help! need advice on a used/new macbook

[chicagomac1008]

i'm a longtime Mac user who has never had the need for a laptop until now. (my primary machine is a G5.) for my work, i'll soon be traveling to some rough places (doing work with landmine recovery) and i'll need a laptop for word processing to write reports. i don't want to spend the $$$ on a new Macbook -- i'm working under the assumption that the computer could be manhandled, covered in dust and grime, or dropped in a swampy river. i'll be using it primarily for Word, iTunes, iPhoto, and wifi. (no Photoshop or InDesign or other memory hogs, and i don't need a DVD player). i've come up with some options:

1. get an older generation, refurbished ibook (can anyone suggest reputable dealers and the going rates?)
2. i know this is sacreligious -- get a cheap (not exactly throwaway, but not high-end, either) PC

are there any other options? if i go with a PC, i'm not thrilled with platform switching, but since i'll only be transferring Word files, it shouldn't be a problem.

also, are there compatibility issues with syncing my ipod to both my G5 AND iTunes on a PC?

thanks.

 

[smokeyrabbit]

i'm a longtime Mac user who has never had the need for a laptop until now. (my primary machine is a G5.) for my work, i'll soon be traveling to some rough places (doing work with landmine recovery) and i'll need a laptop for word processing to write reports. i don't want to spend the $$$ on a new Macbook -- i'm working under the assumption that the computer could be manhandled, covered in dust and grime, or dropped in a swampy river. i'll be using it primarily for Word, iTunes, iPhoto, and wifi. (no Photoshop or InDesign or other memory hogs, and i don't need a DVD player). i've come up with some options:

1. get an older generation, refurbished ibook (can anyone suggest reputable dealers and the going rates?)
2. i know this is sacreligious -- get a cheap (not exactly throwaway, but not high-end, either) PC

are there any other options? if i go with a PC, i'm not thrilled with platform switching, but since i'll only be transferring Word files, it shouldn't be a problem.

also, are there compatibility issues with syncing my ipod to both my G5 AND iTunes on a PC?

thanks.

Who's paying for this, you or your employer?

Backup frequently enough and you can drop it in the river all the time. As long as your attitutde is right...

I have had an iBpook G4 1.0 GHz and a MacBook 2.0 and let me tell you life is good with the MacBook but it was defintely slow with the iBook. So If you get frustrated waiting with old tech, then get the MacBook.

 

[Shaduu]

For what you want, a 1.33GHz iBook will do the job grandly. Maybe upgrade the harddrive to something a bit more capacious and you'll be set.

 

[Luigi239]

Well, most laptops cant handle being thrown into a swamp.
For your needs, I would probably recomend a Panasonic Toughbook PC. Although it's a PC, it would perfectly fit your needs. And as long as your iPod is formated for Windows (thats the default I believe), you can sync between the both, as long is it isn't on autosync.

Good luck!

EDIT: Only problem is toughbooks arn't cheap...

 

[emac82]

Well, most laptops cant handle being thrown into a swamp.
For your needs, I would probably recomend a Panasonic Toughbook PC. Although it's a PC, it would perfectly fit your needs. And as long as your iPod is formated for Windows (thats the default I believe), you can sync between the both, as long is it isn't on autosync.

Good luck!

EDIT: Only problem is toughbooks arn't cheap...

I recommend the ToughBook as well. You said you want something that was going to be able to handle dust and less than clean-friendly environments, and not too many laptops are that durable.

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Ditto. If you need something that can withstand abuse, get the Toughbook. If it will take some abuse and you don't want to spend a lot, then get a used ibook.