[tether]

i'm trying to decide on whether to buy an ibook or a powerbook. the 12" ibook would probably meet my needs except for it doesnt have a DVD-RW drive (though someone said i might be able to get a third party to install one)

i may wait til the new pb comes out to decide, depending on what the expectations for the new pb might be.. - what developments are there likely to be?

most important to me - other than the DVD-RW drive i already mentioned, are physical weight - i want something lightweight; and connectability - i want to be able to plug it into my tv and play dvds, plug it into a bigger screen if neccesary to work on, and plug a tv signal/cable connection into it to use it as a dvd recorder, if possible.

(and another question: could a PC laptop be a preference based on those requirements?)

cheers.

[brettcamp]

There are several recent threads here about expectations for the next PBs, which most assume will come out next month. There are also lots of PB vs. iBook threads; it'd probably be worth doing a search.
The 12" PB is apple's lightest, but it's really a fairly neglible difference compared to the 12" iBook. Both the PB and iBook can connect to your TV and play DVDs, but only the PB can connect to an external display with an all digital connection (DVI), which produces a sharper image. The iBook connects via an analog (VGA) output.
It sounds like the 12" PB with superdrive option best meets your needs, but it's worth waiting a few weeks if possible to see what the new releases bring; if nothing else, they'll make the current 12" PB cheaper when Apple sells them at a discount as "previous generation."

[tether]

thanks brettcamp