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Looking to buy an iBook

A

AlbinoPigeon

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 1, 2004
132
71
Vancouver, BC
Hello All! I am in the market for a new 12" iBook. I wanted to buy it a couple months ago, but I decided to wait until MWSF just incase there was something as non-earthshaking as a proce drop.

With MWSF secrets now out, and no iBook announcement, I was wondering if now was the time to buy?

I have been stalling for sometime now, to insure I wouldn't miss a price drop or revision by a couple of days. People have said for me to just shut up and buy the damn thing, but I just cant until I get some indication from this savvy community that there wont be any iBook news for a while.

So if anyone sees a potential announcement in the next month re: iBook, please voice! I am a poor lowly student who really needs a laptop, but doesn't want to get burned by missing a price drop!

HELP!

BTW: specs i'm looking at...

12"
60GB HD upgrade
AirPort Card upgrade

Thanks!
 
The 12" below the price it currently has?
I don't think that we are going to see that. And for speed bumps, According to rumors Apple is trying, which makes sense, to differentiate the 12" iBook more from the 12" Powerbook. So unless we are seeing a G5 Powerbook soon and the iBook gets the higher G4s there is NO reason why they should upgrade an iBook that pretty much just came out, considering the marginal difference to the Powerbook right now.
I just bought a new 12" iBook with 60GB, AP and BT. The time does not get any better to buy it. So go ahead and buy it. You won't regret it.
 
Originally posted by Diatribe
I just bought a new 12" iBook with 60GB, AP and BT. The time does not get any better to buy it. So go ahead and buy it. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...

Thanks...just one question about BT. I dont have any BT devices now, nor do I think I might. What did you add BT for. Is it a feature you think everyone should have? ie: future technologies?
 
I purchased the iBook 12" G4 in November and had it BTO with Bluetooth and the 60 GB HD. I later up the RAM to 640 MB and recently added the airport extreme. This is the best computer I have ever owned and I have never had such a workhorse that provides me so much fun. Maybe this is pathetic, but even after over a month, I still get a huge kick out of seeing my iBook on my desk at home.

I would recommend the Bluetooth option. Compared to all the other upgrades, it is relatively cheap and you might kick yourself later on. Well, unless you do not mind putting an adapter on the outside of your computer. I do not have a single bluetooth item, but I do have an interest in getting one. Even if you do not think you will get something that is BT, consider it because you might or if you decide to sell your computer at a later date, it will help fetch a better price.

The drive for me to get a Bluetooth set up is compounded by my FH getting me an iCurve for Christmas. I LOVE my iCurve. I had a bad monitor that was going but I would use it for my iBook at home because I am tall and I was slouching a lot. Now, I have my iBook at eye level and the monitor is gone. It would be a lot nicer if I did not have all these cords to deal with, but I will fix that later on ;)
 
I just got an iBook G4 12" / 640 MB / 40 GB with bluetooth and AP in December, and so far I'm really liking it. To answer the original question about bluetooth, I use it for two things -- a wireless mouse (there are flame wars about this elsewhere but I chose the one from Apple because of vanity ;)) and my cell phone (Nokia 3650). The mouse is definitely useable, although I've been using my iBook for a lot of couch surfing and then it's more convenient to use the trackpad.

I use IR to link my cell to my work computer, and while some of the laptops I was considering for home had IR ports, I really wanted bluetooth b/c I can leave the phone in my coat and click a button to sync. This works pretty well, although iSync does not have very good options for automatic syncing. What I would really like is a feature that automatically syncs the phone when it comes in range if it has not sync'd in the past xxx hours. The software on Windows for this phone does allow auto syncing when you come in range, but doesn't let you set a time limit, which I'm concerned about since I don't need my phone to sync 20 times as I walk around. :)

Anyway, I'd say syncing the address book and/or calendar is the top thing that I wanted bluetooth for, although I do hold out some hope that there are going to be useable bluetooth headphones for music soon.... I have about 350 people in Outlook at work with 3 or 4 phone numbers each, and a minute after my first sync everyone was in my phone!

Anyway, the things you'd probably use bluetooth for: cell phone, wireless keyboard or mouse, wireless PDA, wireless headset (maybe by summer?).

If you don't need it, don't get it (if you leave it on while using the battery it will noticeably affect life), but do keep in mind that the internal card doesn't seem to be something you can install after the fact.
 
Your big mistake is waiting. Every day you wait is yet another day closer to you being disapoinetd when better iBooks are inevidably announced after your purchase. Buy now. Don't worry, better iBooks WILL be announced after you purchase one. They WILL drop in price. There is nothing you can do about it.

