Apple Powerbook or wait for Intel Centrino lineup

[CZroe]

that vpr notebook look freakin sweet, pretty thin too

How can you say that?! It's not thin and it's the looks that I was referring to as being bad.

No offense, but you do not have a clue what you are saying about the VPR Matrix machine. Do a search on the net for reviews. It beat out the top of the line Dell and HP's when it was introduced. I agree that the aesthetics give way to a little bit of the functionality, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Price for price, this cannot be beat.

What aesthetics?! That's exactly what's wrong with it. For a wide-screen and a slot loading drive they made the thing look and feel horrible! It's the aesthetics I was referring to. Not the price/performance ratio. The reviews are MIND BOGGLINGLY biased. Just because it's made by Porche and it has two special features it all of a sudden has "nothing wrong with it." The whole thing feels like some cheap enthusiast's mod job so you can't really expect to see it bad-mouthed. Are you SURE you own one and yet didn't know what I was talking about? Use one firsthand like I did. They're on display at every Best Buy...

 

[Ioman]

Originally posted by: CZroe

that vpr notebook look freakin sweet, pretty thin too

How can you say that?! It's not thin and it's the looks that I was referring to as being bad.

No offense, but you do not have a clue what you are saying about the VPR Matrix machine. Do a search on the net for reviews. It beat out the top of the line Dell and HP's when it was introduced. I agree that the aesthetics give way to a little bit of the functionality, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Price for price, this cannot be beat.

What aesthetics?! That's exactly what's wrong with it. For a wide-screen and a slot loading drive they made the thing look and feel horrible! It's the aesthetics I was referring to. Not the price/performance ratio. The reviews are MIND BOGGLINGLY biased. Just because it's made by Porche and it has two special features it all of a sudden has "nothing wrong with it." The whole thing feels like some cheap enthusiast's mod job so you can't really expect to see it bad-mouthed. Are you SURE you own one and yet didn't know what I was talking about? Use one firsthand like I did. They're on display at every Best Buy...

hehe I have to laugh. You are entitled to your opinion. I DO own one, and I am typing on it as we speak. The laptop is designed by F.A. Porsche, which is a design firm (Samsung uses them too in case you didn't know) not the car German car company like you think. I find it funny that you think the reviews are biased because there is no way you can prove that at all. Performance wise, the VPR Matrix performs better than 99% of the laptops on the market. It IS thinner than most laptops as well and does look very new age with the silver design and the wide screen. If most people didn't think this then why are they giving the design praise? Why did Lex use it on a couple episodes of Smallville? So the because you think is a "mod job" that is why people are not knocking it? Man no offense but you are shallow. You have people praising it, good reviews, Smallville using it on their show and me, who reviews laptops for a living all saying how good this laptop is, yet you say we are all wrong. LOL If that's the case, you might as well bash the Apple G4 titanium and all of its fans, because obviously they don't have taste either

 

[Ioman]

No more comments? Did we help the original poster?

 

[smp]

No offense Ioman, but I don't like the looks of the vpr either .. it looks like a wannabe TiBook, but that's just me.

Apple or PC?
Hmm... hardware shouldn't be the only thing in question.
Which OS do you prefer?
To some .. OSX > Windows
To others .. Windows > OSX
I think that your preference _should_ be a big factor in your decision. If you're a *nix guy, I think the choice is obvious

edit: I also wouldn't trust any media hype about banias. Wingnutz I'de trust, but otherwise ... expect any claims to underwhelm you. Unfortunately, this is a trend in the PC hardware world *coughfxcough*

 

[Ioman]

Originally posted by: smp
No offense Ioman, but I don't like the looks of the vpr either .. it looks like a wannabe TiBook, but that's just me.

Apple or PC?
Hmm... hardware shouldn't be the only thing in question.
Which OS do you prefer?
To some .. OSX > Windows
To others .. Windows > OSX
I think that your preference _should_ be a big factor in your decision. If you're a *nix guy, I think the choice is obvious

I agree, I would choose my OS then go from there. I guess from a design standpoint while the VPR Matrix might not look as good as the Apple counterpart, it is as close to the Apple design as a Windows based PC can get. Designs from HP/Compaq, Toshiba, Dell etc... seem to be bland at best. Do not forget that the 200A5 from VPR Matrix does perform well.

