and i think the cci laptops from ibm are substandard compared to laptops directly from ibm, particularly because UNC puts its “CCI-load” on them, a whole bunch of goofy software and windows configuration changes.

Nevertheless, I’d still say to go for the 12″ PowerBook, but you knew I’d say that.

Besides, remember that Michael Dell is reputed to be a major RNC contributor.

actually it looks like IBM’s top o’ the line T-series has a 128MB ATI Mobility FIREGL T2 that powers a 1600×1200 pixel 15″ screen. sheeit. but that starts at $2500. appropriately configured (768MB ram, 60GB hard drive…) will push it up and just over $3000. but then again, we’re talking IBM’s top of the line laptop, period.

Seeing that you’re at school, you can obviously get an educational discount on the machines. In light of your portability criteria being suspect, I wonder if that iMac G5 might not be a bad idea for you.

But it’s all moot anyway. I know which one you’re going for now (I can read minds), and if you want proof, flip a coin. Heads = PowerBook, tails = Dell. Whichever one you’re hoping will land face up is the one you’ll be getting. If you want to see if i guessed right, email me with the address of a trusted 3rd party and I’ll tell them.

Robert: thanks for the informative post. I agree that there are many, many good reasons to go with the Mac (not the least of which is the Linux base for OS X). I should have been more plain about my software…it isn’t that I need specific programs, only that I already OWN a large number of them, and don’t want to buy them again for the other platform. There are open source options for nearly all of these (GIMP for photoshop, OpenOffice for the MS office suite…the only one I’m not sure of is Pagemaker/InDesign for page layout).

First of all, you didn’t mention what software you want to be compatible with and why. This is important because if the PowerBook is really that much of an option for you, you can certainly ask those of us who own Macs whether there’s similar software that you can use. Depending on how computer savvy you are, you might even be able to download and install many free, open source programs that do almost everything your PC software does. It is not my intent to provide you with this information as a way to sway your choice, because, as I said before, I simply don’t know what your software needs are.

The other way to look at the software issue is the file formats that the software uses to save your files. If you have already made it a habit to save files in relatively open formats, then the choice of software becomes much easier for you to make if you want to go the PowerBook route. If not, then consider re-saving or converting your documents to more open formats so that you have this option available. In that way you’ll never (ever!) have to worry about losing your data (Tim Bray, in a recent post, wanted to use words like memories or history) because you lost your software. I kind of made my point in the middle of this, but here it is again: if your files are saved in non-proprietary formats, then the issue of ‘software compatibility’ becomes less important, because you can easily find good software to work with those formats.

My last point is about the Dell laptop itself. I’m working at a company that has a large number of Dell laptops. I do not know which models they are, but I have heard that those laptops have beeen serviced more often than any other system combined, Macs and PC’s. So even if I were more platform agnostic than I am now, I’d probably wouldn’t buy a laptop from Dell.

Oh! I have a post script. This popped up in my aggregator today: http://ptech.wsj.com/archive/ptech-20040916.html It contains what may very well be the best reason yet to buy a Mac – no viruses or spyware. Buying a Mac then, and backing up your files to it from the PC’s may well be the best way to preserve your data.

my recommendations, which you could have guessed, value portability:
IBM X40 (2.7-3.2lbs)
IBM T41/42 (4.5lbs)