[mjjunior18]

Ok I know many kids like me have been in my situation but I figure everyone is different so here goes:
I'm going to Texas A&M in the Fall and will major in Economics. Will get my masters in Finance. Anyway, I have decided on an Apple because I used to have a Powerbook and loved it. My parents are buying me the one of my choice for Graduation, so money isn't that big of a deal. Anyway, I don't even know which model to go after! I have it narrowed down to 15" or 17" because I want the 128mb vram for a game or two, but I can't decide between the two! Is the 17" too big to tote around in a backpack? When should I buy the thing? I know they're having MacWorld around June 10th or something like that so maybe I should wait till at least then to make sure there aren't any speed bumps or G5's shot out? Anyway, other than the game or two, all I'll use it for is email, Instant Messenger, Internet, and typing papers and the like. I plan on having a minimum of 1.5GB of ram so that will boost performence on any system. I guess I am just looking for suggestions, maybe more attractive alternatives, or personal experiences. Anything that can make my decision easier and more clear would be a huge help to me and I thank anyone for trying to help me out, THANKS!!!

-J

[Ruahrc]

IMO the 17" is a little too big for toting around every day. The 15" even is a little big unless you get the right bag/case.

I don't think a G5 laptop is a good buy for at least a year (must wait until 2nd gen G5 laptops come out) so unless you want to wait that long then you should get one now.

As for when to get it- well I think it would be nice to wait until you actually get to college (or are enrolled) since then you would be able to take advantage of your student discount, and make the burden a little easier on your parents

HTH

Ruahrc

[mjjunior18]

I can use student discount now.....in High School. So waiting for that does not matter. So I take ti you are recommending a 12"? Thanks for the input.

[tbd]

Go with the 15". It is small enough so that you can easily carry it (it only weighs 5.6 pounds or something) but the screen is big enough you won't get annoyed about being cramped.

[PMDaly]

You plan on having 1.5G ram for typing papers and playing an occasional game? Eh well, as far as any advice I can give you.... go with the 15". It fits into most standard backpacks and messenger bags and the screen is big enough. I have mail, firefox, aim, itunes and any combination of macromedia and adobe products (which is now just adobe) running at any given time and i've never had a problem with a cluttered screen or even slowed processes (hinting at the fact that 1.5G ram is unnecesary). Assumming you're taking the typical freshman year courses you'll no doubt be cycling through calc, english, and some micro/macro books being in your bag when you're on campus and the extra lb or so difference that lies between the 15 and 17 will become an issue. Also, the 15" fits perfectly on a classroom single desk... the 17"s spill over. Go with the 15", haven't looked back on my decision.
-Pat

[mjjunior18]

Thanks. I want the 1.5G because it comes with 1 512mb chip in it, and with these sick deals out there for like $150 for a 1GB stick, why not? I've always gone by the rule that you can never have "too much" memory. Anyway, with playing a game like Warcraft III or Wolfenstein or something of the like, I am sure the excess RAM won't hurt anyone. Thanks for the 15" suggestion. Sounds like a good plan. I am even thinking about the 15" and then an external monitor for the apartment desk for when I am home? Thanks again.

[PMDaly]

I was under the impression that you were just gonna have your parents buy the gig stick through apple since the price would not effect you. No way in hell i'd do that, lol. I got my gig stick online for 139... and now they're even as low as 129, which is a couple bills under the price apple makes you pay. I dunno how much difference playing W3 on a 1.5G ram vs. a 512 would be. I'd say instead of buying that extra gig of ram... have them upgrade to a 128 vid card. That will make the most difference. I guess if your parents don't care how much it costs... go crazy, get it all!
-Pat

[mjjunior18]

Well I think I'm on about a $3,000 budget. So I'm thinkin 1.67Ghz 15" Superdrive PB with 128mb vram and buy 1GB stick for 129 from other vendor. Sounds good.

