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offdahook84 · Nov 8, 2004, 10:34 PM

Hey people, I've been a Winblows PC user for as long as I can remember and let me tell you, the last few years I've realized how much, well, Windoze blows. Spyware, viruses, blue screens of death, etc.

Anyway, I've been drooling over getting one of those beautiful PB G4's. The battery life is not the best, but I guess if I need to, I can get an extra one-maybe a 4800mAh high capacity from Other World Computing. Anyone use these? I haven't been able to dedide on the 15" or 17" PB. Does screen size affect battery life? I wouldn't think so.

I will use the PB as a desktop replacement, but I ocassionally go places, such as to college. Does anyone think the 17" is too big to travel with? Would you say the extra dough is worth it to have 17"? I will go to a store and see it in person.

One other thing, is the PB G5 worth waiting for? I doubt I could wait. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

clum · Nov 8, 2004, 10:55 PM

Glad you are about to make the switch. I used to use PC...switched to mac...forced back to windows and have returned a very happy man.

Check this and other forums re the G5 powerbook. Probably will not come in the near future. You can always justify waiting for any technology. For most applications the G4 will be terrific. I have a 12" with 1.2 GB RAM and can run all Office apps, Photoshop and others at the same time without significant difficulty. The power is sufficient now.

If you aren't going to be that portable the battery life shouldn't be an issue. The 17" is VERY big in my opinion. Not a portable option. Some even argue that the 15" isn't that portable. I went with the 12" and am very happy. Cheaper but smaller screen size than 15". Lots of people using the 12" even as a desktop replacement esp with external monitor.

Happy hunting...

-Carey

wilsonng · Nov 8, 2004, 11:11 PM

The 15" is the best compromise between power and portability. Not too big, not too small... Just portable enough to be used on the road and the screen is spacious enough to not give us worries about lack of screen real estate.

You can always hook up the 15" to an external monitor for even more space! I have my old 15" hooked up to a 19" monitor at home. I use dual-monitor spanning which more than doubles the amount of screen real estate that can be utilized.

When you're on the road, the 15" screen should be more than adequate.

I've tried the 17" for a week and I couldn't imagine trying to lug that thing around! The 17" owners I've seen usually keep it at the office and very rarely take it on the road.

I see more 12" and 15" on the airplane and in trains than I see 17".

If you're waiting for the PB G5, be prepared to wait at least until June 2005 but January 2006 would be a more reasonable ETA.

Originally posted by offdahook84:
ill use the PB as a desktop replacement, but I ocassionally go places, such as to college. Does anyone think the 17" is too big to travel with? Would you say the extra dough is worth it to have 17"? I will go to a store and see it in person.

One other thing, is the PB G5 worth waiting for? I doubt I could wait. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Randman · Nov 9, 2004, 01:19 AM

If you can afford the 17, consider it. It's a great machine and the screen size really is worth it. And it is portable enough.

STAT · Nov 9, 2004, 01:56 AM

I went to an Apple Retail Store dead-set on leaving with a 17" PowerBook, but wound up getting the 15" because the sales guy told me that the 17" was too big. And I'd heard that line many times before, handled the 17", and still was planning on getting one. But when it really came time to plop down the cash, I thought really hard and decided that the 17" wasn't really nearly as portable as some 17" owners seem to think. So I got the 15" and MAN am I glad I did! I'm a backpack bum and this machine fits in my backpack--with the 17", I was going to have to change how I carry everything I carry around all day!

Randman · Nov 9, 2004, 02:24 AM

If you truly want portability, get a 12. I travel with the 17, including many international flights, and haven't had any problems yet. Just get a good case for it.
I will say I got the 17 for the price of a 15, which made it sweeter (store was out of stock of 15s because of a promotion offering free AppleCare so the lady who owns the store sold me the 17 at the same price since I was a good customer).

Crusoe · Nov 9, 2004, 08:38 AM

I bought a 15" cause that's what I could afford at the time. Sold the 15" and got a 17" Rev A from the refurb store. I mainly use it as a desktop repl but have been all over Europe by train with it and 2 trips stateside. Portablility between the two is of little difference. Lastly the 17" has better battery life, the screen should take up much more juice than the 15" but doesn't. The capacity of the 17" batteries are a little higher but provide much better life than my 15" did.

