Buying PowerBook: Advice
Since there's no new PowerBook announcement I think I'm just going to take the plunge and buy my first Apple, the Powerbook G4. I had been waiting for a WWDC update, but since there isn't one and I've gotten used to the idea of shedding Windows, nothing else to do 
I'm headed to college in August and want a laptop NOW!
I'm both a student and entrepreneurial Internet developer. I own http://www.greenhybrid.com and it wouldn't be unusual for me to have Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Firefox, Thunderbird, an FTP app and a chat program open at once. I'm currently on a 1.8 Ghz P4 (Dell), which I find way too slow.
I won't go with the 12' because it's just too tiny. The 15' is about (less than 100 pixels smaller vertically) the same as my current desktop resolution. The 17' is interesting but perhaps too big to carry around easily.
People on these forums talk about the PowerBook as if it's the slowest thing on the market. Is this really that so? Will I have problems with what I use it for? Is there really a big advantage with the Superdrive and should I drop down to the Combo for an extra 512 of RAM instead?
I would hopefully be able to get that student discount, but they're still expensive
Any advice, suggestions or answers? Thanks in advance.
I'm headed to college in August and want a laptop NOW!I'm both a student and entrepreneurial Internet developer. I own http://www.greenhybrid.com and it wouldn't be unusual for me to have Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Firefox, Thunderbird, an FTP app and a chat program open at once. I'm currently on a 1.8 Ghz P4 (Dell), which I find way too slow.
I won't go with the 12' because it's just too tiny. The 15' is about (less than 100 pixels smaller vertically) the same as my current desktop resolution. The 17' is interesting but perhaps too big to carry around easily.
People on these forums talk about the PowerBook as if it's the slowest thing on the market. Is this really that so? Will I have problems with what I use it for? Is there really a big advantage with the Superdrive and should I drop down to the Combo for an extra 512 of RAM instead?
I would hopefully be able to get that student discount, but they're still expensive
Any advice, suggestions or answers? Thanks in advance.
Comments
I have the 15" 1.67GHz G4 with 128MB VRAM, 512MB RAM and a SuperDrive. I have no reason to call it slow, it does all that I want.
I switched for the similar reasons. I wanted to get away from Windows, but I didn't feel confident buying something and expecting it all to run smoothly with Linux.
Given that you're interested in web development and Photoshop, I would consider getting the extra RAM in lieu of the SuperDrive. You're hardly going to start burning 4.7GB DVD-R's of your latest website. I do get the beach-ball (A cursor that indicates that that particular application is loading / swapping memory around) quite often with only 512MB of RAM, so definitely go for a gigabytes worth.
The nature of OS X is to have several things running at once. The whole system is just designed for you to get creative and not close anything. It allows you to think of the UI as a messy art desk, which I was quite familiar with
I would wait closer to August before you get one, as there could well be a minor update to the PowerBook G4 range, and maybe some nice price reductions. Apple won't survive a year without any updates to their hardware...
Size-wise, I'd say that anything bigger than 15" is too big for a laptop if you wish to move it reasonably often.
And if OS X 10.6 'Domestic Cat' doesn't support PPC you can always move over to Yellow Dog Linux.
If you're going to continually hold off buying a new computer, waiting for the next big thing - you'll never buy anything.
I love my PowerBook and Mac OS X, but I'm wary in giving advice especially to potential switchers.
Things are getting really expensive with the software transition
Originally posted by greenhybrid
Things are getting really expensive with the software transition
Be sure to check with the campus computer store at the college you'll be attending; they often have special package deals for incoming students that include extra RAM, software, AppleCare and so on. And don't forget that, as a student, you can buy software at a considerable discount as well (although I feel compelled to add that you are not supposed to use edu software for commercial purposes).
I don't think I'd worry too much about the Intel transition. What you buy now will likely have to last you your entire college career, and the software you buy now will run on it just as well in four years as it does now. At that point you'll be flogging a four-year-old computer, and Intel or PPC, you'll be ready for an upgrade.
