On Tuesday, May 1, 2001, at 07:40 PM, Peter Liethen wrote: > The optical drive (CD/RW/DVD) drive is another thing I could do > without. I barley use the optical drive in my desktop G4, and the only > time I've had to use an optical drive on my 2400 has been to re-install > MacOS when i got it. Once in 5 months. I'd rather seen an external > FireWire drive, so it can be left behind. I have to agree with this. I personally have aTiBook and I only use the DVD to play movies on the train to and from work. It's cool, but not terribly necessary. I have purchased a few AcerTravelmate 340 series for people here at work, and I must say that they are nice and small since the optical drive is external. However, I am not unhappy with my choice of the TiBook now that they have released the iBook 2.0. When the PB G4 came out I thought "If only they had put a normal 14.1" screen in and made it the same width as the keyboard!" Having used one for 3-4 weeks non-stop, I must have changed my mind! If you have the cash, buy the G4 over the iBook. The G4's screen is to die for. It is practically as light add the video out cable and there's even less difference. (<smirk>) The only advantages of the iBook is the CD burners and the price. The weight difference isn't enough to matter for me. I really think that the TiBook has changed my opinions on Subnotebooks. I still hate the Inspiron 8000's of the world, and I wouldn't want to lug a lombard around. However, the magical 5.x lbs. of the TiBook, combined with the rigidity of the titanium makes it an extremely nice computer to travel with. It feels substantial without being heavy. My hands and my eyes are never cramped. I use the LCD all day long in the office and save a ton of desk space. Finally, in contradiction to my comment above, It sure is nice to have nothing but a computer and a power cord to carry with me when I go. No extra battery for anything but the longest trips, no external CD if I might need it. No PC cards, dongles, etc. > If you've own a 2400, you know about it's battery life, and how litthe > there is of it. The 5 hours is very tempting. Same goes for Airport and > built-in ethernet, it would be nice not to have to deal with the PCMCIA > cards. This is the main problem for the 2400. The weight savings and price differential are more than offset by the need to carry two batteries that are insanely expensive *if* you can find them. As for PCMCIA cards, I would have bought one of the first iBook SE, but I hated the 800x600 limitation (now gone) and the lack of a PCMCIA card. I don't currently use one, but I know that if I want to add SCSI to my G4, I can pop in an Adaptec card. (Though I don't think it works under OS X, which I only leave to run VPC at this point) To sum up: 1.) I love the Duos. Their design can't be beat, and they make for great HTML/Word processors, e-mail machines, etc. 2.) The 2400 is a great machine that still kicks a lot of ass. However, you have spend a decent amount of time and money to get it to do a lot of modern things. (CardBus, USB/Firewire,), is seriously limited in the RAM dept., has a tendency to suddenly die and require lots of voodoo to resuscitate, and has a tiny screen. I love them, but the prices should fall through the floor with today's announcement. 3.) The iBook 2.0 is a great design, like the 2400 and Duo, but lacks PCMCIA, and 12" is a small screen. IMHO, only advantages over the G4 are the price (obviously) and the CD burners. 4.) IF you have the cash, I say buy the PowerBook G4. for less than half a pound you get a 3" diagonal screen upgrade. Not to mention G4, which is a huge speed boost for OS X's graphics. (Or am I deluded here?Either way it will be if it isn't) I only wish it had CD-RW Tom (Who was nervous he might kick himself after this announcement.) ---------- Duo/2400 List, The friendliest place on the Net! A listserv for users and fans of Mac subportables. FAQ at <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/DuoListFAQ.shtml> Be sure to visit Mac2400! <http://www.sineware.com/mac2400> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Need help from a real person? Try. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------- Dr. Bott | 10/100 Ethernet for your 2400 is finally here! MPC-100 | <http://www.drbott.com/prod/mpc100.html> NineWire | If they are cool enough to host this list... Digital Solutions | ...you should check them out! http://www.NineWire.com/ Midwest Mac Parts ][ <http://www.midwestmac.com> After-market parts for Macs. ][ 888-356-1104 ][ MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! <http://www.macresq.com>
