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David Azia

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I'm seriously considering the Apple Powerbook G4 12in with 640mb RAM and a 60GB drive. I'm favouring the SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW over the standard Combo drive, because I often have to backup large files which is time consuming on CD-R, a problem that would easily be solved using a single DVD-R.

My main concern is, am I better sticking with a PC (genre, Sony Vaio 12in) or will the Apple fulfuill my requirements?

My main requirements are portability and durability. I travel a lot with my laptop and the lighter and tougher the package the better. I'm a journalism student so a good keyboard is essential, as is the audio input to digitise sound bytes.

Because I'm also a photographer, I require a powerful little package that can work comfortably with Photoshop 7.0 for basic image work (levels, curves, colour balance, etc.). Also, what is the best word-processing software available for Apple computers?
 
I've long used both Macs and PCs. Once you get a taste of Mac and OS X, you will never look back. The Powerbook will more than meet your needs. Photo Shop runs very well on it. iView Pro is a dream. Word Processing? If you are into very fancy word processing, then MS-Office is for you. However, Appleworks is sufficient for the needs of most people. (My eMac came with Appleworks; my Titanium notebook did not! Apple wanted $80 for the program! If you do not tell anyone, I'll divulge what I did.))
 
I've heard that the Aluminum PBooks are pretty tough, but I can't really comment on that. The 12" with plenty of RAM should be enough for Photoshop work unless you've got a camera with an absurdly high pixel count. The SuperDrive is great if you need it, although DVD burning isn't exactly zippy, and CD burning is slower than in a Combo or CD-RW drive.

The Mac will fill your needs - as long as you're ready to invest a little bit of time and effort getting acquainted with a slightly different way of getting things done. If you're already comfortable with computers, you should be able to be productive with OS X right out of the box. Being able to anticipate how to handle a specific task may take longer - Windows habits do take some time to unlearn. But it's entirely worthwhile - you'll probably eventually find you're much more productive in OS X than in Windows.

As for word processing software, it really depends on what your feature requirements are. MS Office is of course available, and provides the greatest convenience in exchanging docs, although at a hefty price ($370 for each app separately or $500 for the lot, although there is an educational discount). There are several alternative Mac word processors that will open and save MS Office formats and are less expensive, but you'd probably want to demo them before committing. Here are a few of the most highly regarded:
hth,
-N
David Azia said:
I'm seriously considering the Apple Powerbook G4 12in with 640mb
RAM and a 60GB drive. I'm favouring the SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW over
the standard Combo drive, because I often have to backup large
files which is time consuming on CD-R, a problem that would easily
be solved using a single DVD-R.

My main concern is, am I better sticking with a PC (genre, Sony
Vaio 12in) or will the Apple fulfuill my requirements?

My main requirements are portability and durability. I travel a lot
with my laptop and the lighter and tougher the package the better.
I'm a journalism student so a good keyboard is essential, as is the
audio input to digitise sound bytes.

Because I'm also a photographer, I require a powerful little
package that can work comfortably with Photoshop 7.0 for basic
image work (levels, curves, colour balance, etc.). Also, what is
the best word-processing software available for Apple computers?
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for your responses.

Indeed looking at the specs of the SuperDrive, the DVD writer is painfully slow. I can't even imagine how long it would take to write a 4.7GB DVD-R.

Thanks for the tips about the word-processing. I'll have a look at Word - seeing as I am used to the interface on a Windows PC. It is rather expensive, however.

As for the images, I was using a Canon EOS 10D until recently. I sold it on eBay last night because I was unhappy with a number of details - the tiny viewfinder being one of them. As a result, most of the images will be scanned (medium format + 35mm).

David Azia
http://www.davidazia.com
 
Are you using your own scanner? check to see that there is an OS X driver available (many are sorely lacking). There is a third-party app somewhere that provides drivers for many scanners that don't have manufacturer support for OS X, but I can never remember what it's called...
David Azia said:
Thanks for your responses.

Indeed looking at the specs of the SuperDrive, the DVD writer is
painfully slow. I can't even imagine how long it would take to
write a 4.7GB DVD-R.