[PMDaly]

If you really do get an educational discount then your purchase is well under 3g, so you're fine. But do not forget to get the apple care. That is key. With upgraded vid, apple care and 3rd party ram your purchase should come to roughly 2600 (2100base + 100vid + 240apcare + 130ram + 15ramshipping).
-Pat

[mjjunior18]

Thanks for the help. Any other personal experiences/recommendation are welcome

[sworthy]

You seem solid on computer recommendations - the 15" sounds fine, and now is a good time to buy as updates probably won't occur before school starts, (don't forget office, you'll need excel of course) so I'll give you some school advice. Don't plan out your life too much (i.e. already have your major selected and already know you want a masters in finance. Don't get me wrong, it's good to have direction, just don't close off other opportunities because you think you have to follow the path you already planned.

[PMDaly]

Yeah, definately get office. Just wait untill you get to college to buy it. My school offers office for 15$, which is quite the price break. As far as careers, i'm sure you have 2-3 majors you're considering... start off with the hardest one. For example, it's much easier to go from Engineering to Buisness than from Buisness to Engineering. (ok, enough with my advice for today... i'm just bored ^^ ).
-Pat

[asodamiac]

microsoft office 2004 student/teacher edition for $15 dollars? that is insane.. where do you go to school?

[PMDaly]

Yeah, they give out Windows XP Pro for $5 as well. Basically XP, Mac OS X, Macromedia, and Adobe products are all insanely cheap. Well, Macromedia Studio MX 2004 is $93... but that's still 1/6th of the retail price. We don't get the full box with all the installation, help, etc b.s. that normally comes with the product... we simply get the disk in a sealed sleave with the serial on the back. I go to Purdue University.
-Pat

[asodamiac]

hahaha can you HOOK IT UP?! hahaha jk. i wonder if all schools do this. that would be.. really nice. is it the real deal? or did your school.. like.. cheat the system? =)

[PMDaly]

Naw, it's all legit. Each disk is real... it's not like they ripped the software disks and threw them on some sam's club brand dvd's to sell at a cheaper price. I think most larger universities have similar deals. Unfortunately, each student can only purchase one copy of any given software per semester or maybe year I can't remember.
-Pat

[Randman]

You can get the AppleCare within one year of purchase, but it does make for a good investment.

It's good that you're getting enough ram and some apps such as Office. I'd say go for the 17 over the 15. It's not bigger and with a laptop bag, the size difference is made even more moot. I'm not in school but I do travel frequently, including internationally, and the PB17 hasn't been a problem size-wise.
If it were, then the 12 is worth considering.

One other area where the 17 shines is the screen size. The extra size really does help and it's nice for playing games or watching DVDs. Looks good when you pull it out at a Starbucks as well. Get a radtech cloth for it as well as a good bag.

And if you're going to be really portable, consider a second battery as you can hot-swop. Just put the 15 or 17 to sleep, pop out the battery, put the new one in and open the lid and you're good to go.

Either way, you'll be getting a fine machine.

[mitchell_pgh]

I would get the 12� PowerBook

1) You will save a bunch of money (see #5)
2) You may be required to buy a PC later on (I�m not sure why, but it may happen)
3) If you are going to play games, buy a PS2 or Xbox (or even a PC if it�s that big of a deal)
4) You don�t know what kind of roommates you are going to get.
5) Make plans with your parents to buy a new (perhaps nicer/larger) computer in 2 years.
6) Make sure to buy a NICE printer. There is nothing like working hard on a project only to hand it in on low quality paper and a cheap as dirt $49 printer.
7) Freshman year is the most volatile IMHO, the odds of your computer being stolen/damaged/ect. is high. Sophomore/Junior year is when things chill a bit.
8) The small size is very conducive for a classroom environment.
9) You can always add a 21� LCD for $600 later on if you find you need more real estate in the dorm.
10) They are cool.

[jamil5454]

My friend is also an entering freshman into Texas A&M. He is also majoring in economics. Small world I guess. I thought about A&M but instead applied to UT, only to find out my transcript arrived 6 days late so then they reviewed my application on a space-available basis. If anyone knows anything about UT, then you should know that there is no space available. Sigh...

