What new mac should I get??

[*DAMN Hazard]

Well I broke my iMac because I somehow got water all over it... I'm not sure if I did it or not but I was drinking a lot the night before...

Anyway I am probably gonna have to purchase my new comp all by myself and I'm stuck on a PC for now. I am going into senior year of high school and I'm lookin for a comp thats small and takes up very little space so I can bring it to college. I was lookin at the mac mini but the displays are so expensive on the apple site. Looked at the eMac, and the iBook (powerbook too much cash) and I was wondering which ones you would recommend. I thought the Mac Mini was the best choice seeing as I already have a mouse and keyboard just need to find a cheap and small display but will I be better off with an iBook up at college? ahhhhhh I don't know I'm a confused boy. So in conclusion please help me damn you.

[Civrock]

all in all, also in case of money, you'd be better off with a Mac mini. monitors are cheap and iBooks are quite expensive for their power etc... so if you don't necessarily need a laptop, get a Mac mini and  good and cheap 17" LCD monitor.
if you could afford a PowerBook that'd be better again... but you can't, heh. and a definitive no to an eMac... hell no.

[BTs_Mysterio]

Not a good recommendation civic. The eMac has a faster processor, a faster graphics processor, more VRAM. There is nothing wrong with the current eMac. 17" LCD average $275, and that's with terrible resolutions that can't even maximize a computing experience.

iBook would be my recommendation, but I don't see a iBook being necessary pre-college. I would get a eMac for now and wait for the Intel processors to be in laptops (Next Year) so that you won't suffer from the G4's 167MHz FSB in the long run.

[Civrock]

yeah, have fun with the huge and heavy eMac and its aircraft-like fan which has a built-in heating. speaking from personal experience... fuckin POS, one of the worst computers Apple ever invented.

and no, it doesnt have a faster processor... if you take the good version of the Mac mini for 100 bucks more. and also, there are excellent 17" LCDs for even less than $250.

[BFG]

Woah there the latest eMacs are actually really nice machines, ive been showing work on a recent eMac all this week and they can pack a decent punch for a lot of use, and they arn't to bad at all!

.. Don't buy your display from Apple. Yes i know they are the sexiest monitors ever made, but unless you have more $$$ than you know what to do with, i just don't think its worth it!

Anway, eMac would be my first choice in your situation, mac mini a close runner up

[BTs_Mysterio]

Civic, a eMac is nothing compared to a G5 boise/fan level. Everyone argues that a G5's fans are many so that they can rev lower.. however, owning a Rev A Dual 2.0 I can honestly say that in anything over 25°C in even the early summer, it can put out as much heat as an air-conditioner can put out cool air. If it gets the room hot enough it will start revving all fans to max.

[Civrock]

lol, the eMac fan was/is BY FAR louder and hotter than the ones i have in my year old powermac g5. must be your old first gen g5. your description would fit perfectly for eMacs, not for actual G5s.

anyway, we shouldnt be comparing eMacs with G5s here... but eMacs with the Mac mini. and in that case, the Mac mini is unargueably quieter and cooler than the eMac, MUCH smaller, MUCH lighter and as powerful, for less money.

[Mr.Mellow]

I have an eMac, and I can't even hear the damn thing unless I put my ear right up against it lol. I think you're all nuts. Of course, it's no gaming machine (at least mine, I got one before they made them 1.25 ghz and all that jazz). I feel happy to have a computer at all, really.

[BFG]

Yep like mellow said my experience of the eMacs has been quiet, bloody quiet!

Plus of course you get your screen as part of the package, all bundled up in a handy blob.

Wack some extra ram in and i really can't see the problem with a eMac

[Civrock]

it has a bulit-in monitor, sure... but that CRT thing sucks, really. again, in case of money, performance, size, weight etc... the 1.42ghz Mac mini with a 17" LCD monitor is clearly the best choice.

[*DAMN Hazard]

Thx for all the input guys, right now my dad wants to see if we can get my iMac fixed it's the orignal g4 17" imac so its almost 3 years old now. I wouldn't mind getting it fixed but can water damaged be fixed for a decent price? I mean won't they have to like replace all the rusted parts or something??

