Benefits of a Powerbook/iBook?

[rhaleuk]

I switched from a top of line Acer XP laptop to a 15" PowerBook a few months ago and have not regretted it once.

I truly feel like everything on the PowerBook has been thought about and designed with me in mind.

I love the power adapter and how you can wrap and store the cable. Its makes traveling with one a million times easier.

I also appreciate the slot loading DVD drive. For one thing its cool and another its nice to not have a flimsy plastic drive which a field mouse could break.

As everyone else has said... the backlit keyboard is just too cool for words. You can truly work in a dark environment with ease.

Another great toy is the benefit is having Bluetooth integrated. I can browse friends phones (with their permission of course) and move video and pictures around, wirelessly and for free. I can also use my Jabra headset with Skype, something which I dont think you can do (at least not easily) on XP. OS X just handles that sort of thing with ease.

Which I guess I the real reason to switch, the operating system. But coupled with genious hardware its an almost perfect match.

[Leif]

I have a pet monkey and he loves my powerbook. My powerbook has helped my monkey do things no monkey has ever done. He talks to me, sings, dances and even beats me in Halo.

[Knight']

DVI out and PCMCIA card slot are important to me than the other features (like faster CPU and case/KB). The iBooks doesnt have a DVI out, and only the 15" PB have a PCMCIA slot. Overall the 15" is better value in the long run as it's easier to upgrade than a 12" PB I think as memory can be extended further too. The iBooks and 12" PB's have very little to differentiate really, I'de reccomend an iBook if you don't mind not having a DVI out, they both share the same display, and it's quite dull compared to modern laptop LCD's I've heard, though the 15" PB's are brighter (slightly), they both look cool, and the CPU differences are merely bragging rights (the G4 is hampered by its FSB, changes in the clock speed don't have a big effect on overall performace).

P.S

I too am mulling over which to get, though I'm choosing between a 12" PB with 20" ACD, or a 15" PB and iPod.

[pax13]

Why do all mac users only talk about the same things!

my lovely power cord! my beatyful self illuminated fiber optic keyboard! I feels so strong!!!!

Just start putting upfront what kind of work u do also!!!

I've worked on many macs, & the G4 processor is just plain slow! sure it moves basic things ok, but try & do some real hard work, like Video rendering, 3d, & u'll see the difference to a modern x86 cpu! I will obviously npt mention games! because i don't think laptops should be used for it! not while mentioning work at least!

& whats that crap about it being difficult to use headphones with windows :blink:!!!

get real people! if you're gonna give opinions give intelligent ones at lest, not etereal aestetic concepts, & lame useability ones.

& as I said before if u don't do hard work, OSX is a great system ( with one or another problem, but lets not get technical ) but remeber to consider time! you'll get locked out of new software fast, or for how long do you think apple & other devlopers will be putting out software for both PPC & x86 based macs! at least in windows, as time as proved ( a p100 can run windows xp with enough memory ), they keep much greater compatibility in software, & altough the next win is still a year away, it will be quite safer & appearance wise, it will be an revolutionary step regarding pc's, altough probably breaking some compatibility some older software!

[pax13]

Also one thing I dislike abourt powerbooks especially is that they tend to get quite hot on the surface you rest your hands on, if you don't work with a mouse, or have the hand always on the keyboard as I do, it tends to get quite uncomfortable after a while!

Please note I'm not flaming eitherr mac's or pc's, I'm just giving you a not totally pro mac view, like how everything is so goood on a mac, because nothing is perfect!, also it is very well known, that mac's have lots of problems with batteries ( & many with mainboards too)! apple keeps extending the support time for some models to keep clients happy. I have afew friends with macs & some of them had to send back theyr computers several times!

Try asking mac users & fans, to not forget to look back in apple history, & how do they think apple will keep support with changing completely to intel cpu's over the next 2 years. ( & note that their main concern is running older software on the new systems, not the way around.

Leopard, will probably have the transitive technology to translate the cpu calls, so you can run x86 compiled software, but it will get even slower!!!

I think I've about covered anything I remembered! looks is not everything also! ( & if you happen to drop your PB on the floor like a friend of mine did, it's almost impossible to get all that aluminium half decent again! )

[pax13]

Nice Read

http://rampancy.net/ten_myths_about_intel_macs

Here's an excerpt

"When PPC clock speeds didn't keep pace, Apple pushed the megahertz myth and used some creative benchmarks in Altivec-optimized applications to prop up the architecture's reputation. When multicore PPCs were not forthcoming, they went multi-processor. When mobile G5s were not forthcoming, they gave a speed-bump to the lower ends of the laptop market with G4 iBooks and made a plethora of PowerBook models with varying screen sizes to cater to as many users as possible. There are no more tricks left. The move to Intel is almost surely indicative of the fact that there is, nor will there ever be, a G5 chip with suitable thermal and performance characteristics to be put in a laptop. Without it, there's nowhere for the portable line to go next year.