So now I'm left with UofH, or Lamar University in Beaumont. UofH has a decent compsci school (next to UT's), but I would most likely get a free education at Lamar through a tennis scholarship. Decisions, decisions.

Anyway, good luck at A&M. it's a nice campus. Oh yeah, and I would get the 12" plus an external monitor. The games you can't play on an xbox or PS2 will play fine on the 5200 ultra the 12" has.

[Kajo]

^^ Since when did colleges care about print quality? Maybe it's just me and my liberal school

I've used a 12" and a 15" Ti. They both did fine... my girlfriend actually stills runs a 12" and she is an English major and types ALL her papers on it. I'm actually switching over again to a 15" for more screen space. The only problem I had with the 15" was fitting it on some of those half-assed contraptions they call desks at our school. Some buildings are really nice and give you a full size work area. On the other hand some buildings are not so nice, particularly the old ones, and give you only a small fold out table or better yet... nothing at all (Chinese Art History course I took in a theater type place). The laptop then has to sit on your lap for 50 minutes or an hour depending on how long your classes are. 12" or 15" are both great. I would steer clear of the 17" though. The thing is enormous and you really NEVER need that much space in class or at the coffee shop. The point is made mute when you go home and hook it up to a 21" or 24" LCD.

If it was me and I was buying for college I would get a 21" LCD and an older revision loaded 15"

[Ryan1524]

i was in exactly the same positio you are, and i picked the 15" top of the line model when i bought it. my justification was that i want something fast enough and powerful enough for as long as possible. if my PB can last me my entire 4 years here, so much the better, we pay enough money for the education already. i chose the 15" cause the screen size improvement is very significant over 12", but the overall physical size is not as cumbersome as the 17" to tote around. my dad has a 12" iBook and he complained how small the screen is, and so do i when i'm on it every now and then. believe me, you will love the bigger screen. it does reduce batt life by almost an hour, but it's worth it.

as for portability, i take my laptop with me almost everyday to classes. i'm in engineering and have a lot of classes, about 7-8 hours a day. and it never bothered me. i got Crumpler sleeve (no padding, beware), and threw it into a messenger bag, and nobody even knew i was carrying a notebook, and it wasn't heavy at all. and when i'm only on the crumpler sleeve, people always thought i was holding a school binder. stealth = protection.

speaking of protection, get insurance from safeware.com - it's only 97$ a year, but it's very worht it for the peace of mind. you paid $3000-ish for an awesome computer, what's 97$ more to ensure you don't lose it in case **** happens. it covers accidental damage, theft, and water spills.

when you're buying, if you want to, you can also take advantage of the Student ADC program. it will give you a once-in-a-lifetime hardware discount (cause you're a student), and take about $400 off the price of your Powerbook.

good luck with your decision.

[Randman]

People say the 17 is cumbersome. Hardly. Once you put the PowerBook in a case, it's almost all the same. A couple of pounds heavier but not much. And the 17 is perfect for your lap as well. And the extra surface area keeps it cooler than others.
The 15 is a fine machine but the people who say the 17 is too bulky and cumbersome probably have never carried one around.

[JazzCatDRP]

This is totally off topic, but I'm a K-State season ticket holder. If you make it up to Manhattan for the KSU-A&M football game this fall, PM me and I'll show ya around. I could probably hook you up with a cheap student section ticket too if you were so daring!

[PMDaly]

One question with the safeware insurance policy. It covers your computer from theft? What stops people from having their computer "stolen" by a friend, just to get a free computer? I don't exactly understand theft policies. It seems relatively easy to cheat the system. Also, Mitchell mentioned the fact that you *might* need a pc or it would be nice to have one later for gaming. Blah, there's no reason you would ever need to get a PC. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe any economics programs can be run on macs. Every so often I have to use a PC for SPICE (elec. engineering program)... so what, I walk a block to campus to use one then walk back. Much better than sacrificing a 15" for a 12" in order to free up money for a pc. As far as games... it's exactly the same on a mac, just get a multi-button mouse for 20bux... once again saving that extra money from spending it on an xbox, ps2/3? (*crosses fingers*) or pc. Lastly, printers... i've never bought a printer in my entire life. I think it's basically given that when you buy a computer you get a printer free. When I bought my 15" pb dec. 31st they gave me a very nice printer that i've been using wirelessly so me and my roomates can share it. If you really need a better printer, pay an extra 20-50$ to get a better one (they hand out rebates like candy when it comes to printers at apple). If you need the best printer in the world... sure you could skimp and go with the 12" to free up money... or you could just make use of your universities resources. I mean, you're paying for the use of them anyways... so why not take advantage of them.
-Pat

