Advice Please

[smy168]

Hi All,
I'm a PC user getting ready to upgrade my life by jumping into the MAC World. I decided to start out with something simple and inexpensive(yeah, cheap) as a learning toy before I get something in the upper tiers of Apple. I have a couple of newbie questions though and hopefully you guys can help me out.

1. iBook or Powerbook G4?
Comparatively the pricing is similair from what I found on some websites. A 1.ghtz or higher iBook runs into the 400.00 to 600.00 range while the Powerbooks I found have been the 867 model for about 600.00.

which leads me to the next question:
Is a Powerbook G4 867, 1MB L3 Cache, 1Gig Memory, 40 Gig HD with the superdrive worth 600.00?

Can I upgrade the processor for a decent price?

Any help is appreciated and this purchase is time sensitive.

Steven

 

[mad jew]

Welcome to Macs.

Upgrading the processor of a G4 laptop won't happen. I'd head for an iBook because toward the end of their life, they were quite competitive with the PowerBook. Plus, because they're consumer machines, they haven't kept their value as well as the pro laptops (PowerBooks) so you're effectively getting more value for your dollar/euro/banjo. Depending on what you want to use it for, the iBook G4 is an excellent entry point to OSX. My little girl's still going strong.

 

[grum]

Hi All,
I'm a PC user getting ready to upgrade my life by jumping into the MAC World. I decided to start out with something simple and inexpensive(yeah, cheap) as a learning toy before I get something in the upper tiers of Apple. I have a couple of newbie questions though and hopefully you guys can help me out.

1. iBook or Powerbook G4?
Comparatively the pricing is similair from what I found on some websites. A 1.ghtz or higher iBook runs into the 400.00 to 600.00 range while the Powerbooks I found have been the 867 model for about 600.00.

which leads me to the next question:
Is a Powerbook G4 867, 1MB L3 Cache, 1Gig Memory, 40 Gig HD with the superdrive worth 600.00?

Can I upgrade the processor for a decent price?

Any help is appreciated and this purchase is time sensitive.

Steven

If you're thinking of spending 600 pounds why not just spend a little more and get a Macbook? Especially if you get one today (on sale) or you can get higher education discount.

 

[emptyCup]

The iBook was a very nice machine, but if the money you would spend on a processor upgrade brings you in range of a Macbook I would take grum's advice. Besides having a better processor, it will run Windows. So if the OSX experiment doesn't work out you won't have lost anything.

Give yourself a couple of weeks to adjust to a new OS and look into buying David Pogue's "Switching to the Mac: Tiger Edition" book. Best wishes.

 

[FFTT]

iBook G4 12" 1.33 MHz has all the modern features and should come with Tiger and at least iLife '05, scrolling trackpad, motion sensor, Airport/BlueTooth etc.
They run $799.00US directly from Apple's refurb store if you find one listed.

If you wish to dual boot between Mac OS X and Windows, you'll need to go for
at least a refurbished MacBook.

While the 867MHz PowerBook may be attractive and work O.K. for basics,
you're better off looking for something with at least the 1.33 MHz processor
and preferably the 1.5 GHz model in the 12" and 1.67GHz in the 15"

In that case I would really just hold off and save up for a MacBook.

 

[smy168]

thanks guys

last question:

600.00 for this particular iBook
12" Apple Mac iBook 1.2GHz G4 - Excellent Condition
512MB RAM 60GB HD
AirportExtreme, USB, Firewire, Ethernet
CD-RW (read/write) / DVD-ROM (read)


Value?

 

[FFTT]

If my unit converter is giving me the right information, it says 600.00 pounds
= $1187.00 USD.

If that is correct then that machine is severely overpriced compared to US
value.

It's well worth $600.00 USD if that's what you are quoting.

 

[Demon Hunter]

last question:

600.00 for this particular iBook
12" Apple Mac iBook 1.2GHz G4 - Excellent Condition
512MB RAM 60GB HD
AirportExtreme, USB, Firewire, Ethernet
CD-RW (read/write) / DVD-ROM (read)


Value?

I'd say that's about right.

 

[ero87]

OP: I don't think you need "an intro machine, just to get used to the OS". I was used to Mac OS X, after a lifetime of only-windows use, in 3 days. You'll love it.

Go for the Macbook.