In the short term, Apple's sales are going to take a beating-- especially at the top end of the price range, and especially in the PowerBook line. It may take all of Apple's institutional fortitude not to go into fire-sale mode next year on PPC hardware. I know for myself I was planning on upgrading my G4 PowerBook as soon as a G5 (or perhaps even a significantly faster or more fully-featured G4 PowerBook) was available. Now I'll at least consider waiting until the Intel-based 'books come out, whenever that is. If Apple is able to pull it off, I'm betting it'll be sooner rather than later, as it is the mobile line which needs the switch more than the desktops."

[pax13]

Another article

"The transition

The big question is how the coming transition will affect developers and users. From everything I heard in yesterday?s keynote speech and have read in the ensuing discussions, it seems developers should have a fairly easy transition if they are using Apple?s XCode developer software. Real Software today announced that applications created using RealBasic should have a relatively easy transition. And most developers seem to support Apple?s decision. This is very good news because it is ultimately the developers, and their applications, that Mac users and Apple rely on. Without the developers, Apple would be in trouble.

While most people are comparing this transition to the Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X switch, I see it as much more similar to the move Apple made from Motorola 680x0 processors to the PowerPC a decade ago. Apple will make it possible for Intel Macs to run PowerPC code, much as PowerPC Macs could run 680x0 code. Yes, there will be a performance hit, though no one is yet sure how much. Again, this makes me think of Apple's past. When PowerPC Macs first came out, most applications -- and even huge chunks of the Mac OS itself -- weren't PowerPC native. That meant those first PowerPC Macs were actually slower in practical use then the 680x0 Macs they were supplanting. Eventually, users got software that included code native to both platforms (at the time called Fat Binaries, now called Universal Binaries). And after some time, most everything ran native on the PowerPC Macs.

Apple kept supporting its earlier Macs for quite a while, however.

For most consumers, the coming transition will be transparent. They will probably start seeing stickers on software that identifies titles as being native to both platforms, and then will eventually see requirements for Intel-based Macs. If the process of compiling code as Universal Binaries is as easy as Apple implies, it's conceivable that PowerPC Macs could be in use for a number of years to come.

In fact that, to me, is the biggest question: How long will PowerPC Macs be supported? Although Apple could support them for any number of years, it has a history of removing support for older Macs and forcing users eventually to upgrade."

[dougal.s]

I agree with all the positives people have said about iBooks in this thread, including the guy who said chicks dig them :p

I generally use my iBook for general day to day jobs like email, web, IM aps etc. I also do a lot of intensive tasks such as photoshop and illustrator. I play Quake 3 (Lovin' the old-skool-ness) on it daily. I remote desktop into my server.

When I take it to Uni I use the wireless hotspots in almost every location (iBook has better wireless reception than PB since the metal case of the PB produces a 'faraday cage'. Wikipedia link to explain this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage). I also SSH into the Linux machines to make use of the tools the Uni provide us with. A lot of my work involves Java and C programming, which OS X has great support for. Java even comes as standard without installing developer tools (Why the **** does windows not have this?????).

Another advantage of buying a Mac over a PC is that you get LOTS of USEFUL pre-installed software. I don't even mean the iLife apps (Which are useful at times) but Appleworks, providing a very useful general office-type app without shelling out more cash for it.

And storage? Standard storage is 30Gb on the iBook, so more than meets your requirements. I usually have about 7Gb free, though this goes up and down depending on what work I am doing, and what has been backed up to my external drive.

Hope this is helpful.

Dougal.

[the evn show]

Why do all mac users only talk about the same things!

The same reason Linux users talk about "CLI power and access to source code" and Jaguar owners talk about racing heritage and English design: they were deciding factors in that persons decision to own a given product.

People that use similar products have similar needs and values? Who would have guessed?

my lovely power cord! my beatyful self illuminated fiber optic keyboard! I feels so strong!!!!

What would you prefer I talk about? Having a zillion gigaquads and thousands of bogomips? should I rant on about the reprogramable stater chip?

None of that stuff matters to me nearly as much as the industry design of the hardware, the useability of the operating system, the quality of the applications, and compatability with the stuff I already own.

