ibook dilemna - powerbook rumors pertinent

[beatle888]

Originally posted by porovaara

What are you planning on doing with those 11mp images? If it is heavy image work then the PB may be what you need because of enhanced photoshop speed thanks to altivec. If it is just some auto-levels, red-eye removal, cropping and such the iBook will be totally fine.

The iBook is a great portable for mac users. The PB is a more than decent desktop replacement for mac users.

I work in photoshop on a tibook and i totally
agree. powerbook for anything professional
or the ibook for more of a hobby. I love my
ti but hope it will last me three years.
PowerPC 970 YO!

hey the power and i books should be just around
the corner, NO? arent there rumors here about
new tibooks and ibooks?

id put your order on hold. these new books are
like RIGHT AROUND the corner


oh yea three last words...Ram, RAm, RAM!

 

[madamimadam]

This seems to be such a common theme at the moment.

To put it quite simply, machines are getting so fast that people say "why would I need the best".

It is likely that the iBook will do you fine but as has been said, it depends what you are doing. I am buying a PB as soon as the new ones come out (whenever that should be) because I am one of those few people who demands power. To be truthful, I am sure I could live fine with an iBook but I can't stand to wait and my impatience with computers is EXTREMELY costly (ie. the difference between the cost of a PB and the cost of an iBook). I can live knowing that it is my fault I am paying so much, though, esp. since my new PowerBook should last me for years.

Things you do need to think about with the PowerBooks, though, some said and some not yet:

AirPort is hindered but by no means dead;

Scratching is easy;

Heat is UNBELIEVABLE sometimes.... I am not going to like the heat problem one bit... I hate my machine to get hot;

The feet fall off (this is covered by warranty because it is a known problem with the heat of the machine melting the glue that holds the feet in; once warranty is up though...);

The case is not as durable as the iBooks and if you touch the back of the top case you see colours on the screen because the case is so thin and flexable.

That problem with scratching seems to be a big one, too, they do not keep their lovely smooth look for too long even if you look after them.

I would still prefer the PB to the iB, though, but you have to know all the downs as well as the up before you purchase or else you could be quite upset and it is too expensive to be unhappy with.

 

[rt_brained]

Originally posted by mdouglas
OK - I'm feeling better about my soon to arrive iBook. Thank you to everyone who has written in. Obviously it won't be as fast as a PB, but it will run the Jaguar just as well (which isn't necessarily what I've heard in other places - i.e. G4 much better in these regards). Also, I do want to put it on my lap and don't like the suggestion that the PB gets too hot.

However, I still haven't heard anyone say how much of a difference there is between the 14" and 12" iBooks both aesthetically and otherwise.

Mark

Aesthetically, the 12" is a hands-down winner. I've mentioned this more than once, but I'll say it again...the layout of the 12" looks cleaner than the 14." The 14" looks like a 12" in daddy's big shoes. It doesn't fit. Also, when I was in the market for a portable, I man-handled each one and found the 14" screen looks and feels to large for the hinge. The screen wobbles and shakes too much at the slightest movement. Over time, that constant movement of the screen is hard on the eyes.

The 12" on the other hand felt solid. More so than the PowerBook. I checked the underside of the PowerBooks on display and noticed the silver finish removed from most of the contact areas with the tabletop. I decided to save the cash and buy the 12." And I couldn't be happier for it.

And when I take it home, I can plug it into my 21" Sony and get spectacular color.

I concur with knigthawk's post. Grab yourself a Sony, Mitsu or LaCie with the money you save. You'll get more accurate color when working with digital images in the long run on those CRTs.

 

[gopher]

Originally posted by xrhajj



That’s totally untrue, When you put a notebook to sleep, the hard drive cease spinning and the heads park to reduce power consumption!!

Then explain to me TWO drive failures within the period of three months in a Wallstreet series II? Both were used on the bus, and most of the time put to sleep. No I don't buy the Powerbooks are safe being transported during sleep. If they were, you could transport them anywhere. And no I didn't drop it.

 

[Dr. Distortion]

Originally posted by gopher


Then explain to me TWO drive failures within the period of three months in a Wallstreet series II? Both were used on the bus, and most of the time put to sleep. No I don't buy the Powerbooks are safe being transported during sleep. If they were, you could transport them anywhere. And no I didn't drop it.

Did it have IBM Travelstar harddisks? I know a lot of people (including myself) who have had problems with those.

