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tim2006
2006-01-18, 09:59
I am in the market for a new notebook. I can wait to buy but would rather not. I will get eithe a 17 powerbook g4 or the new 15 mac book pro. Any advice?

Wraven
2006-01-18, 10:02
Everyone on this board will tell you the MacBook Pro is faster than the 17" PowerBook, because of the G4 processor in the PowerBook vs. the Core Duo in the MBP.

However, there is a (small) risk inherent in getting a Rev. A product in a brand new architecture. But if you want a fast, (more) future-proof laptop, go with the MacBook Pro. I ordered one. ;)

psmith2.0
2006-01-18, 10:38
What Wraven said.

:)

My next Mac, whatever/whenever that'll be, will definitely be Intel-based.

Too much a step up, AND it's where things are heading.

I can't help but look at the G4 a bit the same way I looked at OS 9 a few years ago, once OS X started to hit its stride with Jaguar and Panther.

:)

I'd get the MacBook Pro, hands down, if it were me. Not even a question.

curiousuburb
2006-01-18, 11:02
Depends on what apps you use... most of the intel performance gain is wasted if your apps are not shipping in Universal Binary form yet (and most 3rd party apps aren't).

There may be a few instances where a G4 PB might actually outperform a Core Duo MBP due to emulation, at least until more apps are UB.

The Rev. A issues are long documented, and worth considering given you're talking about a couple of grand... but it really depends on what you'll be using the machine for.

I'd say wait.

A few months will bring new data to help make more informed choices, and may bring more choices too.

Wraven
2006-01-18, 11:18
Curiousuburb,
I cannot agree with your assessment. If you need a new notebook NOW, go with the MBP. Why? Because Ars testing has shown the iMac Core Duo (which uses nearly the same processor / architecture as the MBP) is NEARLY as fast as a G5 when running (most) apps under Rosetta. Therefore, under Rosetta, it goes to show that the MBP would still best the PowerBook G4 in most apps (since G5 >>> G4). Follow?

And then, as you say above, once the Universal Binaries show up, there will be no contest between the PowerBook G4 and the MBP (though I am convinced even now there is no contest).

curiousuburb
2006-01-18, 11:38
Wraven,

I don't doubt that the Core Duo will smoke the G4, if not the G5 (even with emulation), and you are correct that it is far easier to justify it in the case of the MBP -vs- PB G4 than the competing iMac platforms.

Once all apps are shipping UB and out of emulation, and we're at Rev. B, it should be a no brainer.

Emulation is an issue for some apps more than others... if he's running Logic or other mission critical time-based media apps, it may be a much bigger issue than if he's a coder. Without knowing what his primary use will be, we cannot say how big a factor this might add, particularly given the fact that some developers may be much farther from a UB version of their apps than others.

It may be that the replacement iBook (presumably rebadged as just plain MacBook) will be more than enough for him, and any advice to pay the early premium for an overkill MBP might have been better spent on RAM or whatever. We should know within a few months.

The other issue is the whole history of Rev. A machines. Flaky. Sometimes to the point of multiple returns for some clients. Without knowing if his work is mission critical and/or this is his only machine, I can't in good conscience recommend somebody put all their eggs in a Rev. A basket until we get some real world reports on reliability.

If tim2006 doesn't need it now (which is what his initial post implied), my advice remains... wait.

Wraven
2006-01-18, 11:39
I agree - If you don't need it now, then wait. And, if you are running Apple pro apps, then DEFINITELY wait. All I was saying above is if you NEED it now, and can do without the Apple pro apps until they become compatible with the MBP, then go ahead.