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wowway1 · Jan 17, 2006, 04:51 PM

I'm really struggling with this. I need a new lappy, and there's a deal on a current-gen 15" PB at my local apple store for 1599.95. It's a 'refreshed' model, but it is exactly the same as the current-gen 15" powerbook. Is this a good deal?

I really really want the new intel book, but really don't need the speed or the hassles of a Rev A machine (not to mention the wait). Am I just crazy for not going the intel route?

Jerome · Jan 17, 2006, 05:01 PM

For now, the PowerBook is a fine machine if speed is not an issue but as time goes by and apps are ported to the new CPUs and can properly use the faster chips, the Macbook seems like a better choice in the long-term. But if you don't need that much speed, Powerbooks are great with lots of nice features.

TAZ · Jan 17, 2006, 06:05 PM

This all depends on what you will be doing with it. At $1599 its almost a steal (I presume youre taling about the 1.67 GHz model). To put it in perspecitve my TiBk 400 lasted till I got the Rev A 1.25 AlBk. At that time it was still a usefull machine; I just wanted a new machine. Unless youre a freakishly power user, the current g4 Pb will serve you well for atleast a few years.

John123 · Jan 17, 2006, 09:52 PM

By "refreshed" -- do you mean refurb? Or something else?

If it happens to be essentially new, it *is* a steal. Even with tax, that's a fantastic deal, especially from an Apple Store...

Oh, and no, you are not crazy for not going the Intel route. I have a current-generation one myself, and money's not an object, and I'm not sure I'm going to upgrade. I suspect there are a good number of people out there who feel similarly.

sadpandas · Jan 17, 2006, 10:32 PM

i feel the same way John, I just dont see the need to go through the hassle i went through to get this version when it 1st came out nor do i want to deal with the rev. a headache. ill let others beta test the thing and when this one gives up the ghost ill figure it out then.. for now this book does everything i need it to.

p

wowway1 · Jan 18, 2006, 10:21 AM

thanks all, I'm going to pick it up today.

John123 · Jan 18, 2006, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by wowway1

thanks all, I'm going to pick it up today.

wowway1 · Jan 19, 2006, 04:01 PM

that...was...nutty.

So I get there, sure enough it's the current generation 15" 1.67ghz Powerbook. It had been returned and was 'refreshed' by the guru bar. I opened it up, it looked brand new, seem to checkout fine. So I tell the girl I want an extra 512MB memory for it. She goes and gets it, and rings me up. I throw down my student ID with my license and CC, not only does she take the 10% off the RAM, she also took 10% off the powerbook!

1439.96 for a current-gen powerbook, I'll take it

As a side note, the new Intel iMac is nutty fast. I played with it for awhile and almost bought one of those instead.

sadpandas · Jan 19, 2006, 08:34 PM

Congrats on the purchase and the discounts. mmm discounts.

wowway1 · Jan 19, 2006, 09:04 PM

Are these things suppost to have what looks like a grey line running through the middle of the top menu bar? Or is that apple's way of trying to make it look more like a 'pipe'? I never noticed this on the RevA 17" I owned two years ago.

spiff72 · Jan 19, 2006, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by wowway1

Are these things suppost to have what looks like a grey line running through the middle of the top menu bar? Or is that apple's way of trying to make it look more like a 'pipe'? I never noticed this on the RevA 17" I owned two years ago.

Yep. Supposed to give that 3D effect on the top menubar. Could it be a Tiger thing?

wuzup101 · Jan 21, 2006, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by spiff72

Yep. Supposed to give that 3D effect on the top menubar. Could it be a Tiger thing?

Yup, IIRC this was changed in tiger. I updated right when it came out, which was a little while ago, but I seem to remember the menu bar was slightly changed (the apple logo also looks different I believe).

spiff72 · Jan 21, 2006, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by wuzup101

Yup, IIRC this was changed in tiger. I updated right when it came out, which was a little while ago, but I seem to remember the menu bar was slightly changed (the apple logo also looks different I believe).

Yeah - I remember that the Apple changed to a brighter shade of blue...wasn't sure about the menu bar itself, though.

wowway1 · Jan 22, 2006, 12:23 PM

It's growing on me. I really think Apple screwed up by jacking up the screen resolution though...I like the older display on the 15" better.