[evildede]

I am going to get a huge amount of money in about 2 months (nearly 3500$ canadian to be more preciase) and I plan on using that to get myself a new computer. I had my choice made but then started to shop around a little more and found some other things that could cost me less but I don't know if they are worth it. I,ve also considered different alternatives and would like you guys to comment on them.

So about the thread's title: the laptop I was interested in was the 17 inch powerbook with an 80 Gigs harddrive as it would cost me around 3700$. Since there's only a 200$ difference with the 15 inch version that I want and that this computer has to last me at least a good 4 (preffereably 5) years, I thought 17 inches was worth it. I'm going to bring it with me a lot when I move from one house to the other (parents are divorced and I still live with them) and also when I'll be going back to school in 2-3 years.

Now, I've also heard about the Viaos from Sony which seem to be good computers. There's also this one: Toshiba Satellite . It has a 3.2 GHz CDp while the powerbook only has a 1.67 though some will argue that you can't really compare the 2. So what do you guys think, if you'd put the 17 inch powerbook, the Toshiba Satellite that I linked and the best Viao laptop in an arena and have them fight to death, which one would win (which one is the most powerful) and why?

Please note that if I get one of those computers I,ll upgrade them a few months later (external drive, a boost to 2 gigs of ram and batteries) and also that besides surfing the web and playing a few games on it and doing school work I plan on doing a LOT of video editing, especially DVD stuff and I'm also interested in the HD stuff.


I also considered getting an iMac (20 inch) and an iBook (12 inch) as it would cost me only 200$ more than getting the powerbook though I don't know if having 2 computers is a good idea as I usually like having all of my stuff on one machine. Any comments about this?

[crazeazn]

id get the 15, get aftermarket ram and save the rest for whatever else is necessary. since u are carrying it around alot back and forth the 15 would be more apporopiate since its lighter.

[hypnognosis]

I have a PowerBook G4 1Ghz with 1GB of ram, 7200rpm (2.5" internal). I use my Powerbook primarily for web surfing/email, statistics (R, Postgresql, C/Python), watching movies (MPlayer/VLC/iDVD), and the ocassional game of World of Warcraft. It's a great system, but it's not fast, and compared to my old dual 1.8Ghz AthlonMP, and my Pentium 4 2.0Ghz, this system is a good 20-50% slower for all of my large scale matrix calculations (Yes I use the Altivec optimized libraries for R, and BLAS/ATLAS for the athlon and Pentium 4).

Except for a very small subset of applications I'm sure the 3.2Ghz Pentium 4 is considerably faster than a 1.67Ghz G4. At the same time if you really want to play current games I doubt you will find many available for the PPC/OSX platform.

For DV/HD I'll let someone else comment on that topic since I have little experience with it.

[evildede]

I'm not really into PC games and the only one I'll play will be World of Warcraft and maybe some Baldur's Gate and Doom 3 but that's it as I don't really plan on getting any other recent games. What I am mostly interested in is the video editing. If the Toshiba Satellite gives me a lot more power for my money as it doesn't seem to cost that much then I'll take it but the apps available on Mac for video editing, especially the HD stuff as well as making DVDs and the such with 5.1 sound and menus and all seems really great. I've always wanted to try an apple computer too but since I am investing for quite a few years I'd like my laptop to be powerful enough to last some time though.

If the powerbook is powerful enough to watch HD movies and also edit some and all then it should be fine since I don't think we're gonna get something that's better in quite some time. Besides that I'll only use it to manage my music, suf the web, work on my website, schoolwork, some webcam conferences (the iSight looks really nice), play a few games AND edit videos. If this setup makes it possible for me to do all of those things for the next 3-5 years (prefferably 5) then I won't mind spending 3500$ because I know it's gonna be worth it.

Now, if on the other hand I can only pay like 1800 for the Toshiba Satellite or, add a few hundred bucks and buy a PC laptop for 2500$ that's better than the powerbook it might be a better idea as I'll save some money and, if I really want a Mac then I can always save another few hundred bucks and get an iBook though I don't see why I should have 2 laptops so that's why I,d like to spend nearly all of my money on a really good one.

