iBook

[Metoyou]

Ok I sorta went off the iMac since games are my life and my job would need me to keep the PC defeating the point of the space efficiency..

Anyway -- I could still really do with something for College, I take Media Studies and Film Studies so a Mac laptop might be pretty useful :)

Because I'm not getting the iMac I'm gonna get an Alienware, but that leaves only the iBook that I can afford =3 So a PowerBook is outta the question..

The Buyer's Guide says it will be updated soon, so I have a few questions:

What will change?
Is it worth waiting?
How long is it expected to be until an update?
Will it be ok for light graphics and film editing?
Will the price change much, is it gonna cost me a bomb compared to the prices now?
Can I take out the memory that comes with it and put in my own? Is it easy?

That's pretty much all I need to know, TIA if you can help ^^;

Keep in mind I'll probably be getting the maxed out version, so you can base th performance answer on that :D

[Finiksa]

What will change?
Probably just better graphics and faster G4, hopefully the better graphics will fully support the Core Image/Video features of Tiger.
Is it worth waiting?
If you need it now, buy it. If you can wait then do so, if I were buying I'd personally wait for better graphics.
How long is it expected to be until an update?
Unlikely to be updated before the Powerbooks and with them rumored to be undergoing a significant update probably not before MWSF in January.
Will it be ok for light graphics and film editing?
The current iBook is excellent for graphics and video editing, just make sure you get plenty of RAM.
Will the price change much, is it gonna cost me a bomb compared to the prices now?
Very unlikely it will rise at all, more likely it'll stay the same or drop very slightly. (Unless Bluetooth or AirPort become standard then you'll see a price rise, doubt it though)

[Metoyou]

Thanks a lot, do you know about the RAM?

[MacSA]

2005? :eek:

I guess this could be the longest period between updates ever :( By then Tiger will be even closer to being released, why get a new Mac then when you could proably wait a month or two and get it with Tiger installed.

[James Craner]

I think iBooks will get updated soon (October) in the run-up the important festive gift giving season, were Apple normally shifts a lot of ibooks and ipods. Today is a Tuesday so you never know ( Apple normally announces new hardware on a Tuesday).

[Spock]

Probably just better graphics and faster G4, hopefully the better graphics will fully support the Core Image/Video features of Tiger.



With the rumors of Tiger coming out in January, the iBooks could also get a upgrade to support Core Image

[Metoyou]

hmm one person says January, another says October, what would be more likely?

I can't wait until January because I'll be halfway through my course for this year! D:

Does no-one know about the Memory though? It costs like £400 from Apple :|

[James Craner]

hmm one person says January, another says October, what would be more likely?

I can't wait until January because I'll be halfway through my course for this year! D:

Does no-one know about the Memory though? It costs like £400 from Apple :|

I would buy additional RAM from www.crucial.com, they have a configurator to make sure you get the right spec RAM for your Mac. If you don't use crucial make sure you get your RAM from someone that confirms that spec will work in your Mac, as even if you try and find RAM that matches the specification given by Apple it may not work, for some reason Macs are very choosy about the RAM that they work with. I can vouch for this with personal experience.

[brap]

hmm one person says January, another says October, what would be more likely?

I can't wait until January because I'll be halfway through my course for this year! D:

Does no-one know about the Memory though? It costs like £400 from Apple :|
Don't wait; a refurb G4-800 or 1Ghz will cost peanuts from the refurb store (opens 10AM on Wednesdays). More than adequate for what you'd want. Buy a DDR266, non-parity CL3 SODIMM from crucial.com/uk of chosen size, install yourself.

One question though - why the hell are you buying an Alienware? They're overpriced and ugly... DIY jobs are cheaper and so much more satisfying.

[Finiksa]

Does no-one know about the Memory though? It costs like £400 from Apple :|
For basic graphic design and video editing you won't need 1.25GB of RAM, I'd recommend 768MB. Don't buy RAM from Apple they over charge obscenely, you can get a 512MB stick from Crucial UK (http://www.crucial.com/uk) for £90 or a 1GB stick for £250, the price difference is pretty huge so I wouldn't recommend it unless you really need it.

Personally I think the update will be pretty late this time since any update would kill 12" Powerbook sales, I'd like to be wrong though. If you can wait until the end of the month I would. If there isn't an update be then get the current model. It's a great machine and excellent price especially since you should qualify for the student discount.

