The New Powerbook G4 Vs. Notebook

Which One to get

a notebook with 2.2ghz P4 M

or a powerbook 1.25ghz G4 15 inch

i don't play games much these days since my current laptop's DVD-rom dissapointed me with scracting my cd's like scracthing a vinyl,i don't know what went wrong there.......so playing a game for me is mostly not really important to me anymore...i use my current laptop now for webpage managment and i regular use macromedia dreamweaver flash and other macromedia tools...most of my friends don't really agree with me to take the powerbook cause of performance in GHZ and lack of software comapre to non-apple notebooks..i'm gonan get a DV cam soon,so video editing is alomost needed for the fuure i guess...i also move around alot so battery power is very important for me..my current laptop's bateery is death because i left it charging for one week when i was outstation..so when i came back from vacation i found out my battery life only lasted for a near 5 minutes from a full charge..but then everything else works fine..i need my portables to be on for almost 24 hours... i got Adsl running so why not on it for 24 hours right?

so i need your guys opinion on what to get....

please send in ya opinions and comment..make me make the right decision and avoid all those nasty memories from repeating again

#57568

Get the Mac. For basic video editing, iMovie is a revelation. If you're doing anything more proficient, Final Cut Express/Pro will be a godsend. And, once you've tried OS X on a speedy machine like a Powerbook, Windows will seem like an amateur OS in comparison.

No PC laptop will match the Powerbook's elegance, weight, battery life:size ratio, and the keyboard. The keyboard on the AlBooks is said to be the best laptop keyboard ever. Plus there's almost no noise from any of the Mac laptops. The fan on my iBook has switched itself on once, for about ten minutes. Other than that, it's completely silent.

#57575

man, ive used a 1ghz 15 inch g4 pb compared to a 2.4 pentium 4 m and i must say PB alll the way!!!!! not only it outperforms (in everyhting i use , dreamweaver, flash, photoshop etc) the pc but it also looks waaaaaay better!

GO FOR THE POWERBOOK, thats just my 2cents...

Cheers, seph

#57578

wow...is that so..?then what about its ram?can i go to any PC shop and get a ram for the powerbook?

#57579

Providing you buy the exact right type, then yes, you can buy "PC" RAM for it.

#57580

what do you mean by exact right type?

i wanna get the all new 15inch powerbook if so

#57581

I mean the correct MHz type, etc, for example 333MHz DDR RAM. Laptops will take a chip called a SO-DIMM most likely too.

I don't know what type the new 15" takes, but a quick search at apple.com will tell you.

#57582

or go here for RAM for the 15" 1.25GHz Powerbook

Crucial

edit: almost forgot to mention, GO FOR THE POWERBOOK

i have a 667MHz 15" and it kicks much ass

#57632

get a centrino based laptop, if possible get the 1.7ghz.

you get a laptop with great battery life and lightweight.

also the centrino based outperform p4m chips.

#57710

its a no-brainer.

the 15-inch pBook. Max RAM.

#57719

Same here. Go for the 15" Powerbook. I've been using several apps on both PCs and the G4s (eg. PhotoShop, Premiere, Illustrator) and they feel much faster on the Mac. I also hardly experience slow-downs. The PowerBook looks great, feels speedy and runs smooth. The built-in DVD writer is a great bonus.

#57735

yup.. can't beat Apple's PowerBook line..

#57736

Almost forgot to add... I never needed any Anti-Virus for the macs.

#57738

what about softwares?can i use mt friends software?he got alots of mac software,i don't know where he got it from,it might be peraited or something..so how is it?can i backup my friends software and use it on mac?

#57823

Get the Mac. For basic video editing, iMovie is a revelation.

Errrr....not really. Allow me to quote directly from Macworld. "Not every problem has been fixed-audio pops and clicks are still introduced with titles and certain transitions, Slagle says. The update (referring to version 3.0.3) also creates a problem of its own: a bug that prohibits users from importing iMovie 3.0.3 project files and Final Cut Express or the newly released Final Cut Pro 4.

