Going to switch but need some help

I am currently a Windows user, but am going to make the switch to a Mac in the near future. I have been looking at the iMac and the Powerbooks, since I don't have a lot of space to put a normal desktop size computer. They both look to take up very little space. The question I have is how much faster is a G5 at 1.8GHz, then a G4 at 1.5GHz. Will I be able to tell a big difference or will it be a small one. Thanks for the help, and if you have any other suggestions let me know.

Ed

Welcome to the forum!

If you are comparing iMac G4 and iMac G5, the difference in performance is said to be 10-20% by some benchmarks. YMMV.

iMac G5 is actually priced lower than iMac G4 used to be. For that alone there is no point getting iMac G4 unless you can get significant discount on them. iMac G5 with 17" screen can be bought for under $1300. Unless you can get a brand new iMac G4 for less than $1000, I won't bother.

Thanks for the reply. I was planning on getting a new iMac G5 if I went the iMac route, but those Powerbooks look really nice as well. I was mostly wondering about the speed difference of the G5 iMac vs. a Powerbook. Looks like you did answer my speed question though with comparing the old iMac to the newer one.

I think you should mainly look at whether you need/want the portability that the PowerBook would provide. If the machine will spend its life on your desk, I think the obvious choice would be the iMac. It's the more powerful machine in almost every respect, and is also less expensive.

I am going to go with the iMac, since the price is less and the 10-20% difference in speed. It would be nice to be able to carry a powerbook aroundwith me, but I can live without portability. I know I will have more questions on the way in I order and my mac arrives. Thanks again for the replies.

Good decision. The iMac G5 is smexy!

I would seriously consider the PB G4 though. It's still blazingly fast, I have a 12" and it's faster than my Pentium 4 desktop PC. More importantly, it's nice to carry it around on trips and stuff to stay connected to internet. If you really don't need portability, go with the iMac. If you don't mind spending a bit more for a bit more portability go for the PowerBook.

Sorry I saw this thread late.

Thanks for the reply M1K, looks like I shouldn’t out rule the Powerbook just yet. Looks like you like yours a lot. Thanks for making my decision a harder one now.

Beatles4Life, you can always just get a USB keyboard and plug it in to your PB when you're using it on your desk, but I guess you're right. I personally like the PB keyboard better than any desktop keyboard, but that's my personal decision.

elums, since I royally screwed you and made your decision harder, I should probably fix it and make it easier. If you want power, go for the iMac. If you want portability, go for the PowerBook. I'm a student, so a PB was definitely essential for me. But if you only go away from your comp like once a month or so, it's probably better to get the iMac.

Good luck, I'm sure whatever product you choose you'll be happy. Apple products do that to you

m1k said:

I personally like the PB keyboard better than any desktop keyboard, but that's my personal decision.

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Jesus man, you're the first one that i think agrees with me!...i like the powerbook keyboard SO SO much better than the regular keyboard.........i get lost now when using a regular kb

m1k said:

elums, since I royally screwed you and made your decision harder, I should probably fix it and make it easier. If you want power, go for the iMac. If you want portability, go for the PowerBook. I'm a student, so a PB was definitely essential for me. But if you only go away from your comp like once a month or so, it's probably better to get the iMac.

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Thanks M1K looks like I will probably go for the Imac then, since I only use my current PC when I am at home.

Agreed on the quality of Apple laptop keyboards. They are better than any PC laptop keyboards, and many desktop full size keyboards.

As for laptop vs desktop, if you don't NEED a laptop, you should get a desktop. Of course having a laptop would be nice, so you can carry them around. But you don't NEED them, you don't want to spend extra $1000 for portability. 17" iMac at $1300 is a steal.

Only get the powerbook if it is a requirement for you to be portable.
If not save the cash and get the iMac...

Not dissin the powerbook here, but it's cheaper and better in every way (larger screen, faster etc..)

You pay for portability, do you need it?

iMac is a very good choice, elums. I wish you well, I know I want an iMac as well as my PB! Enjoy!

And the PB keyboards are absolutely amazing, they are much better than any keyboard I've ever used. I've never tried the normal desktop Mac keyboard though... But once you try the PB keyboard you'll fall in love. I'm glad so many people think the same as me.