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12" Ibook - 399 deal or not?

kellen

kellen

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 11, 2006
2,398
75
Seattle, WA
Hello all,

Well I just got transfered in my company and will be working downtown Seattle where parking is a premium. So I will be on a bus for 45 minutes each way. Currently I have a 1.66 Mini and a year old HP laptop (15.4") and was hoping for something smaller to occupy my time on the bus.

I found this 12" ibook from a dealer for 399.

Apple iBook G4/1 GHz
F9427LL/A
256 MB of RAM
30 GB internal drive
internal CD-ROM
internal 56k modem
12.1" TFT display
$399.00

Use would be just listening to Itunes, typing, internet. Basically reading/studying papers in word/pdf files. Maybe some stupid games to keep me busy (nothing heavy on the graphics). Do they make a wireless card for this ibook?

Anyone have any good/bad experiences with it? Will it run the current OS? I would max out the memory initially. I just wanted a smaller laptop that I could not care about (as much) if something happened to it.

Thanks
 
That seems like a good price. Airport should be built in. Probably best to add a bit more RAM, for comfort.
 
Is the hard drive and disc drive easily upgradeable? 30 seems a little small and only a cd-rom seem ancient.

Maybe I should just try for the refurb CD macbook for 800, seems like you get alot more.
 
See here for hard drive upgrades. And here for more info on the machine.

But if you are just using it for simple things, might not 30GB and a CD drive be adequate? I think upgrading to DVD might be expensive and tricky, if it can be done.
 
That seems like a good deal to me. I've been keeping my eye out for a logic board for a G4 ibook and they seem to cost nearly that. You will want more RAM for sure.

Actually, If you do decide to buy, I've got a stick of 1GB of RAM I could sell you for a cheap price (I keep hoping I'll run across some cheap logic board to fix my old ibook with, but I should really just let it go and sell off the working bits...)
 
The Airport for that machine isn't standard, it is optional. I only know it b/c I've got one almost exactly like it without any Airport. :(

The upgrade for HD or DVD would probably not be /too/ expensive but it will be very tedious. So keep that in mind if you aren't very crafty or don't know any friends that could help you keep up with 40 screws.

As far as the "deal" on it...it is ok, really good from a dealer actually, but I've seen better. I nabbed my machine that is just like it + Combo Drive for $216 + shipping...but that was kind of a fluke. (ebay)
 
Thanks for the help. After visiting the reseller pages that the above person linked, I am thinking that I may just go for a refurb macbook. I have been toying with buying a new laptop and perhaps this is the chance to reward myself (job is during the day, instead of nights, comes with a pay raise, also riding the bus will save me alot in gas as my grand cherokee gets 14mpg on premium). Spending 500ish on a laptop just for commuting seems a little foolish now when I could get a refurb CD or C2D macbook for a couple hundred more. I know its twice as much, but its real world use would be a greater benefit (HD, DVD, speed, BT).

If I ran into a 200 ibook, that would be great, but 500 seems like a lot for an older one.
 
I have the same one in the 800mhz version. I just today Upgraded it to Tiger (don't plan on running Leopard on it - need a Tiger machine to match my Grandma's computer :D).

Anyway, i would rather have a cheap refurb than to buy it. There is a HUGE difference between them to me. I think personally $400 would be about the Max i'd go on it.

Congrats on the new job!!! And, stalk the refurbs at Apple!

Tracey
 
I say go for it! A G4 for $400? that's $100 per G! ;)


but seriously, that seems like a good deal. When you replace the HD and CD be über-careful... Those things are freaking fragile!
 
TraceyS/FL said:
I have the same one in the 800mhz version. I just today Upgraded it to Tiger (don't plan on running Leopard on it - need a Tiger machine to match my Grandma's computer :D).

Anyway, i would rather have a cheap refurb than to buy it. There is a HUGE difference between them to me. I think personally $400 would be about the Max i'd go on it.

Congrats on the new job!!! And, stalk the refurbs at Apple!

Tracey
Click to expand...

Now the decision comes down to a refurb macbook CD, c2D or a basic CD mbp.

I like the blackbooks and the 999 for a CD is a steal, but I feel like I would be missing out by not getting a C2D, even though I don't have the wireless N and am a basic user. The most extreme thing I do is play WOW and I am getting bored of it, but it runs fine on my 1.66 mini, so it should be fine on a basic macbook.

Now the only bad things is that I don't work nights, so I used to be able to check the refurb page as soon as it was updated. Now I have to wake up early like all you regular people.
 
LOL, move to the East Coast - makes it easier (i'm a CA transplant).

For "future proofing" the C2D is more because of the 64 bit, but the others are cheaper.

If i hadn't been able to get my MBP, I would have gladly have taken the jump to the low-end MB. It still woudl have been more "Umph" than the iBook - and been an Intel Machine. I just needed to run Aperture.

Weigh the cost to use and go from there!! And most of all - have fun shopping! :D
 
Arrghhh.

After waking up early and agonizing over which macbook/macbook pro to get, I got one from the refurb store.

Since I can get an education discount and easily travel to Portland, OR (no tax!), the C2D's were out of the question, as it would only be 50 dollars more new to me because of discounts.

So I was looking at MB and MBP CD's. Since this is going to be a sort of a filler laptop, one that I will probably sell when Santa Rosa MBP's are refurbed/education discounted, I ruled out the MBP.

So then it was down to the MP CD's. There were like 5 versions. It seemed like I would talk myself up to the higher level CD's, but then would go back to "I could get a C2D (or the MBP) for that price......." This went on for 1/2 an hour.

So finally I got the cheapest CD Macbook, the 1.83, 512 ram, combo drive and 60 gig HD for 799. Heres hoping for free upgrades, LOL.

I'll throw a stick of ram in it and call it good. Checking ebay, these things are still selling for 800 to 900, so when I sell it Ill throw on my MS office 04 professional and call it good, don't think I will lose more than a hundred or two on it over a couple of months. Even Ibooks, the original ones I was looking at, are going for 500ish on ebay.

Any thoughts/ideas? Can still return if think I made the wrong decision.
 
That was probably a really smart move. You should be able to get half your money back even if you wait 2 years. That ibook you were looking at was 3 years old. It was still a good deal @400. Macs hold value like Hondas.
 
Well it came today, I couldn't be more excited about it and Apples shipping, seeing how I ordered it on Tuesday at 6am and to have it by Thursday is excellent.

Playing with the 1.83 CD Macbook makes me feel like I made the right decision, 13.3 is a perfect screen size and when I compared the weight of my HP lappy to this, I didn't feel bad buying another laptop. This thing is great.

Refurb looks perfect, no scratches, staining or creaking. Haven't heard any mooing, but only used it for 20 minutes.

Going to add a single GB chip and then later another, possibly a 100 gb 7200 rpm. Now just need a bag to take to work and also a skin.

Thank for the help
 
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