[jbushkey]

Friday Night my drunk roomate smashed my powerbook then submerged it in the pool. Needless to say I moved out. I need a new laptop and have some questions about what to buy next. My old unit (R.I.P.) was a powerbook G3 500mhz. I need at least the same unit, but will probably take some cash out of my pocket to get a better laptop. Depending on what happens at small claims court I think I will be looking in the $600-800 range. I use my laptop for work. I am a Realtor. Word processing, email, and maybe some web/graphic design is about as complex as I get.

Is a g4 400 better (faster) than my old g3 500?
should I consider an Ibook instead of a powerbook?
What are the differences between the used Ibook and Powerbook models in my price range?
Any models to watch out for? (recalls, incompatibility issues, etc....)
What are the minimum requirements for airport extreme? (802.11G)

Thanks for the help,
Joe

[gregjsmith]

This thread is useless without pics!

[doctorb]

I also would love to see some pics of your destroyed PB! I recently sat on mine and it held up pretty well. Liquids are a different matter though...

[elcheapo]

yeah post some pics

[vinster]

Looks like you had a Pismo, shame to lose such a classic to what appears to be a malicious roommate. If you're going to replace it with something similar, I'd go for a Pismo. Make sure it has an airport card installed and see if you can get one with the 500Mhz G4 upgrade.

I'd like to see some pics, too.

[jbushkey]

I can take some pictures but im not sure how id post them to this forum. I don't think the library will let me hook up my digital camera. It was definately smashed on purpose in a drunken rage. The screen is is cracked all over and bent slighlty convex. There are gouges like he hit it with something. it has white stains from chlorine on it too. Ill see what I can do about posting the pics.

[mintcake]

You did get the police involved, right??

[iREZ]

uhh...he/she is asking for help. if you could swing for a 12" g4 ibook, i would go for that. the resolution is the same as your pismo and its light years faster. they go pretty cheap on ebay, or apples own refurb site...look for the 1ghz model if you can swing it, but even the 800mhz would be faster, just do yourself a favor and make sure its a g4.

airport extreme is backwards compatible, so both 802.11g and 802.11b will work, but g will be faster if you share files over a network to another computer, if its just for web surfing they're both the same speed.

[romeosc]

You can get some good deals on Craigslist.org for a clean local deal. So many scams on Ebay! I have even received bogus cashiers checks! Deal in person and see what you want before you pay cash!

I got 2 17" PBs for $2,200...... 1- 1.67GHZ and 1 1GHz. perfect condition on Craigslist!

[uicandrew]

Originally Posted by romeosc

You can get some good deals on Craigslist.org for a clean local deal. So many scams on Ebay! I have even received bogus cashiers checks! Deal in person and see what you want before you pay cash!

I got 2 17" PBs for $2,200...... 1- 1.67GHZ and 1 1GHz. perfect condition on Craigslist!

for ebay, i insist on paypal or postal money orders. No "regular" cashiers checks. Messing with postal money orders is mail fraud, which is a federal offense.

I make a point of this on my higher priced auctions to ward off fraudsters.

craigslist is a good place for deals, but not everyone lives in a large metropolitan area with one

[Velocity211]

You did kill your roomate right?!?! I mean, he broke your pismo! Get a PB off of eBay or something...

[onlykaria]

Originally Posted by jbushkey

Friday Night my drunk roomate smashed my powerbook then submerged it in the pool. Needless to say I moved out. I need a new laptop and have some questions about what to buy next. My old unit (R.I.P.) was a powerbook G3 500mhz. I need at least the same unit, but will probably take some cash out of my pocket to get a better laptop. Depending on what happens at small claims court I think I will be looking in the $600-800 range. I use my laptop for work. I am a Realtor. Word processing, email, and maybe some web/graphic design is about as complex as I get.

Is a g4 400 better (faster) than my old g3 500?
should I consider an Ibook instead of a powerbook?
What are the differences between the used Ibook and Powerbook models in my price range?
Any models to watch out for? (recalls, incompatibility issues, etc....)
What are the minimum requirements for airport extreme? (802.11G)

Thanks for the help,
Joe

it doesnt look like you need a powerbook. you can also get a nice ibook for that range than you could a powerbook (the power book would be older and in not as good condition.) if you are willing to pay an extra $200 above your range you could get a new ibook $999.

[demibob]

Your roomate is an . Did you do something to piss him of.

[romeosc]

Originally Posted by uicandrew

for ebay, i insist on paypal or postal money orders. No "regular" cashiers checks. Messing with postal money orders is mail fraud, which is a federal offense.

