[jmalcolm01]

I'm looking to finally purchase an ibook, and with the recent updates to the ibook i'm interested. I want the 12" but I know I'll get sick of the monitor fast so i'm looking at the 14" but i'm hesitating because of an analogy an apple rep gave me from comp usa about the graphics engine: He said the resolution is the same so the picture will look sharper on the 12" and the fact that the graphics engine is like a 4 cylinder with 2 passengers(this being the 12") and then the 14" being like the same 4 cylinder but pulling a trailer???? Weird yes, and also got me thinking. Is it going to run slower frames because of the size and maybe start running hotter temps?? will the images look less sharp and choppier?? Any ideas would help! I would really like the bigger screen but don't want all the baggage to come along with it especially for the extra mula$$ thanks, any insight will be greatly appreciated.

[businezguy]

I have the 14 inch iBook and I am quite pleased with it. I see absolutely no frame delays or hesitations. What's more, when I watch a movie on the DVD player, the size of the screen is quite agreeable (one of the reasons I picked the 14 inch over the 12 inch).

Remember, you actually get more battery life out of the 14 inch. In fact, it offers the best battery life of any notebook offered by Apple.

I highly recommend it. I haven't regretted my purchase. I almost do regret how much I'm enjoying it, because I enjoy it more then using my Powermac most of the time.

[Luca Rescigno]

Because there are the same number of pixels, the 14" and 12" will behave exactly the same. They are only different in physical size (and of course battery life because the 14" has a larger battery).

I've gotten used to my 12" screen, but if your eyesight is poor then you want the 14". I find the best way is to just use them side by side and decide then.

Anyway, the CompUSA guy is correct in saying that the 12" will look sharper - the pixels are smaller so yes, it will look sharper. But has far as pulling a trailer or something... that's BS. Same pixels = same stress on the graphics card. You could connect a 21" CRT and run it at 1024x768 and it would have the exact same performance.

[Shaktai]

Got the 14 inch 600mhz older model and love it. 6 computers (4 PCs and 2 Macs) but my ibook is the most used by a huge margin. The screen is very sharp. Only complaint is it could be brighter in very bright light, but then since I run it on airport for my network/internet connection, it even goes outside with me sometimes.

The 12 inch while lighter and fine for some folks, would be too small for my taste. I would love to have one of the newer iBooks or Powerbooks, but not going to complain at all about what I do have. I did check the graphics performance between 12 and 14 inch and saw no difference.

Just sitting here now, kicked back in my recliner, with the iBook on my lap. The screen is at arms length and both comfortable and easy to read. It would be too small if it was a 12 incher. When my DVD player broke, I just started using it to watch DVD's. I actually like it better. Plug in headphones for great sound, and the 14" at arms length is as good or better then a 27 to 30 inch TV at several feet.

[jmalcolm01]

Thanks for the input everyone, I going to use it for school, but it will be my only computer since i'm moving away from my power mac, the family needs it so they offered to get me a notebook. I guess the bigger screen will come more in handy since I won't have another one to fall back on. Does anyone think that in june they will radically change the ibook or bring in another model/notebook???

[wataru]

Actually playing with the 12" and 14" iBooks, I felt like the 14" one was just wasting too much space. Same rez = not worth the extra money.

I love my 12".




iBook, that is.

[Commodus]

It's the exact same resolution and has the same performance, so the only decision you have to make is this: do you want the extra battery life (the 14"), or would you prefer a more portable, toss-it-in-and-go machine (the 12")?

[jmalcolm01]

true, true, i will have my final verdict tomarrow after going to Comp Usa to play around with both models. I hope they have the 900mhrs models in already...

[scottiB]

It's a tough call. Last year, I was looking at both the 12.1 and 14.1" iBooks (700 mhz)as a replacement for a Pismo PowerBook G3 (14.1" 1024x768 screen).

The 14.1" iBook was pretty much the same as the Pismo regarding dimensions and weight (maybe a little lighter). After a few days thinking, I chose the 12.1", and I'm glad I did. It's more portable, fits better on my lap, and fits well with books in my bag. It feels like picking up a book; whereas, picking up the 14.1" feels like picking up a tray (or platter).

I applied the $200 or so saved and maxed the memory on the 12.1".

[Mastrap]

If you need/want portability then the 12" would be your natural choice. I take my iBook everywhere with me, airports, planes, hotels, coffeee shops. It just drops into my bag and doesn't need any effort in lugging it around.

If the screen is too small for you you could always get yourself a seperate screen for use at home. Use the screen spanning hack and you'll get two screens running from the same graphics card.

[Stratus Fear]

I've had the 700mhz 14.1 since october (right before they released the 800s ). Regardless of portability, if the iBook is going to be your main computer (mine is by far, even though I already have a PC) then the 14.1 might be a good bet for you. And only being one extra pound, it's still fairly portable. Also, as the others said, the 14.1 screen still looks nice, is fairly sharp, and is definitely good for watching DVDs. I use mine to watch a lot of DivXed anime, personally, and it works great for that. The bit of extra battery life is always good too. Mine has lasted almost 5 hours several times when doing fairly light work during/for classes (word processing, etc.). Although, if you're really concerned about the bit less weight that the 12.1 has, and you're going to use the iBook mainly as a portable (and still use a desktop at home) then the 12.1 might be the better choice.