Titanium VS. Aluminum

Al over Ti, no question.

i have both, the AI feels better, seems sturdier, and stirkes me as less prones to scratches/nicks. only time will tell on that last part though.

another vote for ti.

I wouldve much rather seen a 12"mini-ti instead of the aluminum...
Also, Titanium does not dent...Aluminium is highly prone to denting and bending. I have seen many 12" display models with dented corners and dents over the release latch button.

No thanks.

Ti. Though it certainly took forever (until the last Ti books) to really get the damn things more scratch and flake resistant...and it never really got there perfectly.

Still, it's damn classy.

[quote]Originally posted by fireants22:
<strong>Also, Titanium does not dent
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Tell that to my Ti book, its got a dent on the cover near the apple and i'm very carefull with it. Is it me or does the 12" AI get dirty easier.

I vote Aluminum like my bike :)

[ 03-11-2003: Message edited by: Ti Fighter ]</p>

i couldnt care less if its aluminium than titanium, i would just like to own ONE!!!!! (Jealous)

i know aluminium is pretty good at dispersing heat, how does the titanium compare?

The 12" Al picks up fingerprints and grime from your hands like nobody's business, but I've found that a very slightly damp terry-cloth removes all marks on the outer case with only a slight rub. The anodized surface cleans very easily.

Aluminum has the added bonus of not interfering with AirPort, which is a point in its favor.

The extended airport range and rigidity of the case are definitely a plus (my TiBook creaks like an old roof when I pick it up), but having used a friends 12" powerbook for an extended period over the weekend, I can say that I definitely prefer the TiBook as far as look and - particularly - feel are concerned. Ti is just nicer to have under your hands. I'm hoping against hope that Apple will continue to use Ti for the casing in future 15" powerbooks...same as I'm hoping they'll use aluminium for future iPods (hate that white plastic)...

[ 03-11-2003: Message edited by: kneelbeforezod ]</p>

I like the Ti keyboard better then the Al keyboard. It seems more friendly :)

I still love my Ti (500 MHz), the 12" AL feels very good - I would go for the 17" concerning the display and the GHz power... hopefully in a few weeks :p

yea... I know the feeling :(

[ 03-11-2003: Message edited by: RANSOMED ]</p>

TI is a far superior and stiffer metal. The only reason the AI case feals stiffer is because it has a internal magnesium frame. otherwise the thing would flex all over the place. the TI was also resistant to feedback from outside sources. Something which plages laptop users who want to record pro quality sound on location. The TI case was almost like having a lead lined box. Bad for airport but good for working next to recording equipment without getting feedback. :rolleyes:

[quote]Originally posted by JC:
<strong>TI the TI was also resistant to feedback from outside sources. Something which plages laptop users who want to record pro quality sound on location. The TI case was almost like having a lead lined box. Bad for airport but good for working next to recording equipment without getting feedback. :rolleyes: </strong><hr></blockquote>

wow... that's a great pro for the Ti. I wonder how the Al would work in this regard.. would you have any idea, JC?

thanks, please do :cool:

The Al feels better to me. I knew I had to have the foot-long when I felt it... <img src="graemlins/surprised.gif" border="0" alt="[surprised]" /> <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> :cool:

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>

Given the choice, I would go with aluminum because it's easier for Apple to deal with.</strong><hr></blockquote>

... and cheaper for us.

I thought I remember reading somewhere that the aluminum for the Powerbooks were hydroformed (essentially using water to "stamp" them). Can anyone confirm this?

"this isnt the first time, she once scratched an X in ball point pen on the back of a Ti book, so she could tell the difference from the Ti book that we rented."

Wow. That's...impressive.

