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HoOn · Oct 1, 2002, 11:45 AM

Hi! I was wondering which would be a better buy? It seems that these 2 are close in price and I was wondering what you guys think about it?

Thanks!

stew · Oct 1, 2002, 11:49 AM

Tell us more about your needs.
Do you need PCMCIA slots, lots and lots of RAM or do you want to connect your notebook to an external screen? Go for the Titanium.
Are you going to take it with you all the time or play 3D games on it? Take the iBook then. The iBook is also probably faster in most applications unless they're heavily optimized for Altivec.

HoOn · Oct 1, 2002, 12:29 PM

Oh pardon my incomplete information. I am going to use my laptop for simple Internet access, MP3s, DVD, Casual Photoshop and Macromedia stuff. This is going to be used as a desktop replacement but I would bring it with me once in awhile to school or work. I plan to put at least 512 MB on any of the machines I get. I hope this is enough info??

stew · Oct 1, 2002, 12:33 PM

I guess the Titanium would be the better desktop replacement if you can tolerate the slower CPU. I think the larger display and the connections for a second display are worth a lot, at least in my opinion.

gator · Oct 1, 2002, 12:42 PM

I'd say the iBook, it's more likely faster overall (maybe a little slower than the G4 if some program is G4 optimized, but the 300Mhz difference is a lot). If you keep an external monitor around at home, you can connect your iBook to it, you'll still only get 1024x768, but sometimes it's nice to view things on a regular monitor.

Matt Brinkhoff · Oct 9, 2002, 09:29 AM

I have a 1st generation G4/400 Powerbook and a new iBook G3/700 and IMHO the iBook blows away the Powerbook. It's way faster and more responsive with 10.2 and the Quartz Extreme is excellent.

Unless you have an app that performs MUCH faster on a G4 I would go with the iBook.

romeosc · Oct 9, 2002, 11:28 AM

Being able to use dual monitors (I use an external LCD & Ti's screen) at the same time is a great advantage in many programs.

Pagemaker to use menus & tools on one

Photoshop to have 2 separate views of same picture. Edit pixel by pixel on a blown up view & instantly see results on normal view picture in real time!

To open two or more programs .... drag & drop from several open windows.

Productivity almost doubles!

Commodus · Oct 9, 2002, 03:49 PM

I'll have to go with the iBook... clock speed may not tell the whole story, but you can't ignore that kind of difference. On top of that, remember that the iBook has a faster video chipset than that early-model Powerbook (a 16 MB Mobility Radeon instead of an 8 MB Rage 128). It's just fast enough to run Quartz Extreme, while the Powerbook's video is not.

The only real catch is screen resolution and size, and even those aren't as much of a factor. The earlier Powerbooks only get you about 128 extra pixels horizontally; the main benefit is the larger size of what's already there, which isn't a problem if you have decent eyesight.

As such, the iBook really has the edge in practical use. It's going to be a bit lighter, a bit more compact, and a bit tougher, in addition to being a lot faster.

sweetsdream · Oct 9, 2002, 04:54 PM

Yesterday, I bought an iBook 700 G3 with the 12.1 inch screen. I put an additional 512M card for memory and an Airport card. I replaced my PowerBook 500 G4 which had an unfortuate fall and I don't regret it one bit. I mostly use the new iBook for business apps (MS Office v.X) and web surfing. If you plan on traveling (wich I do every week) the iBook seems much more sturdy. I also think the iBook is about the same or maybe a little faster than my G4. You can't beat the DVD/CDR combo on the iBook either.