Macbook Pro or Intel Imac +G4 Ibook

ionion
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I was looking at the 1.83Ghz Macbook Pro but then I saw the new Imac and it is cheaper but with a faster processor, bigger screen, more hard drive space, dual layer burner. Now I really need the portability of a laptop for travel but dont necessarily need all the Macbook features with me all the time. So would it be an intelligent idea to buy one of the Imacs and then use the remaining cash to get a lower-end G4 Ibook or even splurge on the intel version? Or should I just stick to the simplicity of owning one computer? Would it be easy to transfer files from the Ibook to the imac? How would a new iMac compare performance wise to my current WinPc an HP with 1GB Ram and a P4 3.0 GHz HT?



I am still on a WinPc but here are the apps I run:



DVD decrypter

DVD shrink

LimeWire Pro

Bit Comet

Itunes

Smart FTP (so I can FTP to my modded XBOX)

GAIM

Nero Burning Rom

FireFox

DVD encoding with Intervideo(casual only, ive been encoding lost for my brother)

Xlink Kai (for free online Halo 2)

XVid movies on Windows Media Player





The most important thing for me would be battery life in a laptop. Any improvements expected with the new ibooks?





Alot of questions I know but an answer to any one of them would be appreciated!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    jasenj1jasenj1 Posts: 923member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ion



    ...

    Alot of questions I know but an answer to any one of them would be appreciated!



    I'm planning to go the iMac and cheap laptop route. (iMac is on order. Laptop to be bought later.) It sounds to me like you have a pretty decent rig already. I think Intel has touted that the Core Duo is faster than their previous LAPTOP chips, but I don't think I've heard much about how they compare to the desktop chips. I'm sure the iMac could run software similar to what you listed with no problems. The dual core would probably speed things up a bit, too.



    What you DO get with a Mac is iLife - a nice integrated suite to do some of the DVD stuff you listed. And OS X versions of several of the apps you listed are available. However, it may take a while (a few months?) for there to be Intel Mac native versions; so you may find things being slower than on your current rig in the short term.



    IMHO, the MacBook Pros are a big chunk of change for what they offer. I'm sure if I was in a situation where I NEEDED the power on the road with me they'd be worth it. But I don't, so they aren't



    Oh, and it is very easy to keey files synced between a Mac laptop and desktop. I know a guy at work who does it.



    Hope this helps.



    - Jasen.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    ionion Posts: 7member
    I have very little experience with Macs. So is iLife capable of backing up my DVDs and burning isos? And If you wouldnt mind could you just name or chekc off the programs I listed that come on an IMac. Thanks for your all your help!
  • Reply 3 of 9
    skatmanskatman Posts: 609member
    In terms pure performance, Core Duo 1.83 Mhz will blow Pentium 3.0 GHz HT out of the water. Pentium 4 3.0GHz HT (be it Northwood or Prescott core) is about equivalent to 1.7 GHz Core Solo.



    Most of the programs which you mentioned will not run faster (they're either optical drive limited or user input limited) except for, maybe, video encoding.

    However, with 2 physical cores you can, of course, run more apps at once without slowing down.

    Unless you plan to step up to some serious mpeg4 (Xvid or H.264) encoding work or such, there is really no need to upgrade you machine quite yet. Maybe a new Ati video card that supports hardware mpeg4 decoding, or faster HD... that would make a real difference.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    ionion Posts: 7member
    Well the PC im on now isnt mine. Im looking for something at least as fast but made by Apple to use in college. Which I have found. So programs running faster is not really an issue. As long as they run as fast, which they obviously will do.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    jasenj1jasenj1 Posts: 923member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ion

    I have very little experience with Macs. So is iLife capable of backing up my DVDs and burning isos? And If you wouldnt mind could you just name or chekc off the programs I listed that come on an IMac. Thanks for your all your help!



    For doing serious DVD burning work you want Roxio's Toast. I don't know about DVD decrypter or shrink. You can check Video Help for more advice specific to the DVD arena. Limewire, BitTorrent, xlink, Firefox, GAIM, Xvid are all available for the Mac - again, Intel Mac native versions won't be available for awhile.



    - Jasen.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Go for the mac, you won't regret.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    ionion Posts: 7member
    So unless I see some amazing results from the Macbooks Im going to go the Imac+Ibook route. Is a current G4 ibook fast enough for word processing, internet surfing, watching DVDs and videos?
  • Reply 8 of 9
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ion

    So unless I see some amazing results from the Macbooks Im going to go the Imac+Ibook route. Is a current G4 ibook fast enough for word processing, internet surfing, watching DVDs and videos?



    A 2002 iBook is good enought for all that stuff.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    ionion Posts: 7member
    I just wanted to let you know that I ordered my 14inch Ibook this morning and should have it within a week. I am so excited and hope it arrives early!
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