Is 12" screen enough for long time usage (coding)?

Hello ibook owners,

Im considering of buying a 12" ibook. As I'll be choosing a software engineering stream for my computer applications degree next year, I'll be using the laptop for lots of coding (say few hours a day, ontop of usually university stuff), and will the 12" screen be enough? (I'm aware of a similar thread here, and not so long ago).

Hopefuly this will help me to decide whether to get my first mac (I have be using *nix for 2 years (first linux, then *bsd), so i dont think the swich over will be dificult), I also been considering a dell latitude d600 from a dell outlet store, which has a sxga screen, twice as much ram and hdd space, as a standart 12" ibook, and nearly for the same price. So I'm in a dilemma which one to choose, I don't really need the laptop right now, but I'll need one in around 3 months time. And, I'll need the laptop to last for 3 or so years, so what do you guys say? Will the 12" screen be enough for coding?

Well, you could always connect your monitor to an external screen. I may get a KVM switch to connect it to my 17" CRT later on.

Try one in a store if you can, but... it's the same screen as the Powerbook, right? Clarity is the main thing, and it's the clearest, crispest screen I've ever seen whatever the size.

12 inch should be fine. i initially thought it was too small but keep in mind that at a store you will be viewing it from a farther distance than how you would actually use it. i have used a 14 inch screen which just displays larger text and icons. plus you have to keep it farther away from your face. the 12 inch ibook has an excellent screen. initially before i bought it i thought the screen honestly wasn't that good but it is really sharp. i think os x also plays a role in how clear the images and text look. man i was looking at the graphics on a dell laptop, mac looks better. get the ibook. no regrets.

btw, i take back my previous comment on how slow the g4 is compared to a pentium. i had the energy setting on instead of highest performance. i can feel the difference in speed now. i can honestly say processor performance is on par with the pentium counterparts in terms of the light use i use it for. it initially seemed sluggish, especially on the internet. then i started using FIREFOX, way faster than SAFARI and now i don't miss my pc at all.

12' is a bit to small for me. Then again, the 14' doesn't have an increase in resolution. However the PB does! I could never work in Dreamweaver or Photoshop on my 12' ibook, it drives me crazy it is so small.

since its for school id check to make sure that you can get all the programs for it that you would need and what not

i know that for a bunch of classes i need to go to the computer labs and use the pc;s there because they dont seem to make minitab or any other business programs for macs that my school uses
-chris

coach_z said:

since its for school id check to make sure that you can get all the programs for it that you would need and what not
-chris

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I don't think that I need any special software (this year we're doing java (javac and vim should do just fine, otherwise netbeans or eclipse), and assembly (using masm, but when I'll need to use it, i can use the the lab machines, and I can just use nasm or asm.)

I'm sure I'll need to use the lab machines sometimes (like doing some database stuff, etc), but I can cope with this for short period of time.