[massey]

I'm wondering if the 550 standard config is a better value then the 667 standard config.

what you gain from the roughly $800 increase is:
-33mhz faster bus speed
-117 faster clock speed
-an airport card
-10gig more of hard drive space

can this $800 be justified...

[John123]

Originally posted by massey:
<STRONG>I'm wondering if the 550 standard config is a better value then the 667 standard config.

what you gain from the roughly $800 increase is:
-33mhz faster bus speed
-117 faster clock speed
-an airport card
-10gig more of hard drive space

can this $800 be justified...</STRONG>

Basic rule of thumb: if you upgrade computers frequently, then no. You'll get hammered too hard in depreciation. But, if you really don't upgrade often, then it's justified, because you need a machine that will last as long as possible and you don't care about depreciation -- it'll be practically worthless by the time you're done with it.

[mikeT]

Originally posted by John123:
<STRONG>
But, if you really don't upgrade often, then it's justified, because you need a machine that will last as long as possible and you don't care about depreciation -- it'll be practically worthless by the time you're done with it.</STRONG>

As someone who upgrades every 4-5 years, I agree with you to a certain extent. You can't buy "low-end" and expect a long useful life. However, I don't consider the TiBook 550 "low-end." At this point in time, I would say that the low-end of (new) Mac portables would consist of iBooks with the 66 mhz bus and the Ti 400.
The Ti 550 is the mid-range machine right now, and you can get by fine for 4-5 years on the mid-range machine. I usually buy mid-range and get long useful life.

what you gain from the roughly $800 increase is:
-33mhz faster bus speed
-117 faster clock speed
-an airport card
-10gig more of hard drive space

If you buy the computer before next year, there's also 256MB RAM difference.

If you build 550 MHz to match 667 MHz, the price difference is roughly $550 (using 3rd party memory, of course). According to Barefeats.com, 667 MHz is roughly 30% faster than 550 MHz. To me, $550 (22% premium) justifies 30% performance boost. But to others, 550 MHz may be plenty fast.

I look at it like this...the 667 will probably be the low end of the Ti rev, which should be at MWNY...so that 800 bucks is buying you about 9 months of top of the line computing enjoyment...or roughly $90 per month...It seems worth it...

Nevertheless, I'll never buy the highend...you can get too many good addons with the money you save..Your Ti 667 up against my Ti 550 with a gig of RAM and an 80GB firewire drive..or better yet with a Canon ZR20....I'd take my setup anyday

[satchmo]

Originally posted by mikeT:
<STRONG>

You can't buy "low-end" and expect a long useful life. </STRONG>

I agree to some extent. However, you must factor in how much you might save by buying a low end model and obviously what you intend to use it for.
I picked up a Ti400 for $650 less than the new Ti550.
With added RAM to 384mb, it still holds it 's own against the 550.
Granted, I don't play games so the video card is not an issue.

The extra savings might just go towards an iPod

[mikeT]

Originally posted by satchmo:
<STRONG>
I picked up a Ti400 for $650 less than the new Ti550.
</STRONG>

In the U.S., the difference is more like $400. I ordered a bundle at MacConnection which includes Microsoft Word (a $150 value), which I need, so for me the difference between the 400 and 550 is more like $250. That seems to be a minimal amount of money for a faster processor, bigger hard drive, faster graphics, improved firewire and various other bug fixes.

[coke::Ti]

Originally posted by mikeT:
<STRONG>

As someone who upgrades every 4-5 years, I agree with you to a certain extent. You can't buy "low-end" and expect a long useful life. However, I don't consider the TiBook 550 "low-end." At this point in time, I would say that the low-end of (new) Mac portables would consist of iBooks with the 66 mhz bus and the Ti 400.
The Ti 550 is the mid-range machine right now, and you can get by fine for 4-5 years on the mid-range machine. I usually buy mid-range and get long useful life.</STRONG>

In maybe less than 6 months time, your Ti 550 will become the "low-end" and the 667 will become the "mid-range". Does that mean the 667 will last another 4-5 years, while the 550 wont? There really isn't enough of a difference between the models to back the theory that the fastest model can last year(s) more than the slower models. When you will make your next purchase all depend on your financial situation, your requirements as well as technology evolution.

