Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iBook G3 worth it?

rhix

rhix

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I'm a newly (~6 months ago) convert to Apples, and I've loved them since. The only problem is that I keep trying to get all my friends to switch over too. I've got a friend who is looking for a used laptop, and doesn't want to pay much for it. 600$USD is about as high as he'll go, and he's been eyeing the G3 iBooks (not clamshells, the white ones) but I felt forced to tell him about their logic board issues. Should he be worried about that? I've asked around, and the general concensus I've gotten is "tell him to spend 200$ more and get a refurbed G4 from Apple." but he really seems set on that 600$ mark.

You'd almost hope that any broken iBooks would have been fixed by Apple by this point. If he bought one and it died on him, would Apple fix it? For free?
 
rhix said:
I'm a newly (~6 months ago) convert to Apples, and I've loved them since. The only problem is that I keep trying to get all my friends to switch over too. I've got a friend who is looking for a used laptop, and doesn't want to pay much for it. 600$USD is about as high as he'll go, and he's been eyeing the G3 iBooks (not clamshells, the white ones) but I felt forced to tell him about their logic board issues. Should he be worried about that? I've asked around, and the general concensus I've gotten is "tell him to spend 200$ more and get a refurbed G4 from Apple." but he really seems set on that 600$ mark.

You'd almost hope that any broken iBooks would have been fixed by Apple by this point. If he bought one and it died on him, would Apple fix it? For free?
Click to expand...

many times do the replaced logic boards break again, ibook g3's suck...plain and simple.
 
Just because the logic board has been changed does not mean that it is fixed. There are many stories of many people going through multiple logic boards on their G3 iBooks. I have an iBook that is my backup computer and I have gone through three to this point. Apple's logic board repair program has an expiration date depending on when the computer was bought, whether or not it has Apple Care, etc. After that, if the logic board goes out, then your friend will be responsible for fixing it. Get a G4 iBook and buy AppleCare. That is my recommendation. If he can't swing that, he might be better off finding a used Pismo G3 Powerbook. They are several years old true enough (2000), but they will run OSX, and there are several upgrades out there for them. Plus many think that it is the best computer (portable) that Apple has ever made. Just my 2 cents.
 
Give it some time...

Hey, if you want your friend to switch to mac, don't let him switch on some crappy G3 iBook... They're too slow for OS X (unless you're one of those patient people, and if you are, don't bother criticizing my opinion), and if his motherboard DOES fail, what impression do you think he'll have of Apple? Think he'll be likely to stick with the platform? I certainly don't, I mean, there's a good reason (or list of them, rather) why I don't use Windows, bad experiences are the main reason(s)... I'd tell him to save his $$ and either get a real Mac (or at least a G4 PB 😉 ). My $.02
 
iBook G3s are decently fast when they have 640MB of RAM and a 7200 rpm hard drive... hehe for that reason, i love mine. I'm a patient waiter as artfully described by the poster above. I kinda agree with him though. I'm happy with mine cuz i've had it for a while, it's max'd out with upgrades... and now i'm waiting for the next great portable to buy. I wouldn't be half as happy if I had just gotten this computer. Unfortunately for your friend, Apple doesn't really target the $600 segment. As far as the logic boards, I've had one die. Then two. I'm gonna tell you what everyone else tells him... get a refurb G4.
-Kevin
 
if he's buying an iBook G3, its used anyway. For not much more, he could get a used iBook G4 12" 800, and I would think be much happier in the long run.
 
thanks guys

You've been very helpful, I've sent him the url to this thread. I've never considered the Pismos, I'll have to look into those. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
 
I second the Pismo recommendation. Or spend a bit more and get a iBook 900 MHz G3 like mine; they don't have the logic board issues that the previous iBooks do.
 
Raven VII said:
I second the Pismo recommendation. Or spend a bit more and get a iBook 900 MHz G3 like mine; they don't have the logic board issues that the previous iBooks do.
Click to expand...

Oh, YES THEY DO !!!... Got credit from Apple after my 4th LB failure on my 900 MHZ G3... G3 iBooks should be avoided at all costs... They will fail, & fail, & fail again...
 
jemeinc said:
Oh, YES THEY DO !!!... Got credit from Apple after my 4th LB failure on my 900 MHZ G3... G3 iBooks should be avoided at all costs... They will fail, & fail, & fail again...
Click to expand...

Hmm... thats odd, we have around 20 of them where I work and we've sent one in for a logic board failure. iBook 800MHz G3s... maybe its just how you treat your equipment?
 
sgarringer said:
Hmm... thats odd, we have around 20 of them where I work and we've sent one in for a logic board failure. iBook 800MHz G3s... maybe its just how you treat your equipment?
Click to expand...

LOL... Well, if never moving it from the desktop, keeping it up to date as far as maintence, & rarely closing the lid is all it takes - I stand by my original statement...;-)...lol...
 
As a G3 900 owner, I think that for regular use, the G3 (900) handles OS X fine. Unless you are planning to be a serious power user, spending lots of time on big Photoshop files, Final Cut, and other graphic apps, it should stand up fine.

In terms of logic board failure, I am on my second board after 15 months. The first failed at 6 months, which was promptly replaced even before Apple had officially recognized the problem. I still do all the things that are rumoured to speed the failure process such as carrying my laptop with me constantly, using it on my lap, running it at full processor capacity for hours, and being generally abusive. So far so good on board number two.

I don't think that use has very much to do with the failure rate, but it rather seems to be random manufacturing or installation problems. (Feel free to disagree)

Edit: nonetheless, I would have to recommend the G4 ibook option. For a little more cash, the chip is a generation newer <- in my mind that is the biggest advantage over the G3 (specifically the 900).
 
I've had my 700MHz iBook for two years and never had logic board problems. I've found the speed to be just fine for most things - email, web, word processing, games (nothing bleeding edge, of course). The only time I've found the speed to be lacking is when I've used Starry Night and had everything turned on and in Garage Band with a lot of instruments on at the same time. Garage Band will just flat out tell me, 'Sorry too much going on - can't play this' and stops the song (which in itself is pretty amazing because in Windows it would sit there forever with the hourglass spinning before you found out that it was locked up and you'd have to shut the program down and re-start it).
 
I would go for a Pismo. a broken logic board that may or may not be replaceable is not the best first impression you want to have of apple.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back