iBook 600 vs. Powerbook
I am looking at buying the iBook 600 DVD instead of a Powerbook. The $500 it will save me will help me out elsewhere.
My question for all of you is this: How well does the G3 handle OSX? I have not had much time at all on a G3 machine for a while. I am assuming that the bus speed bump will help a little on the iBook but what concerns me is the OpenGl and Quartz in OSX that is accelerated by AltiVec. Does it take a hit on the G3?
Thanks.
My question for all of you is this: How well does the G3 handle OSX? I have not had much time at all on a G3 machine for a while. I am assuming that the bus speed bump will help a little on the iBook but what concerns me is the OpenGl and Quartz in OSX that is accelerated by AltiVec. Does it take a hit on the G3?
Thanks.
Comments
Of course, if you will be doing professional, deadline intensive video work on your portable, then I'd suggest to spend the extra cash and get the TiBook G4 550, at least. You'll save some time on altivec enabled apps like Final Cut Pro.
CaoimhÃ*n
Taking into account what I do and the programs I spend 95% of my time in (NOT Photoshop, NOT Final Cut Pro, etc.), the ONLY thing the Titanium G4 PowerBook has over the iBook is screen size. If you already have a big honkin' desktop G4 for the "serious" work, the iBook makes total sense.
I've got a 400MHz G3 in the form of an iMac and run Illustrator, Photoshop, ATM Deluxe, Acrobat, plus about a gazillion other utilities and apps and to be completely honest, not once have I ever thought "man, I shoulda got a G4!". And the iBook is 200MHz than that...AND you get the combo drive (if you go with that model) which the iMac STILL doesn't have, not to mention the whole "go anywhere with your stuff at any time" aspect of having a portable.
If you didn't already have a great desktop Mac (not to mention, one bodaciously cool monitor), then the question would be tougher, because your laptop would be your "do everything" computer. As it is, sounds like you just need a solid, capable and powerful-in-its-own-right portable.
Plus, I think the iBook, in many ways, is SUCH a better value and you get more bang for the buck.
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>
I will let you know how things go....
Are these G3's still 4-stage pipeline processors?
Of course, screen size is important to me, as there are certain apps that are fairly squeezed at 1024x768.
Plus, the Ti looks cooler, don't you think? !
That might help <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
If you notice, the 600MHz iBook hung with or beat the 550MHz TiBook in all the categories. Granted, the 667 seemed to trample them both...HOWEVER, that's $2999 clams you have to lay out for that power.
That's TWICE what you paid for your new iBook! With all that money, there's a nice carrying bag, AirPort set-up, RAM, mouse, etc. with about $1000 or so STILL left over!
I'm glad I saw those test results too. The only TiBook I could even THINK about buying would be the 550MHz, but for those performance scores, it isn't worth the extra $500, even with the larger screen. And it STILL won't have a "useful on a laptop" DVD/CD-R combo drive!
Unfortunately for me, I'm a graphics artist, and the iBook's screen is just to small for my purposes. That, and I'm getting closer and closer to programming my art-thingies in OpenGL, and the radeon has better graphics power.
Untill using an iBook yesterday, I had hopes of buying one and maxing it w/ a 40 GB drive and 512MB ram, and pocketing the difference. But it looks like I'll have to shell out the extra $1000 for a TiBook to replace my trusty Wallstreet.
Sigh.
BTW, Bodhi, the OSX.1 flys on the ibook.
[ 11-18-2001: Message edited by: stimuli ]</p>
I was a little surprised to see those results on Bare Feats. I had actually emailed back and forth a bit with Rob-Art Morgan over this exact decision. I ended up deciding to go with the Ti Book. It was a few days later than he posted his followup to that test, and added in the 600 MHz iBook scores..... those really made me question my decision.
I also just had an iBook for a day, setting one up for someone. Man I loved that machine! It had 384 MB of RAM compared to my Ti Book's 512, but it did alot of things faster. Boot time, app start time, stuff like that. Noticeably faster. And the screen is small, but sitting right next to each other it made me think "My Ti Book's screen is THAT shitty?" Honestly, it seems like it has twice the brightness and sharpness.
Now if they only made it in a Titanium shell, it'd be a no-brainer. I still have reservations about that case - picks up scratches and smudges so easily.
Another thing, I was really surprised how much faster this was than a 500 MHz iBook. The extra 100 MHz processor speed with the faster bus makes a HUUUGE difference. Great little machine, that's for sure.
Sorry EmAn - don't mean to knock your 500 - but it is faster.
<strong>Sorry EmAn - don't mean to knock your 500 - but it is faster. </strong><hr></blockquote>
LOL, it's alright murbot. I have a feeling you'll be selling your TiBook in favor of an iBook within the next month.
Look <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/health/doctor/lhdoc304.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. Just the medicine for you.
Not quite though... it's not like I have a dozen Macs sitting in my house, I always get rid of the old one first. (ha - like they ever get old...)
<strong>Oh, I have a feeling it won't be THAT long.... heh heh</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I guess you're right. By next week you think?
I went to Fry's this weekend and compared these two babies side-by-side, and walked away feeling that I liked the Ti just a little bit better..... certainly not enough better that I'd gladly pay double.
Anybody out there care to talk me out of the iBook 600 with combo drive?