Amazon.com Product Description

Now there's even more to love about Apple's iBook notebook. Weighing in at a respectable 5.9 pounds and featuring an 800 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, a 30 GB hard drive, and 256 MB of RAM--plus AirPort wireless networking and FireWire, USB, and Ethernet ports--the iBook connects to hundreds of peripherals designed to fit your life.

This system features a brilliant 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display and razor-sharp 1,024 x 768 resolution. It's the perfect place for doing everything from working on spreadsheets to displaying your movies and digital pictures in millions of colors. (Incidentally, the iBook display scales down beautifully, again with millions of colors, for special games and applications optimized for 800 x 600 or 640 x 480 resolutions.)

Included is a combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive for playing games and music CDs and enjoying DVD movies. The 800 MHz iBook ships with a 30 GB hard drive that provides exceptional storage space. In addition, this system comes with the ATI Mobility Radeon graphics accelerator with 16 MB of SDRAM and AGP 2x support for gorgeous 3-D graphics.

The iBook also comes loaded with iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, and iDVD application software, making it easier than ever before to manage your digital images, video, and music. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

I use my laptop for better and better things everyday.
I can see a lot of criticism of Apple on this product page and it shocks me. I made the switch in college, running the top Apple computers against the top Dell computers and Apple was easier to use, and ran faster. Today, I use Dell in the office, and Apple at home. I also use Apple at work, the laptop on this page, and it is still easier to use, and runs faster than the very nice Dell which sits on my desk.

The iBook has plenty of power, has a great battery, and runs on my Windows network at work. It opens Windows files easily, and basically goes with me everywhere. It also does lots of things that it's windows counterpart cannot do, things that really matter--like not crashing. I haven't rebooted in months, and I use it daily. Everybody that sees how often and how easily I rely on my iBook is impressed. My iBook simply works and works, while my Dell finds new and innovative ways to slow me down each and every day. I only have one regret....I should have bought an iBook sooner.

The jaguar of laptops for discerning users
I have had the Apple iBook 800MHz laptop for about 6 months and have yet to experience any technical difficulties.

If you're seeking a stable, reliable, high-performance, and visually appealing laptop, you should seriously consider the venerable Apple iBook. Though more expensive than today's P4 1.X laptop PCs, Mac OS X alone is enough to convert even the most diehard PC user. Though getting around the "unique" interface of the OS can take some getting used to, you will surely appreciate its stability and user-friendliness.

With upgraded memory, an AirPort card for wireless web surfing and Office:Mac, you will have everything you need to work or play with incredible performance for everyday tasks. Throw in the iLife suite of applications for DVD playback, music/MP3 management and much more, and you have an amazing productivity pack for multimedia, a longtime strength of Apple computers.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the iBook for those seeking a trusty companion for work, play, or multimedia. The 800MHz G3 processor has never been insufficient for any task I've thrown at it and the AirPort card makes an ideal accessory for connecting to the Internet without wires.

If you have $1400-2000 to spend on a laptop, don't overlook Apple.

Edit: My pre-owned iBook is now nearly 11 months old and has developed the rampant logic board failure, which has plagued many a user. Luckily, with about a month left in my 1-yr AppleCare warranty, I did not have to pay a cent and waited about a week and a half to get it back.

Please keep in mind that if you purchase a newer G3 iBook, you may very well be one of those who experiences a logic board failure, and apparently it can come back again and again. Buy the 3-yr AppleCare Protection Plan and you won't be sorry.

Should work well...but doesn't.
I have used Mac's for a bout 4 years now and I quite like apple products for the most part (other than the usual complaints!). But I bought this ibook in Dec of 2002, and at this point I really wish I could get my money back. Maybe I just got a lemon, but it has already had to be sent back to apple once (took over a month to get back too!). After 2 months of heavy usage (I travel, and it's my only computer) the machine just died and would not start up. After much difficulty sending it off (and hours of stupid tech support walk throughs) they replaced the hard-drive and optical-drive. I don't really think it fixed the problem though. The machine gets very hot with extended use, and I am still having the same problems as I was before I had to send my machine off. Problems like slugish performance (that wasn't the case when i first got the machine, as it was very quick), programs crashing unexpectantly, modem errors, programs not performing correctly, etc. I am very afraid the hard-drive will just die on me again, so I neurotically back up my data every week. honestly I really think it has to do with the fact this machine gets so hot, but that is just my layman theory.
Basically I wish I had spent the extra cash and got a powerbook. Maybe that would have worked better.
I hope this reveiw helps you make a better buying decision. Maybe I just got a lemon, but I wouldn't buy an ibook ever again.