[mjjunior18]

Wow. So I have people telling me to get the 12, 15 and 17. This is making it hard haha. You guys could say, "Just go with what you want", but I don't know which one I want. If the size fo the 17 doesn't matter then why not get the 17? Then I wouldn't have to worry about an external monitor like I might with the 12. The 15 is a nice compromise if the size of the 17 is an issue but I'm not sure if it is or not. So I guess it's pretty much between the 15 and 17? I don't know, any more input/suggestions/experiences are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and thanks for everything up till now.

[Randman]

Yep, get a 12 or a 17. Forget about the 15.

[PMDaly]

If he's unsure why go with the extremes? Be safe and go with the 15".
-P

[azdude]

Ah... these threads go on forever.

Anyway, I bought a 15", and couldn't be happier.

Though the 17" wouldn't have been unbearably heavier, and I do love screen pixels,...

...the 15" is the simply the perfect fit for many places laptops need to go (small desks, airline seats, and most standard laptop bags come to mind), while the 17" wouldn't fit. That, and you're compromising virtually nothing in the way of usability (a few pixels won't be missed) and power (the 15" can be configured equal to the 17", but the 12" can't).

15.

[mjjunior18]

Ok I guess I'm thinkin, if I can throw a 17 in my backpack, or a backpack for that matter, I don't see a pound or two making a difference to me on my back. Screen size would be awesome, but would it be too wide for desks and such? Would be nice to have in the dorm room on the desk. But the 15 might be better for takin to class? Dunno, So confused.

[GSixZero]

Good advice, just a quick note...

Apple does not offer student discounts to High School students, but I've heard they'll take a letter of acceptance as proof of university student status.

Personally, I had a 12" PB in college, and it was fantastic. I took it everywhere with me. The portability was awesome.

[mjjunior18]

Hey man,
If you can , tell me more about your 12" experiences in College. Pros? Cons? Did you use an external monitor in the dorm room? Lets hear it

[StonedRose]

Originally Posted by mjjunior18

Ok I know many kids like me have been in my situation but I figure everyone is different so here goes:
I'm going to Texas A&M in the Fall and will major in Economics. Will get my masters in Finance. Anyway, I have decided on an Apple because I used to have a Powerbook and loved it. My parents are buying me the one of my choice for Graduation, so money isn't that big of a deal. Anyway, I don't even know which model to go after! I have it narrowed down to 15" or 17" because I want the 128mb vram for a game or two, but I can't decide between the two! Is the 17" too big to tote around in a backpack? When should I buy the thing? I know they're having MacWorld around June 10th or something like that so maybe I should wait till at least then to make sure there aren't any speed bumps or G5's shot out? Anyway, other than the game or two, all I'll use it for is email, Instant Messenger, Internet, and typing papers and the like. I plan on having a minimum of 1.5GB of ram so that will boost performence on any system. I guess I am just looking for suggestions, maybe more attractive alternatives, or personal experiences. Anything that can make my decision easier and more clear would be a huge help to me and I thank anyone for trying to help me out, THANKS!!!

-J

Get the 17 ...top of the line (parents are paying right). Trade it in for a 15 and a iPod for when you get to school. You will probably have some $ left over as well. Aloha

[PMDaly]

LOL, Assuming that his parents are somewhat intelligent, they would notice the difference.
-P

[StonedRose]

Originally Posted by GSixZero

Good advice, just a quick note...

Apple does not offer student discounts to High School students, but I've heard they'll take a letter of acceptance as proof of university student status.

