[jyen]

I'm trying to decide between these two. My options are either a single or dual 1.8 G5 or 17" Powerbook.

I am currently a Cube owner and want to upgrade to a new machine. I plan to use it for digital photos, music (iPod), burning slideshow DVDs for family, and for promoting my artwork (I'm a painter). I am a little concerned about the fan noise in the G5 being a big change from the silent Cube.

I have always loved the 17" Powerbook. I love the design, but with the advent of the G5 I'm wondering if I'm buying too little for my money with the PB.

Any opinions?

[teknik]

I'm in the same dilemma as you. Except I can wait until July to buy one (leaving for college in Aug)

Anyways, from my past findings it's come down to two things.

1) Do you really need portability? Ask yourself how often you will use the computer strictly out of your personal desktop setting at home.

2) The expandability. Who knows if a year from now a MUST HAVE killer ap for you comes out, and the G4 is full optimized for peak performance. (Yes, this does matter to some people)


Cheers,

[fizzlemynizzle]

FWIW I was in the same dilemma: Dual 2.0ghz G5 or 15" 1.25 AlBook. I ended up getting the AlBook because I was ready to buy that day, and to get the G5 config I wanted meant BTO. I do not regret the decision at all, though I'm itching to get a G5. I'm going back to college part time which means a nice laptop is pretty much a must. Plus part of my side business (digital media stuff) benefits greatly from being able to set up shop anywhere, anytime. When I'm ready to set up a permanent studio it will definitely be built around a G5. I think the main thing to ask is - Do you want to take your show on the road at all? If so, then a Powerbook is pretty much a must.. unless of course an iBook will meet your demands. For me the widescreen of the AlBook plus extra horsepower made it ideal.

Also, in hindsight, I'd rather wait for the 90nm G5 CPUs to be incorporated into the G5. Just to get a leg up, I guess. I definitely can't wait until I have one, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the hell out of my Powerbook and will keep on enjoying it until the G5 Powerbooks appear.

[jyen]

Originally posted by teknik:
I'm in the same dilemma as you. Except I can wait until July to buy one (leaving for college in Aug)

Anyways, from my past findings it's come down to two things.

1) Do you really need portability? Ask yourself how often you will use the computer strictly out of your personal desktop setting at home.

2) The expandability. Who knows if a year from now a MUST HAVE killer ap for you comes out, and the G4 is full optimized for peak performance. (Yes, this does matter to some people)


Cheers,

I think this is what makes buying a computer one of the most difficult tasks around.

1) Portability for me would be basically taking from the office area in my apt to the living room, to the bedroom -- and the occasional trip back home for the holidays. I never go to cafes to use my computer. One thing I'm considering is that we're expecting a baby in June, and I may want to have the ability to go where the baby is, rather than force it to be where the computer is.

2) The expandibility is a big thing for me. With the Cube, I was always kind of disappointed that upgrades were so expensive -- labor intensive. With the G5 I would be looking at cuttin edge components with forward thinking I/O. My brother tells me that the ability to add another drive, or swap our the video, or even swap out the optical drive will add years to the life of my computer.

So it really is tough... sadly, still undecided. Thanks though for your comments -- and empathy.

[jyen]

Originally posted by fizzlemynizzle:
FWIW I was in the same dilemma: Dual 2.0ghz G5 or 15" 1.25 AlBook. I ended up getting the AlBook because I was ready to buy that day, and to get the G5 config I wanted meant BTO. I do not regret the decision at all, though I'm itching to get a G5. I'm going back to college part time which means a nice laptop is pretty much a must. Plus part of my side business (digital media stuff) benefits greatly from being able to set up shop anywhere, anytime. When I'm ready to set up a permanent studio it will definitely be built around a G5. I think the main thing to ask is - Do you want to take your show on the road at all? If so, then a Powerbook is pretty much a must.. unless of course an iBook will meet your demands. For me the widescreen of the AlBook plus extra horsepower made it ideal.

Also, in hindsight, I'd rather wait for the 90nm G5 CPUs to be incorporated into the G5. Just to get a leg up, I guess. I definitely can't wait until I have one, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the hell out of my Powerbook and will keep on enjoying it until the G5 Powerbooks appear.

Thanks, I too thought about waiting for the G5PB, but I just can't wait any longer. I am definitely leaning towards the PB, but a little "devil" on my shoulder is whispering about the 900mhz bus and the 8 gig RAM capacity...

[AU_student_iceBook]

The G5 is VERY QUIET. My external Firewire HD's are normally louder than my G5 (dual 2.0)

I would highly recommend going with the DUAL G5. It is a great machine. Wait until the end of the month though...

[jyen]

Originally posted by AU_student_iceBook:
The G5 is VERY QUIET. My external Firewire HD's are normally louder than my G5 (dual 2.0)

I would highly recommend going with the DUAL G5. It is a great machine. Wait until the end of the month though...

Really, why? Is there something coming down the pipe...

[Boochie]

Originally posted by jyen:
I think this is what makes buying a computer one of the most difficult tasks around.

One thing I'm considering is that we're expecting a baby in June, and I may want to have the ability to go where the baby is, rather than force it to be where the computer is.

Spoken like a first-time parent. I love your optimism. Trust me, it will be a *long* time before using your computer with an awake baby present will be a straightforward affair.

It's a big reduction in CPU power you
accept for the portability of the powerbook. Go for the G5 unless your computing style really demands using it anywhere in the house.

[wilsonX]

Not to mention that you probably won't want your baby and your computer anywhere near each other. (at least when the baby becomes more mobile...)