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jbs · Dec 17, 2002, 01:49 PM

Hi,

I finally made a decision and bought the MHz 867 PowerBook with education discount + airport card for $2330. But now I'm having second thoughts. Should I have bought the 1GHz PowerBook without the SuperDrive and with 40GB hard drive for $2660? I think it isn't to late to change the order.
My main doubt is whether the 32Mb video card is good enough for moderate game-playing now (WarCraft et cet) and in the next couple of years (Doom III?). Everybody seems to think that it is impossible to upgrade the video cards in laptops. Do you think that the 64Mb card also makes the operating system quicker than the 32Mb card (Quartz II)? Are there any MHz 867 owner out there that can shed light on the performance of the video card and maybe compare it to the Radeon 7500 in older revisions of the PowerBook?

Thanks for any feedback

oeyvind · Dec 17, 2002, 01:52 PM

Your 867 is fine, if you want to play game really... go for a desktop instead, or even a console!

Your fan will be blowing at crazy speed and loud during game play when the GPU and CPU is stressed...

mrtew · Dec 17, 2002, 07:26 PM

Yeah, you should have gotten the faster CPU and the better video card etc. Hurry, change your order! You can never go wrong by getting the best, but you can definitely go wrong by not!

mjlukich · Dec 17, 2002, 07:57 PM

Unless you are planning on using your Powerbook as a dedicated gaming machine (which is a stretch for ANY laptop) you are fine with the 867mhz CPU and 32mb Radeon 9000.

seanyepez · Dec 17, 2002, 08:01 PM

Well, even if a machine isn't a dedicated gaming machine, it's always nice to have extra graphics power in reserve for smoother frame displays.

caseygittings · Dec 17, 2002, 08:22 PM

My theory is buy the best when possible. Things are only going to get better as time goes on. When things do get better at least you will only be one step down from the best with the 1ghz as opposed to two steps with the 867. Also I play alot of games on my powerbook and they run beautifully. They will run even better once ati release drivers for the radeon 9000. The radeon cards in the macs are all running on the same drivers as of now. Cant wait for that update to take full potential of the video card. The cards are only capable of what they are told.

jbs · Dec 17, 2002, 08:32 PM

Thanks for your feedback. I would also like to hear from other 867 MHz owners about their satisfaction/dissatisfaction with it. The discussion on this and other message boards seems to focus more on the 1GHz SD model (as is normal!).
It is strange that on the websites of reseller like MacMall, Maczone and MacConnection there is no mention of the 1GHz model without the Superdrive. Where have they all gone! Is this some conspiracy.

seanyepez · Dec 17, 2002, 08:43 PM

The combination drive is not available with the 1-gigahertz TiBook anywhere else besides the Internet Apple Store.

RMXO · Dec 17, 2002, 09:22 PM

i agree. buy the best when you can. u never want to buy something then wish u bought something else. since you already are feeling that you should of gotten the 1GHz, then you should just do it.

seanyepez · Dec 17, 2002, 09:51 PM

I agree. If you're already regretting your purchase, go for the 1-gigahertz PowerBook.

jbs · Dec 17, 2002, 10:04 PM

Thanks for the advice. You have convinced me.
I'll try to change the order. I hope that it isn't too late and that the computer hasn't shipped (it hadn't earlier today when I talked to the university store).

davidflas · Dec 17, 2002, 10:15 PM

I was thinking about the PB 867 too, but then I thought about how much I would miss the superdrive and the standard airport card, not to mention the better video card. I know this might sound crazy, but the fans don't bother me, and don't seem unusally loud to me at all.

tibookowner · Dec 17, 2002, 10:17 PM

Apple seems to pay special Attention to fit and finish...

BJNY · Dec 17, 2002, 10:49 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
The combination drive is not available with the 1-gigahertz TiBook anywhere else besides the Internet Apple Store.

I thought MacConnection has the 1GHz combo in stock practically since the introduction

seanyepez · Dec 17, 2002, 11:02 PM

That's not true. I just visited their site and they don't show the 1-gigahertz PowerBook with a combination drive anywhere.

This is also what people at the physical Apple Store at Westfield have been saying.

FlashGordon · Dec 17, 2002, 11:08 PM

save your cash and buy an xbox with xbox live. You will be much happier with the games on it, and you will be able to play the games in a year or two. The powerbook is a great gamer as far as laptops go, but there just arent that many great mac games to make it worth you paying $600

If I was you I would just get the best of the best because it is cooler, who cares f you need it or not?

jmp998 · Dec 17, 2002, 11:24 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
That's not true. I just visited their site and they don't show the 1-gigahertz PowerBook with a combination drive anywhere.