 

[WebOrbiter]

The rumor on the street is the powerbook gets minor speed bumps and bluetooth support, iBook gets minor speed bumps and the 12.1" screen isreplaced with 13" screens, and some other stuff I cant remember now.

 

[gopher]

Originally posted by Dr. Distortion


Did it have IBM Travelstar harddisks? I know a lot of people (including myself) who have had problems with those.

I didn't keep track of which model they were...this was a couple years ago.

 

[Rajj]

Originally posted by gopher


Then explain to me TWO drive failures within the period of three months in a Wallstreet series II? Both were used on the bus, and most of the time put to sleep. No I don't buy the Powerbooks are safe being transported during sleep. If they were, you could transport them anywhere. And no I didn't drop it.

I was under the assumption that you had a TiBook and OSX!!!
But I travel with my TiBook everywhere in sleep mode, and I have never had a problem, even with a lot a bumping and banging of my Ti!!!!!

Also I read somewhere that supports my statement but I can’t remember where…..

 

[Falleron]

mdouglas, if you can, I would cancel the order. Both laptops will be updates really soon (they are good now - but, I would want the updated models). You might as well wait a while + get a nice new ibook with a 32Mb Graphics card, faster G3.

 

[monkeydo_jb]

Airport Reception

I found a pretty decent fix for TiPB airport reception.


Try this.

Read the post about a quarter of the way down by WebDiva.

I was next instructed to eject the battery and look at the right side wall of the battery compartment where I was supposed to find an approximately 5 cm long plastic strip. (My particular powerbook doesn't have this visible -- instead, there is a plate with the serial number, etc...) Still, he told me to firmly press the side wall of the powerbook against the frame, just slowly and firmly pressing along its length several times for about 10 seconds. Next, he told me to replace the battery and start her back up.

Seems like pertinent information for anyone that has a TiPB w/Airport.


Let me know if this works for anyone (not trying to hijack).



-jeff

 

[BenderBot1138]

iBook ... TiBook

If you're worried about a 9.5.2002 update to PB's, it's only a week away. Patience little grasshopper. Don't let anyone throw you off your game.

 

[Rajj]

Re: iBook ... TiBook

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
If you're worried about a 9.5.2002 update to PB's, it's only a week away. Patience little grasshopper. Don't let anyone throw you off your game.

You mean 11.5.2002 !!!

 

[madamimadam]

Originally posted by gopher


Then explain to me TWO drive failures within the period of three months in a Wallstreet series II? Both were used on the bus, and most of the time put to sleep. No I don't buy the Powerbooks are safe being transported during sleep. If they were, you could transport them anywhere. And no I didn't drop it.

Well, if a hard drive is going to fail, statistics show that it is more likely to do so in its first year. Secondly, I have had more than a few occasions where we do an RMA on an item, not just hard drives, and the replacement is faulty also.

Just as a last note, just because one person has a problem with a machine does not make the model as a whole have a problem and just because you had a problem with a Wallstreet does not mean there is a problem with the iBooks and TiBooks.

 

[demonx]

Well I really really want to order this Ibook, but knowing my luck when I do they will release a new one. I don't really care about a speed bump, but does I just hope they don't upgrade the video card on these things right when I buy one.

I really want to get one on order since its going to take 7-10 days to be built anyways....

 

[gopher]

Be sure to order it from a place with a good return policy:

http://www.macprices.com/

compares prices and availability. Call each vendor and compare return policies. Because if a newer model does come out, you'd want to pay the least amount on the return possible if you want to trade up.

 

[demonx]

I was just going to order from the apple educationl store, but I don't really know any better either

 

[Falleron]

I reckon the Video card will be updated for both laptops. The ibook to a 32Mb + the Powerbook to a 64Mb. Well worth waiting for I would have thought.

 

[madamimadam]

Originally posted by Falleron
I reckon the Video card will be updated for both laptops. The ibook to a 32Mb + the Powerbook to a 64Mb. Well worth waiting for I would have thought.

I know next to nil about portable video cards... what common 64MB cards are available for laptops???

 

[Falleron]

Originally posted by madamimadam


I know next to nil about portable video cards... what common 64MB cards are available for laptops???

These are available on the PC mobiles (but I have read that they are possibilities for the powerbook - its up to Apple).

1) NVIDIA® GeForce4 Go 440™ with 64MB DDR video RAM

2) ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB Graphics Card

The ATI is more likely because Apple use ATI in their portable lines. They have better power consumption figures I think.

