[kat_xo]

Hi there,
I'm currently a (*very unhappy*) PC user who's itching to make the switch across to Mac. Hopefully, this switch will be happening within the next two weeks. I'm looking at either the 12" or 14" iBook (the mid-range 14"). But I'm stuck on the "which one to get?" question. (And driven my poor Mac-user friends nuts with all my questions.)

I'd be using the iBook primarily for email and internet and the odd bit of word processing. I would also be storing music files too - but I'm not too worried about being able to store my entire cd collection on it, just a few 'essential' cds. I plan on getting an iPod eventually, anyhow.

As I am a graphic designer, I may use Photoshop occasionally to check or retouch files, but the iBook would not be my primary "work" computer. It would be used (99% of the time) for personal rather than work stuff.

I like the 12" because it's a nice size and seems a better choice for travel - since I'll be travelling a lot with the new iBook. But I'm worried that it might become outdated faster since it's the lowest end iBook. On the other hand, I like the 14" because it's faster, but I'm not sure it's worth the additional $500 or so just for a further 2" screen size and moderate speed/memory increases.

I was hoping someone could give me a little insight as to which iBook might be the right one for me. Thanks.

[gonadman]

I was always a fan of the 12". You might even say I was a 14" basher. That is, until the 14" iBooks came with better performance than the 12". Now I must say that my previous irks with regards to the 14" (it looks too clunky, it's not as portable, etc...) were totally unfounded. The 14" is every bit as portable as the 12" (you can hold it out in one hand) and the extra screen space (not higher resolution) is far better for my ailing eyesight. Everything is very clear and crisp.

I have the 14" 1GHz model because I think there's a mental barrier for people to get over on resale value when looking at 933Mhz v 1Ghz models. Who knows? I am glad to have purchased the 14" and would probably never go back to a 12" (even a PowerBook) because I really do enjoy the extra size of the screen.

All said, that's just my opinion and both machines will serve you very well! If you've got a constrained budget the 12" is definately not a bad option. For the extra money you save you could even get yourself an iPod, and really start to use the benefits of iTunes integration with the iPod and OS X.

Good luck!

[pat++]

Go for the 12". It's a lovely machine, super portable, light, you definitely won't regret it. I wouldn't be too afraid of the 800mhz G4. It's a very capable machine, and it will handle all the tasks you mentioned easily.

I would get the 12" and max the RAM (get a 512mb stick), and as gonadman said... start to save for the iPod with the difference.

For me, the "true" iBook is the 12" so much nicer

[mgl]

Where will you use your iBook? If you'll use it on the sofa, on an airplane, in a hotel, etc, get a 12". If you'll use it on a desk, on a table, consider getting a 14". Without a riser, I find my posture is terrible when hunched over a 12" laptop. It's not great with a 14", but it's better. I have a 12" at home and a 14" at work and think that's the right mix, although next time I'd prefer a larger one at work since it rarely moves off my desk.

[-Q-]

I have to place my vote for the 12". I found it to be so much more portable and attractive than the 14". And I just can't see getting a laptop with a 14" screen but still having the same resolution as the 12".

[kat_xo]

Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate them. I want to be sure I'm making the right choice so my switch to mac will be a happy one. (But anything would be better than this awful pc i have at the moment. )

Originally posted by mgl:
Where will you use your iBook? If you'll use it on the sofa, on an airplane, in a hotel, etc, get a 12".

I'll be using it just about everywhere I travel. The only time it would be used on a desk would be at the weekends. I'm leaning towards the 12" at the moment. I'm going down to my local apple store today to check both sizes out to see which one would suit best.

Also, are processor speeds different between Mac and PC? I'm guessing they are. For example, a 1 GHz intel processor in my PC wouldn't be the same as a 1 GHz in an iBook, right?

Thank you.

[radarbob]

lso, are processor speeds different between Mac and PC? I'm guessing they are. For example, a 1 GHz intel processor in my PC wouldn't be the same as a 1 GHz in an iBook, right?

absolutely not.
The sum total of what goes into a computer determines how fast it is. Even a *much* "faster" CPUs does not guarantee a faster computer. Real life examples:

When my neighbor bought a 600mhz PC laptop a couple years ago, I could see right away that my 300mhz iBook was much more responsive, snappier.

