is 15" really worth it?

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I'm going into college and Computer Science and I'm tryin to decide if I should go with a 12" or 15" powerbook...(possibly the 1.33ghz generation to save a few) I'm not worried about intel stuff and i'll probably get an intel mini next year anyways. Once a rev 2 intel laptop comes along, i might get one, so i'm lookin at a laptop to last me about 3 years. Does the 12" support screen spanning? Also, i'm sure there are some cs majors on this board...what would you recommend? 12 or 15?



also, i'm considering selling my current ibook g3 and getting the cheaper dell clone of the 20" apple cinema...just an idea, not sure of that yet...
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    ibook911ibook911 Posts: 607member
    You later idea sounds decent. Amazon also has the 20" Apple Cinema, for just $750 on sale right now. However, I know with coupons, you can probably get a better deal on the Dell, if you want to go that way. I use the current 12 inch Powerbook, with the 20-inch cinema display, plus external mouse and keyboard. It is a beautiful setup, and I appreciate it every day. I have a great screen, when I am at my desk, which is where I use my computer more than ninety-percent of the time. However, when I need to take the computer around the house, the portability is there.



    If I did not have an external display, I would have definitely went with the 15 or 17 inch Powerbooks. However, the best solution for me, was the great cinema display, with the 12-inch, for portability.
  • Reply 2 of 45
    danosaurdanosaur Posts: 258member
    I have the 12 inch and it's great. Only rarely does the limited screen real estate bother me. I use it mostly for school but it's really my only computer. I don't have an external monitor, but it would be nice.



    The 12 inch is great because it is so portable. My mom has a 15 inch and it's bulky in comparison. This powerbook fits in my bag with my textbooks: in fact its smaller than any other textbook of mine and about the same weight.
  • Reply 3 of 45
    i have a 4yr old PB i got from my brother and l8r on when i go to college, im going to get the 15" PB... i like the bigger scree, and the 17" is too big for me, and i like the specs for the 15" better then ill spec it up some more... but thats just me...
  • Reply 4 of 45
    cj171cj171 Posts: 144member
    true, i would definitely prefer the ati over the older nvidia...but i'm unsure if i want the size..it's hard to tell at the apple store how the 15" will be
  • Reply 5 of 45
    tekmatetekmate Posts: 134member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by cj171

    true, i would definitely prefer the ati over the older nvidia...but i'm unsure if i want the size..it's hard to tell at the apple store how the 15" will be



    I have a 15 inch PowerBook and I have a 12 inch Compaq I have to say the 12 inch while it's a joy to travel with I find if I'm camped out somewhere it really irratates me I have to use an external monitor. The 15 on the other hand even though I have the connection I have never bothered to hook it up to an external even just to test if it works.



    If you plan on getting an external monitor go 12 if not get the 15 your eyes will thank you.
  • Reply 6 of 45
    cj171cj171 Posts: 144member
    ah, so the 15 isnt too bulky or heavy to not be portable then? also, does the 12" mirror or extend or both with an external screen?
  • Reply 7 of 45
    tekmatetekmate Posts: 134member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by cj171

    ah, so the 15 isnt too bulky or heavy to not be portable then?



    I like the heft of the 15 myself but I'm a big guy at 6'2" and 260lbs so you can imagine the 12 looks like a toy for me.
  • Reply 8 of 45
    cj171cj171 Posts: 144member
    also, do you people put your powerbooks in your bag with your books or a seperate bag? i wouldnt trust my little ibook to survive in with my books
  • Reply 9 of 45
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Yes, the 12" CAN mirror or span on an external monitor.



    I personally had a separate laptop case in college because I didn't "trust" any backpack with both my PB and books inside together.



    I think the 15" Powerbook is the ultimate compromise of form and function. It's big enough to feel comfortable viewing the screen (i.e. It's not too cramped), but it's small enough that it's quite portable.



    If you need something that's REALLY portable, go with a 12" and a monitor that stays planted at your home. If you want a little bigger screen that will go with you everywhere, choose the 15".
  • Reply 10 of 45
    Quote:

    Originally posted by cj171

    also, do you people put your powerbooks in your bag with your books or a seperate bag? i wouldnt trust my little ibook to survive in with my books



    i love my powerbook soo much, i havnt even tried carrying text books in the same bag as my laptop... although when i talked to my brother he said it was ok as long as theres nothing resting on top of the screen flat, but when its vertical its ok he said... even though i trust my brother, i wasnt taking chances of damaging my toy... the most i had in the same bag was a folder, calculator, and 1 3-ring binder, thats about it... nothing heavy or anyhting, and i usually didnt need a textbook w/ me except for physics (which is across my locker) so i picked it up from there and history, and history if i felt like bringing the book to class i just carried it... b/c i wasnt chancing anything...



    so, point of story... its fine when its vertical... but when its resting on a table, ground, where-ever, then bad (if books are on top of laptop) if you take off the bag and lean if forward, so the laptop is on top of the books (leaning in that direction) its fine...
  • Reply 11 of 45
    tekmatetekmate Posts: 134member
    Quote:



    so, point of story... its fine when its vertical... but when its resting on a table, ground, where-ever, then bad (if books are on top of laptop) if you take off the bag and lean if forward, so the laptop is on top of the books (leaning in that direction) its fine... [/B]



