G4 Powerbook or iBook?
Hi-- I'm a student that will be in college next year. I am trying to decide between the G4 Powerbook with 800 MHz and the ibook with 700 MHz and a 14 inch screen. Does anyone have any suggestions to which I would need? Is the G4 worth the extra money it costs? And if anyone has had experience with compatibility with PC's, has that been easy? Thanks for your help! 
Comments
As for the ibook vs Tibook question, it really just matters what you do. Keep in mind that the ibook is usually more sturdy
PC-Mac compatibility is not so easy to comment on. In the wintel world if two PCs can't communicate people just shrug their shoulders and say that's the way life is with windows. If there is any problem connecting your Mac to a peecee some clueless people will jump all over you.
My experience is that with OS X you can connect to windows NT (and by extension, w 2000 and w xp) relatively easily. To connect to w 95 or w 98 is a little more involved. If you just need to do it once in a while you can probably get by with Samba. If this will be intensively used then something like Dave is justified.
You'd help the people trying to help you by being more specific.
pbg4- altivec - snappy x..
icebook - good vfm but no g4..
but $...
get a cheap g4 tower and an ibook - same price as a pbg4 and much better long term..
As far as raw performance is concerned, I wouldn't look askance at the 700MHz iBook either. It too should benefit from Jaguar, though perhaps not as much. But the 1024 screen resolution rules it out for me.
If you're happy with the iBook's screen resolution, and you're not running any super-demanding applications, the iBook's probably OK.
BTW, if you go for the iBook, get the 12", not the 14". Unless you have poor vision there's no reason for the 14". The 12" is better looking and weighs less.
[ 06-08-2002: Message edited by: EmAn ]</p>
1.) Cost - as people have implied, unless your blessed with deep pockets, the altivec boost with the G4 has to really be worth it to you. Frankly, in terms of third-party software, there's really only Adobe who takes true advantage of it, and even casual users of their programs can be quite happy with a G3 and some RAM. In terms of OS-X, I honestly couldn't find much of a disparity. Regardless, Jaguar will do a lot for that on both ends.
2.) Portability/Ruggedness - Though the G4 is .3 inches slimmer, and feels smaller than the 14" ibook, the 12" takes them both (in my opinion) with points to spare. Cool as the titanium is, it's not actually as strong as the polycarbonate shell with the magnesium frame of the ibook, or at least not in the amounts given to each machine. It dents, and the paint chips, and the buttons actually rust, sometimes - see other threads in this forum. In addition, the powerbook feels almost... floppy. It's a strong word, but that's honestly the feeling. The widescreen is awesome, but gives the whole thing a sort of oblong, floppy heft to it. The 14" ibook has a similar feeling, though to a lesser degree. The 12", though, feels tight and trim - the pound weight diff. feels bigger than it is, probably because of the flex-factor of the other machines. Add to that the fact that it fits almost perfectly on an airplane tray, and IMO it starts looking like a truly portable computer.
3.) Screen - this one's a little more complicated. I personally don't mind the "low" top resolution of 1024x768 on the ibooks - it looks pretty good on the 14" and excellent on the 12". A bigger screen is always nice - there really aren't many cons to two inches more diagonal space. What's interesting is that the 14" ibook, in terms of actual screen area, not resolution, obviously, feels bigger and brighter than the powerbook. Of course, one of the big selling points of the powerbook is that you can lay out multiple parallel pages of text, or photoshop images with all the templates at once, but that's a product of resolution as much as aspect ratio. However, in terms of ibooks, as has been established ad nauseum, the 14" doesn't offer a higher resolution than the 12", so naturally you don't see any more, it's just that what you do see is bigger. The problem with the 14", to me, is that for a slight magnification you pay more money, and get a bigger, heavier, floppier computer. Nothing else functional on the 14" is larger - the keyboard and the trackpad placement is the same as the 12", the ports are in the same places - I think the hinge is the even the same size. You might get an hour more battery life, maybe. The 12" screen is crisp enough that text is still perfectly legible, and it's still only 14% smaller than the 14". People seem to forget that as soon as you take advantage of the high resolutions on the G4, things get mighty small, too.
4.) Non-processor hardware (last one) - Though you can't argue with the fact that the G4, with it's bigger cache and faster bus, is quicker than the G3, the 700 mhz is still nothing to scoff at. Besides, it's the IBM Sahara, which is a fair bit faster than other G3's operating at the same speeds. But other than the processor: A few weeks ago, this would have been a harder call - the ibooks were still languishing with that crappy, back-burner 8mb Rage Pro. Since the upgrade, they have a 16mb Radeon. Now, it's not the 32mb 7500 in the powerbook, which sucks, but like the G3 in comparison to the G4, the 16mb is still a snappy, cool and clean running chip. In addition, you can put a hefty hard drive in the new ibooks, and the cache has been upped. I messed around with a new ibook and an old one, and the new 600mhz, in comparison to the old 600mhz, offered markedly better OS-X and Otto Matic performance. Now, here I am talking like a big benchmarker - I didn't do any tests, but in case you haven't used them in person yet, just take my word for it - the new ibooks are plenty fast.
Ok, I don't know if any of this helps, but for me, it was nice to take all these arguments, and then weigh them once more against a full 1000 bucks more a powerbook. Ultimately, the price diff puts everything in perspective. Of course the G4 offers a bigger bang. But proportionally, I think we can finally say that the ibooks offer more a bigger bang for the buck.
Unless you're a wealthy graphics or design major, go 700mhz ibook. If you actually like the idea of a portable portable, go 12". But if you've got the bucks, get a tower too, or an iMac, if you really need a G4.
My 2 cents. Actually, it's probably a bit more, with inflation. And the fact I spelled things out as if you were a second grader. But so it goes.