The switch was worth it!
I love my new I-book. In addition to it's sleek appearance it offers everything my PC offered plus more. The picture is so crisp and clear, everyone at work mentioned it looked better than most of their television sets at home. The sound quality isn't the greatest, but isn't an I book all about portability. I bought some inexpensive headphones and the sound is now incredible. I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase. Buy an Ibook it's worth switching to!

Outstanding Laptop
Over the years I have used a wide variety of computers. Recently, I decided to purchase a top-of-the-line iBook (800mhz-40gb-Combo Drive-640mb ram) for personal and professional use. Apple has really done a great job on this laptop. Besides looking great, the iBook provides a first rate user experience. The operating system is ingenious and has yet to crash. I get about 5.5 hours of run time on it's lithium-ion battery. I use my ibook for every imaginable task, from running large graphics through photoshop to testing sites via it's apache server application. I even do some 3D work on it from time to time. I run Word, Power Pt. and Excel with no problems. If fact, it runs these programs better than on the dell I use. If I wish I can even run XP on the rascal via virtual PC. I tried to think of any downshots to buying the iBook, and I can't think of many. My only suggestion would be to get a higher end model and purchase the maximum amount of ram. Two minor increases in the price, but definately well worth it. A word about the one star review - they couldn't have possiblely purchased the same product I did. I hear about this PC/apple rivalry taking this form and that's unfortunate. I guess it's a case of the fox and the grapes. What one of the previous reviews said is true, pc laptops are underclocked to extend battery life and reduce heat buildup. The OS is another matter, XP is a country mile behind the macintosh operating system. If you were to spend time working in both OS(s) it would be clear. The aqua environment is easier to look at and interact with than the interface Windows provides. If you intend to spend any time in front of one of these things that fact alone is a big consideration. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now there's even more to love about Apple's iBook notebook. Weighing in at a respectable 4.9 pounds and featuring an 800 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, a 30 GB hard drive, and 128 MB of RAM--plus AirPort wireless networking and FireWire, USB, and Ethernet ports--the iBook connects to hundreds of peripherals designed to fit your life.

This system features a brilliant 12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display and razor-sharp 1,024 x 768 resolution. It's the perfect place for doing everything from working on spreadsheets to displaying your movies and digital pictures in millions of colors. (Incidentally, the iBook display scales down beautifully, again with millions of colors, for special games and applications optimized for 800 x 600 or 640 x 480 resolutions.)

Included is a combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive for playing games and music CDs and enjoying DVD movies. The 800 MHz iBook ships with a 30 GB hard drive that provides exceptional storage space. In addition, this system comes with the ATI Mobility Radeon graphics accelerator with 32 MB of VDRAM and AGP 2x support for gorgeous 3-D graphics.

The iBook also comes loaded with iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, and iDVD application software, making it easier than ever before to manage your digital images, video, and music. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Not bad but over priced for what you get
I bought a slightly slower version of this two years ago and I was okay with it then. I just recently gave it up because:

1. It crashed a lot.

2. It was feeling pretty slow compared to my desktop at work (I run a lot of the same e-cad software on both).

3. I never seemed to get much more than an hour of battery life after the first year.

I switched my entire setup to Linux (I'm bought a cheap Celeron based laptop, dumped windows and installed RedHat). For less than half of what I paid for my first iBook I have a much faster machine with a 14" LCD and no Windows! I suggest you consider the same.

My iBook runs PC industry standard CAD under emulation
I love this thing. I bought the 512 MB RAM and the Airport Card. I use it for all the normal office stuff when I am away from my desk (A WinTel machine). I was sitting in a very boring meeting the other day and used the time to work on the design of my wife's bathroom remodel. I had installed Virtual PC (my version seems to run best in OS 9.2), Windoze 98, and the industry standard CAD (latest version). Finished the floorplan by the end of the meeting....way coolio! I also use it for Photoshop and enjoy running wireless on the net from my backyard while yacking w/my 4-year old daughter. I love the 12" screen; very compact and light!

Is cute.
I did work on Pc. I was.. and, i am a Mac enthusiast. Mac Os X is not a perfect OS. XP is much more better.. but the beauty of Mac, the naive semplicity of OS X are cute. I recommend not to use it for intensive work (like programming...). iBook is for teens and for education.

