Refurbs? Think Small. SmallDog.com
"BARE facts on Macintosh speed FEATS"
|
Replace Desktop Macs? |
|
Posted 9/18/03 by
Rob-ART,
mad scientist Many of you asked to see more tests comparing the latest PowerBooks with recent G4 and G5 Power Macs. You wrote me that you can't decide which to buy to replace your older Mac. I think some of that confusion is the fault of Apple management when they announce that PowerBook sales are going up while Power Mac sales have gone down (second and third quarters of this year). They've made statements like "Apple is ahead of the industry in the transition to portables," and "For more and more customers these PowerBooks represent no compromise." The implication is that PowerBooks are a viable alternative to all desktops including Power Macs. "No compromise"? The PowerBook is all about compromise. Compared to the newer Power Macs, it has limited clock speed, limited graphics, limited memory, limited disk space, and very limited options for expansion. Why? It has to be small and light. On the other hand, the G4 and G5 Power Macs offer generous expansion options. No compromise there.
ANALYSIS As you can see from the graphs, the PowerBooks lag behind the newest desktops in speed. If you need a "professional grade" computer that can get things done in a hurry, you better hope the PowerBook isn't your only computer. I'm not saying the PowerBooks are junk. I love mine. It's my "Mini Cooper S." But when I have "real work" to do, I use my Dual G4 "BMW M5" (or soon to arrive Dual G5 "BMW M6"). As for Power Mac sales trends, I think they were down because we were all waiting for the G5. I predict the fourth quarter earnings will tell a very different story. The PowerBooks are wonderful and will continue to sell strong but I doubt if they will steal sales from the G5 line. If you are a 3D gamer, take a look at how the PowerBooks do on PAGE TWO. |
SPEED TEST RESULTS complete listing by Category
HOT DEALS on speed upgrades
"BARE facts on Macintosh speed FEATS"
Email webmaster at rob-art@barefeats.com
(Bare Feats is hosted on a Macintosh server by MacDock.com)
Has Bare Feats helped you? Say "thanks"... with a donation.