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roffle · Jun 25, 2003, 11:59 AM

Hey guys, I'll be going to college in the fall and I was wondering if the 12 inch could be used as a main machine. I was planning on also getting Apples 17inch monitor, but then I found out that it doesn't support dvi or adc. So if I do get a 12inch, what monitors would you guys suggest for dorm use. Also is it okay to run the pb constantly considering how warm it gets. My friend also told me laptop hard drives have very short life spans, which worries me. Thanks in advance!

bcoutlander · Jun 25, 2003, 12:21 PM

I use an old 17" Apple Studio Display(CRT) and it does a really good job. I have also tried it out with a couple Samsung LCD's and it looked fine.

As far as hd life I have never had a problem lasting a long time. I got over 3 years on one and almost 5 and still going on my old dell laptop sitting in my office. And that Dell was hardly ever shut off.

Macola · Jun 25, 2003, 05:57 PM

Originally posted by roffle:
Hey guys, I'll be going to college in the fall and I was wondering if the 12 inch could be used as a main machine. I was planning on also getting Apples 17inch monitor, but then I found out that it doesn't support dvi or adc. So if I do get a 12inch, what monitors would you guys suggest for dorm use. Also is it okay to run the pb constantly considering how warm it gets. My friend also told me laptop hard drives have very short life spans, which worries me. Thanks in advance!

Go for it...I run mine 24/7 (it sleeps at night if/when I do). You may be lucky enough to get one without the heat issues, as it seems that later production runs improved a lot. I use mine as my main Mac, and it's a great little PB, in spite of the heat problems.

AssassyN · Jun 25, 2003, 06:04 PM

I'd say go for it as well, however, I'd wait as long as possible in case there are any processor/etc. updates to the 12" PB along the way as it's nearing time for updates.

I'm not exactly sure on suggestions for external displays, but Samsung makes an excellent 17" LCD (SyncMaster?) that would work very well with it...best of luck!

fldsfslmn · Jun 25, 2003, 06:30 PM

i use my 12" 8+ hours a day and rarely feel the need to hook it up to an external monitor. the screen has some sort of weird "inner bigness" thing going on.

Michel_80 · Jun 25, 2003, 06:57 PM

Yeah, with 12 inch laptops the screen sort off starts lower, so you sit closer to it, meaning you get used to the screen size. Hope that makes sense

melman101 · Jun 25, 2003, 09:36 PM

Roffle: I have had three laptops from Apple, the Blue iBook, the White iBook, and the PowerBook 12" G4. All machines were fine, and i had the first two ibooks for approximately 2 years each. they never failed and were quite impressive. The 12" though, is a beautiful machine. let me tell you, completely quiet in a classroom environment (unless your fan happens to spin on for a little bit). I've tested Panther on it, and it works wonderful. I use Jaguar though mainly, and i have never had any problems. I've done compiling, math functions, video editing, sound editing, etc. on my 12". The only thing is max out the RAM. And I leave it on constantly, its fine. But it does get a little hot. That's about it. Again, I love it

roffle · Jun 25, 2003, 09:52 PM

Would you guys recommend an external display or do you think the 12inch screen will suffice? Also does anyone have experience using the icurve? I may get one of those if I don't get an external monitor.

melman101 · Jun 25, 2003, 10:17 PM

Well, if you get an external monitor you can get a dual display? why dont you buy the machine, and then see whether or not you need a monitor? that way, you can use your machine still, and if you dont need one, you can save your money and buy something else, like an iPod.

slow moe · Jun 25, 2003, 10:22 PM

I have a Sony SDM-X72 17" LCD monitor. It has two VGA connectors and one DVI connector, which means you can hook three computers to it at once and push a button to flip the screen to display each one. The screen quality is G-R-E-A-T. If you have multiple computers (i.e both a notebook and a desktop), I highly recommend this monitor, or some other monitor that allows you to do what this one does.

