TIBook-To buy or not to buy?

jeremiah richjeremiah rich
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hey. I have been trying to figure out which laptop to buy, and have settled on a Powerbook G4. Today I was browsing the Apple Store (store.apple.com) and on the special deals bar, there is a refurbished TIBook/550 (2nd revision I assume) with a 20 gig drive etc. Anyways, does this look like it is a good deal, or should I try to hold out for the summer when they may revise them? Thanks.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    There's always going to be something bigger and better if you wait. Do you *need* the machine now? What will you lose by waiting to see what happens next time they rev the line? Do you want to wait that long?



    Answer those questions, and you have your purchasing decision.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    jeremiah richjeremiah rich Posts: 853member
    Of course. The thing I am trying to figure out is, how long it will be till they are updated. Of course by this July, they will most likely have something much nicer out. The other thing I am needing to decide is what still to do, because I am sitting on an iMac DV/450, and it will just not cut it, as I do video editing..
  • Reply 3 of 8
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    If you're a professional editor, technically the TiBook isn't going to cut it either ;-) I know what you mean though, there is a huge growing breed of DV editors out there... a few of my clients are those types. For you, I'd say go for it. I'd check dealmac.com and see if they haven't seen a refurbished TiBook cheaper... I seem to recall a post there recently. In any case, I doubt the speed bumps to the PowerBook line are going to be tremendous. That 550MHz model gets you real time effects in Final Cut Pro. Upgrade ;-)
  • Reply 4 of 8
    sizzle chestsizzle chest Posts: 1,133member
    What I always say when it comes to computers is, if you CAN wait, you SHOULD wait. You'll always get more power for less money if you wait, so waiting is always advantageous unless your work demands that you take action now. If your work demands that you take action now, then you can't wait... in which case, don't wait!
  • Reply 5 of 8
    jeremiah richjeremiah rich Posts: 853member
    Yep, I have decided to wait. I am thinking sometime in July will be when I will purchase it. The 550 would only get me offline DV realtime effects, the 667 does the RT effects. I should have said this earlier, though. The TIBook will NOT replace my main computer, but I was looking at it IF I were to get one soon, as sort of a bridge until I bought a new system. I absolutely love the dual ghz, but it is too pricey, and I am holding out for DDR. Thanks for all the help.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    ricrocketricrocket Posts: 142member
    While I agree with most of what everyone here is saying - I find that reading too many of these boards gets a guy power/speed hungry.



    That said, I just got my new 667 TiBook yesterday and while I would have like to have waited (I can't afford to until July) I am incredibly pleased with it. It's a HUGE step up from my 300 MHz Beige G3 (even the screen size!) and if I was able to just about get by on that, I will be speeding through things on the TiBook.



    Most users wouldn't even know that it'll probably be the next to be updated and calculate how long they should wait. If you need it now (although you've stated you haven't!) get it now - it's still a great machine. If not, sure you can wait, but it can be a painful process if you spend too much time on these boards!



    rr.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    kalikali Posts: 634member
    [quote]Originally posted by ricRocket:

    <strong>While I agree with most of what everyone here is saying - I find that reading too many of these boards gets a guy power/speed hungry.

    ....

    If you need it now (although you've stated you haven't!) get it now - it's still a great machine. If not, sure you can wait, but it can be a painful process if you spend too much time on these boards!



    rr.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I know exactly what you mean



    I'm trying to convince myself to upgrade now, or to wait some 6 painfull months. Reading boards here is a real pain.



  • Reply 8 of 8
    m5884m5884 Posts: 69member
    If you know how to work it you can get good deals. Use ebay and be patient. There are currently some PowerBook G4 667Mhz models that are going for $2400. These computers are brand new in the box. I have been bidding on them. Lost the one tonight because I got disconnected at the worst time and someone out bid me at the last minute. (pissed off I was) But there are two more tomorrow I hope to get one of these. So what I'm trying to say here is don't buy that referbished 550mhz. You can wait if you want. Then again you may end up waiting forever. Good luck.
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