[skalie]

I have an iBook, 600mhz, 15 gig, Dvd, airport, 640 ram, running Mac OSX 10.1., loads of scratches on the cover.

I want to invest in Panther and iLife, which comes to about 200$US.

Dilemna, if I sold the iBook and bought a newer model, I would get that software included, so it sort of subtracts 200$US from the price of an upgrade. Then I would also have the benefits of possible monitor spanning, airport extreme, faster processor.

What would be realistic, 500$ - 600$ for the 600mhz jobbie? then, 1000$US (ex tax) for new 12 inch model.

So I guess the advice I need is when is the best time to upgrade?

[RadarBob2]

In general computers are pretty darn expensive and they hold resale value about as good as a sieve holds water. IMHO resale value on your old machine is not a reason to get a new one. New computers are just getting cheaper and better too fast.

IMHO hold off buying a new computer until it hurts. I've always done that and never regretted it - I'm on my third macintosh since 1987. Delaying a new purchase by upgrading your existing machine is the less expensive option in the long run. With the iBook sporting a G4 CPU now it is more compelling but you must honestly ask yourself why you want to buy a new computer.

Think about this. Didn't your computer do what you wanted it to do when you bought it new? Isn't it still doing that?

Also, a macintosh computer has always been easy to upgrade. That is to say the mac has a long "shelf life."

My original 300MHz iBook is still my primary computer. When new it had 32MB memory, 3GB drive and OS 8.6 - and cost $1599. Today it has 544MB memory, 40GB drive and OS 10.2.8. Yeah, you can say I have about two grand invested in my computer hardware, but if I'd have gotten a new mac when the redesigned "iceBook" came out, well, I'd have a 500MHz machine. And instead of about $2,000 to date, I'd have about $3,000 sunk into two "obsolete" iBooks today. And if I'd had upgraded that using your timeframe, I'd have upgraded again to about a 800 MHz G3 machine, a total of $4,300 invested - and I'd be asking the same questions about trade-in / new purchase today!

Try to keep your computer(s) for about 5 years then consider a new one. I bought my iBook in Nov 1999, and w/ upgraded memory, HD, & OS I will not get a new one for about 2 *more* years.

[skalie]

Sounds like pretty solid advice Radar, thanks.

[Captain Obvious]

Well, I don't know if I agree.
I tend to upgrade about every two years and iBooks have made the process very easy and affordable. If I were you I would sell now. Not because your computer is obsolete but because the cost of upgrading at this time is not very high. If you sell that iBook you can fetch about 600 on eBay. For $800 (w/ taxes) you can get a refurbished G4 iBook with the new iLife and Panther from Apple. Not the latest iBook but still much faster than yours. You would of course need to get an Airport card and maybe RAM but a refurbished AP extreme card is only $70 and since this iBook comes with 256 megs you can probably put off buying more RAM for a few weeks helping spread out the cost.

Your iBook is NOT easy to upgrade. Clamshell iBooks were a challenge to upgrade but Dual USB iBooks are outright a job for Pros or very technically savvy people. A 30 gig drive is going to run you at least $150 and since your RAM is already maxxed out there's no where else to go with that. So why put more money into that when the newer iBooks come with 30 gigs standard.

So do the math.
Keep your iBook and upgrade Panther and a bigger HDD: +129 +150 = $280
Sell your iBook and buy a refurb 800 and AP card: +800 +70 =870 - 600 = $270
Sell your iBook and buy a refurb 1Ghz and AP card: +1000 + 70 = 1070 - 600 = $470

The problem with what Bob says is that the time he would have upgraded vs now means there are different benefits. For one a jump from a G3 to a G4 chip. Second the video memory back then was not increased. For you there is a gain from 16 to 32mb and being able to use Quartz. 15 gigs or drive space up to 30. And 200 to 467Mhz depending on which G4 iBook you get.

[skalie]

The hard drive, I had forgotten about the hard drive.

I'd been eyeing up prices for externe firewire jobbies as it goes, 15 gig just not quite enough to capture a 60 minute MiniDV tape, it would be so much sweeter to have that intern. Good tip, thanks.

*goes off to try and find the dutch translation of "refurbished"*