Hello, MacRumors!
Ive seen a few requests for a review of the new iBooks, so heres mine! Before you read, take into account that I am no Mac whiz, just a student who really, really wanted a Mac. The computer I am reviewing is the current model iBook, stock configuration 12.1 screen.
I ordered this computer last Thursday (July 28), and under 24 hours on Friday it was at my door. I was really surprised about this; especially because I am accustomed to Apple having somewhat lousy support/shipping services.
This is not my first Mac. Ive been using Macs in school for a long time and I was given a 500 MHz G3 Pismo (and old, old powerbook) about two years ago. Compared to the other Macs I have used, this thing screams! Spotlight works super fast, and dashboard usually does (though I have had a few slow experiences with it; probably glitches in the software though). The computer does not start up at fast as I would hope, but it is still quick (usually loads in under 30 seconds), especially compared to my old Pismo running Panther.
The display is great!! I know, it doesnt have the highest resolution for a 12-incher, but anything higher for such a small screen would be overkill for Mac OS X in my opinion. I had no dead pixels. No stuck pixels. Just 786,432 vibrant, sharp pixels. While widescreen would have been a nice feature, it really has not proved to be an issue.
The computers build quality is fine. It is certainly better than my Dell 600m, but it is not on par with my PowerBook Pismo. I say this because the side of the computer can be pressed and make little squeaks, etc, and it is also a little nerve-wracking to see the computers display flop around a bit when you push in the magnetic latch.
The programs that I use most are Microsoft Word, AOL instant messenger (I tried iChat; wasnt for me), Safari, Mail, DVD player, and iTunes.
Microsoft Word works very well. It is actually part of the Office 2004 suite. The iBook comes loaded with a 30-day free trial of iWork, and Pages was not slow as some have complained but it was in no way a viable alternative for Microsoft Word.
Safari is very fast. No complaints here. The trackpad scrolling is a really nifty feature, but I usually use a mouse so I will probably not find much use for it.
Mail, also, works well. I was very pleased at how easy it was to set up my Gmail account via POP. It is able to send attachments; the only problem is that I cannot find out how (or if) I can make labels.
The computers built in DVD player plays the DVDs very crisply and with good sound, better than on my Pismo albeit the Pismo is five years old.
I played around with GarageBand for a bit. Its definitely useable, even with 512 MB RAM if no other applications are open.
iTunes well too, it found all of the media files I loaded into the Music folder. It was a synch to set up.
AirPort Express was able to find my wireless network and others around me, and all I had to do was type in the password and I was granted access.
Bluetooth has also come in handy. I ordered a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Bluetooth, which is supposedly incompatible with Macs, but the Apple Bluetooth wizard detected it and now I am using it without any problems, no detectable lag, and the scrollwheel (up, down, left, right) works very well. The two buttons that are meant for going back/forward in a web browser are not yet completely functional, but I just need to configure them (I know the computer detects them because I can draw boxes on the desktop, but nothing else so far). If I am unable to fix those to buttons myself, then Im sure USB Overdrive for Bluetooth will fix it. I bought the mouse on eBay and saved some money, PM me and I will tell you whom I bought it from he has a lot for sale and the service was excellent.
The keyboard is also very nice, not up to par with that of the PowerBooks but certainly good. Apple has fixed the flexy-keyboard problem it had with the much earlier iBooks. I ordered iSkins ProTouch PB, which is supposed to work with iBooks, and I warn potential buyers: this is NOT designed for the iBooks keyboard. Not even the PowerBook G4s. iSkin has messed up on this product. That said, its not really that bad, Im just not so sure whether I will continue using it. Again, NOT worth the $20 it costs.
Most of my complaints have been minor ones, but there are two more that I have forgotten to mention:
1) The computer sometimes says the battery is charged 99%. Other times it says 100%, I am not sure what is wrong with this. Also, the light around the AC adapter plug in is always green. I thought it is supposed to turn blue when the computer is fully charged. Can anyone confirm this?
2) The hard drive makes noise sometimes. It might be because of the Sudden Motion Sensor (or whatever its called). Whenever I access a large file, start up the computer, or do something moderately CPU-intensive, the hard drive makes a sound like it is sort of choking
. Anyone else have the same problem? I havent bothered to call Apple because I know they wont take my computer back unless there is actually something wrong with it, which is not the case so far.
Overall, I would give this computer a rating of 7.5/10. It is not a very high rating, but anything higher would seem unjustifiable. On a user-pleasure scale, it gets at least a 9/10.
This is all that I could think to say about the computer, feel free to ask any question. Hope it helps!
