[faust]

Saw one today for the first time ever, it was playing a clip for "V is for Vendetta". Holy Sweetness.

Also had some heart break today as I found out Apperture doesn't work on a 12" Powerbook. :-(
So, instead of getting my gf a powerbook, I might get her a PowerMac, dual not quad I'm not made of money.

My question for you ultra-intelligent folks...

If I get her a PowerMac, do I need anything special for it to work with the 30" monitor? And can we watch TV or DVDs through that bad boy?

[Luca]

Originally Posted by faust Saw one today for the first time ever, it was playing a clip for "V is for Vendetta". Holy Sweetness.

Hellz yeah. The 30" is freakin' insane. The fact that you can even consider buying one is enviable!

Originally Posted by faust Also had some heart break today as I found out Apperture doesn't work on a 12" Powerbook. :-(

Lots of things don't work on the 12" PowerBook. It's a terrible Mac... the form factor is great; it's small, portable, durable, and it has the fit and finish of a true PowerBook, but Apple has been crippling it eight ways to hell recently and it really doesn't deserve to be called a PowerBook (nor does it command the current price tag).

Originally Posted by faust So, instead of getting my gf a powerbook, I might get her a PowerMac, dual not quad I'm not made of money.

Heh, but you're still considering the 30" cinema! It's true, I'm poor but you're well off if you can afford to drop that kind of cash on a display.

Originally Posted by faust My question for you ultra-intelligent folks... If I get her a PowerMac, do I need anything special for it to work with the 30" monitor? And can we watch TV or DVDs through that bad boy?

All PowerMacs come with one dual-link DVI port on the back, even the ones that ship with the low-end GeForce 6600LE. So you don't need anything extra to hook up the 30" display.

May I ask, though, why you're considering a PowerMac instead of one of the larger PowerBooks? The 15" PowerBook is a decent machine and it also supports the 30" monitor. I'd even suggest a used or refurbished model, but not all of those have dual-link DVI, so it's best to stick with the new ones.

Obviously the iMac and other machines do not support the 30" display, but from the sounds of it you need a pretty powerful machine anyway (30" display, considering both PowerMacs and PowerBooks), so I guess those computers weren't really in the running from the start. The iMacs are definitely more powerful than the PowerBooks at the moment, but you're limited to the built-in screen.

[faust]

Why not a 15" powerbook? Because my 5'3" gf wants a notebook that is really portablle, one that can go with her on her 10-15 business trips each year.
The 15" powerbook, while still only 5.6 pounds is rather large when flying.

So instead of PC desktop and Mac laptop we've decided to switch things around and get a 3lb PortableOne CarbonFiber laptop and the PowerMac.

The small laptop works for me since I'm working on my MBA each Saturday and could use a small laptop.
And with the edu discount I think the 30" monitor is only $2k. If I can watch tv and dvds on it I think I can swing that mentally.

The iMacs scare me, not sure how I feel about those all in one that you can't really upgrade.

[Franz Josef]

Yeah - that 30" beast is enviable DVDs can simply be played on your Mac (be it a 15" PB or a PowerMac). For TV, I'd suggest buying a TV tuner (called EyeTV) fromElgato. More flexible than hooking your screen up to anything else. EyeTV works well with PB's and PM's.

I wouldn't quite share Luca's view of the 12" PowerBook. It's a fantastic piece of hardware - not just looks - but does look a little overpriced given its specs relative to other Macs these days. On your portability point, the 15" is portable - my wife takes hers when she flies. I much prefer travelling with my 12" PB though - it is very easy to use in Airport lounges / on the flight. It seems to take up very little room.

[Moogs]

If you think the 30" ACD is nice you should check out Eizo's new 21" and 24" LCD for graphics pros. Big gamut, 14 bit gamma correction (more shades of gray to choose from when calibrating the monitor), and it's sleek looking to boot. Response times also improved over older models.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Moogs If you think the 30" ACD is nice you should check out Eizo's new 21" and 24" LCD for graphics pros. Big gamut, 14 bit gamma correction (more shades of gray to choose from when calibrating the monitor), and it's sleek looking to boot. Response times also improved over older models.

Eizo? Sleek looking?

The guys can make very high-quality displays, sure, but they're ugly as heck