My iBook G4 Review

[NusuniAdmin]

Hello all. Heres a review of my new (technically refurbished) ibook g4.

Stats are here:
Refurb 1.2 ghz ibook g4 14"
256 meg ram (im gettin more soon!!)
60 gig hd
airport card

I just got this today, after unpacking it i looked at the cd's and then looked at the machine itself. I turned it on to check if it was alright, and wus amazed. Its speed is excellent! Of course I did a reinstall myself and then put on my 20 gigs worth the crap. But I am simply amazed by this little machine. 2 Major slowdowns: the video card....32 doesn't cut it anymore, and the ram of course. Other than that it is a fine machine. I transferred all my junkies in my kitchen via our wireless linksys network and all went well. I actually got 6:30 hours of battery time out of this baby!!!!

Anyways I recommend it 100%, if you are looking for a cheap machine and dont mind a refurb i would REALLY recommened getting one of the refurb 1.2's off apple.com (assuming its available)

Pros:
Cheap
Durable
Good Band for Buck
AWSOME battery life

Cons:
32 meg video card (bah)
default ram is annoyingly low (come on apple!)
one button trackpad (of course)
The HD is another major slowdown..4200 rpm hah!!

 

[Finiksa]

one button trackpad (of course)

Nice review, but I think you meant to put that one in the "Pros" list, might want to do a quick edit

 

[JeffTL]

The one-button trackpad is a good thing: it is ambidextrous and also it is impossible for one to accidentally push the wrong button.

I know one laptop user (videlicet, my grandmother) who went from a PowerBook 170 (System 7 and still working, but not very Internet friendly) to a ca. 2000 Gateway with Windows 98SE to a clearance-sale 12" iBook G3/800 -- and is glad to have (or be back to as the case may be) Mac single-clicking.

 

[LeeTom]

Thanks for the review. The battery life on those things is great!
As for me, I'll take a 2-button trackpad ANY day.

Lee Tom

 

[NusuniAdmin]

Nice review, but I think you meant to put that one in the "Pros" list, might want to do a quick edit

that wus sarcasm, hence the "of course". and the fact i put it under cons

i hate one button mice and trackpads and think apple should be shot for not being more standards based when it comes to clicking devices

 

[Ryan1524]

apple need to incorporate a two button trackpad indeed. at least maybe on the Power line. anybody who knows enough or needs such power would probably know how to use a right click anyway.

 

[Finiksa]

that wus sarcasm, hence the "of course".

As was mine, hence the "smilie".

apple should be shot for not being more standards based

Apple's design is standards based, they can't be held responsible if other manufacturers don't adhere to the one button standard.

 

[edesignuk]

The designers at Apple must be the only group of people that think 1 button is enough, it's complete crap! We all need 2 buttons Apple!!!!!

 

[NusuniAdmin]

As was mine, hence the "smilie".


Apple's design is standards based, they can't be held responsible if other manufacturers don't adhere to the one button standard.

i did not even see that smiley...guess i should pay more attention

 

[Palad1]

The designers at Apple must be the only group of people that think 1 button is enough, it's complete crap! We all need 2 buttons Apple!!!!!

2 buttons for a mouse, sure. But the trackpad is fine the way it is, when your thumbs are on the pad, your left pinky is near the control key, here's right click for you.

Oh games? Then we need 5 button pads + vertical scroll

 

[stevehaslip]

I got a mac and accepted that i had one mouse button, but i got bored and bought a new one! I'm much more productive with 4 buttons! i got undo on my mouse! thats awesome!

 

[abhishekit]

The designers at Apple must be the only group of people that think 1 button is enough, it's complete crap! We all need 2 buttons Apple!!!!!

Nah, I think the same. Trackpad should be single button. The way I use it, my thumb is somewhere in the middle to right part of the button. So whenever I use a windows laptop, I have to 'bring' my thumb to the left button to click it. Not so good.

 

[NusuniAdmin]

Heres a few more things ive noticed that i did not list above:

It (the processor) is contantly running at at least 130 degrees F...which had got my concerned. Yesterday While screwing around with VPC it got up to 160 degrees F Anyone here know the temeratures it should be running at. In case you are wondering this is on a flat desk, with nothing around it whatsoever. With the way the ibook fan is designed the heat is suppose to come out the bottom and the back, which it does. But I am thinking it heats up the desk enough that it wont keep the laptop cool anymore. Right now a few other apps report it as 133 degrees F and the bottom of the ibook is hot enough that when i stick my hand under it it literaly burns it. Guess I got myself a bed warmer for the winter