The powerbook looks so cool though and I want it so much! I really want to make the switch to Macs but at the same time I only get that much money once every couple of years so I'd rather spend it wisely. If anyone could give me more in depth info it'd be really appreciated.

[Spidey79]

Well to start off the Toshiba satellites are pretty defective nowadays. I can back that up from personal experience. It is true that the Pentium 3.2 is a monster, but it also run hotter and your battery is depleted much faster. Also it seems to be pretty inconvenient because the way to go these days are Pentium M's because they are much more efficient. The biggest flaw that I have noticed with your toshiba laptop is that there is a lack of a firewie port on the machine... Unless you plan to an external video card with av jacks, your plan will not fly. I have a 3.0 Ht p4 desktop that I use to video edit. I use the top of the line adobe premiere 7.0 with after effects... it is a sweet deal, but it is a desktop, you cannot expect the same results on a laptop from toshiba to have the same strength. The vaio on the other hand are computers and laptops known for multimedia. If anything you would have to go between the Vaio and the PB. Now some of these computers are on the same price range. These high end Vaios use the pentium M for portability and power. It all comes down to which operating system you are willing to use, either Windows or OSX. So you want a virus free OS or a buggy one? PB's retain their values, while the Vaio depreciates rather quickly. I suggest you go check it out at you local apple retail store. Hell I have an ibook and not a powerbook, but I cannot afford it just yet. Ask around, most of the movie directors and producers carry around the PB and forget about windows. If you have anymore questions, just pm man. Remember this, no laptop can compare to a desktop yet. If you really want a machine to edit, a dual core power mac, a low end, and then get an ibook. That is the perfect combination in reality. You render a lot faster on a dual core than a single guaranteed.

[Dai Bach]

Remember you're posting on a Mac forum, so most people will suggest the Powerbook!

In my opinion the 17" is just a bit to big to carry around each day - I'd go with the 15" (you can always buy an external monitor later for when you're working at home).

One thing I would add is whether you've considered the cost of the additional software you'll need? The PCs will only come with Windows and you'll have to buy additional video and audio editting software which won't be cheap. The Powerbook comes with loads of great software including iLife (which is fantastic) and possibly iWorks (not sure, but it's fairly cheap to buy) which is an alternative to Word and Powerpoint that you might need for school or college.

[Randman]

Having a 17, I'd recommend one. Great machine. Top-of-the line Apple laptop.

[evildede]

most people tell me that 17 inch is too big though. What do you guys think? If I get myself one of those bags to carry it around then why would it big too much to carry 7 pounds? I am still considering the 15 inch but I just want to know why some people think that 17 inch is too big to be portable.

[Randman]

The people who say the 17 is too big and/or heavy probably don't have one.

With a good case, it's not much different carrying around than a 15.

[evildede]

That's what I thought, and 7 pounds isn't that much and if you carry it in a bag on your back then it's like you don't even notice it so I don't think it should be a problem.

[gbarill]

i have a 15" and it's a cinch to carry around with me (i have a backpack that's all padded and specially fitted for it), and my backpack could probably easily be made to hold a 17" in that space, so you probably wouldn't have a problem carrying it around with you.
the only place i could see a 17" being too big would maybe be in an airplane seat or something, but even then i doubt it would really be that big a problem (and 17" in an airplane seat! to me my 15" screen seems huge)

so i would say go for the 17"

the biggest single reason why i'm saying this however is because of longevity. you say you need a computer that will last 3-5 years...

have you ever seen a 4 year old PC laptop? don't they just look like hunks of crap?
then take my 4 year old titanium powerbook... still chugging along, running the latest versions of photoshop (i don't do video editing... but i COULD, if very slowly and limitedly), which even still gets stares from people when i use it, and people are constantly saying what a nice computer it is (they're all quite amazed when they find out it's 4 years old), one of the big things you're paying for with a powerbook i think is the design, it really does matter in a laptop.

[evildede]

yeah, I do lie the look of the powerbooks and iBooks so that's why I am more interested in getting one of those, and also because I heard from a lot of people they have a good re-sell value.