[quote]Originally posted by Ti Fighter:
<strong>beware the 12" AI does scratch. Someone at the office took one for a buisness trip and when it came back its all f#&ked up, I am so pissed, to see it all pretty one day and then scrached to hell the next. I'm gonna say something to my boss this person has no respect for anything :mad: this isnt the first time, she once scratched an X in ball point pen on the back of a Ti book, so she could tell the difference from the Ti book that we rented. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />

sorry had to vent.</strong><hr></blockquote>

whats her name. I think that I may have dated her :p

[quote]Originally posted by Ti Fighter:
<strong>beware the 12" AI does scratch. Someone at the office took one for a buisness trip and when it came back its all f#&ked up, I am so pissed, to see it all pretty one day and then scrached to hell the next. I'm gonna say something to my boss this person has no respect for anything :mad: this isnt the first time, she once scratched an X in ball point pen on the back of a Ti book, so she could tell the difference from the Ti book that we rented. <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" />

sorry had to vent.</strong><hr></blockquote>

She must really have abused it then. I drop mine into a padded compartment in my back-pack daily, move it around the house, use it on different counters/desks etc etc, and it hasn't picked up any scratches yet. I watch it, but I certainly don't baby it. Normal use, sliding it in and out of sleeves, keeping it in a backpack conpartment and moving it about, doesn't affect it.

The anodized finish does pick up grime/sweat/prints very quickly though, eating and drinking around the book doesn't help, but a soft slightly damp terry cloth wipes everything away with minimal effort. I've cleaned up the baby book twice in this way and each time it comes off looking brand spanky new.

This chick must be a real beast to be able to scratch up the Al finish so quickly.

Yup I agree with Matsu it cleans to look like new.

[quote]Originally posted by Ti Fighter:
<strong>hah baby book, thats what we call them at work. There are alot of small scratches all on the bottom kinda like if you were using it on cement and moved it with out picking it up. top has some of the same scratches on the round edges and some reg scratches all around the apple. The sides have all sorts of nicks in it, and then the worst, its got like 3 round deep scrapes on the side, where you see the raw aluminum with a horizontal grain from the scrape. i have the same type of scratches on my aluminum mountain bike, but that from falling on trees and rocks n crap. These arent marks that you have to look for, it just looks f$#ked up <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[oyvey]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>

Can you take a pic for us?
:eek:

if you wanna see scratches...just go and look at any 12" display models in stores. Everyone I have been to have either dents, scratches, missing screw on the bottom-left-corner of the screen, or all of the above.

I am very curious to know why that it is always the same screw that is missing on the LCD display...:confused:

Originally posted by critterdoc
because the treated metal surface will be somewhat slippery for a while.

hahaha woops, as my powerbook flys out the window.

Well, I've had my 800 DVI TiBook since Nov. 02 and bought it used on E-bay in almost new condition. No visible blemishes when purchased. I can now say after 4 months of use that this Book "looks" very used! Now I have not scratched it up and have been careful not to do so but the lighter band of paint on the carbon fiber rim is "checking" and flaking in the flat areas where the outer heal of my hands rest on the edge of the "deck" area on either side of the track pad. None of the dark silver on the titanium deck plate around the keys on the logo panel, screen bezel, or bottom cover plate are worn in any substantial way. I am fairly certain that should this continue the plastic rim of the main chassis of this "rig" will be completely exposed at the corners on the latch side of the key deck! Now, I do not have particularly sweaty palms, and in fact, during winter they are quite dry. Additionaly, I never thought that any substance eminating from hands would be "caustic" enough to "F" up industrial paint coatings on consumer goods like a $3000 notebook! Our family has 2 Vtech cordless hand sets made from black plastic and painted with some sort of silver coating and are handled daily with sweat, food substances, and many perilous occurances during the 2 years we've had the phones. The only place the silver paint is worn to expose the black plastic is a small spot on the corner of one from several nasty drops on concrete!!!! Nowhere are there places where fingers have "worn" through or otherwise adulterated the silver coatings on these $75 hand sets. I think this one comparative fact alone illustrates Apple's inferior execution of an otherwise notable and worthy design.
BUT, BUT, BUT, there are many more complaints I have about the tactile attributes of the TiBook:

(1) The smooth metal with handsome matte sheen paint, while ever so "cool" looking make the TiBook one of the clumsiest consumer items I have ever handled, despite it's light weight and ultra thin profile. "One hand" this thing closed with a "sandwich" grip and you must squeeze it so damned hard as to flex the logo surface behind the screen to "uncomfortable" degrees to maintain grip on the unit. Put on a thin leather glove and repeat the same exercise and no problem! You barely have to grip the unit to feel secure in the fact that you won't drop it. For you physics majors this would be due to the "coefficient of friction" of the glove vs. your bare finger skin against the smooth painted surface. To me this is UNACCEPTABLE and "BAD" design and ergonomics, period! One need only handle the smooth "grippy" plastic of the Apple pro mouse to understand the loyalty of iBook owners.

