What is the minimum acceptable 15" Powerbook?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I know this is a strange open-ended question, but I got to toy with a 15" Pbook today, and I really liked it. I had previously messed around with the 12" but it was too small, and I still think the 17" looks vaguely like a joke with that little tiny keybaord and all that open space.....



However I have low cash. So, it's not likely I'll be buying new. The amount of cash I'm willing to spend is not set, so I cannot give you a price range, and even if I could, I don't want to--I want to know the broad range of what people think about what is 'acceptable.'



reqs: I will run OS X exclusively, I don't game much but I expct performance to be decent when I do (current game Sim City 4 on a PC), and I have a pretty itchy trigger on having the computer make me wait.



In your opinion, then, what is the minimum acceptable 15" Powerbook? And why?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    bnoyhtuawbbnoyhtuawb Posts: 456member
    1.2 GHz G4 512K L2 Cache / 2MB L3 Cache

    Higher Screen Resolution than current 15.4 (e. g. 1400 horizontal)

    Al case



    Choice of DVD/CDRW DVD-R/CDRW
  • Reply 2 of 16
    andersanders Posts: 6,523member
    Some personal financial advise: You have a computer that works and your credit rating is low. Perhaps its time to fix what is broken instead of breaking it even more by giving in to your "must-have" lust. I know its a HP and you must suffer greatly but try to put that aside.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    cidercider Posts: 14member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders

    Some personal financial advise: You have a computer that works and your credit rating is low. Perhaps its time to fix what is broken instead of breaking it even more by giving in to your "must-have" lust. I know its a HP and you must suffer greatly but try to put that aside.



    This is a nice advise, but out of the question. He did asked not to care about the cash, but just to answer the question. Quite funny to see how some people's only goal is to convince you that you shouldn't aim what you're aiming at, based on partial informations. Or maybe he knows you better than I imagine. Anyway, here would be my minimum acceptable specs:



    1.2 G4, 512K L2, 1Mo L3

    80Go HD

    512 DDR RAM, 2 Gigs max

    1400 horiz. res.

    FW 800, USB 2.0

    DVD-R or DVD/CD-R

    200MHz bus



    If an update just ends to an adjustment to 12" specs, plus a larger screen, then I'd go for the 12".
  • Reply 4 of 16
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    some people just can't read...

    he is talking about a used computer...

    in my opinion the lowest you should go on a 15"er is the 667 DVI model... it is the cheapest you will find with the newer (higher res) display... it is my current main computer and works like a charm. load it up with <512 ram and you will be set for at least 2 years... 3 or 4 if you can stretch it and stay away from sites like this...
  • Reply 5 of 16
    brunobruinbrunobruin Posts: 552member
    There's really nothing wrong with the current 15-inch PowerBooks. If the expected tweaks coming in the next revision (aluminum case, AirPort Extreme, onboard Bluetooth) aren't compelling to you, you'll be able to buy one of the current models on closeout for a decent discount.
  • Reply 6 of 16
    Well, I don't think any of you have helped him at all. Everyone so far has described the next-gen 15" AlBook, indicating that there are no current, acceptable TiBooks. I disagree.



    If you want to run OSX and games, I recommend a machine with at least an 800MHz processor and 32MB of video ram. The TiBook introduced in April, 2002 was the first to reach 800MHz, and also included some other niceties such as DVI video out.



    There are some good deals on this model on eBay. If you can afford it, go the next step up, to an 867MHz or 1GHz. Of course, if you can afford it, wait until the line is updated (all signs point to some time between now and this fall) and get a 15" AlBook.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Anders

    Some personal financial advise: You have a computer that works and your credit rating is low. Perhaps its time to fix what is broken instead of breaking it even more by giving in to your "must-have" lust. I know its a HP and you must suffer greatly but try to put that aside.



    Wha???? My PC is a back-of-the-mag mail order job, my credit is fine, and I've wanted a new laptop for some time now, to replace the iBook 600 I used to have but gave to my cousin for college......but thanks for playing.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    Thanks for the input so far.....I'm not looking for a 'solution', just other people's opinions. The Powerbook 15" i got to use for a while was the original TiBook 400 running OS X, and I only used it surf the web and open some word documents to read, so I didn't get a good chance to test it out, so I'm trying to get a rough idea of what people think about the various iterations of Powerbooks.



    This isn't so much a 'help me decide' thread as an 'enlighten me about Powerbook models from a personal perspective' thread. I have looked at all the specs for the Pbooks at lowendmac, so I know what the tech specs are, but I'm trying to get a feeling from users instead of just a chart of numbers.
  • Reply 9 of 16
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    I'd say an 800 MHz one would be a good minimum. Well, a 667 MHz DVI would cost less, but the 800 MHz should be a bit faster.



    Wait until the PowerBooks are updated (if ever) and then buy an older model. There are always closeouts when a model reaches the end of its life, but the price is always lower AFTER it's discontinued than before.
  • Reply 10 of 16
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    yeah, that almost goes without saying.....i think the time to strike would be a few weeks after a new 15" book has come on the market, and the used market prices have adjusted accordingly.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    hmmmmm.....i would have though the pbook folks would be out in full force.
  • Reply 12 of 16
    gabidgabid Posts: 477member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by I, Fred

    hmmmmm.....i would have though the pbook folks would be out in full force.



    Well, here's another opinion for what it's worth



    Make sure you get the higher res screen if you can. I have a 550 MHz TiBook which I love. But at times it would be nice to have higher res since the screen can get cluttered with floating palets. And I don't mean hard core Photoshop palets, but just simple formating palets.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    i, fredi, fred Posts: 125member
    even though not as many people responded as i thought would, i'm coming around to the idea that the 667 DVI is the tipping point.....1280 as opposed to 1152 and full support for OS X EXTREME Quartz (or whatever), plus the 32 MB VRAM and the 133 MHz bus.



    Now if Apple would just pump out one more iteration, I might be able to swoop in on a 667 DVI for a real nice price. 8)



    Additional opinions and comments still solicited!
  • Reply 14 of 16
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I guess that 667 TiBook is the sweet spot, Fred. New enough to have modern, OS X-friendly specs and goodies like DVI. But old enough to probably be found for a decent, reasonable price?
  • Reply 15 of 16
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    when you are ready to buy... i could be ready to sell...



    let me know when you are ready
  • Reply 16 of 16
    I've had a loaded current 15" for the last six months (1GHz, 1gb RAM, 60gb, 64mb vid) and have been very pleased with it. I bought it on the last day of the 6mo no interest, no payment and during the first week of the $200-$300 pricedrop. Got free shipping and paid over the internet to avoid taxes.



    I'd say, see when the loans are available and use the time to generate the rest of the income to make a better purchase. Otherwise, it would have been a pain to take on the extra $500+ interest on the item. This way you get a laptop that'll last and have spent the least amount to have it in your possession.



    Oh... and don't forget to get AppleCare before the year warranty is out just to be safe.
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