-nick
Within the next couple months I'll have either an iBook or TiBook and I'm in the same dilemma. From what I've read so far I'd buy the 12.1" iBook over the 14.1", and probably the iBook in general over the TiBook unless some extra $$$ comes my way or my parents buy my argument that I need them to give me extra money for a computer besides the fact they are already contributing to it and paying for my university!!!
But what I really like about the TiBook is that it is also a desktop replacement. I could picture myself with an Apple Studio 17" LCD display along with it.
With the iBook there is no monitor spanning like with the Ti, so if I bought an external display (such as a clunky 17" CRT or something) then it would be a waste because it would still be 1024x768.
We happen to have an extra 15" CRThere thats not doing anything, which of course is really 13.8" so i could always hook that up if I had the iBook on my desk im my room. The main purpose of that would be gaming where the resolution scaling which I would have to do wouldn't look so good on the LCD.
And those guys with iBooks you have an external KB and mouse too?
Basically I want a portable to use a desktop too.
Somone was suggesting to buy an iBook and an iMac or G4 tower but now with the eMacs for $1249 USD edu student price with Combo and a 12.1" combo iBook would work out too, or for those not in edu the CD-RW eMac would probably be just as good because if you really need to see a DVD you have the iBook.
I think by typing this I've made up my mind. iBook 12.1" Combo. I'll probably buy a bigger HD, oh, whats the biggest that'll fit, still the 40 GB IBM one? the 48 and 60 GB were too big from what I heard is this still true? I'd get more RAM too, and hopefully Airport base/card which by then should be 54 or whatever Mbps. And use that 15" crappy CRT which'll be fine because it'll only be 1024x768 and won't cost anything since we have it sitting here doing nothing.
These days I use the family blue and white G3 but with lots of upgrades including a RADEON 7000. Even an iBook would be faster for me but I think I might've been spoiled with 1280x1024 on the 17" Apple Studio display. Right now I'm trying out the display at 1024x768 to make sure I can get by
Whoa sorry for the long ramble.
[ 06-09-2002: Message edited by: MacsKickAss ]</p>
Is it really safe to have an iBook in your backpack? I know Apple says it does but I'm not so sure. Do they get scratched or bumped a lot? Do you guys take it to school?
Get an iBook sleeve from Waterfield Design (www.sfbags.com). And THEN throw it into your backpack. It will protect it beautifully from all scratches and dents. And you'll have no problem carrying it inside your backpack.
Apparently the new iBooks CPUs can be overclocked with software!!! Hmm even more reason to buy
Thanks everyman I'll check it out. Basically if I get a case I want one thats small and light.
I've been using the 12.1 iBook as a desktop replacement for over a year now. I just got the new 700. I think you'll have no problem whatsoever making it your main computer. I have a G4 Cube 500 that I never even use since I got my iBook. The 700 is fast, handles OS X beautifully and is so easy to tote around. I love it.
I don't think I'll ever get a desktop computer again. I hate being locked to a desk and sitting there for hours.
With the 12.1" iBook, you can easily lie in bed (especially if you check out laptop-laidback.com and get one of their unbelievably awesome products), kick back and watch a DVD or write a paper. It doesn't matter. It's easy on your back and neck and wrists too.
I never feel the need for a bigger screen, personally.
I suggest letting go of your desktop experience and get the iBook. You can add a keyboard and mouse if you want. But once you get used to the trackpad, who needs all that? Just more clutter, if you ask me.
Of course, we all have different needs and you know yourself better than anyone. So I don't want to be presumptuous and tell you what to do. But I think if you've only used a desktop, you think desktop. Getting a laptop is a whole new ballgame. You can't really know that til you put one to use in your own life.
I really feel, though, that you are going to love that iBook 700 combo a lot.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
I've used an iBook in bed before when I used to work for a Mac dealer. I would sometimes borrow an iBook for the weekend, but those were the old iBooks, the toilet-seat type but back in those days they were nice, but not as much as the new ones
I could curl up in bed typing away in the AppleInsider chat telling you how much fun I'm having with a new iBook 700!
Airport is a must, so I can be on my desk, couch, bed, and if I gotta sit on the can for a while...nah, don't wanna get my iBook exposed to methane fumes. Hell, I could use it in my yard, relaxing on the back padio...
Well I think I've been sold.
[ 06-09-2002: Message edited by: MacsKickAss ]</p>
In answer to a couple of your questions, yes it has replaced my desktop, and yes I do plug in external peripherals to it. Mainly because I am a graphic artist for a record company and the work I do on it all but requires an optical mouse. Which I carry in one of the side pockets of the Blue "Messanger Bag" case from BrentHaven that I bought with it. I don't plug in an external keyboard to it yet, because i've always found that when you switch from keyboard to keyboard, you almost have to re-learn the keyboard when you sit down at it again. I'll just stick with the beautifully made iBook keyboard.
I don't think that you'll be disappointed with it. One recommendation though, up the RAM to at least 256. I just bought more RAM from 18004memory.com and mine will be up to 384. You can even buy a 512MB stick there for about $150, which would max your iBook out perfectly.
Hope this helps you guys. Oh...did I tell you all yet, that I love my iBook? Well one more time doesn't hurt...=)
I have one more question, can the iBook run in lid-closed operation? I know I still wouldn't be able to run it at anything higher than 1024x768 but I'm just curious if it can still run closed like the TiBook does.
<strong>Thanks for your imput too cyko95.
I have one more question, can the iBook run in lid-closed operation? I know I still wouldn't be able to run it at anything higher than 1024x768 but I'm just curious if it can still run closed like the TiBook does.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Not that I have found. But I haven't went searching for that either. If you find a way post it here. I like to have that option on occasion as well.