Invest in a PB now, or wait??

[Verto]

Yeah only a moron would buy a high quality, reliable computer over something cheap and unreliable

I'd rather get an IBM or Toshiba than a PowerBook(edit: WRT their current price/specs). With the money I save I could probably afford a Mini.

 

[WRXHokie]

Yeah only a moron would buy a high quality, reliable computer over something cheap and unreliable

Computers are only as reliable as what you do with them. I'm sure i can clutter up a brand new powerbook enough to make it run like crap. But thats not the point.

No one is saying apple makes crap products, but 2G's for a 10 month old computer is absurd. I can get a brand new thinkpad for less than that and its very high quality and not 10 month old technology. And i can probably get OS X on it now.

 

[Mac Me Up]

I bought a powerbook a few weeks back and I'm loving it...sure the hardware is a bit outdated compared to the PC, but the software is second to none, and I've run everything I need to without ever seeing any noticeable delays. The current powerbook is slick!

I'd wait a few days to see if any upgrades emerge, and if not, buy it - one thing is for sure, you won't regret it

 

[AP_piano295]

Underpowered to do what? I run Adobe CS2, Macromedia Studio MX 2004, Painter IX, Sim 2, iStop Motion and hook it up to a 17" external monitor. It has no problems at all running these apps. I mean what more do you want a portable computer to do?

I agree going Intel is a good move for Apple, but I won't be getting the first revision either. I'd much prefer to wait for say Rev C of a Mactel Powerbook, at least then I'll feel comfortable knowing most of the possible bugs would have been ironed out.

I think you should get the current Powerbook and wait out for the Mactel versions to be maximised.

UNDERPOWERED FOR THEIR PRICE WHY DOES EVERYONE USE THIS ARGUMENT. sry for the caps im just getting pissed with everyone saying that because it works well for all current programs it can still be underpowered for what it is. When I buy a machine I want it to run what is in use now and what is in use in a two to three years.

 

[FFTT]

AP,

Fine then.

Go out and spend $2000+ dollars on a Windows based machine, another
thousand or so on professional software applications, a few hundred more on security software and then see where you are when Microsoft releases VISTA.

 

[Verto]

AP,

Fine then.

Go out and spend $2000+ dollars on a Windows based machine, another
thousand or so on professional software applications, a few hundred more on security software and then see where you are when Microsoft releases VISTA.

Buy a PowerBook now and see where you are when Apple releases Leopard; if you are still doing fine and dandy, then Apple has failed to release a proper OS.

I also would argue against your point that with a Windows-based laptop, you have to spend a thousand or so on professional software applications that you don't have to with OS X. Or does OS X come with 1000$ worth of professional software applications that I am not aware of? And you don't need to spend a dime on security software. You can download, for free, any spy/adware/av software you need.

I would much prefer OS X, of course, but I wouldn't be willing to spend 2700$ for a laptop that is really no longer up to professional standards as far as specs go. Nice looking? Yes. Better OS? Yes. But all in all, I'd buy an iBook over a PB any day. Until the PB receive an upgrade of course.

 

[FFTT]

I'm not terribly worried about Leopard's backward compatibility
to my current Tiger capable machine, but Apple might drop OS 9
support by that time.

No one is really disagreeing that Apple needs to update and hopefully
they will in a matter of days.

Would I buy a PowerBook today, knowing that there's an upgrade due next week. Of course not.

I'd buy a reduced price PowerBook next week if the new offerings
are less than spectacular and get a sweet deal on something to hold me over
till the Intel models are proven worthy.

If the new PowerBooks ARE spectacular, then all of us can stop fussin'

 

[iNoob]

I'm a newbie as regards to the mac world, but I've been using computers for more than 20 years now. So, while I may not understand the apple world, I (perhaps with arrogance) think I understand the digital world. Consider this as a disclaimer while flaiming

Answer thread-wise: wait. Now there's no point in buying before tomorrow and the special 12 event. If you didn't need the book today, you almost for sure don't need it till friday

Concerning pb prices: yes, they're overpriced. But, please, listen before sighing. They're not badly priced for their computing experience, as they run the professional software which is on-sale NOW. They sport a magnificent os and a gorgeous personal apps suite, iLife. They're well engineered and good looking, and blah blah blah.

But, they're simply overpriced in a sad capitalistic way. Demand is high, offer is in the hands of a monopoly, Apple Inc. There's no point in seeing the whole problem otherwise. Mac Os X is great. Ok, but Apple sells it for less than 200 bucks, worldwide. iLife sells for less than 100. They do not use a single piece of exotic hardware when it comes to memory, disks, screens, interfaces. We're paying A LOT for what simply boils down to almost 3 year-old design and appleish experience. Not for hardware value. Some will find it acceptable, some won't. While I agree that the whole experience is great, I do not understand sentences like "you pay for what you get", unless you specify that we also buy the guts of Apple monopoly (relative to the mac community).

