CJ MAC OSX IPOD said:
What Laptop Battery lasts the longest, What Laptop is the most Powerful, and what Laptop is lightest.
In the order you asked, according to current models: iBook 14", PowerBook 15" or 17" (this'll change to the MacBook when the major apps are Universal and not emulated), PowerBook 12".
Apple is no longer selling the 15" PowerBook, which is what I have. I usually get 4.5 to 5 hours of light use on my battery (energy settings optimized for battery, screen brightness set as low as possible, bluetooth off, as little programs and widgets open as possible; mainly doing word processing/note taking and internet surfing). On Mon & Wed I have to have a minimum of 7 hours of portable time available to me, so I have two batteries (the PB can be swapped without turning it off). Most people are claiming 3 to 4 hours usage on their similar PBs, but its hard to say since usage and settings vary. Don't expect it to last more than 2 hours if you're going to do heavy processor intensive work, like video and photo editing, on the battery.
I'd suggest waiting a bit, as there's supposedly some kind of announcement tomorrow at the event. They're saying it's iPod related, but you never know. The iBook replacement is overdue and could be snuck in there, or within the week or two after (most places are saying March sometime). If you can wait a month or two, do so. Otherwise a refurb 15" HD model PowerBook, or a MacBook Pro, would probably be the best bet for the money; at least based on what you're wanting to do. Just make sure you buy that extra battery.
