The PowerBook G4 is a great machine (I am still using mine from early 2005). I work in an office doing architecture, some 3D modeling and image editing and it still does quite well, speed wise. I have 2GB of RAM in it. I am in the process of replacing the HD from the original 100GB one to a 320GB one from iFixit. (I think I got pretty lucky that the original drive lasted almost 5 years as HD's usually don't.)

One thing to keep in mind though... You won't be able to install OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) on it though, since it's not an Intel-based machine. Gradually of course 3rd party software and updates will no longer be written to run on pre-Intel machines, so spending even $500 now on a PowerBook G4 is not going to be a very long term investment.

Instead, I would recommend seeing if you can increase your budget. You would be FAR better off getting the cheapest (new) MacBook Pro or checking out Apple's current selection of refurbished MBP's. While you will spend more money you will be getting a machine that has MUCH more life ahead of it than a PowerBook G4 (and therefore you won't have to spend the money to replace it that much sooner, and keep the PB G4 out of the trash/recycling.)

If you can't get a new/refurbished machine, at least look for something that is an Intel-based MacBook Pro, even if it is 2 or 3 years old. This will keep your cost down but still give you a machine with a decent lifespan if you take care of it and keep it fed with RAM.

I hope this helps.

[quote|beil]The PowerBook G4 is a great machine (I am still using mine from early 2005). I work in an office doing architecture, some 3D modeling and image editing and it still does quite well, speed wise. I have 2GB of RAM in it. I am in the process of replacing the HD from the original 100GB one to a 320GB one from iFixit. (I think I got pretty lucky that the original drive lasted almost 5 years as HD's usually don't.) One thing to keep in mind though... You won't be able to install OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) on it though, since it's not an Intel-based machine. Gradually of course 3rd party software and updates will no longer be written to run on pre-Intel machines, so spending even $500 now on a PowerBook G4 is not going to be a very long term investment. Instead, I would recommend seeing if you can increase your budget. You would be '''FAR''' better off getting the cheapest (new) MacBook Pro or checking out Apple's current selection of refurbished MBP's. While you will spend more money you will be getting a machine that has '''MUCH''' more life ahead of it than a PowerBook G4 (and therefore you won't have to spend the money to replace it that much sooner, and keep the PB G4 out of the trash/recycling.) If you can't get a new/refurbished machine, at least look for something that is an Intel-based MacBook Pro, even if it is 2 or 3 years old. This will keep your cost down but still give you a machine with a decent lifespan if you take care of it and keep it fed with RAM. I hope this helps.[/quote]

I would recommend trying to find a used macbook vs a Powerbook.. as PPC equipment is becoming more and more obsolete,

a quick ebay search found a macbook for 550..

http://cgi.ebay.com/MacBook-2-0-Core-Duo-1gb-ram-120gb-hdd-SuperDrive_W0QQitemZ130337344759QQcmdZVi...

[quote|matthewfrey]I would recommend trying to find a used macbook vs a Powerbook.. as PPC equipment is becoming more and more obsolete, a quick ebay search found a macbook for 550.. http://cgi.ebay.com/MacBook-2-0-Core-Duo-1gb-ram-120gb-hdd-SuperDrive_W0QQitemZ130337344759QQcmdZViewItemQQptZApple_Laptops?hash=item1e58b60cf7#ht_2369wt_1027[/quote]

thanks guys

[quote|Skippy722]thanks guys[/quote]