(no subject)

[ewx]

I'm thinking of buying an Apple laptop - probably a 14" iBook. Yes, the Powerbooks look very pretty, but I'm not convinced that they give me anything I need enough to be worth paying the extra for. Main applications: computing outside the computer room/outside home; software development; games (especially Starcraft). I'll add a wireless card to the house firewall.

If all goes well I'm going to double-grade in next month's Karate grading, having been largely training with people one grade up anyway. I'm practising the extra bits I'll need lots at home...

Anyone who's tried to phone us at home lately will have been disappointed as our phone line isn't working properly. LNR contacted NTL about it during the week (but has gone away for the weekend and if NTL did anything as a result it hasn't helped). Mobiles are still working.

I spent some time in the garden pulling up weeds in the lawn. After about 45m it was visibly better but still looks a bit neglected. More tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

Comments

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

Buying a low-powered Apple with one of the applications in mind being games seems a little odd to me. I suppose if Starcraft is the main game you're interested in then it's probably OK, but it's hardly going to be up to playing Doom 3, even if it ever comes out for Apple.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

The latest greatest games will be on the latest greatest PC hardware of the time, or at least I assume so; they can wait for my next desktop upgrade.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

I was never sure of the merits of the 14" ibook over the 12", since their resolutions are the same - unless you have an aversion to physically small screens. Whichever you pick, though, I've had a 12" ibook for 3 years now, and it's been pretty bulletproof - surviving a fair number of drops onto hard surfaces. :)

iBooks are also less chilly on bare legs when you first turn them on...

[pjc50.livejournal.com]

I've had a 12" iBook for about 18 months, and have now more or less abandoned it in favour of a Compaq running Linux. OSX is nice, but in the end I found I was only using it for iTunes and iPhoto (both of which are far better than Linux equivalents). ssh and mozilla go better when you have middle-button-paste and right-click menus. OSX also eats RAM - it was horrendously slow until I got the 512Mb upgrade. The Ethernet and Wifi autodetection and management software is great - it Just Works.

If you want a 700MHz 12" iBook w/o a DVD drive, then make me an offer on mine ...

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

Richard, I may be biased as a Mac user of long standing, but if you get the chance of a 14-inch iBook then go for it. Okay, not much cop for games (more to do with the shortage of software than any electronic shortcomings) but great for everything else, and thoroughly reliable. The 12-inch variety that brrm mentions isn't a bad option either. And you can always bung VirtualPC on the hard drive if you must run any BillyWare.
Tip - as regards wireless connectivity with iBooks, there's a card made by IBM that is half the cost of an Apple Airport card and works just jim dandy with anything beyond OS9.1. Worth looking out for on eBay or possibly in uk.adverts.computer.mac .

[acronym.livejournal.com]

Just as extra data, the persuasive arguments (for me) for a PB over an iBook are;

i) does monitor spanning out the box without having to perform OpenFirmware incantations;
ii) FireWire 800;
iii) more MHz;
iv) actually has a microphone jack if you're stuck for an audio interface in an emergency.

though ii) and iii) are probably only (and iv), definitely) relevant if you're going to be stupid enough to use it for heavyweight real-time multitrack audio foo.

The Mac expo in Paris this week might be interesting; rumours of revisions won't go away. Apparently code appeared in the Darwin kernel which hints at a Powerbook revision.

[wednesday]

Don't make any decisions until the end of the week. I know they're only meant to be announcing the G5 iMacs, but price shifts and stuff have been known to happen.

[(Anonymous)]

Did ya get it yet, did ya get it?

I think you're making the right choice, so no further advice from me. Oh - it should run MAME fine, by the way. The best games are the old ones!

Hope you're well and all

Greg Harewood

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Did ya get it yet, did ya get it?

I think you're making the right choice, so no further advice from me. Oh - it should run MAME fine, by the way. The best games are the old ones!

Hope you're well and all

Greg Harewood <gregharewood<u>SPONG</u>mac.com>

[ewx.livejournal.com]

Long time no see. I've not bought it yet, but perhaps soon.