An excellently thought out, extremely portable machine
I love apple for their attention to design detail. From a power adapter that can be both a brick, or attach a longer cord, to batteries whose charge you can check without turning on the computer, to the built in high quality wireless, everything about this computer is fit and finish.

The software suite is excellent, with Apple's iApps providing a top notch integrated environment for working with digital media. The digital camera/booklet printing integration is particularly impressive, allowing you to produce high quality coffee table books out of your vacation snapshots.

Although not as fast feeling as other computers, once I upgraded the included RAM, the operations felt almost snappy, and it's been a dream to use.

I LOVE IT, NOOOOO PROBLEMS
I love it, no problems!! I recommend, starting with OS 10.2 or higher and get rid of anything less than that! Also, get the airport and airport card. Wireless internet, it's fantastic!! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Depends on your needs
If you're a Windows user and in no mood for switching, please read whatever review there is for the latest PC based laptop and go away.

If you're still reading and are interested in trying something really different or you're a Mac user already, welcome! The iBook and the PowerBook fill out the portable line of Mac based computers. Even though they are somewhat similar in processor speed, which one you get depends on what you want to use it for. The PowerBooks have many features that the iBooks do not. They are powerful enough to serve as a desktop replacement (unless you need G5 power), while the iBooks would be more like an extension of your established computing experience. They are priced accordingly. If you need DVD burning, and the mega RAM associated with Apple's Pro line of software, get the PowerBook. If all you need is a portable for Microsoft Office or AppleWorks, or to watch a DVD movie and play some games while away from home, get the iBook.

Since I already have a desktop that serves my major project needs (Final Cut/Soundtrack and the like), I just wanted one that would run those programs and let me transfer later to my main machine. I chose the iBook. I never considered the earlier G3 iBooks, since they were not ready for what I wanted. The G4 iBooks are a terrific value. With the money you save over a PowerBook, give it some more RAM (You can easily add 512MB for a total of 640MB) or maybe a faster hard drive (All Apple portables use 4200RPM drives which are slow IMHO). Get AppleCare for 3 additional years of protection. This is a great machine. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Another great Apple computer!
This is my third Mac and my first Mac laptop. Didn't need the muscle of the PowerBook, only interested in email, wireless web, iPhoto, Quicken, stuff like that. The fact that the this iBook includes an Airport card is a great bargain. Normally that would've cost an additional $100 or so. I had this set up with my Linksys 54g wireless router in about 2 minutes! Works perfectly with full WPA encryption and MAC address filtering (Airport card works better with Linksys router than the Linksys card in my Dell laptop, and Linksys doesn't officially support Macs, so go figure. Just shows how well Apple supports standards.) Battery lasts a long, long time (again, better than my Dell). CD burner works great. And my iSight camera works perfectly over the wireless network as well! Highly recommended, especially if you want to go wireless.

Graphics Great, Text Disappoints
Well I bought into the hype and made the switch. A very expensive switch to the new 14" iBook 1.25 GHZ G4. Having worked on DOS and Windows based computers for years I was really looking forward to having a laptop computer with Apple's legendary graphics and ease-of-use. I ordered the laptop from Apple's web site without test driving one first. That was a big mistake! Had I given the thing a spin first I would have seen how poorly the text is rendered on the screen compared to Windows machines. This is a big deal to me because I use the computer for composing written material and researching on the net. I find that after using it for two hours I get a terrible eye strain headache. At first I thought something was wrong with the monitor but after some internet research I discovered that many others have the same problem with Apple. Apparently, they have an inferior "font smoothing" routine to the one that Microsoft uses in Windows. I have tried adjusting every conceivable setting on the display and in the operating system with little or no improvement. My advice, do your own research on the subject and test drive one before you buy. My only hope is that Apple will improve their font smoothing on future releases of the OS. Not recommended if you are doing anything that involves alot of reading.

Windows user changes religions
They are few, but express their happiness, their deep satisfaction, so well. They proselytize sometimes, not often, and it is with clear conviction. They often give off the aura of knowing something you don't know but could discover, if only you were brave enough to follow their narrower path.

I have been listening to them off and on since I left the fold twenty years ago. I made a common choice, a change, when I felt abandoned, or rather shut out, from the fold.

Recently, however, after years of aggravation along the path I'd been following, their words started to hit home. I started to long for their satisfaction, their joy, the ease with which they got things done.

