17" PB vs new MBP

[vipergts66]

i have an opportunity to purchase either a MBP 15" 1.83 Core Duo or a PB 17" 1.67 G4 for the same price (the 17" is refurbished through the apple website). i've been reading on the forum a lot and am still unable to make a decision. i know the MBP has the new revolutionary chip, but as of now that there isn't as much software support. i'm about to study abroad so the intel compatability issue is important as i will not have ready access to updated binary programs. also i'm skeptical about the issues on heat and the airport dropping internet connections. what i like about the 17" is the brilliant screen and also the fact that the superdrive is faster and that the battery will most likely run longer. what i'm concerned about is the physical size of the laptop when carrying it around etc. a little about me is i'm going to be a medical student abroad. i will primarily use the laptop for email/internet as well as MS Office and itunes, quicktime/media player extensively and occasional use of photoshop and other types of media programs. i will carry the laptop to and from class occasionally maybe 2-3X a week and really the weight difference is not an issue for me, but perhaps lugging around such a large laptop (the 17") may affect me later on. i'm really into multimedia things like movies etc so the 17" screen would be nice. please give me any input or advice or personal experiences.

 

[Aptmunich]

i'm going to be a medical student abroad.

I'd consider the fact that you might be required or find the need to run windows-based apps as part of your studies. (My gf is a med student and there are a large number of useful interactive study apps out there that are windows only)

a)Anything windows based will run a lot better on the core duo than the G4.
b)It's a more powerful machine and battery life should be similar on both.
c) the size is more portable for lugging around, as you already mentioned.
d)The MBP is more "future-proof", will probably last you longer and will likely have a much better resale value should you decide to sell it further down the road.


Personally, I've played with both machines at our shop and IMO it's no contest. The 17" is a beauty, but the MBP cleans up performance wise.

Lack of optimized software is a non-issue really: even emulated apps run about as fast as on the G4 (no noticeable difference in MS office for example) and nearly everything will be universal by the summer. (except adobe stuff - and since you're not a heavy PS user it should be alright for casual work).

 

[zap2]

MBP, get it..love it....never regret it...

 

[D3v1L80Y]

a)Anything windows based will run a lot better on the core duo than the G4.

....and even better on a Windows system. :black:

If you really have the need to run that many Windows only programs, then a Mac is NOT your best choice in my opinion.
Just go with what makes the most sense.