AssassyN · Jun 25, 2003, 10:28 PM

I have used the iCurve and it's by far my favorite laptop stand. Just do a search here in the forums for "icurve" and you'll see LOTS of positive remarks.

jon_hh_68 · Jun 26, 2003, 02:54 AM

I use a Samsung SyncMaster 151S LCD 15 inch monitor that works really well with the 12 inch in monitor spanning and cost only $350. Very good value.

escher · 12:42 PM

roffle: Check out this older thread, 12-inch in clamshell mode. IMO, the Formac 17" display is the perfect complement to the 12-inch PowerBook. That's what I'll probably get if the Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook still doesn't have DVI-out. OTOH, the multiple inputs on Sony and other monitors are very nice if you have more than one system and want to share the display. I really wish Apple offered multiple inputs instead of only ADC in its displays.

As others have pointed out, if you can, wait until late summer, or even until you get to school, to buy a new PowerBook. The chances are very good that you will be able to buy a second revision 12-inch PowerBook by then.

As for the question whether you really need an external monitor, I've been using my 12" iBook for two years in a university environment without any problems at all. However, unlike the 12" iBook, the 12-inch PowerBook supports a higher resolution than the built-in 1024x768 on an external display. The higher resolution is what would make an external display a killer addition to a 12-inch PowerBook.

As with the PowerBook itself, you might want to wait until you are at school to get an external display. Then you can have the display shipped directly to your campus. It'll be one less box you have to drag from home to school.

Finally, as for the iCurve, follow AssassyN's advice and do a search for iCurve. I loved mine, but sold it because I move my iBook around quite a bit and didn't really use it.

Escher

Flash2000 · Jun 26, 2003, 12:43 PM

Originally posted by roffle:
Hey guys, I'll be going to college in the fall and I was wondering if the 12 inch could be used as a main machine. I was planning on also getting Apples 17inch monitor, but then I found out that it doesn't support dvi or adc. So if I do get a 12inch, what monitors would you guys suggest for dorm use. Also is it okay to run the pb constantly considering how warm it gets. My friend also told me laptop hard drives have very short life spans, which worries me. Thanks in advance!

Check this out http://www.gefen.com/kvm/product.jsp?prod_id=1301

Mastrap · Jun 26, 2003, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by jon_hh_68:
I use a Samsung SyncMaster 151S LCD 15 inch monitor that works really well with the 12 inch in monitor spanning and cost only $350. Very good value.

I got myself a Sony SDM-SH53 today which is brilliant too. I nearly went for a 17" model but with the PB screen available too 15" is more than enough real estate for me.

kstor · Jun 26, 2003, 01:58 PM

Hey, I'm currently in College and use a pb as my main (and only) machine. The 12pb is definitely perfect as a main machine. Max out the ram and hd space, and you should be set for your four years.

Getting an external monitor is a must, it's so much more comfortable. I've got a 19"CRT with 1280*1024 and the LCD open with 1024*768, it's really nice to have that much screen estate (especiallly if you use photoshop or other graphic apps with lots of palettes) I usually keep my mail app and itunes on the small screen for quick looks and work on the monitor.

KStor

roffle · Jun 28, 2003, 05:05 PM

Thanks for the help. How long does the powerbook keyboard usually last? I was talking to an employee at the Apple store and he said it's usually the first thing to wear out and that it usually only lasts for a year. Would it be wise to use an external keyboard so that it doesn't wear out or is the guy making up stuff?

AssassyN · Jun 28, 2003, 05:39 PM

Wow, I'm surprised someone told you that...the new AlBooks have been praised for their amazing keyboards. They're the first Apple notebook keyboards to be solidly built into the casing as the RAM/AE slots are on the bottom instead of underneath the keys (like in the TiBook). The keyboard is one of my fav. things about the AlBooks, and they're very sturdy. I wouldn't worry about your keyboard becoming useless anytime soon...I'd say he's making things up.