Thanks for the tips about the word-processing. I'll have a look at
Word - seeing as I am used to the interface on a Windows PC. It is
rather expensive, however.

As for the images, I was using a Canon EOS 10D until recently. I
sold it on eBay last night because I was unhappy with a number of
details - the tiny viewfinder being one of them. As a result, most
of the images will be scanned (medium format + 35mm).

David Azia
http://www.davidazia.com
Click to expand...
 
Hello David,

I'm the owner of the previous model of the one you're thinking of. I.e. the 15" PowerBook G4 with a Superdrive. Even if it only writes DVD's in 1x you really don't bother about it because you can do other things at the same time. The reason Apple set it to 1x instead of 2x is the stability, you can actually move the computer while it's writing it's DVD without risking damaging the disk. I've done that a few times. :-)

It seems that many of my PC-friends has fallen in love with the PowerBooks, during the last 3 months 3 of my friends has bought a PowerBook! Their reaction is so great to see, they are in love with their PowerBook! Even if the 12" is small you get a good 1024x768 pixles screen that is pin sharp! Perfect for digital images. I've used PowerBooks the last 4 years for my digital images and I find the monitor being more accurat then my Sony Trinitron 20" screen.

I work daily with Photoshop 7 (there's nothing better, maybe Photoshop 8 when it's released) and I also work with Microsoft Office. The reason I use Office is that it's more or less standard within the word processors, just like Photoshop is when it comes to digital images. The Office X package is great, but you can also buy Word seperatly if you don't use the rest of the Office package.

Good luck in your decision, I know you won't be disappointed if you buy a PowerBook! :-)

Petra
 
I have my own scanner, but it's only SCSI.

I'm planning on using the university facilities for scanning and printing, and they all run using Apple's.

Does anyone know where the cheapest place to buy Photoshop 7.0 is?

I definately won't be buying the software here in Switzerland - it goes for TWICE the price of Photoshop in the USA. Seeing as I will be in NYC during the month of August, I might as well purchase the Powerbook and various accessories and software over there.
 
The cheapest place to buy PS is through your academic outlets using your student ID. Possibly the same for getting the Powerbook and MS Office X too.

Many outlets for the computer have a promotion to get Office X for $180 (when purchased with a computer.) Another superb text editor is BB Edit (barebones.com), especially if you will also be doing any html editing.

For traveling use, the 12" should be awesome as is. If you are using it in a desktop environment, you can easily add an extra keyboard / mouse (like Logitech's wireless combo) and a larger monitor. Neither of these items need be made for the Mac.

The most versatile scanning software you'll find is Vuescan (look in versiontracker.com) as it supports an amazing number of old and new scanners. If you are connecting a newer scanner, definitely go for a Firewire unit. (Epson 1650 and 2450 work very well with OS X.) Just some extra ideas you might find handy.

--
Rory Ivers
Ivers Photo & Imaging
http://www.iversimaging.com
 
Thanks for your input.

My only problem is that I'll be studying in London, UK next year and I currently live in Geneva, Switzerland. From what I've seen, only US students qualify.

Office X for $180 sounds very interesting. Which outlets offer these cheap deals? I'll be in NYC during the month of August, so anything that might be found on the East coast is good.
 
Hi David,

good choice to take a PB 12". Regarding the Office X package, Apple had a special prive of around €220,- when buying a new Mac. This was also done by resellers like http://www.cyberport.de or http://www.gravis.de . Apple soled this also directly when buying a Mac at there store. Have a look if its still possible. Otherwise you can alsways buy as a student, which will also reduce the prcie of the Mac and software. Let me know if you need more information or help.

Regards

Ion

PS: Have fun with your new toy. Which camera replaced your Canon 10D? Just curious because I was thinking of getting a 10D myself.
 
Thanks for the links, I'll make sure the check them out.

For the moment there is a digital void, I haven't replaced the 10D with anything. I have a Leica M6, Hasselblad 501CM, and Canon EOS 5 so I've already got loads of equipment.

There were a number of things which I didn't like about the 10D, so I thought that I might as well just sell it whilst I can still get a good deal. As a result, I'll probably be using that money to pay for the Powerbook.

