[jerry1]

After a lot of thinking I have *almost* decided to switch. I am now thinking of getting an 12" iBook. I would like to get some of my doubts cleared before I jump on the bandwagon:

1. What is the batt life on the iBook G4 12" ?
2. How plasticky is the casing ? (I've had bad inputs about the casing and the problem of scratches etc ..,)
3. Do I have to buy the Airport card from Apple or can I get something same locally ?
4. Do I have to get the TV OUT converter from Apple or can I get it locally as well ?
5. Is 256K Cache enough ? Or the 12" PB is worth the $650 extra ?
6. Is AppleCare worth getting ? If Yes, which plan ?
7. What is Apple's return policy ? I'm thinking of getting the iBook from my local Compusmart, do they follow the same Apple's policy then ?

I will post some more questions if they pop up,

Thanks

[-Q-]

Originally posted by jerry1:

1. What is the batt life on the iBook G4 12" ?
2. How plasticky is the casing ? (I've had bad inputs about the casing and the problem of scratches etc ..,)
3. Do I have to buy the Airport card from Apple or can I get something same locally ?
4. Do I have to get the TV OUT converter from Apple or can I get it locally as well ?
5. Is 256K Cache enough ? Or the 12" PB is worth the $650 extra ?
6. Is AppleCare worth getting ? If Yes, which plan ?
7. What is Apple's return policy ? I'm thinking of getting the iBook from my local Compusmart, do they follow the same Apple's policy then ?

In order of appearance:

1. Can't help you with the G4. My G3 800 (before I sold it) gave me about 3.5-4 hours depending on what I was doing.

2. My case would get some minor scratches, but nothing serious. The outer shell was quite durable (much more durable than my TiBook) and you could only see the scratches if you held the iBook at a certain angle. I would recommend an iBook case for it to help avoid the minor dings and wear and tear.

3.You don't have to buy it directly from Apple, but you do have to buy an Airport card. No other card will work.

4. I'd get the TV converter from them. I had a hard time find small peripherals like that (until the Apple Store arrived anyway).

5. Not in my opinion. Maybe someone else has a stronger opinion.

6. Yes! It can pay for itself if you have only one serious problem out of warranty. And AFAIK, you can only buy one type of AppleCare - the plan for iBooks.

7. That'll depend on your local reseller. Although from what I understand, Apple does have some pretty rough return policies for resellers. At the Apple Store (physical location), you can return stuff for a 10% "restocking fee" but only if you return it before 10 days after purchase.

HTH.

Q

[moep]

Originally posted by jerry1:
After a lot of thinking I have *almost* decided to switch. I am now thinking of getting an 12" iBook. I would like to get some of my doubts cleared before I jump on the bandwagon:

1. What is the batt life on the iBook G4 12" ?
2. How plasticky is the casing ? (I've had bad inputs about the casing and the problem of scratches etc ..,)
3. Do I have to buy the Airport card from Apple or can I get something same locally ?
4. Do I have to get the TV OUT converter from Apple or can I get it locally as well ?
5. Is 256K Cache enough ? Or the 12" PB is worth the $650 extra ?
6. Is AppleCare worth getting ? If Yes, which plan ?
7. What is Apple's return policy ? I'm thinking of getting the iBook from my local Compusmart, do they follow the same Apple's policy then ?

I will post some more questions if they pop up,

Thanks

Hi,

I've recently switched to a mac - with an iBook G4 12". I've never touched a mac before, not even for a second. (err, btw. I haven't touched a PC since I've got my mac... )

I'm extremly happy with my iBook. it's just plain cool.
The setup I got was a stock G4/800/12"/30GB setup because my dealer had it in stock and I didn't want to wait another 3 weeks for a BTO to arrive. However, I wish I did.

Reasons:
- Bluetooth! You can't upgrade your iBook to the built-in apple bluetooth module. So well, you either get it with your BTO ibook or you'll have to use some ugly D-Link dongle. (of which you'll loose one every two months)

- Bigger Harddisk
I wish I would have chosen a 60GB model. I've already reinstalled Panther to get rid of all the language-resources and stuff I don't need, but ATM I've got only 5 gigs left. Sure, I download lots of stuff - still. I'm planning to get a 80GB disk at ebay for 200-ish and take my ibook to the dealer to do the upgrade.

