Member Avatar for Skipper O Shiel

Hi there! :)
i dont know which of the two to get (powerbook or iBook), also i am unsure of what size to get i fear the 12" could be tedious to the eyes after a few hours.

I would appreciate any advive :cheesy:Skipper

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This thread already has useful points from , and . The core decision is not just “iBook vs PowerBook” but which machine fits the editing workflow you expect over a semester. Below is a short, practical buying checklist and a compact two‑drive editing workflow so the choice is based on real needs rather than model myths.

Before buying, check these items for any candidate machine:

  • Project profile: typical clip length, expected delivery format (tape-based DV vs file-based cameras).
  • Upgradability: maximum RAM and whether the hard drive is user‑replaceable (more RAM and faster drives matter more than brand).
  • Ports and throughput: presence of FireWire (400/800) or fast USB for realtime capture and external drives.
  • Display and external monitor behavior: confirm resolution and whether the video-out supports extended desktop for editing.
  • Storage and backups: whether the machine has space for a working drive plus easy attachment of an external RAID or single-disk backup.

Estimate storage from the capture format so you avoid running out mid-project. For example, standard DV consumes roughly 11–14 GB per hour depending on format (NTSC vs PAL); see . Plan an external edit drive with at least 2x your expected footage for headroom, plus a second drive for archiving.

Simple two-drive workflow (works well on a laptop):

  • Capture/import to an external FireWire/USB drive.
  • Edit from that external drive (keeps internal disk free).
  • Copy final project to an archive drive and make optical/DVD backups if needed.

If editing will be frequent and projects get long, prefer the faster/upgradeable machine or a desktop workstation; for light edits and strict portability, the smaller machine can work. Note that iBook/PowerBook lines are discontinued — check current Mac options and software compatibility before buying (iBook, PowerBook).

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Member Avatar for yellow

Telling us what you need it for would be a good start.

Member Avatar for Skipper O Shiel

i need it for college assignments: word processing and movie editing

Member Avatar for yellow

iBooks are cheaper and lighter and have better battery life. Powerbooks are sexier. Powerbooks are "faster" (they have faster processors) and have faster componants.

For movie editing, you're going to want a larger screen, the iBook only goes to 14". You can hook up an external monitor to both, but the iBook is supposed to only support mirroring so we're talking 1024x768, however there's a spanning hack that might allow higer resolution.

Member Avatar for gortonsfi

Cool tip about the spanning.

Member Avatar for Phaelax

If you must get a laptop for movie editing, get the powerbook. But those only come with 100gb harddrive and 1.67mhz. My friend goes to school for movie editing, and he uses the dual G4 tower with close to a terabyte of harddrive space. If you're serious about movies, you'll need a lot of space because uncompressed video takes a lot.

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