First Mac Machine

I was hoping some experienced mac users could help point me in the right direction. I am a hopefully soon to be first time mac user. I really like the the mac os and find the illuminated keyboards, solid build quality, great customer service, and various other features very enticing. Now I already own a HP business laptop. You can check my signature for which one, though it really doesn't pertain to my question. Its dual core suffice to say, so I am not interested in getting the new macbook or macbook pro. I already have a great poweruser laptop, and since I don't do any gaming whatsoever, having a x1600 graphic card is pointless.

At any rate, I would most likely be interested in maybe a G4 powerbook. Does that seem like a good fit for my needs? A,so I see there are many different versions of this notebook. The 15inch of 17inch is what I would be most interested in, but what about the processors? I see alot of 1.5GHZ for sale on ebay at a pretty good price, but I am unsure how that stacks up against window machines. Is it like a Pentium M processor? I have also seen where the latest produced g4's have updated screens with better resolution and slightly brighter. Is there a way to tell which ones they are? Are any G4's with a 1.67 processor the newest models?

thanks so much for your help in this matter. I really like some of the features on the mac's however I didn't think the new macbooks where anywhere near worth the price. Thats why I went with my current laptop incase anyone was wondering that. For 1300 it was something I couldn't pass up. Really thanks again for any help. I really like the G4's and hope to find one at a good price. preferrable under a 1000 but I quess it depends on what kind of configurations, some of you mac users recommend. thanks again

 

I have a 17" G4 Powerbook and it is great. It's very light for the size, and the screen is perfect for viewing documents side-by-side or for movies.

Now to answer your questions... A G4 is close but not quite as powerful or energy-efficient as a Pentium M's at the same frequency (GHz). It might be more like an Athlon XP-M.

While it is true you can get G4 Powerbooks at a good price on eBay, I would strongly discourage it. The G4 has already been phased out, and software that runs on the G4, while plentiful now, will stop being updated soon. All new software will be Intel-compatible.

If I were you, I would wait for the Core 2 Duo MacBooks to come out. You can at that point pick up the current Core Duo MacBook Pro for less (it's already $1799 at my institution with free iPod), or buy the new version, which should be future-proof for many many years.

Do be careful on eBay if you buy any newish Apple laptops. There are many clear scams, with ridiculous Buy-It-Now prices or hidden bidder lists. If you bid, they ask you to call them and send money by Western Union, a big no-no. Just bidding on an Apple laptop sometimes will get you fake offers sent via the eBay user contact system. These scams are there for any laptop, but seem especially prevalent for Apple ones.

 

I'm sorry, but what exactly do you need it for? If you could tell us what you'll be using the mac for, we could help you a bit better.

 

thanks for the help so far. In response to your question hollownail, I most plan on doing just general pointing with the machine. Internet browing, basic word processing, and I am very interested in getting an isight camera and using that to video conference as well. I will also do music downloading and cd burning. really just general college student activities outside of gaming which I really don't care for.

I see that the 13.3 inch macbooks go for about 1000. would i be better served getting the least expensive dual core mac then a g4? I don't know if I would like using a 13.3 inch screen though. The 17 on the g4 is appealing plus i hate glossy screens. I am a little worried about the previous posters suggestion that the g4 software may no longer be supported and that I might have trouble running newer mac software. Is that something I should worry about and is it a good reason to stir clear of older powerbooks?

 

Yeah, I would suggest getting the macbook or getting the MBP with the matte screen. Honestly, I've never been a fan of glossy screens, but after seeing a friends glossy screen on a macbook, it's really pleasent. There is reflection, but I don't think it's too bad.
One of my clients has a 17" g4 man... way too big for a notebook. I think it's akward handling any laptop that big, though the screen size may be appealing.
My personal opinion on g4's is that I find them unbearable to use. I have one sitting next to my pc in my office and only use it to check web apps I'm designing on Safari. You could never get me to say one good thing about my experiences using several g4 machines. That all changed when I picked up a friends MBP though

Since you already have a laptop, why not bother getting an imac or a macmini?

