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Deleted by topic administrator 07-21-2006 08:56 AM
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Jon H
03-15-2003
06:03 PM ET (US)
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When connected to an external monitor, can they internal and external monitors be set to different color depths? (I'd expect so)
If you use a lower color depth or resolution on the internal, does that
increase the available depths/resolutions/refresh rates available
for the external monitor? Does that happen if you run the iBook
with the lid closed?
Also, what's the market selling price for a 2001 500 MHz iBook these days?
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tim
03-14-2003
11:23 AM ET (US)
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Has anyone used the new 12" PB with Keynote? I am looking to replace my 500 MHz iBook, but I want to be sure that I can use all of the nifty effects and transitions in Keynote. My iBook works fine with Keynote when playing presentation on my screen, however, when I project a presentation, it stutters noticeably when applying the transitions. Is the 12" PB's video card up to the challenge?
Thanks for any info
tim
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Rob McNair-Huff  03-14-2003
10:52 AM ET (US)
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F, you are right on the money that laptop living is not for everyone. I sure wouldn't recommend that all users ditch the desktop. If you need high end computing power, which the vast majority of computer users don't, then being tethered to a desk is part of the package.
Thanks for the comments...
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dxtr
03-14-2003
09:45 AM ET (US)
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Hi AJB and All,
I run my LittleAL 95 percent of the time with the lid closed. Works great.
seeya
dxtr
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AJB
03-14-2003
08:22 AM ET (US)
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I'm in the market for upgrading from my iBook 600 to the 12" PB. Can someone please confirm if the new 12" PB will run with the lid closed (as the 15" TiBook does)? That is, I want to hook up an external USB keyboard/mouse and monitor, and tuck the closed PB away on an adjacent shelf, allowing me maximum desk space.
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F
03-14-2003
02:53 AM ET (US)
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Obviously, it all comes down to not only the horsepower you need for the applications you use, but what kind of peripherals you need to be as efficient as possible doing what you do.
For me, even if the horsepower were there, I just can't see hooking up my ergo keyboard (injuries make using a laptop, or even standard keyboard for serious typing short-lived to impossible), three input devices (trackball, tablet and jog/shuttle), SCSI array (disks, burners, scanner, legacy Zip/Jaz, etc), FireWire array (disks, burners, cameras, etc.), USB array (input devices, cameras, audio, etc.) and PCI expansion chassis to run three, let alone six screens, not to mention adding cost to host multiple internal drives externally. It just seems silly, not to mention far more expensive than just going tower in the first place.
True enough, not everyone can afford a tower and a laptop, but, depending on which you use more, and what your peripheral needs are to begin with, you can get away with an older version of the lesser used device and put your money in the primary device.
For me, I'm perfectly happy running Jag on a Wallstreet 266 to access email, surf the Web (AirPort card), review contracts, make presentations, do some on-the-road camera work, and even use ViaVoice to compose contracts and presentations; but when it comes to graphics/video/audio/web/coding/scripting/database/serious-contract-hammering, I will not do with less than 3840x1024 pixels worth of workspace, and I prefer 3840x2048; I also need at least .5TB, 1.0TB preferred, worth of diskspace. To accomplish that on a laptop requires enough investment in PCI expansion alone, and/or very expensive monitors, and/or stacking $50-$80 enclosures, one each for every 120-180GB of disk space, that it makes little sense not to just buy a tower and a laptop to begin with.
Trivial things like document synchronization are moot with iSync, but were moot before that with Macintosh Manager and NetInfo (I can get my same User folder/contents from the tower or the laptop, even over the Web, by storing my User folder on a central location and logging in "remotely").
Laptop as a desktop replacement? For me, for people who do the kind of work I do, for my staff, they have yet to build the laptop that will replace the desktop, and I doubt they ever will (unless the concept of the Duo Dock returns in full, multi-processor glory). For more average users, sure, laptops offer *enough* of what is needed to get by with in exchange for portability. You just need to be sure you can afford to pay more to get less, and that less is what actually gets you more of what you want.
Cheers
F
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Noah Zerkin
03-13-2003
10:53 PM ET (US)
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Most important question... what kind of desktop are you replacing and what did you use it for? There are much better machines for running FCP or games, and the lack of an ADC connection is kinda dumbfounding. For most folks, the AlBook is more than enough computer to replace the functionality that they get out of their desktop. This little machine functioned as my total desktop replacement for a month while visiting my girlfriend in Sweden, and I also carried it everywhere. The lack of screen viewability from multiple angles may be an issue for some, but the built-in display has been wonderful for solo use. Now that I'm back in the States, I'm rapidly moving everything over to my 12" so that it's the only one of my machines that I physically have to deal with. Edited 03-13-2003 10:56 PM
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Mike Cohen
03-13-2003
05:00 PM ET (US)
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I'm now using my 12" as a desktop replacement. I use it with an external monitor & keyboard, and it's much faster than my old G4/500 minitower.