Just start putting upfront what kind of work u do also!!!

Okay, I'm a graphic designer/systems engineer. I do a little bit of programming when the developers here get really bogged down (typically high level stuff that links new products to legacy systems).

I do the sorts of things you'd expect someone in those fields to do.

I've worked on many macs, & the G4 processor is just plain slow! sure it moves basic things ok, but try & do some real hard work, like Video rendering, 3d, & u'll see the difference to a modern x86 cpu!

I've worked on many PCs, & the P4 processor is just plain slow! sure it moves basic things ok, but try & do some real hard work like Video rendering, 3d, & u[sic]'ll see the difference to a modern PPC cpu & operating system.

get real people! if you're gonna give opinions give intelligent ones at lest, not etereal aestetic concepts, & lame useability ones.

Since when were usability and aesthetics strange and uneartly concepts?

Maybe it wasn't the masturbation but decades of Windows use that have blinded you.

as I said before if u don't do hard work, OSX is a great system ( with one or another problem, but lets not get technical ) but remeber to consider time!

That's why I use a mac: so I don't have to know what a spyware scanner, adware muncher, personal firewall, disk defragmentor, are.

you'll get locked out of new software fast, or for how long do you think apple & other devlopers will be putting out software for both PPC & x86 based macs!

5 years+

When you have 12 million people running PPC systems and 0 people running x86 systems you tend to release dual binaries so that your company doesn't go out of business.

As a PC user you should be well aware of the importance of marketshare.

at least in windows, as time as proved ( a p100 can run windows xp with enough memory )

And it's about as productive as dry humping your your garbage can.

VMS runs on systems from back when Nixon was in office: does that somehow make it better?

they keep much greater compatibility in software,

At my last job I wrote software to run on everything from 8.6 to 10.4.

How much more compatible do you need? It's not like the typical Windows user is still hanging on to a huge collection of Win 3.0/DOS 5.2 programs, are they?

altough the next win is still a year away, it will be quite safer & appearance wise, it will be an revolutionary step regarding pc's, altough probably breaking some compatibility some older software!

586072815[/snapback]

Ah there it is. The appeal to "how good things are going to be".

I think you'll have a lot more luck with that around these parts when "they" finally come through with the flying cars, paperless office, 12 hour work week, and shiney metal one-piece jump suits for everyone.

I also like how you're trumpeting how "safe" I'll be using some future version of Windows. We've heard those claims before they're starting to sound like the boyfriend that hits his lady "But I've changed!". Not interested, thank you.

[topher1078]

I mentioned some of the little things (power cord, etc) because you don't hear about them that often in laptop reviews - but I'm a big proponent of intagibles making the system much more efficient and enjoyable to use. The quick second of glancing at the power cord to see if the battery is charged may not seem like a lot, but it's a great little feature (which makes a lot of sense) that just helps to make the laptop easier to use and therefore more productive. You can find tons of information about all the other stuff, I'm trying to mention the things you don't hear about.

A few other things -

Managing WIFI connections on OSX laptops is infinitely easier than on Windows ones. If I had a wireless problem on my Dell I'd have to disable, and enable it which would take at least a minute. Many times it would lose the configuration number, and if it could not connect, it would never give me the reason. Apple's wireless is turned on instantly, never loses configuration, and just makes a ton more sense than the Windows way.

Sleep. This is a big one and probably my favorite change coming from windows - especially for a laptop. On my Dell, there were the shut down options to Shut Down, Hibernate, and Standby. Hibernate and Standby, as you probably know, accomplish two different things - Hibernate turns the computer off but keeps Windows loaded so it can go right back to it, while Standby leaves the computer on but lowers battery. They seem good on paper, but in practice neither worked well. Hibernate would take almost as long to boot up as if I turned the computer on from scratch, Standby sucked the battery dry and the laptop would only about 50% come back. Also, any programs I was running (especially watching videos or DVDs) would not start playing again, would freeze and everything would fall apart. I'd have no visual indication of which mode my laptop was in, and everything just sucked.

Now on Apple, you have Shut Down and Sleep. Sleep functions like Hibernate, except for the little fact that it WORKS. Close the lid, within a few seconds the glowing light comes on and you know it's sleeping. Open it, and the system is back on instantly, with no program corruption (DVDs keep right on playing). It's made my laptop SO MUCH better to work with, and honestly, I'd switch just for that feature alone.

[dougal.s]

The Evn Show: ^Best forum post in a long time!! HAHA!!

Dougal.