 

Thanks for the advice hollownail. I looked into some of the desktop options and while they are nice I don't think I could ever go back to another desktop again. Just a personal preferance I suppose. I have begun to swing my want towards the macbook. It seems to be a pretty solid computer and will allow me to run mac os for sometime to come. I would love owning a macbook pro but not for that price. Hell you can get a much better configured acer 8204 for less then that. I wonder if Mac and Sony's are really worth the price they charged. I know from owning two sz's sony is not worth the money, I wonder if apple with disappoint me just as much.

 

The MacBook Pro is worth what you pay for it.......... the Acer 8204 is a fine machine as well, of course, but I still think the MBP in total is a solid machine for the price. The MBP is a bit lighter, and also thinner overall (the 8204 gets as thick as 1.5 inches), which accounts for some of the differences. When you say a "much better configured Acer 8204" for that price, what did you have in mind? Generally I recall the prices between these two computers not being so far off.

I think you would definitely be better off with the MacBook over a PowerBook G4. The performance will be significantly better, and it is much more "futureproof" than a PowerBook G4, really. Plus, you do have the potential ability to install Windows on it, use Parallels for virtualization, etc. which makes it a fair bit more versatile.

 

I think the MBP is much more worth the cost if it's the same price with the Merom chip. It IS a bit pricey... but oh well. Decent deal with student discount though.
Yeah, I know you have a windows laptop already, but being able to use windows on a MB/MBP may become useful. I mean, you may get addicted to your mac and want to only use that hehe... and on occasion, use it to run some windows programs.

 

You could also get a refurb'd MBP. They can be had for significantly cheaper, and are very reliable. A MacBook is good option as well, or even and iBook G4. I would not invest in a PowerBook however. They will cost more than a MacBook and much more than a iBook. Not worth the investment at this point.

 

Thanks again everyone the Macbook Pro is a very nice machine, but I think the build is quite bad for the price. The acer isn't any stronger really but the it does have features the mac doesn't have and the mac is kept lighter in some regards because of a smaller battery pack. Most laptops that size ship with a nine cell battery which would have a wH of about 80-87. Whereas the apple ships with a 60wh battery. The bigger battery would most defintely bring it up to six pounds just like other 15 inch screens. Checking around the Aluminum build quality is not as good as other magnesium alloy builds. Aluminum is easier to mold, which also means its easier at loosing its shape. Plus for all those who have ever sat on an aluminum bleacher in the summer time you have some kind of idea of just how well it conducts heat.

The screen and the lighted keyboard where really the two main sticking points for me. The macbook pro has a beautiful screen. I checked it out at a local apple store and was just blown away. A matte screen that bright is just amazing (300 nits!) Plus the lighted keyboard is just a really cool feature.

I much prefer the polycarbonate build of the macbook. Its similar to what is used in bulletproof glass . Overall after reading more about the mbp's build quality and other things I think the mb is the much better deal.

Thats again for all the help. If I could find a used well taken care of macbook pro for around a thousand or so I might consider it, but anymore then that, and I don't feel the price to feature ratio is any better then the macbook.

I appreciate the help. I look forward to playing around with the Tiger then Leopard very soon.

 

Just to clarify, the MacBook Pro isn't made out of pure aluminum. It is actually an aluminum alloy that has had additional processing..... from http://images.apple.com/macbookpro/pdf/20060516_15MacBookPro_TO.pdf

If the MBP wasn't actually worth it from a price/feature ratio, you would have an easy time finding a MBP for $1000. However, you won't find this because that just isn't what it's worth, even used. I do understand that the additional features and build quality aren't worth it to you, but they generally are worth it to most people in the market for an MBP, which is why the price, new or used, is what it's at.

Definitely nothing wrong with the MacBook though. I agree, the overall design of them is also very durable. When I owned my iBook, it was actually my favorite laptop of anything Apple had ever made, since it was so durable.