[zelmo]

hmm one person says January, another says October, what would be more likely?

I can't wait until January because I'll be halfway through my course for this year! D:

Does no-one know about the Memory though? It costs like £400 from Apple :|

Based on historical data, updates for both the PowerBook and the iBook are somewhat overdue. It is likely that updates will occur in October or early November, in time for Christmas. Expect a modest processor speed bump, a larger hd, maybe even a better GPU, and that's about it. Nothing earth shattering. The real updates won't occur until the G5 is going into a PowerBook. Depending on who is talking, the time frame for that announcement is anywhere from MWSF in January '05 to the WWDC or even later.
It doesn't sound like you can wait a month to order, plus another week or two to ship. Buy now, you aren't likely to regret it.

[Finiksa]

With the rumors of Tiger coming out in January, the iBooks could also get a upgrade to support Core Image
Well that was the whole point of my statement that you quoted ;)

[blackfox]

Personally I agree with brap's sentiments somewhat...that you should build yourself a custom PC gaming rig for much less (and w/ more fun) and take the savings and perhaps buy a PB instead.

I think in both regards you would be more satisfied.

Not that this really resolves the issue of when to buy said Apple product. Then again, this is never really a resolved issue.

If you chose to build a DIY PC, I am sure there are many on this board who would be happy to assist you in recommendations/procedure.

Good Luck, regardless...

[johnnyjibbs]

I think waiting would be wise becuase I'm pretty sure that the next update will accommodate Core Image. They could put the 5200 Go that's in my PowerBook 12" in it - that will just scrape the barrel with Core Image. That's what happened with the iBooks and Quartz Extreme - they got rid of the few Quartz Extreme-incapable iBooks (with 8MB VRAM) a couple of months before Jaguar came out in Summer 2002.

[Metoyou]

Thanks a lot for the advice, I'll wait for a month to see what happens :)

I might just keep my current rig, it works fine for what I want it to do, just need a reformat really :P I only reallllly have time for one game anyway, if I want to keep up at College :D

Just one more question then, how easy is it to upgrade the memory? I am experienced in building PC's and such but I've never touched the inside of a laptop :P

[James Craner]

Just one more question then, how easy is it to upgrade the memory? I am experienced in building PC's and such but I've never touched the inside of a laptop :P

In the iBooks it is really easy, the RAM slots are under the keyboard, you lift the keyboard off first to access the slots. It is designed to be a consumer operation.

[johnnyjibbs]

In the iBooks it is really easy, the RAM slots are under the keyboard, you lift the keyboard off first to access the slots. It is designed to be a consumer operation.
Is that still the case? I thought they changed the design of the iBook G4 to be more similar to the PowerBooks (unscrew the plate at the bottom and slot in there) due to the keyboard imprints on the screen problem.

[Finiksa]

Is that still the case? I thought they changed the design of the iBook G4 to be more similar to the PowerBooks (unscrew the plate at the bottom and slot in there) due to the keyboard imprints on the screen problem.
No the iBook keyboard is still removable, it's pretty much exactly the same setup as the iBook G3, just with an AirPort Extreme slot now..

[johnnyjibbs]

No the iBook keyboard is still removable, it's pretty much exactly the same setup as the iBook G3, just with an AirPort Extreme slot now..
Ok, my mistake. I'd just have thought they would have standardised the iBooks and PowerBooks as much as possible.

[James Craner]

Is that still the case? I thought they changed the design of the iBook G4 to be more similar to the PowerBooks (unscrew the plate at the bottom and slot in there) due to the keyboard imprints on the screen problem.

I don't believe they did, I just downloaded the iBook manual from www.apple.com/support/ibook/

The memory is still under the keyboard. However I don't actually have one myself so I could be wrong.

[James Craner]

Sorry Finiksa, just seen that you have already replied on this one. It took ages to download the manual, the Apple Support site is running slow today.

[dav]

Not sure about iBook, but installing powerbook RAM was a 5 minute, painless operation.

[CaptainCaveMann]

personally i dont think the ibooks graphics are that great then again im mostly refering to tony hawk pro ska8er on the ibook ever played it on there? yea doesnt look that great backrounds no good kind of choppy graphics im really hoping they upgrade the graphics in the ibook then again the machine wasnt really made for game play but still at least 64 would be nice..heres my 10cents my 2cents is free