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Educate me on Apples Notebooks

Get the iBook with the new Intel Duo-core processor. Inexpensive and fast. Will expand easily. Make sure you get the super drive option.

From my Mac,
Warrior Off-Road
 
I've not seen that Apple has broght the iBook out with the Intel chip, it's likely that it will be a single core though, so the Macbook can command a price premium. If he doesn't need the portability of a notebook then I'd go new Mac Mini, those have the intel chip.
Here's the rundown:
Macbook-Totally kick ass awesome, like full widths and 38s. Expensive.
Powerbook g4: Phased out for the new Macbook, can be found cheaper now. Decent performance. Wouldn't buy, going to be obsolete for new software support.
Ibook g4: Same as above only slower and cheaper.
Imac: New Intel CPUS, good value, best bag for the buck if you don't really NEED portability.
Mac Mini: Good starting system. Plan on upgrading the hard drive, they come with slow units from the factory, also plan on stuffing more ram in it.
The new ibook should be coming out sometime soon. If you have to have a notebook then I would wait for it's release. I don't think you want to get into the g4 or g5 stuff, the x86 changeover is going to make software go by bye for them.
The reason that I kept stressing the portablity is that I see lot's of people buy notebooks, then they just sit in te same place on a desk. Make sure he's really going to need the portability before you drop the coin on a notebook.
Apple products are the only product I'd ever recommend the extended warranty on. GET THE APPLECARE PLAN!! I used to work in an apple certified repair shop, you can't afford to repair it out of warranty. Powerbook keyboards go for about $350, LCD replacement screens, $700. Buy the warranty, if you use it once it will more than pay for itself, not to mention you get better telephone tech support. Also, plan on replacing the battery in about 18 months to 2 years, just the nature of the beast with Li-Ion batteries. Avergage cost for a PC notebook is 1-200 bucks.
You got any more questions PM me, or give me a call. If you want a price give me a call, I can order those things.
 
I'm sure more help will come if you promise not to mistake it for a midnight snack.
 
I believe it will be quite a while before the Powerbook G4 becomes obselete. If I were going to purchase an Apple laptop, this would be my first choice, unless money is no object.

First thing is make sure you want an Apple period. They are great computers, but sometimes finding the software you need for them can be a pain. Windows PC's are more crappy but the software is readily available.
 
cowboybarber said:
I believe it will be quite a while before the Powerbook G4 becomes obselete. If I were going to purchase an Apple laptop, this would be my first choice, unless money is no object.

First thing is make sure you want an Apple period. They are great computers, but sometimes finding the software you need for them can be a pain. Windows PC's are more crappy but the software is readily available.
I have to disagree with that. The switch to x86 is a real big jump for Apple. And some software doesn't work on both platforms. If you're a software company and you're writing new software then you're not going to worry much about backwards compatibility to the older CPUS, you're just going to code for the x86 models and put it as a requirement on the box. This is the same sort of architecture change that Apple went through when going from the 040 line to the G series. At the time the "velocity engine" was all the rage in the G3. It didn't take too long for all software to require a g3, about 18 months. It pretty much made all of the older 040 macs worthless if you wanted to keep your software up to date.
I think that I know what the boy wants to do with it, and if it's music mixing and stuff like that the Apple will be great. Garagband is sweet for the money, and there's some serious software available for it also, it's just a mater of how much he wants to spend.
 
Okay, well up until a few months ago they had two products, the iBook and the Powerbook.

iBook = consumer model, 1.3-1.42GHz G4 processor, $999-1299, 12" or 14" screen, white plastic case
Powerbook = professional model, 1.5GHz+ G4, $1499 and up, 12", 15", or 17" screen; silver aluminum case

Under the skin, there really wasn't a huge difference. The Powerbooks are had faster processors and better video cards and bigger hard drives, but that's about it.

Things got all messed up back in January when they introduced the MacBook Pro, which is replacing the Powebook lineup. It has an Intel Core Duo processor, which is (supposedly) faster than the G4 found in the Powerbooks and iBooks.

They're still selling the iBook, but its days are numbered. They WILL be introducing a new Intel-powered iBook replacement sometime soon, most likely called the MacBook (no "Pro"). Despite what others are saying, I can pretty much guarantee that the iBook/MacBook will NOT have an Intel Core Duo processor -- it will be a single-core Intel chip. Other rumors point to a single 13" widescreen model, replacing both the 12" and 14" models. Also, it's very likely that the MacBook will have integrated Intel graphics with shared memory -- a drawback, in my opinion, considering that the iBooks have an ATI Radeon 9550 with 32MB of dedicated video memory.

In any case, Apple laptops are great... I myself have a 14" iBook G4 which does everything I need it to and then some. If you can find a bargain on a G4-powered Powerbook or iBook, go for it... just be aware that Apple is phasing those products out, and Intel is the future for Apple (unfortunately... I'm not a very big Intel fan. Go AMD!)
 
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