Thanks for all the advice. What I think I'll probably do is get a 700 MHz 12.1" iBook now. The smaller size, lighter weight, and extra durability will be a plus for carrying around at school. I'll buy an extra 512 MB of RAM (~$150 according to RAMSeeker) and spend part of the extra money I saved on a big 19" external CRT which is probably more vital to my quality of life than the extra speed. It should all come in at around $2000 or just slightly over, and I think (especially with that amount of RAM) it should be enough to run OS X adequately for my applications.
Then if I'm unhappy with the performance in 2 years, I'll still have some in reserve for the cheapest tower and won't have to buy a monitor... Anyway, I know 10.2 is coming out Aug 24th or something...would it also be included on new machines by that date? I don't want to buy a new computer then have to spend $129 less than a month later to get it current. Also, anyone know if I can get the education discount at an Apple retail store? I'd like to buy it in NH and avoid sales tax and shipping costs :-) -----Original Message----- From: Miller, Kimberly [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, July 22, 2002 8:34 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: iBook vs. PowerBook I'm starting medical school in the fall, and looking to get a laptop to replace my iMac DV (400 MHz, 128 MB RAM, OS 9.2) that I bought in January of 2000. For what I currently do with the computer (usual email, web browsing, word processing, and digital photo editing), the iMac is actually almost sufficient except for it's small amount of RAM. The photo editing is a bit slow, but I'm not working with huge files so it's usable. So that makes me lean towards the iBook. BUT. I'm slightly concerned about investing in a computer for the next 3-4 years that is already the only computer in Apple's line to still use the G3 processor. To be short, what it sort of comes down to is that the Powerbook costs 33% more than an iBook. Will it be usable an extra year for a medium user like myself? Of course I would appreciate the better screen and faster performance, but not sure I can justify the extra money if it's not likely to outlast the iBook in terms of becoming obsolete. Prices and specifications: iBook: $1932 700 MHz G3 640 MB RAM 20 GB HD 512 K L2 cache 100 MHz system bus combo drive AirPort card ATI Mobility RADEON 16 MB 12.1" screen 1024X768 PowerBook: $2585 667 MHz G4 512 MB RAM 30 GB HD 1 MB L3 cache 133 MHz system bus combo drive AirPort card PC card slot ATI Mobility RADEON 7500 32 MB 15.2" screen 1280X854 -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
