Those notebooks look like FisherPrice shit. Just like that "Farrari" notebook. What a joke. The iBook with its clean beauty and lack lines, buttons, and dumb stickers, looks futuristic. It looks a lot more sheek than a toy. Its simplicity is its beauty, same for Powerbooks, eMacs, and to some degree iMacs. G5s I thought looked ugly at first but the function really inspires the form, they look badass. My 2 ¢
edit: yes I agree the 17" is terribly ugly. It's nice until you open it up, the speakers are awkward. I know Apple saves money by using the same components throughout product lines but really, they shouldn't be using the PB 12" keyboard from a subnotebook on a 17" goliath notebook. They should use a different keyboard. Hell it has room for a freakin number pad probably! That'd be boss.
While I'll agree that my Alum 15" Powerbook looks better than any PC and yes it doesn't have that cheap plasticky feel to it, it doesn't translate to a solid construction.
Seeing as we have so many powerbook owners in here, would anyone confirm if this is the same on their PB? When the screen in the open position, gently move your laptop back and forth. Does your screen bobble back and forth as well? Mine does and this is horrible when trying to use it while commuting on a train or anything else for that matter. I've owned 3 Thinkpads prior to this and have never had a problem with the screen being loose like this. It's strange because looking at the Powerbook's hinge, you would think that it would be sturdy and solid, yet that's not the case with mine.
Is it just mine or are all the 15" PB's like this?
Take note of the performance level (MoBo and advanced RAM) and features you get for X amount of $$. OK, OK, we're talking about looks. Can anyone here really say these laptops look like cheap plastic? Hel-lo...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the iBook in my very humble opinion looks like a toy. I'm talking about holding one in person. It looks and feels kind of cheap. Again, no offense to iBook owners. This isn't an attack on them. Just my opinion.
First, the looks question. I like the looks of the laptops you linked to, no question about that.
The comparison would be easier in a real user environment, ad photos do not tell everything. How would the two computers look like when you plug in a 3rd party mouse, a keyboard, an additional flatscreen and pile a stack of papers next to the laptop? I suspect the iBook would fare better because it's more neutral and therefore fits better in a varying environment. "2Fast2Furious" looks get old fast.
The specs and price, however, are not a subjective thing. You're comparing apples and oranges either purposefully or out of ignorance.
Those PC's are luggable (not portable) desktops with desktop processors, small battery runtimes and lots of weight. Since the price point is on par with Powerbooks, the PC's obviously win in raw processing power and Powerbook wins in everything else. It would be more meaningful to compare top Centrino laptops to Powerbooks and see how much portable PC processing power the same cash buys.
For the iBook, there is no real competitor on the market. 2,2kg PC laptops are expensive "business" units, but Apple sells theirs in the lowest price segment.
The specs and price, however, are not a subjective thing. You're comparing apples and oranges either purposefully or out of ignorance.
Those PC's are luggable (not portable) desktops with desktop processors, small battery runtimes and lots of weight. Since the price point is on par with Powerbooks, the PC's obviously win in raw processing power and Powerbook wins in everything else. It would be more meaningful to compare top Centrino laptops to Powerbooks and see how much portable PC processing power the same cash buys.
For the iBook, there is no real competitor on the market. 2,2kg PC laptops are expensive "business" units, but Apple sells theirs in the lowest price segment. [/B]
I have PB 15 al as well as Toshiba notebook bk I have to have 2 platforms (OS X and XP Professional)due to business requirements (yes I have Virtual PC but too slow and does not work well). The PC is heavy plastic and not as sharp looking as the PB. BUT...THE BIG DIFFERENCE is the OS...OS X is so superior. The only advantage with XP is that 3rd party SW (such as printers, greeting cards) have more features.