(2) Open the TiBook and one hand the unit "serving tray" style, particularly on the CD drive corner and after a few severe squeezes (necessary to maintain grip) and you will find the bonding agent that adheres the titainium deck panel to the carbon fiber (light silver) rim start to break and separate at the seam. This really PISSED ME OFF!
How can 5.3 pounds of unit cause you to break the case by simply carrying it in a natural way?? The chassis should be able to withstand one's griping the notebook with one hand anywhere on the base portion of the chassis. To it's credit I have had it open and with thumb and forefinger gripped it at the "crook" of the hinge and carried it around! You might ask why I don't close her up "sleep" and reopen? Because I have had sleep issues with this machine from day one and so did the previous owner (a pro photographer BTW), especially closing the lid and getting a kernal panic and black or gray screen lockup. So when I'm online around the house it's just easier to carry it open so I don't risk having to reboot. Once again UNACCEPTABLE ergonomics and software performance issues!!! I needed a notebook that boots in 9 as well so thats one reason I got it.

(3) This thing gets very hot when placed on certain surfaces!!! I'm sure prolonged heating cycles with fan operating at full speed or not can't be to good for component "service" life! I'd make a gentlemans bet that heat is one of the main culprits as hardware warranty issues cropped up over the life cycle of the TiBook design.

(4) Airport range still sucks after all these years!

(5) The battery life specs. claimed by Apple are total bullshit. I do graphics work and I'd bet that 70% of the people who own these "Pro" Books do just as processor intensive work as I do. I'm lucky to get 1.5 hours out of a battery (I have 2) And you can't charge the batteries with a charging base since there isn't one! You have to charge the batts. while in the computer; this is really dumb! I may drop $400-$500 on a full 6-8 hour outboard battery! I need that flexability. But see I counted on Apple to tell me the truth! Also due to sleep issues after closing, hot swaps are a "coin toss".

(6) I like to keep my $h!4 NICE! It is sometimes a great distraction to have to not sit the thing down on the wrong spot or bump the lid into the wrong thing or not brush it against metal garment fixtures such as snaps rivets & zippers, ad nauseum!! So to take care of it and have the paint just mysteriously sluf off insults my effort to keep it nice. So I've resigned myself to the fact that my TiBook will be a "war worn" unit and just use the sucker up like all the other garbage I use and disgard.

Needless to say I love the way the thing runs (fast) and always have been a Mac loyalist so the last thing this machine has taken out of my Macsperience as opposed to the other Macs I've owned is "pride of ownership"! It is demoralizing to have owned almost flawless desktop Macs for 12 years and to have waited until almost the final "iteration" of Apple's "best effort" (as of Sept. 2002) in Notebooks to have such difficulty and frustration with a machine that is supposed to offer the utmost in power, freedom, and flexability in all of the laptop PCs on the planet!!! I cannot brag to my friends about hardware when it only looks good, runs fast and has OSX. That the above problems exist for me and others subtracts greatly from the "cut above" feeling I had using my other Macintoshes!

Yeah, the non-paint thing is a plus, as I already mentioned I accidentally scratched some lighter silver paint off my hinge in an attempt to adjust the closure gap (on the left side it's too low -- when shut you can see the metal bending). I think I might try a silver paint marker instead of getting the TiPaint (which I've heard is a scam). All I need is something to hide the flaw from my eyes so they aren't drawn there while I'm working (and I know it doesn't matter at all, but it's right there -- on the hinge!!).

Or I might go down to Hobby Lobby and match the silver on the bezel with a model-paint metallic enamel.

Yeah, so you Aluminum-toters be glad and blessed by your pieces of industrial integrity...I might take a dive into that if a 970 makes it there before year's end, heh. :)

I got the 12" PB a month ago (or maybe longer actually).

I use it at home, and in the Lab, writing up experiments, Doing my thesis. (its very cute to see it nestled in between massive amounts of Lab equipment).

I also have started bringing it out to a club that i DJ at weekly, where it looks extremely cool with its lovely glowing apple logo.

As of yet, not a single scratch, Ding, dent, bend or scuff. Its in prime nick, I'm more than happy with it!