• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

MacBook vs Powerbook

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

JerkasaurusRex

Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Location
New York, New York
As many of you know Apple just came out with the new MacBooks with the intel processors. I really dont know about that since i am in the market for a laptop now that i am going away to college. I have always been considering the 15"inch powerbook.

The reason i want a powerbook is for garage band basicly since i do a lot of stuff with music and garage band is my software of choice since that is what we use in the music labs.

My main question is are these MacBooks better than powerbooks? Is it really 4x faster and what will be the diffrence? Is it still a mac?
 
It's still a mac and is software compatible. It's probably not 4x faster, and it's a mac if it says it's a mac. Mac is a brand.
 
Yes, they are 4x faster.
Proof: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/26/2038249
"but using MacWorld's own test methodology would allow MacSpeedZone to conclude that the new Intel iMac is almost as fast as a PowerMac Quad G5."

Plus, Vista/Longhorn is supposed to have EFI support meaning when it comes out, you should be able to dual book your MacBook with OSX and Vista/Longhorn.

Every program available for OSX will work with your MacBook, including garage band. If I had the money for one, I'd have one by now.

But that's just all my $.02.
 
If you're going to get an apple, get an intel based laptop. It'll last longer since eventually apple will stop supporting the ppc based hardware. And any speed gained by the intel design is due to it being an intel chip, and doesn't have too much to do with it being a mac.
 
Centurion said:
Yes, they are 4x faster.
Proof: http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/26/2038249


Plus, Vista/Longhorn is supposed to have EFI support meaning when it comes out, you should be able to dual book your MacBook with OSX and Vista/Longhorn.

Every program available for OSX will work with your MacBook, including garage band. If I had the money for one, I'd have one by now.

But that's just all my $.02.


did you check the bnechmarks on toms??? the imac turned out to be like avg 1.5x faster than the g5 imac
 
G4 is a completely different animal(or lack thereof) than a G5. The G4 architecture doesn't allow high clocks and is less effecient per clock than the G5 anyways. G5 just gets too damn hot to put in the powerbooks.

But, the MacBook is NOT 4x faster. There are certain things that they are 4x faster at. However until the new software is released for the 32bit apps you are stuck running some of the 64bit apps in rosetta and its not very fast at all. Still prolly faster than the G5 and certainly faster than the G4 but not a whopping 4x faster.... I like Macs alot, but Steve Jobs is a propaganda MASTER.
 
Just some thoughts from me: I have the 17'' Powerbook. I got it about a week after it was released. I do ALLOT of Video editing/photo editing and Even some games like WC3! I have never felt it was outdated. Never seems slow, can still handle Straight up full frames video encoding while I do other stuff like serf the web etch. without a hitch. I would wait for the 17'' version if you can afford it :) What a machine it will be.
 
I have to admit those 15 inch MacBooks look sick. I like the look, wight is not bad, Mac OS is really growing on me(Been using an old G3 Ibook :santa: ). The only thing is the price, about 500$ or so more than it should be, but hey its apple. I would get the Macbook if you can afford it.
 
I'll go ahead and throw down my $.02 cents on the subject.

If you get a MacBook Pro, you will need to buy some new software, the standard software will not work with it, unless its the 'universal' version of it.
I would wait until the next rev is out to buy it, but if you buy one now you will get a chance to get it with the upgraded CPU.
 
Osirus said:
I'll go ahead and throw down my $.02 cents on the subject.

If you get a MacBook Pro, you will need to buy some new software, the standard software will not work with it, unless its the 'universal' version of it.
I would wait until the next rev is out to buy it, but if you buy one now you will get a chance to get it with the upgraded CPU.


remember they are actually thinner now! And to think macs were already only 1" thick. Also Im waiting ayear until the 12" comes out, the price goes down, the recalls are processed and the software is bug free. Also then Vista will be out and you will know if its actually going to dual boot, cause a lot of this stuff is speculation.

P.S. Vista is supposed to suffer from Window Rot more than XP (clogged registryies) it will look pretty, but it will also have its issues.

Also whos to say that If vista can run on MacBooks why can't OSX run on Pc books?
 
I am sort of dreading seeing a 17'' come out cuase I love mine Been all over asia with it and don't want to feel like I am outdated cuase I paid about $4000 + tx/software and apple care in 2003. I am very interested in OSX ruinning on my High End Windows Modded PC.
 
Back