One another potential Mac switcher...

[mirko]

Hi all,

I am considering the purchase of a 12" iBook/800 with 640MBRAM, 32MBVRAM, 30GB HD, CDRW/DVD, etc.

Now, I need your advice, please, only answer me if you have actually dealt with an iBook, I am not interested in people who just "heard that..." or just "think that..." : I want real-life iBook users advice.

Questions:

• Music
  [list:f1759ba328]
• Reason2
  I plan to use it with Reason2 which, I read elsewhere in this forum, is fine...
  What is fine ?
  As Reason2 is CPU limited, I'd like an example of *extreme* Reason2 setup running on this ?
  
  Note: Now, I am not really into Reason2 stuff, this'd be kinda notebook setup in order to point-n'click down any musical ideas I'd get... This *won't* replace my existing setup, even though I might use some Reason2 generated wav and/or MIDIfiles in my "real-life" compositions.
  
• ProTools LE
  ProTools LE is free but requires MacOS8.6... Will it run using the classic environment ?
  

[*]Video
What about DVD playing ?
If I connect the iBook to a TV set, will it be a viable alternative to a salon DVD player ?
[*]Games
I bought Quake3Arena for PC but I don't want to buy it again for Mac, is there a possibility to run some Mac version using my legitimately purchased PAKs ?
[*]Battery Life
How long does it stay awake, when playing a DVD, composing in Reason or writing some stuff using some word processor ?
[*]Alternative
I was also offered a 800MHz TiBook which would be fine, except that this'd prevent me from buying Reason2... Besides Audacity, what serious Free Audio app are there (OSX native only, please).
[*]Misc
Any remark about whatsoever ?
[/list:u:f1759ba328]

THANKS !
________
BUY CANNABIS SEEDS

[MartinBSE]

Hi all,

I am considering the purchase of a 12" iBook/800 with 640MBRAM, 32MBVRAM, 30GB HD, CDRW/DVD, etc.

Now, I need your advice, please, only answer me if you have actually dealt with an iBook, I am not interested in people who just "heard that..." or just "think that..." : I want real-life iBook users advice.

Questions:
[list][*]Music

• Reason2
  I plan to use it with Reason2 which, I read elsewhere in this forum, is fine...
  What is fine ?
  As Reason2 is CPU limited, I'd like an example of *extreme* Reason2 setup running on this ?
  
  Note: Now, I am not really into Reason2 stuff, this'd be kinda notebook setup in order to point-n'click down any musical ideas I'd get... This *won't* replace my existing setup, even though I might use some Reason2 generated wav and/or MIDIfiles in my "real-life" compositions.
  
  

• I've had setups with several Maelstroms, about 5 NNXTs a couple of drum machines and a few mixers with lots of automation going on and it was about 40% on my ibook700.
  
  

• ProTools LE
  ProTools LE is free but requires MacOS8.6... Will it run using the classic environment ?

[mirko]

I love my ibook - i was totally pc based before i got it but it was a very good purchase that i am still (a year on) very pleased with.

Thanks!
Now, another question : would you rather use an ibook or a powerbook, if you hade to revive your switch ?
Bye
________
CURVYCAMGIRL

[MartinBSE]

i actually prefer the nice sturdy build and look of the ibook from an asthetic point of view.

obviously with the powerbook you're getting a g4 and higher res screen - and the ability to use an external monitor independently of the laptop screen - great for music work.

but the price of the tibooks is prohibitive to me - if i was buying today i would still buy the ibook from both a financial point of view and the fact that it does everything i need really - certainly if reason is going to be your main app it will be fine.

Martin

[Chaosopher]

I"m with MartinBSE on the cost prhibitiveness of the powerbooks.

I've been looking to switch (rather, I want to keep my wintel desktop but add a laptop for portable music fun). I can get a maxed out ibook for the cost of an entry level powerbook. I think that the additional RAM is more useful to audio than the CPU and screen realestates are.

And the iBook supports a monitor out, it just doesn't do it independently for an ultra wide screen , right? Because I have a 17" monitor and a KVM.

Let me add another Q to the mix: Is there any such thing as a 'docking station' for iBooks?

[MartinBSE]

And the iBook supports a monitor out, it just doesn't do it independently for an ultra wide screen , right? Because I have a 17" monitor and a KVM.

correct but it will only allow 1024 x 768 resolution

Let me add another Q to the mix: Is there any such thing as a 'docking station' for iBooks?

Nope - not as far as i know. The one thing I'm looking forward to is more pubs and cafe getting wlan - chuck an airport card into the ibook and surf for free with a pint a ploughmans sandwich.

Martin