[Mike_Cat]

Just when I think I am sold on the iBook, more concerns arise. From what I am reading, I am hearing more and more about creaking hinges, a track pad that wears very quickly and a key board that wears aswell. Are these common problems? Is Apple just ignoring them? Would I just be better off buying a Ti Book?
Man oh man...Will I ever find peace of mind? Well if anyone has heard or has experience with this I would love to hear about it. Perhaps this is all just bull **** or maybe just something that is not a huge deal. Thanks!

[Myriad]

I've had this iBook for almost ten months now, and it seems to be holding up fine. The creaking hinge problem is just that, a creaking hinge. The fact that it creaks has not caused me any problems.

My trackpad and keyboard have held up with no problems as well. The only issues I could see people having with the iBook are about what's on the inside. I still think the iBook case is the best Apple has ever made.

[losta]

The new iBooks don't seem to have the same creaking hinge problems the 2001 models had.

[niji]

relax. exhale.
i have 2 iBooks. neither one has ony of the problems you mention. yes, i too have seen posts that complain of some of these problems.
but, the truth is, the iBook is incredibly strong and well built.
the track pad has no inherent problem for sure. it does not wear prematurely. the keys do not come off unless you pry them off.
the hinge DOES creak, on most everybody's machine. some have suggested that you can stop it from creaking by adding a tiny tiny tiny drab of oil on each side of the hinge. for me, i dont want any oil near my iBook, so i deal with it. no problem.
by the way, in general, i do have to say that apple often is on the cutting edge of plastic engineering (i own a cube as well). the truth is that to some people like us design is very important in the tools we use. if design is not important, then, well, look at the alternatives...dell...oh well, lets not go there...
buy the iBook. you will not regret it.
good luck.

[skalie]

My iBook's got a creaky hinge and I scratched the hell out the casing before I realised how scratchable it was, but in some way I find it reasuring that those two faults are the major problems that people experience with their iBooks, both can be lived with without a serious loss to one's enjoyment of life.

The keyboard i've found tends to make one to hit it lightly, no problems so far, and it is replaceable I've heard.

The trackpad on the other hand, what is the cost of renewing that?

[biscuit]

The only problem I've noticed is the tendancy to scratch very easily. Once I noticed I started to carry it around in a jumper and that stopped that.

Also, my trackpad is getting a bit shiney, as is my space-bar. But I wouldn't call that premature wearing, just use. I've had it about 9 months.

BTW, I have a nice, snug-fitting bag to replace the jumper now....

biscuit

edit: no creaky hinge either....

[Arkham_c]

I have an iBook/600 that I got last December. I take it to work every day and work on it for 8 hours+ nonstop. Then I take it home and do email and web surfing and some programming. My trackpad has more miles on it than a Las Vegas hooker, and it's holding up great.

I do have creaky hinges. It's annoying, but I can deal. I plan on sending it in this fall before my warranty expires. I just can't stand to be away from it right now with my development project at work still ongoing. All I have at work is a Windows PC, and they can't expect me to use THAT for developing software!

[vvedge]

wear and tear issues depend on the user lots of times

me, i have a tendency to DESTROY portable things...walkmans, CD players, PDAs calculators... etc....etc...

So far I'm amazed the condition my ibook is still in. Yea, the trackpad is worn down (oily fingers), lots of scratches, etc, etc

But man do i have some durability stories... just last week I was using my ibook as a car stereo (like an idiot), and I suddenly braked (going 45 mph), and the ibook flew off the passenger seat into the leg area....... virtually NO damage... the screen hit the dashboard for gosh sakes...

As a person who does very little to ensure that his machine doesn't get damaged, I can definitely vouch for this machine's sturdiness, and I'm pretty sure if I owned a TiBook, I'd gone though half a dozen of them by now...

[escher]

Originally posted by niji:
relax. exhale.
but, the truth is, the iBook is incredibly strong and well built.

I second niji's advice. The iBook is clearly more solid and more durable than most other laptops. With any product, there are bound to be problems, but they are certainly not widespread with the iBook.

Case in point: I've had my iBook since May 2001. I have used it virtually every day since I got it, for several hours each time, at home, at school, in the yard (with AirPort), on the plane, while traveling in Europe and in the US. Despite heavy use, I have not had a single problem with my iBook. The only exception was a broken CD tray when I forcefully dropped the unprotected iBook onto a cement floor at JFK last December. Any other laptop would have suffered significantly more damage.

Escher

[Mike_Cat]

Has anyone had any trouble with the Trackpad moving all over the screen when you are typing and placing the cursor in different areas making it that you start typing in abstract places? Just another thing I have heard. Although you guys sure seem to know a hell of a lot more than any other forum!
Thanks guys you are helping a lot!

[dampeoples]

Originally posted by Mike_Cat:
Has anyone had any trouble with the Trackpad moving all over the screen when you are typing and placing the cursor in different areas making it that you start typing in abstract places?

In OS X, under system preferences/mouse, just click the Ignore trackpad while typing option to prevent this.

[typoon]

Originally posted by escher:


I second niji's advice. The iBook is clearly more solid and more durable than most other laptops. With any product, there are bound to be problems, but they are certainly not widespread with the iBook.

Case in point: I've had my iBook since May 2001. I have used it virtually every day since I got it, for several hours each time, at home, at school, in the yard (with AirPort), on the plane, while traveling in Europe and in the US. Despite heavy use, I have not had a single problem with my iBook. The only exception was a broken CD tray when I forcefully dropped the unprotected iBook onto a cement floor at JFK last December. Any other laptop would have suffered significantly more damage.

Escher

damn that's a Strong little computer

[SupahCoolX]

Get the iBook. You'll love it.
Remember, if you read this forum, you'll see more posts about problems than anything else because no one ever puts up an "everything on my iBook works perfectly!" thread. The problems you see posted are a slim minority of all the TONS of iBooks out there.

[scaught]

Originally posted by losta:
The new iBooks don't seem to have the same creaking hinge problems the 2001 models had.

ill second this. just got a new 700 and theres no creaky hinge. my friend has a 600mhz 14" model and the hinge creaks like crazy.

[MoBius]

Granted all computers have problems. I got an ibook like 3 weeks ago and love it it is scratchable easy but who cares you gotta use it. anywho my sister has had a tibook for like a year i think and that thing is messed up. The paint has chipped off it. The screen when it dims doesnt even dim all the way u can still see an img of whats on the screen and the keyboard is very very worn and torn.

If u have probs though get applecare take it they replace stuff.

[mgl]

I think the iBook is more durable than a standard Dell Latitude (and certainly more durable than a PowerBook).

I've had my ibook for 9 months. I carry it in a briefcase that has a padded notebook sleeve built in. I've experienced only the most minor scratches as a result, even though I carry it everywhere 6 days a week.

I toss my briefcase 3 feet onto the passenger seat of my car every other day, and then remember the iBook is in it during mid-toss.

I've dropped my iBook 2 feet onto asphalt (oops).

I've spilled OJ on the keyboard.

My 13lb cat has decided that the top of a closed but warm iBook makes a nice place to nap.

The problems I've had:

- squeaky hinge: big deal, if this is the worst problem, I can handle it
- keyboard impression on screen: not as bad as some powerbooks and only noticeable when the screen is off and I'm staring at it. Not an issue.

My trackpad is shiny, just like my Dell trackpad. Big deal.

My keys have had no problems, despite an enormous amount of use and abuse.

The only thing I think is poorly designed about the iBook is the plug on the AC adaptor. I love the glowing ring design but it's just too flimsy. I've had two stop glowing and one that ripped apart. But that's what AppleCare is for.

Mike