But I,m still not sure if I'm gonna get one. I still have a good 3 months and a half until I buy it (will probably get it at the beginning of november) and since I'd like to do some heavy video editing (HD stuff and the like) Iam starting to thing it might be a better idea to get a Power Mac and then get a Powerbook when they are upgraded.

I really like the powerbook for it's portability but what I might do is get an iBook instead just for the time being (like to be able to do my basic stuff) and then later sell it and get the powerbook aor keep the iBook or give it to my sis or something like that. It doesn't cost too much (the 12 inch is only 1200$ CAN) and I think it can do exactly what I need for school. I don't think I'll need to pay 3500$ for a school computer but maybe I will for my video editing since I could do it anywhere.

The reason it is important is because I do lots of movie editing with my friends as we do lots of movies but I've always wanted to do it myself on MY computer and the apps available for Mac seem really good for that.

[audiophilia]

I had 3 Satellites. Great laptops.

The problem is with Windows, not Toshiba. Hence, my switch to 15" Powerbook on August 1. Can't wait. I've so had it with Windows security...

[Spidey79]

They are wacko jacko... but hey you are right when it comes to computers, they are defective becasue nothing ever is perfect. They do tend to have more problems... Kind of like Fords and Hondas. Which would you deem more reliable? Of course you can have 3 fords... but they are not as strong and good as Hondas in general. I would suggest a powermac dual core and an ibook man. realistically the pb will do the editing, but it will not render as fast and cannot compare to a desktop yet. Unless you just want a single computer well then go with the 15 inch pb, but update the vid ram to 128 and get the super drive.

[evildede]

well at first I didn't want 2 computers so that's why I hust wanted a powerbook as it seems to be in the middle, like not too strong (like the powermac) and not too weak (like the ibook), but like you said, rendering and all will be done much faster on a powermac and I always enjoy power so I think the powermac would be the better choice.

I'll still get the ibook first as it doesn't really cost too much and I want to try Mac OS first to see how it works and if I'll enjoy it. I know most people say that Mac OS is better than Windows but I'm so much used to it and I,ve never really had any problems with it though I love computers and I've always been interested in trying some Mac stuff so I think that spending less first to see how it works and if I,ll enjoy it is a good idea.

[alimunnik]

I wouldn't get an iBook if I were you, unless they give it a long overdue upgrade soon. It's technical specs; 32 Mb VRAM, 133MHz fsb and slow hard drive, are not ideal for HD editing. You will even have to ramp up the RAM to at least 512 in order to use HD at all.. With Superdrive, it will cost you more than $2000 Canadian. That's a lot of money to spend just in order to experience the OSX experience! If movie editing is your main thing, you're iBook will leave you in a digital lurch and if you also plan to buy a PowerMac you will never be satisfied using it as a complement to that venerable machine..
Save your money! Your best bet would be a 1.67 GHz, 15 inch PB with 1 gig of RAM and the optional 128 video card.You would enjoy editing HD video with that. I find the 17 incher a little clumsier to handle when resting on my lap and also when using it on the go. Remember; - it's not the size but how you use it that matters! In appearance, the PB is the Porsche of laptops, which is no sneezing matter in Quebec, with all it's fashion conscious "petite belles". Part of the fun of owning a PB will be hearing all those little moans of admiration from the fairer sex as you and your laptop gravitate from one bistro to another. A PowerMac might be a little too much Big League, as you will also have to fork over another 3 grand for the 30 inch LCD monitor to do it justice. No, go for the PB, and for the approximate $3000 you will be living in the best of all possible worlds
P.S. You might also be in for a pleasant surprise if you wait until November to make your purchase. By then, the PB will most likely be upgraded with either the 7448 G4 (1.8 GHZ and 200MHz fsb) or perhaps even with the 64 bit G5 mobile chip that IBM announced last week. C'est la vie!.

[evildede]

The reason I am more considering the powermac right now is because I'll get more for my money than if I get a powerbook. I can barely save around 800$ per month if I don't spend my money for anything that isn't too important (that's if I don't do any overtime at work though). Someone (my mom) owes me 3500$ that I will get back before the end of the year so it's either a powerbook or powermac. I'll be saving money in the meantime so I will be able to upgrade the RAM and buy other stuff.

