[teney7]

I am a college student that is looking for a laptop (to be bought late July)... I'm a little concerned about Apple's Intel switch, but I'm willing to buy now anyway. I have a budget, and I'm vascillating between a 12'' iBook and a 12'' PowerBook... knowing that I will be using wireless internet, MS Office, and iLife to work on, is the reduced speed/memory of an iBook adequate? Is the PB really louder and hotter... but will the iBook be a dinosaur come next Spring..? Also, is the Superdrive worth it to buy... right now, I'm thinking about only a Combo drive...
Thank you!

[brettcamp]

I've had both and currently love my 12" Powerbook. However, for your uses, the iBook seems like a better value. If you're going to be carrying it around a lot, you'll appreciate its greater ruggedness and slightly better Airport range and battery life. If you're going to use it with an external display, however, go for the Powerbook if the display accepts a DVI signal -- I found the DVI connection produces a sharper image, and you can't get it with an iBook. And the PB has a better keyboard and bigger HD (unless you BTO a larger one on your iBook).

For your uses, the PB speed advantage is minimal compared the performance increase you'll get if you get adequate RAM (like 768 or more).

iBook updates are rumored soon, so you may want to hold off a bit if possible.

[NYCFarmboy]

agrees, unless you are doing processor heavy apps and burning DVD's the ibook will be fantastic. The airport reception is very poor on my 12" powerbook compared to my old 500 mhz ibook.

Also agree with Brettcamp on the ruggednes. The plastic ibooks just hold up better and don't get dinged up. My 1 year old powerbook has several dents all over it now and looks pretty bad. Yes I abuse it and take it out on the field for photo shoots/recording sessions so it is heavily traveled, but if you don't need the DVD burner I'd go with the ibook. Look on Amazon.com to purchase one without sales tax and free shipping.

[rhythmicmoose]

Read this thread. It answers this exact debate (and was around first). http://forums.macnn.com/69/mac-notebooks/259258/ibook-12-powerbook-12-writer-who/

[I was David B.]

Only to add to what already has been said:

If you want to burn dvds use an external burner. It gives you more options like DVD RAM, dual layer and higher DVD and CD burning speed. Plus you can update the internal burner for little money once you have the external firewire/usb2 case.

Thus the superdrive is only useful if you cannot avoid burning dvds while you are on the road.