MacReviewZone Discussion Board

[Don]

Questions or comments regarding Apple's PowerBooks? Post them here!

[ June 15, 2002: Message edited by: Don ]

[<Jarrod>]

Any idea how the battery life compares with the rev. b 667 TiBook? I am thinking about upgrading, but the L3 cache, faster graphics and bigger screen seem like they would all cut into the battery life.

And why did they get rid of the IR port??!! That makes me upset!

[anon]

The choice is obvious the G5 is not very portable!

[Hal]

Pound for pound the laptop is faster.

While it would be nice to have a faster machine, I can't carry the G5 with me so my decision is made. Actually I am impressed that the laptop did as well as it did in comparison without the benefits of a G5, better system bus, or other goodies.

-- Harold

[xyster]

I recently purchased the first powerbook 17" instead of the g5. I understood the speed differences before my decision; I'm very happy with my choice. It would be hard to take the g5 to bed with me (you know what I mean )

[aribus]

I recently made the decision to purchase a Powerbook 12" over an iBook 12" because of several reasons. First the size... well, the size is what kept me from choosing the 14" iBook. I need something compact to use in class. Nothing too bulky. Regarding the decision of choosing the Powerbook over the iBook, the finish is much nicer on the powerbook. Over the course of a year or so, the iBook will look terrible. When new, the glossy finish is very attractive. However, it scratches very easily. While I do know that it can be polished with some aftermarket products to bring back the shine, I do not have time to constantly keep up it's appearance. I need low maintenance. The superdrive is another important factor in choosing the Powerbook. I dont think that I will be using it right away, but I am very confident that it will be utilized in the future. Especially during those special occassions where I dont have the money to purchase a present, a homemade gift will be just as, if not more appreciated. Well, these are just a couple of reasons.

[ODTU]

Since I do a lot of flying, the choice is simple. Battery life over speed. Besides, I prefer not to fry my .... pants!

[acurrie]

What a happy coincidence that I came across this article today; I've been grappling with this very issue for the past few weeks!

Anyone thinking about the iBook should definitely check it out in person; the cheap, grey plastic surrounding the keyboard and screen are what you'd find on a generic bargain-basement PC!

For me, it was more a question of the 12 vs. 15" Powerbook. Though the 15" is more future-proof with lighted keys, FireWire 800 and S-Video out, I already have a desktop G4 for video editing, and the 12" enclosure is a much better fit for my carry-on luggage.

[ZeroDark:30]

I gathered up my old stuff, traded them in for a new AlBook12/SuperDrive, which left me enough to get a used iBook14/700/Combo to serve as a backup and Mac Ambassador. Lucky! (Well, this was a culmination of 4 months' work . . . featuring both 15 styles, 17, et al) So I do both. - Carrick (Apple Consultant/Engineer)

[JdeS]

PowerBook wins hands down with it's Al enclosure but I would move up to the 15", well, no, I'd take it up to the 17", well, really, I'd wait for the G5 PowerBook, my Pismo 500 is still useable!

[Storp]

[Jason C]

Has the airport reception improved significantly in the new 1GHz G4 powerbook? It's so awful on the 867MHz PB compared to a 800MHz iBook (both 12"). Put the two side by side and the iBook has a strong signal while the powerbook is hardly picking up. Has this improved?

[dude]

I just bought a ibookG4 14", and i loved it. Powerbook was alot of money and i couldn't get that much. So my choice was ibook G4. It looks great and is great. My sister owns a gatway labtop, and when i got my iBook G4 i could see that she was thinks "Damn i shouldn't have gotta an iBook G4.

[mr_wahlee]

I just put an airport extreme card in my powerbook 12" G4 (1Gz) and connected immediately to the LinkSys 802.11g access point...walked about 100' away into another room across a wide open space (in a library) and reception was still at 3 bars and speed was excellent. The internal antenna in the PB 12" seems to be working well for me.

[stelar]

I have a 15" powerbook and a friend has a 14" ibook both are G4. the ibook can get decent reception while the powerbook gets no reception when they are sitting side by side. I am dissapointed. Why is there a difference?