12 inch ibook or new mini?

Hi, I've been wanting to switch for awhile, but I'm sure which to buy. I like the new intel mini for $599 and I also like the 12' ibook for $999. Is the ibook worth the extra money?

Assuming you have no real for a mobile mac, judging the mini vs. the current iBook on specs alone: No.

The iBook currently still uses the older G4 processor, whilst the mini's have just been refreshed and use the new intel core family of processors.

I'd wait a while until the new iBook is released, and then look at the iBook again when it has a more competitive processor.

The new iBooks are right around the corner. Just be patient if you need a mobile machine. But if not, the mini looks nice. But skip the G4. You'll regret it.

id try to get my hands on the last gen powerbook. i personally love the G processor. im using my loaded g4 mac mini, and i like the specs of the new minis but ive never been an INTEL person. In this months MACWORLD mag, shows the INTEL ISNT REALLY THAT FAST, the G5 still beats it in speed, productivity and response. But the intel is still a good processor.

id go with the 14" ibook with the 1.42 and get 1gb ram in it, youll be set, thats equvilent to my Mac Mini.

Just pitching in to say I LOVE my 12" G4 iBook. As of right now its 1.02 ghz, 768 mb ram + 60 GB HD. I purchased it solely to do school work and design on the go. After about 2 months now I have no regrets like previously stated. Its an exremely nice little machine and runs design programs such as Photoshop, Flash, and Maya with ease.

ripfrankwhite said:

The new iBooks are right around the corner. Just be patient if you need a mobile machine. But if not, the mini looks nice. But skip the G4. You'll regret it.

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Yeah. The real question is: do you need mobility? The Mini is nice for transporting, to an extent...it's small and you can carry it around easily, but if you need real portability, get a laptop. LIke ripfrankwhite said, the new iBooks are just around the corner. If you need a mobile system and can stand waiting a bit, I'd say go with the iBook. If not, the Mini is a great machine as well.

Well, if you want a laptop, then go for the iBook (obviously...), but there have been loads of rumors that a new Intel-based iBook's coming out eventually. Just hold on for a while. If you have the money for a Powerbook or, better yet, a MacBook Pro, go for one of those. But the Intel-based processors, after testing, show that on native and universal programs, they can run up to twice as fast as a PowerPC G5 processor. But, the G5's are slowly dwindling, as Intel takes over Mac. My opinion: Wait for the Intel iBook to come out, by then there will be more software designed for Intel macs, as Rosetta can either run REALLY well or REALLY slow on Intels.

But then again, that's just me. I have an iMac Intel Core Duo, and I don't regret it. I'll never go back to PC again without having at least one mac with me.

maz94protege said:

id try to get my hands on the last gen powerbook. i personally love the G processor. im using my loaded g4 mac mini, and i like the specs of the new minis but ive never been an INTEL person. In this months MACWORLD mag, shows the INTEL ISNT REALLY THAT FAST, the G5 still beats it in speed, productivity and response. But the intel is still a good processor.

id go with the 14" ibook with the 1.42 and get 1gb ram in it, youll be set, thats equvilent to my Mac Mini.

Click to expand...

You've got to remember that these intel processors are the mobile line... Even the imacs use the mobile line of processors... The heavy hitters of the intel line will be able to compete with a duel or quad g5 powermac in the future. Otherwise Apple wouldn't go for it.

But on the flip side. I love my intel imac and its more than fast enough for me... except I dont want some more ram soon :teen:.

And yea... I suggest waiting for that ibook to make a comparison.

I'm leaning towards waiting for the intel ibooks, but will they be more expensive?

i doubt it. If you look at the prices for the old iMac G5 and current iMac prices, have they changed? No. The Intel Minis changed by about a hundred dollars, and i don't think there's gonna be more than a hundred dollar raise if anything at all. I say wait for the Intel iBook. Also, a common problem with Intel iMacs is that a lot of apps aren't universal binary yet, they run well on PPC and horribly slow on Intels. By the time the Intel iBook comes out, you should have that problem fixed. The mini will go through these problems. If you can hang onto whatever you're using now, that's great, or if you're in dire need of a computer now, then get the Mini.

But from your situation it seems like you should wait for the Intel iBook.

Or you could get a MacBook Pro and that would solve everything... :mac: