I'm a devoted macintosh user, but very much a non-techie.  My doctor's
nurse wants to know what MACINTOSH to get for her daughter to take to
college. (I am *not* interested in PC responses, please.)  Daughter
needs a laptop, clearly, but I'm not sure what to recommend between
iBook and PowerBook, nor pro's/con's of each for a college student. 
Could someone give me a simple, clear answer that I could pass on to
the nurse?  thanks!

Hello.

First of all, let me just summarize the basic models and prices...

iBooks

iBook 800MHz / 12.1 inch screen - CD - $999
iBook 900MHz / 12.1 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1299
iBook 900MHz / 14.1 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1499
source: Apple 
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=iBook

Powerbooks
Powerbook 867MHz / 12.1 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1599
Powerbook 867MHz / 12.1 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD-R - $1799
Powerbook 867MHz / 15.2 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1999
Powerbook 1 Ghz / 15.2 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD-R - $2599
Powerbook 1 Ghz / 17 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD-R - $3299
source: Apple 
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?family=PowerBook

-------------------

Considering the sort of computing that a college student is likely to
do (i.e., mainly web surfing and word processing) the decision here
basically comes down to two main issues:

(1) Screen size: 12.1", 14.1", 15.2" or 17" ?
(2) Optical Drive: CD, CD-RW/DVD ("combo"), or CD-RW/DVD-R ("super") ?

The base-model iBooks & PowerBooks come with 12-inch screens.  When I
was looking for a notebook computer about a year ago, I looked the
12.1" iBook.  The screen is small, and I personally would not
recommend it.  While it is possible to change the screen resolution or
increase font sizes to deal with small text on web pages and in word
processing documents, the results are still less than satisfactory. 
The bottom line is that a small screen is a small screen. I would
strongly recommend that your friend NOT get any Apple notebook with
screen size less than 14.1"  The two inches really do make the
difference between eye-strain and comfort.

Now, on the subject of the optical drive...  
The base model iBook ($999) comes with just a CD-ROM drive.  Two
problems: you can't record CDs, you can't play DVDs.  Although
watching DVDs isn't necessarily something a student has to do, it's a
nice feature when you want to rent a movie or something.  The bigger
problem with the basic CD-ROM drive is
that it can't record CDs.  For many college students today, "burning"
CDs is practically a way of life.  Even if your friend's daughter is
into music, a recordable CD drive (CD-RW) allows a user to back-up
important files. With floppy drives being a thing of the past, CD-RW
is the only real option for making safety copies of your files. It's
pretty nice to have a back-up copy of your software and word
processing files if your computer breaks or is stolen.

As an option on the most expensive PowerBooks, a "super drive"
(CD-RW/DVD-R) is also available. This not only records CDs, but it
also records DVDs.  For a college student, this would probably be
unnecessary.  Unless your friend's daughter is a film major or likes
to make and edit videos, I can't really see much of a need to spend
money on the "super drive."


In conclusion, considering the need for a decent screen and a
recordable optical drive, I'd say that the best models for a student
would likely be:

iBook 900MHz / 14.1 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1499
  -OR-
Powerbook 867MHz / 15 inch screen / CD-RW/DVD - $1999

Of these two, the 14.1" iBook is probably the better value.  The
PowerBook has a G4 processor, and the G4 is a more powerful processor.
However, the advantages of that are mainly apparent when using certain
applications like Adobe PhotoShop. For a typical student's purposes,
G3-based iBook should be sufficient.

The PowerBook is a little thinner and a little lighter than the iBook.
The PowerBook's metallic case also looks a bit "cooler" than the
iBook. The PowerBook also can hold more RAM (1 gigabyte versus 640
megabyte) and can interface with faster networks at higher speeds
(theoretically). Compared to the 14" iBook screen, the 15" PowerBook's
screen is not only an inch bigger also sharper (higher resolution).
These are all nice features, but whether they're worth the $500 that
separates the 14" iBook from the 15" PowerBook is debatable.

One other factor to consider, though, when buying a notebook computer
is the "bundle" you get from your retailer. Various resellers (i.e.,
Amazon, MacConnection, MacMall, etc.) often throw in things like extra
RAM, software, or a printers.  The right "bundle" could save your
friend significant money.

