Computer Woes

[toomuchplor]

Okay, so -- here's the deal:

1) Two and a half years ago (or thereabouts) I bought a shiny new iBook G4. It was my firstest laptop and my firstest Mac and we quickly developed an inappropriate bond of pure love. I did, however, keep my languishing old PC desktop because it has some software I need that doesn't run on Mac OS. However, it is dusty and stanky and I would like to unload it as soon as I can.

2) Because I use this iBook exclusively, for both work and play, it is old beyond its years. The Y key is trying to flee the keyboard entirely, the battery hatch is crotchety and flighty, and lately the iBook's PMU has been an utter arse -- I've had to reset it three times and the newest charming symptom is that the computer won't 'wake up' from sleep. Instead, it goes unresponsive and plays dead, so I have to reboot it over and over. The iBook's hard drive is laughably tiny (60GB -- "THERE ARE IPODS WITH BIGGER HDS!" my brother shouts) and its processor doesn't do a great job of keeping up with everything I'd like it to do. (I don't blame Apple for any of this, mind you -- for a laptop, the iBook is getting up in years and I have used the shit out of this thing and it's generally been marvelous. It's just getting oooold.) Clearly, I needed to shell out for a proper PowerBook in the first place instead of trying to get this little economy model to behave like a workhorse. However, I could barely afford this one at the time, so... *shrug*.

3) I have a wee bit of money saved up from my hectic working autumn season and I'm thinking I can afford a new computer. Keeping in mind that new Macs now can run PC software (and I can thusly actually rid myself of the old PC finally), I'm a bit flummoxed as to what I should do. Should I get a second Mac, a desktop version? For less than a new MacBook Pro (which is the new workhorse laptop) I could get more processor power, a bigger HD, and the new Leopard platform which will let me run my old PC software. Or should I just replace my little iBook? Again, I can't afford a MacBook Pro, so I'd be stuck with another econo model laptop trying to do the duties of a workhorse -- but I'd only have one computer and it'd be simpler to manage files, etc.

(The MacBook Air isn't an option, as it really wouldn't work without a lot of peripheral crap like USB ethernet ports and a USB SuperDrive, and it's too expensive anyway and grr - Apple, could you be ANY MORE ANNOYING WITH YOUR SHINY NEW PRETTIES? Sigh.)

The price difference isn't huge between the two options, only about $50. I can't reasonably expect to have enough money to buy a new laptop to replace the iBook for another year at least, maybe longer, so buying an iMac would mean living with the sad little iBook for a while yet. On the other hand, having a second machine would mean I could take a bit of pressure off the iBook, transferring files and some less-used programs off its beleaguered HD. I also have a USB 500GB external HD I could permanently hook up to the new iMac and have tons of file space to spare there.

[Poll #1135828]

Comments

[apple-pi.livejournal.com]

I vote for a MacBook. I have one (have had for a while now - over a year? I think?) and I love and adore it. My only complaint has been that I've had to replace the power cord twice. (I liked the magnetic attachment thing, that's nice, since my kids keep tripping over the cord and yanking it out, and the magnetic attachment ensures that nothing goes "snap." But the wire just beside the attachment gets bent and frays and... replaced it. Twice.) Otherwise, I loooooove this thing. It's lightweight, very quick speeds, sharp images, and very hardy - I've bashed it around Europe and the States and it's always come through beautifully.

I have an external hard drive for movies and such, but that said, I can store a TON of crap on this baby - and I do.

Anyway, that's my vote.

[juno.livejournal.com]

I'm voting for the Macbook as that's what you seem to really use (given the current state of your iBook) I only have laptops as that's what I really use - no point to me to be forced to sit at a desk.

If you can - save up some more to buy the bigger HD on the Macbook.

[inkscribe.livejournal.com]

If your iBook was still behaving properly, I'd say go for some desktop version with a big drive on it ... you can have it doing misc. whilst traipsing about. (Mine has played dead a handful of times too, but rarely. I had assumed it was due to the extreme cold ... I've had to haul it around even in this weather.)

I mean, I've still got a Pismo that's hanging on there by a thread (erm, if you're new to Mac at the iBook stage then, lemme see ... that's about an 8 or 9-year old Mac PowerBook) and it definitely has power management problems that basically make it impossible to use as a true laptop, but with a replacement power cord and a USB drive, it does okay ... and the kids make great use of it.

For lower-end Mac desktops, I've used and quite like both the current iMac and macMini ... solid OS and cheap. I've got one mini doing work 24/7 and doing so brilliantly without fail. I bought the iMac recently as a recycled demo model, so got a few hundred knocked off the retail. It was still new enough to qualify for AppleCare, so as far as I'm concerned, it was a great 'risk'.

[terrio]

I was going to suggest a Mac Mini (which I desperately covet to replace my 7-year-old G4 tower and its 40 GB hard drive that has been making horrifying grinding noises and scaring the crap out of me), but then you'd have to buy a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Unless you could use the PC's monitor or something? Keyboard/mouse combos aren't very expensive...

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

Normally I'm all in favor of laptops over desktops, but at work I switched to a crummy laptop (new office is only on laptops, old office is only desk tops) and I'll take the tower and non-portable but powerful desk top any day now. So if you're okay with the lack of mobility, then I'd go for the option that gives you a lot more power.

[elgraves.livejournal.com]

My MacBook is pretty hardy. I pretty much take it everywhere I go. I've had it for 8 month now with no problems. It's as good as new.

[black-siren.livejournal.com]

I just think that the portability is more useful to you.