Assuming the powerbook got one of the above cards, the ibook would get the current powerbook card (ATI 7000 32MB mobile I think).

 

[PieMac]

Aesthetically, the 12" is a hands-down winner. I've mentioned this more than once, but I'll say it again...the layout of the 12" looks cleaner than the 14." The 14" looks like a 12" in daddy's big shoes. It doesn't fit. Also, when I was in the market for a portable, I man-handled each one and found the 14" screen looks and feels to large for the hinge. The screen wobbles and shakes too much at the slightest movement. Over time, that constant movement of the screen is hard on the eyes.

I ordered the 14" iBook the end of July and I have none of these problems mentioned. As for the layout, I looked at both the 12" and 14" side by side and didn't see any significant difference...I prefered the larger screen right off the bat. To me, the size difference is not a big deal....it is well worth the larger size for the larger screen. And it's not like the 14" iBook is monstrous by any means...it's still a very sleek laptop IMHO. I think alot of people are just used to the 12" model as it's been around for a while. I've traveled with my 14" plenty and don't find it cumbersome at all.

Bottom line, to each their own!

 

[dblissmn]

14 inch ibook less than 12?

To the poster who wondered why a 14 inch iBook showed up as cheaper than a 12 . . .

Apple is running a "double your RAM" promotion. Because the 14 inch model has 256MB of RAM standard (128 soldered and 128 in the one slot) the only way it can "double" RAM is to go all the way to 640, while the 12 inch (with just the 128 standard) can double by going to 256. Hence the 14 inch is effectively getting a 512MB module for just $40 extra over a 256MB configuration, while you will pay a whopping $360 extra over a 256MB configuration ($400 over a 128MB configuration) for the same module on the 12 inch if you buy it from Apple. So, for the duration of this promotion, get the 14 inch model with all the RAM from Apple; but if you choose the 12 inch model, buy the bare minimum and get your RAM from someone who charges a reasonable price for it.

I wonder if the reason Apple set up "double your RAM" like this has something to do with sluggish sales on the 14?

 

[Awimoway]

demonx,

If you are dying to get your iBook ASAP (as I am—waiting for an uncertain rumor is not easy), do not order from the education store: you only save $50 but you go to the very back of the waiting line for a hot new product. In my book, it's not worth it.

 

[cb911]

so now the new TiBooks also get a 64MB video card?!!! whoa! things just keep getting better!

this would be one hell of an update if the TiBooks really get all these things. 1GHz, DDR RAM and a 64MB video card!

 

[madamimadam]

Originally posted by cb911
so now the new TiBooks also get a 64MB video card?!!! whoa! things just keep getting better!

this would be one hell of an update if the TiBooks really get all these things. 1GHz, DDR RAM and a 64MB video card!

I see the 64MB card in PowerBooks and 32MB card in iBooks FAR more likely than DDR RAM

1GHz is not unlikely because the top end machine is USUALLY the new low end so that would mean 800MHz and something else. 800 - 667 = 133. While 800 and 933 sounds more likely than 800 and 1GHz I think there is a move to get machines above the 1GHz mark.

cb911 - how weird, I read your sig and it reminded me of a Custard line and then I see ur from BrisVegas.... weird.

BTW, the line was "this world divides into people who think there's 2 kinds of folks and those who don't".

 

[demonx]

Originally posted by Awimoway
demonx,

If you are dying to get your iBook ASAP (as I am—waiting for an uncertain rumor is not easy), do not order from the education store: you only save $50 but you go to the very back of the waiting line for a hot new product. In my book, it's not worth it.

Im not sure what your saying?
Im looking at the configuration below at the educational store, and a toal of $2658.80, either way I go Im going to have to lease/finance it as im not one of the most well off people but still need a laptop for school, work, etc...

Norton AntiVirus 8.0 - Academic
Office v.X for Mac Academic
Extra Battery - iBook
AirPort Base Station
Marware Sportfolio II - Black Ice iBook Case
MCE Dual iBook Battery Charger (12" iBook Only) iBook 700MHz 12.1"
Keyboard/Mac OS - U.S. English
30GB Ultra ATA drive
DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo
AirPort Card 065-3428
384MB SDRAM - 2 DIMMs
Age of Empires II

Only thing im worried about is getting this, and then them releasing a 32meg card version a few weeks later
I would not mind if they did not do this until January(as I can't wait that long anyways). But right now I do need one asap, and waiting is killing me But I think I will at least wait until November 5th and if nothing go ahead and order one on the 6th new or not.