[Civrock]

yeah, if it really got in there to the important parts you're fucked. and since it's a 3 year old model already, it'll probably be cheaper to just buy a new Mac.

[*DAMN Hazard]

I'm gonna miss that computer and all the downloaded music and shit I had on it. WAIT! I payed to put extra memory in it is that memory still compatible with the new mac minis???

[Civrock]

the G4 iMacs used PC2100 RAM, the Mac mini uses PC2700. so no, it wont be compatible anymore. well, that just reminded me... if you get a Mac mini, i still have a 512MB PC2700 RAM stick here that i never used, not even unpacked. i'd sell it for about 50 bucks, if interested.

[(SiX)Sheixhundt]

First off, Apple is going to tell you to buy a new computer, and THEN repair the damage!
They are very helpful that way.

Depending on what part is screwed, You're screwed. Youll pay as much for the board, labor and shipping as a new computer. Motherboard=screwed...anything else, then most likely youll pay half or more of what it takes to get a new mac in repairs. Water damage likely means replacing more than one component..so....

Thing to do here, is figure out how much hes willing to spend on the repair, research like hell, and then out- bargain him on the longevity angle. Shouldnt be hard, repairs ARE going to be expensive.
so unless you have rich mommy daddy disease, the best bet is to compare the Emacs, imacs and Minis against your budget. Have the prices of all the versions ready for negotiation time. Hell even the ibooks are getting VERY afforable, so unless your doing high end gaming, a laptop will not be ut of the question...they have come wayy down in price..although they are g4. If youre bargaining, price should be THE main factor.

The fan argument is moot- Functionality, price and mobility should be what you consider here. All three have great advantages, and all run very well. If you can swing the price, do your best to find a g5 that fits your budget. (Imac) becuase Mysterio has a great point that G4s with 167 mghtx bus speeds are tragic even when compared agains the lowest end g5. Dig thru the apple site for config and price if youre stuck with loking at a g4, and im positive youll find something..no matter what you get really, it will be a pleaseant step up from a three year old imac.  Just make sure that you find someone to quote the repair high, go in educated and well prepared for dad, and youll come out with a faster (perhaps MUCH faster) machine.

Good Luck.

[spike]

noooo get the ibook. seriously. I brought my ibook to college and it was ridiculously convienent. You aren't tied down to your room to write a paper, you can bring it to class and read the new york times online during a boring lecture. your dorm room is probably going to be small, and an ibook takes up a lot less space than any other computer. It's easier to bring it to tech services to get fixed if anything should happen, and plus the babes really like an intelligent man with an ibook.

[.vooDoo.]

I agree with spike. If your not buying a cpu to game on then get the ibook. It "packs enough punch" for what your looking for. Word processing, music, websurfing, etc....

voo

[(SiX)Sheixhundt]

Sigh, I concur....

Damn these fuckers and their selfless, accurate assessment.

Disreguard my post.

Ibooks are cheap, and fast enough to do everything you need, except for high end gaming...but hell, get a good education and the best machine on the market will be chump change.

Most importantly, you will be able to EASILY show dad how economical it is to get one rather than fix the old computer.

[th.Sentinel]

I would go for the iBook.

Like Spike said, you can take it everywhere you want.
I had an iMac when i was in college and I couldn't take it with me every time I went home. That's why I would go for the iBook now.

If you got airport, like me, its even better. I use my iBook to surf the net, write code and chat.
You can just sit at any spot you want   and carry on working.
I like it even better then my G5 cause of the portability. Of course for gaming its no match to the G5.
Although it runs AA, RVS, GhR, Splinter Cell, Call of Duty and BF1942.
I got the 12" model and like it that small. But everyone has his opinion about the screensize.
Its enough to read webpages, a bit small for bigger apps.

Good luck with your choice and your iMac.

[spike]

yeah, the new iBooks will run RvS, CoD, Halo, GhR, CC:FtF and most other games (maybe not doom 3). Of course, you sacrifice upgradibility, but its completely worth it.