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Lawrenzo · Nov 6, 2003, 07:56 AM

I've just orderd the 12" G4 iBook yestereday and can't wait for it to arrive so I can learn the OS with all it's perks.

I didn't buy anything extra with it because I'm new to mac (always been a PC man) and thought the salesman in the shop would want me to buy anything even if I didn't need it.

So I turn to you. For work I want to use Photoshop, Flash and Filemaker Pro (if possible on mac, I want to edit video and play games. RAM will be my first thing to upgrade i geuss and a mouse because I hate those pad things on laptops.

All advise is welcome as I'm a novice to the brand and might not have realised some of my possibilities.

Cheers,

Lawrie

radarbob · Nov 6, 2003, 09:27 AM

Absolutely, positively the best bang for the buck is extra memory. And max it out - that's cheaper in the long run.

I recommend www.4allmemory.com Why? You tell them what make and model computer you have and they tell you what memory (that they carry, of course) works with it. It was the only place I've seen that identifed a 512MB module for my Rev A (original model) iBook. I also bought a hard drive from them. Competitive prices, good customer service is my experience.

Lawrenzo · Nov 6, 2003, 10:00 AM

What about a mouse, how did you find the touvh pad? Also is there any chance that I can run Cinema 4D if I max the RAM?

Thanks for all replies.

Lawrie

mblchris · Nov 6, 2003, 10:09 AM

Originally posted by radarbob:
Absolutely, positively the best bang for the buck is extra memory. And max it out - that's cheaper in the long run.

I recommend www.4allmemory.com Why? You tell them what make and model computer you have and they tell you what memory (that they carry, of course) works with it. It was the only place I've seen that identifed a 512MB module for my Rev A (original model) iBook. I also bought a hard drive from them. Competitive prices, good customer service is my experience.

Problem with them is that as far as I can tell they don't tell you what brand of memory you're purchasing. For example: http://www.4allmemory.com/index.cfm?...model_id=-3080

Lateralus · Nov 6, 2003, 01:53 PM

Originally posted by Lawrenzo:
What about a mouse, how did you find the touvh pad? Also is there any chance that I can run Cinema 4D if I max the RAM?

Thanks for all replies.

Lawrie

Your using of the touch pad really depends on what you will be using the iBook for. If you're going to be doing e-mail, web browsing and iTunes basically, the touch pad should be fine for you (was for me atleast). But if you'll be doing anything more intense than that, such as Cinema 4D (It wil definately run), I'd suggest one of the phenominal mice from the Logitech MX series. If you don't need wireless, you will find that the MX500 is a great peripheral investment. Take a look at them.

And welcome to OS X!

mike one · Nov 7, 2003, 11:16 AM

go to dealram or ramseeker for the best price.

personally i would just go to www.macsales.com to buy ram. if you've ever bought anything from them you'll understand...

DennyA · Nov 7, 2003, 12:27 PM

If you're going to be using it on a desk, get a mouse. It's more precise than the pad for stuff like Photoshop, etc.

If you're coming from a PC and you have a USB mouse, you might just want to plug it in and try it. I'm using a Microsoft Intellimouse wireless and it works wonderfully. And it gives me a scrollwheel and additional buttons you don't get on the Apple mouse.

cvanston · Nov 8, 2003, 12:17 AM

I'll second the vote for macsales.com (ie. Other World Computing). I've bought from them many times and *always* had a great experience. The one time there was a problem with my order (incorrect RAM part shipped) they immediately sent out the right part and a postage-paid box to send back the other one. Great service and very good prices have turned me into a regular customer. Here's a tip, though: sign up for their newsletter. You get access to a special price list which is slightly lower than even their web specials.

As for mouse and keyboard, I find the iBook's keyboard to be excellent for all things except if you need a numeric keypad (if so, get an external keyboard or even just an external numeric keypad).

I'd advise getting a mouse rather than using the built-in touch pad. The pad is good for what it is, and very handy for short-term use when you're on the go, but for Photoshop in particular you'll want a mouse. I use the Logitech MX500 and it's the best mouse I've ever used: very responsive, loads of buttons and a scroll wheel, great Mac OS X support. There's a wireless version too called the MX700, but it requires an electrical outlet to work the base so it's not great for travel use.

As for other additions to max out performance, I agree with the above suggestion that nothing beats the value of extra RAM. Max out the RAM, which can only go to 640MB at the moment anyway, and you'll see the most bang for your buck. A larger and faster hard drive is a great speed and convenience addition, too, but a more pricey upgrade. (An easy swap, though, but obviously requires a backup and restore so it's a bit easier to do early in your 'book's life than later.) Of course, you can also add an external firewire drive (or two, or three) even more easily.

amazing · Nov 8, 2003, 12:23 PM

Getting extra RAM is first up, just make sure it's got a lifetime guarantee.

Getting a multi-button mouse and possibly a keyboard is next, depending on your situation. Which mouse is a very personal decision, namely do you want an optical trackball, how many buttons, and do you want to go wireless? I like the MacAlly Q-ball usb, mainly because of the software which allows me to specify that one click on the scroll wheel will go one complete page up or down (Kensington didn't do this, it's got incremental scroll only.)

In other words, get the mouse from someplace local that doesn't charge a restocking fee, because you're going to want to experiment with different mice.

After that, you're going to want wireless access. If you don't transfer files to your own local server then you don't need 11g--you can get a cheap 11b third party base station (you can find them on sale at places like CompUSA for $20. If you're doing dialup then you need one with an internal modem, and Apple's snow base station may be the way to go.

Cadaver · Nov 8, 2003, 02:44 PM

For RAM, go to www.crucial.com

fiddler · Nov 8, 2003, 05:16 PM

There's a wireless version too called the MX700, but it requires an electrical outlet to work the base so it's not great for travel use.

Not entirely true, since only the battery charger requires power from the AC adapter. The wireless trasmitter seems to work just fine without any external power.

However, the base station itself is rather clunky so yes, it is rather unpractical for travelling.