Originally posted by BrunoBruin
I don't think I'd worry too much about the Intel transition.
I think greenhybrid was referring to the transition from PC based software to buying a shopping basket full of Mac software.
Yes, the transition will lighten your wallet a bit, but remember you qualify for an educational discount.
The only thing I'm unsure about is whether to get the 1.5 or 1.67 Ghz G4. I do plan on upgrading the RAM third-party, but I simply don't know enough about computers. What's worth it? Is the .17 difference going to be worth $200? Would it be better to get an extra 512 RAM and a 1.67 or an extra 1 GB and a 1.5? Any advice as far as this goes?
As far as software goes, I have to buy new Dreamweaver and Photoshop licenses for $99 and $299, respectively. I think it's kind of ridiculous to have to buy these new ones when I already have, and I'm not sure how much I'll even be using them in college
Regarding the software transition, do what I did. I had so much PC software (most of which I never used) I was able to sell it on eBay and make almost half the amount of my new iMac 20". I wouldn't have been able to do it without selling the software.
I must say in regards to everyones comment on the intel switch...you guys are really over reacting. Thats about a year off, whats the guy to do? Wait a year? Live with a dreaded PC notebook? If he buys it now, in a year when the new powerbooks have intel processors....SO WHAT! What does that have to do with him? If his G4 powerbook is still working fine then whats the big deal? The new software that is released will work on the PowerPC because of universal binaries. Who gets a new notebook every year? He would probubly be using this one for 2 or 3...without any problems because of the intel switch. Don't say 10.6 will be intel only either, because if apple is wanting its developers to make universal binaries you better believe they better be doing it with there OS, even 4 years from now which is only 2 years after the switch to intel is complete.
So good job going with it now, I only switched to Apple in January and I am still thrilled that I did and dread thinking back to my PC days.
Originally posted by greenhybrid
lol was this before or after the WWDC? Steve said point-blank that they're switching to Intel for reasons like the Powerbook G5 that they've been unable to produce.
this was back in feb and marchish when i was having the same discussion w/ my brother about laptops b/c i told him i wanted one and he told me to wait til the G5's... but i wanted it for the rest of my junior year in HS...
Originally posted by Scooterboy
[B]Just keep in mind that all PPC (G4 and G5) based Macs are essentially EOL'd. Since Apple is moving to Intel x86, the current line of Macs have a planned obsolecence of only a few years.
Nonsense. There will be more PPC products in the future, and tehy will all have normal functional lives. Fat binaries will keep any Mac bought today working just fine into the future. Remember, it was four years after the first Power Mac before Apple released a Mac OS that was unable of running on a 68040 -- and that was a much larger transition in terms of relative speeds.
Got it hooked up to a real nice 20" Dell panel when I'm in the office.
As far as what the future holds, here is a fact:
Applications will be FAT (contain two binaries), which means that applications will continue to run just fine, even new applications, so you won't find yourself not being able to buy any new applications suddenly after 2007 or 2008. Apps will be available indefinitely, though at some point it will become too slow to run the latest high end apps. This would have happened anyway.
Originally posted by Robin Hood
As far as what the future holds, here is a fact:
Applications will be FAT (contain two binaries), which means that applications will continue to run just fine, even new applications, so you won't find yourself not being able to buy any new applications suddenly after 2007 or 2008. Apps will be available indefinitely, though at some point it will become too slow to run the latest high end apps. This would have happened anyway.
(Underlining mine.) Exactly.
Originally posted by Fireball1244
Nonsense. Fat binaries will keep any Mac bought today working just fine into the future.
Good point! I think there is a lot of misinterpretation going on and this clarifies it.
Also, if these software developers can just move to Xcode like Steve asked them to, they won't need to do anything extra to keep the PPC and Intel binaries in sync - that means that every new dot-release of application WidgetShop or whatever will generate the Universal Binary at a single click. Let's hope they do that.