Hardly a "revelation."

IMO, Windows Movie Maker is just as user friendly as iMovie and there is a plethora of other applications such as Pinnacle Express for your video editing needs.

And, once you've tried OS X on a speedy machine like a Powerbook, Windows will seem like an amateur OS in comparison.

Errr....nope again. Any of the 3 Alienware laptops ( http://www.alienware.com/system_pages/area-51m.aspx ) will run circles around a Powerbook.

You mentioned that gaming is not an issue at present. That's cool but if it becomes an issue in the future, your gaming choices will be limited. I'm an avid gamer and switched from a Mac to a PC so I speak with authority on this issue. Also, remember that your software choices in general will also be limited (regardless of what Mac users might say).

Now....before I get flamed by Mac users allow me to be clear about a few things. If you want a Mac laptop, by all means get one. They look great and I'm certain they will meet all of your needs. Just know what you're getting in to before taking the plunge and look at both sides of the coin.

Good luck with whatever you purchase.

#57832

AlienWare's mobile computers are not good at all to be compared to PowerBooks.

As you may have noticed, they use Pentium4 Desktop CPUs. This make the computer extreme hot and power-consuming, and much less portable. I myself am using a WinBook J4 laptop with P4 1.8GHz desktop CPU. This laptop is definitely noisy when the fans start to work, which happens all the time because of the desktop CPU. I can imagine how noisy Alienware's "mobile" computers are, with their 3.0GHz DESKTOP P4 CPUs!

They use 8000mAh batteries. This is undoubtedly powerful, but how long can it support a P4 3.0 Desktop CPU with 7200RPM harddisk? I can tell you this: my Winbook comes with 5880mAh battery and it can last at most 2 hour of casual use. Don't forget my CPU is only 1.8GHz, harddisk is only 5400RPM and video card is only ATi7500. How long can a 3GHz CPU plus 7200RPM harddisk plus GeForce 5600 Go last with a 8000mAh battery? You do the math.

Their apperance looks huge and much less elegant than the Powerbooks. There are a lot of fans inside them. Even at the bottom. They use 4pin firewire port which does not have power supply to firewire devices.

They got "Custom Designed Alien Eyes". What the heck does this add value to a laptop computer after all?

They got "Dual Hard Drive Support". Why do you have to pull out your CDROM in order to use another harddisk when you can use portable external firewire harddisks together with your SuperDrive?

They got "3-in-1 Memory Card Reader". Please tell me would you like to take this " Weight 7.5lbs without Battery" (quoted from their website) stuff with you all around the world just to support your Digtal Camera?

They got "Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Support". Come on, this is a MOBILE computer, not a desktop one. If you want home theatre, go and get a real one! Just imagine how silly you will look when you are watching video on a 16.1" screen....

They got "Custom Designed Rubber Grips". Once again, why do we need this? The rubber grips themselves look stupid already. What? They say the rubber grips help you hold the computers? Do they mean the computers themselves are too slippery for people to hold?

They got "Dual Infrared Port with Remote Control". Will you want to use remote control with you MOBILE computer with AT MOST 16.1" screen from 5 or even 10 meters away?! No way! BTW, does "Dual Infrared Port" have a range and speed of BlueTooth?

They got "Performance 19.05mm Pitch 88-Key Keyboard". Of course they got this in their THICK casing. This is not a VALUE of them. This is rather a "less-drawback" solution.

They got "Three USB2.0 and One IEEE1394a Firewire Ports". Emm, need I say more about this? Don't forget their only Firewire is a 4pin one.

They got "Network Connectivity". Is this something that they are proud of??? How about wireless network? Seems they are only "ready" for that.

They got "160 Watt AC Power Adapter". Oh my god, does their MOBILE computer need 160Watt of power supply? OMFG.

They got "Kensington Lock (Industry Standard)". Do they really have nothing to say? This is already industry standard, man!