Both are 1Ghz that have 768MB ram and 4200 RPM hard drives.

///Milien · Nov 9, 2004, 08:48 AM

I started out with a 15" and went to 17" for the screen real estate, amongst other options. Personally, the 17" was too big. I wanted something with mobility and bought a 12" with a 23" ACD. That to me is the perfect combination. The 12" is easy to transport around. After upgrading the RAM to 1.25 GB and the HDD to a 60 GB 7200 RPM, I am very please with the performance.

powerduck · Nov 9, 2004, 09:41 AM

Is the 17" too bulky to travel? Depends on how you travel The 15" is just small enough to fit nicely into a small backpack for the bike ride to school. Also, any bigger and use on an airplane might become cumbersome. Is it worth waiting for the G5? No. Experience with the Rev A 15" Al book has cured me from buying a Rev A PB ever again. And Rev A seems to be still months away...

STAT · Nov 9, 2004, 09:54 AM

Originally posted by Crusoe:
Portablility between the two is of little difference.

Wrong.

Randman · Nov 9, 2004, 10:04 AM

Originally posted by powerduck:
Also, any bigger and use on an airplane might become cumbersome.

Wrong.

STAT · Nov 9, 2004, 10:10 AM

Originally posted by powerduck:
The 15" is just small enough to fit nicely into a small backpack for the bike ride to school. Also, any bigger and use on an airplane might become cumbersome.

True. But then again...who really flies THAT often? Hell, I haven't flown since 9-11 (not for that reason). I went with the 15" because I'm a BACKPACK BUM!

Agazzie · Nov 9, 2004, 10:39 AM

I just went from a 12" iBook to a 15" PowerBook. And I must say, the 12" is obviously more portable, at least when you working with, when you have it in your backpack the size doesn't seem that much bigger. I am thrilled over my PB 15", but next time I change, I will go back to 12". The 12" is in some way, just.. more portable, more flexible to use when your sitting in the couch/bed/on the airplain/train etc. My next notebook will be 12" PB...

So between the 15" and the 17", I would go for the 15".

Crusoe · Nov 9, 2004, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by STAT:
Wrong.

Well I've owned both and traveled coach with them. Weight difference doesn't matter, size didn't matter. I have a booq backpack and get around just fine with it.

Offdahook is going to be using it mostly as a desktop repl with travel to college. I'd certainly get the 17" over the 15" and did.

schwegs · Nov 9, 2004, 02:11 PM

I was in this same dilemma a month ago. I originally wanted the 17in, but after reading a bunch of forums I was concerned about the portability. Having used the 15in PB beforehand, I then decided to buy the 15in.

BUT.... rather than make a hasty decision, I went to check out the two machines and fell in love with the 17in. I found it just as portable as the 15in but with an amazing screen and I liked the extra room around the keyboard since I have big hands. Now I take the 17in wherever I go and have no issues regarding the portability that so many people complained about.

Basically it comes down personal experience.

wilsonng · Nov 9, 2004, 09:09 PM

The old saying "one size doesn't fit all" still remains true.

If it is mostly desk-bound with the occassional travel then the 17" is good.

Size preference depends on the size of the person. Yao Ming would probably lug around a 17" and say it is a good size for him. On the other hand, Verne Troyer would be overwhelmed if he had to lug the 17" around all the time. But that was a great commercial that Apple made.

I can imagine Shaq in a Ford F-150 but I would be hard pressed to see him in a Toyota Echo.

The best thing to do is go down to the Apple store and see if he can lug either one of those PBs around.

I've noticed that when I'm on the road, my workstyle usually has me doing e-mail, internet, and Microsoft Office type of work. When I'm at home, I usually attach to my external monitor to work in database development or Adobe stuff. I rarely do any database or Adobe program type work when I'm on the road.

I had a 15" and a 12" and still prefer my 12" when I'm on the road. I can't wait to see if Apple comes out with a 13" widescreen PB. That would be my sweet spot. It will hopefully have more than th 1024 x 768 resolution that my 12" PB has. 1024 x 768 is sufficient for most of my Office and internet stuff when I'm on the road. But having a 13" with a bit more pixels will definitely make me happy.

My next PB will definitely be a 12" or that widely-rumored 13" widescreen.