I make a point of this on my higher priced auctions to ward off fraudsters.

craigslist is a good place for deals, but not everyone lives in a large metropolitan area with one

Good point but not truely safe! I have a fake Postal Money order that the treasury department is
"still pending furthur action". I received it August 2001. The agent in charge was very helpful until
911 when they told me that the ring that rented the office space had bought 831 laptops and cameras with fraudulent instruments and closed it imediately after 30 days! He said much of this type of fraud finances terrist and gang activities!

[Crusoe]

I'd go with a refurb ibook or powerbook off of Apple's site. You'll get all the latest software and a 1 year warranty. 12" 1.2 Ghz with airport extreme is only $719 right now. The 12" 1.5 Ghz Powerbook is only $1099. Perhaps a 14" 1.33 Ghz ibook would be the sweet spot.

Any of the 3 should be more than enough power for you.

[jwoods]

I'd go with a MacBook Pro, since your roomate is going to pay for it.......right? Value of the notebook, plus damages.

If not, file a police report and then tell him via a letter (certified, return receipt) your demand for restitution. If he doesn't act, take him to court for the cost of the PB, and for damages (plus filing fees, any lost $ related to work, etc.).

While a police report might not be necessary, it will help esp if he admits to doing it. Then, when you do go in court, you already have an official record of established guilt. (In case he denies it when you go to court).

[ccsccs7]

In case you've been out of the loop for a while, only 15"+ PowerBooks/MacBook Pros have a PC Card slot. No 12" PowerBooks or iBooks with that.

[jamil5454]

I'd go for a 12" iBook. They may be updated soon though, so I'd wait a couple weeks to see if anything comes out before you make your purchase.

If people like your roommate can't control themselves when they get drunk then they shouldn't drink at all.

[romeosc]

Don't forget it's covered under rentor's insurance and Safeware.com has no deductable!

[kick52]

yes, i agree sue that guy, or get him to pay.

also, please post some pics.

[uicandrew]

Originally Posted by jbushkey

Is a g4 400 better (faster) than my old g3 500?
should I consider an Ibook instead of a powerbook?
What are the differences between the used Ibook and Powerbook models in my price range?
Any models to watch out for? (recalls, incompatibility issues, etc....)


Thanks for the help,
Joe

to actually answer the questions you have.....

i actually just bought a nicely equipped G3 500 Pismo and the research hold me that the G4 400 is better for altivec, which is used heavily in OS X and encoding.

however, people hail the pismo because of the expandibility, durability, and its looks overall.

For me, I wanted an inexpensive notebook that could run iLife and Tiger properly. I almost went for a graphite G3 ibook clamshell firewire at 466mhz because of the built-in handle.

in terms of the ibooks G4, the letters on the keyboard have been rubbing off relatively easily. ironically, there has been some suggestion that the keyboard on the white g3 ibooks have been more durable and sturdy than the more recent G4 ibooks. Since you're interested in buying notebooks that are obviously out of warranty, i would suggest ones that are known for their "ruggedness"

ie - white ibooks (because of polycarbonate shells), G3 pismo/lombard (from hearsay), but i would stay away from the Ti books. I read too much about their hinges and paint chipping. you know there is something wrong when a company is proud of their replacement Ti book hinges.

if you're willing to splurge, perhaps a refurb g4 ibook would be good, especially from apple with a 1 year warranty. My friend with an ibook bought a replacement keyboard to increase resale value in the future.

how the reimbursement from the roommate coming?

[grinder]

I think you people are forgetting that the guy probably has no real internet access at the time. Replies might take some time.

[Since EBCDIC]

One word: REFURBISHED

Visit the Apple Store http://store.apple.com/ and search for "refurbished". The prices for iBooks are stunning, even the PowerBooks are worthwhile. If you decide that you absolutely need another Pismo give me a ping; I have two which are being used as mail servers but which could be moved out pretty easily.

BTW, I eat my own dog food (so to speak). I'm typing from a refurbished G4 Al PB, my previous machine was a refurbished G4 Ti PB. Same warranty, same look and feel, free shipping, and hundreds of dollars less than a new-in-box model. If you can afford it, that's the way to go (IMHO).

Best of luck!

[dreamryche]

Originally Posted by grinder

I think you people are forgetting that the guy probably has no real internet access at the time. Replies might take some time.

This thread is almost 2 months old...I don't think the OP is going to be checking back in.