[kburnley]

Hello all. I'm new to the Mac community but I must say I'm really excited because I’ll be purchasing my first Mac soon. I've worked with them at school and have made the switch and I decided to ask around here because you all seem like such Mac enthusiasts.

I'm looking at a 15" Powerbook G4. 2GB Memory, 100GB on the Hard Drive, and 1.67GHz Video Memory but I'm hearing about the new Powerbook that will be "revealed" at the Paris Expo next month. There doesn't seem to be much difference between what I want and what they're revealing and I'm wondering if it's worth the wait?
I also hear that iBooks last longer and I'm really looking for something that will both work extremely well and will last.

Any help would be great! Thank you in advance.

Also any great programs or secrets I should know about


.k.

[budster101]

You are buying a

15" PowerBook 1.67Ghz with 2gb Ram, 100Gb Hard Drive, and 128mb VRam.

So you are committing to spending over $3.2k (US) for this little bundle of thunder.

You are still considering an iBook?

The 14" iBook will give you:

1.42Ghz
Max 1.5gb Ram
32mb VRam
1024 x 760 resolution
mini VGA out
60gb Hard Drive
DVD Burner (SuperDrive included)
6 hours of battery life (your mileage may vary)

$1,299.00 (I think the extra Ram to bump it to Max is about $200)
$1,499.00

Compared to the PowerBook 15"

1.67Ghz
Max 2.0gb Ram
128mb VRam
1280 x 854 resolution
DVI out ( You can hookup an external Apple Digital Monitor )
S-video out ( You can hook this up to your TV )
Other adapters to do various hookups (VGA)
100gb Hard Drive
DVD Burner (SuerpDrive included)
4.5 hours battery life (your mileage may vary)

$2,700.00 (Add the Ram. 2gb kit, $500 / Guess)
$3,200.00

===

What is your intended use for this computer?

Graphic Design etc... PowerBook (Considered a tool for professionals)
Web Surfing / Writing ... iBook

Both are great computers. I love my 17" PowerBook.
Welcome.

[kburnley]

I am a designer and artist and right now running anything with Photoshop, Illustrator, or Flash is a real difficulty (which is why I'm going for the full package - lower rent is a miracle). However, I don't run any extremely advance programs or anything involving video, so....

From what I'm reading between you and the Apple site, I can get an iBook with 1.5GB Ram with a 100Gb Hard Drive, and Video(?), which seems to cover my needs and at a grand less (although when it comes to my work, money is not an issue that should prevent me from getting what I need).

I love the idea that the Powerbook is the tool of professionals but I really feel that at my level this would be too much. I don't think I'd ever hook it up to a TV or need a hookup to a larger monitor. Why get something with tools I'll never use? But at the same time I feel like the iBook is just a computer for beginners.

It seems like you're leaning toward your Powerbook, so I take that as a sign :)
And thanks for the quick response!

[teknopimp]

get the powerbook if you can afford it. it costs more in the long run to upgrade later on which imo is inevitable. if you are turning 'pro' in whatever field then get a pro computer. but wait, if you can, for the next generation because there are rumors (what else is new) of higher res screens on the next release. if the upgrade does not look worth it then get a leftover model for less.

[budster101]

You are welcome.