[.Hack]

Ok, well I've really been wanting a Powerbook for sometime, but I have a feeling that it will be getting an upgrade soon... but the problem is that I'm torn between buying an iMac G4 over an upgraded powerbook. Gah! I'm so confused on what to do because the mobility aspect of the powerbook is what I could definitely use, but the iMac would make a great personal computer for myself too! What should I do...

[murbot]

No one can say which is the better choice. There really is no one correct answer, you have to weigh power vs. portability, apply that to what you will be primarily doing with the computer, how valuable it will be for you to have a mobile computer, etc, etc.

More info, dude. Oh, and this is purchasing advice, which belongs in General Discussion. Moving there now.

[Mr. X]

If you choose mobility, make sure you really need the extra power of a PowerBook. The price differential of iBooks vs. PowerBooks is staggering. I do a lot of things with audio, and the iBook is MORE than enough power for me.

[Luca]

An iMac G4? Did you mean a new G5, or a used iMac G4? Because if you were to get an older iMac G4, it would still be a pretty nice computer but it would be very, very inexpensive compared to the PowerBook.

If you mean G5, then it changes things a bit since you're deciding between performance and mobility, not mobility vs. price. I'd suggest trying to think of when you would actually use a PowerBook's mobility. Believe me, it's convenient - I've owned a laptop in the past and frequently packed it up and took it with me places. And when I say think of when you'd use it, I don't mean sit at home and ponder the ways you could use a PowerBook's mobility. When you're actually out somewhere, try to consider whether having a PowerBook would be helpful.

I know that leading up to the purchase of my iBook, I pondered what I'd do with it. After I got it, I ended up not even using it for half of the ideas I had come up with, but I also used it in a bunch of situations I had never thought of. Do you ever move between two locations where you want to use your computer? It was nice to have a laptop when I lived in a dorm and visited home more often.

Just remember that the iMac will be significantly more powerful (G5 processor, much faster hard drive) and it'll also provide you with more screen area and a good keyboard and mouse right away. A PowerBook will cost a bit more as well, not even counting a good keyboard, mouse, and stand for it. You will also have to buy extra memory in either case, and in order to narrow the performance gap you have to BTO a 5400 RPM hard drive in the PowerBook. This pushes the PowerBook's price pretty high - are you sure you can afford it once you factor in all that stuff?

Hope this helps. I'm not trying to push you in either direction, just giving you a few things to consider. I think these days, buying a laptop is more trendy than anything else. Even though a lot of people make excellent use of their laptops, I am sure that a large portion of them sit on a single desk almost all the time and are only used on the road once or twice per year. As long as you are sure you can put the PowerBook to good use on the road as well as at home, I'd go that route. Otherwise, go with the cheaper, more powerful, and more comfortable solution.

[.Hack]

I'm only in highschool now, but I want a good, long lasting computer that I can bring to college and carry around and get school work done on. But I also want to persue a career in graphics design (which means that a powerbook wouldn't cut it as far as work goes... right?). But an iMac G4 would make a great college computer as well, and cost much less, but I'd need a better machine (say powermac G5/ iMac G5) as far as work goes, and I would have to lose the mobility aspect... gosh, my life would be so much easier if the powerbook had a G5!

[Brad]

Originally Posted by .Hack But I also want to persue a career in graphics design (which means that a powerbook wouldn't cut it as far as work goes... right?).

I don't know where you got that idea! I take it you missed those video spots with Hollywood-type people talking about the old titanium PowerBook G4 and using it for on-the-go editing in FCP? The current PowerBook is more than suitable for graphic work, especially if you hook up a bigger external monitor.

If you are expecting any computer to satisfy you for four (or more) years if you are ambitious about cutting edge technology, you're only fooling yourself. If you think about what today's software and hardware have to offer, though, and realize that you're probably not going to be buying every latest version of Photoshop or Motion or Maya as it's released while you're in college, you'd find the current offerings perfectly suitable.

[.Hack]

Well thank you so much for clearing that up! I really wasn't sure if a powerbook would be sufficient. Well this makes my life much easier! I think I'll have a much easier time on choosing what to buy! Thanks!

[Brad]

By the way, as a college student myself (working on the 5-year plan), I've had a dual 500 MHz G4 tower powering all my multimedia work and code compiling and paper writing and fun for over four years now. It has been more than enough power. The only areas I find it lacking are in games (BFD!) and compute power for rending complex scenes in C4D.

Have I wished for a newer computer over these years? Who wouldn't? But have I ever needed to? Absolutely not, especially since Apple has done such an job at making Mac OS X faster with every release and thusly extending my Mac's life greatly.

I just bought a 12" PowerBook a few months ago knowing that it wasn't exactly a "beast" of a powerhouse. Yet, I find myself wishing I'd done this ages ago! I cannot emphasize enough the value of having a portable computer as a student. I can bring it to campus, crack it open to work during class, take it up into the stacks, and bring it back home. Being able to take all your work with you wherever you go is a convenience that is beyond words.

[Delkan Cott]

Originally Posted by Brad I just bought a 12" PowerBook a few months ago knowing that it wasn't exactly a "beast" of a powerhouse. Yet, I find myself wishing I'd done this ages ago! I cannot emphasize enough the value of having a portable computer as a student. I can bring it to campus, crack it open to work during class, take it up into the stacks, and bring it back home. Being able to take all your work with you wherever you go is a convenience that is beyond words.

I completely agree about the freedom of the laptop. Before my Powerbook I endured a Dell Desktop, which I feel is the worst thing any student needs to lug up flights of stairs multiple times a year. The ease and convenience of the Powerbook far superceded any qualms I had over losing computer speed and upgradability. My only regret about the Powerbook is that I wish I'd bought it before the Dell so to have negated that beasts existence.

Cheers