PB Denting? (and some other questions)

[tealcadillac]

Do the Powerbooks dent easily? And do scratches appear more visibly than on iBooks?

I'm debating whether to get a 12" Powerbook or an 12" iBook My main uses: typing up papers on Word / using other Office applications, watching DVDs, going online, chatting online. No gaming.

Some more questions:
- Do the Powerbooks get a lot hotter than the iBooks?
- Does the iBook have a better battery life and better wifi reception?
- Is the PB worth the huge price difference?
- What do you think about the 12" PB refurbs from apple.com?

Thanks in advance for all your help

 

[California]

Price point would be my main concern. I've had three or four 12" ibooks and am on a PB12" now.

they are six of one, half dozen of the other on features and speed, when stuffed with Max ram.

The PB does get hotter.

 

[calebjohnston]

that's not to say the iBook doesn't get hot. My left hand gets really hot when using my iBook sometimes, especiall when music is playing. It just pours out heat.

BTW, get the ibook. a powerbook would be overkill for your needs big time. save the money, or use it to get some ram or something.

 

[tealcadillac]

that's not to say the iBook doesn't get hot. My left hand gets really hot when using my iBook sometimes, especiall when music is playing. It just pours out heat.

BTW, get the ibook. a powerbook would be overkill for your needs big time. save the money, or use it to get some ram or something.

Yeah, I was thinking that the PB would be too much.. but it does look a lot prettier And sleeker.

 

[itsbetteronamac]

Powerbooks dent more easily than ibooks, because plastic dosn't really dent; It impacts. Now, I had a really large dent in my powerbook once, I don't know how, but it looked like someone took a hammer to one of the corners. Other than that though, I have no dents. Rule:if you don't drop your PB, and don't drop things on your PB; you will most likely remain dent free. And I would say scratches do appear more visable on powerbooks, but then again they don't get scratched as much. It is much easier to scratch plastic than metal. But I would almost garuntee that the bottom of you PB will get scratched.

1)Yes they do get hotter than ibooks. Metal conducts better than plastic, and they are running faster. But, it temperature really matter? PB's don't get hot enough that you can't put them on your lap. And I actually like the warming affect, no need for a sweater.

2)iBooks tend to have better battery life, but then again that's all in how you use it. And they do tend to have better wifi reception. The MBP's are supposed to have good reception though. I personally have never noticed too drastic of a decrease in reception.

3)I don't like iBooks personally so I would say yes the money is deffinatly worth it. But, then again I know some people who love their ibooks. Also, a super drive can make the difference. Also, I like the keyboard more. The powerbook seem a lot thinner, don't know if they actually are.

4)Refubs are fine. Just know they can come with minor cosmetic flaws. Nothing major though.

In the end I would wait a while for intel ibooks to come out. They will most likely come out before 12in MBPs. Plus I think the 13.3" is the perfect size. And I bet they will look pretty nice too.

 

[Laser47]

Some more questions:
- Do the Powerbooks get a lot hotter than the iBooks?
- Does the iBook have a better battery life and better wifi reception?
- Is the PB worth the huge price difference?
- What do you think about the 12" PB refurbs from apple.com?

1. I would say that they both get equally hot, its the fact of where the heat goes. On the powerbook the heat from the processor is directly transferred to the bottom of the case and a heatsink. The ibooks processor is cooled exclusively by its heatsink. The bottom of my ibook certainly does get hot, but not enough to burn you or cause a lot of discomfort like the powerbooks.

2. I dont know about the 12"s battery life but both ibooks have the best wireless reception of apples current portable line due to the fact that the aluminum of the MBP and the PB block most of the wifi reception.

3. Personally I dont think so. Youre paying a lot for 170 mhz. And also the ibook has a better GPU compared to the 12" ibook, although the ibook only has 32mb of ram compared to the PB's 64. Another plus for the ibook is that it can take up to 1.5gb of ram while the 12" PB only can take 1.25. This is due to the fact that the Powerbook 12" ship with 256 Built in RAM and another 256 stick in their expansion RAM slot. The ibooks have 512 build in and you can put up to 1gb in the expansion ram slot.
The only thing that makes the PB really stand out from the ibook is its case design, which is really nice.

4.They are alright. When I was getting ready to switch the first thing I looked at were the Refurb 1.33 Ghz 12" Powerbooks, they looked really nice but I decided to get the 14" ibook instead.

Personally I would wait for the intel ibooks. Im, sure they will be worth the wait

 

[California]

1. I would say that they both get equally hot, its the fact of where the heat goes. On the powerbook the heat from the processor is directly transferred to the bottom of the case and a heatsink. The ibooks processor is cooled exclusively by its heatsink. The bottom of my ibook certainly does get hot, but not enough to burn you or cause a lot of discomfort like the powerbooks.

2. I dont know about the 12"s battery life but both ibooks have the best wireless reception of apples current portable line due to the fact that the aluminum of the MBP and the PB block most of the wifi reception.

3. Personally I dont think so. Youre paying a lot for 170 mhz. And also the ibook has a better GPU compared to the 12" ibook, although the ibook only has 32mb of ram compared to the PB's 64. Another plus for the ibook is that it can take up to 1.5gb of ram while the 12" PB only can take 1.25. This is due to the fact that the Powerbook 12" ship with 256 Built in RAM and another 256 stick in their expansion RAM slot. The ibooks have 512 build in and you can put up to 1gb in the expansion ram slot.
The only thing that makes the PB really stand out from the ibook is its case design, which is really nice.

4.They are alright. When I was getting ready to switch the first thing I looked at were the Refurb 1.33 Ghz 12" Powerbooks, they looked really nice but I decided to get the 14" ibook instead.

Personally I would wait for the intel ibooks. Im, sure they will be worth the wait

A little confused about what you wrote but I think I agree. I like the 14" iBook and it DOES run faster than this 12" pb. However, I got a better deal on this pb, believe it or not, new. That was the deciding factor for me.

If I had to pick ONE computer it would be the 14" ibook because the bigger screen in a portable is nice and it is a fast machine with maxed ram.

 

[Play Ultimate]

two iBooks and waiting....

We have two iBooks (900 MHz G3, 1GHz G4) that are both 12 inch. Love the portability and durability. I travelled alot last year taking 5-6 flights a week. Lots of opening and displaying the computer through airport security. Held up really well. Not too many noticeable scratches just normal wear and tear.

I decided to go with the iBook because the specs seemed to close to warrant the premium. The main things I can see that marks a major difference between the two are:
1) External monitor spanning (don't have another monitor..thus don't need)
2) Nicer keyboard
3) DVD burner (In hindsight, this would have been nice if only for backup purposes)

Hope that helps.

 

[powerbook911]

I had a G4 iBook, and then got my 12-inch Powerbook G4.

I like my Powerbook G4. It just feels better, has some features I use, etc.

The Powerbook also scratches a lot LESS. Some might get dents, but I'm careful with mine. However, with the iBook, it didn't matter how careful I was, it still had some tiny tiny scratches on the bottom. My Powerbook does not have any scratches (knock on wood).

My 12-inch Powerbook is the favorite of any computer I have owned.