Screw this...I'm going Mac...

Living_Fiction · Post by **Living_Fiction** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:48 pm

What is a great PowerBook for using Ableton Live?

alan* · Post by alan* » Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:56 pm

Probably in about a year from now...hopefully less.

futureproof · Post by **futureproof** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 1:58 pm

powerbook? bit of an oxymoron isnt it?

got deep pockets? go for the top o' the line....you'll need it.

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:02 pm

Or, if you're in a situation like mine where you need a tool to do some work now as opposed getting a tool to do some work six months from now...

It's simple. Get the most powerful 15" G4 Powerbook you can afford with as much RAM as possible. Boom. Your search is over. Now you can work.

I was tempted to buy a PC laptop but I decided that OSX was better for me and that I could get more work done. I use a pretty beefy PC at work to run Ableton and I just can't stand XP. Yeah, I'd like to run more Reaktors, but I'll be a happier soul with OSX.

Do it. Then get to work.

ct43 · Post by **ct43** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:03 pm

you could get one of these

http://www.carillondirect.com/clnweb/la ... country=UK

mines solid.

alan* · Post by alan* » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:09 pm

you could get a brand new powerbook for around the same price as one of those ^^^ it may not perform quite as well in terms of processing but then you are working on osx

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:27 pm

My situation is similar in some ways. I have an old powerbook, and I'm a little tired of not being able to use Reactor as much as I want, so I'm going to buy one now instead of next year.

The powerbooks out right now? well the difference in performance between the top of the line 17 inch at 1.67mhz and the bottom of the line 12 inch at 1.5mhz is 5%!!

The advantages of the 17" are in the Gigibit Ethernet, PCMCIA slot, backlit keyboard, and Superdrive. So in complete contradiction to other posts, get the bottom of the line powerbook, baby the thing, and be ready to sell it next year when the intel powerbooks hit. Intel and Apple are most likely going to put out some sort of monster machine right out the door, and you will want one.
Really great thing about macs is that they have HUGE resale value.I should be able to sell my current 800mhz for $500+, and the 12" 1.5 will probably go for $800+ next year when Apple releases some Intel monster, most people aren't as hooked on speed as we audio people are.

futureproof · Post by **futureproof** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:32 pm

alan* wrote: it may not perform quite as well in terms of processing but then you are working on osx

What is it exactly about osx thats so great IYO? Im not trying to resurrect that age old mac/pc debate but Im just curious.

I realize we all do different things with our comps. One thing I rarely do is "mess around" with OS related stuff.

My comp usage is something like this:
75% of the time I have a music app open. Live, reason etc look exactly the same on my PC as they did when I used to own a mac, but I can just simply do MORE. run more plugs etc.

20% of the time Im checking email, browsing forums etc. mozilla/firefox is very comparable to safari (better imho).

5% of the time Im "digging around" in XP. This is maintenance work such as defragging, cleaning the registry. I had to do this on my mac also.

My point is that I dont really care about the OS very much at all. The music apps I have look and function exactly the same on either platform but I can just simply do more on a PC for less outlay.

What does OSX offer that proves to be a bigger advantage than raw power?

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:33 pm

and be ready to sell it next year when the intel powerbooks hit.

Totally. And in the mean time you will be working and creating non-stop. I'm not going to buy an Intel Mac right out of the gates, but 4 - 6 months into it I'll jump in the pool.

I'm broke as fuck right now, but I'm happy as fuck too!

hoffman2k · Post by **hoffman2k** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:35 pm

There could be something new introduced next month at the Apple expo paris.
Maybe the first intel mac if you are paranoid enough to believe it.

Could somebody explain to me again. Why this switch would take a year, if most developers do the transition in weeks?
Instead of seeing the first intel macs around june 2006. I think we'll see the last ppc's being worked out by then.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:42 pm

It's the glowing Apple. Say what you want, but it does it for lots of folks. It's admitedly an unquantifiable quality, but it does it for me.

And the Macintels will be the icing on the cake.

My Powerbook didn't have enough horsepower, so I'm gigging with my G5.

Roll on, Macintel Powerbooks!

futureproof · Post by **futureproof** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:47 pm

so its the designer label kinda thing then? gucci, prada, apple?

hoffman2k · Post by **hoffman2k** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:50 pm

futureproof wrote:so its the designer label kinda thing then? gucci, prada, apple?

Not in my case.
I have 2 macs but i look like a bum

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 2:58 pm

hoffman2k wrote:Could somebody explain to me again. Why this switch would take a year, if most developers do the transition in weeks?
Instead of seeing the first intel macs around june 2006. I think we'll see the last ppc's being worked out by then.

Possibly the DRM?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:06 pm

Three Macs, raggedy-ass (non-designer) jeans, t-shirt, and Cons.

And a PC for my mountain bike GPS map software (won't run on a Mac, doesn't like Virtual PC).