[Skypat]

Hi,

I need to recommend a notebook to one of my friends.

She wants to use it :
at home
- surf the web
- MS Office etc
For her association
- create presentation with Office 2004
- run a small database with a member list
- write mailings, create documents, ...
- later, manage photos and even editing some videos in a later stage

So her budget is about 2000 euros.

I have selected 2 models, tell me what you think

iBook 14; 60 GB HD, 1.2 Ghz, DVD-R
Apple Care
Memory from Crucial(+256 MB)
Total = 2010 euros tax included (EDU discount, she is a teacher)

PowerBook 15 1.33 Ghz, 60 GB HD, DVD-R
NO apple care
Memory from Crucial (+256 MB)
Total = 2264 euros

Since she has no experience in computers, maybe Apple Care is a nice plus.

If you have any experience with a 14" iBook DVDR, please share it with me

Thank you

[iREZ]

The 14" iBook has 1024x768 resolution which is fine for all the stuff you mentioned except for editing of movies. I would go with the 15" PB just for the sheer fact that the GPU is compatible with corelimage (released in Tiger) not to mention better resolution with no fuzziness, more VRAM, faster bus speed, faster mhz speed (albeit not by much), FW800, PCI slot, Airport and Bluetooth built in, widescreen, better keyboard, and just plain more future proof than the iBook. If you dropped the Applecare for the iBook purchase than maybe I might lean a little toward it due to pricing, but with the two options you listed, I would definetely go the PB route.

[kdixey]

Well, if you factor in Applecare (which I think is a must) then you have a pretty significant difference in price between the two machines. I moved from a tibook 400 to the ibook 14" and I have been very pleased. I ended up buying the 1ghz 14" ibook because of the price and had enough left over for an external DVD writer, more RAM and some software.

Comparing the machines side by side I would give the edge to the powerbook in speed and flexibility (given it has a few more features, faster graphics, greater resolution and such) but I think the ibook has the edge in durability and value.

Something to consider is that while the powerbook is faster than the ibook, a 1ghz or 1.2ghz ibook is no slouch in the performance department. I design packaging for a living using Illustrator and Photoshop on a daily basis and my ibook is not that much slower than the production machines we use at work. I remeber my first job working on the Mac was using a Mac IIx with a 68040 processor and a whopping 16mb RAM and 500mb HD. Compared to that my ibook seems like a speed demon.

They're both terrific machines. Good luck.

[Randman]

For what you said she wants, I'd say the iBook. Don't get AppleCare right away and increase the ram, go to 1.2GB if possible. AppleCare can be added down the line.

[rastatero]

Definetly an iBook.