Looking for iBook/Powerbook G4 advice

[emveedeeaych]

Hi all, I'm looking to get a 450 or less iBook and/or Powerbook 12 incher. I've been looking at refurbs on ebay and what not. Does anyone have experience with PowerOn as far as how decent a job they do? Can anyone give me some tips on better places to look? Are Powerbooks a safer bet than iBook G4s? She just wants one for email and web basically. I'd prefer one with a fast enough processor and DVD player so I could upgrade to Leopard down the line.

Thanks for any help! This is to replace my wife's iBook G3 (purchased for 150 from the state of Maine, upgraded ram and OS to Tiger) that succumbed to The Logic Board Disease. So I'd prefer that I get one that wouldn't have that design flaw.

 

[CRAZYBUBBA]

I personally prefer powerbooks. i think people take better care of their pro machines.

 

[ryanmcd02]

I second CRAZYBUBBA on the powerbooks. In fact I just bought a PB 12" on ebay.

For your price range, on eBay for a powerbook you'll probably be getting a 867 MHz 768 RAM in good condition, at most 1 GHz, as I would guess you've seen. The 867 would run Leopard, but I don't know how well (also the 867's will be older).

For that reason I would consider a 12" iBook G4, because you'll be able to get a little better CPU and possibly better RAM specs for less.

But then again, I just bought a PB.

 

[LeMacK]

I'd go with the 12" PB... in my opinion they are better quality than the ibooks, and also seem less likely to have hardware problems.

(i have a 15" 800Mhz PB (Tiger) that still runs great after 5 or 6 years of heavy heavy use.)

 

[jonswan]

I just got a 1.0 ghz powerbook 12 inch and upgraded to Leopard - although it is a little slow compared to my iMac it still does the job + the condition is great after 4 years. It feels more robust that iBooks I've had.

 

[JFreak]

12" PowerBook no question!

 

[admiraldennis]

Go with whatever's cheaper.

If this is a portable machine you will be carrying around daily, I recommend the iBook G4 over the 12" PowerBook. It's case is far more durable (I've seen a *LOT* of dented PowerBooks, aluminum is very soft metal), it gets less hot, it has slightly better wireless reception, and it's usually cheaper.

 

[admiraldennis]

I personally prefer powerbooks. i think people take better care of their pro machines.

Your argument is complete nonsense.

I've easily seen far more banged up PowerBooks than iBooks. Aluminum is very soft and dent-prone -- a single whack, run-in with a wall, drop, or other impact is almost guaranteed damage. That's a lot tougher to do with hard polycarbonate.

 

[ryanmcd02]

Like you said though, the aluminum shell is much less forgiving than polycarbonate, thus dings are more likely to cause visible damage. So that you see more dented powerbooks doesn't mean PB owners are neglectful, it is just that the bumps on their machines are much more noticeable.

So actually, by these arguments if you find a non-dented powerbook, that is most likely to be the best taken care of computer (since if it had been hit, it would show it, yet you cannot be as sure with an undamaged iBook).

In regards to the responsibility of the owners, I don't know, but I am just saying it isn't nonsenical to deduce that a group who spends more on their products takes better care of them as a result.

 

[leekohler]

Go with whatever's cheaper.

If this is a portable machine you will be carrying around daily, I recommend the iBook G4 over the 12" PowerBook. It's case is far more durable (I've seen a *LOT* of dented PowerBooks, aluminum is very soft metal), it gets less hot, it has slightly better wireless reception, and it's usually cheaper.

The wireless reception on the iBooks is far better than the PowerBooks. If this is going to be a machine that travels a lot, go with the iBook G4. I have a 14" 1 GHz that's 3 and a half years old and it's still great and runs Leopard fine. I was going to upgrade to a MacBook, but the lack of matte screen plus the fact that Leopard is fine on the iBook changed my mind.

If it's going to be primarily at home though, go with the PowerBook. It may last you a bit longer.