The main problem with the powerbook is that I'm afraid it will not be powerful enough while for the same price I can get a dual core G5. If they do update the powerbooks to G5 then I will probably be really tempted to get one but for right now I thing that the powermac would be the best thing to get. I could then save for half a year and get myself a powerbook and then the Hd display (or the HD display and then the powerbook).

And the reason why I wanted to get the iBook was because it looks good and is estremely portable and I wanted a little something I could bring with me to do some word processing and also watch DVDs, surf the web, listen to music and play a game of StarCraft from time to time. the cheapest iBook is already faster than my current PC so it's not that bad. I could sell it later on when I'll get my powerbook or give it to my sis as I know she'll be needing a computer. I,d take the cheapest I can (1200+ tax) so 2 months and it would be mine, that means I'd be experimenting with MAC OS at the beginning of october.

So many possibilities!!!!

[Jacob]

You pay for what you get. The Powerbook 17" is an amazing machine. Amazing how light and thin it is considering HOW large the unit is (screen size). It is actually thinner than the smaller 12" and 15" models. Toshiba and Sony are the only PC's I would reccomend to purchase in the PC world. Sony does tend to be on the cheap side UNLESS you purchase a really expensive unit, some of their 15" widescreen models are excellent, as they are Centrino based, PCI-E, faster chipset..DDR2 memory, and sport an awsome video card (lower end models fall short of a shared video adapter). Don't settle for less, when Longhorn rolls around next year (if you were to purchase a PC), and you were without a decent powerhorse computer, you're going to be left in the dark. Toshiba is generally an excellent company for making notebooks.Better parts, quality construction in the units themselves. Plus, Toshiba has the habit (a good habit) of putting better (higher end) video cards in most of their systems. I can't express enough what a difference it makes for a good video card, a load off the system resources! Go for Centrino, they have a 2 MB cache, which in the longrun, saves both your battery and your HDD from wearing down as fast.

One thing I must clarify, do not try to compare Apple clockspeed to PC clockspeed. They are not related in any way. Apple measures their clockspeed differently than the PC world, a common misconception. Although I can't give you an exact estimate of how fast a 1.6GHZ G4 would be in comparison to a P4, they are roughly going to perform on the same level. Remember, completely different board, proc, OS and technology. very hard to compare. But Apples perform well, especially the Powerbooks. I would go for one anyday over a PC. For the time you waste trying to make your PC run smooth and trouble free, your Apple will have already won the race. No virii for the Mac OS! Remember that. No yearly expenses on antivirus or pricey $100+ format and reinstalls of Windows XP. Just some good tips to keep in mind. Whatever you do purchase, good luck and hve fun!

[alimunnik]

Dear evildede. You say that you will have $3500 at your disposal. For that amount you will be able to purchase the PowerMac Dual 2GHZ ($2500) plus the 20 inch LCD monitor ($1000). Unless there is a sudden and dramatic rise in the world price for maple syrup or beaver pelts, it will be quite a while before you will be able to augment your acquisition with a laptop.
For $1300 less you can buy the 2 GHz iMac 20 incher which actually has a 90 G bigger hard drive than the PowerMac, which you will really appreciate if you plan to edit lots of video. The iMac has fewer expansion features than the PowerMac but it is an awesome machine and much better value for the money. It's front side bus is 4 times faster than the PB so you will see nary a spinning beach ball while editing your video.
With the $1300 you save you will be able to buy an ultra portable 12 inch iBook. By the time November rolls around the iBook will probably have been upgraded to more respectable specifications for running Tiger (i.e.; 512 RAM, a 64 M video card, faster CPU, etc).
I own both a 15" PB and a 20" iMac. If an armed thug were to break down my door tonight and demand either of my machines, I would without hesitation cough up the iMac. A desktop is so confining whereas a laptop you can take anywhere and is quite more fun to use. It is priceless to have a portable unit that you can fire up wherever and whenever.
I don't have much to say about PC laptops. I imagine dyed-in-the-wool Federalists using them for their nefarious purposes. If you read the reviews written by Toshiba buyers, what stands out most are lamentations of very poor back up service and technical support. Sony makes some great products but they are so designed so that they work best with other Sony digital devices, so you lose some flexibility. And there is no comparing OS to Windows. You will love iLife 05. Once you use it you will consider your Windows past as just so much time wasted.
If you want both desktop and laptop, I would go with the iMac - iBook combo. Should you decide on only one device I would strongly recommend the top of the line Powerbook, especially if you can hold on till November when a considerably more muscular PB should be on the market. The flexibility and portability of a PB more than compensates for it's more modest specifications, unless perhaps you are a nuclear scientist working on atomic fusion or something.

