Contemplating the switch..

I am considering getting a MAC after all my loyal PC years, and I have a few questions.

1. Should I get a 12" PB or 15"? I will mainly use this to surf and play DVD's and some light coding and web design. Possibly photo/video editing and sound production later on as I become more adept with the OSX.

2. If I get the 12", how is the screen when watching DVD's and doing other graphic intense things?

3. Should I get brand new, or refreshed? Have there been any problems with refreshed PB's?

4. As this will be my first MAC, and accounting for the things I said above I would like to do with it, can anyone recommend some good software that I should look into?


These are probably dumb questions, and I am sure that you have heard them all before, but any help would be appreaciated. Thanks.

Oh and if anyone has a 12" or 15" PB they want to sell, I am open to offers.

I would go for the 15" Model Myself.
The 12" is nice and small for Portibility but the screen res is only 1024x768 4:3 layout.
The 15" offers 1280x854 16:10 Layout which will be better for DVD watching. It also has an ATI 9700 which will make Core Image and Core Video and Quartz 2D extreme (When enabled in Tiger) run alot nicer.

If these features are not that important then the 12" is a very nice Machine

I just switched last night... withthe 17" PB.... 15" is awesome... go for that for DVD watching.

Also... by "refreshed" do you mean "refurbrished" ?

Well I did it. I posting this from my new 12" PB. So far I like it, alittle getting use to time will probably make me love it. I do however think that I should have gotten the 15" instead of the 12", the screen on this is a little smaller than I thought it would be. Overall not bad thought. I bought it refreshed from the Apple store for $1499 (no tax in DE). Specs are:

1.5ghz
512mb ram
12" XGA
80gb hdd
SuperDrive
Tiger 10.4
iLife 05


The only complaint that I have so far is that it took me like 15 min to connect this thing to my Wifi network at home. I had to end up changing my security to WPA from WEP cause I could not get the thing to accept my WEP key. Oh well, it works now so I guess I can't complain too much. But I will deffinently be considering trading up to the 15" (since it's refreshed I have 14 days to play with it, and I don't get charged the 10% restocking fee if I trade up, :mac: )

yeah, i would go for the 15inch. i myself have a 15inch and it's perfect.. the portability of it is great - not too small not so big. a 12inch powerbook for photo editing? hmmm.. the 12inch is fine and all it's just i couldn't imagine doing all my graphic art on that tiny machine. but that's just me. hope you make the right choice =)