PLEASE note that I would NOT love to see Mac compatibles. So I am willing to pay. If less people rushed out to buy pb, perhaps they would cost less. Perhaps not, who knows?

BTW, I am waiting for a new pb. I am what magazines call a road warrior. I do not need photoshop or video editing. I need a book with very long battery, which doesn't burn my legs, with very good wifi range, and that doesn't weigh more than 1.5 Kg. Please compare the thinkpad X41 with the pb 12' as long as we count on this requisites. Here, I would pay MUCH MORE than what I'd get for.

But, Apple doesn't sell such a book. So it's just getting a pb as it is for the whole Os X experience, wait for exotic updates in form factor, or buy a X41 and run Linux on it.

But please, do not tell me the price range for the pb 12' is right. It simply is not.

 

[Deepdale]

Go out and spend $2000+ dollars on a Windows based machine, another thousand or so on professional software applications, a few hundred more on security software and then see where you are when Microsoft releases VISTA.

Not a very good location to be ... Crap Creek.

 

[FFTT]

For the moment it seems we're suffering
the effects of Apple update purgatory.

 

[iNoob]

For the moment it seems we're suffering
the effects of Apple update purgatory.

Most true. The question is: should we ?

Every vendor sometimes updates its offerings. Sometimes cuts prices for old hardware. The next obvious question is: what is old hardware ? May we consider the current pb as old ? They're not, as long as they run the current pro software, as long as they outpace ibooks when it comes to raw power. But indeed they are, if we just look at the simple price/hw ratio.

Sure, this ratio is way too simple, cause it doesn't count the "Apple/OS X experience", but as Os X price is so low, and as every intel developer will tell you that it can run on ordinary x86 hardware, I could imagine that Apple margins on the pb keep increasing each month, unless they bought tons of geforce 5200 and mobility 9700 two years ago (which I do not think, as Apple proves when it comes to processors).

The simple point is that Apple has got NO rivals when it comes to hardware capable of running Os X . It's a single company with its own purgatory

 

[AP_piano295]

Most true. The question is: should we ?

Every vendor sometimes updates its offerings. Sometimes cuts prices for old hardware. The next obvious question is: what is old hardware ? May we consider the current pb as old ? They're not, as long as they run the current pro software, as long as they outpace ibooks when it comes to raw power. But indeed they are, if we just look at the simple price/hw ratio.

Sure, this ratio is way too simple, cause it doesn't count the "Apple/OS X experience", but as Os X price is so low, and as every intel developer will tell you that it can run on ordinary x86 hardware, I could imagine that Apple margins on the pb keep increasing each month, unless they bought tons of geforce 5200 and mobility 9700 two years ago (which I do not think, as Apple proves when it comes to processors).

The simple point is that Apple has got NO rivals when it comes to hardware capable of running Os X . It's a single company with its own purgatory

Good point apple has a monopoly on its os x so in a way their products dont follow the same standards as other computers. Still I think that if apple is incabable of releasing a faster product in 250+ days after they make a only moderately significant update before that they either lower their prices or lose my buisness If I were buying a pro laptop now I would not buy a powerbook I think id give linux a try. Luckily I am not buying a new pro laptop and for what they are I dont think that ibooks are to far overpriced. I am loving this thing.

 

[generik]

Yeah only a moron would buy a high quality, reliable computer over something cheap and unreliable

You are mistaken, a high quality, reliable computer can be obtained from this site http://ibm.com.

In corporate circles Apples computers are just mere pieces of toys.. for kids.

Disagree? Let's see YOUR Apple do this http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/thinkpad/community/legends/

 

[djkny]

You are mistaken, a high quality, reliable computer can be obtained from this site http://ibm.com.

In corporate circles Apples computers are just mere pieces of toys.. for kids.

Disagree? Let's see YOUR Apple do this http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/thinkpad/community/legends/

In "corporate circles: = banks, financial institutions, 90 hour week suits. Sure, of course. If you're into being a spreadsheet rat.

But since you're using broad strokes, in "creative circles," PC computers are handy recyclables.

 

[therevolution]

In corporate circles Apples computers are just mere pieces of toys.. for kids.

Wow. Not just toys, but pieces of toys. Take that, Apple.

 

[Deepdale]

In corporate circles Apples computers are just mere pieces of toys.. for kids./QUOTE]

There are toys and then there are toys. What corporate America probably bemoans on a regular basis is that as a result of past marketing decisions, they are now required to deal with a massive installed base of PC's that are in need of far more maintenance than they are worth, plus a constant stream of viruses that cause substantial downtime and loss of productivity. They are required to deal with it. Do they relish their situation? I doubt it.

 

[FFTT]

Most of those IT "professionals" wouldn't have a job if Microsoft Windows
wasn't so bug infested.

In fact, the whole operating system was deliberately written so that
employers and advertisers could keep track of what people were doing on their machines.

Well so can a whole bunch of other people.

All Microsoft has left is Microsoft Office,
but the rest is like an old nasty pair of underwear that Bill Gates simply refuses to throw away.