[El~Zapo]

Hello. I have been looking around at notebook computers for college and the iBook G4 12" (with 3-year Applecare & education discount) seems to be the best deal for me.

I have made a long list of questions I would like to ask that I couldn't find the answers to anywhere else. Here they are:

BATTERY & POWER RELATED
1) How convenient is it to remove the battery? I would like to extend the battery life by removing it while using AC power at home for long hours.
2) What is the battery drain like when using Sleep mode? (how many hours will it last in sleep mode?)
3) Is there a light on the front that turns on when the iBook is in sleep mode, like the Powerbook?

SPANNING 'HACK'
4) Is it a program, a driver, or a firmware upgrade for the Radeon 9200?
5) Will installing it void my warranty?
6) Can it be removed easily with no traces in case I needed to bring in the iBook for repairs?
7) I've heard that using it splits the video RAM to 16MB for each display. Would it be possible to have the full 32MB of video RAM for the external monitor by disabling the iBook's display (and have the external display at a resolution greater than 1024x768?)

PERFORMANCE & GAMING
8) If the G4 800 MHz could be compared to a Pentium 4 processor, what would that clock speed be?
9) How is gaming performance for games like 'Neverwinter Nights', 'Unreal Tournament 2003', and 'Quake 3'?
10) What clock speed does the Radeon 9200 run at? (core & memory)
11) Is there an emulator available for playing SNES games?
12) Typically, are multiplayer games compatible between Mac and PC? (ie: Mac and PC users can play together in a game)

MISC
13) What is the output power rating for the headphone jack? (mW / channel)
14) Does the iBook come with the VGA adapter, or will I have to purchase this seperately?
15) Are there any (less expensive) alternatives to the Airport Extreme card for wireless access? (3rd party card / USB connector/ older Airport card?)
16) How long does the iBook take to boot up from being turned off?
17) Will upgrading the RAM myself oppose to buying it as a BTO option have any negative effects on the warranty coverage?
18) If I had a USB to serial adapter, would Virtual PC be able to work with the hardware on the end of the adapter?
19) When is the next update to the iBook hardware expected to happen (or any significant events like the recent Macworld in San Francisco)? I plan to buy in early April and it would be nice to take advantage of any price cuts or updates.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

EDIT: bolded the question #s that I'm still looking for a definite answer on.

[WizOSX]

Rather than putting your questions in seperate quotes I'll just use your numbers. I have an iBook G3 700mhz so my answers may sometimes only be approximate.

1) I wouldn't do it. I tried this but it turns out that running with the battery out messes up the clock and calendar so you get funny things happening, especially with email. Your best bet is to just run the battery down, then keep running after you plug it in to recharge. Then, every once in a while run it right to zero.

3) Yes.

4) Not really any of the three. Its a kind of patch that modifies to OS. In that sense it is most like a program.
5) Absolutely not since it is just software.
6) No need.

16) About 45 seconds if you do not upgrade to 10.3.2. Your machine will probably come with 10.3 installed. If you want quick boot time do not install 10.3.2.

[wataru]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:
BATTERY & POWER RELATED
1) How convenient is it to remove the battery? I would like to extend the battery life by removing it while using AC power at home for long hours.
2) What is the battery drain like when using Sleep mode? (how many hours will it last in sleep mode?)
3) Is there a light on the front that turns on when the iBook is in sleep mode, like the Powerbook?

1. Plenty convenient. You just need to unscrew a large plastic screw thing. You could do so easily with a penny, or with your thumbnail if it's strong enough.
2. It will easily last days in sleep mode.
3. Yes.

[wataru]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:
SPANNING 'HACK'
4) Is it a program, a driver, or a firmware upgrade for the Radeon 9200?
5) Will installing it void my warranty?
6) Can it be removed easily with no traces in case I needed to bring in the iBook for repairs?
7) I've heard that using it splits the video RAM to 16MB for each display. Would it be possible to have the full 32MB of video RAM for the external monitor by disabling the iBook's display (and have the external display at a resolution greater than 1024x768?)

4. It's an AppleScript that changes a variable in the iBook's firmware.
5. I believe so, yes. But it's easily reversible, so you can undo it before sending it in for servicing.
6. See 5.
7. You may be able to disable the regular LCD, but I don't know how. My hunch is that you can't.

[wataru]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:
PERFORMANCE & GAMING
8) If the G4 800 MHz could be compared to a Pentium 4 processor, what would that clock speed be?
9) How is gaming performance for games like 'Neverwinter Nights', 'Unreal Tournament 2003', and 'Quake 3'?
10) What clock speed does the Radeon 9200 run at? (core & memory)
11) Is there an emulator available for playing SNES games?
12) Typically, are multiplayer games compatible between Mac and PC? (ie: Mac and PC users can play together in a game)

8. I'm not sure, but PPC chips are generally faster than Intel ones on a Hz-by-Hz basis. That means that an 800MHz G4 will be equivalent to a higher frequency Pentium, perhaps even as high as 1.2GHz(?). Note that for AltiVec-enabled applications the G4 has a huge advantage.
9. Quake 3 ran more than acceptably on my old 667MHz PowerBook G4, so the iBook G4 should be that much better. I can't comment on the other games.
10. I don't know.
11. Yes. It's called SNES9X. You can get it at MacUpdate. I suggest you get the latest "SNES9X Custom" version.
12. Yes, though there are some exceptions.