Originally posted by Crusoe:
Well I've owned both and traveled coach with them. Weight difference doesn't matter, size didn't matter. I have a booq backpack and get around just fine with it.

Offdahook is going to be using it mostly as a desktop repl with travel to college. I'd certainly get the 17" over the 15" and did.

MrForgetable · Nov 10, 2004, 12:04 AM

For now I am content with my 15 inch PB. But later in life, I think I will get a 12 inch PB+a 23 inch ACD when I go to college

STAT · Nov 10, 2004, 12:20 AM

Man, I've been using my 12" 500 MHz iBook tonight, getting it ready to be sold to a friend of mine, and I really miss the size of this little thing! I'm going to miss it a lot! Makes me wish I'd given the 12" PowerBook a look. Then again, I need the extra screen space of the 15". I think I'll get a 12" portable sometime in the future though.

wilsonng · Nov 10, 2004, 12:44 AM

The 12" does take some adjustment time. You can always connect the 12" to an external monitor to get even more space! That's how I I use my little 12".

Originally posted by STAT:
Man, I've been using my 12" 500 MHz iBook tonight, getting it ready to be sold to a friend of mine, and I really miss the size of this little thing! I'm going to miss it a lot! Makes me wish I'd given the 12" PowerBook a look. Then again, I need the extra screen space of the 15". I think I'll get a 12" portable sometime in the future though.

Randman · Nov 10, 2004, 12:52 AM

Well, you can connect a 17 to an external and get even more space.

But it also works fine on its own. I was a little hesitant about the 17 at first (coming from a 14 iBook and PowerMac at work), but the screen size really does wonders.

offdahook84 · Nov 10, 2004, 10:34 AM

Thanks everyone for the comments. I think I'm with Randman and Yao Ming on this on this one. I'm not anywhere near as big (only as far as height and muscle mass is concerned

) as Yao or Shaq, but that big screen is really beautiful-awful tempting. I don't use a backpack and weight is not a problem because my powerchair's got an independent suspension and I would never have the PB directly on my lap.

d4nth3m4n · Nov 10, 2004, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by offdahook84:
Thanks everyone for the comments. I think I'm with Randman and Yao Ming on this on this one. I'm not anywhere near as big (only as far as height and muscle mass is concerned ) as Yao or Shaq, but that big screen is really beautiful-awful tempting. I don't use a backpack and weight is not a problem because my powerchair's got an independent suspension and I would never have the PB directly on my lap.

yao had the 12"

offdahook84 · Nov 10, 2004, 11:09 AM

Ooops, that's right. Duh. I forgot

I still must be out of it.

offdahook84 · 02:21 PM

Well, thanks again everyone for the comments. I went to the store to see the PB in person and WOW - a lot more beautiful in person. I've decided on the 17" - I can't resist. I'm going to buy it from Apple online for the student discount.

Update: Ok, it's official. I placed the order for 17", 128 vid, 5400 HD, 1G RAM with Apple Care. I'm going to be living on the street for awhile, but at least I'll have my PB. The same day I placed the order, Apple Care stuff shipped. I'm going to cry if I get that first. Is Apple usually fast, I hope with the hardware? In the meantime, I'll be drooling and beating my head against the wall.

romeosc · Nov 11, 2004, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by STAT:
True. But then again...who really flies THAT often? Hell, I haven't flown since 9-11 (not for that reason). I went with the 15" because I'm a BACKPACK BUM!

I use mine all the time in first class (cheap use of upgrade miles)

Randman · Nov 12, 2004, 12:32 AM

Originally posted by offdahook84:
Well, thanks again everyone for the comments. I went to the store to see the PB in person and WOW - a lot more beautiful in person. I've decided on the 17" - I can't resist. I'm going to buy it from Apple online for the student discount.

Good on ya. You'll love it. Just make sure that you get enough ram.

GSixZero · Nov 12, 2004, 12:52 AM

Hmm, this thread is perfect for me. I've been thinking about upgrading from my Rev A 12" PB to a new 15" but I really love the portability of my 12". I was hoping that the extra size of the 15" wouldn't seem to big and compromise portability, but that I'd enjoy the extra screen size, but now I'm having second thoughts. I mostly use my PB on my lap while sitting on the couch. ARGH! What should I do?!