They got "Engraved Alienware Logo". Yes, my Nike T-shirt got handmade NIKE logo! Does this add to any value of my investment?!

I used to like Alienware until I saw their "Mobile" system.

Their "high-end" "mobile" computer sells at $3552. With this money, you can buy a quite nice desktop computer (not necessarily Mac), then a 15" Powerbook (or any other PC laptops). I really can't find any point to buy Alienware mobile computers.

#57893

Originally posted by livecn@Sep 21 2003, 10:44 AM
AlienWare's mobile computers are not good at all to be compared to PowerBooks.
As you may have noticed, they use Pentium4 Desktop CPUs. This make the computer extreme hot and power-consuming, and much less portable. I myself am using a WinBook J4 laptop with P4 1.8GHz desktop CPU. This laptop is definitely noisy when the fans start to work, which happens all the time because of the desktop CPU. I can imagine how noisy Alienware's "mobile" computers are, with their 3.0GHz DESKTOP P4 CPUs!
They use 8000mAh batteries. This is undoubtedly powerful, but how long can it support a P4 3.0 Desktop CPU with 7200RPM harddisk? I can tell you this: my Winbook comes with 4400mAh battery and it can last at most 2 hour of casual use. Don't forget my CPU is only 1.8GHz, harddisk is only 5400RPM and video card is only ATi7500. How long can a 3GHz CPU plus 7200RPM harddisk plus GeForce 5600 Go last with a 8000mAh battery? You do the math.
Their apperance looks huge and much less elegant than the Powerbooks. There are a lot of fans inside them. Even at the bottom. They use 4pin firewire port which does not have power supply to firewire devices.
They got "Custom Designed Alien Eyes". What the heck does this add value to a laptop computer after all?
They got "Dual Hard Drive Support". Why do you have to pull out your CDROM in order to use another harddisk when you can use portable external firewire harddisks together with your SuperDrive?
They got "3-in-1 Memory Card Reader". Please tell me would you like to take this " Weight 7.5lbs without Battery" (quoted from their website) stuff with you all around the world just to support your Digtal Camera?
They got "Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Support". Come on, this is a MOBILE computer, not a desktop one. If you want home theatre, go and get a real one! Just imagine how silly you will look when you are watching video on a 16.1" screen....
They got "Custom Designed Rubber Grips". Once again, why do we need this? The rubber grips themselves look stupid already. What? They say the rubber grips help you hold the computers? Do they mean the computers themselves are too slippery for people to hold?
They got "Dual Infrared Port with Remote Control". Will you want to use remote control with you MOBILE computer with AT MOST 16.1" screen from 5 or even 10 meters away?! No way! BTW, does "Dual Infrared Port" have a range and speed of BlueTooth?
They got "Performance 19.05mm Pitch 88-Key Keyboard". Of course they got this in their THICK casing. This is not a VALUE of them. This is rather a "less-drawback" solution.
They got "Three USB2.0 and One IEEE1394a Firewire Ports". Emm, need I say more about this? Don't forget their only Firewire is a 4pin one.
They got "Network Connectivity". Is this something that they are proud of??? How about wireless network? Seems they are only "ready" for that.
They got "160 Watt AC Power Adapter". Oh my god, does their MOBILE computer need 160Watt of power supply? OMFG.
They got "Kensington Lock (Industry Standard)". Do they really have nothing to say? This is already industry standard, man!
They got "Engraved Alienware Logo". Yes, my Nike T-shirt got handmade NIKE logo! Does this add to any value of my investment?!
I used to like Alienware until I saw their "Mobile" system.
Their "high-end" "mobile" computer sells at $3552. With this money, you can buy a quite nice desktop computer (not necessarily Mac), then a 15" Powerbook (or any other PC laptops). I really can't find any point to buy Alienware mobile computers.

Plus theyre ugly compared to the MAC PB's, you gotta face that....

AMEN Livecn!!!

PS your sign holding creatures in your sig get weirder everyday... not a bad thing necesarily!

