[Mallrat]

I want to buy one of these babies, but I remember the 1st ones were wicked hot.

And when you go to a store, they are on all day, and are always hot anyway from over use.

I just will use it mainly to type on and not doing anything too intensive on it as I have an iMac at home for that.

It's between this and the ibook. Price isn't a factor. I just want the best computer and on paper and in person, the powerbook seems to win, but not if it burns my left wrist when I'm trying to type.

Compared to the ibook, how much hotter is it?

Actually, a heat comparision between

12inch ibook
12 inch powerbook
15 inch powerbook
17inch powerbook

would be great. If 10 is HELL and 1 is FROZEN, how hot do each of these untis get in comparision to each other?

For 12inch powerbook users, how long can you work before it gets too hot and what causes it to get hottier? More than a few hours of use? Doing something like editing video?

Any help would be great. I'd rarther get the ibook, if the powerbook is going to get too warm. Or get a bigger powerbook if need be.

thanks.

[.tony. .riot.]

When I was back home in Puerto Rico it would sometimes get too hot, but that's because we don't have the a/c on all the time and the temperatures would reach 100F. Here in Georgia since the house I'm at has central a/c and it's always on, I can sit in front of the T.V. and do image editing all day long without having a problem of the computer getting too hot for me not to be able to touch.

On the scale you posted, I would give it a 6 maybe.

[.tony. .riot.]

By the way, I have a 12 inch PB G4.

[tie]

The 12 inch powerbook (rev D) is wicked hot. Here's a snapshot from Temperature Monitor taken just now, under normal usage.

Battery 96.8 F
Processor topside 124.7
Graphics processor die 128.3
Hard disk drive bottomside 115.2
SMART Disk Fujitsu MHT2080A 118.4

The outside is quite warm, but not scalding -- I don't have any problems with it. The bottom gets warmer than the keyboard pad, and even the bottom is fine through clothes. The real problem is that the fan is on perpetually. This is an extremely noisy machine.

The 15 inch powerbook is supposed to be much quieter and cooler. The iBook is supposed to be slightly cooler and quieter.

[brettcamp]

Originally Posted by tie

The 12 inch powerbook (rev D) is wicked hot. Here's a snapshot from Temperature Monitor taken just

Hmph. I have a rev. D 12" and mine doesn't seem to run that hot. I generally use it closed, hooked up to an external display. It sits on an iCurve or a wooden inbox so that air can circulate underneath. The fan comes on occasionally, and you can hear it, but mine isn't distractingly loud. But then I generally just use low intensity apps like Safari, Mail, TextEdit, and a few others.

Definitely feels hotter than my old iBook, but then it has a faster chip. And it might be that it feels hotter because the aluminum is conducting the heat better than plastic, which means that heat isn't zapping the insides -- a good thing in my 'book.

[hubertusbreuer]

Brettcamp, it is surprising that yours is not using its fans as much, especially as you have an external display (by the way: which one is it?). Without an external display my fans rarely come on, only when the GPU gets used quite a bit - e.g. when I am playing an video with quicktime for more than five minutes.

[brettcamp]

Originally Posted by hubertusbreuer

Brettcamp, it is surprising that yours is not using its fans as much, especially as you have an external display (by the way: which one is it?). Without an external display my fans rarely come on, only when the GPU gets used quite a bit - e.g. when I am playing an video with quicktime for more than five minutes.

Well, I don't run video much -- mostly surfing, writing, and emailing. The monitor is a Samsung 172X 17" DVI. Maybe the fact that it's only 17" reduces the power demand that a larger monitor would impose? Or that the PB sits on an iCurve so air circulates?

[brettcamp]

Originally Posted by hubertusbreuer

Brettcamp, it is surprising that yours is not using its fans as much, especially as you have an external display (by the way: which one is it?). Without an external display my fans rarely come on, only when the GPU gets used quite a bit - e.g. when I am playing an video with quicktime for more than five minutes.

Well, I don't run video much -- mostly surfing, writing, and emailing. The monitor is a Samsung 172X 17" DVI. Maybe the fact that it's only 17" reduces the power demand that a larger monitor would impose? Or that the PB sits on an iCurve so air circulates? Also, I have plenty of RAM (768), and I've read that that makes the hard disk work less and thereby decreases heat production.

[Mallrat]

I went to the apple store today and kind of made a decision (not really).

I already owned an ibook G3 (just sold) and in a weird way I feel stupid for buying a G4 ibook. I don't think it looks as nice as the silver look and the keyboard isn't better to me. It's worse. I liked the white keyboards much better on the G3 models.

I feel like i should buy a powerbook and get that great keyboard. The 12inch seems perfect as it's just basically a "super ibook" with great keyboard and more extras, but I'm really concerned about it being HOT. If it wasn't for that I'd buy it right now.

Right now I'm leaning toward the 15inch as the screen is great and it runs cooler. And I like typing on it too. But the price and weight are holding me back. Is it worth it to spend 2000 bucks for basically a computer I'd use mostly to write on.

I guess for my needs another ibook would make sense, but maybe I need to find a cheaper used powerbook 15inch on eBay.

[brettcamp]

I know what you mean about wanting to feel like you're upgrading -- I felt the same way about going from a G3 to G4 iBook and wound up selling the latter and getting a 12" PB. I really have not experienced the heat problems others have mentioned; check other threads for how to avoid heat (adequate RAM, circulation of air underneath, etc.) and remember that you're feeling the heat because aluminum is an efficient conductor, getting the heat away from the Powerbook so it won't damage its innards.

If you want a 15", Apple's special deals section is offering some good prices right now on refurbs.