 

Good luck brotzfrog! Glad we could be of help. Be sure to let us know how your experience goes and remember we are here to answer any questions you may have later!

 

Hope your experiences go smoothly.

Cheers

 

You know I thought I was sure, but how great those macbook pro screens are I may have to think about this a little more. If I didn't already have a solid main machine. The MBP would have been a great option if not for the less then stellar battery life and no high capacity battery options. With my extended 8 cell battery and regular 6 cell battery the hp weight exactly as much as the MBP but with eight hours of battery life. Oh what to do. I have the inside track on a macbook for about 800. that may just be to sweet a deal and I probably should pull the tricker on it.

can I ask your personal opinion xbandaidx about your machine. What made you choose the macbook instead of the MBP? What are your thoughts on the machine? How does the glossy screen hold up in well lit environments, especially compared to other glossy screens out there?

thanks so much. I promise this will be the last set of questions I ask

 

I've own a few different notebooks from different manufacturers, and always been an admirer of Apple for quite some time, I was waiting for the perfect combination of hardware that I was looking for and the Macbook hit the nail on the head. Price is the main reason why I choosed it, I'm just a college student and quite frankly I don't really need the luxary extras that MBP offers as well as the size, even know its not that much bigger, size was something I was looking at because there is nothing more annoying to me than a thick notebook thats the size of a college textbook.

The gloss screen is excellent, the anti-reflective coating that Apple has put on their screens is overall much better than the others I have seen, I barely notice it, but you should also understand I use this only at my school and home, at my school they replaced all the flourescent lighting in a different fashion in which the lights had something over them that caused the light to be reflected towards the ceiling and the light would spread out that way, this was done to help the reflective screen issue that students have (shows you how much my school thinks of the education of its students, thus eliminating annoying factors such as that). So my experiences is probably overall much better than most, but from those last few classrooms that had not had the new lighting style done yet, I barely notice it because the screen is so bright it washes out the reflection. One last thing, I dont point my screen at the ceiling like most people do, and sit where my back is against the wall.

MBP had things I didn't really need, guess you can thank finance classes in high school for teaching proper purchasing habits.

Anyways, solid machine thats extremely well built and the MB and MBP gloss are the best I've seen hands down, I think Apple plays a part in it by choosing proper fonts that will only compliment gloss screen by default.

Apple did a wonderful job on their font selection btw, for those who didn't know Apple spent thousands of dollars purchasing rights to use the fonts it has.

So I'll just end with this, Get whatever one you want, you'll understand after owning it for a while why Apple has the following it does, don't think its loyality only, its not its also because Apple show dedication and commitment to their consumers, and that was something I wanted to experience for myself when I got my first apple.

Go to an Apple Store or reseller nearby, thats the only way you'll really see why we all have Apple notebooks here over the PC notebooks.

 

Well I want to extend another thank you to everyone for helping me out. I had initially decided to get the macbook but after going to the apple store I decided I needed the macbook pro. The most important things to me on a laptop are the screen, keyboard, and battery life. The mac excels far above other laptops in the first two categories. Those are the only two pieces of a laptop that you are always going to be using so you better make sure you like them. The third thing the apples does well considering it comes with basically a 6 cell battery. Imagine if this thing came with 9 like alot of other 15 inch notebooks. You would be hitting over 4 hours with some ease. Luckily with the macs ability to go into standby so you can plug in another battery, the battery issue is pretty much solved.

So I went ahead and picked up the macbook (1600), office 2004 for mac, an extra battery, and an extra gig of ram. God I can't wait to say good bye to windows. Really the worst operating system. After tooling around with the mac for nearly an hour, I see no problems in switching, because really I don't think I ever learned windows that well .

I know there are like a hundred reviews on the web dealing with the macbook pro but if no ones mines I hope to add in a small review here of my own. Thanks again to everyone for there help.