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SassyPants · Jun 30, 2005, 12:24 PM

from what i hear, not much, but i just want to make sure.

pat++ · Jun 30, 2005, 05:21 PM

well, I would say Not Much

I'm not even sure there is any difference between the 12" 1.5ghz and the 15" 1.5ghz... I assume you mean the 1.67ghz?

SassyPants · Jun 30, 2005, 11:41 PM

yeah, i mean the 12" 1.5 ghz, and the 15" 1.67.

i mean, there's barely any difference between teh 2 15"'s...so i would assume the same between the 12" 1.5 and the 15" 1.67 right?

just clarifying before i choose which one ot get

shabbasuraj · Jun 30, 2005, 11:42 PM

Get the 12".

It is SOOOOO cute.

havocidal · Jul 1, 2005, 01:12 AM

but i think it looks weird to have the keyboard to the edge...

iREZ · Jul 1, 2005, 12:51 PM

i dont...if you dont need fw800 or PC slot or 128mb of VRAM then get the 12"...sorry to say but it's the best powerbook in the line and had it been a 13" widescreen, would probably be the best powerbook ever released.

osxisfun · Jul 1, 2005, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by iREZ

i dont...if you dont need fw800 or PC slot or 128mb of VRAM then get the 12"...sorry to say but it's the best powerbook in the line and had it been a 13" widescreen, would probably be the best powerbook ever released.

or a 16'. I am totatly happy that i went 15 or 17 since the 17 is too big for me(personally) but a 16 would be a nice inbetween...

especially when the ibooks go bigger screens next year.

fisherKing · Jul 1, 2005, 01:18 PM

i love my 12" powerbook; the only time i feel bad is when it's next to my girlfriend's 15" pb;
doesn't feel faster, but...i like the backlit keyboard, and her screen is much much better.

still, would not trade; love the size, portability, power, of this thing.

hope next pb has a better screen!

wtmcgee · Jul 1, 2005, 02:59 PM

As far as Raw processing power goes, hardly any at all. However, the 15" gives you more screen real estate, more video card options, and more expansion ports. Overall, you won't be able to render a movie or anything like that any faster, but you can get a bigger HD, install more RAM and whatnot.

Superchicken · Jul 1, 2005, 09:39 PM

Essentially the 15 incher's advantage comes in the screen. And that is one beautiful screen.

NYCFarmboy · Jul 2, 2005, 08:44 AM

keep in mind the 12" powerbook has a awful screen compared to the 15" powerbook. look yourself in person at at Apple store before buying. the 12" powerbook has the same screen as the 12" ibook:

12" screen" :

1. very dim
2. VERY poor view angle
3. purple haze when viewed from the side.

comparision to my much older ibook which has a much nicer screen... apple went with a low cost vender obviously on the 12" powerbook... so, look YOURSELF in person before buying. the 15" models have MUCH nicer screens.

and to those who can't believe Apple puts out such sh!te and that I've not calibrated,
yes I've calibrated, it is just how bad the screen is.

its a great computer other than the awful screen though, and I kept mine as I need the smallest laptop avail. for travel reasons.

SassyPants · Jul 2, 2005, 08:53 AM

will i be able to use an external moniter, like the 20" apple cinema display?
won't that..."fix" the screen problem while i'm at my desk?

mhuie · Jul 2, 2005, 03:45 PM

My GF had a 12" PB 1.33, the issue isn't really with the screen quality, its the screen resolution. 1024x768 isn't much real estate to do much multitasking, considering how large the OS X UI is. Running at the same res on her Thinkpad X41 is decent. (but of course, thats Windows).

I would go with the 15"

iREZ · Jul 2, 2005, 04:47 PM

expose and cmd-tab have made 1024 x 768 very efficient when it comes to multitasking. and for some reason farmboy doesn't understand (in his first post with that picture) that in all his photos of the powerbook lookin like crap vs his old ibook....the powerbook has a different angle than the ibook in the photo!!! your camera is probably 30º off center for the ibook and 45º off center for the powerbook, which makes a big difference...but i wont defend the 12" pb screen...it is crappy compared to the 15" (but honestly who doesnt sit right infront of their computers when using it...i dont think i'll ever be sitting at that weird an angle from my powerbook...but maybe that's just me).

joe · Jul 2, 2005, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by iREZ

expose and cmd-tab have made 1024 x 768 very efficient when it comes to multitasking. and for some reason farmboy doesn't understand (in his first post with that picture) that in all his photos of the powerbook lookin like crap vs his old ibook....the powerbook has a different angle than the ibook in the photo!!!

