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Asus W5A vs. Apple iBook G4 12"

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SD-Ness

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I want a small, portable, low-functioning laptop for moving around campus and traveling. I'm looking at the two models in the title the Asus W5A and the Apple iBook G4 (12" version.) If anyone else has recommendations as to other models tell me.

Does anyone have an opinion on either of these two computers? I'm not sure which to get. The price difference is about $600 (the Asus being $1600 and iBook being $999.) The Asus is a tad smaller, lighter and has some extra functions. Both look pretty nice.

What do you think?
 
I was expecting the Asus to cost at least $100 less than the iBook...

iBook's biggest advantage is OSX...

If I had the money, between these two I'd have to pick the iBook...
 
PotatoeMasher said:
I was expecting the Asus to cost at least $100 less than the iBook...

iBook's biggest advantage is OSX...

If I had the money, between these two I'd have to pick the iBook...
Click to expand...
Appleworks comes with iBook, right? What type of files are used by that program/suite? Are they compatible with a windows machine? Like MS's .doc's?

I am a complete Apple newbie.
 
SD-Ness said:
Appleworks comes with iBook, right? What type of files are used by that program/suite? Are they compatible with a windows machine? Like MS's .doc's?

I am a complete Apple newbie.
Click to expand...

AppleWorks comes with the iBook, and you can save files in Word and Excel format (and others I think, but I only use Word and Excel). So switching from a Windows PC to OSX is easier than ever.

DO IT. DO IT NOW.
 
I'm surprised the Asus is more expensive too. The iBook is a great little computer though, very light and functional for most things anyone would want to do, and OS X is a wonderfully intuitive operating system. I'm not sure if AppleWorks comes with it or not, but personally, I'm not a big fan of AppleWorks, and last time I used it, it had no real cross platform functionality. May have changed in newer versions.

Two things to consider, if you are a student, you can get an education discount at the Apple Online store, or in one of their retail stores with your student ID. Would save you another $100 on the iBook price. Also, many universities provide you with a copy of Microsoft Office for a minimal price. The University I worked at before recently moving gave it to students for free, and the one my gf currently attends sells it for $15. Perhaps you can get the full Office suite through your school. Mac Office is excellent and works cross platform quite nicely.
 
I have a two-year-old Asus S5N, which looks just like that one except for the latch at the top. The only difference, as far as I can tell, is that instead of a 1.5 GHz processor, this one gets the formerly optional 1.6 standard. It's a great computer, but I'm surprised that it has changed so little since I got mine.

The two major weight-saving concessions in this computer are the battery and the optical drive. The battery is very slim, lightweight, but only lasts about 2-3 hours depending on what you're doing with it. I popped $100 for a much heavier one, but now get 7-9 hours. As for the optical drive, there isn't one - at least not in the computer. There's an external one that connects through a USB port, but it's flimsy and easily damaged.

If you can live with that, then the benefits of a Windows machine might outweigh the negatives. It's a great, efficient little computer.
 
It should be noted, after reading the post above, that the iBook battery, out of the box should get you between 4 and 5 hours of battery life, and the DVD/CD-RW drive is built in.

What are these "benefits of a Windows machine" that you speak of? ;)
 
I'd get the Asus just cuz the iBook will be slow as crap. You might not notice it just playing around with it for a little, but when you really start to use it, you're gonna be like... "wtf... why is this so slow", if you're used to a windows machine.
 
retardboy said:
I'd get the Asus just cuz the iBook will be slow as crap. You might not notice it just playing around with it for a little, but when you really start to use it, you're gonna be like... "wtf... why is this so slow", if you're used to a windows machine.
Click to expand...

yeah as your ambition to run more and more grows that ibook is gonna perform like turd.
 
DonasaurusRex said:
yeah as your ambition to run more and more grows that ibook is gonna perform like turd.
Click to expand...

The Asus has a processor in the same general speed range.

I'd get the iBook. I have the same size Powerbook, and they've upgraged the iBook to the point where it's almost as good as the Powerbook. Spring for some extra memory, though, and a DVD burner is convenient, if you have the cash.
 
DVD burners are standard in iBooks now, right?

Reasons to buy an iBook:

* OSX - user-friendly and no viruses spyware, or at least not much
* It's sexy
* It's light
* The battery lasts for hours and hours
* Slot-loading disc drive <3
* Apple customer service
* Did I mention it's sexy?
 
iBooks look great, but that whole incredibly outdated processor thing would keep me from buying a current one.

Pentium M powered iBooks for the win.
 
If you're planning to get a MAC wait for the Macintel switch. A lot of developers said that there's a huge improvment in preformance over the PPC technology. Then you'd be able to run both OSX and Windows on the same machnie and not have a huge preformance hit like the trying to run XP in virtual PC on a PB. If you need a laptop right now, go for the Asus.
 
EGM92 said:
If you're planning to get a MAC wait for the Macintel switch. A lot of developers said that there's a huge improvment in preformance over the PPC technology. Then you'd be able to run both OSX and Windows on the same machnie and not have a huge preformance hit like the trying to run XP in virtual PC on a PB. If you need a laptop right now, go for the Asus.
Click to expand...

The switch to Intel will not come until next May/June. That's still a long ways to wait if you need a laptop now. On top of that, the Powerbooks will most likely be the first Apple laptops to see the switch. iBooks may take awhile. The one knock I do have on the iBook is that the screen could be brighter at times. Still, for the money, it is plenty fast for most activies, and is a nice little machine.

EGM92: Why do you insist on calling it MAC (all caps as if it's an acronym) It's simply a Mac. Short for Macintosh. As in the Apple.
 
New PowerBooks and PowerMacs are heavily rumoured to be coming this month, along with the 5th Gen. iPods. Updates to the PowerBooks are long overdue, and Steve Jobs said there would 'exciting' PowerPC stuff before the Intel switch.

I'd hang on a bit and see what happens, and what updates they make to the 12" PowerBook which is a very nice little laptop.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1298
 
Kung Fu Jedi said:
EGM92: Why do you insist on calling it MAC (all caps as if it's an acronym) It's simply a Mac. Short for Macintosh. As in the Apple.
Click to expand...

I don't really do it on purpose, I'm just REALLY lazy sometimes, MAC or Mac or mac it's just the same shit with a different smell.
 
EGM92 said:
If you're planning to get a MAC wait for the Macintel switch. A lot of developers said that there's a huge improvment in preformance over the PPC technology. Then you'd be able to run both OSX and Windows on the same machnie and not have a huge preformance hit like the trying to run XP in virtual PC on a PB. If you need a laptop right now, go for the Asus.
Click to expand...

^
Don't listen. Buy an iBook now. It's a good laptop.

And one piece of advice: DON'T buy 1st gen Apple products. They have a lot of technical faults. Wait a while before buying a new one. So, if you buy an iBook now, you can upgrade to a Macintel iBook in about a year and a half, and you'll still be able to sell your G4 for like $700.
 
I just got a 12'' ibook and I couldn't be more happy with it. OSX is just so damn nice. Everything about it just makes more sense than Windows. It comes with AppleWorks, but more importantly, a 'trial' of Pages and Keynote. You're gonna want to get a mouse though, the single button is pretty ridiculous.

And it's not like your ibook is gonna stop working when the intel processors come out. It's not going to affect you really.
 
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