Question Re: Laptops for Graphic Design Students

[Elquin]

Starting this year, Graphic Design and Advertising students at the Ontario College of Art and Design are required to purchase a Mac laptop. We're being given three options.
I'm currently debating between a 15" Powerbook with Combodrive, and the 15" powerbook with Superdrive. I was wondering, if anyone here has experience with these and which would be better for me to purchase.
The final cost will have an approxamate $600 difference when everything I need is factored in.

One of the main things thats playing on my mind is the Superdrive's ability to Burn DVDs. Is it worth the extrah moolah? Am I likely to regret not having one?
I've got to make this decision this week and am rather lost.
I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback.

[shai]

Hey there. My school also required me to get a PowerBook for graphic design (back when they didn't even have Superdrives in them)... From my experience, I never really needed it. I never had sooo much stuff or a file so large that it couldn't fit on a CD. If you're really concerned about saving money, I would say the Combodrive would do just fine. My current PB has a superdrive and I've still never used it.

And if you don't mind me suggesting, for less than $600, you could probably get an external firwire/usb dvd burner (which would burn much faster than the one in the PB) or even better, an external hard drive. I don't know how many times I was thankful I backed up all my school work on an external hard drive. It will especially come in handy if you ever have to send your Powerbook in for repair and they have to erase the PB's hard drive to diagnose the problem (has happened to me twice )

Anyhow, hope I was helpful (and not too long winded )