[adamjh]

I'm thinking about a new iBook as my first Mac, and I have a couple questions. I'm trying to decide between a 12-inch/800mhz with maxed out RAM and 60G hard drive and the 14-inch/1ghz with maxed out RAM. Is there that much of a difference between 800mhzand 1ghz? If so, where am I likely to notice it most? Second, is all this jazz about the 14-inch screen being "fuzzy" true? I understand the 12 and 14 inch-screens have the same resolution, but does the added real estate help or just make things less sharp? Also, with the ports on the left, does the cord from a mouse have to reach around the back of the iBook for a right-hander, or am I missing something? Any feed back on performance, keyboard, screen quality from new iBook owners would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help.

[andreas_g4]

The performance gap between the 12" 800 MHz and 14" 1 GHz won't be too huge, especially if you get the 12" with a bigger (=faster) harddrive. I'd say the 14" will be 10% faster.

Don't know about the screen quality, but I guess the 14" isn't fuzzy, the pixels are just bigger.

If you want portability, get the 12", obviously. (call me bard )
If you want easier reading, get the 14".

[SupahCoolX]

The 12" packs the same number of pixels into a 2" smaller area. Therefore, each individual pixel is smaller, which creates a sharper image. Everything on the 14" will appear bigger, which is good if you have bad eyesight. Either way, it's a matter of preference. You might want to go to a local Mac store (either an "official" Apple Store, CompUSA, or other local reseller, etc) and check them out in person.

Yes, the mouse cord would have to reach around. Be sure to get a mouse with a long cord (or a USB extender cable).

[dracoleb]

The 12" screen looks very sharp, I wish they had the iBooks so you could choose the size you want w/ the spec's you want, rather then have the 14" have the better specs. i much prefer the 12" size. I suppose the reason they seem to cripple the 12" iBook is so it doesn't creep into the Powerbook sector. Me personally, I am thoroughly enjoying my new 12" iBook G4.

[adamjh]

Thanks for the info. Still deciding.