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kpne1home · Feb 16, 2004, 06:34 PM

I'd like to get a Powerbook and I'm looking at the refurbished modles. I was kinda thinking of a 15" but the 12" is so much cheeper. All I'd be doing with it is probably web browsing, IMing, sometimes Halo and starcraft and other games (nothing more demanding as halo)

I think the 15" its a titanium version verseus the 12" alu version. Has anyone had to make this decision themselves?

jdhindes · Feb 16, 2004, 06:45 PM

I purchased a 12" Powerbook in Feb '03 and have NEVER regretted it. I really don't do games, so I can't attest to the performance playing games, but I love my 12" Powerbook! It has performed flawlessly for me since the day I purchased it. I did purchase Applecare and the only time I used Applecare was for missing feet. I would purchase the 12" again in a heartbeat.

Jim

cal4ever · Feb 16, 2004, 06:57 PM

Originally posted by jdhindes:
I would purchase the 12" again in a heartbeat.

Jim

I agree completely! I bought my 12'' in October '03 and I have no regrets. Saddly, I even chose my classes based on whether I would be using my pb in lecture or not. *sigh*

I love the 12'''s portability and power. And I still love how everybody stares at my PB when I pull it out of my bag.

If you are going to play Halo with it, you might want to get a display. I can't imagine playing Halo on a 12'' screen, but that's just me. I play Civ 3 all the time, and I wish the screen was a little bigger. Other than playing games, I have no problem with the 12'' screen.

swimfan · Feb 16, 2004, 07:30 PM

I owned a 12" Powerbook from when they were first released. I used it mainly for school. It was the PERFECT notebook for taking everywhere with me! However, that is the ONLY reason I would ever get another one again. Once I graduated and the computer bacame my home wireless internet machine, the screen drove me crazy. The real-estate is just not enough to do anything but have one window open. Using the finder, ichat, safari and itunes became a frustrating chore. I actually sold the computer on ebay for an older 15" Ti Powerbook to get a better screen. If you aren't going to be taking the book with you everywhere, spend the extra dough for a 15" Al or buy an older Ti. You won't regret it. 12 inches is just sooo small for a screen you are going to be staring at for long periods of time. I love my new Powerbook and I cannot believe I lasted on a 12" for so long.

Spaceboy · Feb 16, 2004, 08:08 PM

I'm in the same situation. I'm stuck between the 12" and 15", 12" owners, isn't the 1024 max resolution a pain? That's really the sticking point to me, that and the hd space. Did any of you also feel that way, but it turns out was worries for no reason. I"m just afraid of everything being to big..

vancenase · Feb 16, 2004, 08:11 PM

i was in the same boat with the 12" ... screen resolution too small ... so, i bought a 17"

no regrets!

Dr.Michael · 07:22 AM

Originally posted by kpne1home:
I'd like to get a Powerbook and I'm looking at the refurbished modles. I was kinda thinking of a 15" but the 12" is so much cheeper. All I'd be doing with it is probably web browsing, IMing, sometimes Halo and starcraft and other games (nothing more demanding as halo)

I think the 15" its a titanium version verseus the 12" alu version. Has anyone had to make this decision themselves?

The 12 inch/1GHz is a great machine. Games will run as well as on any TiBook because both have a 32 MB Video chip (Ati vs. NVidia). The one exception is the 1 GHz TiBook with 64 MB VRam.

My two drawbacks for the 12 inch:
With a connected external display it runs hotter than without so that the fan starts running. Without external display the fan runs only rarely.

Because of the small and low mounted screen you may experience neck problems (after a while). So an iCurve (or if you don't mind less style: a pile of books) and an external keyboard will be the next investment if you work frequently and long with your powerbook.

If I had to decide again between TiBook and 12 inch AlBook I would choose the 12 inch. Because of its protability AND power.

