Kristen is correct. Basically, the Powerbook G4 IS an iBook at this point. With the ability to power an external display better. And prettier if you're into silver. But really not worth the extra money, unless you find a fabulous used deal or really need those one or two small features.

To be entirely fair, though, both the iBook and Powerbook G4 line are at, probably, their least cost-efficient point ever right now. They expected to have G5s (in the powerbooks at least) by LAST SUMMER - the G4 processors are old and pretty out-of-date. Really, the only Mac laptop that has good bang-for-the-buck (compared to PCs, I mean) in pure power at the moment is the Macbook Pro... one assumes.

Of course, if you want a 12" Apple laptop, don't want to wait for new iBooks (probably announced next month, shipping in April sometime), and like silver, the Powerbook 12" is your thing, and it is a mighty fine computer. Your caring about "bang-for-the-buck" may vary.

If you want a 15" laptop, though... think HARD about the Macbook Pro. My suggestion.

Whoo hoo! I had knowledge about something beyond cute and pretty purses.

Also, that was a year ago so things may be different.

I'm pretty sure they upped the display on the 12" Powerbook within the last year.

I want a laptop I can use for writing, surfing the Internets, and filling with music. (And I do mean filling. I'm planning on putting all my cds on the computer.)

Sounds like an iBook with as big a harddrive as you can find will meet your needs and save you money over the Powerbook.

Basically, I want a laptop I can use for writing, surfing the Internets, and filling with music. (And I do mean filling. I'm planning on putting all my cds on the computer.)

You probably want a NEW iBook 12" then, upgraded to a 100 GB hard drive (and, I'd recommend, 768 MB of RAM). That comes to $1249 without Applecare or $1498 with it at the apple store (you can always add applecare within a year of purchase if you'll remember, thus putting off the $250 charge for a while).

Or wait a couple months (if you can), and probably get a similar computer with a processor that's 2-4 times as fast. Though it would be newish, and subject to the same possible risks as my Macbook (new hardware, always a danger)

You probably want a NEW iBook 12" then, upgraded to a 100 GB hard drive (and, I'd recommend, 768 MB of RAM).

This is exactly the sort of advice I'm looking for. Because even tho' I work in the tech industry, I have no knowledge of what to look for in a computer. I'm ashamed to admit that the inner workings of them are all handwavey handwavey magic smoke to me.

I once told someone that the 17 inch was really only for people who need a portable desktop replacement machine for field work, be it print work, film editing, or other A/V applications where it is handy to be able to see details that seem to be a little squeezed on a 15 inch.

That being said, I didn't say someone shouldn't get one if they wanted, just that a 15 inch screen seems to be the best trade off when one factors in lap real estate, functionality and portability.

I would not be surprised if it turns out to be the "right size" apex of the screen size enhancing craze for general-use laptops. Sure there will be larger ones, but for most uses, a 9x13 (+-) rectangle is about the max I'd want to carry around on a daily basis.

And by the time I finished posting, most of my pontificating was better said by others.

I'm ashamed to admit that the inner workings of them are all handwavey handwavey magic smoke to me.

Which is. of course, what Apple wants. But suffice it to say that, at the moment, the Powerbook 12" and iBook are pretty much the same computer inside, with a very few slight exceptions.

In fact, it's quite likely this will be the last 12" Powerbook - there have been mumblings that there will never be a smaller form factor Macbook Pro, at least not for a long time. Instead, the widescreen 13" iBooks (Macbooks?) that should be announced in the next month or so will be the only smaller Mac laptops.

Well, now I have absolutely no idea what to get.

Edit: By which I mean, crapsticks, now I actually have to spend time thinking hard about what I want.

I've got 17" Powerbook and it's my workhorse. I don't find the size very much of a problem. I'd love a MacBook but am holding until they put out a 17" model. The extra screen real estate is so totally worth it to me when I'm doing any kind of editing or remotely controlling multiple machines.