What to do, what to do?

[gphillipk]

First question: How's the market for Powerbooks?
Reason for asking: I need to get back into Windows dev using MS Visual Studio. I'm presently the happy owner of a 1.5 Ghz PB still running Panther.
I have 2 options @ present - buy a Macbook and run Windows XP or buy a cheap PC laptop and keep my PB.
It'll be a lot cheaper to get the PC laptop than a new Mac laptop, about half the cost in fact (and I'm referring to the cheapest macbook+win xp pro combo), but I'd like to hear different people's opinions and advice on this subject. Last time I wanted to buy an iBook and users on this site convinced me to go for a PB. A decision I've never regretted. So give me your good advice please.

[Giaguara]

I'd go with MacBook and run Windows in it (using Fusion or Parallels rather than Boot Camp since you will not need to shut down your Mac to run Windows in it).

You can get a good price for your PowerBook - they keep their value very well, and if you didn't have to run Windows in your system there wouldn't really be need for changing it either. As long as it is working and in good condition, it will be easy to sell. Very easy.

Plus if you just go with the Mac, you can have it with you where ever you are and decide to run OS X or Windows whenever you decide to, instead of deciding that you will run Windows today or to need to bring two laptops.

If you are not in much hurry, I'd wait until end of October when the new Macs will ship with 10.5 installed, so you will not need to get a separate license for that either. If you'd stay with the current PowerBook and would want to upgrade the OS, it would have some cost as well ..