<p>okay so the ibook 12 inch and the powerbook 12 inch are very nice computers aesthetically speaking, and are very small and portable.</p>
<p>however, i have pretty big hands and a regular pc keyboard fits me well. I've tried the 95 percent keyboards (on laptops), and they're slightly annoying but still useable.</p>
<p>i have maximum budget of about 2,000 dollars and i need to get a printer, scanner, and mebbe a webcam (for talking to parents from the dorms and whatnot)</p>
<p>i don't intend on playing video games but I think I'll be doign computer science in college. </p>
<p>i'll probably go for 1 gig of ram (from anothe vendor and instally myself).</p>
<p>nah, but speaking of laptops, when's the best time to buy an ibook. i don't want to buy one and have another revision come out a week afterwards ha ha</p>
<p>Why don't you wait until you actually find out the PC need sof the school which you are going to attend. some schools obtain volume discounts on packages that are fully loaded a and configured to the schools needs. In addition, some schools have in-house technical support, authorized apple/dell / etc repair centers on campus and in the event that your computer has a problem, you will get a loaner.</p>
<p>what is your college's policy on computers and on-campus technical support? Even with apple authorized repair centers, on campus, your apple warranty coverage would kick in first so depending on your policy you would not have to pay for parts/labor if covered by your apple policy.</p>
<p>i have an ibook g4 cause its smaller, and i could always upgrade the memory if need be and if you wanted something like a desktop only portable get the stand i am not sure what its called but you sit it up on on the stand and use it that way.. i would reccomend the powerbook, but i love my ibook its up to your major and the programs you use</p>
<p>A g5 laptop isn't coming any time soon. IBM has to develop a chip with a low enough voltage before Apple can do anything with it.</p>
<p>Anyway, it's probably best to wait as long as you can before buying a powerbook or ibook, as Apple will probably give them little upgrades here and there as time goes on. At least wait until after Steve Jobs delivers his keynote at the Macworld Expo on July 14. He usually announces upgrades/new products then.</p>
<p>You really need to tell us what major your in. If its engineering and your going to be using Autocad, Solidworks, Catia, or Ug then it will be a pain because you need a windows emulator. Also if you are going to use access, the Mac version doenst come with it. You may be able to use another piece of softwar but, you really want to be on the same page as the instructor. If you are deadset on a mac then the warranty is a MUST.</p>
<p>an ibook would probably suit most people's needs, unless you are going to do extensive video editing and/or graphic-heavy gaming, which it doesn't seem as if you are. the question is whether you're willing to pay the extra $$ for a slightly faster, slightly flashier computer -- or, more superficially, whether you prefer aluminium or glossy white polycarbonate. i have a 12" ibook and i love it. in addition to the basics (word processing, internet, instant messaging) i do some coding and photoshop work, and the ibook is more than adequate. i do suggest you increase the memory to at least 512 mb, otherwise i think you'll find it painfully slow when working with multiple applications open.</p>
<p>i hope this helps; feel free to ask if you have any more questions.</p>