The best theng to do is to do what I did --- buy shortly after they are announced. I ordered mine in October, and have been glad to have one ever since. So I have gotten to use mine for the past few months, while you sat around and worried about losing a hundred dollars or so. He who hesitates is lost.

Macs increase in power, and decrease in price about every 8 months. Get used to it.
 
You gotta buy your first BT device sometime.... might as well make it your mac. A BT phone or Palm-type device wouldn't do you much good by itself either. And since you can't go back and add it on later, for $50 it's good insurance against obsolescence. Unless you like dongles hanging from your machine of course.;) My wife just got her G4 iBook about a month ago, loaded with RAM and a big HD and AE. It's a fantastic machine for the money, almost as good as the 12" PB in almost every respect. It's a little thicker than I imagined it would be, but that's probably 'cuz I'm spoiled by my 1" thin TiBook. That polycarbonate casing is awesome too, much sturdier than my TiBook.

Buy now, the longer you wait the sooner the updates will come!
 
Thanks...just one question about BT. I dont have any BT devices now, nor do I think I might. What did you add BT for. Is it a feature you think everyone should have? ie: future technologies?
Click to expand...

Welcome. I did add it for two reasons, being one, an Apple Bluetooth Mouse and two too synch with my cell phone. There will most likely a lot more devices which will use BT in the future and since it is only a 40$ upgrade i believe it is worth getting. But that is for you to decide. The most important thing is Ram on this iBook, although I wouldn't buy it from Apple since they always have and always will rip you off with their Ram-pricing.
I hope you will be as happy as I am with my new iBook.
 
Originally posted by Diatribe
The most important thing is Ram on this iBook, although I wouldn't buy it from Apple since they always have and always will rip you off with their Ram-pricing.
Click to expand...

I looked at the RAM prices on the Apple Education store for Canada and the prices are pretty good from what I know about local RAM pricing.

$67 for a total of 384MB
~$200 for a total of 640MB

sounds about the same as my sis's upgrade to her G3 iBook about half a year ago.

BTW: the education price for bluetooth is $67 and iLife is $35.
 
Originally posted by AlbinoPigeon
$67 for a total of 384MB
~$200 for a total of 640MB
Click to expand...

I just bought my daughter a 12" iBook this past Saturday.

I bought the extra RAM and had it installed there. They become very flexible about pricing and installation fees if you go ahead and get the AppleCare at the same time too, like I did :)

Besides, after installing the RAM on your brand new iBook, they'll check it out for you to make sure that it's 100% before you leave the store.
 
It all depends on what you call "good" :D
If you buy 512MB at crucial.com you pay depending on where you live between $80 and a $100. Now this is what I call good. Installing RAM is fairly easy with the ibooks... take away keyboard loosen 4 screws take old one out, put new one in, tighten screws, put keyboard in place, done.
For the saved $100 I bought myself a BT keyboard and a mouse. :D
 
I, as well, am about to buy that little 12" ibook with 60 GB, and then upgrade to 640 RAM. For the money, you can't get a better laptop. It's only about 5-10% slower than the powerbook, and it has a better graphics card (at least I've heard so).

I plan to buy in the next month too, although I'm sure that something cheaper and faster will follow. But, this ibook is faster than the powerbooks I drooled over not too long ago, so I'll take it. Besides, with the money I save because of not buying a powerbook, I can get another ibook in 18 months (and it will likely smoke today's silver beauties)!
 
my two cents

i got my ibook in november..had airport but i didnot get BT although i had a BT cellphone. but i got another chance as i gave my ibook to my uncle, n bought another one a week back with BT.
for me uptill now the major use of BT is the mouse. coz i think a cordless mouse is absolutely essential for a laptop. to go cordless with the mouse You have three choices-
1. Do not get BT. Instead get a BT mouse (they come with a small bluetooth usb adaptor) .cost around 65$.
2. Get BT.cost 50$. then get a BT mouse cost 65$. total cost 115$.
3. forget BT. get a RF wireless mouse .cost around 50$.

I took the second option, only because i dont like the external adaptor sticking out of the usb port. if you are cool with that , u can go with the first option as well.You can pair 7 devices to the external adaptor they give with their bluetooth mouse. So it would work with cellphones, pdas blah blah blah..



another very essential commodity is a bluetooth headphone. I am looking for one .
 
Originally posted by Diatribe
It all depends on what you call "good" :D
If you buy 512MB at crucial.com you pay depending on where you live between $80 and a $100. Now this is what I call good. Installing RAM is fairly easy with the ibooks... take away keyboard loosen 4 screws take old one out, put new one in, tighten screws, put keyboard in place, done.
For the saved $100 I bought myself a BT keyboard and a mouse. :D
Click to expand...