Oh yes, you cannot change the hd of the 12 inch powerbook without voiding your warranty. Very, very, very, ..., very bad.

mintcake · Feb 17, 2004, 06:26 AM

I had the same dilemma, I went with the 12" and I'm really glad I did. I play Halo on it no problem. I can connect it up to my 19" VGA monitor, but I rarely bother even when playing games. The 12" is beautifully portable without feeling too small, I think a 15" would just be that bit too big to carry around comfortably, even within the home.

bbales · Feb 17, 2004, 11:05 AM

I, too, have a 1-year-old 12-in and have never regretted it. The 15-inch wasn't an option then -- and I would have opted for the 12-inch based on price. This is a secondary machine for me and the (then) new 12-inch hit the points I needed on portability, performance and price. I KNOW a 15-inch would be great for the larger screen -- but this works for me. As you don't sound like you'll be doing a lot of editing, etc., it sounds like the 12-inch would work for you, too, especially if price is a big consideration.

I kind of look at it as -- yes, it would be nicer to have a bigger screen, but this does work. You don't always get everything you want and I LOVE my 12-inch and having a great laptop as my "upstairs" machine (my desk is in the basement).

You could always opt for the cheaper laptop -- and get yourself an ipod with the savings! Still don't have one of those, and I want one...

Or -- get the cheaper one and then get a keyboard to play with garageband!

You can also do a search -- others have had this question before you, so you can read other remarks, as well. Both machines have much going for them, so it really comes down to waht you're going to use the machine for and if you think the smaller screen will drive you crazy. I NEVER ever hook mine up to an external monitor, so I've obviously learned to live with it.

Simon · Feb 17, 2004, 11:14 AM

I love my 1GHz 12" PowerBook. It's ultra-portable and it runs Panther fine.

When I'm at a desk I connect it to a large display, keyboard and mouse and it feels like any dektop Mac. On the road I use it a lot too and I find the screen big enough to do work (Expose helps a lot), but still small enough to carry around everywhere.

The only downside is that it draws all attention in a plane or train.

I would buy it again anytime.

typoon · Feb 17, 2004, 11:38 AM

None yet. I got mine day after xmas and love it so far.

melman101 · Feb 17, 2004, 12:13 PM

I've had my 12" since March 2003 and its the best portable I've ever used. I recommended two of my friends and they have since both got Rev B's. I have had my share of problems with the Apple Repair depot, but i think its just my luck

Sincerely,
Mel

iREZ · Feb 17, 2004, 12:41 PM

I got my 12" only a month ago and it is just pure bliss, and I dont get how having more resolution on a 12" screen can help peoples eyes out when it already supposedly hurts with 1024. I used to have it hooked up to a 17" monitor but I rarely used it so I gave it to my cousin. Just pop your 12" on an iCurve external keyboard and mouse and you're set. The 12's portability to power ratio is quite a tempting package for anybody, heck its my only computer right now and I dont mind it one bit. Plays Halo decently (29 fps on average) if you turn some settings off here's a page that tells you how to get the most out of your mac when playing Halo

http://www.barefeats.com/halo.html

I love my 12" and would also love a 15" but with the money I saved on the 15", I basically got my ram, AE card, Apple keyboard, Apple mouse, AppleCare, and still saved more then if I had just bought a 15", very important for a college student.

Just as a side note my cousin has the Rev a 17" 1ghz, 1024MB ram, and we both ran xbench on our computers and he scored a 110 and I got a 101, not tooo shabby even though cache was probably responsible for the 17's score.

Hanul · Feb 17, 2004, 12:53 PM

I ordered the 12" PB the day Steve announced it in January 2003. I got it in February and it runs flawlessly since then. Love this machine and it's the right system for me: ultra-portable and capable of running FCE and now GarageBand. Burning DVDs on the move is cool, also

Spaceboy · Feb 17, 2004, 04:05 PM

Originally posted by iREZ:
I got my 12" only a month ago and it is just pure bliss, and I dont get how having more resolution on a 12" screen can help peoples eyes out when it already supposedly hurts with 1024. I used to have it hooked up to a 17" monitor but I rarely used it so I gave it to my cousin.

I would just think it would be a huge jump if if you could run 1280 on it, instead of 1024. However, nobody else that owns it feels that way, so I will prob just go with the 12. That's what I wanted to find out, if it was an issue or not..

elvis2000 · Feb 17, 2004, 11:15 PM

Originally posted by kpne1home:
I'd like to get a Powerbook and I'm looking at the refurbished modles. I was kinda thinking of a 15" but the 12" is so much cheeper. All I'd be doing with it is probably web browsing, IMing, sometimes Halo and starcraft and other games (nothing more demanding as halo)

I think the 15" its a titanium version verseus the 12" alu version. Has anyone had to make this decision themselves?

