibook (700mhz G3, DVD/CDRW).

They're a good bit smaller and lighter than the powerbooks, you'd appreciate that portability if you'll be taking it in and out of college every day.

Synkronite

Thanks for all the input lads.. Ive gotten a chance to mess around with the new flat panel imacs in college (UCC) Sweet things, could be better though. OSX is kinda bubbly, hehe- wish it were a little more polished.

I should be getting a demonstration in the Apple factory within the next couple of days- so Im looking forward to that to see the machines in live..

Powerbook seems nice, but too, err, delicate? Maybe in a few years when I have a cool pad of my own and need an elegant powerful laptop- still depends on what I see though.

Thanks once again

Dustaz

Powerbook, for all the above reasons - remember moores law

Also, something nobody has mentioned. I-books are the girliest bit of kit. ever.

alastair

If iBooks are girly looking, then so are Bang and Olufsens. It's a restrained pared down style, and I can't see how you can read much of anything into it.

The usage required by this chap is well within the scope of the iBook, and the cost saving and convenience of the smaller size would swing it for me. Sure the tiBook may have a lovely screen, and a sexy disk letterbox, as well as more welly in the processor dept, but if you want grunt, you would be better going for a desktop machine (alongside your iBook?)

The iBook is actually a great machine in value-for-money terms. Something that's arguable about the tiBook.