[wataru]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:
MISC
13) What is the output power rating for the headphone jack? (mW / channel)
14) Does the iBook come with the VGA adapter, or will I have to purchase this seperately?
15) Are there any (less expensive) alternatives to the Airport Extreme card for wireless access? (3rd party card / USB connector/ older Airport card?)
16) How long does the iBook take to boot up from being turned off?
17) Will upgrading the RAM myself oppose to buying it as a BTO option have any negative effects on the warranty coverage?
18) If I had a USB to serial adapter, would Virtual PC be able to work with the hardware on the end of the adapter?
19) When is the next update to the iBook hardware expected to happen (or any significant events like the recent Macworld in San Francisco)? I plan to buy in early April and it would be nice to take advantage of any price cuts or updates.

13. I don't know. You should check the "Tech Specs" bit at the Apple iBook page for this and the video card frequency question.
14. It comes with one. An RCA/S-video adapter is also available separately for $20.
15. There are no internal solutions other than the Airport Extreme card. Ethernet bridges and USB WAPs may work. However, the Airport Extreme is by far the preferred (and probably cheapest) solution.
16. I don't know. Hopefully someone will post their time. I'm waiting for my iBook G4 to arrive right now. Of course you really don't need to shut down the computer that often. Sleeping it when not in use is a fine alternative.
17. No. RAM is considered a user-upgradeable part.
18. Maybe. I'd ask this question in the Software forum. The answer largely depends on how low the level of access is that VPC requires to use the device. For instance, I bet USB CD-R(W) drives wouldn't work, but mice, printers, and Wacom tablets certainly do. [Edit: I missed the serial adapter part. The corrected answer: Probably not]
19. Probably April! Historically, many iBook updates have happened in April, though there were also some May and June releases (all this according to Mactracker, available on MacUpdate).

[typoon]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:
Hello. I have been looking around at notebook computers for college and the iBook G4 12" (with 3-year Applecare & education discount) seems to be the best deal for me.

I have made a long list of questions I would like to ask that I couldn't find the answers to anywhere else. Here they are:

BATTERY & POWER RELATED
1) How convenient is it to remove the battery? I would like to extend the battery life by removing it while using AC power at home for long hours.
2) What is the battery drain like when using Sleep mode? (how many hours will it last in sleep mode?)
3) Is there a light on the front that turns on when the iBook is in sleep mode, like the Powerbook?

SPANNING 'HACK'
4) Is it a program, a driver, or a firmware upgrade for the Radeon 9200?
5) Will installing it void my warranty?
6) Can it be removed easily with no traces in case I needed to bring in the iBook for repairs?
7) I've heard that using it splits the video RAM to 16MB for each display. Would it be possible to have the full 32MB of video RAM for the external monitor by disabling the iBook's display (and have the external display at a resolution greater than 1024x768?)

PERFORMANCE & GAMING
8) If the G4 800 MHz could be compared to a Pentium 4 processor, what would that clock speed be?
9) How is gaming performance for games like 'Neverwinter Nights', 'Unreal Tournament 2003', and 'Quake 3'?
10) What clock speed does the Radeon 9200 run at? (core & memory)
11) Is there an emulator available for playing SNES games?
12) Typically, are multiplayer games compatible between Mac and PC? (ie: Mac and PC users can play together in a game)

MISC
13) What is the output power rating for the headphone jack? (mW / channel)
14) Does the iBook come with the VGA adapter, or will I have to purchase this seperately?
15) Are there any (less expensive) alternatives to the Airport Extreme card for wireless access? (3rd party card / USB connector/ older Airport card?)
16) How long does the iBook take to boot up from being turned off?
17) Will upgrading the RAM myself oppose to buying it as a BTO option have any negative effects on the warranty coverage?
18) If I had a USB to serial adapter, would Virtual PC be able to work with the hardware on the end of the adapter?
19) When is the next update to the iBook hardware expected to happen (or any significant events like the recent Macworld in San Francisco)? I plan to buy in early April and it would be nice to take advantage of any price cuts or updates.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

To answer the first 3:
1. Removing the Battery is very easy. You will need a coin to remove the battery. On the underside of the powerbook you will see a place you can remove it from. Simplist way to know how to remove the battery RTFM. But why would you want to? These are Lithium ion Batteries.

2. How long are you looking to put it to sleep? I've left it asleep for over a couple of days and still no problems

3. Yes

[El~Zapo]

Thanks to everyone, this is a big help! Keep those answers coming please.

Originally posted by typoon:
Simplist way to know how to remove the battery RTFM. But why would you want to? These are Lithium ion Batteries.

From what I've read, when you have the AC adapter plugged in and the battery is fully charged, it still wears out the battery. So if I were planning to use the iBook at home for a weekend with just the AC adapter, I would take out the battery to make it last longer. But WizOSX mentioned that it messes with the clock so perhaps I won't be doing that after all.

