What are the performance pros and cons of a maxed 20″ iMac G5 (transportable) vs. 17″ PB G4 (portable) with respect to 1. screen brightness and contrast; 2. video performance; and 3. processor, application and benchmark performance? Read why I want to know after the jump…
What are the performance pros and cons of a maxed 20″ iMac G5 (transportable) vs. 17″ PB G4 (portable) with respect to 1. screen brightness and contrast; 2. video performance; and 3. processor, application and benchmark performance?
I’m rarely without access to an A/C outlet, but I do prefer an integrated Mac system without festoons of cords and components. And sometimes I wish to move my machine from room to room or home to office.
iMac G5 with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and AirPort would seem to be a home run given its large bright high-contrast screen, 7200 RPM hard drive, G5 processor with paired RAM wide bus, desktop keyboard and mouse. But preliminary benchmarks seem to show greater performance in many respects from a 1.5 Mhz PB G4 with 128MB VRAM. Optical disk specs are a wash in current versions.
The PowerBook G4 is the highest-performing pro laptop that Apple can build today, and priced accordingly. The iMac is at a consumer price/performance point. But the iMac screen, G5 and huge HD are sexy! Are the performance differences perceivable to an iLife-using prosumer? If price were no object and you had a Mongo to move the iMac, which would you choose?
