Our Mac consultant is brilliant. Yesterday I told him I finally got the faculty to approve getting me a new Mac. “So what kind do you want?” he asked. “I was thinking a 12 inch powerbook with a nice external screen and wireless and extra RAM and a bigger harddrive”, I said, hopefully. Diego smiled, quietly, and today sent me an email suggesting that this might be what I was looking for. I’ll take the room as well!
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Rorschach
Ummm, actually I’d recommend one of the 15″ PowerBooks if you’re going to be using an external monitor; especially if it’s a LCD monitor. The 12″ PowerBooks only have the VGA output connector. The 15″ (and 17″) have the DVI connector which would is much preferable when using a LCD screen.
And it comes with a DVI to VGA connector, just in case you don’t get one of those super-spiffy digital LCD screens.
vika
When I was buying my PowerBook a few months ago, our computer store Mac guy (who was brilliant, and helpful too) alerted me to this: the 12- and 17-inch PowerBook hardware had been redesigned, while the 15-inch was still in process. Unfortunately, I forget what the specifics of the redesign were, but I got the 12-inch and remain very happy.
The monitor is snazzy! What is it? I’m thinking of getting an external one as well. Easy-on-the-eyes monitor. It’s definitely time to take better care of my eyes.
Have a fabulous time in France.
Jill
Only VGA output? Goodness, I hadn’t even thought about that! Unfortunately the photo is utopic, and I’m only likely to get an old VGA monitor, so perhaps the 12 inch will be OK anyway… I *love* the idea of my computer being that small! My current machine, a three and a half year old G3 “Bronze” powerbook, is huge, heavy and so overripe for replacement…
fivecats
Go for the TiBook, not just an iBook. If money isn’t an issue (we can always hope) the wider screen is always nice. Also ask for:
* an external 40 (or 80) GIG Firelight firewire drive. You don’t want the TiBook’s HD to be the only place your important data resides. If the HD dies, you’ll be able to recover it from the external drive easily (provided you’re regularly backing up your HD. You *are* backing up your HD regularly, aren’t you?). This drive is small, about the size of a PDA, and easily transportable. And fast.
* Make sure the TiBook comes with a superdrive. CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW. Again, you want to be able to archive your data off of the HD. CDs are cheap, portable and making duplicates is easy.
* Load the TiBook up with memory. Ask what the upper limits of the RAM is for the system and then go for it. OS X likes RAM. The more the better.
* OS X; if you aren’t using OS X, now would be a great time to switch. It’s a different OS altogether (or, as a colleague put it “This is not your father’s Macintosh.”) but once you get used to it you’ll love it. As soon as you realize you haven’t had a system crash in days…weeks… you’ll know it’s a great OS.
Rorschach
Another option is to wait for MacWorld Expo. They usuallly announce speed-bumps and new things there. Of course since they just announced a bunch of new stuff at WWDC they might not be doing anything big this year.
Since it’s July 14-18, can you wait that long?
I own a 15″ PowerBook and couldn’t be happier with it. The 12″ would be more convenient to carry around though.
jon
I have an iMac 17″ which is fabulous! But I also have the new Powerbook 12″ which is just fine for working on the move and in the classroom. It’s breathtaking and the keyboard is excellent.
I know some people complain about the heat from the 12″ but I don’t think it’s an issue.
If you don’t need portability, the iMac is better.
Lisa
Well, like you, I have the Bronze Keyboard Powerbook and am eyeing an upgrade….
I want the ibook in the pic, and the monitor, and the room, and the nifty Aeron chair. Woohoo, baby!
Hit Those Keys has to grow a bit more before I can afford any of it, tho’.
France sounds divine. Connecticut just went from wet and horrible to hot and horrible.