[Kyle Dreaden]

Hey everyone -

I'm in need of some guidance. Despite the fact that my Powermac G4 & Powerbook G4 are both great machines that serve me well, the recent introduction of Boot Camp and Parallels has caused me to consider making the jump to an Intel-based Mac sooner than I had expected to.

My initial thought was to sell both my Powermac G4 and my Powerbook G4 (see signature for specs) and put the money from those towards the purchase of a 2.0GHz MBP. I figured, replace two machines with one and use the Macbook Pro with my 23" ACD when at home. This seemed like the right idea for the most part, especially considering the fact that many initial kinks have been worked out of the MBP.

Now, in the midst of the new iBook replacement rumors, I'm wondering if I should wait to see what those are like and potentially just replace the Powerbook with one of those. The only potential problem I see is that I'll end up using the virtualization more often than I had expected only to cause my Powermac to become personally obsolete.

I'm wondering, does anyone have advice? Maybe I'm overlooking some aspect of this situation. Help me out here my Mac Brothers & Sisters! What would you do if in my position?

Thanks!

[mduell]

Punt the two PPC Macs and pick up the MBP.

I'm not sure how you're doing it now, but I've never been able to synchronize work between a desktop and a laptop in a way that made me happy.

[Kyle Dreaden]

Yeah that's definitely an issue that I've faced. Definitely a good point to consider.

Anyone else?

[G5man]

It depends, what are you in the need for? Do you need more power or portability? Do you still need the PPC to run some applications? Do you still need to have a desktop for some of the stuff you do?

[jamil5454]

I'd wait until the MacBook Pros are revised. Around that time Leopard should be out which will incorporate Boot Camp which will be out of beta phase by then.

[Kyle Dreaden]

Originally Posted by G5man

It depends, what are you in the need for? Do you need more power or portability? Do you still need the PPC to run some applications? Do you still need to have a desktop for some of the stuff you do?

Since Logic Audio Pro went universal I am no longer dependent on PPC based systems. Also, I do most of my work in commercial studios, so my home system is mostly for demo work. I don't really need a desktop at all, anymore. I do, however, need a desk, keyboard, mouse, and display for when I'm working at home. That's why I plan to keep my 23" ACD, etc. I can't stand staring at my lap, no matter how big the screen is!

Jamil, you're probably right. I should wait for a few months at least until WWDC so I can see what I'll be in store for.

Great feedback guys! I think I've made my decision. I'll probably sell both, get a MBP, but wait until some more light is shined on Leopard.

Once again, anyone else?

[freebasen]

I would not bother waiting for leapord. You could be waiting up to a year for final release. I am currently waiting for the ibook (macbook?). Although if for some reason they aren't shipping in the next couple months I will just go for the macbook pro. The way I see it, you might as well get the money out of your PPC systems while you still can, especially if you aren't reliant on non-native apps.

[P]

I'd say sell both and get the MBP. It should be faster than the Powermac on just about anything, so the only reason to keep that one is if you need expandability.

There is always something better around the corner, but the current machines seem to be working out well for the early adopters. We never know when Leopard will be here, and the recent delays in WWDC indicate that it's a bit late. Tiger was shown at WWDC 9 months before release. What is there that they could show you that will delay your purchase? I'f buy today, if I were in the market.

[Salty]

I'd get the MacBook Pro, I don't think the iBook replacements will have DVI out anyway, and they might have Intel made graphics.