[P1] 12" PowerBook vs iBook Tests in Macworld

Joost van de Griek joost at jvdg.net
Wed Mar 12 04:00:56 PST 2003


On 2003-03-12 02:20, "Jerome Williams" <will7403 at mac.com> wrote:

> On 3/11/03 7:00 PM, "Jack Rodgers" <jackrodgers at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
>> Those extra $500 bucks deliver a little more in the performance
>> department.
>
> Yes, I do not doubt your facts.  However, the speed odometer on my car
> registers up to 120 mphs, that does mean I can drive that fast.  No one doubts
> the 12" PB is faster than the iBook.  The real question will you need or even
> use that added performance.  For me, the $500 wasn't worth the added
> performance, performance that I would never use.  I already own a G4 Cube and
> never really tapped the true performance capabilities of the machine. I'm sure
> I'm not alone.  The same argument can be made for those Intel users who spout
> the MHZ numbers.  Average Joe computer users, surfs the web, does email, does
> word processing and plays video games.  Does he really need a 3 GHZ machine.
> Markerting reps says yes, but reality says no.

Even Average Joe couldn't do his daily routine on a computer from 1984, so
your argument is only valid up to a point. No doubt that most users never
use all the horsepower of today's machines, but then again, most users don't
even own today's machines; they have older computers.

Then again, there are always those that can use every last bit of computing
power. When I type "ant" on my iBook, CPU and HD usage go up to 100%, and
stay like that for some 5 minutes. I hope that with the new 12" PowerBook,
they will be like that for only 2.5 minutes. That should save me much
twiddling of thumbs during a day. I'm sure there are others who can save
time in a similar manner by having a computer that is simply much faster
than what they have today.

> I bought the iBook not because I needed a faster machine, I just needed
> mobile computing.  I was tired of being tied to one room of my house to surf
> the net, check my email and write emails like this one.  Oh yeah, I wanted a
> computer that was designed to take a little abuse.  The iBook was the
> perfect, cost effective choice.

It was for me, too, a year and a half ago. Didn't want or need the "bulky"
TiBook, so I went for small, and sturdy. Now that small and sturdy is
available with much more horsepower...

PS: Please don't quote the entire list footer in your replies, it gives me
RSI from all the scrolling to get to the actual content. ;-)

,xtG
.tsooJ
-- 
Real programmers always mix up Halloween
and Christmas, because Oct 31 == Dec 25
-- 
Joost van de Griek
<http://www.jvdg.net/>



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