I should add... if Apple didn't have the iBook out there at such a great price... I probably would never have tried out my first Mac. God knows I have all the PCs I need... the iBook killed several birds with one stone (no actual birds were harmed). I wanted a tiny notebook... but since I really didn't "need" it... I didn't want to pay an outlandish Centrino based price. I've also wanted to play around with a Mac to see how I felt about them. Again, it's really something just to learn on... I didn't need a powerhouse machine and again, didn't want to spend a ton of cash on it. The iBook took care of both... I have a tiny notebook I can take around anywhere... and it's not so expensive to prevent me from getting it just to learn the whole Mac thing. I figure a year or so down the road... when I get used to everything... if I decide I really like it.. I may upgrade to whatever the latest PB is at the time.
Like I've said before and I'll say it again. I'm not "attacking" iBook owners. Indeed, there is nothing on the PC side that offers the power/weight/price ratio of an iBook. It's a little killer if that's all you need. As far as the looks, I think we can all agree how subjective that is... To me, the Powerbooks are the most beautiful laptops in the world.
The thread started on the topic of the PowerBook's looks and manufacturing construction. So I'll stay on the PB. I have a small business which has done fairly well (with a LOT of hard work...) for me. I can buy any kind of computer system I want without blinking. That doesn't mean that I don't want the most bang for my buck. I do some traveling and I'm looking to move away all together from desktops. This means I want a luggable (To use Gon's term) with true "desktop" power. As for carrying around an 8lb. laptop, what's the big deal? To me that's nothing... I suppose if your the average female or a slightly built man, that would be an important consideration. Apple laptops (the 15" and 17") are lighter than their PC brethren. Got to hand it to Apple on this fact.
As to comparing Centrino powered laptops to G4 powered PB's, how different is the PB's proccessor to the MDD tower's processor? Either way, it matters not to me as I'm looking for flat out processing and graphics capability.
I admit that I love gaming in all it's graphic excess. Any of the top-of-the-line laptops that I've linked do games better than even the G5. I know that's only temporary. Hopefully, for Mac gamers anyway.
The only minus on the PC side is that OS X only runs on Macs. I agree this is significant. Windows XP is good. The best consumer OS Windows has ever put out. Even with all the bugs, but it's no OS X.
While I don't own one, my cousin does and the only thing I thing i think was a bad idea was the front loading cd slot, it should be on the side, and the the machine it self gets dented extremely easy, but it does look very professional, if you keep it in good condition. And when I think about it that was two things ;-)
I am glad I'm not alone in thinking that the Apple portables are amazingly designed, and great to look at. Weird thread title.
Wall Street Journalist Walt Mossburg said something to the effect of:
It is amazing that a 15.4'' widescreen Dell can be so large when sitting next to a 17'' PowerBook. Apple was somehow able to miraculously engineer the computer that is built around that 17'' larger display to be so small.
I love my 12" IBook no matter what you power hungry monsters say about them. It always turns heads everywhere I go. Since it is so light and portable, I bring it everywhere with me.
While I'll agree that my Alum 15" Powerbook looks better than any PC and yes it doesn't have that cheap plasticky feel to it, it doesn't translate to a solid construction.
Seeing as we have so many powerbook owners in here, would anyone confirm if this is the same on their PB? When the screen in the open position, gently move your laptop back and forth. Does your screen bobble back and forth as well? Mine does and this is horrible when trying to use it while commuting on a train or anything else for that matter. I've owned 3 Thinkpads prior to this and have never had a problem with the screen being loose like this. It's strange because looking at the Powerbook's hinge, you would think that it would be sturdy and solid, yet that's not the case with mine.
Is it just mine or are all the 15" PB's like this?
It is just yours. The 15" Al PB is the solidest PB I have ever owned going back to the PB140. You should call Apple about the screen. Probably you can send it in for repair. I just sent mine in for the white spots issue. I mentioned that the hinge made a little noise when you moved the display so they worked on that too. The results were really nice. The display now moves silently and smoothly. Feels like butter. I dropped it off at my local Apple store on Friday and it was ready for pickup on Tuesday. While fixing the display they must have done something to the WiFi antenna as WiFi performance is improved as well.