    I broke the screen of an old laptop I was carrying it and a couple of books and I put them down with the books on top I swear I was majorly gentle but the screen cracked any way still not sure if it was the books or maybe it flexed a bit too much.
  • Reply 12 of 45
    Quote:

    Originally posted by TekMate

    I broke the screen of an old laptop I was carrying it and a couple of books and I put them down with the books on top I swear I was majorly gentle but the screen cracked any way still not sure if it was the books or maybe it flexed a bit too much.



    thats why it cracked, b/c the books were on TOP of the laptop.... if the bag leaned forward toward the ground so the laptop would lean on the books/be on top of the books, then it would have been alright... but expect a crack screen w/ any sort of weight on the screen... after all... thats a glass screen thats taking more then it can handle... just like w/ any glass window, itll crack, break if too much weight is resting on it
  • Reply 13 of 45
    webwillywebwilly Posts: 11member
    I'm doing computer science too and have just moved from a 12" ibook up to a 15" PB and i have to say that it's way better. xcode is easier to use on the bigger screen and having more apps open at the same time while not having them completely cover each other like they do on a 12" is great.

    If you are going to be using apps that have floating tool palettes then 15" is definately the way to go, there's just nowhere to put them on a 12" - even Word eats up the whole screen.

    Obviously the 12" wins in terms of portability and you usually get better battery life too, but I didn't want to get an external monitor and then have to sit at school wishing I was in front of my 20" beast because the screen I was using there and then was so small I needed a magnifying glass to see it.

    Another bonus with the 15" is that you can get the light-up keyboard, good if you're taking notes in a presetation and the lights are dimmed.

    Of course, when thinking about getting the 15" remember that the horizontal resolution is pretty good but the vertical is not much better than the 12" - I find that moving the dock to the side of the screen evens things out a bit and gives you a better space to play in.
  • Reply 14 of 45
    oh yes... the light up keyboard.... i wish my pb had that.... i have a 4yr old pb that doesnt carry the light up keyboard and would need a lil light/lamp that hngs over the keyboard for light.... which i actually considered getting...
  • Reply 15 of 45
    gongon Posts: 2,437member
    Another CS major here.



    I started with the 1.33GHz 15" PB, and while the computer was just great, I thought it was not good value.



    I now have a 1.2GHz 12" iBook hooked up to a 24" Dell widescreen, for not much more than the 15" PB cost by itself. I'm very happy! Too bad that the Apple DVD Player is horrible - noticed this when I got the external display.
  • Reply 16 of 45
    gongon Posts: 2,437member
    What are you guys doing in computer science if a lighted keyboard means anything besides aesthetics for you?!

    If you can't touch type, that should be your first priority.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    xoolxool Posts: 2,460member
    I have a 15" Titanium powerbook and we also use a 12" iBook (G3 model). While the 12" form factor is certainly appreciable when on the move, when actually using the machine I can't handle the limited screen real estate. The barely larger 1152x769 resolution on my rev A Ti is still preferred.



    Overall, I say the slightly extra bulk is worth the larger screen. Go for the 15".



    However, if you have the bank to blow on some other gear, maybe the 12" is for you. But if this laptop has got to be it, get the 15". All depends on your work / life style.
  • Reply 18 of 45
    gongon Posts: 2,437member
    Still a bit more on the 12" vs 15" question.



    Using computer while on the go: in our domestic airline seats, and in lecture halls at university, 15" really is too big, while 12" is very manageable.



    The act of carrying the computer: there is no weight difference to speak of, they are all really lightweight, but the measurements do make a difference in what kind of shoulder bag is okay. I'm medium height, heavyset, and I find a shoulder bag large enough for the 15" awkward to carry. If you use a backpack, then there is no downside in carrying the 15", although there still may be in using it.



    I still maintain that the difference between 12" iBook and 12" Powerbook is mainly imaginary.. and monetary.



    When you compare the 15" PB and 12" iBook + the best display you get for the price difference, I find that for most people the iBook would be the better, rational choice. You have *far* more screen at your desk, and an easy-to-handle computer on the go. For some people the 15" will still be the better option. The conditions for that, I think, would usually involve graphic work (so the DVI becomes really important), games (although no Mac is very good at that) or need for gigabit ethernet, Firewire800, PCMCIA slot, etc.



    Note that this comparison is a "value" one. If you have a lot to spend, then PB plus external display becomes more interesting. Some people are also able to live off a 15" PB.. personally I would always add an external display, no matter what. Even if it's only a 17" you are still more than doubling your breathing space.
  • Reply 19 of 45
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gon

    What are you guys doing in computer science if a lighted keyboard means anything besides aesthetics for you?!

    If you can't touch type, that should be your first priority.




    i've typed whole essays (1 i remember) eyes closed/blind folded just to see if i could do it, and i did... so touch typing isnt a problem for me... i can do it as easy as riding a bike
  • Reply 20 of 45
    webwillywebwilly Posts: 11member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by webwilly



    Another bonus with the 15" is that you can get the light-up keyboard, good if you're taking notes in a presetation and the lights are dimmed.





    Obviously this should be read as "if you want to show off to everyone in a presentation and the lights are dimmed"... And of course, due to my lack of touch typing skills this post has taken just over 27 minutes to type.
Sign In or Register to comment.