ibook/powerbook or pc laptop?

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frankyk

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Jan 30, 2004
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The ibooks aren't too overly priced given the specs I think, but the ibooks are a lot nicer looking and have more power, but of course, much more expensive..

in terms of power and quality and just cost effectiveness, like what i'm paying and what i'm getting, which is better to get? ibook/powerbook or pc (ibm/dell)?

i'm just going to use it for internet browsing, e-mail, maybe some fair game not too intense (starcraft maybe, lol), aim, class notes and such. i'm looking for maximum battery life with wireless enabled (also, how much are extra batteries for macs vs. pcs?)
 
Loaded question ;)

Powerbooks are ok, but I can't stand the looks of the iBook. For your use just about any of them would work. If x86 laptop I would also look at Acer or Asus (or built on Asus whitebook).

A coworker of mine bought an Acer Travelmate 4100 and its battery usually outlasts the company owners powerbook by about 30-60 minutes.

However, the fast sleep and unsleep on the Powerbook is pretty nice. OS is up to your preference (I prefer XP's UI, but OS X is very nice, nicer is some areas, but a few areas just bug me to no end).

Basically for what you want to do you can't really go wrong either way you go.

*edit*
Extra batteries are about the same price regardless of platform.
 
I guess it pretty much comes down in OS specs then. Because...if you want high battery life the tendency is to remain low in the CPU speed (even if it is a 'mobile' chip). I really like the 12" Powerbook that I have in the sig because it lasts the perfect amount of time for class, is quiet, and looks damn sexy! :p
 
I am loving my Powerbook for the 3 weeks I've had it. The battery life (3+ Hours with BT and Wi-Fi) is very good and the sleep mode is awsoem just close it and its back in a second. I've been playing Enemy Terrioty alot and its fine.It looks awsome (Chicks dig powerbooks :D ) and preforms as well in everything I've used it for.
 
Don't even waste your time thinking about buying a PC laptop. I bought my 14" iBook back in March and I'll never go back to PC ever. Talk about never having any problems with your software! I haven't had a single problem YET since March!!!!! I can't say that for any PC around my house though . . . .

Battery life is terrific. My iBook has battery life up to 6+ hours, even with AirPort turned on! My fathers Compaq notebook can only stay on a battery for 1 maybe 2 hours at the most. The range on my Airport Card is amazing. I can't stress on how awesome an Apple laptop is, you just gotta experience it for yourself.

You get what you pay for and an Apple iBook or PowerBook is going to be the best investment for a laptop. Take this piece of advice from a hardcore ex-PC gamer for over 10 years lol.
 
i love this question because it's so rediculously simple even i can answer it.

do you want OSX? Do you like apple's pretty little toys? Do you want OSX with apple support? buy the apple laptop.

no?

go with the pc.

-esr
 
I have the second Airport's range...it is...simply AMAZING. My PC laptop never used to get the signal that the powerbook does.

six_storm said:
Don't even waste your time thinking about buying a PC laptop. I bought my 14" iBook back in March and I'll never go back to PC ever. Talk about never having any problems with your software! I haven't had a single problem YET since March!!!!! I can't say that for any PC around my house though . . . .

Battery life is terrific. My iBook has battery life up to 6+ hours, even with AirPort turned on! My fathers Compaq notebook can only stay on a battery for 1 maybe 2 hours at the most. The range on my Airport Card is amazing. I can't stress on how awesome an Apple laptop is, you just gotta experience it for yourself.

You get what you pay for and an Apple iBook or PowerBook is going to be the best investment for a laptop. Take this piece of advice from a hardcore ex-PC gamer for over 10 years lol.
Click to expand...
 
six_storm said:
Don't even waste your time thinking about buying a PC laptop. I bought my 14" iBook back in March and I'll never go back to PC ever. Talk about never having any problems with your software! I haven't had a single problem YET since March!!!!! I can't say that for any PC around my house though . . . .

Battery life is terrific. My iBook has battery life up to 6+ hours, even with AirPort turned on! My fathers Compaq notebook can only stay on a battery for 1 maybe 2 hours at the most. The range on my Airport Card is amazing. I can't stress on how awesome an Apple laptop is, you just gotta experience it for yourself.

You get what you pay for and an Apple iBook or PowerBook is going to be the best investment for a laptop. Take this piece of advice from a hardcore ex-PC gamer for over 10 years lol.
Click to expand...
sure noob

i have a dell 700m, my friend, whos a m$ hater (he runs linux mostly), bought an ibook. in classes at college, my battery outlasts his, and i get better reception when we are sitting right next to each other.
 
hmm...
what's the battery life on a wireless enabled ibook (does the display screen matter in terms of battery life?)

compared to a wireless enabled powerbook?

i want a powerbook, but i hear the ibook is more conservative in power using.

but ibook isn't as cool looking >_<
 
<sigh>

frankyk- honestly, you're asking this question in the Apple forum, what kind of answers do you think you'll get? :rolleyes:


I'll just take the last bit (battery life):
people seem to be missing what battery life is all about. It really dpends on what you're doing, and what you're workflow is like. If you are doing a lot of processor, disk I/O, or display -driven tasks, your battery wont last nearly as long as if you spend the whole day looking at web pages and checking email. If you watch lots of DVDs, are writing things to the hard disk, listening to music through the computer's speakers, or constantly rendering, chances are your battery wont last as long.
Buy a centrino-based PC laptop, and you'll have a battery lasting as long as any mac lappy, under similar usage conditions (and even longer sometimes, some tests show). If you want raw power, get a Pentium 4 based laptop, but battery wont last as long, naturally.

It really just depends on what your priorities are, and what you want to do with it.

cheers!
:)
 
ryanrule said:
dont discount the pentium m centrino notebooks as not being powerful.
Click to expand...
Heh, of course not. Both P4's and Pentium M's are very good processors indeed. The pentium m arguably even moreso. However, the current state at which both are at, a P4 on the high end will still be more powerful than a pentium m. But more importantly, the entire computer, meaning the components built around the CPU, tend to be higher-end in P4 systems than in Centrino ones, ie, hard drives, video cards, etc. In a centrino system, there simply isn't enough space for high rpm drives, better video cards, more memory, etc., etc.
 
yeah probably should have asked in another forum, but this was an apple product topic sort of, so i figured it should be posted here.

but anyway, i'm pretty sure i'm going to get a mac, just not sure which one, ibook or powerbook, i intend on really just using it for e-mail, movies, web-browsing and class notes. for movies, i plan on using a usb flash drive (better than dvd or HD right?). i'm just trying to decide which one to get, my main concern is battery life and how much more i can get with either laptop. is the processor speed a lot different for ibooks than powerbooks?
 
One gripe I have with apple notebooks is their delicate power connector. My sister just broke the tip of the power connector off in her 12" powerbook. Real shame. I wish apple would use a standard DC power plug like the rest of the world instead of a delicate 2.5mm stereo plug. I mean really...the only reason for their funny plug is so they can have a logic board inside that dervies if your power brick is small or big. The cable is only 2 wires so its just a slightly different voltage its figuring out. Oh, and people like the little glow ring :rolleyes: Come on apple, stick to the standards that have proven themselves to work great for years and years.
 
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