Ive seen a few requests for a review of the new iBooks, so heres mine! Before you read, take into account that I am no Mac whiz, just a student who really, really wanted a Mac. The computer I am reviewing is the current model iBook, stock configuration 12.1 screen.
I ordered this computer last Thursday (July 28), and under 24 hours on Friday it was at my door. I was really surprised about this; especially because I am accustomed to Apple having somewhat lousy support/shipping services.
This is not my first Mac. Ive been using Macs in school for a long time and I was given a 500 MHz G3 Pismo (and old, old powerbook) about two years ago. Compared to the other Macs I have used, this thing screams! Spotlight works super fast, and dashboard usually does (though I have had a few slow experiences with it; probably glitches in the software though). The computer does not start up at fast as I would hope, but it is still quick (usually loads in under 30 seconds), especially compared to my old Pismo running Panther.
The display is great!! I know, it doesnt have the highest resolution for a 12-incher, but anything higher for such a small screen would be overkill for Mac OS X in my opinion. I had no dead pixels. No stuck pixels. Just 786,432 vibrant, sharp pixels. While widescreen would have been a nice feature, it really has not proved to be an issue.
The computers build quality is fine. It is certainly better than my Dell 600m, but it is not on par with my PowerBook Pismo. I say this because the side of the computer can be pressed and make little squeaks, etc, and it is also a little nerve-wracking to see the computers display flop around a bit when you push in the magnetic latch.
The programs that I use most are Microsoft Word, AOL instant messenger (I tried iChat; wasnt for me), Safari, Mail, DVD player, and iTunes.
Microsoft Word works very well. It is actually part of the Office 2004 suite. The iBook comes loaded with a 30-day free trial of iWork, and Pages was not slow as some have complained but it was in no way a viable alternative for Microsoft Word.
Safari is very fast. No complaints here. The trackpad scrolling is a really nifty feature, but I usually use a mouse so I will probably not find much use for it.
Mail, also, works well. I was very pleased at how easy it was to set up my Gmail account via POP. It is able to send attachments; the only problem is that I cannot find out how (or if) I can make labels.
The computers built in DVD player plays the DVDs very crisply and with good sound, better than on my Pismo albeit the Pismo is five years old.
I played around with GarageBand for a bit. Its definitely useable, even with 512 MB RAM if no other applications are open.
iTunes well too, it found all of the media files I loaded into the Music folder. It was a synch to set up.
AirPort Express was able to find my wireless network and others around me, and all I had to do was type in the password and I was granted access.
Bluetooth has also come in handy. I ordered a Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Bluetooth, which is supposedly incompatible with Macs, but the Apple Bluetooth wizard detected it and now I am using it without any problems, no detectable lag, and the scrollwheel (up, down, left, right) works very well. The two buttons that are meant for going back/forward in a web browser are not yet completely functional, but I just need to configure them (I know the computer detects them because I can draw boxes on the desktop, but nothing else so far). If I am unable to fix those to buttons myself, then Im sure USB Overdrive for Bluetooth will fix it. I bought the mouse on eBay and saved some money, PM me and I will tell you whom I bought it from he has a lot for sale and the service was excellent.
The keyboard is also very nice, not up to par with that of the PowerBooks but certainly good. Apple has fixed the flexy-keyboard problem it had with the much earlier iBooks. I ordered iSkins ProTouch PB, which is supposed to work with iBooks, and I warn potential buyers: this is NOT designed for the iBooks keyboard. Not even the PowerBook G4s. iSkin has messed up on this product. That said, its not really that bad, Im just not so sure whether I will continue using it. Again, NOT worth the $20 it costs.
Most of my complaints have been minor ones, but there are two more that I have forgotten to mention:
1) The computer sometimes says the battery is charged 99%. Other times it says 100%, I am not sure what is wrong with this. Also, the light around the AC adapter plug in is always green. I thought it is supposed to turn blue when the computer is fully charged. Can anyone confirm this?
2) The hard drive makes noise sometimes. It might be because of the Sudden Motion Sensor (or whatever its called). Whenever I access a large file, start up the computer, or do something moderately CPU-intensive, the hard drive makes a sound like it is sort of choking
. Anyone else have the same problem? I havent bothered to call Apple because I know they wont take my computer back unless there is actually something wrong with it, which is not the case so far.Overall, I would give this computer a rating of 7.5/10. It is not a very high rating, but anything higher would seem unjustifiable. On a user-pleasure scale, it gets at least a 9/10.
This is all that I could think to say about the computer, feel free to ask any question. Hope it helps
!