I was quoting Canadian dollars though. So $200 extra at the Apple Canada site, installled. Or...

~$100US at Crucial, plus shipping (to Canada), insurance, and then self installation. You folks down in the States have it a little better when it comes to pricing for quality RAM. (I could get a similar deal, but for some real cheap ass RAM - not the Crucial stuff)
 
Worth mentioning is a somewhat common glitch in the iBook G4. I think it may be only in the 12" model. The trackpad has major issues. The cursor occasionally will keep jumping to a random point on the screen, making the trackpad very difficult to use. My iBook is awaiting dispatch to Apple for servicing. I will be very sad without it.
Just thought you should be aware.
Otherwise, I love this machine. It is everything I wanted in a computer.
 
Originally posted by TangyToad
Worth mentioning is a somewhat common glitch in the iBook G4. I think it may be only in the 12" model. The trackpad has major issues. The cursor occasionally will keep jumping to a random point on the screen, making the trackpad very difficult to use. My iBook is awaiting dispatch to Apple for servicing. I will be very sad without it.
Just thought you should be aware.
Otherwise, I love this machine. It is everything I wanted in a computer.
Click to expand...
completely agree...i have a new ibook g4..same problem..i called up apple..they didnt know anything about it..as it was a fairly intermittent problem..
anyways i gave that ibook to my uncle and got another one..which is workin alright till now...
anyways i dont use trackpad ...
 
iBook G4 quality issues

Hmm...I haven't had too much trackpad trouble, I think, although I'm more used to mice and the rubber pencil pointer thingies. What does the trackpad problem look like? The pointer just jumps periodically to the wrong place? While you're touching the trackpad or while you're not? When it's happening, does it happen repeatedly or just once and then not again for a week?

Several computers with the pencil eraser I've had had a drift...sometimes the pointer would just track across the screen when I wasn't touching it.

For trackpads in general, what's the expectation? Do they glitch at all, or should they be spot on all the time?

One thing I noticed, that I'm not exactly sure how I'm doing...

(This is my first apple...) When I type on this keyboard, I seem to often do something that causes the cursor to jump up a paragraph or so, and suddenly find I'm typing in the wrong place.

I type fast, and the problem doesn't really seem to happen much if the keyboard is well below my elbows. If I lay on the couch or something so I'm typing "up" a little, I get the problem much worse. So, I figure it's some key I'm brushing.

Anyone have the same experience and figure out what's happening?
 
i havent had any issues with typing ..but then i dont type that fast..
regarding the trackpad prob..as i had posted..i experienced that prob in my previous ibook..this one is ok till now..
and the prob was that whe u try to move the pointer it kept running in some corner...
anyways this one is working fine...and i dont use trackpad ..i got a bluetooth mouse ..
 
Re: iBook G4 quality issues

Originally posted by mkrishnan
(This is my first apple...) When I type on this keyboard, I seem to often do something that causes the cursor to jump up a paragraph or so, and suddenly find I'm typing in the wrong place.

I type fast, and the problem doesn't really seem to happen much if the keyboard is well below my elbows. If I lay on the couch or something so I'm typing "up" a little, I get the problem much worse. So, I figure it's some key I'm brushing.

Anyone have the same experience and figure out what's happening?
Click to expand...

Ditto. As much as I tell, myself it's me, I know it is not. It happens in iChat frequently. It is very annoying.
 
Re: Re: iBook G4 quality issues

Originally posted by niter
Ditto. As much as I tell, myself it's me, I know it is not. It happens in iChat frequently. It is very annoying.
Click to expand...

So you think it's "bad" keyboard design, or some kind of ghost key that you're not actually hitting?
 
That's not really a flaw in the track pad. It's actually you just rubbing your fingers on it while typing. (So it could be a design flaw if you like)

I had a Hewlett Packard notebook and used to have the same problem however they had a switch to turn off the track pad and prevent it. Not sure if the iBook has this or not.
 
I had the same experience typing on two different 12" iBooks at the Apple Store.
 
I do not know what it is, but I do know that it is NOT the trackpad. I usually use an external mouse, and I have my settings so that my trackpad is disabled while using an external mouse. It still happens.
 
I haven't had any sort of problems (even with the trackpad) on my 12" iBook G4 that I received before Thanksgiving... not that other people haven't had problems but I don't want the impression sitting around that *all* iBook G4's are messed up. I use the trackpad all the time as I have no mouse (until March) and it'd be a good bet that I've used it every day since I got it (sorta sad but aren't we all?).
 
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