The 10D is a great camera, however for professional use it's a bit limiting. The viewfinder is quite a bit smaller than the EOS5 and can't even compare to the Hasselblad or Leica. Also, I found the workflow to be quite atrocious when it comes to speed.

During the G8 summit in Evian I spent the early morning hours working on my pictures and uploading them to the agency to which I contribute and I was TIRED. After four days of non-stop walking around and running, tear gas, rubber bullets and the HOT sun I was dead. Going to bed at 0530 in the morning and getting up at 1000. I just wish I had the money to buy a G5 AND the 10D (or anything better).
Ion said:
Hi David,

good choice to take a PB 12". Regarding the Office X package, Apple
had a special prive of around €220,- when buying a new Mac. This
was also done by resellers like http://www.cyberport.de or http://www.gravis.de .
Apple soled this also directly when buying a Mac at there store.
Have a look if its still possible. Otherwise you can alsways buy as
a student, which will also reduce the prcie of the Mac and
software. Let me know if you need more information or help.

Regards

Ion

PS: Have fun with your new toy. Which camera replaced your Canon
10D? Just curious because I was thinking of getting a 10D myself.
Click to expand...
 
Your welcome David. Nice equipment, really. I understand what you mean worklfow speed. If you where in Evian you must be comming around quite a lot. I thought about your question regarding word processing. And have an article from the site http://www.macnews.de which gives you an alternative to Office X, which you might want to consider until you can afford the complete package. Haven't tried it but maybe its worth a look. Anyway if I find something more interesting or a good offer for a PB 12" in form of a bundle, I will let you know.

ThinkFree Office jetzt in deutsch verfügbar

Das alternative office-Paket mit dem Namen "ThinkFree Office" ist eine kostengünstige Alternative zu Microsofts Office v.X., die aus den drei Modulen

Write (Textverarbeitung), Calc (Tabellenkalkulation) und Show (Präsentationsmodul) besteht. Diese erlauben jeweils das Öffnen und Schreiben von MS-Office-Dokumenten - .doc, .xls und .ppt sind die Standard-Speicherformate der ThinkFree Office-Dateien. Das Software Paket ist eine Java-Applikation und läuft dadurch unter Mac OS X sowie Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 und XP. ThinkFree Office ist bei einem Preis von 69 Euro gedacht für alle Anwender, die volle Kompatibilität zu einem günstigen Preis wünschen oder Macs und PCs in einer gemischten Umgebung unterhalten. ThinkFree positioniert sich daher nicht als Microsoft-Konkurrent, sondern als Anbieter einer preisgünstigen Lösung für die Anwender, die nicht die volle Funktionstiefe der Microsoft-Anwendungen benötigen. ThinkFree gibt den Funktionsumfang seiner Lösung mit 70% der Microsoft-Applikationen an.
 
David - I run on a new 12 inch iBook ( G3) and it is more than adequate, small and with 40 GB HD has plenty of room. I run PS 7 , iViewMedia PRO just fine.I have to interface with the PC world so MS Office OS X was manadatory.

ernie
David Azia said:
I'm seriously considering the Apple Powerbook G4 12in with 640mb
RAM and a 60GB drive. I'm favouring the SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW over
the standard Combo drive, because I often have to backup large
files which is time consuming on CD-R, a problem that would easily
be solved using a single DVD-R.

My main concern is, am I better sticking with a PC (genre, Sony
Vaio 12in) or will the Apple fulfuill my requirements?

My main requirements are portability and durability. I travel a lot
with my laptop and the lighter and tougher the package the better.
I'm a journalism student so a good keyboard is essential, as is the
audio input to digitise sound bytes.

Because I'm also a photographer, I require a powerful little
package that can work comfortably with Photoshop 7.0 for basic
image work (levels, curves, colour balance, etc.). Also, what is
the best word-processing software available for Apple computers?
Click to expand...
 
David Azia said:
I'm seriously considering the Apple Powerbook G4 12in with 640mb
RAM and a 60GB drive. I'm favouring the SuperDrive DVD-R/CD-RW over
the standard Combo drive, because I often have to backup large
files which is time consuming on CD-R, a problem that would easily
be solved using a single DVD-R.