Cheers...

Seph

#57912

Originally posted by Badtz_Mark@Sep 21 2003, 12:23 AM
what about softwares?can i use mt friends software?he got alots of mac software,i don't know where he got it from,it might be peraited or something..so how is it?can i backup my friends software and use it on mac?

same with PC's. There's pirated and real software. YOU decide which one to use.

Originally quoted by [LOF]skinnylegs
IMO, Windows Movie Maker is just as user friendly as iMovie and there is a plethora of other applications such as Pinnacle Express for your video editing needs.

Oh god noo.... I've used both and iMovie is a hundred times better..

#57927

hands down the PB man. my friend has one and i was able to like photoshop, video edit and do flash at the same time with only a small decrease in performance. if i tried that on my P3 1 ghz, it would like fry man lol

#57973

Originally posted by Taha@Sep 21 2003, 08:49 AM
same with PC's. There's pirated and real software. YOU decide which one to use.
Originally quoted by [LOF]skinnylegs
IMO, Windows Movie Maker is just as user friendly as iMovie and there is a plethora of other applications such as Pinnacle Express for your video editing needs.
Oh god noo.... I've used both and iMovie is a hundred times better..

Have you tried MovieMaker2?

Its just as good as iMovie.

MM1 sucks though.

#57977

"built by gamers for gamers"

get over it, all your criticism seem to be about it being a gamers laptop...

doh!!!

#57981

Have tried both Movie Maker 2 and iMovie 3. On the surface, both seem similarly equipped. But the results I got from iMovie, which is more simple, elegant, and intuitive, were streets ahead of what I got from Windows Movie Maker.

Just to reply to the skinnylegs guy, who said to my original statement:

And, once you've tried OS X on a speedy machine like a Powerbook, Windows will seem like an amateur OS in comparison.

Errr....nope again. Any of the 3 Alienware laptops ( http://www.alienware.com/system_pages/area-51m.aspx ) will run circles around a Powerbook.

Please note that my comment was not related to the virtues of the actual machine. The Alienware notebooks may or may not be fast - I've no knowledge nor any interest in their systems, frankly. What I do know though is that having tried OS X on a 1 GHz iMac with 512MB RAM, compared to my friend's AMD Athlon 2600+ with 1 GB RAM, is that it OS X feels more fluid, responsive, and, apologies for the emotive word, but just 'nicer'. On the PC, basic Windows apps like Messenger would just turn into white boxes for a few seconds, with the cursor turning into an eggtimer. While on the Mac, no app of a similar calibre provided such unsatisfactory results. Combine the stability of OS X with the immunity to all of these virii which are causing such havoc in the Windows world at the moment, and I'm left wondering why anyone would choose a Windows PC over a Mac, for almost any purpose.

I'm not saying that Windows is the scourge of the modern world or anything like that. I'm simply saying that Mac OS X is better, and unless I experience anything to the contrary, my opinion will not change.

#57982

Wow.....I guess I shouldn't have gone to sleep last night! So little time and so many posts to respond to. :lol:

To begin with, I'm in the market for a Mac. I wanna' spend a couple of grand so I guess I'm looking at an iMac or a iBook. All suggestions will be appreciated. For the record, I'm not buying a Mac because I'm disgruntled with Windows. On the contrary, I'm buying a Mac cause' I want to try out something new. I'm buying one more for the experience than out of necessity.

Now that I have that out of the way, let's get back to the thread!

Here's my feelings about software. If you're gonna' use it.....buy it. If you want to try out a "borrowed" copy to see if it suits your needs, by all means hit your friend up for a copy. If you decide you're going to continue to use it, wipe it from your hard drive then buy it and reinstall it.

AlienWare's mobile computers are not good at all to be compared to PowerBooks.

Fair enough. I suppose they are different beasts. That being said I think it's safe to say that the Alienware system gives testament to powerful laptops running Windows XP.

I really can't find any point to buy Alienware mobile computers.

