[kklenz]

I have an old Performa 6360 running OS 8.6, and it is about time for me to get a new Mac. I haven't decided yet whether to get a 14" ibook or emac as a main desktop. Any pros and/or cons from you? The new G5 imac's screen is way too high above the desk for me as I wear trifocals so I like the screen as close to the keyboard as much as possible. Thanks in advance.

[D'Espice]

The iBook is not a desktop but you know that. If you won't have to carry it around at all, like use it at college or whatever get the eMac.

[drive-thru]

As always it depends on your use. From the choices you offer, I would guess that this mac would be used for general computing (email, web, office etc.) So basically your choice comes down to whether you need the portability of the iBook.
The iBook offers more options: portable when you need it to be, can span the display onto a larger monitor for working at a desktop (this is how I work with my iBook). Whereas the eMac is just a desktop.
You pay a fair amount of extra money for that portability, so does your expected use justify this extra cost?

[jamil5454]

If you don't need portability, get the combo eMac and use the extra money for a larger HD and at least 768 RAM.

[irockdabari]

Back when I got my iMac G4 800, I had debated for a long time if I should get an iBook too. I really wish I had gotten the iBook. I wanted to take my iMac everywhere! I relaly regretted not getting an iBook back then. I'm glad I have my iBook now, I take it wherever I go. So ask yourself, "would I want this around with me all the time?"

[kklenz]

Thanks very much for all of your comments. I use my Mac for routine things like email, internet and finances, and I plan to use broadband for the first time. I'm not concerned with cost or portability, just practicality. Also the emac is rather heavy if I want to take it to a Mac repair store. If I buy the ibook, I'll also buy the wireless mouse. I use it maybe 3 or 4 hours a day - that's all. I'm assuming there won't be a G5 emac or ibook soon. I will think some more. Thanks again.

[Mojo]

I went through the same thing 2 1/2 years ago. I had a 7300/200 and a CRT iMac that is my wife's Mac. I wasn't sure if I would like a portable Mac but I wanted to give it a try and I bought a 12" G3 iBook. Airport wireless is a must-have with the iBook. I would bite the bullet and spend the extra $$$ for an Airport Extreme Base Station because I have found using Linksys wireless routers to be problematic at best.

To my suprise I found that I actually prefer the iBook to the desktop Macs I have used; even the small keyboard has not been a problem. Even though the iBook pretty much stays in my office the portability option is great (I use it in my living room and in the backyard...) And the space saved by using an iBook is another selling point: it takes less than a minute to disconnect the iBook and put it away when I need extra space.

I use an external Firewire/USB 2.0 200GB drive for backing up and storing my iTunes music, which is beamed to an Airport Express connected to the living room AV receiver and then music is sent to different rooms via Recotron wireless speakers.

I was a late adopter of OS X; I waited until 10.3 arrived. Let me tell you, the difference between 8.6 and 10.3 is Night and Day. You may wind up kicking yourself for staying with OS 8.6 for so long. The transition was painless and while the underlying code is different I think that Apple has done an excellent job of integrating the old and new operating systems.

If your experience is anything like mine you will find yourself getting more done faster and with minimal upkeep of the OS compared with pre-OS X Macs. OS X is what computing should be: it isn't perfect, but it's darn close. If you like using your 8.6 Mac now I think that you will LOVE using OS X.