Personally, I had a 12" PB in college, and it was fantastic. I took it everywhere with me. The portability was awesome.

All education K-12 and Higher Ed qualify for the edu discount.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Im...utingpage.html

Please verify your "facts" prior to making any posts that will not benefit the members. Aoha.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by StonedRose

All education K-12 and Higher Ed qualify for the edu discount.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Im...utingpage.html

It doesn't say K-12 students are elligible.

The following education individuals are eligible to purchase through the Apple Store for Education individuals:

Employee of public or private K-12 institutions in the United States
School Board members who are currently serving as elected or appointed members
PTA or PTO executives currently serving as elected or appointed officers
Qualified homeschools
Employee of a public or private, profit or non-profit preschool

[PMDaly]

Regardless, as long as he's been accepted he's golden.

"Student currently attending or accepted into a public or private Higher Education Institution in the United States"

-P

[amazing]

Yep, only K-12 staff are eligible. Regardless, maybe he's got another sibling who qualifies, etc.

When buying edu, the main strategy is to wait until Apple comes up with some back-to-school promotions, such as the one year where you essentially got a free iPod. Usually mid- to late-summer. Either that, or you check with the Univ's computer store for any special promos they have on particular models. Some Uni's seem to occasionally have better prices than Apple's edu prices??

17" is way too big for college, you'll break your back and warp your shoulder carrying it around. Go for either the 15" or the 12". The 15" has definitely got the better LCD, your eyes will thank you in the long term. Your edu strategy should be to butter up the parental units by telling them about the restraint you're showing by going for the responsible, budget-conscious 15", That way, when the eventual G5 laptop comes out (maybe another year? whenever they overcome the "mother of all thermal challenges",) you'll have a bargaining position for upgrading.

Basically, you want to plan the budget so that you'll have the latest and greatest just before you leave academia (unless you're going on to grad school.)

[tictactoe]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this or not, but you will not need to take your laptop to school for econ/finance courses. My best friend is an econ major and NEVER takes his laptop to any of his classes even though he always wanted to.

Anyways, I'd go with the 15" with 128mb VRAM. The 17" is a little too big if you actually do decide to take it to classes with you. I take my 15" to school with me every now and then and it is fine. I used to take the 12" PB I had before, but I exchanged it for the 15" and don't find portability to be an issue.

[PMDaly]

Just b/c your friend doesn't use his laptop doesn't mean junior here won't. Economics deals a lot with math. Matlab anyone? Also, he may not want to be confined to the computer labs when he wants to use the internet/word/email/etc. Wireless internet hubs are basically everywhere lately. At Purdue... you take one step on campus and you're connected, I think we're the number 1 "unwired" campus in the states. What if he's in a boring ass lecture (like seminar courses) and wants to play yahoo Hearts?
-P

[tictactoe]

Originally Posted by PMDaly

Just b/c your friend doesn't use his laptop doesn't mean junior here won't. Economics deals a lot with math. Matlab anyone? Also, he may not want to be confined to the computer labs when he wants to use the internet/word/email/etc. Wireless internet hubs are basically everywhere lately. At Purdue... you take one step on campus and you're connected, I think we're the number 1 "unwired" campus in the states. What if he's in a boring ass lecture (like seminar courses) and wants to play yahoo Hearts?
-P

My point is that economics is not as much of a computer-related major as let's say...psychology, english, philosophy etc. It does deal with a lot of math, but I've never heard of anyone using Matlab for econ. Even if he does want to use the computer on campus, the 15" is fine for toting around.

My main point was that he shouldn't base his entire decision on taking the laptop to econ classes.

[TemplarKnight]

Originally Posted by StonedRose

All education K-12 and Higher Ed qualify for the edu discount.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Im...utingpage.html

Please verify your "facts" prior to making any posts that will not benefit the members. Aoha.

Um...actually, GSixZero is right. You CAN'T get an education discount unless you are a COLLEGE student...high school students do not get the discount. Tough luck kid. But hey, if you're accepted to a college, then you're set. Aloha.