A simple scenario: maybe in 3 years time, USB and firewire are both replaced by some new standard, and new external devices are to support the new standard only. By then doesn't matter if you have the 400 or the 667, you probably need an upgrade.

[ 11-02-2001: Message edited by: coke::Ti ]

Here's another point about low/high-end purchasing decisions: The money you save now buys you MORE later on! Save 800 now: Get a machine with a few less MHz. Not so bad. But that very same 800 will probably buy you half of your next MWSF 2003 2 GHz Super-Power book. So you get a little less now, but a LOT more later!

-Ph.D.

That logic would seem to point to buying an iBook and really saving money towards a future purchase.

Remember, what good is this terrific Ti if everytime you pick it up you're destroying the screen and it breaks down in 6 months when some colleague or you innocently bumps it with a coffee mug and breaks the damn thing.

D'oh!

The Ti remains so far from an ideal Road Warrior's machine, it's troubling. I'm waiting for the adamantium version! In the meantime, the iBook is the most durable "powerbook" out there, and the only one worth talking about in terms of multi-year usage, unless you're going to use the Ti ONLY at your desk, in which case you're better off getting a Desktop.

[coke::Ti]

Originally posted by &lt;Ohyeah&gt;:
<STRONG>That logic would seem to point to buying an iBook and really saving money towards a future purchase.

Remember, what good is this terrific Ti if everytime you pick it up you're destroying the screen and it breaks down in 6 months when some colleague or you innocently bumps it with a coffee mug and breaks the damn thing.

D'oh!

The Ti remains so far from an ideal Road Warrior's machine, it's troubling. I'm waiting for the adamantium version! In the meantime, the iBook is the most durable "powerbook" out there, and the only one worth talking about in terms of multi-year usage, unless you're going to use the Ti ONLY at your desk, in which case you're better off getting a Desktop.</STRONG>

But don't forget Ti has the potential of being a desktop replacement. I am sure alot of the people buy the power books and use them as their primary/only system.

I do agree with Ph.Ds comment somewhat. Thats why its not wise to get the very high-end. Because in most cases, the price difference does not justify the performance difference.

[bateman]

10/31/01 -- With the help of a "satellite" test lab, I'm getting some Titanium G4/667 PowerBook test results. Bryce 5 and AltiVec Fractal are 30% faster than on the 550. CineBench was 20% faster. The 667 costs 15% more than a comparably equipped 550 (both with 512M RAM, 30GB drive, AirPort card). It would seem the 667 is worth the extra money. I'll post the full test results by Friday, if possible.


took from bare feats rules

i've got a 667..

[aehaas]

Make a list. If you are a grafix professional using Quark and Photoshop then most of those I know do not look at the price as time is money.
If your list includes using the Web and writing letters then maybe an iBook is good.
If you require the larger screen than you must choose the Ti line of portables. I assume you need a portable. Is that on your list of needs or do you just want one because they look neat?
Make a list, weigh each item as to importance then add it up.
For me I need speed as the most important object. I need the large screen for sure so I will only look at the Ti options. I want as much RAM as possible (a tie) and a large HD (tie again).
I need to get work done. Price is not in the equation because faster work negates the relatively small cost difference.
Lesser reasons to get the 667: boasting rights, you may keep it longer, somewhat faster gaming, et cetera.

ali

[neilw]

Here's my reasoning for a 550:

1) First, vs. iBook, it's an infinitely better desktop replacement. This PowerBook will be my only machine.

2) Don't strictly *need* the extra speed for anything right now.

3) The price difference seems to be about 1 year's depreciation. That means, with the 550, I can justify upgrading about 1 year earlier. This is of course a very rough calculation, but I assume that either of these machines, towards the end of its lifespan, will feel pretty slow on OS XI or whatever is out then. For the same money, I'd rather get an upgrade quicker. In my case, it'll probably mean getting a new whippin'-fast desktop to supplement the PowerBook.

By the way, I don't think that you can say that the price/performance ratio is automatically the deciding factor. If there were a machine twice as fast for 1.8 times the price, I wouldn't buy it because I just don't want to spend that much on a machine.

Just my thoughts. Two days until I get my 550!

[bugs]

Sorry folks your thinking is fuzzy.

I'm a Capitalist Pig American. Where I live, the successful people have a philosophy that goes something like this:

"Too much of a Good Thing is just about right."