Powerbook 15 vs 17

whyre

whyre

*nix Geek
Salivating^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^HLooking at the PowerBook G4 15 and 17 inch notebooks. Never had an Apple before, just a windows refugee whos been hiding amongst the Penguins.

From what I can tell, the only difference between the two is the screen size (and therefore the resolution). What are (if any) some of the not-so-obvious differences between the two.

I know for instance, the 17 will not fit many 3rd party cases or other such laptop accessories as the 15 might. Is there a difference on battery life, or just anything you can do to shed any light on the matter.

Thanks :D
 
The diference between the 15' and the 17' arent as big as the difernces between the 12' and the 15' but there are still some if you are opting for the "lower end" 15' modle.

Since you are considering the 17' I will assume that you were opting for the high end 15' witht the 1.5Ghz processor and not the lower end one (which has a 1.33Ghz processor) therfore there arent any realy any diferences apart from the res.

*But* with the 17" you sure to get the wow....whaw factor both when yours first arrives and when other people see you with it, after all it was the ONLY 17" notebook/laptop untill a week or so ago when sony anounced its 17" but i'm not sure if its even shiped yet!

The battery in the 17" **should** (acording to apple) last just as long as the high end 15" - but as I dont actualy own a powerbook I couldnt say exactly. Better to ask some one who has one if they get the 4.5 hours out of it!

What even your decision you'll be realy chufed with the power book and Mac OS X 10.3 its a "kick as operating system" (a la Uncle Steve) and I hope you can come to an "educated decision" thanks to the help of the users of this site! oh and welcome btw. and Im sooooo jelous that you're geting a PB!

oh ye and one more thing - the powerbooks and iBooks were just updated a couple of weeks ago... so IF you're getting it from a resseller and not direct from apple (apple website store etc.) then make sure its the updated version your getting and not the older version! I think the "old" "high end" 15" had a 1.25Ghz processor (now 1.5) and the "old" 17' had a 1.33Ghz processor (now 1.5)
 
Well, I'm hoping to get one. I am hoping I can get enough of a good argument from whatever I find here to justify the 17" to my wife.

I already know I want a PowerBook - just for OS X; I've been reading about it since it came out, and I grew up on a Sun Sparc Station, and recently playing with Linux, so the unix-ish background is really what turned me on to OS X.

I spend all day supporting networks that run Windows, and sometimes Linux (don't really have to support those) and I'd just like to get a system that I could get work DONE on rather than just WORK on. :)

Yes, I'm comparing the High End 15" and the 17", and getting all my specs from the apple.com website.
 
actually, Toshiba (and perhaps a couple of others) have had 17" laptops selling within a month or two of Apple's 17" release last year. None have been as nice as Apple's (and a lot heavier)
You don't list the obvious difference, the 17" is more expensive than the 15"
There are a number of different companies that make great bags for the 17".
 
I'd grab a 15" and load her up on options with the money saved over the 17, but that's me.
 
Hi Whyre, and welcome! (Hi Whyre, get it? High-wire? Bwahahaa! ... Hmmm... maybe I should go lie down)

There are a couple of differences between the 17" and the 15" PowerBooks aside from screen size. The 17" has 2 ambient light sensors that automatically adjust display brightness, and activate the fibre-optic illuminated keyboard. The 17" has Bluetooth and Airport Extreme as standard, rather than as options.

As for the operating system, if you've grown-up on Solaris, you'll love Mac OS X. It really is a powerful, fuss-free Unix OS that does more than any other OS around. Check out the Fink project at http://fink.sourceforge.net/ for a taste of what can be achieved! :)
 
symphonix said:
There are a couple of differences between the 17" and the 15" PowerBooks aside from screen size. The 17" has 2 ambient light sensors that automatically adjust display brightness, and activate the fibre-optic illuminated keyboard. The 17" has Bluetooth and Airport Extreme as standard, rather than as options.
Click to expand...

I guess it falls on me to point out the details here. Both the 17" and upper 15" (superdrive and 1.5 Ghz) come standard with backlit keyboards and the light sensors to control the keyboard backlighting (doesn't control the screen brightness at all). ALL new PowerBooks (even the 12") now have airport and bluetooth as standard equip. Also, the 1.5 Ghz both can be ordered with 128 MB video ram (twice the standard amount.
 
