[demonic_bunny]

So I got this Powerbook G4. Currently it only has 512 RAM and a dead battery. I was thinkin of getting 2 GB of RAM for is and a new battery. However, the hardware is starting to show its age, so I was considering getting a Macbook (not pro). However, getting a whole new Mac willbe a lot more expensive then just upgrading my Powerbook. SO which will be money better spent: About $300 on 2 GB sticks of RAM and a new battery, or ~$1000 on a Macbook?

[JonoMarshall]

The Ram and battery seem overpriced, where are you buying them from?

Depending what you want to do with the Mac, I'd say the MacBook's going to last you longer, etc. If the PowerBook does everything you need, then perhaps stick with it (you'll see a dramatic speed boost by increasing the RAM)?

[Big Mac]

I agree that you should be able to find a better deal on RAM, but RAM is definitely worth it if you're going to continue using that Mac. The battery should be around $120. If you're generally happy with the PB, keep it, but if you are unhappy and want a Mactel it may make more sense to sell the PB at this point.

[Sherman Homan]

I think it really depends on what you want a laptop to do. If it is going to be your main machine, get the MacBook. But if it is going to be a second machine to carry around, then stick with the PowerBook. Mine is a bit of a beater, it has slid off the car seat more times than I would like to admit.

[newsushi]

I'm using a 12" 1.25Ghz G4 Powerbook as my main machine. I replaced the hard drive with a 100Gb 7200 RPM Seagate ~2 years ago, and maxed the ram at 1.25Gb.

When at home, I run in clamshell mode hooked up to a Dell 2405 (24" widescreen) monitor. I'm a graphic designer, so spend most of my time in Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. I also enjoy playing World of Warcraft.

In short, my machine is woefully underpowered for the things I put it through and I have to restart it several times per day to keep it moving. Keeping history states in PS means I need to reboot frequently or quickly run out of RAM. a crappy video card means I get 5-10 frames per second when playing WoW ... only 1-2fps when in 25-man raids even with all settings at the absolute minimum.

I've been itching to replace this machine for more than a year, but until recently the timing hasn't been right (I either don't have the money available, or I don't feel comfortable upgrading because of a recent release, etc). Now I'm simply waiting for Leopard.

I have a great fondness for this machine, we've been through a lot together in 4 years, but if you plan to do anything beyond word processing, web surfing, and iTunes, I think your money would be better spent on a new(er) intel machine.

[JoshuaZ]

Look at it this way, I just today sold my 12in 1.33 G4 Powerbook on eBay for $600. You can buy a new Macbook for $1100. A bit less with an educational discount.

Seeing how you're willing to spend $300 for an upgrade on your laptop, you might as well just throw an extra $200 in for a brand new computer that'll last you quite a while. Plus if you wait a week or two you can get 10.5.

Your money would be better spent on a new computer. Sell your Powerbook now while the resale is decent.

[EndlessMac]

Originally Posted by newsushi 

I have a great fondness for this machine, we've been through a lot together in 4 years, but if you plan to do anything beyond word processing, web surfing, and iTunes, I think your money would be better spent on a new(er) intel machine.

I agree with this statement. A computer is only as fast as its weakest link. A person can upgrade all the RAM they want but if they are using programs that require a faster CPU, graphics card, hard drive, etc then they will not make their computers fast enough by only upgrading RAM. A person can only upgrade parts of their computer up to a point before they don't notice any faster performance. After that they will have to eventually upgrade the whole computer or upgrade the whole computer part by part.

I think the best option would be to buy the new computer unless you will never use new software because new software make use of faster computers. That's the main reason why we all upgrade because newer software require faster computers. Of course some software are more demanding than others.

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by demonic_bunny 

So I got this Powerbook G4. Currently it only has 512 RAM and a dead battery. I was thinkin of getting 2 GB of RAM for is and a new battery. However, the hardware is starting to show its age, so I was considering getting a Macbook (not pro). However, getting a whole new Mac willbe a lot more expensive then just upgrading my Powerbook. SO which will be money better spent: About $300 on 2 GB sticks of RAM and a new battery, or ~$1000 on a Macbook?

I would go with a upgraded MacBook, maybe turn the powerbook into a small FTP server (thats what I did with a iBook G3 + Ubuntu).

I would also suggest that you follow the rules of the forum and shrink your sig to 4 lines of text or a image + one line of text. Also, make your titles more descriptive.