A Mac for home, what to get?

I do not know where to post this thread, so I post it twice, in the iMac and the PB sections.

I still am balanced between models.

I am a graphic designer and always worked with PowerPCs and Windows, right now I work on a dual 2.5 G5 (and a fast PC) and loving it.

Now I want something that's relatively compact, I do not care for mobility but I love the new Powerbook 1.67, but how would a iMac G4/1.25/1Gb perform compared to it?

I LOVE the looks of the iMac G4 but I am afraid it could be a little slow to open my files from work, mostly illustrator and photoshop CS files, nothing big (like lettersize multilayer CMYK files in 3 or 600 DPI, sometimes tabloid), I also use Quark and indesign, but I am not too worried about the system ressources required by those two.
I know my 2.8 Pentium 4/1Gb Windows laptop drags its feets a little opening such files.

Where would a PB G4 1.5/1Gb or 1,67/1Gb be compared to an iMac G4/1.25/1Gb?

Now there goes the iMac G5, I'd get it with the 20" screen and 1Gb of RAM, does it blast away any G4 based platform?
Would it equal or dominate the dual 1.25 G4 I had at work before the G5?

I know it's a lot of questions, sorry for that but if I dealt with quite many powerPCs, I have little to no experience with Apple's compact models...

One more question, the new 1.67 PBs have a the "two fingers scroll", does it exist on the 1.5 versions?
If not is there a software/driver that can take care of it?

Because I have a compulsive need to scroll, my PowerPC has an aftermarket wheel mouse and I couldn't live with a touchpad that doesn't scroll...

Also do the iMac G4 and G5 have an S Video out?

Thanks.
11

I'm an Apple n00b (haven't gotten my PowerBook yet), but I know that all the PBs that were just released have the 2-finger scroll. The older ones can do similar things with a downloadable program.

With that said, I agree with you, I think the iMac G4 is one of the most beautiful PCs ever designed, if not the most.

"Where would a PB G4 1.5/1Gb or 1,67/1Gb be compared to an iMac G4/1.25/1Gb?"
-- Not that much different; but if you really don't care about mobility go for the iMac, and you might as well pay the extra for the G5 iMac, it's a gorgeous computer and it will haul for what you're doing.

For what you're doing I say go w/ the G5 iMac. Do you have an apple store near you? Load some of yoru files on a blank dvd or jump drive or something and bring it to the store and try out the different computers. Then you can see for yourself.

John

The G5 will blast away the G4, also the G4 is getting out of date now so in a year or so it will be the imac g3 of today.

I'd go for that lovely G5 20" if I were you.

I love the PB 17 with its backlit keyboard (on which model did the backlit came out BTW?) but I am very concerned about the G4 being a little shorthanded for my graphics, especially if a PB G5 comes out in June like my Apple salesman told me.
11

You already have a thread on this same exact topic here:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14135

Please don't crosspost.