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minkis

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 30, 2004
125
0
Nashville, TN
i am considering buying the 12in ibook but i am not sure if it will be outdated, i don't want to spend 1100 and have something brand new come along after it. Does anyone know when a new version of it is coming out. thanks
 

grapes911

Moderator emeritus
Jul 28, 2003
6,995
10
Citizens Bank Park
minkis said:
i am considering buying the 12in ibook but i am not sure if it will be outdated, i don't want to spend 1100 and have something brand new come along after it. Does anyone know when a new version of it is coming out. thanks

No one reallly knows. The rule of thumb is if you need it, buy it. If not, wait.

It doesn't matter when you buy it, it will be outdated soon, and something brand new always comes along.
 

miloblithe

macrumors 68020
Nov 14, 2003
2,072
28
Washington, DC
It has been a long time since they've been updated, but the update cycles are all screwy. Personally, I'd wait. But if you absolutely need it, it's not likely to be a major update anyway (a couple hundred Mhz you likely won't notice).
 

realityisterror

macrumors 65816
Aug 30, 2003
1,354
1
Snellville, GA
if you already have a usable computer, my suggestion is to wait it out.
if you really need a computer ASAP, then get a computer ASAP, unless the product needs an update and a major apple event is in the next 2 weeks.

my 3.14 cents,
reality
 

Dros

macrumors 6502
Jun 25, 2003
484
1
They aren't going to release a G5 iBook in the next few months. How outdated can it get otherwise? It will continue to be light and sturdy and inexpensive. I would guess an update would just be 1 GHz, 1.25 GHz. Not a huge increase.

Maybe the bigger worry is that G5 Powerbooks could come out in a few months. Then the marginal difference in speed will be much greater, making the iBooks less attractive in comparison, forcing Apple to drop prices a bit (or more likely, increase Powerbook prices).

I have been using the 800 MHz G4 iBook for a few months now. It is very nice. I'm still using the 600 MHz G3 iBook bought 2 1/2 years before that (at home) and it still doesn't feel outdated.
 

Horrortaxi

macrumors 68020
Jul 6, 2003
2,240
0
Los Angeles
minkis said:
i am considering buying the 12in ibook but i am not sure if it will be outdated, i don't want to spend 1100 and have something brand new come along after it. Does anyone know when a new version of it is coming out. thanks
Something brand new will come along after it and it will become out dated. Eventually the computer will become so fragile that it literally crumbles to dust. That won't be for a while though.

The current iBooks have been out for a while so you may want to hang on and wait for an update (what does the buyer's guide say?). Then again, the next update will probably just be a minor speed bump--which won't be a significant improvement. In either case you should get a few good years out of a G4 iBook.
 

OutThere

macrumors 603
Dec 19, 2002
5,730
3
NYC
The buyer's guide is being rather sketchy at the moment — it says that the Powerbooks are approaching the end of a cycle, buy it only if you need it, and that the iBooks are going to get updates soon. I can't image that the iBooks would get updated and stay at the same price, with more power than the powerbooks. The iBooks will be announced after the Powerbooks, whether it is 15 minutes after the powerbooks, or 15 days after the powerbooks, Apple would never make their current iBooks faster than their current Powerbooks, nevermind what is coming.
 

Dirty Harry

macrumors member
Apr 8, 2004
76
0
Valencia, SPAIN
Next iBook might have a SuperDrive. I am waiting.

One reason to wait for the next revision of the iBook would be hoping it finally comes with a SuperDrive, at least on the higher model. First, the cheapest Apple laptop that is able to burn DVDs is an expensive PowerBook but there are lots of PC laptops for the price of an iBook that have it. Second, there is already an e-mac and an i-mac with a Superdrive. THE iBOOK NEEDS A SUPERDRIVE! I am waiting for it.
 

invaLPsion

macrumors 65816
Jan 2, 2004
1,385
0
The Northlands
minkis said:
i am considering buying the 12in ibook but i am not sure if it will be outdated, i don't want to spend 1100 and have something brand new come along after it. Does anyone know when a new version of it is coming out. thanks

Don't get the 12 inch iBook if you want to play Warcraft 3. It is simply horrible for that game in multiplayer.

If you want an iBook go for the 933. It is by bar the best bang for the buck. Make sure to get the ram to 640 as well!
 
I bought a G4 ibook about a month ago, and I LOVE it. The 12 in version is great for me as it's way more portable than that 14" wildebeast of an ibook, and the screen resolution is 1024 X 768 on both, so the 12" has a sharper, clearer display. I didn't even max out the ram yet, and it runs Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, and InDesign 2.0 like a dream. Plus, it's really really shiny!

Get it, man. You won't be sorry.

