Powermac or Powerbook for College

eric reideric reid
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
Here is my dilema:

For college in the fall, I have been allotted $3000 for a new computer. Obviously I'm getting a Mac, and its going to be a G4. As much as I love that cute new iMac, the machine will be used for video work and I have been advised against that machine by the film department. According to the tech guys there, half are on G4 towers and half on tiBooks. I myself have owned both over the years, with mixed results. I haven't been too pleased with the powerbooks i've had, my first being a 1400 and I worked a good amount on a powerbook g3 (firewire). The 1400 was the worst machine I ever owned, and the G3 seemed sluggish 6 months after it came out. My desktops have been a Powermac 6100 and a iMac DV 400. The 6100 was garbage, but the iMac was and still is a great and usable machine. Never having owned a top of the line machine, I can't get a bearing on how much more powerfull one is than a consumer model or top of the line powerbook. The portability of a powerbook would be nice, but not if it's not going to be enough for my needs. With my budget in mind ($3000, give or take a few hundred, also an educational discount), does anyone have any suggestions?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    tommybrandotommybrando Posts: 118member
    It 99.99% sure that the PowerMacs are getting a refresh on the 17th. Id hold out until then, and get whatever mid-range PowerMac is offered. Odds are that it will be more powerful than the current top of the line dual GHZ powermac, not just because of processor speed but the new motherboards are most likely going to sport a whole lot of enhacements such as DDR memory which will speed things up considerably.

    I love powerbooks, but if you want power and alot of it, July 17th should have something sweet for you.



    Just my $0.02
  • Reply 2 of 9
    eric reideric reid Posts: 25member
    I was counting on the new revisions coming out soon, it will be interesting to see what they offer. On another note, has anyone seen that much more performance out of a dual processor machine over a single? Is it worth the extra $$$?
  • Reply 3 of 9
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    I agree it would be wise to hold out until July 17, but do not expect to get the new machines until late August. That may not be ideal for you going off to school. The whole G4 thing is essential, so I would rule out the iBook as perfect as they may be for school use.



    BUT, do give the PowerBook careful consideration. The new ones with the ADC out give you the chance to (when you get rich) to have a full screen additional on your desk and then take it off to class or the library. (Of course, you always have to watch out that someone else does not walk off with it just as easily )



    In your field, the screen you choose will likely be critical, so with a 3000 budget, you may well find that you will be squeezed by new PowerMacs and possibly new PowerBooks as well.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    the all knowing 1the all knowing 1 Posts: 130member
    [quote]Originally posted by Eric Reid:

    <strong>Here is my dilema:

    For college in the fall, I have been allotted $3000 for a new computer. Obviously I'm getting a Mac, and its going to be a G4. As much as I love that cute new iMac, the machine will be used for video work and I have been advised against that machine by the film department. According to the tech guys there, half are on G4 towers and half on tiBooks. I myself have owned both over the years, with mixed results. I haven't been too pleased with the powerbooks i've had, my first being a 1400 and I worked a good amount on a powerbook g3 (firewire). The 1400 was the worst machine I ever owned, and the G3 seemed sluggish 6 months after it came out. My desktops have been a Powermac 6100 and a iMac DV 400. The 6100 was garbage, but the iMac was and still is a great and usable machine. Never having owned a top of the line machine, I can't get a bearing on how much more powerfull one is than a consumer model or top of the line powerbook. The portability of a powerbook would be nice, but not if it's not going to be enough for my needs. With my budget in mind ($3000, give or take a few hundred, also an educational discount), does anyone have any suggestions?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Well,

    It all depends. I wouldn't do anything with a Powermac G4 without a display (few could) so take that into account when planning out that circumstance. I myself would opt for no less than the 17 in LCD, which brings my CPU budget down 1000.

    I know many college students that have Powerbook G4s and just love them. They are able to do anything with their laptop that they need, whether it be Office, iMovie, or Quake 3, so its not a bad machine at all.

    I have a Ti 667 that I use for ALL of my needs, whether it be programming, presentations, or what-not. Having the G4 really adds a lot to it, and while I have not used a 800 Mhz one yet, I hear they are blazingly fast (and the price includes the LCD!).

    I agree with all above that you should wait until after MWNY to decide, but for college students I STRONGLY recommend the Powerbook G4. Getting it through the Apple Store for Higher Ed will knock some off the price, and will give you an 800 G4 with L3 cache, high res screen, Radeon 7500, etc etc etc. I would love one of these.



    Please message me if you have any questions/concerns--I specialize in such purchase decisions
  • Reply 5 of 9
    timotimo Posts: 353member
    Go with the powerbook.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    eric reideric reid Posts: 25member
    [quote]Originally posted by Timo:

    <strong>Go with the powerbook.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Is the powerbook 667 loaded up with ram along with an external firewire HD going to be enough to do anything I want in Final Cut Pro and other editing apps?
  • Reply 7 of 9
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Eric Reid:

    <strong>



    Is the powerbook 667 loaded up with ram along with an external firewire HD going to be enough to do anything I want in Final Cut Pro and other editing apps?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I can't see it not being enough. The 667s are plenty fast.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    I edited entire projects on a 400Mhz Powerbook G3 (firewire) with FCP 1, 128Mb ram, and an external 36GB hard drive. It did everything I wanted to do. What you are seeking will certainly get the job done. :cool:
  • Reply 9 of 9
    the all knowing 1the all knowing 1 Posts: 130member
    [quote]Originally posted by Eric Reid:

    <strong>



    Is the powerbook 667 loaded up with ram along with an external firewire HD going to be enough to do anything I want in Final Cut Pro and other editing apps?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Definately. It will even do FCP 3.0's real-time effects! Those are cool. Hehe.



    My Powerbook 667 has 512 MB Ram and I've never had a problem doing anything.
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