For the record, I am in a quandry regarding the PowerBook.
See, we just refinanced and will have almost everything paid up (the house is the only thing we will still pay for). My wife is getting a laptop for herself along with a Rebel XT. She's a Windows user and doesn't like Macs so I'm not going to try that route with her (believe me, I have tried and she has used Macs before and prefers Windows).
Anyways, I am looking to get something for myself. I have looked at the PowerBook but I'm undecided. Should I get the PowerBook or should I get..............a..................nice Alesis QS 8.2 keyboard synth with hammer-weighted 88 keys??? You thought I was going to say "wait and get an Intel Mac" or "get a PC laptop" weren't you???
Here's the thing: it doesn't matter what the CPU is inside. It's still a Mac. Computers (in all honesty) have gotten to the point where the hardware isn't as critical as it used to be. It's the software. Even if Apple DID decide to license to PC vendors, what people will be experiencing is the "Mac OS Experience." Personally, I think Apple should keep making its own hardware, since they would still have the ability to crank out quality machines. But to be honest, if you purchase a bunch of components for your Mac, you still might have to download the drivers for it anyways. So how much different is it really than Windows at this point in that respect? The difference is that Apple is very particular about quality in their OS, which is what's behind the "Mac OS Experience." Microsoft still hasn't understood that (still evident in their Vista beta shots). People are now finally starting to see that the Mac is truly a better system because of Apple's attention to detail.
So big deal. I'll get a PPC PowerBook now (if I don't go for the synth)....eventually I'll end up buying another Mac, although it would have an Intel chip. So long as the operating system (and hardware) remains top-notch I'll keep staying on the Mac track.