Re: comparing x86 and powerpc laptops
On Tue, Apr 08, 2003 at 11:57:20PM -0500, emorfin@caracol.red.cinvestav.mx wrote:
> > hi!
> >
> > im currently thinking about buying a laptop. basically i
> > wonder if its worth to get a powerpc laptop, since most
> > x86 ones are alot cheaper.
> >
> that's their only "adventaje"
And not even that is really true. I have recently counseled my niece on
the buying of a laptop, and she finally went for an ibook (the cheapest
version). This was just after Apple lowered their price last autumn.
Compared to same priced x86 laptops, around 1300 Euros inclusive VAT,
the disadvantage of the ibook is that the screen is smaller (12" only)
but with mostly the same resolution. This can maybe even be seen as an
advantage in certain cases, as it makes for smaller laptops, which are
way more expensive when you consider x86 laptops. I am not sure i
remember well, but the similarly priced x86 laptops also have a combo
DVD/CD burner instead of the CDROM driver of the low end model.
But on the plus side, i guess the CPU for such low range is about the
same for ibook and x86, and anyway, it is not the limiting factor in a
laptop. The difference is really in the graphic hardware and other
stuff, the ibook has a radeon mobility 7500, while most x86 laptops have
a much slower graphic chip, maybe a rage mobility or most probably a
chip using system memory or having 2 or 4 MB of ram. These should be
avoided as much as possible.
As for x86 having more software, well there are only a few non-free
stuff that you can most probably live without in most case.
That said, let's lobby Bioware for a linux/ppc version of neverwinter
nights.
Friendly,
Sven Luther
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