2. How long are you looking to put it to sleep? I've left it asleep for over a couple of days and still no problems

Probably no longer than 8 hours at a time, so that sounds like it should be fine.

[Cowz]

From what I've read, when you have the AC adapter plugged in and the battery is fully charged, it still wears out the battery. So if I were planning to use the iBook at home for a weekend with just the AC adapter, I would take out the battery to make it last longer. But WizOSX mentioned that it messes with the clock so perhaps I won't be doing that after all.

One, as we've seen several times on this forum, the battery will not continuously wear down if the battery is fully charged and the laptop is plugged in. Li-ion batteries are not affected by charging in the same way Ni-MH batteries are (which display the behavior you're talking about). Second, Apple's power management will NOT constantly charge the battery. Rather, it will charge the battery up either to full and then run off the battery for a short while (see posts about battery at 99%) or it will charge to nearly full and then use short, small bursts to charge. I believe the former is the more correct answer. Regardless, I have owned my Lombard Powerbook for over 1.5 years now and have not witnessed any major loss of battery life due to keeping the laptop plugged in. There really isn't much to worry on this.

[erise]

Originally posted by El~Zapo:

7) I've heard that using it splits the video RAM to 16MB for each display. Would it be possible to have the full 32MB of video RAM for the external monitor by disabling the iBook's display (and have the external display at a resolution greater than 1024x768?)

I asked the Apple guy at a CompUSA this question and he said that even disabling the internal display will still only allow 16MB on an external monitor. That's as much as I know on the issue.

[ginoledesma]

Let me add my thoughts to some of your questions:

BATTERY/POWER RELATED
1. For me, removing the battery and using AC-only power is a no-no. A key feature of a laptop is its battery power, which is particularly handy against power fluctuations and power failures. Removing the battery means demoting your laptop to a desktop status, and making it vulnerable to the whims of your power company. Should there be an unexpected power failure, you will be unable to protect yourself unless you have a backup power solution like using a UPS. The benefits, to me, of "extending battery life" by removing it is marginal at best.

2. I have not left my Mac asleep for days on end, but I once took it to work and left it asleep from 12PM to 7PM. The charge was originally at 98%, and when I opened it, it was at 95%. Next time, I will run ioctl and obtain the mAh rating before and after an 8-hour sleep period.

3. The LED pulses white when in sleep mode.

SPANNING HACK
5. No, because it is software. However, do not expect Apple to service it. This is the same as installing Linux or some other OS on your Mac: it will not void your warranty but don't expect support from Apple. But do yourself a favor and remove the spanning hack when sending it in to Apple for repairs.

6. The installer has an option to "undo" the effects.

7. Video RAM is equally split between the internal and external displays. As far as I know, there is no option to dedicate the full amount of video memory to the external display, especially since the original mode of operation for the card was targeted for mirroring.

Note that the iBook G4 isn't recommended for use in "clamshell mode", that is, working with the lid fully closed and using an external monitor to drive the display.

8. Pentium-M/Centrino-based laptops will be noticeably faster in games. These processors are definitely performant. A rough equivalent of the G4/800 would be a Pentium-4 1.0GHz-1.2GHz. I wouldn't know its equivalent to a Centrino.

9. Neverwinter Nights plays acceptably, albeit choppy during intense battles. I've lowered the game display settings, but am only on stock RAM (256MB). I gather that even 640MB RAM will not do much, but it helps. You can download the Trial to test it out yourself. The Trial is limited to the inner castle, so you won't be able to gauge performance in intense scenes. You can do this before buying the game (unless you're basing the playability of the game as a factor in buying the iBook).

12. There are a number of multiplayer games that don't work between Mac and PC users. Some that I can name are Age of Empires II, Age of Mythology, and Heroes of Might and Magic, as the PC version uses MS's DirectPlay technology. Games like Warcraft III, Diablo, Alien vs. Predator, and Halo work fine, however.

14. A VGA adapter is included. The iBook G4, however, does not support DVI output.

15. Go for Airport Extreme. Save your USB slots for something else that you may need. Internal WiFi is the best. Bluetooth is optional, but having it built-in goes a long way when using Bluetooth keyboards/mice and other peripherals.

16. On my system (iBook G4/12"/800/256MB/WiFi), it takes roughly 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes using Mac OS 10.3.2. But I rarely power down my Mac, so I only "notice this slow performance" about twice a month at most. Putting your iBook to sleep is the preferred practice.

17. Adding memory yourself will not void the warranty, as memory is considered a user-serviceable upgrade. Apple explicitly states that installing memory does not void your warranty. I am not sure if this applies to the older TiBooks which had a "secret slot" where the memory could be removed/replaced with a higher capacity one. The recent iBooks have 128MB soldered onto their logic boards, and tinkering with the logic board will definitely void your warranty.

19. Only Steve knows. But educ pricing + Applecare is definitely worth it.

[El~Zapo]

Thanks ginoledesma! All this information is very helpful.