[auero]

Actually... enough for a 12" powerbook but I'm unsure if I should buy now. Heres how it goes.

My school offers an early release program which is offered when you are in process of your senior year. The program is simple. If you build up enough credits during the year, you only have to take your last two classes (English 3 and Physical Education) to finish high school. My school runs on block scheduling so we only only have two semesters and four periods a day, but they are 80 minutes long. So basicly, I can take those two classes as first and second and leave to go home or I can take them third and fourth period and come in late or even fill the other two periods up with electives (pointless?). Since I only need those two classes to finish my credits, I can start taking classes for college at my community college which can later be transfered. That being said, I need a laptop for around January.

I'm going to be going into the direction of graphic design and my community college actually offers a very good program for what I hear but I still don't expect so much as it being a community college. I currently own a Powermac G5 Dual 2.0GHz machine (revB) so I have some power at home. I was thinking of maybe buying a 12" powerbook so I can really move around with it but later it hit me. Graphic design on a 12" screen? Is it enough? I just find it hard to believe it would be. My parents will donate to this fund and they did promise me they will get me which ever powerbook I'm looking at (including the 17") but I'm not sure that wouldn't be too much to carry. My mother owns a 15" widescreen windows based laptop now and I even find it to be some what big.

So can I have some opinions? Should I wait to buy a 15" model? I hear that its time for a refresh and I was thinking that maybe something might be updated while in Paris. Anyone have opinions on that?

I'm sorry for another "help me pick a powerbook thread"!

[mgl]

Apple seems to be stretching out the time between new models since it lacks better chips. The last iBook update was very late.

The next update could contain Intel chips, a faster version of the current G4, a newer version of the G4, or the same chip with improved components. And I guess we could add a G5 to that mix.

Most people assume that the first Intel chip for the PowerBook will be the Yonah, a dual-core Pentium M / Centrino successor. It may ship in Q1 but probably not in quantity until Q2. This chip is a 32-bit chip. Therefore, we know two things. One, Apple will never ship a 64-bit G5 PowerBook if they would convert the line to a 32-bit Intel chip a few months later. Two, Intel PowerBooks are not coming in September.

If Apple introduces Intel PowerBooks as early as SF in January, then I think we're done for G4 updates until then. However, January seems mighty aggressive for that. If the update is March, April, or May, then it's almost certain that Apple would have an update between now and then because they're not going to want to go over a year.

The form of that update is a bit difficult to predict. There just isn't much new in the G4 world that Apple could ship now. There aren't faster G4 chips that we know of. Freescale isn't shipping a newer version in quantity at this time that we know of. But, Apple knows more than we do so it's possible.

Another possibility is a minor update to tide us over. They could wide-screen the 12", add the long-rumored HD variant to the 17", and make a few component changes such as improved graphic cards. That would be enough to carry the line through to spring.

My personal guess is that Apple will release a small update like this before the end of the year, probably in the Sep to Oct timeframe. It will include a speedbump if they can manage it, but that may be the least important part of the update. But this is just a guess from reading the same sources as you.

[hcorf]

i am looking to get a 12 inch in a few days, i wont need it until september 15th but i want it now.

I guess they might just release something new very soon, but it would either be very minor (in which case it doesnt bother me really) or if it is a big change in the lineup, then they would be unreliable, and since i need this thing to work for three years or more i would have to stick with the old one.

[newsushi]

I do quite a bit of graphic design with my 12". Having a larger monitor is nice, but the 12" can certainly get the job done. I bought the 12" when I was a senior in college and used it for client and class work throughout the day. At home, where I do my heavier lifting and designing, I have it hooked up to an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard. I keep my adobe pallets on the 12" monitor and my work on the external monitor. It works beautifully.

With the 12", you really can have your cake (an amazing portable that is the size of a sheet of paper and one inch thick), and eat it too (hook it up to a huge external monitor).

If your parents are willing to help you out with a 17", get a 12" and a DELL 24" widescreen monitor and you'll come out ahead in almost every respect.

_NewSushi

[NeoEsper]

I would atleast get the 15" or 17" not because you can but becuase you can use the screen real estate. My friend currently is going through graphic design and carries a 15inch with her. She was also deciding on the 12 inch since it is smaller. But she found the 15" was better suited for her. She runs alot of adobe stuff, Studio MX, Motion ect.