Powerbook or iMac G5?

I am looking to get a new computer for Christmas. My budget is ~1200 dollars.

I found two good deals on the refurbed page at apple.com.

I'll copy/paste:

Refurbished PowerBook 12-inch 1.5GHz Combo Drive

512MB DDR333 SDRAM
60GB Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 (64MB DDR)
AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rates

and

Refurbished iMac G5 1.8GHz/ 256MB/ 160GB/ SuperDrive/ 56K/ 20-inch

256MB DDR400 SDRAM
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra (64 MB DDR)
Price: $1,149.00


OK. Some background. I currently own an IBM Thinkpad T23. I don't like it, and it's *literally* falling apart (there are two cracks in it). I am a Harvard University student majoring in psychology. My true passion lies in philosophy and physics, therefore, I do use Mathematica and ugh, Matlab.

I like to look at pictures, and watch DVDs (when I have time). I do a little photo editing, nothing major. I like burning CDs, and when I have enough money, I plan on getting an iPod. 160GB of storage is not enough for my multimedia needs - I will be purchasing external ~300GB HDDs (if you can recommend one, that would be nice )

I'd like to get into some video editing. I'm pretty artistic (and autistic - seriously), so I enjoy the multimedia parts of the computer.

So, up to this point, I'm sure you'd recommend the iMac. Right? The Powerbook is OK, but I think the screen is too small. I can still bring the Thinkpad with me to classes, and transfer the information over via scp (my Thinkpad runs FreeBSD 5.4).

I like OS X, and I use it at my dad's house. He has a Mac Mini, and I notice the sluggish performance. I guess the only drawback of getting the desktop is sitting in an uncomfortable chair and not being able to sit in bed with the laptop. But, I suppose this can all be rectifed by purchasing a comfy, reclining office chair.

So, can you please give me your feedback on this matter. It is extremely urgent, as these deals go quick.

Thanks in advance.

Best,
Chris

Well Chris, it sounds like you already have made up your mind! If you aren't looking for portability then by all means go with the iMac. Make sure to bump the ram in it eventually... as 256mb is not nearly enough for what you want to do. I am not sure how easy it is to install ram in an iMac... but i'd assume/hope it's pretty easy.

I love my 12 inch pbook, but I needed mobility... you will enjoy the 20 inch screen real estate.


Also where are the cracks on your Thinkpad? Are they on the left and right side of the bezel that goes around the keyboard??

Yup! How did you know?

Best,
Chris

Bohemian said:

Yup! How did you know?

Best,
Chris

Click to expand...

I manage a computer Service Department. One of the brands we are warranty authorized on is IBM and i seem to remember an issue on a few models where that bezel would break in those particular spots... you may be entitled to a warranty repair if there is still a service alert on it... which i could check if you can supply me with the model number ( it will be a 4 didgit number followed 3 letters ie... 2681-GMU)... although this was back in 2003 when i remember seeing them... so it's been awhile...

Other than that though, thinkpads are pretty quality machines...


ain't no powerbook though...

Bohemian said:

...therefore, I do use Mathematica and ugh, Matlab.
...

Click to expand...

<offTopic>
Ever tried Maple by MapleSoft?
</offTopic>

my vote is for iMac, i just got a 20" G5 and i don't have any complaints about it. like bill said, unless you need the portability, i'd go with the imac because it's more computer for the money. as for sitting in bed, i'm not sure if the older models come equiped with bluetooth but it might be something to look into because a wireless keyboard and mouse would solve that problem

I say whatever you situation may be, you will probably want the iMac. It will last longer, be more powerful and you can expand the RAM to make it run really nice. I know a ThinkPad is no Mac, but if you already have that for portability, you can get an iMac G5 now and then if you decide to switch completely over, get an iBook G3 cheap off of eBay and use that for basic stuff on the go.