[magicbbird]

Hello all,
I am not a computer expert, so looking at the spec. sheet on apple site doesn't quite connect.

since the CPU between the two seems not much, and all the features are very similar. I wonder besides the built-material, what advantage (and paying more) of getting a PB12 rather than ibook12?

I still can install wifi, bluetooth, upgrade ram, etc. I wonder if PB12 video card is much superior than the ibook's?

Thanks in advance for your advise.

[afireinside]

power book is/has a:
lighter
smaller
better screen
better graphics card
slightly faster CPU
slightly faster FSB
better keyboard (not much a difference IMO)
dual moniters (can be hacked with firmware on ibook apparently) and ability to run on an external moniter with the lid closed

the ibook is supposed to have better wifi, the battery life is better, the casing is more durable, and it costs less.

[donniedarko]

Originally posted by afireinside:
power book is/has a:
lighter
smaller
better screen
better graphics card
slightly faster CPU
slightly faster FSB
better keyboard (not much a difference IMO)
dual moniters (can be hacked with firmware on ibook apparently) and ability to run on an external moniter with the lid closed

the ibook is supposed to have better wifi, the battery life is better, the casing is more durable, and it costs less.

the screens on the 12" ibook and powerbook are exactly same.

[magicbbird]

if not playing 3d games, do the video cards perform much differently? will we notice slow refresh using mails/safari and office apps?

if I add up to 1G ram, will it make the ibook on par with PB, performance wise?

sorry, one more question. for ibook, which 7200rpm disk you recommend? is it user replaceable?

thanks for all your input.

[Dr.Michael]

Here you find a bunch of reasons.

[afireinside]

If the screen is the same why did people tell me the PB had a better screen on three different forums?

And if your not gaming the ibook and pb will be about the same for every day stuff.

[Abit667]

The wireless signal on the ibook is better then the powerbooks. I always had an extra bar over my friends with powerbooks.

[iREZ]

(cheerleader voice)

gimme a S
gimme a E
gimme a A
gimme a R
gimme a C
gimme a H

What's that spell!!!!! SEARCH! SEARCH!! SEARCH!!! YAY!!!!!!!!

(end cheerleader voice)

[ghporter]

Originally posted by afireinside:
If the screen is the same why did people tell me the PB had a better screen on three different forums?

And if your not gaming the ibook and pb will be about the same for every day stuff.

Because of the better video subsystem; it has a "better graphics card" as noted above. I can't remember if it's just that it has a faster/newer GPU, or that it has more video RAM, or maybe both.

[iREZ]

More VRAM on the Powerbook (64 compared to 32) and the Nvidia is compatable with Corel Image on Tiger, so in that sense the PB GPU is better even though it's an old chip.

[milhous]

i'll be joining the ibook user ranks later tonight as i pickup the entry level ibook (to replace my aging pismo) from the apple store. for me, it's a value-conscious decision and for what you get, it's a good price. to pay an additional $600 on a 12" combo drive powerbook for what i see are only marginal improvements over the 12" ibook is just not worth it to me at this point in time.

if you're buying for value get an iBook. otherwise, get a powerbook.

[teknopimp]

Originally posted by donniedarko:
the screens on the 12" ibook and powerbook are exactly same.

not true. check the threads, there is a side by side comparison so you can see for yourself. check my sig; i know firsthand.

the PB is sharper and brighter, much higher in overall quality. you really have to put 2 (new) units side by side to see the difference.

[ghporter]

Originally posted by teknopimp:
not true. check the threads, there is a side by side comparison so you can see for yourself. check my sig; i know firsthand.

the PB is sharper and brighter, much higher in overall quality. you really have to put 2 (new) units side by side to see the difference.

Are you absolutely certain that the difference is not in the video card? Considering the difference in cards (as was pointed out above), I think it's easily possible for the same display to look significantly different on the different graphics engines.

No, I don't have a PB handy to compare, and I haven't seen both taken apart to check part numbers. But considering the much better video capabilities of the PB, I think that the folks above who say it's the same display are correct.

[MARINEOSX]

PowerBook or iBook has been done to death! At this point it just seems like a vicious cycle. Any how there are tons of threads like this on this very forum. As noted above try a SEARCH.

[brettcamp]

Originally posted by afireinside:
If the screen is the same why did people tell me the PB had a better screen on three different forums?
.

Maybe they were referring to the 15" and 17" Powerbooks, which do have higher resolutions and therefore look sharper than the 12" Powerbook or iBook? I've had both 12" Powerbook and 12" iBook, and I didn't see much difference between the screens.

[afireinside]

Originally posted by GHPorter:
Are you absolutely certain that the difference is not in the video card? Considering the difference in cards (as was pointed out above), I think it's easily possible for the same display to look significantly different on the different graphics engines.

No, I don't have a PB handy to compare, and I haven't seen both taken apart to check part numbers. But considering the much better video capabilities of the PB, I think that the folks above who say it's the same display are correct.

Uh the difference between an FX5200 and a 9200 wouldent affect the image quality of 2D at all.