Checking out Macs

[agrumer]

Learned today that the Apple Store in Soho is open till 8 PM weeknights. I went down to check out machines in person, and it turned out one of the sample machines was the configuration I’m thinking of using: 12" PowerBook hooked up to a 20" external monitor. I confirmed that the setup I’m planning would, in fact, work; that you can get the laptop

Comments

[immlass]

I could have told you that about the monitor. I used to use my TiBook that way.

I'm pretty happy with my Powerbook with Photoshop and other things running, but you probably work on much, much larger files than I do.

[agrumer]

I’ve currently got a 15" PowerBook (a four-year-old TiBook), and the thing’s just too big to lug around conveniently. A laptop oughta be portable, dammit.

For working at home, it doesn’t matter how big the laptop is, because my desk isn’t big enough for the open laptop and the external monitor both. For carrying around, I want something light and small.

Actually, in pixels, the screen on a current 12" AlBook (1024x768) is almost as big as that on my old TiBook (1152x768).

[autopope]

The 15" AlBook is a lot better designed than the 15" TiBook -- and rather less fragile (the screen hinges are recessed, for starters).

The reason I'd go for the 15" AlBook if I was in your shoes is that you can order it with 128Mb of Video RAM rather than the stock 64Mb. The 12" AlBook uses a NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 with 64Mb of VRAM; the larger models use the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700, which gets you stuff like programmable pixel and vertex shading for lighting -- and with 128Mb of VRAM, you get dual-link DVI and the capability to drive an external 30" monitor

[agrumer]

The VRAM argument is a good one, dammit. Now I’m uncertain again.

A 30" monitor would require moving to a larger apartment. Could happen in the next few years, but probably won’t.

[cattitude]

The 12" is thoroughly usable. I'm only speaking from second-hand experience, but two of my coworkers, road warriors both, have them and swear by them. They're consulting programmers who live in Atlanta and Boston, but who work on-site here in New York a significant amount. They each use the Powerbook as their main computer (with an outboard monitor) when at home. I'm tempted to get one myself, having seen them in action.

I've had bad experiences with external hard drives. I've bought both a LaCie and an Iomega for backup, and they each died just out of warranty when the temperature broke ninety-five. I'd only recommend one if you're going to use it in air-conditioning. YMMV, other models may be better, but right now I'm doing my backups to an internal drive I use for nothing else. The externals have been too fragile.

[jcb]

processes running in the background don't make no difference at all - cause apple trims the FAT!!! Long live Steve Jobs.