Which Laptop to Buy?


Apple offers three laptopsiBook G4, PowerBook G4, and MacBook Pro. All current models already have AirPort Extreme installed, a wireless (Wi-Fi) card that can connect to a wireless network in your home, office, at many coffee shops and book stores, many hotels, and at thousands of other hotspot locations around the world.

Below is information about the current models of Mac laptops. Keep in mind that the models Apple offers change regularly!

A hotspot is a location that provides wireless network access, usually for a fee and sometimes for free. See Chapter 9 for more information about hotspots and Wi-Fi.


The iBook

The iBook is a consumer-level laptop (ideal for students) with a rugged and durable plastic case. You can get a 12-inch display for the ultimate in lightweight portability, or a 14-inch display for more screen real estate.

The 14-inch iBooks offer you a choice of either a ComboDrive or a Super-Drive. A ComboDrive can read and write (burn) CDs. It can also read a DVD (meaning that it can read the data on a data DVD, and it can play a movie DVD disc). But it can't write a DVD as a data disc or as a movie DVD. A SuperDrive, on the other hand, can do all of these thingsread and write CDs and DVDs.

The screen quality may be a deciding factor in which laptop you choose if you plan to use it to edit photographic images or to give presentations to small groups without a projector. The contrast in an iBook screen can vary a lot, depending on the angle from which you view it. If you want to adjust colors or retouch image files, you have to make sure you have the screen at just the right angle to give you an accurate rendering of how the image really looks. If people are gathered around your laptop for a small presentation, the screen will look good to those directly in front, but it will be sub-par for everyone else.

The PowerBook

Apple's newest PowerBooks are aluminum-cased, professional-level laptops. They're slightly more powerful, they have more ports for plugging in other devices, and they offer up to a 17-inch display. A 17-inch screen makes the PowerBook's high-end model attractive to professionals and is increasingly replacing the desktop computer in the office. The PowerBook also has a higherquality screen than the iBook, and higher resolution. These may not be critical considerations when you're traveling, but if you want your laptop to be your main (or only) computer when you're not on the go, give the PowerBook extra points for providing more options.

Like the iBook, PowerBooks also come with either a ComboDrive or a Super-Drive. If you choose the ComboDrive (which doesn't burn DVDs), you'll save a couple hundred dollars. Now, you may think you'll never have any reason to burn a DVD, just as Robin's mother and some of our friends thought. But it wasn't long before they were shooting digital photos, editing movies, and asking why we let them buy a computer without a SuperDrive!

Robin's mom, Pat Williams, heading towards 80 years old, may be one of the only great-grandmothers in the world who hands off her old Macs to her children. When Pat got a new G5 with the Intel processor (she wanted to go wireless so she could get AirTunes, plus she wanted a SuperDrive so she could burn her movies), she gave her G4 iMac to Robin's brother, Cliff.


If you can afford the extra expense, get the SuperDrive. Even if you aren't interested in making your own movies on DVD, and even if you don't need to back up data to a disc that holds more than four gigabytes, it'll probably be easier to sell your laptop later if it has a SuperDrive in it.

A PowerBook includes a PC card slot, also known among old-timers as a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) card slot. The PC slot accepts PC cards that can add different kinds of functionality to your laptop. Some PC cards, for instance, provide extra USB or Ethernet ports. Other PC card adapters hold digital media cards like the one your digital camera uses.

You can also buy a Microdrivea miniature hard driveand a PC card adapter (shown on the right) to add a gigabyte of removeable storage space to your laptop. Insert it into the PC card slot.

For presenters, some of the PowerBook models have back-lit keyboards that can sense when the ambient light is low and illuminate the keys, which enables you to see your keyboard in a dark presentation room. The built-in speakers on the PowerBook are more powerful and sound better than iBook speakers (of course, external speakers are much better for presentations; see page 18 for suggestions).

The MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is the first model of Mac laptops to feature Intel processors, boasting increased speed and performance. All of the Mac applications that are bundled with these new laptops have been specially optimized for the Intel chip. Many of your favorite third-party applications have been, or are in the process of being, optimized for this new processor. The biggest difference you'll noticeother than blazing speedis the iSight camera that's built into the border of the screen.

An internal modem is not included in MacBook Pro laptops. If you need one, a tiny USB modem is available at the online Apple Store.

The PC card slot (described above) in a MacBook Pro uses a new and different technology, which means your old cards won't fit in it. The new slot is called an ExpressCard/34.

Laptop Conclusions

The iBook is more affordable and it's durablea nice feature for travelers, students, and other rugged types. It's a good choice if you want to be mobile and save a few dollars.

The PowerBook is a little more expensive (exactly how much more depends on the configuration you choose), but the extra speed, power, and higher-quality screen can be worth the extra money if you use the laptop as your primary work computer.

The MacBook Pro is the top-of-the-line laptop. Other models with the Intel processor will be available soon (probably by the time you read this).




Macs on the Go!(c) Guide to Mobile Computing for Mac Laptops Using Mac OS X
Macs on the Go
ISBN: 0321247485
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 119

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