[MonkeyClaw Veteran]

yea when deciding which laptop to get, ignore posts made by people like pax13, he obviously is just trolling and has no idea what hes talking about.

my advice is to go find one and use it, if you live near an apple store, go use one and develop your opinions based off of your own experiences. ask questions, stay there for some seminars, and observe others in the store with their own machines, that can be very helpful.

[Southern Patriot]

Nice Read

http://rampancy.net/ten_myths_about_intel_macs

Here's an excerpt

586072932[/snapback]

Yes, it is a nice read, thanks. However, I suggest you go back and read it again (the whole thing). Most of that article shoots down many of the things you have been ranting about. Nice that you took the last two paragraphs of the article completely out of context. :no:

As for the other article you quoted, it seems to contradict itself quite a bit when talking about Apple's history of supporting older hardware vs. what they might do when they switch to Intel:

Eventually, users got software that included code native to both platforms (at the time called Fat Binaries, now called Universal Binaries). And after some time, most everything ran native on the PowerPC Macs. Apple kept supporting its earlier Macs for quite a while, however.

If the process of compiling code as Universal Binaries is as easy as Apple implies, it's conceivable that PowerPC Macs could be in use for a number of years to come.

In fact that, to me, is the biggest question: How long will PowerPC Macs be supported? Although Apple could support them for any number of years, it has a history of removing support for older Macs and forcing users eventually to upgrade.

OK, so which is it?

Edited June 16, 2005 by roadwarrior

[aristotle-dude]

Choose whatever serves your needs best.

Toshiba make good laptops and so does Sony. Unfortunately, neither run OS X. You can install linux on them but be prepared for a steep learning curve and software availability limited to Open Source software.

Windows obviously has the lion share of software available for it but it is also the most vulnerable to viruses. There is also a great deal of "free" software for windows but a lot of it contains spyware/adware.

iBooks/Powerbooks have the advantage of being able to run OS X which has commercial support and a lot of open source software which I cannot find anywhere else except linux.

If you were considering an Apple laptop now, I'd recommend getting an iBook or even a refurb from Apple since the transition is around the corner.

It look like they have some good deals there:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...wrY06LvshrDLFZw some are under 800 USD.

Edited June 16, 2005 by aristotle-dude

[MonkeyClaw Veteran]

i wouldnt bother, hes just a troll, ignore him, lol.

anyhow, dont worry about the switch to intel, it just makes future macs better and support will still be around for years and years to come because as someone said, think about it, everyone is using ppc and not eveyrone can spend money on a new mac right away, and support for both ppc and intel is so easy to do, developers would be stupid not to do it. ppc will be supported just as much as intel i would say for the next 5 years or so, and even after that, it will still have access to most major apps.

[Knight']

@the evn show

Brilliant post, exactly what needed to be said! :)

[joseph-]

In addition to not buying a Dell...*please* take everything you read on a site such as this with a grain of salt. With few exceptions, you won't find many unbiased opinions or suggestions here. I strongly suggest reading up on some websites that specialize in this sort of topic, such as the ones I listed earlier, and especially go to an Apple store if you have one available. People on here can drool and slobber all day over what their personal needs are (and dislikes) but you won't really know if you like it until you get it in your own hands. I prefer the Sony Vaio over Apple portables, but thats simply because I prefer XP to OS X on my portables. That's me, and your needs may differ. So go and see for yourself.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Chad

[MonkeyClaw Veteran]

In addition to not buying a Dell...*please* take everything you read on a site such as this with a grain of salt.? With few exceptions, you won't find many unbiased opinions or suggestions here.? stronglyi> suggest reading up on some websites that specialize in this sort of topic, such as the ones I listed earlier, and especially go to an Apple store if you have one available.? People on here can drool and slobber all day over what their personal needs are (and dislikes) but you won't really know if you like it until you get it in your own hands.? I prefer the Sony Vaio over Apple portables, but thats simply because I prefer XP to OS X on my portableThat's mee, and your needs may differ.? So go and see for yourself.

586073722[/snapback]

bingo, best post on here.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Chad

[NeoXY]

Does the 12'' Powerbook have an illuminated keyboard?

586071714[/snapback]

nope...only in the 15 and 17 inch....

[aristotle-dude]

A few quick advantages for Apple laptops.

- fast resume from sleep

- easier handling of WiFi Roaming/multiple network configurations.

- a lot of software to take advantage of bluetooth. Sailing clicker comes to mind.

Those types of features are important for me when I'm called to be a "road warrior" for work.

I connect to our head office through VPN and do work on a terminal server with MSFT's Remote Desktop Client for OS X.