I maxed out the RAM right away, never used it with 256 MB, since I heard that 640MB are the minimum for a more-or-less snappy Mac OS X anyway. Ain't that expensive either, just don't get the Memory from the apple store.

Well, your Questions:

1. I'm getting around 4 hours surfing (safari, itunes, airport extreme, max. brightness) and up to 5:30 hours during a seminar (typing w/ textedit, min. brightness, no sound)

2. I've got my iBook for one month now and I certainly didn't "baby" it. There are no scratches to be seen, UNLESS something (e.g. a light) is reflecting in the plastic... lots of tiny scratches to be seen then. However, you won't really see them under usual circumstances. I'm now getting a tucano second skin though, just to be sure...

3. see -Q-'s comment.

4. yup, -Q- is right.

5. I don't think so! Depends on what you'll run on your ....book though. If you're doing some really performance-hungry stuff like FinalCut, Photochop or Rendering (although I don't see why you'd want to render anything on a notebook ), the PB might be a bit faster than the iBook. But welI doubt that it's fast enough to justify the 650 bucks.
The backlit keyboard is nifty, but design-wise I personally prefer the look of my iBook... (just like I prefer the old aqua theme over the new metal-theme)

6. dunno. I didn't buy any AppleCare. My offers his own warrantly-extension combined with a deal with an insurance-company, so I payed 75$ for 5 years of full-warranty and insurance. (e.g. dropping the ibook, stealing, spilling fluids over it, and so on). Dunno how much this investment was actually worth, but i think it's better than having nothing. AppleCare was just too expensive for me. (I'm a student)

7. sorry, no idea.

[jerry1]

Thanks for the great advice -Q- and moep.

I will be doing mostly surfing, word processing, flash, presentations and some casual gaming. Since I am familiar with PCs only, thought it might be enough. But for a Mac, I didnt knew if it was the same thats why I asked about it. BTW, what games are there for Mac ? I've heard Simcity4, UT2003, America's Army.

As for Bluetooth, I dont know much about it. How will that be of use to me ?

And how much space do Panther take up ? Cause I dont want to have a cramped HDD.

Thanks again for the advice.

J

EDIT: Forgot to ask, what type of memory does the iBook has ? I mean DDR400 or DDR333 ?

[James L]

http://www.apple.com/games

http://www.apple.com/games/features/



...re: your games question.

[moep]

Well, if you game a lot the PB might be a better choice. The PB has a Radeon 9600, the iBook a Radeon 9200.

Playing 3D Games on my iBook is a no-go, at least for me. The Framerates might be acceptable for everyone that doesn't play on other machines, but for me the games seem to be crawling. Even on the lowest res and with the detail-settings bottomed out.
Therefore, I usually play on my doze - which is soon to be replaced by a G5 - (dual xeons with 3.5 ghz, 2 gb ram, 9800 pro, scsi 320 raid) and use the iBook for surfing, listening to music, editing websites and documents.

The Notebooks simply aren't suited for gaming... if the notebook is your only pc and you really want to have fun playing the newest games, get a second machine (or a console).

There are quite a lot of games for the mac - at least more than i expected to be. There are even rumors about a HalfLife 2 Port for the mac - UT2004 will officially be ported to the mac.

Bluetooth is nifty for having a wireless mouse without carrying a docking-station with you - or wireless surfing through your mobile-phone, if it supports bluetooth.

I dunno how much space the Panther installation needs, but I was able to save a few GB by just doing a clean install of Panther and removing the languages/programs i don't need.

RAM: DDR-333/PC-2700 2.5-3-3-3 SO-DIMMs. (I believe the iBook runs the RAM only at PC-2100, but the price is almost identical anyway.)

[jerry1]

thanks James & moep again.

moep, do you have some pics of your ibook ? or where can I see some real world ibook pics ?

thanks

[pat++]

Originally posted by jerry1:
thanks James & moep again.

moep, do you have some pics of your ibook ? or where can I see some real world ibook pics ?

thanks

iBook pictures :

http://homepage.mac.com/thesocket/PhotoAlbum3.html
http://www.vasher.com/pictures/ibook_200310/index.php

[jerry1]

thanks pat !