-Jason
<><
 

jxyama

macrumors 68040
Apr 3, 2003
3,735
1
Dirty Harry said:
One reason to wait for the next revision of the iBook would be hoping it finally comes with a SuperDrive, at least on the higher model. First, the cheapest Apple laptop that is able to burn DVDs is an expensive PowerBook but there are lots of PC laptops for the price of an iBook that have it. Second, there is already an e-mac and an i-mac with a Superdrive. THE iBOOK NEEDS A SUPERDRIVE! I am waiting for it.

not gonna happen. superdrive is one of the things distinguishing PB from iBook. as is, there's hardly any difference between 12" PB and 12" iBook.

if you want a Mac with a SD, get a PB.

if you want a DVD burner with your laptop for the price of an iBook, get a PC laptop.
 

cait-sith

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2004
248
1
canada
i'm looking with interest towards either an ibook 12" or an emac. the buyers guide tells me to sit on my credit card for a bit till they speed bump the ibook. might be a worthwhile wait.

i've found while doing my research that everyone has a strong opinion and your mileage may vary. apple doesn't make crap, even the low end is still very good. their varying configurations for each model are "good, better, best".

i say grab a 12" ibook, up the ram. if it's still feeling laggy, put a faster hd in. it almost certainly WON'T lag though. a fellow i work with has a 800mhz G3 ibook from last year, and i've played around on it. it's very fast.

the machine will be good for years to come. i know people still using g3 towers and g3 powerbooks years later and they have no issues. it's not as fast as a brand new xserve, but so what. it's not a 3500$ laptop.
 

Bhennies

macrumors 6502
Mar 20, 2004
435
0
NYC & Baltimore
invaLPsion said:
If you want an iBook go for the 933. It is by bar the best bang for the buck. Make sure to get the ram to 640 as well!
There's a company that makes 1GB RAM sticks to go into the iBook, extending the memory to 1GIG plus 128MB soldered to the motherboard. Search for it on Google.
 

jxyama

macrumors 68040
Apr 3, 2003
3,735
1
Bhennies said:
There's a company that makes 1GB RAM sticks to go into the iBook, extending the memory to 1GIG plus 128MB soldered to the motherboard. Search for it on Google.

probably not worth it yet... it's more than $300 from crucial.
 

Dirty Harry

macrumors member
Apr 8, 2004
76
0
Valencia, SPAIN
jxyama said:
not gonna happen. superdrive is one of the things distinguishing PB from iBook. as is, there's hardly any difference between 12" PB and 12" iBook.

if you want a Mac with a SD, get a PB.

if you want a DVD burner with your laptop for the price of an iBook, get a PC laptop.

SuperDive might have been a distinguishing feature between iBooks and Powerbooks, but it shouldn´t be so any longer. DVD burners are becoming very common in the consumer level; not only "too many" PC laptops have one for the price, the iBook needs the SD ption to match the iMac an eMac also
Apple wants PC users to switch to Mac, right? The the iBook needs a SD; if I were a PC user considering to buy an iBook I would mind to know there is no DVD burner option built in.
By the way, if the TOP iBook model finaly reaches 1,25 Mhz, as I´ve read somewhere around here, I wouldn´t call that a relatively small bump. That's 25 per cent more compared to the 1Ghz model, usually iBooks have upgraded 100 Mhz each time on previous updates.
 

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
You can get a SuperDrive iBook from MCE. Don't look for one from Apple anytime soon. At least not until the G5 gets into the 12" PowerBook.

I was planning on getting a 14" iBook, but I may wait for the update too. Especially if the 12" gets a GHz+ 7447.
 

nargot

macrumors regular
Jan 29, 2004
212
0
Australia
invaLPsion said:
Don't get the 12 inch iBook if you want to play Warcraft 3. It is simply horrible for that game in multiplayer.

If you want an iBook go for the 933. It is by bar the best bang for the buck. Make sure to get the ram to 640 as well!

nah, plays a dream on a 12" ibook... WC3 plays well on my imac (under os 9, osX does suck for it tho)

It all depends on what the machine will be needed for

if you are going to do any HARDCORE film editing and image manip (this rules out most people) then an ibook will be not the best choice, otherwise an ibook will be fine as long as FPS games are not of priority.
 

mms

macrumors 6502a
Oct 8, 2003
784
0
CA
I just got my 12" iBook a couple days ago and have no problems at all. It will not become G5 for years to come, and speed increases would be a couple mhz. I'm guessing that the next upgrade to the 12" would make it 867, possibly 900mhz, not enough of an increase to warrant the waiting, at least for me. Computers, especially the high quality Macs, last long. I have been using a PowerBook G3 running Panther with very little problems up until this upgrade, except for the speed in Photoshop, the main reason for my upgrade.
 
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