Our home PC is 2 yrs old w/ a 1.2GHz CPU. My sister in-law has a 1yr old PC w/ a 2GHz Pentium CPU. Her computer is WAY slower than ours. Ours has faster buss, faster memrory, faster hard drive, and a fast video card. In fact, I believe my home PC is faster than the new 2.5GHz PC's we received in the office a few weeks ago.

You really gotta compare head to head to tell. But one decent general guideline is, however, "you get what you pay for." Fast CPUs in the cheapest computers is marketing hype.

[kat_xo]

Thank you everyone, for your advice. I went to my local Apple Store today and have ordered a 14" iBook (933MHz/60GB/640). Can't wait to receive it!

Thanks again.

[tmjf_sifu]

Originally posted by kat_xo:
Thank you everyone, for your advice. I went to my local Apple Store today and have ordered a 14" iBook (933MHz/60GB/640). Can't wait to receive it!

Thanks again.

smart move, you will love it. what made you decide on the 14" finally???

[kat_xo]

Originally posted by tmjf_sifu:
smart move, you will love it. what made you decide on the 14" finally???

Well, when I looked at the two sizes side by side, the 12" seemed to have a darker, less clear display than the 14". I don't know if it was just the settings on that particular display iBook or something else? Plus, I decided that for the sake of a bigger display it wasn't that much of an inconvenience to carry an extra pound when I'm travelling since I usually travel very light. The only thing that I'm vaguely concerned about with the 14" is the extra "real estate" around the keyboard. Since I have smaller hands, I found the 12" more comfortable to type on. But the sales guy assured me both keyboards were exactly the same, except for the extra space either side of the keyboard on the 14". I'm sure it'll be fine, though, if that is the case and they're the same size.

I'm so excited, I can't wait for it to arrive. I think as soon as my iBook does arrive I'm going to have a PC dismantling party, Office Space-style. Heheh.

[ClaraT]

Originally posted by kat_xo:
Well, when I looked at the two sizes side by side, the 12" seemed to have a darker, less clear display than the 14". I don't know if it was just the settings on that particular display iBook or something else? Plus, I decided that for the sake of a bigger display it wasn't that much of an inconvenience to carry an extra pound when I'm travelling since I usually travel very light. The only thing that I'm vaguely concerned about with the 14" is the extra "real estate" around the keyboard. Since I have smaller hands, I found the 12" more comfortable to type on. But the sales guy assured me both keyboards were exactly the same, except for the extra space either side of the keyboard on the 14". I'm sure it'll be fine, though, if that is the case and they're the same size.

I'm so excited, I can't wait for it to arrive. I think as soon as my iBook does arrive I'm going to have a PC dismantling party, Office Space-style. Heheh.

Let us know how it's going.

I'm also in the 12 vs 14 debate mode. I did the exact same as you . . . went to the Apple store and did a side by side comparison. The size of the letters and the icons are just slightly bigger on the 14. . ..easier on my eyesight . I love the size of the 12 but the easier read of the 14.

But just the other day I did something by accident on my stand-in iMac . . .I was whipping the mouse around and clicked something and now my desktop icons and text, everything is about 90% smaller. I'm not sure what I did but everything is sized down--it looks like the 12" ibook screen.

Does this mean that we can adjust the size to enlarge or shrink everything? I know there is a place in preferences to do this, but as I said, something happened when I was dragging and clicking my mouse around the desktop.

If so, can someone tell me? And can I then get the 12" ibook to "appear" in the size of the 14"?

ClaraT

[kat_xo]

Originally posted by ClaraT:
Does this mean that we can adjust the size to enlarge or shrink everything? I know there is a place in preferences to do this, but as I said, something happened when I was dragging and clicking my mouse around the desktop.

Well I'm no expert (yet!) but I think you can. I vaguely remember doing something similar by accident on one of the Power Macs at work recently. Or maybe it was the dock that I accidentally resized? I can't remember exactly, but I'm sure there'd be something in a preferences folder that would allow you to fix it.


Oh, and I will post pics of my new iBook when it arrives. I'm gonna name it iKat.