[skarim]

Hi,
I have a 12" PB 1ghz that I like a lot. I'm thinking of upgrading the components, but wondering whether I should save the money for a future macbook. I like the 12" computer, the 13.1 inch seems a little too big for me to move around.

I've figured it would cost about $500 plus installation for what i would like. (1.25 gb ram total, 120 gb HD, superdrive, new battery).

what do you guys think?

[jhonizzle]

i bought a PB after i bought my MBP...definatly worth it, i love both machines. so keep the powerbook up to speed. with regaurds to the ram i think your better off just buying two 1GB sticks and having 2GB of ram....

[iREZ]

? the 12" can only handle one 1gig stick of RAM. i find it a waste of time and effort to upgrade the 12" powerbook the way you've mentioned. if you have a an early model 12" its better to just sell it and move on to a newer rev.

[jhonizzle]

he has a point i bought a 15" PB 1.67....

[imitchellg5]

But still there is no other Apple notebook that has the portability of the 12 inch PB. You could probably save a lot of money by doing the upgrades yourself. Look for HDs on eBay or craigslist, you can often get hds for cheap there.

[skarim]

Are HD and optical drive replacement really DIY jobs in aluminum 12" PBs ? I've put together a PC before, but I'm reluctant to open a laptop.

[iREZ]

ive seen online tutorials and never dared attempting it. youre better off letting an apple tech do it for $50/hr. shouldnt take more than an hr anyhow.

[amazing]

Well, you're going to upgrade to a new laptop eventually, so don't sink too much into an older laptop--if you take the cost of your upgrades and add that amount to the amount you'd sell it for, you could buy a MB. Yes, it's not as portable, but you'll be happier in the long run.

But anyway: here's some suggestions for sensible upgrades:

Assemble an external burner. You can get a Macally case (fw and usb 2.0) for $50 and put a dual-layer, 16X burner into it for $37 (both at newegg.com.) The advantages: you'll be able to use them with your eventual new system, and the 16X DL burner will be vastly faster and more versatile than any internal laptop burner.

Assemble an external firewire 2.5" drive. Very portable, just slightly larger than a pack of cards, and, again, you'll be able to use it with your eventual new laptop. Suggestion: wait awhile until 2.5" firewire/USB 2.0 SATA cases become plentiful, and get a large 2.5" SATA HD for it. When you eventually buy your MB, you can switch the large HD into the MB...and thereby avoid Apple's premium prices for HD upgrades. Advantage: you'll have an external HD to clone a backup of your laptop, or store music or movies on, whatever.

Only worthwhile upgrade: if you can find a good deal on the RAM, go for it. How much RAM do you currently have?

[imitchellg5]

I agree wiht amazing too. Why not get a fast external burner and external firewire drive that you will be able to use with any Mac and keep for a while?

[kmarketing]

Hi,

I definitely agree with getting the external dvd burner if you need it. I did disassemble an old 12" to get to the optical drive and it is a trip. I definitely would not recommend it.

The hard drive though is not hard to get to, and if you are a bit handy its definitely something you can do on your own. I personally wouldn't want to carry around an external hard drive if I can have it in the computer already, even though its nice to have an external one also. One major recommendation if you do decide to do it yourself: GET YOURSELF A GOOD SET OF SCREWDRIVERS. If you have a cheap set, you can strip the screws and then really cause problems for yourself down the road.

I was battling with keeping my 12" or getting a macbook, but I've decided to keep the powerbook for now, and I'm happy about it. Here's why:

1. All my current software works great with my pb, so no need to spend money for applications.
2. The form factor and portability are still best with the 12".
3. The pb doesn't have some of the issues as the macbooks.
3. My powerbook is beautiful and honestly still better looking than the macbooks in my opinion. The macbook pros are a different story, but not as portable.

I definitely would go with upgrading the powerbook, but ONLY if it wouldn't be super expensive. If you can get some decent deals on the memory and hard drive, I say go for it. You would have to get memory for a new macbook anyway, so that would be an extra cost. And if you get a bigger faster laptop hard drive, you can always make that one portable in the future. Or selling the powerbook would be a little better value with a better hard drive, or even cut the cost of the new hard drive by selling the old one.

I say stay happy with the 12", and wait to see what they are coming out with in the future. You have a great machine already, and honestly I think the 12" powerbooks still catch more attention than the macbooks.

[trevorM]

Originally Posted by kmarketing

1. All my current software works great with my pb, so no need to spend money for applications.
2. The form factor and portability are still best with the 12".
3. The pb doesn't have some of the issues as the macbooks.
3. My powerbook is beautiful and honestly still better looking than the macbooks in my opinion. The macbook pros are a different story, but not as portable.

Spot on with those points. Form factor, portability, and aesthetics of the 12" are just second to none. I was bitterly disappointed with the MB and indeed the MBP vis-a-vis size/portability, though admittedly the MBP are great performance wise but as you said portability is an issue.

[Seb G]

Originally Posted by kmarketing

The hard drive though is not hard to get to, and if you are a bit handy its definitely something you can do on your own. I personally wouldn't want to carry around an external hard drive if I can have it in the computer already, even though its nice to have an external one also. One major recommendation if you do decide to do it yourself: GET YOURSELF A GOOD SET OF SCREWDRIVERS. If you have a cheap set, you can strip the screws and then really cause problems for yourself down the road.

Second that. Also, you want to work on an empty desk where you have plenty of space to arrange any parts you remove in order of removal so you can easily assemble backwards. Most useful for the 13 (?) screws that have different lengths.

1st time hard-drive replacement: 50 minutes. Second time down to 35. Enjoy!

[kmarketing]

Hi,

I'm glad that we agree. It was really a tough decision not to go forward with a macbook, especially since I had a decent offer for the powerbook. But after going multiple times to the apple store, I could just never get used to the plastic of the macbook. They just resembled the ibooks too much to me. The black ones were great brand new, but the wear and tear that the ones in the store were exhibiting were just to distracting. And with the 12" powerbooks, there is just nothing in the market like them.

Of course if my powerbook was not in the perfect condition that it is in, I would lean towards getting a new macbook, but it would probably be a pro. But other than that, the speed differential may be substantial for some things, but for the software that I already own everything works fine on the pb.

The knowledge that I have a good machine, that I would have to spend extra to get another one, in upgrade the memory, and in buying new software down the road really stopped me in my tracks. And finally, there is something better coming in the near future, and I will have a fine machine to hold me til then. I hope that helps you realize that keeping your pb is a good idea.

I would definitely recommend ifixit.com to download the guide and screw chart for disassembly instructions. You can print out everything, and then with the screw chart, just tape the screws to the chart so you won't forget where they belong. Good Luck!!

[shabbasuraj]

Save the cash, sell the ol one and buy a new machine when they are released.