Lately I've been talking to them about their choice, asking questions, opening up about my fears and doubts, and, for the first time since leaving, began to think about joining once more.

Yesterday, I visited, talked much more with them, and decided: yes, it was right to change religions, and I did it right there, right then.

I bought a Mac, a 14-inch 1.25GHz G4 iBook. Here is what "changing religions" means for this once-upon-a-time Apple II user who has been working in the PC world since 1983 (I remember CP/M!).

It's been less than 24 hours since I first opened the box, and in that interval, I've set up the iBook for Internet access, both for dialup and for a new wireless network, as I'd bought an AirPort Extreme Base, too, did laundry, surfed, retrieved and answered email, slept, made my 100-mile Monday commute, and worked a full day.

And I'm typing this review in a word processing package I saw for the first time just minutes ago.

Apple has done an excellent job of making it easy for someone to set up this computer, even someone who has spent 20+ years working with and on PCs of a different flavor. I woke up my 10-year-old son this morning by handing him the iBook, already on and connected through AirPort, with a cheery "Would you like to surf the Web in bed while I get my shower?"

The iBook comes with a start-up guide which is clear, well-written, and easy to follow. All the information I needed to get to this point was within the first half of this very slim volume. I pulled the iBook and the start-up guide out of the box, and within literally 30 minutes, the iBook was set up and connected to the Web. It would have been faster, but I had to wait for the Dell laptop I use to boot up so I could get the phone number of my ISP. (Dinosaur that I am, yes, I do use dialup.)

The keyboard is fullsize but not large; those with big hands and fingers might find the PowerBook a bit easier to use. That said, I've had no problem whatsoever typing on the keyboard, except to try to remember it's not Ctrl-C to cut and Ctrl-V to paste and that the delete key functions as a backspace and does not delete the letter to the right of the cursor. Tactile feedback is good and the keys are comfortable.

Typed text is not as clear as on the Dell Inspiron 8100 I have been using (which has a brilliantly clear screen), but I suspect there is a setting I can adjust which will make the text sharper. It's perfectly legible even to my failing eyes, but not as clear as I would like. Icons and graphics are sharp and the screen is nice and bright. Adjustments for brightness are clearly marked on the keyboard.

The software interface is outstanding. It's familiar enough to this Windows user to not cause disorientation, but looks fresher and cleaner.

The Dock, a bar of applications icons, comes up along the bottom of the screen after first setting up the iBook, and has nearly everything on it you will first use and want to explore.

The iBook comes with AppleWorks 6 (about which I know nothing, but which has a word processor that is obviously easy enough to use to type this review.... and play around with formatting, word count, text attributes, and so on; I expect the presentation and spreadsheet software are just as easy to use), a suite of tools for the "rest of your life" called iLife (which includes iChat, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iCal[endar] and Garage Band, a music sequencer that will likely take up the rest of my evening), and Safari, which is Apple's browser.

And a host of other software, including an encyclopedia, games, and Quicken.

I had compared this iBook with the next model down, the 14" 1 GHz iBook which falls in the middle of the three iBook offerings from Apple. I was all set to get the middle model, to which I would have added a 60 Gb drive (instead of the 40 Gb it came with), another 256 Mb SDRAM (to boost it to 512), and an AirPort Extreme card (so I could use wireless networking). But...with the price difference between the two models only $200 and the 1.2 GHz iBook already having the AirPort Extreme card and a 60 Gb hard drive, it didn't make financial sense to stay with the middle model.

I still need to boost the memory -- 256 Mb is standard, with that on one chip which leaves the other slot open for another chip (unlike the middle model, which has two 128 Mb chips, requiring you to discard one to boost the memory, unless you buy the computer online rather than from an Apple store).

I cannot abandon the Windows world, as I work in it, but to change computer religions and have Apple make it so easy to do so makes this former Apple II user happy indeed. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Weighing in at a respectable 5.9 pounds and featuring a 900 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, a 40 GB hard drive, and 256 MB of RAM (expandable to 640 MB)--plus AirPort wireless networking and FireWire, USB, and Ethernet ports--the iBook connects to hundreds of peripherals designed to fit your life.

This system features a brilliant 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display and razor-sharp 1,024 x 768 resolution. It's the perfect place for doing everything from working on spreadsheets to displaying your movies and digital pictures in millions of colors. (Incidentally, the iBook display scales down beautifully, again with millions of colors, for special games and applications optimized for 800 x 600 or 640 x 480 resolutions.)