I've never had problems quickly connecting to a hotel supplied wired or wireless network.

[FiREFLi]

I have a 12" pc laptop. Currently running XP and it's getting toward as modded (software) as i can think of to make it look maccy ;)

I did have a look at the apple laptops but the price was my main reason for not getting one, and incompatibility with the few games I play... rarely.

My laptop is 1280x800 widescreen and I love the widescreeness, a regular (4:3) monitor looks so square when I look at it now :blink: I wouldn't like to go back to 1024x768 (4:3) which is what you get on a 12" apple ibook/powerbook :no: (N)

Just some things you may like to consider :)

A few quick advantages for Apple laptops.

- fast resume from sleep

- easier handling of WiFi Roaming/multiple network configurations.

- a lot of software to take advantage of bluetooth. Sailing clicker comes to mind.

Those types of features are important for me when I'm called to be a  "road warrior" for work.

I connect to our head office through VPN and do work on a terminal server with MSFT's Remote Desktop Client for OS X.

586073774[/snapback]

Windows resumes quickly from sleep too you know...

If you've gone into standby the power is still on but processor & fan etc are off. Mine will last about 8-9 hours in this state. Resume to windows in about 2 seconds.

You can also hibernate. Power down completely but when you boot back up it's as if you never left... really, you computer just thinks it's been on the whole time :laugh: (if i connect to my wireless network, hibernate, leave it for a week and then boot back up i've been "connected to wireless network for 7 days and..."). time to resume: about 15 seconds.

If that's too slow I don't know what fast is :|

[PureEdit]

I have a 12" pc laptop. Currently running XP and it's getting toward as modded (software) as i can think of to make it look maccy ;)

I did have a look at the apple laptops but the price was my main reason for not getting one, and incompatibility with the few games I play... rarely.

My laptop is 1280x800 widescreen and I love the widescreeness, a regular (4:3) monitor looks so square when I look at it now :blink: I wouldn't like to go back to 1024x768 (4:3) which is what you get on a 12" apple ibook/powerbook :no: (N)

Just some things you may like to consider :)

Windows resumes quickly from sleep too you know...

If you've gone into standby the power is still on but processor & fan etc are off. Mine will last about 8-9 hours in this state. Resume to windows in about 2 seconds.

You can also hibernate. Power down completely but when you boot back up it's as if you never left... really, you computer just thinks it's been on the whole time :laugh: (if i connect to my wireless network, hibernate, leave it for a week and then boot back up i've been "connected to wireless network for 7 days and..."). time to resume: about 15 seconds.

If that's too slow I don't know what fast is :|

586073775[/snapback]

Well you can leave an iBook/PowerBook in sleep mode for about 2 weeks before the battery dies, and when you wake it up it takes less then 3 seconds before its ready to use.

Plus, when your battery is about dead, the computer will go into sleep mode, this gives you several hours to plug it in and save your work before it shuts off completely.

[fuzzy_logic]

Enough of good points about Apple Portables in this thread, here're a few things I don't like about my 12" Powerbook:

1. It gets REALLY hot sometimes.

2. The screen, even at the brightest setting, is a little dark for my liking. And the screen resolution (1024X768) isn't fantastic compared to some PC laptops.

3. The quality of the built-in speakers is quite disappointing.

That's all I can think of right now.

[PureEdit]

Enough of good points about Apple Portables in this thread, here're a few things I don't like about my 12" Powerbook:

1. It gets REALLY hot sometimes.

2. The screen, even at the brightest setting, is a little dark for my liking. And the screen resolution (1024X768) isn't fantastic compared to some PC laptops.

3. The quality of the built-in speakers is quite disappointing.

That's all I can think of right now.

586073846[/snapback]

1. My iBook gets warm a lot, but rarely does it get really hot.

I agree with number 2, I wish my 14'' iBook had a much higher resolution. I run my screen at about half brightness most of the time, and the lowest setting when its dark inside. This is plenty bright for me.

3. The speakers do suck, but so do most laptop speakers.

[VGVL]

Well you can leave an iBook/PowerBook in sleep mode for about 2 weeks before the battery dies, and when you wake it up it takes less then 3 seconds before its ready to use.

Plus, when your battery is about dead, the computer will go into sleep mode, this gives you several hours to plug it in and save your work before it shuts off completely.

586073836[/snapback]

You can also swap batteries while on sleep mode without losing your work. If you have multiple batteries and you're low on power you just close the lid of your Apple portable, take the battery out, put the new one in, open the lid and you're back where you left. I think it saves enough power to stay in sleep for a few minutes without a power source.