<p>i have an Acer Travelmate 8104WLMi. Its an AWESOME laptop. </p>
<p>Centrino 2.0 ghz
15'' monitor
Radeon X700
1 gig DDR 553 RAM
100 GB Harddrive. </p>
<p>It cost around $2200 but its an amazing laptop.</p>
<p>ottothecow (or anyone else),
My D has an i-book (I think 12"), with OSX on it. It's done beautifully for her in h.s. It's about 2-3 yrs old. Any particular need to upgrade to a powerbook in college? (entering freshman)</p>
<p>opinions welcome.</p>
<p>Probably not unless she intends on using more intensive applications on her notebook.</p>
<p>iBooks are cheaper and I think they tend to have longer battery life than Powerbooks (both of which are good attributes in a college laptop!)</p>
<p>she doesnt need to upgrade now.</p>
<p>Maybe it would be a nice gift to start off her junior year or something.</p>
<p>I am not a computer aficionado, but I can say that I have been very pleased with my new 15" Apple Powerbook. I have used PC all my life, so I was somewhat concerned about with the switch shock, but it turned out to be completely painless. The size is perfect too, small enough to be portable and much, much lighter than my friends equally sized PC notebooks.</p>
<p>Basically my advise (based off nothing more than personal experience) is this: If you can swing it, spend the extra money on a quality machine like Apple or IBM, as opposed to a lower end model which is not likely to last four years. My computer was well over 2k with add ons, but that price buys me peace of mind for the forseeable future.</p>
<p>This thread has loads of great info, but I still don't know what to buy. I'll be using my laptop for just the basic things- typing reports, surfing(wireless) and uploading pictures from my digicam. No 100GB hard drive for me. It doesn't get much more complicated than that because I'm guessing there'll be far more to do in college besides "socialising" with my comp/games.</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend a reliable laptop that's good for the basics? Weight and battery life are priorities.</p>
<p>I've been debating between a Powerbook G4 15" and an ibook 14"; I prefer the higher speed processor of the pbs, but I've been concerned to hear they have a very short battery life. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Are longer-life batteries available? Exactly how long is a "good battery life" for college, anyway?</p>
<p>I have a new 15" Powerbook (mentioned a few posts up) and it is true, the battery life isn't that good, somewhere in the neighborhood of 2-3 hours depending on the applications. Right now with a 78% battery charge, I am getting an estimated 2:57 battery life. As far as the ibook vs. powerbook thing, I think powerbooks look cooler and have more features (hello backlit keyboard) but they cost significantly more. Either way, make sure you check out the Apple student discount online.</p>
<p>Good battery life depends on how much you'll be using your laptop away from the desk. If you only need it for a class here and there, the Powerbook is probably faster and sleeker.</p>
<p>If you prefer to have your laptop away from the desk all day, then you might want to consider the cheaper and longer battery life of an iBook.</p>
<p>Do ibooks have usb ports?</p>
<p>EDIT. Also, if I do end up getting an iBook, is the 3-year "world-class support" plan worth it?</p>
<p>All mac and PCs these days have USB ports. All macs and many PCs have Firewire as well.</p>
<p>Any manufacturer extended warranty is worth it. Note that I said manufacturer (like Apple, Dell, etc.), not third-party (like those offered to you by a store - Circuit City's and Best Buy's "warranties" are scams).</p>
<p>leigh787: you sound like the absolutely perfect candidate for an ibook. It fits your needs better than just about anything else</p>
<p>And yes, of course they have usb ports...they are macs :)</p>
<p>Thanks, otto. Another thing- I'm an international so would it be better to get a laptop after I get over to the States for college or would it be better to get one beforehand? I'm a tad worried about servicing if I buy it overseas first... or would the college's IT dept most likely help fix the problems for me?</p>
<p>If you buy overseas from a country that also is present in the US, I woudln't think it would be a problem.</p>
<p>Just about everything is cheaper in the United States, which means that you should try to buy the computer when you get here. Plus, it makes the warranty service easier.</p>
<p>Not all manufacturers include international service with their warranties. Some actually charge more for it. If you are going to stay in the US for some time, then it would make since to buy it here.</p>
<p>Thanks, otto. I also thought that a later upgrade would be more appropriate.</p>
<p>Leigh 787, at least that is one thing I do know about. Evilest is correct about buying in U.S. for warranty purposes, service, & cost. (Also saves on transport!)</p>
<p>I would probobly buy in the US as well. I am not sure but the country specific features (such as the restrictions on itunes) may relate to the country of purchase. Other than that, apple probobly has good international service so it comes down to whatever is cheaper (exchange rates and such).</p>
<p>But supposing I were to study one year first in the UK and then spend the next 3 in the States? What with traveling between 3 regions, would it be better for me just to get one with good int'll service?</p>
<p>Sorry leigh, I can't answer your question but I have another of my own. Should I get a 12" or 14" iBook? Is the 12" hard to work with or is it okay?</p>
<p>its ok but I would much prefer the 14 because the 12s feel cramped for long usage. </p>
<p>leigh: just get it straight from apple and you should be ok anywhere.</p>