[365]

I know there are many threads asking for buying advice but I'm stuck in a rut going nowhere fast ( literally ) and I need some advice from people that make a living with their Powerbook and/or G5.

Last year I bought a Ti Book and Dual 867 MD at the same time. To cut a long story short, after nine repairs I lost all faith in the long term viability of the Ti book and sold it. Not long after the dual 867 had problems which required it to have a new motherboard and power supply and when it came back it was VERY noisy and so I decided to sell that as well.

I then started working on an old 500mhz G3 iBook which was meant to be ( very ) short term until the new 15" Al Books and G5 towers came along but when that happened so did stories ( on this forum and others ) about faults and problems and I got cold feet ( bad memories of the Ti and MD ) and decided to endure the torture of the iBook ( Panther offered a little speed increase ) until the rev B's came along. Trouble is they didn't come along when expected so fast forward nearly twelve months to today and I'm still using the iBook to make my living ( I use my machine for web design and Java programming using mainly Golive CS, ImageReady CS ( some Photoshop ), XCode and Eclipse ) but I've had enough ( I even bought a new HP Wintel box which was sold two days later ( let's not go there) ) .

The reason I need advice is that I've lost touch with how fast the latest G4 Powerbooks are and have no idea at all of how fast a G5 is compared to the G4 tower, benchmarks don't tell a story of how a machine compares when working on it 12-14 hours a day.

Are any of you using the latest Powerbooks and/or G5's professionally for similar work to me, using similar apps and if so can you tell me any issues you have or even which you think is the best machine for me. I suppose what I want to know is after waiting all this time should I just endure the iBook a little longer until the G5 upgrades in June ( I don't see any value in the machines at their price point today with upgrades around the corner ) and get a G5 with 20" Cinema display or will a G5 be overkill for my needs and I should just buy a 15" Powerbook now and start having a more positive and profitable experience.

[iREZ]

I dont think a G5 would be overkill seeing how you make your living on your computer, and overkill now will be just mediocre in 9 months to a year. If you like the idea of portability then you just can't go wrong with the 17" or 15" 1.5 model, they're just as fast on most programs when they're compared to the G5 single. I don't have either but my 12" suits me just fine when doing simple buisness cards for people. I would say that if portability isn't a concern then wait for the G5 updates, if it is then you cant go wrong with the last Rev in a Powerbook line, they're solid computers with lots of horsepower and will last quite a while no matter what people say. Just look at the Pismo, people still use it to get their work done and the G5 powerbooks are almost around the corner. Sorry to hear about all your misfortune before hand, hopefully you wont encounter any problems with your new machine(s).

[365]

Thanks iRez, the iBook does a job and I can't knock it because it has served me well and never - touch wood - missed a beat but I'm really starting to feel it's pain especially with the new CS apps, PC users laugh when they see me start Photoshop, it can take literally three minutes to the point where it's usable.

My gut tells me like you have to wait for the G5's but Apple went and released the new Powerbook to add to my turmoil. The worst thing like I say is that I've forgotten what a G4 feels like let alone a G5.

Trouble is it's starting to become a time consuming distraction.

[iREZ]

If I were you, I'd ebay your iBook and shell out for a newer used G4 iBook, then when the new G5's come out you'd have a better decision to make. I've seen G4 iBook's sell for around $800 and emacs for around $650. If you could get $450+ for your iBook, and believe me you can then all you'd be paying is a few hundred more for a much faster machine, stay away from the G3 iBooks with all the logic board problems they've had it would be a risky investment, also remember that Quartz really helps in programs like photoshop and is available in the G4 but not the G3. It shouldn't be a big hit on you financially because you'd be using the computer to make money. Just my 2 cents.

[dabigdawg]

I've been using my desktop G4 PCI version no less for the last several years and it has not yet failed me. I have a Powerbook Ti as well and can say that it handles quite a load as well.

I use both of these machine for webdev and photoshop, I have not had the need to upgrade to a g5 or the new powerbook AL. I will probably hold out until the G5 laptops emerge and maybe wait till the second version because we all know Apple has not had a great batting average coming out the gate without troubles. A nice G4 is what I would recommend, invest low and wait it out.