For a long list of reasons this is by far the best PB I've ever owned. I had both a Wallstreet and a Pismo and they were very nice in their day. The 15" Al FW800 PB is ahead of them. I like the looks, clean, thin, bright. The keyboard is a joy to type on, backlit keyboard is fun and useful. The screen is amazing, much better than the earlier ones. Speed is excellant. Slot load CD drive works well for me. The one thing I'dlike to improve on this is the trackpad. It is a little too large. It extends under my right palm so that when I type my palm is moving the mouse. I had to turn off the feature for clicking by tapping on the trackpad.
I came to Mac from a 15" Dell Inspiron 8 pounder. The size and bulk of that thing got tiresome very quickly. Especially for someone on the go all the time. The 12" iBooks or Powerbooks are a breath of fresh air. If I wanted a desktop replacement I would definately recommend the 17" Powerbook though.
Comments
edit: yes I agree the 17" is terribly ugly. It's nice until you open it up, the speakers are awkward. I know Apple saves money by using the same components throughout product lines but really, they shouldn't be using the PB 12" keyboard from a subnotebook on a 17" goliath notebook. They should use a different keyboard. Hell it has room for a freakin number pad probably! That'd be boss.
Originally posted by curiousuburb
were you trying to be clever or have you been under a rock since the G5?
This is an old thread; Bruno was obviously referencing the MDD G4 since his post was dated mid-May.
Seeing as we have so many powerbook owners in here, would anyone confirm if this is the same on their PB? When the screen in the open position, gently move your laptop back and forth. Does your screen bobble back and forth as well? Mine does and this is horrible when trying to use it while commuting on a train or anything else for that matter. I've owned 3 Thinkpads prior to this and have never had a problem with the screen being loose like this. It's strange because looking at the Powerbook's hinge, you would think that it would be sturdy and solid, yet that's not the case with mine.
Is it just mine or are all the 15" PB's like this?
Can anyone here really say these laptops look like cheap plastic?
The goggles do nothing.
Originally posted by hardhead
Just as a quick reminder to those of you suffering from, "PC laptops all look cheap and plasticky...", take an open minded gander at these specimens:
http://www.velocitymicro.com/category.php?cid=3
http://www.hypersonic-pc.com/2001/systems-mobile.htm
Take note of the performance level (MoBo and advanced RAM) and features you get for X amount of $$. OK, OK, we're talking about looks. Can anyone here really say these laptops look like cheap plastic? Hel-lo...
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the iBook in my very humble opinion looks like a toy. I'm talking about holding one in person. It looks and feels kind of cheap. Again, no offense to iBook owners. This isn't an attack on them. Just my opinion.
First, the looks question. I like the looks of the laptops you linked to, no question about that.
The comparison would be easier in a real user environment, ad photos do not tell everything. How would the two computers look like when you plug in a 3rd party mouse, a keyboard, an additional flatscreen and pile a stack of papers next to the laptop? I suspect the iBook would fare better because it's more neutral and therefore fits better in a varying environment. "2Fast2Furious" looks get old fast.
The specs and price, however, are not a subjective thing. You're comparing apples and oranges either purposefully or out of ignorance.
Those PC's are luggable (not portable) desktops with desktop processors, small battery runtimes and lots of weight. Since the price point is on par with Powerbooks, the PC's obviously win in raw processing power and Powerbook wins in everything else. It would be more meaningful to compare top Centrino laptops to Powerbooks and see how much portable PC processing power the same cash buys.
For the iBook, there is no real competitor on the market. 2,2kg PC laptops are expensive "business" units, but Apple sells theirs in the lowest price segment.
Originally posted by Gon
The specs and price, however, are not a subjective thing. You're comparing apples and oranges either purposefully or out of ignorance.
Those PC's are luggable (not portable) desktops with desktop processors, small battery runtimes and lots of weight. Since the price point is on par with Powerbooks, the PC's obviously win in raw processing power and Powerbook wins in everything else. It would be more meaningful to compare top Centrino laptops to Powerbooks and see how much portable PC processing power the same cash buys.