Simply stated, The Area51M Extreme is an extremely fast mobile computing unit rivaling most desktop systems.

They got "Digital 5.1 Surround Sound Support". Come on, this is a MOBILE computer, not a desktop one. If you want home theatre, go and get a real one! Just imagine how silly you will look when you are watching video on a 16.1" screen..

I do have a home theatre and a nice one at that! I also like to have the option of watching a movie (I'm not into porn so don't go there) on my laptop when I'm out and about. BTW.....the reason that Alienware beefed up their audio system is because it is one of the most common complaints when it comes to laptops.

They got "Engraved Alienware Logo". Yes, my Nike T-shirt got handmade NIKE logo! Does this add to any value of my investment?!

....no more so than a computer with a logo of a partially eaten piece of fruit on it. Catch my drift? Look....you are not gonna' win any bonus points dinging Alienware's laptops. You may not like the way they look but nothing appeals to everyone. BTW.....I've used Alienware as example. Don't like em'? NP. There are many other brands of powerful laptop computers running Windows XP to choose from. Likewise, if you don't like Apples brand of laptops, there are many other brands of laptops running OS X......oh wait, there aren't. My bad. Hehehe. Excuse my sarcasm but I think you get the point.

Its just as good as iMovie

That has been my experience as well, Contra. I'm using version 2.0.3312.0 and I find it extremely robust (for an OS integrated ap) and intuitive. As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of making a DVD for my kid chronicling her life. Video clips, audio clips, transitions and the like involve nothing more than drag-and-drop. There are also a wide range of export options.

Have tried both Movie Maker 2 and iMovie 3. On the surface, both seem similarly equipped. But the results I got from iMovie, which is more simple, elegant, and intuitive, were streets ahead of what I got from Windows Movie Maker.

When you say that the results were "streets ahead" what do you mean? The results are the same regardless of which program you use, aren't they ? Also, if you read my first post you will see that iMovie does have it's share of problems. I'm confident that Apple will work these issues out but don't try and sell me on iMovie being a "revelation."

OS X feels more fluid, responsive, and, apologies for the emotive word, but just 'nicer'

I'm looking forward to using OS X and I'll reserve comments until I get my greedy hands on my new Mac.

.....basic Windows apps like Messenger would just turn into white boxes for a few seconds, with the cursor turning into an eggtimer

This has not been my experience.

all of these virii which are causing such havoc in the Windows world

I have never been affected by a virus and I am on the internet constantly. I do use a firewall and don't download a bunch of crap so I suppose that makes a difference. I also hit Windows Update on regular basis because there is no arguing the fact that they're out there and more often than not, they're aimed squarely at PC users. Understand this, though. The reason that PC's are targeted is because the vast majority of computer users use Windows/PC's so the bad guys get more bang for their buck.

why anyone would choose a Windows PC over a Mac, for almost any purpose.

Gaming was the biggest reason that I chose a PC over a Mac when I bought my latest rig.

Look....it's obvious I'm not an "anti Mac" guy. If so, I wouldn't be in the market for a new one. That being said, every OS and every computer have inheret strengths and weakesses. If you wanna' sell me on a Mac, sell me on the fact that they have the most *****in' default UI. Sell me on the fact that OS X is a fun and stable operating system. Sell me on the fact that there is a huge community of Mac users that are more than willing to share their knowledge. Sell me on the fact that the "i" before flat out looks cool. Sell me on the fact that you can run Konfabulator (I think I dig this program) on a Mac.

Don't try and sell me on the fact that PC's are, in general, slower than Macs because they're not. Don't try and sell me on the fact that Windows is a crappy OS because it's not. Don't try and convince me that Macs don't crash because they do. Finally, and this one is important, never try and convince me that by virtue of using a Mac, I'll get a "hot" girl because I don't need one.....I already have one.

#58205

Errrr....when I edited my post, I lost my quote boxes. Lil' help?

Never mind, I fixed it.

#58207

:lol:

nice post skinnyboy!

#58214