If you're looking at a PowerBook to serve as a desktop replacement, then the 17 is worth considering. If you plan on portability, get the 15.
 
I got the first 17 our CompUSA got in over a year ago. I would have got the 12 if the cpu was faster or/and if dvi would have been built in. I was worried that 17 would be too big. But after a year I can not be more pleased. It is so thin that the extra length is not a problem. Having the bigger screen comes in handy. I give presentations with it. Set it on a desk and a large number of people can see it without need to project it.
I have even had use for the light up keyboard. Got picked up wifi connection last summer in my neighbors yard and would sit in a lawn chair at night and surf the net with the lighted keyboard.


calliex
 
after my experience with ti15", i would only go smaller. the 17" is awesome, but i have no praticality for that. The 15 is just fine and in the future i might even consider going smaller. although all are relatively thin, the bigger they get the bulkier they can be. I truely use my laptop as a mobile machine and having to pack and unpack it has brought me to the conlusion that what i use my machine for, a smaller unit would be more than sufficient.
 
i guess then it's a matter of wanting the extra screen space, or using the money to deck out the 15" PowerBook. Hmmm... :confused: What to do...
 
whyre said:
i guess then it's a matter of wanting the extra screen space, or using the money to deck out the 15" PowerBook. Hmmm... :confused: What to do...
Click to expand...

Make sure you think this through because you'll most likely own your Mac for a while (on the average Mac users own their computes much longer than PC users). I can't believe i've had my 15" pb for a year now, i'll probably have it for the rest of college.

It depends what you want to do with it. If you are going to use it for presentations (like mentioned earlier) then definitely go with the 17". If you want to use it mainly as just a portable computer, i really don't see the need for a 17" screen, but hey, that's just me.

Whichever your decision is, know that you are making me very, very jealous and that you are going to love OS 10.
 
i've had my powerbook for 3 years now. I've used through college, at work, and on the road. I've been very satisfied. The 15" high end config is the best route to go. I got the top of the line 15"ti and I haven't made any hardware upgrades in 3 years.

peace.
 
I mirror the opinions here. The 15' inch is more portable. My 17' inch is a desktop replacement and it says puts inside the apartment. I use my iBook daily between work and home. Welcome to MAC OS X.
 
Whatever 'Book you choose, you'll probably be very happy with it.

I am a man who looks for balance in life. I look for the middle way. Everything in moderation. Yin-Yang. Black and White. Comedy and Drama. So it is probably no surprise that I love the 15" PowerBook... the perfect balance between portability and screen size.

On a side note of this whole "middle way" thing, I think it's difficult to find a good, reliable, 6-cyllinder sport sedan nowadays, don't you?

EDIT: I just remembered the Infiniti G35. Which is great. I suppose I just wish it were sold under the "Nissan" label, instead of their luxury division, "Infiniti," since we have a Nissan dealer right down the street, and know the employees by name.
 
I think Randman and CallieX have very useful comments.

i, like calliex, have had my 17pb since day 1. i love it. screen's huge, and it's just a sweet computer. I don't have a desktop apple, so it plays that role quite well for me.

on the other hand, if you're going to be lugging it around a lot, you might want to go with the 15". my dad in law has the newest 15", and it sure is sweet.

if you get a 17", I doubt you'd ever look back. I love mine and won't give it up (tho the wife has gotten to stealing it from me anytime I'm/it's home...so we're getting her a 12"...) but since the 17" doesn't fit in typical bags, check out spireusa.com - the best bags I've ever used!!!

whatver you choose, you'll be happy. we're talking about a couple incredible machines here..so enjoy whatever you do!!
 
Definitely 15". Friend of mine has the 17". It sure is a nice machine and a nice screen, but if you _REALLY_ need a bigger screen, you just buy an extra 20" Apple display for at home. You'll be glad you have less to carry when on the way, and it's not like the 15" screen was bad or anything - it's a GREAT display, too.
 
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