[moep]

switch, switch!

Click here for pics

(guess they're to big to post em in here)

[nredman]

1. What is the batt life on the iBook G4 12" ?
i used to have an iBook G3 and i would usually get about 3-4 hours of battery life....it really depends on what you are doing with your ibook imho

2. How plasticky is the casing ? (I've had bad inputs about the casing and the problem of scratches etc ..,)

my old ibook g3 had scratches on it...nothing to noticable..just take care of it and you will be okay

3. Do I have to buy the Airport card from Apple or can I get something same locally ?
4. Do I have to get the TV OUT converter from Apple or can I get it locally as well ?

shop around online for a good deal.

5. Is 256K Cache enough ? Or the 12" PB is worth the $650 extra ?

i dont really know what i point of cache is but i'd say it will be good...max out the ram and it will fly

6. Is AppleCare worth getting ? If Yes, which plan ?

i have never gotten applecare as i update my machine about every year...but if you plan on keeping the ibooks for many years it met be a good idea...macs retain their value so in a few years if you take good care of your ibook you could sell it and then use that money to upgrade...thats what i do

7. What is Apple's return policy ? I'm thinking of getting the iBook from my local Compusmart, do they follow the same Apple's policy then ?

i dont know if they do repairs...you always get a 1 yr warranty so if you have any problems i think you can take it locally to get it fixed or send it back to apple

hope that helps alittle

[jerry1]

Thanks nredman & moep. You've been of great help indeed.

[ryaxnb]

1. Batt life is about 3.3hrs.
2. It's plastic, but works well and looks OK-good. I like it better then a casing by, say, Dell, by a lot.
5. The iBook is fine for your use, I'm pretty sure.
6. Probably, get the basic plan.
7. 10 day return policy AFAIK.

[Sophus]

Originally posted by ryaxnb:
1. Batt life is about 3.3hrs.

I get about 5.5 hours of battery time with bluetooth and Airport turned off and screen turned down to 2 bars, doing word, surfing etc.

With close to full brightness, airport and bluetooth, I get about 3-3.5 hours. Very good for such a small, inexpensive (in comparison to many PCs) and lightweight portable.


Sophus

[-Q-]

Turning the screen down really helps with battery life. Even if reducing it by a couple 'notches' can give a remarkable extension to life.

So have we convinced you yet?

[jerry1]

thanks for all the help -Q-, appreciate it very much.

Today I was at Compusmart trying to convince my mind that this is going to be a great experience but I was somewhat dissappointed after I saw the iBook G4.

1. Its really plasticky...will it survive the 4 yrs of my grad ?
2. The screen was somewhat grainy in comparision to the Powerbook. However they had iBook G3 on display so maybe it is wrong to compare the G3 with the new Powerbooks.
3. The Mac Logo on on the outer side of the screen wasnt lit up ? I hope the iBook G4 has the cool feature ?
4. Only Edu pricing is available to me at my school and they are out of stock. Damn ! I think I'll get my hands on the iBook/PBook next year.

Still what do you think is a better choice ? The PBook looks definitely nice but its out of my range. Should I wait till I can afford one or get the iBook G4 right away ?

Thanks

J

[mac-kerouac]

Why do you have to by one from school. If you are a student, you can buy one bto from the apple web site. Just get the 12" iBook. If you are a grad student (as am i) you are going to word process and surf. Doesn't matter any way, the iBook will be able to handle what you need, unless you are doing crazy video editing and rendering. Besides, if cost is an issue, it is a no-brainer!

[jerry1]

Originally posted by mac-kerouac:
Why do you have to by one from school. If you are a student, you can buy one bto from the apple web site. Just get the 12" iBook. If you are a grad student (as am i) you are going to word process and surf. Doesn't matter any way, the iBook will be able to handle what you need, unless you are doing crazy video editing and rendering. Besides, if cost is an issue, it is a no-brainer!

Because I can get it right away ? I heard Apple takes some time to fill their orders...how long did it take you to get your iBook from the day your ordered it ?