For the iBook, there is no real competitor on the market. 2,2kg PC laptops are expensive "business" units, but Apple sells theirs in the lowest price segment. [/B]
I have PB 15 al as well as Toshiba notebook bk I have to have 2 platforms (OS X and XP Professional)due to business requirements (yes I have Virtual PC but too slow and does not work well). The PC is heavy plastic and not as sharp looking as the PB. BUT...THE BIG DIFFERENCE is the OS...OS X is so superior. The only advantage with XP is that 3rd party SW (such as printers, greeting cards) have more features.
The thread started on the topic of the PowerBook's looks and manufacturing construction. So I'll stay on the PB. I have a small business which has done fairly well (with a LOT of hard work...) for me. I can buy any kind of computer system I want without blinking. That doesn't mean that I don't want the most bang for my buck. I do some traveling and I'm looking to move away all together from desktops. This means I want a luggable (To use Gon's term) with true "desktop" power. As for carrying around an 8lb. laptop, what's the big deal? To me that's nothing... I suppose if your the average female or a slightly built man, that would be an important consideration. Apple laptops (the 15" and 17") are lighter than their PC brethren. Got to hand it to Apple on this fact.
As to comparing Centrino powered laptops to G4 powered PB's, how different is the PB's proccessor to the MDD tower's processor? Either way, it matters not to me as I'm looking for flat out processing and graphics capability.
I admit that I love gaming in all it's graphic excess. Any of the top-of-the-line laptops that I've linked do games better than even the G5. I know that's only temporary. Hopefully, for Mac gamers anyway.
The only minus on the PC side is that OS X only runs on Macs. I agree this is significant. Windows XP is good. The best consumer OS Windows has ever put out. Even with all the bugs, but it's no OS X.
Originally posted by Aquatic
Long as you are not hating on my 12".
Wall Street Journalist Walt Mossburg said something to the effect of:
It is amazing that a 15.4'' widescreen Dell can be so large when sitting next to a 17'' PowerBook. Apple was somehow able to miraculously engineer the computer that is built around that 17'' larger display to be so small.
the size doesnt bother me at all..
Originally posted by zeebee
While I'll agree that my Alum 15" Powerbook looks better than any PC and yes it doesn't have that cheap plasticky feel to it, it doesn't translate to a solid construction.
Seeing as we have so many powerbook owners in here, would anyone confirm if this is the same on their PB? When the screen in the open position, gently move your laptop back and forth. Does your screen bobble back and forth as well? Mine does and this is horrible when trying to use it while commuting on a train or anything else for that matter. I've owned 3 Thinkpads prior to this and have never had a problem with the screen being loose like this. It's strange because looking at the Powerbook's hinge, you would think that it would be sturdy and solid, yet that's not the case with mine.
Is it just mine or are all the 15" PB's like this?
It is just yours. The 15" Al PB is the solidest PB I have ever owned going back to the PB140. You should call Apple about the screen. Probably you can send it in for repair. I just sent mine in for the white spots issue. I mentioned that the hinge made a little noise when you moved the display so they worked on that too. The results were really nice. The display now moves silently and smoothly. Feels like butter. I dropped it off at my local Apple store on Friday and it was ready for pickup on Tuesday. While fixing the display they must have done something to the WiFi antenna as WiFi performance is improved as well.
For a long list of reasons this is by far the best PB I've ever owned. I had both a Wallstreet and a Pismo and they were very nice in their day. The 15" Al FW800 PB is ahead of them. I like the looks, clean, thin, bright. The keyboard is a joy to type on, backlit keyboard is fun and useful. The screen is amazing, much better than the earlier ones. Speed is excellant. Slot load CD drive works well for me. The one thing I'dlike to improve on this is the trackpad. It is a little too large. It extends under my right palm so that when I type my palm is moving the mouse. I had to turn off the feature for clicking by tapping on the trackpad.