[SSharon]

I vote for the two computer solution. Get an ibook now (without superdrive) and try out the Mac OS and use it for e-mail/web etc. Then get a dual processor (what's all this dual core talk? its not the same) G5 in november. Just get a 512mb chip to add to the ibook and it will be fine.
I have a dual 1.0ghz G4 with 1.25gb ram and don't think my ibook (1.2ghz) is slow at all. Also, there is no need to add a superdrive to the ibook. Just set up a wireless router and you can burn a dvd from the desktop even though the files are on the ibook, I do this all the time.

The real question is should you get a 12" powerbook instead of ibook. For $1300US you can get a refurbished 12" PB (1.5ghz, 512mb, 64mb, 60gb 5400rpm, combo) which I think is significantly better than a 12" ibook, so much so that I just helped a friend buy one yesterday.

Whatever you do, I would stay away from the imac. Its a great computer (I'm using my parents' one now), but not for you. Its expandable for most people too, but not for you since there are no PCI slots. You will be much happoer with a dual G5, I promise.

[OogaBooga]

It's never good to go from great performance to lower performance. With that in mind, I'd say get a laptop now, and then get the PowerMac later. That way you won't be disappointed when you fire up the laptop for the first time and sigh.

If it were me, I'd get the 17" PB. Two machines is a little hassle to share data and such between, and the PB will be fine for light-medium video editing. After 4 or 5 years, get an Intel PowerMac, and you'll be glad you did. You'll notice the speed increase much more prominently.

[alimunnik]

I'm not so sure that evildede would be happier with a dual G5 than an iMac G5. He or she says that she lives in two homes and also that she will eventually be returning to college. The iMac, while not exactly a portable, is a lot easier to move around. Just unplug it and away you come. It comes with Airport and Bluetooth, so you can go completely wireless. A dual G5 is great if you are into intensive applications, but for more general purposes the iMac makes more economic sense, especially if you can live without PCI slots. It is always nice to have the fastest and meanest machine out there, but be aware of a thing called overkill. After all, you wouldn't go rabbit hunting in a Soviet era T-34 tank, irregardless of the favourable impression that would make on the neighbours.
SSharon's dual 1 GHz G4, while a veneralbe machine, is now a golden oldie and not really in the same ball park as any of the G5 machines.
Like yourself, I too came into a sudden infusion of considerable cash. In a moment of madness I toyed with the idea of a top of the line dual G5 Powermac and a 30 inch monitor. Then I took stock of what my real digital requirements were and settled for the PB and the iMac G5. Saved a bundle of money and am leading a happy, perhaps even useful life because of it.

[SSharon]

Oh I agree that you should get what you need and there is no reason to get the top of the line G5, but when I first got to college I chose the MDD over the imac G4 lampshade (which I like btw) and I have been very happy. I was able to add a $12 USB2 card, a PCI video card, and an m-audio audio card, all things I can't do on an imac. I also added another HD on its own bus, and another optical drive. I the imac is upgradable (except the video card) but not expandable. At least in this case, where the OP wants 5 years, expandability is important.

I just checked the sale page at apple.com/store and saw a dual 1.8ghz G5 512mb, 160gb, superdrive, with free shipping for $1600. A similar imac is $200 less, but has less ram, one less processor (same speed), but does have a beautiful 20" display. The decision is by no means an easy one, but I think the $200 (+$300 for a nice dell 1905fp like I have) is well worth it for the extra speed and expandability.

