[dotk]

Hi guys,

I'm interested in getting a Powerbook, but am torn between the 12" and 15" models... I like the 12" cos it's small and compact, and slightly more affordable for my college budget but the 15" model has the backlit keyboard which i think is really cool. Can you guys offer any advice as to which one I should get? Thanks

[_Ω_]

What apps do you need to run? Do you need screen real estate? How portable do you need to be?

I have an old 15" TiBook which I think is just the right size. I find the 12" to be a tad too small.

As I said it will all depend on your needs....

[dotk]

well.. i'd like to take my powerbook around with me on campus, but i don't think the 15" is that non-portable but then again, the 12" will definitely be easier. i'm easy on screen size, mainly using the book for word processing and surfing..

[El Guardo]

Do not concern yourself with the backlit keyboard - I've got it on my 17" and rarely use it because the screen's brightness renders it unncessary.

As already stated it comes down to intended use. Both the 12" and 15" are very portable but, if you need the screen size because of the applications you use, the decision is made for you. Either way, you're going to be very happy as they are wonderful machines.

[Messiahtosh]

I have a 15'' and am a college student on a large campus, I would urge you to get the 12'' for portability. The 15'' is not that easy to take everywhere, the 12'' is almost unnoticeable. But...do what makes you happy.

[_Ω_]

Whatever you choose, make sure you get a good quality bag/sleeve for it. Also make sure you factor in a good lock for it as well.

If you have the money I would go 15" as I find it is about right for my needs. The best thing you could do is to go into a store and have a play with both models. Open up word, safari etc, and have a play for a few minutes on each and see how it pans out.

[Mac+]

I think in terms of l*w the 12'' is roughly the size of A4 paper - obviously the 15" is larger than this ... but seriously I wouldn't expect the 15" to be much of a hassle to tote around in a laptop/school bag.

As mentioned, the applications you use will be the primary determinant in the amount of screen real estate you require. I have a 15"Ti and find it the screen real estate just right for my needs - although I would still love to add a Cinema Display in the future.

[_Ω_]

Originally Posted by Mac+ although I would still love to add a Cinema Display in the future.

Who wouldn't???

And it's past your bedtime young man!

[dotk]

thanks for the help guys! i'll go check out both again, and see which i'm more comfortable with... thanks again . p/s: i'm a late sleeper, i dare say most college kids are!

[dotk]

hey guys, another quick question- does the difference in the processing speed of the 15" and 12" powerbooks contribute significantly? i like speed which would mean the 15" inch would be better?

[_Ω_]

If you are going to use it for basic operations such as word and browsing the net then I would hazard the guess that you would not really notice the speed at all.

If you are looking to play games (not great on macs) then the extra oomph and screen real estate will be a plus.

[dotk]

okay cool beans. thanks

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Other things to consider, the 12" doesn't come with the Airport Express card so that'll cost you another $100 (or 80 with edu discount I believe), and bluetooth also comes standard with the 15" SD model. You also get a larger hard drive standard, and much more screen real estate (1580 x 854 vs. 1024 x 768). Also, the 15" video card is Tiger(TM) approved, I'm not sure about the video card in the 12" model. [EDIT] The 12" video card is Tiger(TM) approved as well and also comes with 64MB RAM standard so the video question would be what do you think is better, GeForce2go 5200 or Radeon Mobility 9700? Also, you can upgrade the 15" to 128MB on the video card if that means anything to you.

Just some other things to consider.

[Luca]

Actually, all PowerBooks come with bluetooth and Airport Extreme built in.

[wretched]

I have a 12" Powerbook and I carry it around to every place I go, I have a backpack just for it as well. It's really portable. Adobe Photoshop is a program I use frequently and with the 1024x768 res, it's not that tough to work with. If you really want a higher resolution you can always hook it up to an external monitor. I had the same choice and I went with the 12", the only thing I'd recommand is extra ram, but also depends on what software you're planning on using and such.

[DMBand0026]

Get the 12" and load that thing up. It's what I did, on a college budget too

Make sure you get the 5400 RPM 80 gig drive, I can't stress that enough. Get a gig of RAM, but don't buy it from Apple, get it somewhere else. And BT and APExtreme come standard. It's light, it's thin, it gets awesome battery life. You really can't go wrong with the 12". Even comes with Mini-DVI out, so you can hook up a VGA or DVI external display should you ever need the additional screen real estate.

[Koodari]

I would've gotten the 12" Powerbook if it had a good (quality, not resolution) screen. After seeing one I thought the screen sucks just as much as on the 12" iBook, so I got the 15" 1.33GHz Combo. I'm happy with my decision since now I do not need an external screen in the foreseeable future.

Theoretically the 1.5GHz processor has less than 15% additional speed over 1.33GHz. This is close to the limit of perception, considering that there are other bottlenecks in the system as well, difference should not be noticeable. 1.33GHz has run everything well, except UT2004, which IMO seems so slow that even a G4 over 1.5GHz would not run it acceptably. The graphics chip is the strongest single component on the 15" PB, but doesn't sound like you need it for anything.

If I had really wanted a smaller machine at the expense of screen quality, I would have gotten an iBook, added Bluetooth and a cheap 19" CRT.

[dotk]

thanks guys! gosh that's a whole lot of info to consider. i was just wondering, my friend owns a 15" powerbook, and he says that the battery heats up real fast. how long is the average 12" powerbook battery life? and does it really heat up that fast??