[Kiwi_nl]

Thanks to everyone on here who have advised me over the past month or two. In addition, these forums provide LOTS of info for the uninformed, provided they use the search button ofcourse ;-)

So Ive made a decision on the laptop Im going to buy, but I need some of you Mac experts to confirm my selection as an appropriate one. I come from an exclusivily PC/Windows background (12 years).

iBook 12.1" G4
Panther OSX
512 MB RAM
30GB drive
Crumpler 'school hymn' notebook sleeve.
No extra software or hardware (other than provided as standard by Apple).

Here is my intended use - Im a PhD student, I do lots of work on the computer (surfing, typing, etc). I present lectures 3 times a week (currently using MS PowerPoint). I need the laptop to take to university everyday. I need the laptop to be able to handle producing and presenting lectures (through projectors), to be able to handle a statistical package (SPSS), be able to handle a Virtual Private Network (my University has one), handle surfing the internet hours a day. The laptop will be on most of the day, so ability to not overheat is important.

So is my iBook described above ok? I think it should be. I have concerns about the VPN, and also about presentations that I currently do on PowerPoint. Do you think I need to buy Keynote, or MS Office for Mac? or is AppleWorks suffice?

Thanks in advance. I will place an order sometime in the next 2-3 weeks.

-Kiwi

[drive-thru]

I don't know anything about the VPN etc. but I would advise that you buy Office and Keynote, you can get the Student & Teacher version of Office to save money.
I think AppleWorks handles Word and Excel files, but if you have been using the PC version of Office you will probably be more comfortable with Office than AppleWorks. Personally I never bothered much with AppleWorks because I was so used to using Word and Excel and the mac versions are good enough for me not to want to look for alternatives.

Keynote vs PowerPoint, I think, is more of a personal preference. I feel that Keynote is a better app and is much more Apple-like (not surprisingly), but PowerPoint seems to have more features.

[Luca Rescigno]

In a couple days, Apple might be releasing their own office suite. That iBook should suit you fine, though. Normally I'd suggest getting a larger hard drive, but you probably won't need one based on what you're doing.

Have you checked with your school to see if MS Office 2004 for Mac is available from them at a discount? You can always buy the student/teacher edition and save some cash, but I was able to get the software for free from my school.

[Kiwi_nl]

Yeah, Ive been looking over at the mac rumours website and amusing myself reading macophiles salivating over the 'new' iWork, and other apps due to come out 'shortly'.

Reading user reviews, I think I would need something more than AppleWorks, and thats what the two of you seem to indicate above. If the rumour about iWork turns out to be true, I could have what I'm looking for.

I AM right in going with an iBook right? (as opposed to a powerbook)

PC noob here (no experience with macs)

[drive-thru]

I agree that you need something more than AppleWorks. Wait a week to see if this rumoured iWorks is that something, or whether to buy Office.

As far as iBook vs Powerbook I would say that the current iBook range is more than capable of handling anything you are planning to throw at it. From what I hear, the current iBooks aren't far off the bottom end Powerbook in terms of speed and I don't think you would notice the difference, in speed at least, if you went with a PB.

[historylme]

Ibook will do all that you need and want it to do. I have the same config as you are planning and it does it all for me. Although, of late, I been having some problems with Powerpoint, it's been quiting on me. Even with the latest update. Key Note might be worth looking into.

Good luck.

[James L]

iBook is fine. I would try to get a bigger HD if I were you (they fill up fast and even if you think you won't need it now you will grow into it), and MS Office for sure!