So, ive decided to get an ibook

[NusuniAdmin]

So i've decided to get an ibook. I'll be getting it from the local apple reseller, but i'll bring in a printout from maczone.com (maczone.com has a special, $1,400 for ibook with extra 512 meg ram without rebate, with $50 rebate it is about $1,350 and my local apple reseller actually meets any price and any special thats going on, you just need proof).

Now that thats outta the way heres the specs:
1 ghz g4
14"
256 + 512 meg ram (768 megs)
40 gig hd
10.3 (well duh)
and 32 meg vram.

I would say its sufficient for my needs, and it won't blow a whole in my dads pocket. I was a little iffy about ibook (i have heard of many cases of ibook g4 dieing) but i decided i'll back everything up on an external hd every 2-3 weeks (i should probly do that anyways because of all the school homework i'll hav next year). So whatta think?

 

[Dippo]

Looks good..

Are you going to be getting an AirPort Card?

If you do go the AirPort route, you might just go ahead and upgrade to the 1.2Ghz model.

Are you getting an edu discount?

 

[Mantat]

If you can get the educational discount, do yourself a favor and get it! You would have to get it from an certified Apple Edu store which could be problematic (or get it from the apple store). It will save you arond 10% which should be enough for a small upgrade.

 

[Mr. Monsieur]

Unless you're planning on getting an education discount, check out this link:
http://expercom.com/view_product_set.html?PRODUCT_SET_ID=27&RETURN_URL=/
it ends up being a better deal, if you already plan on getting applecare (which is a pretty dern good idea!)...and then you can order 512MB RAM from www.crucial.com (it's about $120) which is probably a better idea anyway, as I've heard it's GOOD ram, whereas RAM bundled free with other things is often not so good. Also, expercom gives free shipping and NO TAX...good luck!

 

[ellermeier]

I love macs, I really do. I've been working on them for years as a graphic designer and I finally bought one about a month and a half ago... it's an ibook G4.... I have had nothing but problems with it... it's all been problems with the hardware. I don't understand it... I wonder if it's my bad luck or the product line.

 

[thirteen1031]

20%

it's an ibook G4.... I have had nothing but problems with it... it's all been problems with the hardware. I don't understand it... I wonder if it's my bad luck or the product line.

I can't tell you where I heard this (don't remember), so I can't say if it's completely accurate, HOWEVER, I've heard that with any electronics--and I mean ANY--cellphones, televisions, computers--there's a 20% failure rate. The company you buy from may cause that percentage to increase (if they're bad) but even if they're the best on the market, there will still be an average 20% failure rate.

That's electronics for you. So everytime you buy an electronic devise, you've got a 20% chance of having some problem with it or other. Good news is, you've got an 80% chance (if the company you buy from is good) that it will work just fine.

But we 21st century folk buy a LOT of electronics. And sooner or later, you'll be part of that 20%.

Taking this to be true, I assume you probably, unluckily, found yourself in the 20%. iBooks, in particular, are rock solid. So if you're having trouble, likely you just got a bad apple. Which I'm very sorry to hear. If it's still new enough (within 10 days of purchase?), maybe you can exchange it? What does Apple Care say?

 

[NusuniAdmin]

No crucial ram!

Last time I ordered ram from Crucial i got the wrong type, so i retruned it (the person on the phone was an @$$) and i got the right type, but it was broken (someone zapped it who packaged it) and i returned that and bought my ram from 1-800-4-ram or wutever that company's called. And no I won't be getting an education discount, the school i go too (a private school) is not listed as one of apple's schools for having discounts, i asked the headmaster of the school about ordering it through the school and he said it would be the same price, and that they actually are in negotiations with apple to set up edu discounts (they have around 20 ibooks there, plus they'll be upgrading there comp lab to all g5's soon)

So with the problems with ibook's history, do you think its worth $250 to get 3 year applecare?

I am beginning to think about an emac again, my dad has had great luck with his emac. I really don't care about partability, i thought it would be nice when i go on vacations or wutever to have a laptop.

 

[NusuniAdmin]

Oh yes, i am not ordering online anyways, our local apple reseller will beat any price and meet any special you show them, so i won't need to worry about getting cheap ram (when my dad got his emac he got 512 megs free ram, and it was top of the line, not that cheapy crap you get on those online ones)

 

[Mr. Monsieur]

Oh yeah...get the emac if you don't need portability! It's more powerful and cheaper...if I led more of a stable/normal life I would just get a desktop...as I need portability I opted for the iBook...

 

[NusuniAdmin]

Oh yeah...get the emac if you don't need portability! It's more powerful and cheaper...if I led more of a stable/normal life I would just get a desktop...as I need portability I opted for the iBook...

Ibook:
PROS: next year an ibook during study halls would be extremely nice, plus in my junior and senior years i will be taking college courses (as you can tell i am an extreme computer geek, and am very gifted, not gifted in english as you can tell) for computer programming and networking related things, so an ibook would be good for that (i doubt in 2 years an ibook will get much more powerful).

CONS: More expensive, less powerful, bad history of breaking.

Emac:
PROS: Powerful(er?) than ibook, cheap, max out ram for less than the ibook, pretty good rep.

CONS: not portable, kinda big, some minor monitor issues i have heard of.

HMM, im going to the store tomorrow, ill try out each extensively, and make my decision based upon that. If my dad'll spend the money i could get a refurb tibook or albook 15", that would be VERY VERY nice .