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Zed
03-13-2003
02:56 PM ET (US)
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I just got the 12" and this is my first laptop. I must say that I completely agree with Jobs saying that this is the year of the laptop, as it has changed how I work. I can now sit on my couch with my partner watching tv while I am on the computer. I can sit in starbucks with a client and check out resources online. The power is much greater than the 400 mhz imac it replaced. Also, regarding the heat, I only have heat issuse when it is pludgged in, but then again, it is sitting on my desk, and no prob. Also, I haven't felt the need to plug in an extra monitor (and I am used to 2 19" at work!)
Overall, I have no regrets going into debt with this thing,
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Bernie
03-13-2003
02:35 PM ET (US)
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Rob, im also a heavy biker, but dont need to carry my Powerbook that way. I use it to travel between work/client (200 km from home 2-3 hours via train), bureau and home (there is a 100 m distance between my bureau and home). So i carry it all the way with me (using a kensington saddlebag). In comparsion to my former iBook it annoys me a little that there is more noise from the maschine because of the ventilation, but i think this is the case with the 12" also. On the other hand i'm glad that i don't need to go thru all the glitches that one gets when he buys a first-generation maschine. And since im over 50 the bigger screen helps my aging eyes. But i was very, very close on buying the 12" inch.
btw, i bought a tiny fm-stero radio today, does someone know how i can route the audio directly from the built-in sound input to the powerbook built-in speakers (without recording it, only to have the sound coming thru the speakers instead of using headphones.
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Rob McNair-Huff 03-13-2003
01:24 PM ET (US)
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Bernie, I nearly bought a 15-inch TiBook instead of the Little AlBook, but the deciding factor for me was that I get around town on my bikes and I wanted something more rugged than the TiBook. That combined with the limited AirPort range of the TiBook ruled out my buying that machine.
It is interesting to see how the compromises work out to point to one PowerBook or iBook model rather than another. At its heart, the decision to buy a portable computer is filled with compromise, and it is just a matter of which features are most important to you...
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Bernie
03-13-2003
01:11 PM ET (US)
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It's true, i also think that the 12" inch PB G4 makes a great desktop-replacement if you are not into heavy photoshopping, or what else needs maximum horsepower. I used a iBook 600 for nearly one and a half year and it serves me very well for all tasks (4D Development, MP3, AppleScript etc.) with an external monitor connected. In january i saw the pb g4 12" and immediatly want one. After digging for awhile and checking the pro and cons i ordered not the 12" but the 15" pb g4/867 with full RAM (1Gig) and 60G Harddisk. Since using this maschine i never connected my external 21" SONY monitor again because of the big screen real estate built in. All in all i am very satisfied with my decision not to go with the 12". The power and expandability is a big plus. The only thing i miss is the small size and ruggedness of my ibook. But i can live with that compromise.
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Rob McNair-Huff 03-13-2003
12:47 PM ET (US)
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Yes, it is a tough time to buy a new Mac. In my case, the failure of my wife's Pismo meant we needed a new machine now, and the 12-inch PB G4 best fit my needs. You are right though that you would get more speed and other attributes across the board from a real Apple desktop, but I cannot stand the thought of being tethered to a desk for my computing any more.
When will the new 15-inch PowerBook arrive? That is the big question. I bet a lot of people are waiting for word of that, but I don't think we will see any new PowerBook announcements until Apple starts shipping the 17-inch PB G4 in large numbers and starts clearing the backlog of orders. In other words, at least another month or two would be my bet. Maybe Apple will announce a new 15-inch PowerBook at the WWDC in May...
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Kiran Max Weber
03-13-2003
12:32 PM ET (US)
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I looked into as soon as the 12" came out as an upgrade to my Pismo which I do use as a desktop. Lack of speed (compared to the Dual 1.25 for the same price), no L3 cache and no DVI out shot this idea down pretty quickly. Although the 12" would be an immediate improvement, I haven't acted yet. When are the supposed 15" coming out? The mid-range PowerMac and a 20" LCD is tempting me! All this talk of the IBM powered PowerMac's has me confused. Buying a computer right now is a difficult decison...
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