I've been looking at the MacBook 2.1GHz new from Apple. A friend who has had quite a lot of experience with Apple computers and laptops mentioned something about the PowerBook (1.something GHz) being better than the MacBook above. Is this correct? I will be using it for internet browsing, word processing, music, videos & movies and a little bit of Photoshop. He said he used one and even though the processor speed is slower on paper- it's overall much better.
In the hopes that this thread is still active, I am posting my situation to prompt further discussion and, hopefully, receive some advice.
I started with my first Pismo (from ebay) after my employer at the time suffered a second virus incident that required a complete reinstall of workstation machines. Even though I was the only mac, I was able to obtain basic access to the network shares I needed, and I was much less vulnerable to the virus outbreaks that kept going through the office.
Fast forward six or seven years, and, thanks in large part to the help from these forums, I have been using macs in my private law practice for much of that time. Last year I obtained an upgraded pismo from daystar because my original was suffering from broken hinges. It took a little while to work out the kinks, but the people at Daystar were very helpful, and I have used the machine as my courtroom computer without worry for several months.
However, I have reached the point where performance, or lack thereof, may be restricting productivity. My office workflow is digital as much as possible, and this means extensive use of large Adobe Acrobat documents. Scrolling down documents that are hundreds and sometimes thousands of pages (and making notations in them) takes time, and the courtroom environment does not often allow for delays. Also, I would like a screen size and resolution that allows for me to view and work with multiple documents while also being able to make notations in a separate program, so a 17 inch monitor is attractive. (I have been exposed to a macbook recently, and the speed increase seems to be very tangible, to say the least.)
The controlling factor is that my office is set up on 10.4.11, and I do not need to go to 10.5 (and upgrade all of the third party apps). Since I intend to run 10.4, at least for the foreseeable future, I need to buy a machine that can run 10.4, and I believe that I have heard that it is a bad idea to install system software on machines that predates the software that shipped with the machine. Therefore, I am buying used, but a used what? Ebay had a 1.33 17 inch that seems to have been introduced around 2003. The asking price is $750. Clearly, an intel macbook could be had for that or not much more. I am tempted to go for the larger screen size, but having an intel chip may determine whether this machine can go to 10.6. (The other machines in the office are 10.5 ready, but are all Power PC based.) A macbook pro would be more expensive yet, and I am not sure that it is needed for pdf and word documents.
Any thoughts? powerbook, macbook or macbook pro? (I don't intend to hijack the thread, but hoped this would restart the conversation. Please let me know if I should post this elsewhere. Thanks!)
Your needs are a bit more specialized than that of the OP. In your situation I would consider one of the earlier MacBook Pros, either 15" or 17". These computers have 2 GB plus processor speeds, and they were released with Tiger, but will run Leopard (and very likely later OS versions yet to come). So you will have the advantage of being on the same OS as the rest of your office, but can upgrade your OS when it seems necessary or desirable. The MBP will give you features the MacBook does not offer, so for an additional outlay, you will have a computer that will serve you well for several years.
Thank you for your help. I will shift my focus to the macbook pros in hopes of obtaining a machine that can be kept "current" for (hopefully) several years to come. It will cost more now, but I will probably have to upgrade for a macbook pro with 10.6 anyway. Since that will be about the time to upgrade the rest of the office machines (or maybe 10.7;) ), upgrading the laptop now will mean one less machine to worry about later, plus I save the funds that would have been spent on a powerbook. Also, some on ebay carry apple care coverage, so that guarantees a useful life for the machine that powerbooks cannot offer at this time.
The MBP does cost more, but you get a better machine. As you noted, in the long run you get a better deal in that the economies over time are on your side. I suggested the ealier MBP if you want to run Tiger, although you will probably want to compare costs with newer machines (that will also give you AppleCare) and see where you find the best deal.
I have purchased powerbooks through ebay before, and earlier today I saw a summer 2007 MBP with applecare for a buy it now price of $1,999. This is one of the last machines that shipped with 10.4, and it would provide AppleCare into 2010. The machine plus AppleCare is about $1,000.00 less than buying a new machine, has approximately 2 years of Apple warranty, and it runs 10.4, so it seems to be the type of deal that I am looking for. I will try and check some auctions that are closing to see if that buy it now price is a reasonable deal.
Sounds like a good deal, if it is all you say, including Apple Care. I suggest that you use the time while you're researching to ask questions of the seller, to be sure that you are getting what is advertised and to establish a basis of understanding (a "meeting of minds" as you would say) with the seller, to protect yourself in case things are not exactly as promised. If the seller is the original owner you are more likely to get useful information, as resellers tend not to know much about the product and view it as a commodity.