[mjjunior18]

Yes I am accepted to college so we can drop that convo. I guess the main decision now is the size. 12, 15, 17. For some reason I feel myself anting either a 12 or a 17. I like extremes, either extreme portability or nice size. The 15 is nice but I don't want to have what everyone has. I don't know I guess the 15 is still a good option. This is so hard.

[asodamiac]

the 17" is pretty big. ive seen a 12" in person before, but just recently i saw a 12" sitting next to a 15" and the 12" looks a LOT smaller (well, it doesnt have a wide screen display). if you want to take your powerbook around with you to classes or the library, you should go for the 12" or 15". keep in mind, the 12" model doesnt come with the 1.67 ghz processor upgrade or the 128mb vram upgrade either.

[PMDaly]

A world in which you use computers more for psychology, english and philosophy... wouldn't that be the day lol. Junior, It is important that you go with the 12" or the 17" if you are sure you need it for portability or size, respectively... but it seems as though you are unsure which one to chose. Hence the reason you brought the question to macnn. It would be the safest bet to go with the 15". It's a middle ground computer. If you're still determined on extremes, pick the 12" and get an external monitor.
-P

[GSixZero]

Some more experiences about my 12"...

Don't worry about taking it to class. I usually had mine in my bag with me, but I found it to be a distraction more than a help in class. IM/Email/Web was a big distraction (read downside) for being able to type notes a little faster than I could write. Not many other people in class used laptops, (I was an engineering/physics student). Math and science classes require taking notes which are too hard to take on a computer (equations, graphs) and core classes like english, philosophy, etc, you'll be the only person using one.

I think a PB is a great tool for doing school work, but not super great tool for class.

Honestly, I think the powerbook (be it 12, 15, or 17) are great machines, but I don't think you'll need the extra benefits that you get over an iBook. If you've got the cash for a 17" PB, I'd suggest getting a 12" ibook and an iMac of either size. You'll have a great portable machine that has the same functionality as a powerbook, but is more durable, and you'll have a large screen, yet small computer for your tiny ass dorm room. I know these aren't "pro" machines, but the 12" PB isn't terribly better than the iBook. I remember going to college and wanting to have the coolest set up when I arrived, but I think a sleek iMac and a super portable iBook is sweeter than just a PB.

[senseigmg]

I had a dell 15" that weighed a monsterous 8.X lbs. Get the 12", save your back. I now walk about 20 min to campus everyday because I live off campus, and carrying the 12" with a few books and notebooks is no problem. WIth a large laptop, it would be a struggle. Plan for the future, if you think you are going to move off campus after a year, make sure you can haul whatever you decide to get along with your books. Today iCarried my ginormous cell bio book (1200 pages) along with 2 notebooks and my 12"; no problem.

[mjjunior18]

Would a 12" suit my needs? I mean is the screen too nasty to type a paper on or something? Any comments on screen size or anything on the 12" would be appreciated, I guess I am leaning towards it now, for the portability, then I guess I can take this comp (Xp machine I built) to set up on the desk or just grab a nice new pc for 1500 along with the 12" powerbook. If the 12" ibook is a serious option I will look into it but it seems to kinda lag behind the powerbooks right?

[GSixZero]

the 12" screen is plenty big to type papers on. I typed lots and lots and lots on it. The iBook is does lag a little spec wise, but you won't be rendering or anything on it. 1.2Ghz (iBook) is not that different than 1.5Ghz (Powerbook). I assume you're doing office, iTunes, iChat, Safari, etc. A new iBook will do all this stuff just fine.

[PMDaly]

Typing papers on a 12" is fine... just up the font magnification to see larger text. As far as comparing iBook to Powerbook... the PB is definately faster, more upgradeable and comes standard with much more. It is true though, for what you're using it for, you probly don't need a PB, but since your padres are payin for it, hell go PB!! 12" pb with an external screen seems to be what you need.
-P

[Randman]

The people who say 17 are too big and too heavy have only seen them in stores. Best way to go is to go and see the PBs for yourself. And see if you can actually hold them. The 17 is perfect for sitting on the couch or in bed and working. No need for a tray or anything. The backlit also works well.