MacPrices.com offers good resources for tracking the best available
deals on the  various iBook and PowerBook models. Examples:
14" iBooks:
http://www.macprices.com/14ibooktracker.shtml
15" PowerBooks:
http://www.macprices.com/g4tracker.shtml

Some other web resources you might want to take a look at:

"iBook? TiBook?" hosted by unxmaal.com
http://unxmaal.com/mt/archives/001999.html

Also see newsgroup discussions about the iBook versus the Powerbook.
Example:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=BAE9578F.5079%25applemac_g4%40hotmail.com&rnum=6&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dibook%2Bpowerbook%2Bg3%2Bg4%2B900%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3DBAE9578F.5079%2525applemac_g4%2540hotmail.com%26rnum%3D6


Finally, one other factor to consider is the possibility that new
PowerBooks will be coming out very soon. According to MacOS Rumors,
"new 'books are already being manufactured and that all three new
models should be shipping in quantity by September."
http://www.macosrumors.com/

Thus, whatever your friend decides to do, I'd recommend that she might
want to hold off on her purchase until closer to when school starts in
September. Not only might better options be available in a couple
months, prices are typically cut on existing models when new models
come out.  It wouldn't be completely surprising, for example, to see
today's 15" PowerBook for a couple hundred dollars less than the
current price.

search strategy:
mainly based on my personal experience as a PowerBook/Mac user.
apple.com
google groups: ibook, powerbook, g4
macosrumors.com

I hope this helps.  If you have any additional question, or anything
is unclear, please let me know via the "request clarification"
feature.  Thank you.

This is an *OUTSTANDING* answer!!!  I should note, by the way, that i
received =NO= confirmation from google after i submitted the question
... and =NO= alert that the answer had been given. in fact, i was
getting annoyed at what i thought was "no response". (perhaps the
researcher can pass on the feedback to google.) but i came on just in
case, and found a thoughtful, clear, helpful answer that gives me a
lot of confidence in passing it on to my firiend.  THANK YOU
juggler-ga! (of COURSE, i'm adding a tip.)  mike

Mike:
Thank you very much for the tip.  As I understand it, an email alert
is supposed to go out when an answer has been posted. I'm not sure why
that didn't happen in this case. I will pass your comments on to the
editors of Google Answers.
Thanks again.
-juggler

I do not believe that the 14.1" iBook is an appropriate laptop for
college use.
For the average student, a 12" PowerBook or iBook is sufficient.  If
the student decides that he/she wants a 14" iBook, they should just
spend a little more money for a 15" PowerBook as it has a G4 processor
and weighs half a pound less.  The 17", unless you have a need for the
big LCD, is not necessary.
New laptops with the G5 processor are nowhere in sight at this moment
but if the student does not need it, then he/she should wait until
Apple releases them.  It will be worth the wait.
As a student myself, I have a 12" iBook (800mhz G3/32mb vram/128mb
ram/combo drive) and a 17" PowerBook (1ghz G4/1gb ram/64mb
vram/superdrive), one for regular classwork/to take to school and the
other for programs like Photoshop, Xcode, InDesign and Final Cut Pro.
Also, Apple has some great discounts and other programs for higher
education students and student developers.  An Apple Developer
Connection student membership ($99) provides you with a Hardware
discount asset where any hardware you buy from the Apple Store will be
discounted up to 20%.
http://www.apple.com/education/hed/
http://developer.apple.com/students/

Applegoddess writes: "If the student decides that he/she wants a 14"
iBook, they should just spend a little more money for a 15" PowerBook
as it has a G4
processor and weighs half a pound less."


While I do think that the 15" PowerBook should be considered, it's not
accurate to say that it "weighs half a pound less" than the 14" iBook.
 It actually weighs 5 ounces less.  That's closer to a quarter-pound
than a half-pound.  Also, the performance advantage of PowerBook's
867MHz G4 over the iBook's 900MHz G3 isn't going to be huge for most
real-world applications. Whether the $500 separating the iBook from
the PowerBook is "a little more money" depends, of course, on the
individual's budget.

Oops, I just checked the Apple site. Applegoddess was right about that.
14" iBook: 5.9 pounds
15" PowerBook: 5.4 pounds

As a user, I have to say, I find this service miraculous.  I'm
appreciative, as well, that applegoddess took the time to comment, and
that juggler cared enough to comment back.  I realize that
applegoddess was commenting on a question that had already been
answered, but i'd love to reward her initiative with a tip for HER, as
well, having already given one to juggler, whom i appreciate.  I don't
know how to do that, though.

if there's a way for me to do so, i'd like to add $10 more for
applegoddess.  if there's not, perhaps juggler can make sure she
realizes that i appreciate her comments as well.    (( RSVP ))

i'm going to be able to pass on ALL your comments, and i'm sure
whatever computer they choose, my friends will be amazed and grateful
that it's possible to get thoughtful, caring attention like this,
explained for the non-tech user.

thanks to you both, and to google.

mike/new york (i finally figured out that the "ga" didn't mean that
everyone was writing from GEORGIA!)