If this is any help... I bought a 15" (problem free for 4 months... I've been lucky), and kinda wish I went with the 12". The 15" has been great, but for the $400 extra I could have used that towards an external DVI monitor with Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. I don't like the cables coming from both ends of the laptop, and think a DVI 17" external would have been nice.

je

flanders · Feb 18, 2004, 12:08 AM

FWIW, my wife's ibook is 1024 and it's nice for portable computing (email, web, ichat, etc.) but i don't think i'd want to use it for working all day on. i think you'd spend too much time shuffling windows around although i've never tried using it either.

bearfilm · Feb 21, 2004, 02:03 AM

I have loved my 12" powerbook since the day I got it last fall (thanks to CompUSA matching the refurb price from Apple even though it was new!)
I tool along just fine with a couple hours of battery life and I figure when I get tired of looking at the small screen I can just go out and get a flat screen monitor to use . My ONLY regret? I am getting kind of low on Disk Space and when I checked into the procedure for upgrading the Hard drive I was shocked! When I think of how easy it was to swap my Pismo HD I wonder if this really si progress.
So regrets? Not entirely yet, but even typing this message with the awesome keyboard this thing has brings a smile to my face. Something my Pismo never did.
I REALLY like this little guy!

danbrew · Feb 21, 2004, 10:56 PM

I'd bet, for the most part, you aren't going to get a whole lot of regrets from people who decided it was right for them and went ahead and purchased. You wouldn't expect that unless there was a major flaw - and we'd have all heard about that if there was.

A better question might be "Why didn't you buy the 12"?" I didn't because the 1024 was just too limiting. The lack of a PC card also just sucked. At the time it was limited to 640 megs or something like that - I think the new 12" will do a gig or more.

Simon · Feb 22, 2004, 07:38 AM

Originally posted by danbrew:
The lack of a PC card also just sucked.

We've had lengthy discussions about this here before. Basically those buying a 12" want the smallest size and would prefer not having a PC Card slot if it makes the notebook smaller. When I open my 12" I see absolutely no free space left. So adding PC Card slots would have made it bigger. Therefore I think it was a good decision on Apple's behalf to not include them on the model built for smallest size.

At the time it was limited to 640 megs or something like that - I think the new 12" will do a gig or more.

At the time the rev A came out the largest PC2100 SO-DIMM was the 512MB. So Apple claims it's limited to 640MB. In the mean time you can buy 1GB PC2100 SO-DIMMs. This will take you to 1152MB and there are reports of people who did this successfully. The rev B has 256MB soldered on board so it goes up to 1280MB with a 1GB SO-DIMM.

Destonius · Feb 22, 2004, 10:11 AM

I've had my 12" Rev.A since last Fall and it's been wonderful for me too. I am using it to learn the basics of music applications, so it serves all of my needs just fine. For me, it's a transitional model until G5 15" Rev.B is released. I'm very happy with it.

danbrew · Feb 22, 2004, 11:14 AM

Originally posted by Simon:
We've had lengthy discussions about this here before. Basically those buying a 12" want the smallest size and would prefer not having a PC Card slot if it makes the notebook smaller. When I open my 12" I see absolutely no free space left. So adding PC Card slots would have made it bigger. Therefore I think it was a good decision on Apple's behalf to not include them on the model built for smallest size.

Yes - agreed. That's why I didn't purchase the 12". I spent a lot of time going over the specs of the 12 & 17" (cause I had an original TiPB and wanted a new one - mostly for computing power, but also some "gotta have something new & cool). In addition I spent a lot of time actually touching, looking, feeling, running apps, etc. in the Apple store. I was really close to selecting a 12", but in the end decided that the lack of a PC card, the resolution, and the memory were just too limiting for my uses. of course you can always slap in a firewire CF reader or other 3rd party devices to give you that type of expansion - if you don't mind carrying around another device. Ironically enough, I rarely use the PC slot on my 17" - I use a firewire CF device for image transfer. After months of use I'd have to say that the most important feature for me is the resolution - I just wouldn't be happy with 1024.

