Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Picking a PB is too difficult...

Picking a PB is too difficult...
Thread Tools
sikkinixx
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 09:57 PM
 
First I was et on a 12" witha superdrive, but then I thought about a 15" because the bigger screen is nice as is the extra ports and ATI grahics card as opposed to nVidia (I really dont like nVidia) but it does cost a few hundred bucks more and I wouldnt get the superdrive but thats not a huge deal. But I was reading about battery life and I HAve heard that the 15" has the worst battery life, like 1.5-3 hours max... that is really hurting, I wouldnt even make it through a lecture before I had to charge it. SO Now im baack to sqaure one, what do I get? I dont really want a ibook because their keyboards bug me, tyhe plastic case is a little tacky and I want the extra horsepower of the pb. So what in your minds is the better choice? 15" combo or 12" super? I will mainly use it for school type apps, but I also do lots of music tinkering, a bit of vdeio editing and i love gaming (although I know apples aren't the best for gaming but still, playing UT or Max payne in class would be damn fun ) so is the 12" much less powered? Hellppppppp!
     
pat++
Mac Elite
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Earth
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:01 PM
 
I think battery life must be roughly the same between the 12" and the 15". So if you want/need the larger screen get the 15", if you want more portability get the 12"
     
sikkinixx  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:05 PM
 
i think i might just flip a coin!
     
Commodus
Mac Elite
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:09 PM
 
Video editing and gaming? Go for the 15". You'll want the extra screen resolution for editing apps, and of course the video chipset will be a league above what's in the 12".

How soon do you need to buy? If you don't need to buy right away, consider holding off until closer to the end of summer. Apple may have an updated model by then.
24-inch iMac Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz
     
tcphoto
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:20 PM
 
I bought the 15" and am very happy with my choice. Many of the online retailers offer free battery or memory on Powerbooks.
     
sikkinixx  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:30 PM
 
I dont NEED it right away, Im taking summer classes and would love to get it soon so im not writing pages of notes per class, but I wont have the money for it until the end of the month at the earliest so.. They just updated them in... feb didnt they? would they do so again in only a few months? It kinda sucks since I am in canada and most of the online retailers with good deals etc are in the US only so I am kind of limited to where I can buy for a good price (student discount applies only to the website and to a campus retailer)
     
Carnage Visors
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Au
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 11, 2005, 10:45 PM
 
I had a look at all of the powerbooks, (just got one on last thursday)

and the 15" one I felt was perfect as the 12" just feels too small

-B
I saw two shooting stars last night,
I wished on them, but they were only satilites,
its wrong to wish on space hardware,
I wish, I wish, I wish you'd care.

Billy Bragg -- New England.
     
Commodus
Mac Elite
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 12:07 AM
 
Originally Posted by sikkinixx
I dont NEED it right away, Im taking summer classes and would love to get it soon so im not writing pages of notes per class, but I wont have the money for it until the end of the month at the earliest so.. They just updated them in... feb didnt they? would they do so again in only a few months? It kinda sucks since I am in canada and most of the online retailers with good deals etc are in the US only so I am kind of limited to where I can buy for a good price (student discount applies only to the website and to a campus retailer)
They were updated Jan. 31st, and Apple usually gives 6 or more months between updates. So you could be looking at end of June or July as the earliest possible update timeframe. That said, if you need to buy, don't worry - it's not like your system will be completely outclassed, unless they ship exactly what I'd hope for (see the 7448 PowerBook thread).
24-inch iMac Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz
     
Bushpk9
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 12:52 AM
 
I'm From canada too and considering this delema,
If you compare the 15inch super with 1gb ram its roughly $3000 CDN
And if you take the 12inch super and add a 20inch apple display its around the same price. so you get protability on the go in the classroom and maybe some extra batterylife. and at the dorm or at home etc. you get the nice big 20 inch display with your powerbooks 12 off to the side.
     
Randman
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: MacNN database error. Please refresh your browser.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 02:22 AM
 
Forget both and get the 17.

This is a computer-generated message and needs no signature.
     
Phossil
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 02:25 AM
 
wait what is the battery life really like on the 12"? Apple says about 5 hours I think, is that true in practice?
     
shabbasuraj
Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 03:09 AM
 
Small, medium, or large.

Just pick one, or more depending on your current cash flow situation.

DONE.

SImple if you ask me.
blabba5555555555555555555555555555555555555
     
grayc
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 03:50 AM
 
15" is the way to go....12" is to small, i personally dont like the look of the keys going right to the edge...i like the speakers flanking the keyboard it seems more thought out more refined the 12 looks like they ran out of space...i know not a good techinical answer but just my thoughts
     
wunderkind
Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jul 2001
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 06:28 AM
 
Originally Posted by Phossil
wait what is the battery life really like on the 12"? Apple says about 5 hours I think, is that true in practice?
4-4.5 hours on a new battery.
PB G4 12" 1.5GHz/1.2GB/100GB/SuperDrive/AE/Mac OS X Tiger
     
sikkinixx  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 07:41 PM
 
thanks for the replies! i have decided to wait until august to buy one so now i can fix up my car I think i am gonna go for the 15" combo because i fell in love with the bigger screen, but the option of getting a 12" and a 20" LCD is interesting, especially if i can hook my pc up to the screen too. I hope they upgrade them!
     
tekno_geek911
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Chicago,IL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 12, 2005, 07:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by Phossil
wait what is the battery life really like on the 12"? Apple says about 5 hours I think, is that true in practice?
I get 4.5 hours on my 12" and got 2.5-3 hours on my 15".
::12" PowerBook G4 | 1.33GHz | 1.25GB | 60GB | APX | OS X 10.4.1::
::30GB iPod Photo::
     
MORT A POTTY
Senior User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Earth
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 13, 2005, 01:25 AM
 
get the 15" 1.6Ghz. backlit keyboards are pimp.

(wow, that sounds dumb, but is so so true)
     
tekno_geek911
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Chicago,IL
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 13, 2005, 02:52 AM
 
I would also get the high end 15".
::12" PowerBook G4 | 1.33GHz | 1.25GB | 60GB | APX | OS X 10.4.1::
::30GB iPod Photo::
     
Phossil
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 13, 2005, 11:16 AM
 
just picked up the 12" superdrive - very happy with it
     
klamyfeat
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: May 2005
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jun 13, 2005, 07:19 PM
 
I also picked up a Rev D 12" but a Combodrive model because of the educational discount. I got my 12" PB Combodrive for $1687 CAD but I could only get the 12" Superdrive model for $1899. For the price difference, I figured I could get a dual-layer DVD burner, drive enclosure, and be half-way towards a nice G-drive Firewire 160GB HD.

12" screen isn't as good as the 15" in terms of brightness but I could only tell the difference between the two when each was side-by-side. Now that I only have the 12" sitting in front of me, I think the screen of the 12" is actually quite nice minus the small viewing angle.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:25 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,