Maybe the Centrino is work waiting for? It sounds like you would get slimmer laptops and better battery consumption.

BTW, I changed my post two above this one. Sorry for sounding harsh.

 

[Mbonus]

I would consider the VPR if it could be configured with a better video card. I think it is cr@p that you can't customize these things. I really would like to get a lappy with a widescreen display and this VPR and Powerbooks are the only games in town.

Best Regards.

M

 

[GizmoFreak]

I know this thread is old, but here's some dude at the Washington Post testing a preproduction Centrino Dell.

Link

 

[NeoMadHatter]

yea, we need to see some reviews on these centrino laptops. kinda fishy. i wish i had enough money to afford a powerbook.

 

[ed21x]

I suggest the Apple Powerbook titanium g4 just cuz there was a really fine girl on my dorm floor last year that used it, and the combination of her and the book was just dead sexy.

 

[lclemente98]

I'm a network administrator.
I work in a TOTALLY windows shop.
When I first started working in IT, i was a die-hard windows advocate.

after 5 years on the job,

I have purchased an Imac and LOVE it.

Apple sells computers as a whole package. OS X is a BIG part of that package.

It's GUI is simple and intuitive. It's UNIX core is a totally new interface I am excited about learning to use.

Thing about the Powerbooks, the 1 thing that puts them above and beyond Pentium laptops is the fact that they are capable of running the OS X operating system.

What's so great about OS X you ask?

1: quartz.

Apple decided to integrate OpenGL and PDF technology into the desktop window system. The different windows on the screen are actually 3d models. What's the advantage of this, other than a really cool looking desktop? The OpenGL technology allows the Video card to take over much of the regular windowing work, sparing CPU cycles for applications.

2: Stability.

Windows XP and Windows 2000 are very stable operating systems. OS X is more stable, and that says a lot.

3: The Ilife suite.

This is a software package wich comes with new macs. Let me tell you, it's easy to use, Very clear and crisp results, and it's the most fun thing in the world to hook up your video camera and make it into a DVD.

4: Ichat.

This is one of the only 3rd party AOL chat clients that I'll swear by. it's pretty, you can chat with people while leaving up your away message.

5: Fire wire 800.

That's 800+mbps. USB 2.0 is 480mbps.

6: They already have 802.11G capability. 802.11G is wireless ethernet, which is compatible with both 802.11a and 802.11b technologies. In english: Your wireless internet will work in many more places.

 

[hans007]

Originally posted by: illmustard
I'm in the market for a new slim laptop. I've had my eye on the 15" Powerbook G4, but heard of the talks of the new Intel Centrino lineup of laptops that will hit the market in a few months. How will these laptops compare to the Powerbooks? (in thickness and weight i mean) I'm not too concerned about GHz, since the new Intel Centrino laptops will perform in lines of a PIII. I'm more concerned about the weight and thickness factors. Any suggestions will be appreciated.


btw, to all you mac haters, yeah they are expensive, but they are still bada$$!

the alluminum g5 powerbooks are supposedly on the horizon, or so a friend who wants to sell his inspiron 8200 says.

 

[MadRat]

Originally posted by: lclemente98

What's so great about OS X you ask?
1: quartz.
Apple decided to integrate OpenGL and PDF technology into the desktop window system. The different windows on the screen are actually 3d models. What's the advantage of this, other than a really cool looking desktop? The OpenGL technology allows the Video card to take over much of the regular windowing work, sparing CPU cycles for applications.

But in Windows multiple 2D frames are cached by the video card. I'm not sure why it'd be an improvement except for cosmetic reasons.

Originally posted by: lclemente98

4: Ichat.
This is one of the only 3rd party AOL chat clients that I'll swear by. it's pretty, you can chat with people while leaving up your away message.

ICQ has always done this. You can be in "invisible" mode and still chat/message your friends. If AIM and Microsoft's IM is all you've tried, go back and try the original instant messaging. The ICQ 2002b client is a good version, as was the 98. It'd skip the versions in between.