Views on the PowerBook
10/12/03 17:40 Filed in: Apple
I initially
purchased an iBook G3 500MHz in 2001 with dual USB
ports. At that time there was only the 12" model, I
loved its size, the clear screen and the long battery
life. Well I soon started tasking the G3 500
processor, as I installed software like Office v.X
and OmniGraffle Pro. However, with some extra
purchases such as RAM - it was fine.
When the opportunity to buy a used PowerBook 12" with a G4 processor, well the iBook was living its last. I did well to sell the iBook and put some extra money to get the PB. It would be interesting to compare the two machines.
The PB is slightly smaller, feels a little lighter and is a delight to see. I was keen on the white pure nature of the iBook. It feels more robust compared to the aluminium case of the PB. However, the keyboard is a better quality unit on the PB, though with both machines I plug in an external keyboard and mouse. The faster processor is of course, very noticeable with the extra processing loads. The big gain comes at a big loss - battery power. The iBook went on and on with the life well over 3 hours. The PB rarely gets a little over 2 hours.
The other main thing that I love about the PB over the iBook is the graphics subsystem. I can drive an external monitor at much higher resolutions and work with the lid down. The iBook merely mirrors the internal screen and so is always 1014 by 768. The PB was the first generation 12" G4 and was recently updated with USB 2 and DVI output. This would have been nice but I am not missing them yet.
The iMic I bought for the iBook in order to output and input audio with my HiFi system is still in use, though I don't need it with the PB as it has audio output and input built in. But it is easier to leave the iMic in the powered USB hub with the other items - a Compact Flash Reader, Handspring cradle, and the EyeTV.
I made sure that the PB was fully populated with RAM as was the iBook at 640MB, the wireless network card is also present as it was in the iBook. The PB has Airport Extreme (802.11g) rather than Airport (802.11b). And both machines have a combo drive. It is noticeable the extra speed of the burner in the PB - clearly a couple of years have speeded up the combo drives.
When the opportunity to buy a used PowerBook 12" with a G4 processor, well the iBook was living its last. I did well to sell the iBook and put some extra money to get the PB. It would be interesting to compare the two machines.
The PB is slightly smaller, feels a little lighter and is a delight to see. I was keen on the white pure nature of the iBook. It feels more robust compared to the aluminium case of the PB. However, the keyboard is a better quality unit on the PB, though with both machines I plug in an external keyboard and mouse. The faster processor is of course, very noticeable with the extra processing loads. The big gain comes at a big loss - battery power. The iBook went on and on with the life well over 3 hours. The PB rarely gets a little over 2 hours.
The other main thing that I love about the PB over the iBook is the graphics subsystem. I can drive an external monitor at much higher resolutions and work with the lid down. The iBook merely mirrors the internal screen and so is always 1014 by 768. The PB was the first generation 12" G4 and was recently updated with USB 2 and DVI output. This would have been nice but I am not missing them yet.
The iMic I bought for the iBook in order to output and input audio with my HiFi system is still in use, though I don't need it with the PB as it has audio output and input built in. But it is easier to leave the iMic in the powered USB hub with the other items - a Compact Flash Reader, Handspring cradle, and the EyeTV.
I made sure that the PB was fully populated with RAM as was the iBook at 640MB, the wireless network card is also present as it was in the iBook. The PB has Airport Extreme (802.11g) rather than Airport (802.11b). And both machines have a combo drive. It is noticeable the extra speed of the burner in the PB - clearly a couple of years have speeded up the combo drives.
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