Is it enough?

[Maverick]

Well, here's what I've decided on:

800 MHz iBook G4
640 MB RAM
60 GB Hard Drive
Airport Extreme
MCE Internal Superdrive (2x DVD-RW)

But is it enough? The main thing I want to do with it is be able to burn footage from a DV camcorder onto a DVD. I'll also be using it for internet, e-mail, MS Office, and maybe dabble in GarageBand. It would be nice if I could make some backup copies of my DVDs as well.

I guess I'm worried that in a year or so, this thing will be outdated and I'll have to buy a new one. I want a laptop that will last me at least three years, and I have looked at some Windows machines today that make me iffy about switching. So someone please tell me that this iBook will suit my needs for a long time.

I also heard that DVD+R is becoming the preferred format, and DVD-R will be phased out soon. Is there any truth to this? I hope not...my iBook will be utterly useless.

 

[Bigheadache]

Well, here's what I've decided on:

800 MHz iBook G4
640 MB RAM
60 GB Hard Drive
Airport Extreme
MCE Internal Superdrive (2x DVD-RW)

But is it enough? The main thing I want to do with it is be able to burn footage from a DV camcorder onto a DVD. I'll also be using it for internet, e-mail, MS Office, and maybe dabble in GarageBand. It would be nice if I could make some backup copies of my DVDs as well.

I guess I'm worried that in a year or so, this thing will be outdated and I'll have to buy a new one. I want a laptop that will last me at least three years, and I have looked at some Windows machines today that make me iffy about switching. So someone please tell me that this iBook will suit my needs for a long time.

I also heard that DVD+R is becoming the preferred format, and DVD-R will be phased out soon. Is there any truth to this? I hope not...my iBook will be utterly useless.

I don't think there is a trend towards either DVD format. On the PC side (as market share drive the trends), most people are snapping up new multiformat DVD writers instead of having to make a choice. And since blanks are the same price I can't see either side dominating the other.

 

[JasonL]

You may wish to consider not opting for the SD and just getting an external DVD burner that will be much faster and not really cost much more than the Superdrive upgrade. Just my $.02.

Jay

 

[Thanatoast]

It's not the same machine, but I have an 800Mhz G4 iMac that I bought 8-02, and I'm fully confident that it will perform the duties you specified for the next three years. True, it's not the latest and greatest, but if it's functionality you're worried about, don't be.

P.S.
You think a pc laptop will be capable of doing anything in three years besides crashing? Come on now...

 

[jxyama]

why are you getting MCE Superdrive? Get a refurb PB with a SD.

iBook 12" 800 MHz + MCE SD = $1100+$350 = $1450.

refurbished Rev. A PB 12" 867 MHz with SD = $1400. (Plus RAM, AE card, HD.)

you will pay a bit more but you get apple warranty untouched (i don't know about how MCE will affect the warranty), a slightly better machine and the PB look!

your machine won't be outdated in a year - as long as you are doing what you've listed. Office won't suddenly require G5. DVD ripping won't suddenly require G5. etc. the only app of concern is GB. but as of now, GB runs fine.

i never understand why people are so worried about machines being outdated - you will see better and faster ways to do the same thing but your machine will be able to carry on, doing what it can for quite a long time... you can outdate yourself by wanting better/faster things, but that's not machine's fault. it's not like the machine will suddenly become super slow...

anyway... good luck with your decision.

 

[wordmunger]

Will it "last" three years? Certainly. And it will be able to do all the things it can do right now. I have a three-year-old TiBook, which works great for what I need it to do--which is the same thing I needed it to do three years ago: surf the Web, manage e-mail, write, create Web designs, edit photos. But it stumbles doing the things cutting-edge computers do today: edit video, create music, 3-D rendering, etc. (Actually, it *can* do them, but just very s-l-o-w-l-y) Fortunately, I don't need it to do those things.

If you're the type of person who always *must* have the latest and greatest computer, your new iBook won't seem too hot three years from now. But it will still do everything it did when you bought it. I still have an *original* iBook (circa 1999) which my wife and kids use every day--works fine with Panther, MS office, iPhoto, etc.--which is all they need it to do.

 

[Maverick]

why are you getting MCE Superdrive? Get a refurb PB with a SD.

iBook 12" 800 MHz + MCE SD = $1100+$350 = $1450.

refurbished Rev. A PB 12" 867 MHz with SD = $1400. (Plus RAM, AE card, HD.)

you will pay a bit more but you get apple warranty untouched (i don't know about how MCE will affect the warranty), a slightly better machine and the PB look!

I thought about going this route, but by the time I added Panther, iLife '04, MS Office, and the RAM and hard drive upgrades, it would cost me over $1800.

And isn't the Superdrive in the Rev. A Powerbook only 1x? Sloooooooowwwwww.

Still, there's a brand new one on eBay right now that is maxed out, has Airport and Bluetooth, and the highest bid is $1150 with one day left. I've been told that buying a Mac from eBay is a big mistake, though. Still, the seller does have all positive feedback, and it's apparent she's sold some iBooks and iPods in the past. I'm kind of iffy about bidding on it, but it's so very tempting. Should I bite?

 

[Grimace]

Splurge and get a 12" powerbook. External DVD writer is no big deal - or even jump on the 12 superdrive PB. It will be worth it in the course of 3 years.

 

[Maverick]

Splurge and get a 12" powerbook. External DVD writer is no big deal - or even jump on the 12 superdrive PB. It will be worth it in the course of 3 years.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the one on eBay comes with a Superdrive.

 

[blackfox]

maverick...

Also worth mentioning is the lack of a line-in on the iBooks (something you might consider if you were to use GB for example)...if you are concerned about longevity and do wish to work w/video, I would splurge for a refurbished 15" PB (more screen space, more space for ram, monitor spanning [there is a hack for iBooks, but it may void warranty]) I know it will be initially more expensive, but will pay for itself over the long run...u can find a refurbished 1Ghz for @ 1600.00.
A completely different tact to take, if you are concerned about longevity, is to buy a cheap ibook (say G3 700) and an external burner to get you through 2004, then splurge on a G5 PB come 2005...can sell the ibook/dvd burner(if you want) then have a machine that will truly be competitive for years...you could accomplish the first step for as little as 800.00...just food for thought.

 

[Opteron]

I guess I'm worried that in a year or so, this thing will be outdated and I'll have to buy a new one. I want a laptop that will last me at least three years.

Sorry to break your bubble but the G4 ibook was out dated before its release, as was the G4 processor in general. that 133MHz FSB is a joke.

The only laptops from apple that will be usable to some degree of power in three years are the power books. And even they are starting to look very, very slow against the AMD-64 mobile bassed laptops, and just slow against the Intel P4/AMD Athlon-Mobile bassed systems.

Insaying that though, I have had no troubles importing DV into my old school's PM400MHz, it just takes it's pretty time while rendering.