The photo above puts the 12" PowerBook display at a steeper angle to the camera than the iBook. That makes it's display appear much worse than it really is in person. If the 2 notebooks were switched and the photo snapped from the same angle the 12" PB display would improve. However, don't take that as a defense of the 12" PB display. I've seen it in person and IMHO it's too low in quality (dim, smaller view angle) than what should be found in Apple's upper tier PowerBook line.

Despite what I just wrote I plan to buy a base model 12" PB in the near future. I'd prefer a better display, but the compact size is the feature I need most. And the 12" PB has some nice features (64MB VRAM, BT2.0, 5400rpm HD) compared to the 12" iBook. And as others have mentioned, when viewed normally - sitting directly in front of the 12" PB - the display isn't bad.

amazing · Jul 2, 2005, 08:29 PM

One of the main differences is the high-quality screen in the 15", whereas the screen in the 12" belongs in the iBook (and, indeed, isn't it the same screen as the iBook?)

If you can afford the 15", the screen alone is worth it. Your eyes will thank you.

If you're saving money for the eventual G5 PB, that's a different story.

NYCFarmboy · Jul 2, 2005, 10:26 PM

compare the 12" and 15" powerbooks yourself in the Apple store (if you can, Apple tends to keep the 12" powebooks separate from the 15" powerbooks in some of the stores I've been in).

if you compare the two, there is a huge difference and you'd not touch the 12" powerbook with a 10 foot pole.

amazing · Jul 2, 2005, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by NYCFarmboy

if you compare the two, there is a huge difference and you'd not touch the 12" powerbook with a 10 foot pole.

Well, I wouldn't quite say that: There are loads of circumstances under which the 12" makes sense. For example, I got the 1.33 ghz 12" combo for $999 at Microcenter, an excellent deal that allows me to save money towards the eventual upgraded PB (and will tide me over to the 2nd gen of that PB, since I'm not likely to jump on the first gen of either a G5 PB or a Macintel PB.)

I love the portability of the 12"--but if I'd had the extra disposable cash, I'd much rather have the higher quality screen of the 15". Once again, decisions are much easier if money is no object.

SassyPants · Jul 2, 2005, 11:47 PM

but like i said...at a desk, won't an 20" ACD fix the screen problem? only at a desk, of course. will the graphics card be able to support the higher resolution of that screen?

Simon · Jul 3, 2005, 05:12 AM

The 20" ACD will solve the screen problem indeed. However, at the same time, it will lead to constant fan noise even when idling, as has been discussed in several threads already. The 15" won't have that problem.

The 15" 1.67 GHz with the 128MB VRAM I have here, will blow the doors off the 12" when it comes to GPU power, like games. If you don't do that kind of stuff, there will hardly be any noticeable speed difference.

The 15" has a bigger and much higher quality screen. The 12" is much more compact and portable. And it has the awesome advantage of having all ports on one side, which I really like a lot on my 12".

I have both and I love both for their own reason. It really depends on what you value most when you buy a PowerBook.

SassyPants · Jul 3, 2005, 08:34 AM

can you show me one of the threads that talk about the fan noise when teh 12" is connected to an ACD?
thanks a lot guys, appreciate teh help

SassyPants · Jul 3, 2005, 11:03 AM

nevermind, foudn the thread

sorry, double post

osxisfun · Jul 3, 2005, 11:42 AM

>The 15" 1.67 GHz with the 128MB VRAM I have here, will blow the doors off the 12" when it comes to GPU power, like games. If you don't do that kind of stuff, there will hardly be any noticeable speed difference.

Except, once a version of 10.4 ships that uses Core - I forget the name - the GPU will handle the screen drawing and any extra vram a person has will be speed things up even more as it will be used as a cache...

So if a perrson can afford it. Go for the vram.