Hello All... I'm a newbie to this list, but have been a Mac User since way back :) Your list was recommended
I currently do print and web design work ... Photoshop, Quark, Dreamweaver, Flash, Indesign, Illustrator, Acrobat, etc. I do mostly web design right now, and am moving also into the high-res, large-scale print development (booth displays, etc), so my Mac is definitely not a recreational machine :)
Sometimes my work is processor intensive (running PS/AI with extremely large print pieces), sometimes it's not :) All depends on what I'm working on ... I'm also interested in getting into some amature video editing (mostly home digital movies - slapping some videos together with some titles, etc, nothing too big).
If you are already using PS, Qu, DW, FL, InD, AI, etc., and you plan to get into amateur video, I'm guessing that it won't be long before you are doing more than amateur video. I would recommend, based on the book _Final Cut Express 2_ by Tom Wolsky, that you also purchase an additional external hard drive in addition to whatever computer you purchase.
I have a philosophy about upgrading computers, but it really depends on if you have the money to do this: buy the biggest, best, and fastest of the current technology. Next year's best software might be maxing out this year's middle-category hardware. Plan to get any needed peripherals, bells, and whistles while everything is compatible. Technology seems to advance exponentially, so in buying hardware look ahead to the needs of the software you'll be buying. Max out the RAM, so that it won't be a factor later on, especially if you're going to do video. I saved $400 by getting my 2 GB of RAM from newegg or something like that, as recommended by Laurent.
In 1993, we bought a Centris 610, and we s-l-o-w-l-y added this and that. We just couldn't afford to do it any other way. There was always something that wasn't quite maximized for something else. By the time I got the music software I wanted, for example, my computer was not as powerful as the software could handle. That was my main computer until 2001.
If you enjoy getting under the hood and tweaking, then get a big dog tower. If you think you will enjoy being able to grab 'n' go with your computer, get a PowerBook. If you're getting advice from a salesman, make sure he has a Mac. Supposedly, they are all "trained" and "know what they are talking about", but only those who HAVE a Mac of their own really know what they are talking about. (Our CompUSA has only one employee that has Macs.) Also, their current inventory will strongly dictate which computer they think you "need".
If you told us that you were going to build your life around iLife, then maybe a middle-range model would work, but you are already using the power apps, and with your growing interest in video, you'll probably be editing in Final Cut Pro before you know it.
I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my 17" PowerBook. At first I felt a little embarrassed pulling it out all the time to take notes at meetings, at ball games to update the games scores on the website, at gatherings where I knew I'd be taking a lot of photos, etc. But the versatility soon overtook my fear of appearing ostentatious. My PowerBook's screen is much bigger than most t.v. screens built into cars nowadays, and the cassette adaptor sends the sound through the speakers, so it's the best for watching movies on long road trips. I can close my PowerBook, head to a meeting, arrive and open it, and it's already on with (still) nearly a full battery. And there I can refer to emails received, photos taken, songs that would be appropriate for this and that, here's so-and-so's phone number, "sure I can burn that song/those photos/the footage of the ballgame for you if you have a disk handy" and it goes on and on. When I get home, I don't have to transfer anything to my computer, because it's already there! My to-do list is ready to go! The more versatile it becomes, the lighter it becomes! I know that this might horrify some folks, but I usually don't even put it in a computer briefcase if I'm taking it somewhere locally. It fits very well under the middle seat of my vehicle, in case I need to leave it in there. I never put it on top of anything, in case I have to hit the brakes. However, when everything is stored, it ALL has a place in my computer briefcase.
One other thing I've done is buy an extra power cable. One stays plugged in at my desk and one stays plugged in at my nightstand. I also got a LaCie FireWire 800 external HD, since I couldn't back up the PowerBook to the iMac (HD is smaller) or the iMac to the PowerBook (I don't want Classic on the PB). (I still have these silly ideas of one day dusting off the Centris and backing up all of the floppies, but if I do, I'll need to resubscribe to the Quadlist...) I got the FireWire 800 because that Final Cut book recommended to get the fastest external HD that your computer can support. I bought the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but as of yet do not use them much, since I'm usually not at my desk.
It sounds possibly like you are self-employed, so possibly your computer purchase could be a business expense, and that would also be a determining factor in which computer you can afford in the long run.
Sorry I've been so long-winded here, but I've thoroughly enjoyed my PowerBook. You'd think I had just "switched" or something. Classic and Panther are on my iMac, but Classic's not even on my PowerBook. I bought my PowerBook last summer, finally got used to the keyboard and trackpad, and never looked back.
Claire
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