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Ibook vs Powerbook

post #1 of 16
1/12/06 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
What are the advantages of the powerbook or ibook? is the price premium of the powerbook worth it for the better keyboard and aluminum? wont the powerbook dent easier? I know that the 9550 on the ibook outperforms the outdated 5200 on the powerbook. Im just looking a 3 specific things: durability, carbonate vs alu, heat issues and keyboard quality.

Help!
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post #2 of 16
1/12/06 at 7:59pm
PB has larger VRAM amount. so yes the 9550 is technically better than the 5200 but it is choked by the 32MB of VRAM so it can't excel beyond the 5200.

PB is a better option if u r going to "desktop" your system when at home or the office, in particular bc of the VRAM being split between the notebook's monitor and the external monitor. that said i haven't really had any issues w/my iBook set up that way.

i actually like the iBook KB, but many seem to prefer the PBs' KBs.

yes the PB will dent easier. the iBooks have a better reputation for being more durable.

afaik, heat issues are about the same. for basic needs u won't be disappointed by the iBook. heck, for media editing w/ the iLife suites and even some of the semi-pro apps u won't be disappointed.
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post #3 of 16
1/12/06 at 8:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by triadone

yes the PB will dent easier. the iBooks have a better reputation for being more durable.
Wow i have no idea that my PB was able to dent .... did u test that!!!??
cum on guys ....
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post #4 of 16
1/12/06 at 8:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarekS
Wow i have no idea that my PB was able to dent .... did u test that!!!??
cum on guys ....
Well it is made of Aluminum, right?
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post #5 of 16
1/12/06 at 8:54pm
PB is teh secksy!
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post #6 of 16
1/12/06 at 10:04pm
Thread Starter 
for most purposes, vram is not important. if i were to take an example to the extreme, i can say that the 256mb version of the radeon 9550 will get blown away by the 128mb version of the 6600gt. not sure by how much but you get the idea. its core clock/mem speed and the pipelines that matter much more. another example is if you look at the 7800 gtx and the 512mb 7800gtx. the performance is very very neglible. the 512mb card will give you two more frames in doom III at max setting.

with that said, i think my two biggest concerns are heat and durability, with heat being at the top of the list. i just want my apple (whne i do get one) to not heat up at load, esp when im running a game or doing something cpu/gpu intensive.
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post #7 of 16
1/12/06 at 10:10pm
Thread Starter 
also, the ibook is closest to the powerbook in hardware and features which is the reason im actually thinking about getting the ibook. i think its fair to expect the 12" powerbook to be refreshed sometime soon to distance itself from the ibook. i dont want to buy a powerbook and then have apple release a new version overnight. other than that, i think im looking for an excuse to buy the ibook instead and save that ~$300-400 premium.
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post #8 of 16
1/12/06 at 10:14pm
There are just small things that make the PB better than the ibook, like the 4200rpm in the ibook is really slow, the PB has a 5400 which is a lot better but still isn't a 7200. Plus the ibook IMO looks too much like a toy. I also like the feel and size of the keyboard on the PB as compared to the ibook.
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post #9 of 16
1/13/06 at 7:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDx
for most purposes, vram is not important. if i were to take an example to the extreme, i can say that the 256mb version of the radeon 9550 will get blown away by the 128mb version of the 6600gt. not sure by how much but you get the idea. its core clock/mem speed and the pipelines that matter much more. another example is if you look at the 7800 gtx and the 512mb 7800gtx. the performance is very very neglible. the 512mb card will give you two more frames in doom III at max setting.

with that said, i think my two biggest concerns are heat and durability, with heat being at the top of the list. i just want my apple (whne i do get one) to not heat up at load, esp when im running a game or doing something cpu/gpu intensive.
your argument is true for larger amounts of VRAM, but in re: to how much it takes to be functional for an OS, it does matter. re: VRAM in the iBooks, there are times w/ the iBook plugged into an external monitor where some of the usual OS animations become jerky at times where if the 32MB were dedicated to the main panel u wouldn't experience the issue. 32MB dedicated to each monitor = more fluid visual experience. that said, such slow downs happen infrequently w/ an external monitor in my experience, but they do happen. if however u plan on using the iBook's monitor primarily for your display it becomes less of an issue.

durability: check

heat: depends on how u plan to use it. it can get hot if it's sitting on your lap or some insulated surface while under load. if u have it on a flat surface on your lap or on a desktop where the "belly" can breathe a bit it will get warm but not overly toasty.
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post #10 of 16
1/13/06 at 7:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDx
also, the ibook is closest to the powerbook in hardware and features which is the reason im actually thinking about getting the ibook. i think its fair to expect the 12" powerbook to be refreshed sometime soon to distance itself from the ibook. i dont want to buy a powerbook and then have apple release a new version overnight. other than that, i think im looking for an excuse to buy the ibook instead and save that ~$300-400 premium.
Well technically, they won't release a better Powerbook. I do believe these are the last of the powerbooks. The MacBook is currently out, but no official word on a 12" model anytime soon.

Also, the Powerbook has a DVD burner, while the iBook has a CD-R burner. The Powerbook is also thinner.
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post #11 of 16
1/13/06 at 7:53am
Hey Guys I was planning to buy a 12 PB for travel needs, not that my 15 PB is not portable. 12 pb is easier to open in coach class on the plane. I wanted to ask you guys your opinion if it is worth buying the 12 PB as I see prices dropping in the refurbished ones. Will there be noticible performance difference between the MB Pro and the PB with basic stuff like surfing, office stuff, basic photo editing and video editing? Thanks in advance for all your advice guys.
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post #12 of 16
1/13/06 at 10:35am
with basic tasks, you're good on the current PB, but for larger (and batch) picture editing, the PM + X1600 will leave the current setup in the dust.

that said...why would you wanna buy a mac now? I mean... the fact that they are now obsolete and even wheny ou buy it you know its just a matter of time before apple releases....the macbook.
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post #13 of 16
2/21/06 at 11:08am
i just ordered a powerbook 15" 1.67mhz, with 2 gigs. im not scared.

when this one fails me, the mac intel will be ready for mainstream use, with lots of developed software, and things to use on it.

some of us can't wait a year and a half for non-buggy software. we have to work now.
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post #14 of 16
2/22/06 at 1:33am
You may also want to take into consideration how long you will be keeping the computer. That really was the only reason I went with the top-of-the-line 15" available at the time: I wanted to ensure that mine would be still be usable-productive till past college graduation (this spring, if it matters). The computer's nearly three years old and still fast as ever; I have really no desire to upgrade in the near or even far future particularly with monetary loss through resale value (given that mine's aesthetically damaged / cracked / glued together / "well loved"). I know I wouldn't be saying the same, had I gone with the 867MHz/256MB/40GB/CDRW configuration.

Now with MacIntels becoming the norm in the near future, longetivity may not be necessarily one of your concerns as the need to upgrade might fall sooner than expected (might). However, it is something to think about.
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post #15 of 16
2/22/06 at 10:50am
Powerbook: Lighter/thinner, faster CPU, faster GPU with more VRAM, and faster hard drives.
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post #16 of 16
2/24/06 at 7:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee Harless
i just ordered a powerbook 15" 1.67mhz, with 2 gigs. im not scared.

when this one fails me, the mac intel will be ready for mainstream use, with lots of developed software, and things to use on it.

some of us can't wait a year and a half for non-buggy software. we have to work now.
Kudos to you!
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