[zero00]

Hello,

Please help me decide on a powerbook vs. an ibook. No, No, No wait!This is not that same thread again! It�s somewhat different.

I am concerned with durability. I have had the opportunity to use a work ibook for months (I am a stanch PC user, A+ certified �big-whoop�) and all I have to say is, I cant wait to buy my first Mac! Sadly, I had to return the work ibook.
One of the things I liked most about the ibook (it was a 900 G3) was its durability. You could really be a little rough with this thing, unlike my old pc laptop which creaks and moans all the time and is very flimsy!

Ok to my question � after x-mas this year I will have the opportunity to get a Mac. I am leaning toward the 12� ibook because of price. But in my heart of hearts, and because I am a power-user, I would love to get the 12� powerbook. Which one of these types do you very knowledgeable people feel would be the more sturdy over time? I have heard talk about the powerbook being easily dented?
Because if you say the powerbook, I may just have to get that instead of the ibook
Also, if anyone else can give me reasons to go powerbook over ibook feel free to let me know!

To anyone who responds � Thanks in advance!

[MilkmanDan]

I enjoy my 12in Powerbook. Its holding up fine and I take mine everywhere here in Japan and at school. Just make sure you get a nice backpack or nice sleeve thing (I got mine from Marware) to put your laptop in. iBook or Powerbook, as long as you take care of it, you won't have problems.

[cambro]

I have used (although do not own) a 12" iBook G3 600 ("ice book") and a current 12" PB. I have to admit that the 12" PB just feels very, very solid. Now, I haven't tried dropping each to see what happens, but when you pick up the PB it feels more solid and durable to me than the iBook.

That said...
I think BOTH are equally durable. I would let price/performance be your guide.

[macaddict0001]

The powerbook has a stronger material but the ibook has a thicker material thin metal versus thik plastic, i would say the powerbook is more durable, but the ibook may be better for your needs.

[nagromme]

They're both very solid-feeling, but if anything, I'd say my PoweBook feels a little more solid than my sister's iBook. Zero flex--no twist or feeling of thin metal at all. And the 12" would be even more solid than my 15" I imagine.

Also, the PowerBook surface is MUCH more durable, my 15" has been through a lot--including recently being dumped upside down on a gritty counter top by a CompUSA repair tech. Not a scratch. My PB still looks new after a year. The shiny white plastic of other Apple products looks nice but will get scratched. My sister's iBook is newer, but looks older than mine. (Then again, she probably beats it up even worse than me )

Obviously the PB is the better computer, too--and it's smaller with the same screen/keyboard... but the iBook costs less (and lasts longer on a battery?) so they're both good buys. My sister likes her iBook a lot.

No matter WHAT you get, add extra RAM. I recommend eshop.macsales.com -- don't pay Apple RAM prices without comparing first. Having 768 to 1GB WILL make your Mac faster. 512 at the VERY least. 256--no way. But you can add RAM later if you want to save money up front. Just check and see how many free slots your machine will come with--you might have to REMOVE RAM it came with to put more in.

Also consider waiting for January 10 (MacWorld Expo) announcements. New PowerBooks must be coming before long (G5? maybe. Faster G4s and better screens or graphics cards? hopefully). Plus, OS X Tiger will be coming out sometime early next year, and that will be a BIG feature upgrade for any Mac. But a Mac once Tiger's already out and you save yourself the upgrade cost. Maybe we'll be told a firm date for Tiger on Jan 10. It's THE Apple product I most want ASAP

I lean towards the PB if you can afford it. Save up a little longer and wait for Jan 10. Then enjoy the world of OS X

[wilsonng]

The PB keyboard is much better than the iBook keyboard.

In any case, I got some TiArmor to help protect my PB.

http://www.vixinc.com/

It's a clear hard type of plastic with an adhesive backing. Place it on the top lid of the PB and the wrist area to protect against wear and tear like gritty counter tops. It comes in different sizes.

If you are putting your laptop in a backpack or briefcase, consider getting a PowerBook sleeve to protect it from the other contents in your backpack or briefcase.

I put my 12" PB inside my BooqBag Mamba.XS when I travel light (which is most of the time). I just put the PB, power coard, mouse, a few magazines or files and my iPod. It's small enough and not very bulky for meetings onthe road to visit clients.

http://www.booqbags.com/Detail.bok?no=81

When I need to carry more stuff, I use my Kensington Saddlebag combined with a PB sleeve. You can try a wide variety of different backpacks and also the various sleeves that are offered by many companies out there. Check the thread on backpacks and sleeves:

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?threadid=178702

Originally posted by nagromme:
They're both very solid-feeling, but if anything, I'd say my PoweBook feels a little more solid than my sister's iBook. Zero flex--no twist or feeling of thin metal at all. And the 12" would be even more solid than my 15" I imagine.

