Can an iBook historian give me some help?

[Totty]

I saw this little iBook G4 going on ebay. I grabbed it for a ridiculous price, but some details about the machine are missing or completely inaccurate.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=160082394173&rd=1&rd=1

As you can see, the speed is obviously not 250mhz. I think we can assume that the 512mb of ram is pretty trustworthy though.

I've done a little hunting and find that the first ibook incarnation can not have 512mb of ram total. Taking this into consideration as well as the fact that the iBook has panther installed, I would like to assume that this iBook is from one of these two incarnations:
http://support.apple.com/specs/ibook/iBook_G4_Early_2004.html
http://support.apple.com/specs/ibook/iBook_G4_Late_2004.html

So, you guys think there is any chance it is a late 2004 ibook and he meant to put 1.25 ghz instead of .25ghz?
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[0007776]

I'm not sure which model it is but the correct screen size is 12 inches, not 13.

 

[Totty]

Right, I knew that it had to be 12 or 14 so I did some figuring based on the known size of the power adapter and a little pathegorian theorem gave me 12.5...not 12.1 but sure not 14", goofy I know. Thanks for the confirmation, nonetheless.

 

[California]

Right, I knew that it had to be 12 or 14 so I did some figuring based on the known size of the power adapter and a little pathegorian theorem gave me 12.5...not 12.1 but sure not 14", goofy I know. Thanks for the confirmation, nonetheless.

I think you totally lucked out. If it's got a 30 gig drive, it is probably a 1.2ghz ibook. However, i don't see the words "G4" printed on the screen. You might have a late model 700 to 900mhz G3 iBook. But they came with 40 gig hard drives, and did not have panther so I don't know what to think. Ask the dude to give you proper specs before shipping.

 

[Totty]

I asked for specs, but I don't really care too terribly much if it is only a late G3 since that was what I was looking for anyway. For that price, a late G3 would be plenty.

 

[eXan]

I see that in there are two words below it's screen, so I assume its a G4 iBook. In the CPU speed the guy must have missed the 1 in 250MHz, so maybe it is 1250 MHz, but there was not 1.25 GHz iBook, only 1.2, but most ppl seem to confue it, so its nothing serious.

 

[KD7IWP]

I believe the G3 iBooks only said "ibook" under the screen. All the G4's said "iBook G4" and in the picture you can see that there are two extra letters after "iBook," so this leads me to believe it is an iBook G4.

 

[polevault139]

I believe the G3 iBooks only said "ibook" under the screen. All the G4's said "iBook G4" and in the picture you can see that there are two extra letters after "iBook," so this leads me to believe it is an iBook G4.

Agreed even if it is hard to see the iBook G3's never said "iBook G3" so I think it is safe to say it is either a 1.0 or 1.2 GHz, most likely 1.2

 

[mick4394]

Agreed even if it is hard to see the iBook G3's never said "iBook G3" so I think it is safe to say it is either a 1.0 or 1.2 GHz, most likely 1.2

I agree. It's a G4.

If this is a working computer, it doesn't matter what's in it. That's a hell of a deal for a G4.

 

[Totty]

Only bad thing is, if it does turn out to be some kind of an education version with only a CD-rom, I'll have to figure out some way to install Tiger on it...
I have a Powermac G4 with a dvd drive. I guess I could use a firewire cable somehow?
On the other hand, I think there is an external dvd drive at work somewhere I could borrow...don't know if it is mac compatible though.

 

[Radam]

G3 ibook's have a translucent keyboard, and the g4's have a white one. Just as a FYI

 

[mkrishnan]

The Firewire install is very easy -- so it should be a very good option, if it comes down to that. Good luck with whatever it ends up being. In any event definitely post back and say how it turned out.

 

[mick4394]

G3 ibook's have a translucent keyboard, and the g4's have a white one. Just as a FYI

Usually you can't tell in pictures whether it's translucent or not.

 

[mick4394]

Only bad thing is, if it does turn out to be some kind of an education version with only a CD-rom, I'll have to figure out some way to install Tiger on it...
I have a Powermac G4 with a dvd drive. I guess I could use a firewire cable somehow?
On the other hand, I think there is an external dvd drive at work somewhere I could borrow...don't know if it is mac compatible though.

There are versions of Tiger, out there, that are on CD. You used to be able to special order them from Apple. I don't think you can anymore, but if they existed at one time, they can be found now.

If you can't find the Tiger Cds, combo drives are readily available on ebay, and a fairly easy install.

 

[mick4394]

I tracked down the page for ordering Tiger on CD. What you do is send your DVD with a proof of purchase and a check for 9.95. In return they send you Tiger on CD. Kind of lame, but cheaper than a combo drive. Here's the link:

Tiger Cds

Click the "(Get CD media for 9.95)" link to download the form.

 

[Totty]

I think I would rather keep my DVD...but thanks for the info.

