My question, is the PB a good choice for a everyday computer. These are my needs, web surfing, word processing, digital pictures and simple digital video burning.
I do all of these with my 12" PB and it works great! Multitasking works fine, and I have no problem running chunky server apps from the command line, while coding, web browsing, running e-mail and word processing in the GUI.
It does get hot, but I don't find that a problem. It is amazing how much they pack into it. I use airport all the time with it, wireless printing rocks!
I'm still staggered how small it seems next to even the 15" PB, and PC laptops just look so clunky in comparason! Sony's small laptops are nice but don't seem to have any features (such as CD drives!)
Watching DVD's on flights/ in airports is cool to...
For all of you 12" PB owners, how's the heat output from it?
HOT!!
During CPU intensive and HDD intensive applications the left palm rest became so hot that I couldn't put my hand on it. The 10.3.2 upgrade turns the fan on more often and at lower temps then previous OSes did. It makes a hell of a lot more noise, but is much cooler to the touch.
I'm looking into a graphics career (something with photoshop or flash) and really want a powerbook to do the job. Since it would be constantly doing graphics, would a 12" be fine, or should I look at 15" or 17"?
For all of you 12" PB owners, how's the heat output from it?
It really varies. For average use, it's not bad at all! A bit warm, but nothing a decent pair of shorts or jeans can't handle.
However, when you start doing disk-intensive work (lengthy downloads, DVD playback, etc) it heats up pretty quickly and you'll need a book or laptop pad to use it in your lap.
As for multitasking, I've been using a 1st gen 12" Powerbook for nearly a year now, and it does great. My iBook had problems when playing DVDs or other intensive work, but the Powerbook rarely stutters unless I'm running Virtual PC. The video card and G4 processor make a major difference.
For graphics work, the screen is adequate, but probably too cramped. Video is fine, but most Photoshop work would be a bit difficult to squeeze onto the screen. It might be worth it if you have an external monitor to use, though, and just use the 12" screen for portability.
well, multitasking is great. I have watched dvd's while surfing and chatting at the same time (thank goodness for expose) with no troubles at all. As for the heat, since the whole entire computer is made of aluminum, heat is destributed throughout the whole entire book. at normal operation, the cpu is at 110 degrees, with intense hard drive usage and heavy gaming, the cpu can go to a max of 140 degrees. Of course it doesn't get that hot under your hand. but if you touch the area where the display hooks up to the main computer, where the vent is, it is HOT! Of course, most ppl never touch there anyways You can decrease the temp of the case on a whole by putting two sticks and having your powerbook rest on it, allowing air to go under, or get a fancy laptop elevator.
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Originally posted by tree
My question, is the PB a good choice for a everyday computer. These are my needs, web surfing, word processing, digital pictures and simple digital video burning.
I do all of these with my 12" PB and it works great! Multitasking works fine, and I have no problem running chunky server apps from the command line, while coding, web browsing, running e-mail and word processing in the GUI.
It does get hot, but I don't find that a problem. It is amazing how much they pack into it. I use airport all the time with it, wireless printing rocks!
I'm still staggered how small it seems next to even the 15" PB, and PC laptops just look so clunky in comparason! Sony's small laptops are nice but don't seem to have any features (such as CD drives!)
Watching DVD's on flights/ in airports is cool to...
Originally posted by jesperas
For all of you 12" PB owners, how's the heat output from it?
HOT!!
During CPU intensive and HDD intensive applications the left palm rest became so hot that I couldn't put my hand on it. The 10.3.2 upgrade turns the fan on more often and at lower temps then previous OSes did. It makes a hell of a lot more noise, but is much cooler to the touch.
Originally posted by jesperas
For all of you 12" PB owners, how's the heat output from it?
It really varies. For average use, it's not bad at all! A bit warm, but nothing a decent pair of shorts or jeans can't handle.
However, when you start doing disk-intensive work (lengthy downloads, DVD playback, etc) it heats up pretty quickly and you'll need a book or laptop pad to use it in your lap.
As for multitasking, I've been using a 1st gen 12" Powerbook for nearly a year now, and it does great. My iBook had problems when playing DVDs or other intensive work, but the Powerbook rarely stutters unless I'm running Virtual PC. The video card and G4 processor make a major difference.
For graphics work, the screen is adequate, but probably too cramped. Video is fine, but most Photoshop work would be a bit difficult to squeeze onto the screen. It might be worth it if you have an external monitor to use, though, and just use the 12" screen for portability.