[evildede]

First of all, I'd like to specify that I'm a guy. I know that my nickname sounds more like a girl's one in english, but I,m french and when pronounced it french it sounds more like a guy's name (it's actually evildédé, like in Pokémon so you'd pronounce it dayday).

As for the cash, it's 3500$ CAN which is just about enough to get a dual G5 2.5 GHz with a few added things on it (I think the one I wanted was 3700$ with tax). So if I get that I still have to spend another 2000$ for the screen. I am going back to school probably in fall 2007 and will probably be going back in cinema so that's why I was thinking about getting a good computer to do some video editing, and also because I do a lot with my friends and their PCs are getting older and since Mac software for video editing seems so great I thought it would be a wise choice to get one.

So, like I said, for 3500$ CAN I either a powermac without a screen (I'd use a shitty 17 inch screen until I get a HD cinema display) or a 17 inch powerbook (without upgraded RAM). What I could do is get the powerbook now and then save money over the next year to buy myself a 23 (or 30) inch cinema display to use with my powerbook when I'm at home as I know that display is gonna last me a very long time, and then at the end of 2006 I get myself a ner powermac. I don't know if the Mactels will have been released by then but if they are then I'll get one of those.

As long as I can do some nice video editing on the powerbook I'll be happy. I'm just wondering: can it run the 1080p videos from apple's website easily? Since I'd like to do some HD video editing I'd also like to know if I can watch them. If anyone can answer me that question I'd be really happy. Thanks!

[alimunnik]

Evildede, if you plan to do a lot of HD editing, you will require plenty of hard drive space. I'd say no less than 250 G. The 17 inch PB currently ships with 100 G and you will soon fill that up with HD footage. You can always attach an external HD, but somehow that detracts from the PB experience. The revised iMac comes with 250 G and it has the same 128 video card as the PB 17 (you can even buy it with a 400 G option). No worries at all editing HD video in iLife Movie HD which now ships in even the lowlyest Macs.
The PowerMacs, like the PB line, are professional series machines. If your peripherals are professional line (i.e., super expensive) then it makes sense to invest in a PowerMac. But if you will be using mainly consumer line peripherals; e.g. thousand dollar camcorders, digital cameras of less than 8 megapixels; then it makes more sense to go with the iBook, iMac consumer machines. For example, I never use the 800 Firewire port on my PB because none of my peripherals use that configuration.
But you should wait a few months for the much-anticipated PB upgrade. All computers are on the road to obsolescence the moment they leave the factory floor. But you should be able to squeeze 4 or 5 years out of whatever you buy. This Forum is chocabloc with stirring testimonials from G3, 500 MHz owners who bought their machines at the turn of the Millenium and are still happy as clams.
SSharon, the iMac you refer to in your shopping comparison is the older version. The revised one released in May doubles up in categories such as RAM (256 to 512), video card (nVidia 64 to Radeon 128), and HD (160 to 250 G), to say nothing of Airport and Bluetooth included, all for the same price. In fact, the iMac upgrade was one of the most notable ones Apple has ever sprung on its long suffering customers.
Also, evilede, like myself, eke out our existence in the Great White North, and don't have access to the same bargains as Americans, probably due to economies of scale. Our Customs Collectors are very persevering, and, of course, they have never heard of Free Trade.

[evildede]

I had already thought about getting an external HD as I knew I wouldn't have enough space. I know it makes it less and less portable the more stuff I buy for it but I thought that by bringing it with me in a backpack (ones that are made for the powerbook) it wouldn't be that bad.

I had thought about the iMac at first because it doesn't cost that much and comes with a nice 20 inch screen but then, I also very much like the fact that the powerbook is portable. Do I need the portability? Maybe, maybe not, I'm not sur yet and that's what I am thinking about. I do go a lot form one house to another so it would be easier bringing it with me even though I know there are backpacks made to transport the iMac.

The powermac though is a definitive buy from me. We currently only have a mini DVD cam but we are planning on getting one of those Sony 1080i cams as they seem really good and are nearly professionnal. Maybey they are, I don't know, but even though I would have preffered 1080p, interlaced shouldn't be too bad.

