Macintosh laptops - worth to have?

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Mahuhu

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#4995 16-Sep-2005 17:39

Hi ,

If you have experience with Mac laptops (iBook, Powerbook) please share with me.
Is it good to change my pc environment to apple?
Nowadays they have the same sw's (Office, IE, etc) and I've heard these machines are fast and reliable.
I just wonder why there are still not many Mac users. Because of the price? Or there is something else I dont know about Mac's yet?

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#20193 16-Sep-2005 18:46

I can't really comment on the PC vs Mac angle, because I've never owned a PC, but I can say that I am very happy with my G3 800MHz iBook. I have used this machine heavily for nearly three years and it's been a very dependable workhorse. In the next couple of months, I intend to buy one of the new 1.42GHz G4 iBooks which I expect to serve me until the end of 2008.

lowededwookie

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#20599 27-Sep-2005 13:23

I've been a Mac man since 2000/2001 after coming from an Amiga setup. I had an iMac DV450 (Ruby) then went to the iBook after I decided I wanted to become more portable. I had to replace my iBook last October after I dropped my old one while the screen was open. Insurance took care of that.

Would I stick to iBooks? Probably not. I'd go more for a PowerBook (still stick to the 12" though) because my needs are getting more demanding. But I would definitely stick with Mac.

MacOS X is extremely powerful (more so than Windows), is more stable, and has so many cool features that while being little make all the difference. Seriously man, go for a Mac. You'll not regret it. It might take a bit of getting used to to start with but it won't take long and then you'll wonder why you ever lugged around a crappy Windows based laptop.

On having said that though, I'd be tempted to hold out for next year when the Intel Macs hit the market. I'm told they run so much quicker than the PPC based ones.

chiefie

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#20605 27-Sep-2005 14:15

I'm a PC user and on verge to get a Mac.. no i'm not switching, i'm integrating! LOL

I'd get powerbook now because there wont be a Intel chip for Powerbook for at least into 2007. however, if you're looking at desktop mac, UNLESS you urgently need one, i recommend holding that off till 2006 to see how Intel chip Apple desktop will be, who knows, by then you might score cheaper PPC Apple desktop system hehehe...

I'd recommend Powerbook 15", (why? Well coming from web development point of view it's more grunty, and if you ever gonna ditch pc, at least you can set up Virtual PC on Mac, run Windows, or Linux and Mac all three in one machine.. just beef it up with lots of ram...) It's not overkill to beef more ram.

As for myself, I Will have at least a PC (currently using Compaq x1030AP notebook) and will get Apple Powerbook 17". or Maybe a beefed up MacMini... anyway future is too muddy to see.. will wait and see till the air is clear. :-D Then i'll decide.

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alasta

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#20614 27-Sep-2005 15:42

I'd get powerbook now because there wont be a Intel chip for Powerbook for at least into 2007. however, if you're looking at desktop mac, UNLESS you urgently need one, i recommend holding that off till 2006 to see how Intel chip Apple desktop will be, who knows, by then you might score cheaper PPC Apple desktop system hehehe...

I disagree with this. Apple have been pretty clear about the fact that the low end systems will move to Intel architecture in 2006, and the high end systems will be held back until 2007. This means that the Mini/iBook/iMac will be switched over first, then the Powermac will follow.

The Powerbook will be the exception to the rule because, whilst it would best be described as "high end", it is in desperate need of new technology. The G4 has been a good workhorse, but it's almost past its use by date. I would therefore predict that we'll see Intel Powerbooks well before the end of next year.

It's my opinion that the iBook is better value than the Powerbook for most users. The price difference is significant, but the difference in terms of raw processing power is not. The type of user who would benefit from a Powerbook would be someone who is likely to need the extra multimedia features such as the audio line in, better graphics processor and independant video output.

Mahuhu

109 posts

Master Geek

#20615 27-Sep-2005 16:27

Do you think it's worth to wait for the Intel based iBook notebooks in 2006?
I guess the price will be less then, because of the cheaper architecture. Or not?

chiefie

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#20616 27-Sep-2005 16:27

i need more grunt and so i'd be expecting powerbook, for running virtual pcs and design and web development softwares all at once... and also on powerbook, you get bigger screen resolution compare to what ibook can offers.

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chiefie

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#20617 27-Sep-2005 16:28

for me, i'm not so urgently needing a mac so i will wait. it depends on what you need and how urgent you need it.

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alasta

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#20630 27-Sep-2005 17:33

Mahuhu: Do you think it's worth to wait for the Intel based iBook notebooks in 2006?
I guess the price will be less then, because of the cheaper architecture. Or not?

As Chiefie points out, it's hard to judge whether or not you should wait without knowing how urgently you need to purchase something.

I doubt that the Intel based Macs will be any cheaper than the current models, for two reasons. Firstly, PowerPC processors have significantly fewer transistors than an equivalent x86 processor, and this is likely to offset Intel's economies of scale as far as production costs are concerned. Secondly, the main reason why people choose a Mac over a PC is for the software, and people will be willing to pay a premium for Apple's software regardless of what type of processor is under the hood.

If you feel like buying now, it's quite reasonable to buy a PowerPC based Macintosh, because Apple has a very good transition plan which will ensure that the PowerPC architecture will be supported for a long time. In fact, many Mac users are planning to avoid buying the first generation of Intel based Macintoshes for fear of potential teething problems.

Mahuhu

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Master Geek

#20632 27-Sep-2005 17:38

Good advice, thank you.