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firefly04 · Oct 29, 2003, 06:30 PM

I'm planning to sell my desktop (PowerMac G4) system to buy an iBook, because I can't take the G4 to college. I'd like to know if the iBook would be sufficient for everything I do on the desktop (light graphics work, internet, e-mail, chatting, typing papers, burning CDs, and the like) so I could just have an iBook and not worry if I need to have a desktop, also. Hopefully soon I'll go to the Apple store and play w/ the 12" G4 iBook and the 14" and see which would work better for me. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks much,
Heather E.

Mallrat · Oct 29, 2003, 06:35 PM

Originally posted by firefly04:
I'm planning to sell my desktop (PowerMac G4) system to buy an iBook, because I can't take the G4 to college. I'd like to know if the iBook would be sufficient for everything I do on the desktop (light graphics work, internet, e-mail, chatting, typing papers, burning CDs, and the like) so I could just have an iBook and not worry if I need to have a desktop, also. Hopefully soon I'll go to the Apple store and play w/ the 12" G4 iBook and the 14" and see which would work better for me. Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks much,
Heather E.

It sure can do it all. The big question to ask yourself is can you live w/o a biger monitor.

If you went from the 20 inch apple display to the 12 you might cry.

But the computer itself can do it all, and I would also say get a laptop for college (a lock too!).

firefly04 · Oct 29, 2003, 07:05 PM

I do have a 20" display, and it's nice and spacious, but it takes up half my desk. I have gotten used to the 1680x1050 res, but it does get hard to read small fonts, I could probably adjust back to the 1024x768 res just fine.

I'll definitely get a lock (or 2 or 3..) for it before I leave for college, I might just handcuff myself to it, actually...

El Mago · Oct 29, 2003, 07:08 PM

Most definitely. After I have had an ibook and the option for monitor spanning, I would not go back to a desktop. I think with the newer laptops, it is almost better! The cost is the only limiting factor.

If the ibook is going to be your only monitor, you might want to consider a 14" instead of the 12".

ryaxnb · Oct 29, 2003, 07:44 PM

Yes (for me, anyway.) Our only modern desktop is a PC, so I use the iBook as much as possible. It works well - and it's the old G3 model.

snowdropper · Oct 29, 2003, 08:07 PM

Originally posted by El Mago:
Most definitely. After I have had an ibook and the option for monitor spanning, I would not go back to a desktop. I think with the newer laptops, it is almost better! The cost is the only limiting factor.

If the ibook is going to be your only monitor, you might want to consider a 14" instead of the 12".

although the 14" has the same resolution as the 12", its just the pixels are stretched out to fit onto the 14" screen. the 12" would appear to have a nicer resolution because of this. i read somewhere that they have the exact same LCD in them as were in the rev A powerbooks from earlier this year... which is a good thing i think.

apparently the monitor spanning hack works on the 12" under panther, so this is a good sign. (it wont do this without the hack, mirroring only...)

ginoledesma · Oct 29, 2003, 09:15 PM

If you went from the 20 inch apple display to the 12 you might cry.

. This made me laugh. True enough, I've been trying out a 12" PowerBook and I did miss the real estate of a 17" monitor (and especially the 19"/21" ones). It seems that when getting the iBook G4, the monitor spanning hack sounds to be essential to enable monitor spanning.

I intend to sell my G4/400 as well, to get a new iBook G4/PBook G4 12". Will probably just hook up to a bigger monitor when doing actual work.

fibroptikl · Oct 30, 2003, 05:29 PM

Why can you bring your PowerMac G4 with you?

firefly04 · Oct 30, 2003, 07:39 PM

I can't bring the G4 with me because it's just not practical...I'm not majoring in graphic design or anything that will require me to use all of it heavily. The display takes up half my desk, which is bigger than the desk in my dorm will be....an iBook is just a lot more sensible to have.

cobra27 · Oct 30, 2003, 08:16 PM

I'd say go for the 12" iBook and an external 15"/17" LCD or a cheap CRT. The 12" will be perfect for bringing with you to lectures and doing homework on campus. The external display will be good for dorm in case of 'heavier' activities (photoshop?).