[Starry Night]

Apple has a terrible return policy. Purchase from Amazon.com, they have a very flexible return policy, 30 days. CompUsa is second best with 14 days, though not as lenient as Amazon.....

[mac-kerouac]

Jerry,

I ordered mine on a Thursday night and it arrived at work on the next Tuesday morning. Taiwan to Princeton, pretty fast.

[jerry1]

Originally posted by jerry1:
thanks for all the help -Q-, appreciate it very much.

Today I was at Compusmart trying to convince my mind that this is going to be a great experience but I was somewhat dissappointed after I saw the iBook G4.

1. Its really plasticky...will it survive the 4 yrs of my grad ?
2. The screen was somewhat grainy in comparision to the Powerbook. However they had iBook G3 on display so maybe it is wrong to compare the G3 with the new Powerbooks.
3. The Mac Logo on on the outer side of the screen wasnt lit up ? I hope the iBook G4 has the cool feature ?
4. Only Edu pricing is available to me at my school and they are out of stock. Damn ! I think I'll get my hands on the iBook/PBook next year.

Still what do you think is a better choice ? The PBook looks definitely nice but its out of my range. Should I wait till I can afford one or get the iBook G4 right away ?

Thanks

J

Can anybody answer these questions, still waiting.

[Starry Night]

Originally posted by jerry1:
Can anybody answer these questions, still waiting.

Hi Jerry,

Here's my take on your questions:

1) Traditionally, the ibooks are very durable. Plastic can be a strong substance. The aluminium case of the powerbooks have caused some angst, warping, getting really hot etc., YMMV Will it last 4 years of grad school? If you take care of it, sure. Get Applecare and relax.

2) Not 100% sure, but I believe the G3 and G4 ibook have the same display. The PB's is nicer, but you pay dearly for it. You have to compare the two side by side and see which one you like and decide if you can afford it.

3) Not sure..., but either way, that feature shouldn't be a major factor in your decision.

4) "Next Year" is only 2 weeks away, don't sweat it

Honestly, go with the ibook if it's going to be a financial hardship to get the PB. No need to put yourself in a hole. The G4 ibook is very capable. Imho, the 12" is the way to go, and priced very nice.

Though you should do some research to clarify if the G4 ibook is having the logic board problems that effected the later models of the G3 ibook.

Good Luck!

[RadarBob2]

Having gotten my computer science degree before there were personal computers, and having both my wife and I go through grad school on an Apple llc (4Mz CPU, 64KB memory, NO hard drive), I'd say the new iBook is more than up to the task.

But you must consider the following essential considering your circumstances:
* applecare. You simply can't afford much down time. The best part for me is that the original 90 day free, unlimited call-in support is extended to the total warranty period. You can purchase applecare anytime before the original warranty runs out.

* Max out memory now. It's cheaper than putting in say, a 128MB chip only to need to replace it with a 512MB chip in a couple of years. Don't buy it from Apple. There are lots of reputible internet companies less expensive. I liked doing business with www.4allmemory.com

* Opt for the largest available hard drive.

I keep my computers a long time. I still have my Macintosh PowerPC from 1994 and my iBook from 1999. I'm tellin' ya; when I upgraded memory and drive space in both these puppies - and especially my iBook 7 months ago - it added a couple of years to their useful life, IMHO.

Oh, we also have a 700Mz iBook that my wife, who is very computer averse, uses it extensively every day as a teacher. She's been using it for some time now, and just two days ago - I'm not making this up! - she said "thank you for buying this computer for me."

[PRinMD]

For Ram I like Crucial You put in the info of your computer and tells you exactly what you need. And prices are very nice. Hell I am a noob to Mac, got mine 2 weeks ago, eventually will get the apple care plan, not right now, Christmas broke me off. Always used windows, then Moved over to Linux now working on Mac, and liking it very much. No caomplains so far, just got to be able to remember where everything is located and then I'm golden

[Link]

As I recall the logos on all apple laptops made since the g3 powerbook have a backlit apple logo

Have fun.

[jerry1]

Thanks StarryNight, RadarBob2, PRinMD & Link.

EDIT: MERRY CHRISTMAS & ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS !