View Full Version : What does a 12" PowerBook worth nowadays?
Hi there,
I've been waiting for a 12" MacBook or MacBook Pro since Apple decided to switch from the IBM "G series" to Intel... but it doesn't sound like it's coming any soon.
I've always liked the 12" PowerBook format because it's just what I want from a portable computer: it's ergonomic and small!
My main machine is a G5 Quad. I use it mostely in the studio with a Pro Tools system (I'm a sound engineer). I need a laptop mainly for basic use on the road: Mail, Safari, Word, Excel and tracking some music (I'm thinking about Logic Pro 8).
I know somebody how's selling his PB 12" 1.5 GHz, 1.25 ram, 100 Go HD...
• How much should I pay for it?
• Will it be powerfull enough for a basic use of Logic Pro 8 (two track recording sessions, mixing, etc.)?
• Is it a machine from the past and should I get an Intel MacBook insteed?
Thank you very much for your attention,
Del-Uks
Well, for the excel, internet, mail stuff, the 12'' PB will work great for you.
As far as doing some mobile tracking with Logic Pro 8, I think it'll work but I cant imagine it'll be any fun with several tracks going in a decent sized project.
Why not look into a refurbished Macbook and max out the Ram. I have a Core Duo 2.0 with 2 gigs of Ram and I rarely run into problems recording with Logic Pro and Garageband. I just did a project with like 10 tracks and had no problems what so ever and I'm sure I could push it more if I needed too.
I'd also suggest a MacBook over an older PowerBook. I simply can't recommend any PPC system to anyone, at least not as a new purchase (though I've heard that G5s do pretty well even in Leopard). In fact, I sold my own 12" PowerBook G4 just recently for that very reason - it was so slow, even for everyday operation, that I just couldn't stand it anymore and had to ditch it.
And the thing is, they sell for a pretty decent amount. It's a good time to be a 12" PowerBook owner, and a bad time to be a prospective buyer. My 12" PowerBook was the same as what your friend has, except that it had an 80 GB hard drive instead of 100 GB, and I sold it for $750 on eBay.
Again, I'd recommend a MacBook over a PowerBook any day. You get a much more useful screen (slightly larger, widescreen format, and lots more pixels), a much faster Intel CPU, a user-upgradeable hard drive, and nearly double the RAM ceiling. And even a refurbished or used first-run MacBook will be a lot better than a 12" PowerBook, and it won't cost much more.
Tell your friend to put his PB on eBay with a $700+ buy it now price (mine sold for more because it still was under warranty), if he wants to sell it. But don't buy it yourself.
Well, I guess you guys are right.
It's just that I miss the cool 12" formfactor in the current Apple laptop line... in fact the 13" MacBook looks way much bigger than the PowerBook 12":
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4239/151387882035d999ab3yh3.jpg
If only Apple could bring the 12" back on track (maybe with the future 22mm squared Montevina CPU), instead of making some fancy MacBook Air...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts anyway!
After you've used a MB for some time, the 12" PB feels too narrow. The wide screen makes a lot more sense, and it feels less like a brick (which the 12" does in comparison). Don't get me wrong, I loved my 12" PB. But it's not the Most Perfect Thing Evar, and it's extremely unlikely that Apple will bring that form factor back.
I think with the release of the MBA as a 13" form factor, it pretty much shows how Apple is going to be with regards to the 12".
It never made it through the Intel transition and I don't see Apple bringing that size back.
While I loved my 12" iBook, I think going up an inch and gaining a widescreen is worth it.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4239/151387882035d999ab3yh3.jpg
I never realized it was that much of a difference. The PB does look like a brick though compared to the MB.
Yeah, but that aluminum is so so pretty
While I loved my 12" iBook, I think going up an inch and gaining a widescreen is worth it.
I think a lot of people agree with that, but a lot of people also don't. I don't care about widescreen, but I liked the slightly smaller screen. And I think the biggest 12" PowerBook complaint is that people who want PB traits like dedicated graphics don't have any form factor better than 15"- it's either a bigger 15" with dedicated graphics or a smaller 13" with integrated ones. If you want both graphics and a smaller size, you're SOL.
I never realized it was that much of a difference. The PB does look like a brick though compared to the MB.
More size comparaison at endgadget (http://gizmodo.com/348621/biggest-macbook-sizemodo-ever).
electroniccpluralsleep
2008-01-24, 22:10
After you've used a MB for some time, the 12" PB feels too narrow. The wide screen makes a lot more sense, and it feels less like a brick (which the 12" does in comparison). Don't get me wrong, I loved my 12" PB. But it's not the Most Perfect Thing Evar, and it's extremely unlikely that Apple will bring that form factor back.
That happens with all laptops when you move up a size class. The 15.4" MacBook Pro feels way too narrow for me now that I've upgraded to the 17". Ultraportable by comparison.
I think with the release of the MBA as a 13" form factor, it pretty much shows how Apple is going to be with regards to the 12".
It never made it through the Intel transition and I don't see Apple bringing that size back.
While I loved my 12" iBook, I think going up an inch and gaining a widescreen is worth it.
Agreed, Apple aren't going to be releasing any 12" notebooks any time soon. The MacBook Air is their ultraportable solution. Deal with it.
Yeah, but that aluminum is so so pretty
:lol: I'd take black over the aluminum myself... now if it was black aluminum... ;)
:lol: I'd take black over the aluminum myself... now if it was black aluminum... ;)
hmmmm....well played
I'll finally get the PB 12" for its portability and for the very basic stuff I need to do on the go (Word, Mail, Safari, etc.).
That way I can save some money for a future MacBook Pro I might want to get by the end of the year. ;)
Right now, I think paying the price that 12" PB is going for now, is an even worse example of overpaying for a form factor than buying the MBA.
The PB has an old, slow processor that might not be supported in the next OS X upgrade.
For the money that a 12" PB is going for, why not just get a used MacBook instead? The MacBook would blow the PB out of the water and is a little more future proof than the PB is, all for an extra inch or so.
Lucky for me I guess! :D
I would advise anyone who still has a 12" PowerBook to throw that thing on eBay before it drops in value. Get yourself something nice.
Dorian:
He's talking to you.
;)
I really wish Apple would make a 12" SOMETHING. I don't care if it's a MB, MBP, MBA or a whole new line, I would buy a 12" laptop in a heartbeat. The current MacBook is just too wide.
Arghhh now I'm tempted to go buy a 12" PB/iBook. :(
Lucky for me I guess! :D
I would advise anyone who still has a 12" PowerBook to throw that thing on eBay before it drops in value. Get yourself something nice.I'm hoping to sell mine around August when I get a new MacBook Pro. I'm guessing it'll be worth around $500.
I really wish Apple would make a 12" SOMETHING. I don't care if it's a MB, MBP, MBA or a whole new line, I would buy a 12" laptop in a heartbeat. The current MacBook is just too wide.
Arghhh now I'm tempted to go buy a 12" PB/iBook. :(
http://www.petitiononline.com/mbp12/petition.html
Shouldn't change a damn thing though.
vBulletin® v3.6.4, Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.