difference between ibook and powerbook

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chaleau

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what are the real performance and big ticket differences between the two notebooks? i'm buying one or the other, i just can't find all that many differences between the two when i play with them @ the store. (obviously, other than color and stuff like that). i'm talking about everyday stuff the average small, small business user or too much web surfer at home kind of person would be able to tell the difference in. thanks in advance.
 
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meltbanana314

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The only thing that the PowerBook really has going for it is its graphics power. It has twice the graphics memory as the iBook. Other than that, I think the PowerBook has no real advantages over the iBook as far as average use goes.
 
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Steel02001

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Also, the powerbook comes with more ram and bluetooth in it already rather than having to pay extra for them.
 
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MissLateralus

Guest
Differences:

New powerbook has all the following that the ibook does not have

1. Faster hard drive (powerbook = 5400rpm, ibook = 4500rpm)
2. Faster bus speeds on powerbook
3. More RAM (if your going for standard configurations) 512Mb on one slot rather than 2, so upgrade potential is better.
4. Slightly faster CPU
5. Digital video output, for connection to say a tv or projector
6. Audio input
7. Higher resolution on 15" powerbook, so you can get more on the screen
8. Double the graphics power
9. Gigabit ethernet for faster network connections etc.

I had the dilema of picking between the two, and I settled for the powerbook model discontinued in January of this year, the powerbooks specs of my one are slightly better compared to the new ibook. But the extra screen resolution, built in bt, larger hard disk and better build quality swayed me. You dont get digital video out, better graphics, audio input on ibooks and if your into multimedia like me they will come in use. Also the slightly faster bus speed will make a difference in performance.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro (early 2011) 2,2 i7, 4 GB RAM, 750 GB HDD, 1 GB ATI 6750M, High-Res AntiGlare Screen
Graphics:

iBook:
12" & 14" = VRAM

PowerBook:
12"(combo and superdrive), 15"(combo) and 15"(superdrive(128MB VRAM optional))
17" = 128 VRAM

Faster ram:

iBook: 266

PowerBook: 333

Bluetooth:

iBook: Optional

PowerBook: Built-In

Speed:

iBook:
12" = 1.2 GHZ
14"(combo and superdrive) = 1.33 GHZ

PowerBook
12"(combo and superdrive) = 1.5 GHZ
15"(combo) = 1.5 GHZ
15"(superdrive) = 1.67 GHZ
17" = 1.67 GHZ


---

if im incorrect,,, PLEASE correct me :bone:
 
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lordsid said:
y'all forgot the nice metallic finish :cool:

d'oh!

thats right... :bone:


mmm... metal ;)
 
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chaleau

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thanks, gang. now all i've got to do is decide on which one the trigger gets pulled. i need all the help i can get.
 
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Go to the nearest Apple shop or reseller and take a look.... :bone:
 
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Mac Mini 1.58 - 60 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive - 1 GB PC3200 & 1.33 Ghz 12" iBook w/ 80 GB 7200 RPM HD
I'd also add in that Firewire 800 is in the PB's with at least a 15" screen...only FW400 in the iBooks.
 
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In my view -

If getting a 12" model, get an iBook.

If you're comparing 14" iBook vs 15" PB, get a powerbook.

If you want to play games a lot on a notebook, definitely get the 15" powerbook (Radeon 9700 in the 15" vs GF5200 in the 12" PB vs Radeon 9200 in the iBook 12").

The 3d capabilities of the 12" PB vs 12" iBook is not that significant, despite the increased VRAM in the PB, but the 15" PB vs any iBook it is significant. The other differences are, IMHO, very minor to the vast majority of users.

-Lonerider
 
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mscnln

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What sold me on getting the 15" powerbook instead of the 14" ibook was that the powerbook can do dual heads, while the ibook can only do mirroring. So, I can hook up the pb to my 19" CRT and pretend it's a desktop :). Not to mention the pcmcia slot and the backlit keyboard.
 
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Buying One Soon...
I've owned a 12" G4 iBook and sold it to get a new 12" Powerbook. The one big thing I like about the Powerbook over the iBook is the better build quality of the case. My iBook had all sorts of squeaks because of the heat it generated while on would semi-warp the plastic case a little.
 
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Bwoody06

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So does the PB over all carry a better package then the Ibook? For like normal everyday things. The only thing im worried about is not being able to try the games that do get ported over. I do alot of movie watching and surfing. Also i use photoshop alot, so i dont want the book slowing down on me.
 
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crisrose

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mscnln said:
What sold me on getting the 15" powerbook instead of the 14" ibook was that the powerbook can do dual heads, while the ibook can only do mirroring.

That's why i got an iBook and ran the Screen Spanning Doctor on it.

Now i run mine multi monitored with all the functionality the powerbook has in that department (except for 32mb of Vram)

:cool:
 

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