iBook G3 600

[machurdler]

I'm 15 and I want to get a laptop. One that I can take to like coffee shops and stuff to get on the internet. I'm thinking about ordering this iBook, MegaMac, but I want to be able to install Tiger on it, maybe just Jaguar or Panther. If I do get this iBook I'm gonna upgrade the RAM to 640MB. This would also be my first Mac as well.

The reason I'm not just gonna get a Macbook is cuz I don't have that much money, haha, and I'm just gonna wait til I graduate high school and my parents will buy me the newest macbook at that time.

So overall, will this be a good iBook to carry around and how will it with 640MB perform with tiger, panther, jaguar, and also puma.

 

[Chundles]

640MB would give it a great base to run Tiger. Panther may be quicker but the reports I've heard are about 50% Tiger is faster and 50% Panther is faster. Any version of OSX lower than 10.3 is not worth the effort.

Make sure it's all fully guaranteed because G3 iBooks had a big recall over logic board issues so make sure it's all tickety-boo with regards to that.

Does it have an Airport card installed? Original 802.11b Airport cards are pretty expensive in eBay and Apple don't sell them anymore, you can't use 802.11g Airport Extreme cards in the G3 iBooks so that's out of the question.

EDIT: Yep Airport installed - that's a good thing.

Remember, the G3 iBooks don't have USB 2.0 and don't support the newest version of iLife. They struggle with iTunes videos too. Using a modern iPod on that thing is going to take an age because it's only USB 1.1

 

[Macky-Mac]

my experience with a slightly older machine; I've got a G3 500 iBook with 640 ram and Panther installed. I find it works ok for internet use. Sometimes it seems really slow when loading a page with lots and lots of graphics but I use it when I travel and it works well enough that I plan on keeping it for at least another year. It's not my only computer though and if I were buying a used ibook right now I would probably be looking for a G4 iBook because I think it would be faster and last longer.

 

[dcollierp]

I have an iBook available

I have an iBook with better specs than the one a MegaMac. I upgraded the hard drive to 40GB 5400 rpm. I also have the airport card and 640 mb of memory. I would be willing to let it go for $300.

 

[steamboat26]

Just be wary of logic board failures, they are really common on ibook G3s

 

[machurdler]

my experience with a slightly older machine; I've got a G3 500 iBook with 640 ram and Panther installed. I find it works ok for internet use. Sometimes it seems really slow when loading a page with lots and lots of graphics but I use it when I travel and it works well enough that I plan on keeping it for at least another year. It's not my only computer though and if I were buying a used ibook right now I would probably be looking for a G4 iBook because I think it would be faster and last longer.

I think I'm gonna end up saving up some more for an iBook G4 1GHz. but I don't know

 

[machurdler]

Now that I've checked out the prices on all of those, I don't think I can afford a G4. I don't know how I'll get the money.

 

[Chundles]

Now that I've checked out the prices on all of those, I don't think I can afford a G4. I don't know how I'll get the money.

Go get a job. They give you money.

Much better idea getting a G4 iBook over a G3, definitely worth the extra cash.

 

[machurdler]

There aren't many places giving jobs to 15-yr-olds... all the places I've been checkin out require at least 16 yrs.

 

[Chundles]

There aren't many places giving jobs to 15-yr-olds... all the places I've been checkin out require at least 16 yrs.

16?? even for café dishwashers and stuff?

I was working as a café dishwasher earning $10 an hour when I was 14yrs 9months - the legal age at which you can start working here.

 

[Porco]

I have that model, except mine is DVD-ROM, not CD-ROM (you might want to get a DVD-ROM or Combo drive model - not only will you be able to play DVDs(worthwhile use of the money on its own arguably) it'll help with installing Tiger), and I have no Airport card in mine. I've maxed the RAM to 640MB, and have had OS 9, Jaguar, Panther and Tiger on it. For me, Tiger is the best, but Panther was not far behind, both definitely better than Jaguar, as you'd expect.

My HD failed, I had no Applecare on it so I got it upgraded to a 60GB drive when I had it replaced (ended up being cheaper lucky for me).

I'd agree you'll feel the difference of a G4 if you can get the extra cash, but it's a nice little machine still, fine for browsing the internet.

 

[machurdler]

yea. I'm just wondering if it will last me the next 2 1/2 years

 

[Chundles]

yea. I'm just wondering if it will last me the next 2 1/2 years

An older G4? Yeah it will probably "last" you if you take care of it but it's really going to start showing it's age. Especially when you consider that a 1GHz G4 is probably going to be about 3 years old at this point anyway. It will still work when it's 5.5 years old but geeze it's going to start feeling a bit tired.

 

[machurdler]

That's good. A 5.5 yr old laptop will work better than a 9 yr old. Hmmm... the lowest processor speed the G4s go to is 800mhz. So it'll be cheaper, but should I just go to the 1GHz?

 

[machurdler]

Ah hah! This one seems pretty nice... and I'll probably upgrade to 1.25 RAM

 

[steamboat26]

Not a bad price, but if the RAM is only expandable to 640 MB, there would be no point in buying 1.25 GB...

 

[machurdler]

I think the page is lying... If you go to www.everymac.com and look at the same laptop on there is says 1.25GB... but what do I know... I've never had a mac before... My track coach got a MacBook and I saw it for the first time today and I LOVE it... An the build-in iSight is so much fun... lol. I took so many pics on it then I emailed them to myself