ibook vs. powerbook??? what to get?

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
jiffybox
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ibook vs. powerbook??? what to get?

Post by jiffybox » Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:25 am

even the "genius'" at the apple store looked at me with a dumbfounded look with this question.

i want to use live 4 or 5 on stage to incorporate loops/beats and sequences into a live performance with a band. but which apple laptop? the iBOOK or the POWERBOOK? i doubt i will be composing or doing much of anything other than using the laptop to trigger beats, play background synths/pads, and using samples, since i have a dual g5 set up in my studio. can i get away with the ibook?

hundreds of bucks at stake and i can't seem to get a clear answer from anyone about what will work for performance.

any tips would rock. thanks !!!!!
jiffy

tencentcat
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Post by tencentcat » Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:43 am

As far as the last few revisions of iBook and Powerbooks, they're almost identical - at least as far as the core of the machines.

The only difference between the two that I know of are that the Powerbooks are slightly faster, allow screen resolution of higher than 1024x768, have one more firewire port, have other video outputs besides VGA, and come in pretty aluminum finishes.

I would recommend going for the iBook. If you can live without the little extras, you'll save A LOT of money and still be giddy. Just get plenty of ram.

Check out www.everymac.com for detailed specs on both and compare.

Sales Dude McBoob
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Post by Sales Dude McBoob » Sun Aug 14, 2005 2:56 am

I was in your shoes recently. We are pretty much in the exact same boat. I needed to buy a laptop to play stuff with a band on stage, trigger loops, play synths. Now I'm even playing my bass guitar through my Ozonic > through my laptop > back out of the Ozonic > into an amp. It's killer!

I went with the Powerbook. I dunno, it just appealed to me more. The screen is much better, and since I've had it you can bet I've been staring at it alot. In fact, I got started today at 4PM, now it's 11PM and I'm still staring at it. So my eyes are happy and not fatigued.

I'm not saying 'don't buy the iBook', I'm just saying that I got the PB and I'm happy.

dh187
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Post by dh187 » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:21 am

ibook- 4200RPM hard drive

powerbook-- 5200RMP hard drive

powerbook has a slightly more robust bus

to be completely honest I just bought a G5 Imac yesterday. No way in hell I would buy a powerbook right now, overpriced, underpowered. That being said I also wouldn't buy a PC laptop because for reasons I can't always explain to my own satisfaction I'm a mac guy.

Check the performance test thread.

Sales Dude McBoob
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Post by Sales Dude McBoob » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:33 am

Yeah- There's thread like this almost everyday on this forum. It's really easy to get bogged down with options and comparing this to that and that to this. You may be instilled with a fear of "well if I buy this now, what will happen if something better comes along in 6 months or a year???"

I don't know. It's all crap, and it will all consume time when you could be working and creating. The iMac G5 was perfect for the other dude, and the Powerbook was right for me. I'm not going to worry about some other machinesomewhere else out performing mine.

The simple and happy fact is that I can do everything I need to do. When I get an idea I can execute it exactly how I please with my laptop. Life is good.

My guess is that in your mind you have a favorite computer that you really deep down want to get. Well, that is the one to get! So get it and get rocking.

AdamJay
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Post by AdamJay » Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:35 am

i would (and did) go with the 12" 1.5ghz Powerbook.

If only for the 5400rpm hard drive.
also the internal soundcard can do 48khz on the Powerbook.
and the audio input comes in handy more than you think too.

The iBooks are good deals, but i think the 12" Powerbooks are good deals as well. It just depends on how much you are willing to spend in the end.

ewik
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Post by ewik » Sun Aug 14, 2005 4:45 am

basically, the powerbook gets updated sooner for most things. some part will be better on the powerbook, then shortly after the next ibook will have it too, usually this is the case, so just observe the current specs, or get which one looks nicer.

anonymouse
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Post by anonymouse » Sun Aug 14, 2005 4:51 am

if you are influenced by factors such as value for money, speed and performance, you could also consider a Windows laptop.

But if you are determined to drink from Steve Jobs furry cup, then check out the large thread regarding Live 5 performance. Amongst the impressive scores for Windows machines, you will find the shabby mac stats. I guess ibook vs powerbook = poor vs very poor.

shredded
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Post by shredded » Sun Aug 14, 2005 5:05 am

BUY A PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save your money AND get better performance and upgradeability options!!!!!!

bitmap
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Post by bitmap » Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:47 am

shredded wrote:BUY A PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save your money AND get better performance and upgradeability options!!!!!!
come on.
http://dustbreeding.com
http://www.unrecnow.com
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macbook|monome 128/64|kmxmini

shredded
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Post by shredded » Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:56 am

where are we going??

inis
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Post by inis » Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:11 am

Heres a short answer.

I own both. I have used live 4 and 5 on both. I love my powerbook. There are so many little things, like the feel of the keys as you type, etc that make it worth while. A new laptop is a major purchase. If you have the money, powerbook. If you really cant spend it, iBook.

By the way, fuck Hard Drive speeds. You should be using an external anyways. Budget that into the purchase.

noisetonepause
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Post by noisetonepause » Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:13 am

shredded wrote:BUY A PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Save your money AND get better performance and upgradeability options!!!!!!
Don't be a cunt. The guy wants a Mac.

hacktheplanet
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Post by hacktheplanet » Sun Aug 14, 2005 12:48 pm

I'd say go with an iBook, and use the leftover cash for some external hardware. If you're just running effects from a single input, and playing loops, the iBook will be great. Just upgrade the RAM. I've been using my iBook to sequence external hardware and use effect plugins on various clips for a year now, and it does the job. I only run into problems when I'm using software instruments or too many reverbs. Stupid reverbs.
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andrewlogan
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Post by andrewlogan » Sun Aug 14, 2005 6:56 pm

You could get an ibook and then put a 512 or 1GB ram chip in it and an ibm travelstar 7k60 which runs at 7200 rpms (same as your G5s) so that would be pretty sick. Or wait for the dual core G4 powerbooks or intel chips.

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