My main concern is, am I better sticking with a PC (genre, Sony
Vaio 12in) or will the Apple fulfuill my requirements?

My main requirements are portability and durability. I travel a lot
with my laptop and the lighter and tougher the package the better.
I'm a journalism student so a good keyboard is essential, as is the
audio input to digitise sound bytes.

Because I'm also a photographer, I require a powerful little
package that can work comfortably with Photoshop 7.0 for basic
image work (levels, curves, colour balance, etc.). Also, what is
the best word-processing software available for Apple computers?
Click to expand...
As a student I assume price is a serious consideration. As others have replied to you, both the 12 inch Powerbook and the 12 inch iBook are great machines. As a long time Mac user and as an owner of a new 12 Sony VAIO (I have owned a prior model in the past), I think you actually get more value from a Mac. Better included software, and better price. The 12 inch VAIO is actually $500 more than the 15 inch VAIO -- an odd but common situation these days in the laptop market. My Sony was about $1800 and came with a combo drive rather than a superdrive. For the same price you can get a Powerbook with superdrive, or an iBook with superdrive and MS Office X and perhaps still have change. And my Sony did not come with Office! It is a hot seller and is not discounted or packaged with much software.

Where to buy? Check http://www.dealmac.com frequently, since there are occasionally good deals available that can save a few bucks. It is quite common to find Office X for about $275 -- a legal copy with no strings attached. Not sure why anyone would pay the $500 that several people have mentioned.

I only got the Sony since my office does not speak Mac. If it had been up to me, I would have purchased the 12 inch Powerbook.

And if you are only doing "basic image work" seriously consider Photoshop Elements -- you get 75 percent of Photoshop features for about 20 percent of the price. You pay $100, easily qualify for a $30 rebate if you have any kind of older image software, and both the Mac and PC versions are on the same installation CD. if you qualify for a student discount. probably cheaper yet.

--
Steve
Canon G2 & S230, Mac OS X 10.2.6, Epson 785EPX, Epson 2450,
pbase supporter
 
Price is a consideration, but I don't want to make the same mistake of buying a cheap laptop and having it die on me two years later. First the optical drive failed and then the screen died on me. Now the network port is having difficulties. An expensive paperweight.

I've managed to find a cheap deal for Microsoft Office X in English, for US$ 206. It's a special student deal in Switzerland.

I have tried Photoshop Elements, and I can't stand the user interface. I'd much rather stick to Photoshop 7.0 because I also often use the more advanced features.
Steve Macaulay said:
--
Steve
Canon G2 & S230, Mac OS X 10.2.6, Epson 785EPX, Epson 2450,
pbase supporter
Click to expand...
 
I have the 12" PB. It's great for images (not editing per se) but storing and viewing images on the road and in the field. I shoot a Nikon D100 and have a CRT with a dual 1.42 back at the office. I would never do 'real' editing on the 12" as the monitor (to me) is not close to being accurate BUT it is good to look at. Overall, I really like the 12". I did not get the SuperDrive as I have a SD on my desktop and network the two when I'm back at office.
David Azia said:
I've managed to find a cheap deal for Microsoft Office X in
English, for US$ 206. It's a special student deal in Switzerland.

I have tried Photoshop Elements, and I can't stand the user
interface. I'd much rather stick to Photoshop 7.0 because I also
often use the more advanced features.
David Azia said:
--
Steve
Canon G2 & S230, Mac OS X 10.2.6, Epson 785EPX, Epson 2450,
pbase supporter
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Knox (Nikon D1oo and C-5o5o) pbase supporter
http://www.pbase.com/streetkid

 
Knox / streetkid said:
I have the 12" PB. It's great for images (not editing per se) but
storing and viewing images on the road and in the field. I shoot a
Nikon D100 and have a CRT with a dual 1.42 back at the office. I
would never do 'real' editing on the 12" as the monitor (to me) is
not close to being accurate BUT it is good to look at. Overall, I
really like the 12". I did not get the SuperDrive as I have a SD
on my desktop and network the two when I'm back at office.
Click to expand...
I have to agree. The TFP screen is not usable to do real image editing.

But you can connect your iBook to a real screen (calibrated) to do serious editing.
 
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