The reason that I'm not too sure whether i should buy the iBook/iMac combo or the PowerBook/PowerMac one is not only because there is a huge price difference between the 2 as I will have to save money for the whole next year to get all that I really want if I take the second combo, but also because I'm seriously thinking about getting into movie editing and all and I wanted something that runs great as I think that if I really need it and that it's gonna last me a very long time, then it might be worth spending a few thougsand dollars more. Maybe I should get a PowerBook/iMac instead since that would make me save a lot of money, but like I said earlier in one of my posts, I think I'll get the powerbook at the end of this year (unless apple announces an upgrade that will be released really soon in which case I will wait for it) and then next year, when they release the Mactels as I think that's when they,re gonna be released, then i get the new and improved (and probably more powerful) PowerMac. I would then be set for the next 5 years (probably even more) as I know these computers will last me a while.

So even though I haven't made my decision yet, I still think I know what I'll be going for and, like many have suggested, I will probably wait for an upgrade first unless it takes too much time for it to happen.

[alimunnik]

I'd be surprised if there is an Intel PowerMac by the end of next year. It is the G4 product line that is in the greater need for an upgrade, especially the Powerbook. In terms of performance, the current line of PowerMacs can hold their own until 2007. Pairing the Intel in the PB will allow Aplle to work out any potential bugs that come with such a switch.
But it could be another year before the Intel appears in a PB. Both Freescale and IBM have new power chips in the pipeline that should bridge the time gap untel Intel is unleashed. With a Firewire connected HD, a revised 17 inch PB should be up to any editing tasks. Portability and it's gorgeous appearance are things you should consider.

[evildede]

I definitely dig the look of the powerbook and it is one of the main reasons why I think spending 3500$ on it is a wise decision

I've just watched the developer conference on apple's website hoping to learn more about the Mactels and Steve jobs said that by the next conference next June they would have already shipped Mactels to consumers so even though we don't know which products they are talking about, whether it will be the powermac or powerbook, we know that the mactels will be available and it makes me wonder wheter or not I should wait. I don't know if the wait is worth it since, like he said, it's a 2 year transition and software will be compiled for both platforms if I understodd correctly so there shouldn't be any problems. That and I also can't wait to get my hands on a newer machine. I,ve had this one for long enough and even though it still kind of does the job, having a better one would be nice!

I'll definitely let you guys know what my decision is as soon as I get my money and spend it (including photos) but right now my mind seems to be set like this: Powerbook by the end of this year, then I upgrade the RAM and get an external HD, then a 23 inch HD cinema display right after (as soon as I can) and finally a powermac, hopefully before the end of next year/early 2007 (kind of want to wait for the Mactels to see if they will be available). I,m tired of living in the past with my old computer (and windows), I,m ready to live the iLife, let's just hope that spending nearly 9000/10,000 on computers is a wise decision!

[Lucky8]

Get the lowest Dual PM and iBook.
You'll love them.

[Apple1]

Well, i am planning to get a powerbook 17' maybe this saturday, and what made me decide on it was three words. Innovation, Performace and mobility. It's either powerbook or powermac. I am using a pc at the moment and we all know that Macs are much better so that will fall under innovation. Performace is of course to the powermacs but i dont think i'll need it. i will only be using my powerbook for work and some games. next is mobility and that means notebooks. i need to carry my computer around alot and i do like to keep everything in one computer. so basically a powerbook 17' fits all three and statisfies me.

[Randman]

You will love it.

[tracemhunter]

weird. im buying my first mac tomorrow (powerbook 15" with 128mb video) when my money transfers to my moms account because i have a $400 limit on my debit card and the apple store doesnt have the 128mb in stores. i have been contemplating whether to wait for a mactel but i decided i cant.

[urrl78]

Far as video editing goes, I have been editing weddings since my first 500 Mhz Powerbook. Editing on a 17" with Final Cut Express is easy and reasonably quick. But more than that it is the OSX software that cuts down on the hassles. As for weight, I used to lug around a 10 lb. 15" Sager PC notebook, so the 17" Powerbook was a relief when I bought it. Of course a 15" would've worked too, but the huge screen of the 17" is cool.