Also, the PowerBook surface is MUCH more durable, my 15" has been through a lot--including recently being dumped upside down on a gritty counter top by a CompUSA repair tech. Not a scratch. My PB still looks new after a year. The shiny white plastic of other Apple products looks nice but will get scratched. My sister's iBook is newer, but looks older than mine. (Then again, she probably beats it up even worse than me )

[brettcamp]

I've had both. Used an iBook G3 and then G4 until I sold it a couple months ago to buy the 12" Powerbook. (I needed a DVI connector and wanted the 60 gb hard drive to hold my music, plus I liked the keyboard better and the price on sale was only $200 more.) I love them both, and I know what the other posters here mean when they say the Powerbook feels more solid. It's partly the much better keyboard, partly just the firmer feel of the whole bottom surface. But for actual durability, the iBook wins hands down. It's got a rubber mounted hard drive that's supposed to protect and cushion the disk if you drop the iBook. And the frame, I read somewhere, is a sturdy magnesium alloy of some kind. The iBooks were made to be thrown in a backpack. Sure the plastic polycarb shell might show scratches, but it's not going to dent nearly as easily as a Powerbook, which is made out of aluminum, after all.

I love my little AlBook, but if durability is your priority, you should go for the iBook. It's a much better value now, too.

[Mohammed Al-Sabah]

i think your better off with the ibook,

[betsbillabong]

like brettcamp, i've had both - a g3600 ibook for three years, and recently bought a 15" powerbook because i needed the power and speed for multimedia projects.

i have to say, i also think the ibook is way more durable. i dropped it on my driveway once, not in a bag or a sleeve or anything - and was of course immediately horrified. picked it up, brought it inside, it turned on, no problems. that was a few years ago, and it's still running great. my new powerbook is fantastic in many ways, but I don't think I'll have the same relationship with it, because I feel I need to be more careful - can't just "grab it with one hand and go" the way i could with the ibook.

so if you're doing a lot of audio and graphics or other cpu-intensive tasks, you probably want the powerbook. but for all-around durability for a "regular" user and light multimedia, ibook is probably the way to go.

bb

[MRTrauffer]

I've owned both an ibook g4 and my current machine, a 15" PB.

I've carried both in a Targus backpack. No matter what laptop you decide on, you will need a sleeve or a case of some sort. My PB is still humming like it was new out of the box. I've taken it with me overseas and back.

I agree with a previous post, get more memory. I recommend crucial.com

Whatever you decide on, it will be worth it.

Just my 2 cents.

[rozwado1]

This is about durability, not RAM and performance.

I've had a 500MHz iBook since oct 2001 and it's held up nicely. Like many of the users here, I'm on it constantly and it's gotten more than enough usage. While it hasn't fallen apart on me yet, I was concerned with the construction of the unit on the bottom - the battery compartment and input panel in particular.

The powerbook has a solid bottom case with the inputs underneath the aluminum case and a flat battery, whereas the ibook has separate pieces that make up the bottom. When I pick up my iBook while it's opened, you feel it bend (when I pick it up from a corner with one hand). My friend has a PB and it just feels more 'together'. My next purchase will be a PB, but I've had no legit problems with the construction of my iBook.

[madking]

I owned an iBook (600MHz) for about 3 years, brought it with me to and from campus almost everyday. Other than the expected scratches from daily usage, the iBook is very durable. I use a sleeve from Waterfield Designs, and I have dropped my bag a few times with no damage to the iBook.

I currently have a 12" PowerBook. Performance-wise, it is way superior to my old iBook, I find that I have to use it with care. I dont bring it with me everyday (had to use Windoze at new work place ;<), but I already got two major dings on the case. It's just too delicate.

An iBook may be better suited to your needs. If the standard specs machine is your consideration, a certain place has a $100 rebate, which will bring the nett price to $899 (free shipping and tax-free for most states). I will be getting one for my sister who just "converted"

[hldan]

Hands down, the iBook is designed for the roughest, toughest human on earth, a college student.
Scratches are all that you will ever get with the iBook. The Powerbook can get dented very easily. Don't let people on this forum give you the impression that the Powerbook is extremely strong. The aluminum is durable but not made for bumps and grinds of everyday life inside of a backpack.

[wuzup101]

I have my powerbook inside my backpack every single day here at college and it still looks just as nice as it did when I got it. If you care for your machine like you should you wont have a problem with either book. If you need the power get a powerbook... if you don't and want to save some cash... get the iBook. Anyway, get what you want... as they can both stand up to everyday life. If you're a total clutz and can't take care of something like a laptop then get a panasonic toughbook