If at all possible, sit down in front of them before you decide - an Apple store or a retail store in most larger cities will likely have all three on display. If I lived out in the bush I'd consider a trip to the nearest store just to make sure I wasn't limiting myself.

hardcat1970 · Feb 22, 2004, 07:39 PM

Originally posted by danbrew:
Yes - agreed. That's why I didn't purchase the 12". I spent a lot of time going over the specs of the 12 & 17" (cause I had an original TiPB and wanted a new one - mostly for computing power, but also some "gotta have something new & cool). In addition I spent a lot of time actually touching, looking, feeling, running apps, etc. in the Apple store. I was really close to selecting a 12", but in the end decided that the lack of a PC card, the resolution, and the memory were just too limiting for my uses. of course you can always slap in a firewire CF reader or other 3rd party devices to give you that type of expansion - if you don't mind carrying around another device. Ironically enough, I rarely use the PC slot on my 17" - I use a firewire CF device for image transfer. After months of use I'd have to say that the most important feature for me is the resolution - I just wouldn't be happy with 1024.

If at all possible, sit down in front of them before you decide - an Apple store or a retail store in most larger cities will likely have all three on display. If I lived out in the bush I'd consider a trip to the nearest store just to make sure I wasn't limiting myself.

It really depends on how you use with your powerbook. I bought my 12" powerbook because it is very light to carry around compared to my pismo. Also i hook up my 12" to an external LCD at work all the time, i only use the built-in screen for internet browsing at home, so the resolution is enough for me.

legacyb4 · Feb 23, 2004, 03:33 AM

My only regret was that I bought mine on a time limit and didn't have time to do a BTO order. As a result, I "only" have a 40GB drive when I wish I could have gotten a 60GB.

I made up the difference by getting a 2.5" external FW 80GB unit though...

Originally posted by kpne1home:
I'd like to get a Powerbook and I'm looking at the refurbished modles. I was kinda thinking of a 15" but the 12" is so much cheeper. All I'd be doing with it is probably web browsing, IMing, sometimes Halo and starcraft and other games (nothing more demanding as halo)

I think the 15" its a titanium version verseus the 12" alu version. Has anyone had to make this decision themselves?

iREZ · Feb 23, 2004, 01:15 PM

Same here, only regret was getting my book stock. 40gigs is a little tight, so I backed up all my mp3's to cd, and cleared them off my hard drive and just left them on my iPod. Anytime I add a new cd to my iPod I just back it up. This method saved me about 12gigs.

shabbasuraj · Feb 24, 2004, 12:21 AM

get the 12" and upgrade the drive to 80 gigs, and your set...

i did...

sugarkane · Feb 25, 2004, 02:58 AM

i have a rev a 12" and have had it for 6 months, the only trouble i've had was blowing the bluetooth unit after i pulled a FC reader without ejecting it!
you can run the 1gb sims quite well but can't take advantage of the faster speed they are capable of ( when the price gets better i'll get on that **** for sure )
if you work with the thing use an exteral display cause you get a much bigger work space, i use mine for amater dv editing and have no issues with the size of the screen
get the bigger HD if you got the cash for sure or get a nice big and FAST firewire drive and if you have the rev a unit like mine check out this site casue you can bring your superdirve up to the same speed as the new units

http://superdrive.cynikal.net/

on xbench i get 84.96 and the big letdown is the 5200rpm HD every thing else is pretty fast

i would think about getting the 15al but no way would i buy a 15ti and as the 15al's weren't around when i got mine i have to problems with what i got
if you need more power and a bigger screen then get the 15 and if price or size is your bag then get the 12 you won't be unhappy with it!!

sk

mxpiazza · Feb 29, 2004, 12:32 AM

as a college student, i love the 12" to death for portability to classes, and everyone loves staring at it. but i'm also on my computer a ton, and don't have an external monitor. expose in panther helps with window shuffling, but 1024 is a pain to deal with. if you get a 12, i would say definitley get an external monior that supports higher than 1024 resolution... unless the compact size is THAT important to you. i'm selling my entire 12" package to upgrade to a 15" or 17", just because the 1024 is becoming too much of a chore with this being my only computer.