Well, whatever the machine is, it has already shipped and we should know everything on Friday.

 

[Totty]

He never said anything about the specs. Probably because I advised him to check the sticker under the keyboard and he had already shipped.

However, I did ask if there were any problems with the iBook and he replied:
"There aren't any problems at all, in fact it's like
new. I'm only selling it because I upgraded to the
Macbook with superdrive."



So that probably means it really is a regular CD drive in the iBook since he specifically mentioned how his new one has a better drive...but man a like new iBook G4 for ~$200? I can't wait until Fed-Ex arrives!

 

[Piepz]

It does have Combo drive, doesn't it ?
So it should be fine isntalling Tiger DVD, cuz Combos reads DVDs, but burns only CDs..

 

[Totty]

It does have Combo drive, doesn't it ?
So it should be fine isntalling Tiger DVD, cuz Combos reads DVDs, but burns only CDs..

Well, that is up in the air.
I know that there was an 800mhz CD-Rom version for education sales, but I don't know if there was a special education version for the next two revisions, which is where this iBook most likely was produced. So, for all intents and purposes it should be a Combo drive...unless he somehow got a CD put in it because of education or a broken combo drive that was replaced with a cheaper cd drive.

I have looked at some of the used iBook G4's promoted on lowendmac and many 1ghz models there do have a regular cd drive. So, again...still very much up in the air.

 

[Totty]

Even more good news.
I looked into the specs on my current (windwoes) laptop's ram, and it turns out that it and the iBook have the same type...
So, I believe that their will probably be a little transplantation going on.

Also, does anyone have any experience using Virtual PC on a machine with these type of specs (assuming the iBook turns out to be a 1 or 1.2ghz G4 with 768mb of ram after pc donation) or do any of you work with Visual Studio 2005 under Virtual PC?

I ask because I am a computer science major and I need VS2005 for some of the projects we have to do.

Thanks for all your guys' help again!

 

[mick4394]

Even more good news.
I looked into the specs on my current (windwoes) laptop's ram, and it turns out that it and the iBook have the same type...
So, I believe that their will probably be a little transplantation going on.

Also, does anyone have any experience using Virtual PC on a machine with these type of specs (assuming the iBook turns out to be a 1 or 1.2ghz G4 with 768mb of ram after pc donation) or do any of you work with Visual Studio 2005 under Virtual PC?

I ask because I am a computer science major and I need VS2005 for some of the projects we have to do.

Thanks for all your guys' help again!

I used to have Virtual PC for my iBook. I only used it a couple of times. It was so slow that it was basically useless. If you plan on replacing a Windows notebook with this iBook, don't bank on being able to run Windows in any usable fashion on it. Get used to the idea of jumping feet first into OSX.

If you really need to run Windows, you may consider flipping this iBook. It's definitely worth more than you paid for it. If you turn it around, you'd end up with a big chunk of the cost of a refurb Macbook.

 

[cppnerd]

It looks like an iBook G4 (look at the bottom of the screen). If my memory serves me right, the G3 iBook just said "iBook".

Also, does anyone have any experience using Virtual PC on a machine with these type of specs (assuming the iBook turns out to be a 1 or 1.2ghz G4 with 768mb of ram after pc donation) or do any of you work with Visual Studio 2005 under Virtual PC?

Depends how patient you are. I have run VS2005 on Windows XP Pro on Virtual PC on an iBook G4 1.33GHz/1GB and it is not very good. In fact, I really even find running Windows XP with office pretty slow and only use it when I have to. You will need to turn off things like code completion in VS2005 if you dare get any sort of performance, but yes it -can- run if you need it to. My recommendation is to run VS natively in Windows be it through bootcamp on an intel mac or just keep your PC for that use.

 

[volvoben]

When transplanting RAM though don't forget that the ibook has one stick soldered in place, so you can only add 1 more (if i remember correctly the 1+ghz models had 256mb soldered, the 800 had 128), so you could add a 1gb stick to get a max of 1.2gb. You'll have to wait and see what's already in there.

I haven't used Virtual PC since way back in my education years, it was unbelievably slow even for MS Office (don't ask me why the school couldn't buy native office, but they went totally PC a few years later). That was on a 700mhz emac with 512mb ram i believe. Don't rely on it for everyday work.

 

[Totty]

So current shipment status is:
Feb 16, 2007 6:02 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery

I'm getting very anxious. :S

Strangely enough, it took the package over two days to get from Bloomington, CA to Nashville, TN and yet only *three minutes* to get from Nashville, TN to Paducah, KY.

11:27 PM At local FedEx facility PADUCAH, KY
11:24 PM Departed FedEx location NASHVILLE, TN

 

[Totty]

So, not exactly what we thought, but a steal nonetheless.

It is the 12" 1ghz model. Only 256mb of ram. No airport.

But the thing is pristine and seems to be in excellent functional condition.

oh, and it is not a CD drive, it is a combo.