This is also what people at the physical Apple Store at Westfield have been saying.

Most online resellers don't carry the Combo, but macconnection has for several weeks. Bet they're selling quite a few as this is one of the few places to get them without paying tax (assuming you don't live in the wrong state):

http://www.pcconnection.com/scripts/...duct_id=322032

UnixMac · Dec 18, 2002, 12:13 AM

My rule of computer purchase.... But the best my budget can get... Usually this is top of the line, but I have been known to skimp here and there..

flanders · Dec 18, 2002, 12:29 AM

I don't know, I just picked up the 867 and it flies! The Radeon 9000 w/32M should be just fine for even the most demanding games...even my Radeon 7500 in my thinkpad runs almost 80fps in Quake3 with all the options on and at 1280x1024...shouldn't the 9000 handle even more?

lokjah · Dec 18, 2002, 12:37 AM

i always try to get the largest machine that i can when i buy, i use heavy graphics intensive programs and having the larger machine helps me with my immediate work and helps me keep it for at least 2-3 years.

but you need to do what you feel is right for you.

l�k

sworthy · Dec 18, 2002, 12:38 AM

When I looked at the difference between the two models, I broke all the differences down...

867 vs. 1000 (+ or - 15%)
combo vs. super
512 ram vs. 1024 ram (after double ram promo)(twice the ram)
32 vram vs. 64 vram (twice the vram)
40 HD vs. 60 HD (50% more space)
no airport vs. airport

I think that if you look at each upgrade from the 867 to the 1GHz it just makes too much sense to get the 1GHZ (especially with the double ram promo). All of those upgrades are worth at least $100 (more or less) and some (superdrive and ram) are worth more, or much more than that $100.

Besides the reason of getting more for your money, I think that as long as you can afford the higher model, you'll be able to use it for a longer time period, thus making it more valuable to you as well.

-Sworthy

John123 · Dec 18, 2002, 12:40 AM

I disagree with a lot of you folks. More often than not, I do *NOT* buy the top-of-the-line PowerBook. You pay a premium to get the best of the best, and when you average it out long-term, it's a lot easier to justify more frequent upgrades if you consistently buy the low-end model.

For example, the price difference between the 550 and the 667 when introduced was, I believe, $700. I got the 550. I turned around 6 months later and sold my 550 for a loss of $350 and bought the 667DVI...note that I used a slower machine for roughly half a year and then turned around and got a machine that takes full advantage of Quartz Extreme, has a higher res display, etc. If I'd bought the original 667, I'd have paid a total of $350 more over time and I never would have had these features in the "final "machine. Think about how this all adds up into the next upgrades...

That said...I am typing on a 1 Ghz SD right now. Apple made the price spread a LOT more reasonable on this revision, and the chance to get not only a faster processor but also the 128bit 64MB Radeon 9000 Mobility was enticing...as was the SuperDrive and built-in Airport card. This is the first revision in a long time that I've been able to justify the top-of-the-line.

So my advice? I have none. :-) Do what will make you regret your purchase the least (as if you could ever regret purchasing either one of those beauties!)

jbs · Dec 18, 2002, 11:09 AM

Thanks for all the advice. I went this morning to the university store and was able to change my order

to the 1GHz combo with 40GB hard drive ($90 cheaper) for $2429 + tax. That's only $300 more than the 867MHz that I was to get originally. They were going to ship it in the next 24 hours so I was lucky to be able to change it. It feels good for once to own a "top of the line" system.
Tha bad thing is that I was put again at the bottom of the line and won't get the computer until January

.

UnixMac · Dec 19, 2002, 12:30 PM

if your getting a student discount then go for it! I paid full retail plus paid $200 to upgrade the RAM... thats $3200, and I'm happy, so you should be stoked!!!

seanyepez · Dec 19, 2002, 12:44 PM

Did they allow you to use the memory-doubling promotion on your education order?

Employee orders aren't eligible for some reason or another.

jbs · Dec 19, 2002, 01:08 PM

No I wasn't able to get this double your memory deal so it has "only" 512MB RAM. That must be enough for my needs. If I had bought the computer straight through the Apple education website I could have gotten the memory deal but then the computer would have been more expensive $2577 + tax (http://store.apple.com/1-800-780-500...p/2.7.0.3.27.1) instead of $2429 + tax (http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObje...1/3.7.0.3.27.1). I know that MacOSX loves memory but 512MB must be enough for ordinary mortals!

TheIceMan · Dec 19, 2002, 02:50 PM

jbs: Glad you made a decision that makes you happy. Yup, nothing worst than regretting your purchase. It would have been nice if you could have gotten it before Christmas.