New I-book, ibook vs powerbook Options

[14Angel]

I'm just about to buy a MAC notebook and I'm still trying to decide whether to go for an ibook or a powerbook. If I were going for the Ibook. It would be the new 1.2 GHz G4 with 512MB and a superdrive.

The alternative is a 15" Powerbook, but this works out at least 600 EUR more even if I just go for an upgraded 15" Combo (512MB RAM, superdrive).

I know the backlit keyboard is nice (and also extra) but I basically seem to be paying an extra 33% for a slightly faster processor (1.33 GHz vs 1.2 GHz) and a faster type of RAM and system bus.

I know there used to be quite a difference between ibooks and powerbooks, but it seems to me (though undoubtably a newcomer to MACs) that with the recently launched models the difference has now become quite slim.

Any opinions? Should I go for an even higher RAM spec (I plan to use it for basic digital recording and as a synth/sampler/noise looper)?

[14Angel]

Hi Jofferman. Apart from some initial teething problems ( I had to send the ibook back twice to get the superdrive fixed), it's been working out fine. I've just completed assembling my working configuration; I spread the purchases to correspond with my cashflow! which is a 768MB RAM ibook 1.25Ghz CPU with Mbox/Protools and a 160GB firewall external drive. From reading your post on Getting Started it looks like your requirements are much greater than mine at the moment as I am only recording on a couple of tracks. With regards to resource usage, I've had some problems on protools when using a lot of plugins on tracks etc. Most of these date back to the time when I was recording straight onto the ibook hard drive. It also may have been due to my not spending any time on configuring CPU usage parameters, etc.

Though I have no experience using Powerbooks, I still stand my opinion that on the basis of numbers, there is very little difference between the ibook and the 15" powerbook. What you seem to be paying for is the snazzier design and more
ports (many of which seem to be for video). The new ibooks are pretty snazzy anyway and I've got over the lack of a backlit keyboard! Best of luck in whatever you go for.