i just bought a 17'' powerbook!!!

Hello everyone!! I finally bought my first mac (from fleabay )
Based on the spec,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=200124073292&rd=1&rd=1

can someone tell me if there's anything that I should get? like more memory? Is 1Gb enough? I don't play games but I use it for multimedia purpose I was planning on dual booting windows vista.

Also, since I didn't do a lot of research before I bit on it, so I don't know if i paid a fair price for it.

Quashu said:

Hello everyone!! I finally bought my first mac (from fleabay )
Based on the spec,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=200124073292&rd=1&rd=1

can someone tell me if there's anything that I should get? like more memory? Is 1Gb enough? I don't play games but I use it for multimedia purpose I was planning on dual booting windows vista.

Also, since I didn't do a lot of research before I bit on it, so I don't know if i paid a fair price for it.

Click to expand...

I'm sorry, but I really don't think you got a very good deal on that. 850 dollars for a used PowerBook G4? Sheesh! With that you could have gotten a high end windows laptop. Maybe you should've looked at some more options. a PowerBook G4 at the most should sell for 300-400 dollars.

Title27GT said:

I'm sorry, but I really don't think you got a very good deal on that. 850 dollars for a used PowerBook G4? Sheesh! With that you could have gotten a high end windows laptop. Maybe you should've looked at some more options. a PowerBook G4 at the most should sell for 300-400 dollars.

Click to expand...

I dissagree.. I think its a good deal.. you can never go wrong with more memory.

3-400? That's not nearly enough. Maybe for a powerbook 12 inch base model with a huge dent in it!

iRye said:

3-400? That's not nearly enough. Maybe for a powerbook 12 inch base model with a huge dent in it!

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It still uses a PowerPC processor!
You could've gotten a Mac mini!

Quashu said:

Hello everyone!! I finally bought my first mac (from fleabay )
Based on the spec,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=200124073292&rd=1&rd=1

can someone tell me if there's anything that I should get? like more memory? Is 1Gb enough? I don't play games but I use it for multimedia purpose I was planning on dual booting windows vista.

Also, since I didn't do a lot of research before I bit on it, so I don't know if i paid a fair price for it.

Click to expand...

Not to be a kill joy but you can't dual boot Windows Vista. It has a G4 processor, not an Intel processor. If I were you, I would've spent a little more and bought a used Macbook Pro instead of that, especially since a lot of the software for Mac is going to be optimized for x86 processors.

Title27GT said:

It still uses a PowerPC processor!
You could've gotten a Mac mini!

Click to expand...

Don't compare bananas with apples - I guess he wanted a notebook and not a desktop solution.

but I agree - for just a bit more he could have bought a macbook - has a smaller screen though but would be faster, intel and ready for his Vista parallel boot.

With that moneh you could have gotten a modern MacBook.

softtack said:

Not to be a kill joy but you can't dual boot Windows Vista. It has a G4 processor, not an Intel processor. If I were you, I would've spent a little more and bought a used Macbook Pro instead of that, especially since a lot of the software for Mac is going to be optimized for x86 processors.

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Yea, if not a new MacBook.

Oh!! no! I didn't know powerpc cannot dual boot windows.....


I should have post on this forum before buying it..

Now I am sad because I need to use microsoft word and excel.
I already have microsoft office 2007 cd and I can't afford to buy the word+excel software for mac.

Quashu said:

Oh!! no! I didn't know powerpc cannot dual boot windows.....


I should have post on this forum before buying it..

Now I am sad because I need to use microsoft word and excel.
I already have microsoft office 2007 cd and I can't afford to buy the word+excel software for mac.

Click to expand...

Just imagine, you could have a brand new MacBook duel booting XP or Vista but now you're stuck with a used Powerbook running a PowerPC processor.

question: when leopard comes out, can i install it on my powerbook?

Quashu said:

question: when leopard comes out, can i install it on my powerbook?

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Yes. I believe it will work on all G4 machines.

Title27GT said:

Just imagine, you could have a brand new MacBook duel booting XP or Vista but now you're stuck with a used Powerbook running a PowerPC processor.

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Ouch, don't rub it in...

Quashu said:

Oh!! no! I didn't know powerpc cannot dual boot windows.....


I should have post on this forum before buying it..

Now I am sad because I need to use microsoft word and excel.
I already have microsoft office 2007 cd and I can't afford to buy the word+excel software for mac.

Click to expand...

Sadly, I cringed at your posted when you said that you didn't research much before purchasing. The only help I can offer is to see if you can sell your copy of Office 2007 and buy Mac Office 2004 instead. Or you can download OpenOffice for now and buy Office 2008 when you get the money.

softtack said:

Ouch, don't rub it in...


Sadly, I cringed at your posted when you said that you didn't research much before purchasing. The only help I can offer is to see if you can sell your copy of Office 2007 and buy Mac Office 2004 instead. Or you can download OpenOffice for now and buy Office 2008 when you get the money.

Click to expand...

Research is KEY when it comes to buying a computer.

okay..
I just visit crucial.com and they showed that my laptop would take
1GB, 200-pin SODIMM, DDR PC2700 memory.

But it costs like $80.

On other hand, DDR2 200-pin sodimm is only $50. (although it's PC2 4200, i dunno what that means)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144183

Would it work?

If not, what about "200-pin SODIMM, DDR2 PC2-5300" ?

I know i got it backwards, spending time researching for my ram rather than researching for my laptop before the purchase. but i don't want to buy the wrong ram, that would make me more sad.

No, DDR and DDR2 are not interchangeable. You'll need to get 200 Pin SODIMM DDR RAM labeled either PC3200, PC2700 or PC2100.

Title27GT said:

It still uses a PowerPC processor!

Click to expand...

softtack said:

It has a G4 processor, not an Intel processor. If I were you, I would've spent a little more and bought a used Macbook Pro instead of that, especially since a lot of the software for Mac is going to be optimized for x86 processors.

Click to expand...

dekan said:

a macbook - has a smaller screen though but would be faster, intel

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with a PPC processor.
There is a grandiose library of applications and software available for the PPC platform, and software is still being developed for it. Universal software is universal because it is designed for both Intel and PPC architecture. Software that is Intel only is virtually nonexistent, with only a few small proprietary apps out there.
Yes, Intel is now the present and the future of Apple, but just because a Mac is running a PPC does not mean it is irrelevant, slow, or worthless.
There are also alternatives to running Windows apps under a PPC platform, BootCamp is not the be-all, end-all of running Windows on a Mac.

Title27GT said:

Research is KEY when it comes to buying a computer.

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I agree 100%. Research would have also shown that the OP got a great deal and an extremely capable computer.

Agreed 100% with DB. Very good deal and still an excellent computer.

D3v1L80Y said:

I agree 100%. Research would have also shown that the OP got a great deal and an extremely capable computer.

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You can say that all you want but 300 more dollars would have gotten her a far higher quality computer which is also much more portable.