ibook or imac

I am in the process of switching over and can't make up my mind between the ibook or imac. i have never had a laptop. i don't necessarily need one, portabiltiy could be nice. i have had pc since i started computers, with the exception of high school lab years ago. what are your recommendations?

Thanks,

Ben

if portability isnt an important requirement, get the imac. if it it, get the ibook.
performance wont be a huge difference depending on the models youre looking at, just make sure you hve enough ram.

Nice thing about ibooks is that you can sit outside with them in the summer, take them on holiday or where ever you go, your not tied to one spot. But then the imacs have a cinema display screen which is great for watching DVD's and they are less fragile.
Have a think about what your plans are and weather you will be happy sitting in one place or be wanting to move about with the computer.

imac or ibook

hi

make a list of everything that you do or plan to do
on your computer. make sure everything conceivable
task is in that list e.g. burning dvd's etc etc.

go through the list very carefully scoring points for
each of these tasks which could be done better on
an imac or an ibook. count the pointts see which
computer wins.

alternatively as the previous post implied you cant take
your imac on a hitchiking holiday etc etc.

i have an a G5 and it is light years ahead of any previous computer
i've used for actual enjoyment of use and performance it works
flawlessly.

but i would also like an ibook in the future

after you read this you are probably no further forward in making your decision, pay your money and take your choice

regards

I don't really have a preference either way. the only plus i see to ibook is the capability to get wifi on the go, or not confined to my desk. as for systems i am a student on a budget so it would be entry level on both:
ibook
12.1-inch TFT XGA display
1.2GHz PowerPC G4 512K L2 cache @ 1GHz System bus @ 133MHz
FREE extra 512MB RAM after mail-in rebate
256MB DDR SDRAM before free RAM
30GB Ultra ATA drive
DVD-CDRW Combo Drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 with 32MB
10/100BASE-T Ethernet
1 FireWire 400
2 USB 480Mbps 2.0 ports
AirPort Extreme built-in
VGA and S-video out
Mac OS X v10.3.3

imac
17-inch widescreen LCD
1.6GHz PowerPC G5 512K L2 cache
533MHz frontside bus
256MB DDR400 SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 64MB DDR video memory
80GB Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load Combo Drive
Standard (wired) Keyboard and Mouse

that is what i am looking at...

Ben

what are you going to be doing.. im sort of having the same dilema..

if you want to do a lot of graphic work etc.. consider a powerbook.. but if u just want something to do basic tasks, and the portability , go ibook..
if you need something more powerful .. go imac .


see.. for me i cant tell if
a powerbook w/ 1.67ghz with 1gb ram and 128bit vram.. is close to the same performence as a imac with 1.8ghz g5 with 1gb ram and 64mb vram.

Yeah if portability isn't really an issue than the iMac is defintely the way to go, you're getting a much better package for the money. If you don't do too much graphic work, you could save $300 get an iBook and get MS Office with that extra cash.

You pay a premium for portability. When you compare the models think of portability as an option just like the choice of a combo or superdrive. If you can't justify the cost of the option don't get it.