Included is a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive for playing games and music CDs, watching your favorite movies, and copying data to CD-R and CD-RW discs. The 900 MHz iBook ships with a 40 GB hard drive that provides exceptional storage space. In addition, this system comes with the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics accelerator with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM and AGP 2x support for gorgeous 3-D graphics.

The iBook also comes loaded with Mac OS X, iMovie, iTunes, AppleWorks, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Netscape Communicator, Adobe Acrobat Reader, FAXstf, AOL Instant Messenger (preview), WORLD BOOK Max OSX Edition, Quicken 2003, Sound Studio, and Otto Matic game software. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Perfect Laptop
I remember when the 14" iBook first came out, many in the Mac universe spoke poorly of it. Obviously, it cost more, and while the usual core features had more juice (Hard drive, processor, RAM,) the difference was not overwhelming. The main beef, though, was that the resolution on the 14" iBook is the same as the resolution on the 12" iBook (1024 X 768). The only difference is that, on the 12 incher, those dots are really scrunched in. I've used many of the 12" iBookse I work in IT, especially with Macs, so I've seen it all, and so feel qualified to take a side on this one. The verdict:

It's worth it.

I went to apple.com, and and browsed to a 12" iBook with comperable fatures to the one I recently acquired. The price offered was 1350. I got mine for about 1500, which leaves about 150 to account for. Since other factors are basically equal, the difference is the screen. You want that difference. The 14" iBook feels spacious, a real trick for a lap top. The screen's extra size makes the lower half of the laptop bigger as well, so that there really is room for the keyboard, and a large palm rest. The clean lines of the design really bring out the most in the display, which is bright and clear. If you've never used a laptop, the screen feels bigger, simply because you're usually closer to it. Additionally, LCDs have a larger usable area than a CRT of the same size. As I sit here typing this review, I can tell: You feel this screen's size.

Size does matter, especially with something like a laptop. If you get a smaller screen, you'll inevitably want a larger screen, but then you'll be stuck with an expensive purchase. So put in the extra cash now. If you have the means, treat yourself to 14" iBook. You'll be glad you did.

Great portable for consumers, with the Best OS!
I have the 800 mhz model, and I have to say it's a great machine. Light in weight (I can hold it in one hand easily), fast, and super sleek. The operating system, OS X, is fantastic: powerful, beautiful, and it doesn't crash! The book comes with quite a bit of software, and despite what someone else wrote here it DOES run RealPlayer just fine, as well as display web pages properly. It comes with AppleWorks which can open and save in the Word format, so that is a non-issue.

It plays DVD's perfectly, and iTunes 4 burns CD's as fast as my external FireWire drive. If the speakers were just a bit better (i.e. as good as the legendary Pismo model), I would give this Mac 5 stars.

BTW, before relying on a Windows user for info about Macs, talk to a knowledgeable dual platform user such as myself. You'd find the stuff you hear (they are slow, over priced, Apple is dying, etc.) is just not true.

I'm not complaining!
This is my first apple product, and I'm not complaining about it, either. Unfortunately I bought mine a couple months before they came out with the same ibooks at the same price but with a G4!!!! AHHH! Oh well. Let me tell you that this ibook is very portable. It is only about five pounds, but it is surprisingly light. I use it as my main computer, and I've had it for a little more than a year now. It's sleek and beautiful. It has internet access. It has itunes, which is really awesome. You can put your cds in and then copy them to your computer. Although, I have connected a speaker to my computer because the speaker provided on the laptop is not that powerful, but it sounds great with the speaker attached. icalendar is great and easy to use. The mail service is awesome (I suggest you get .mac when you get any apple computer because it comes with an email system and a web site and all). It is a fast computer- it doesn't take a long time for programs to load like some other computers and it is really much cheaper than other laptops. I highly recommend it! One thing is that you have to buy a virtual PC program and Windows XP if you want to run windows applications. A+++!!!

The Perfect Notebook
For the past two years, I have been in the market for a notebook to use for digital music, word processing, WWW and email access, the works. Over that period, I looked at models from different companies. In October last year, I decided to get the iBook Early 2003 14 inch 900 MHZ G3 model. I decided on Apple for two reasons. One is Mac OS X (10.2 Jaguar). In my opinion, Mac OS X is the best OS I have used. I decided on Apple because I was fed up with lousy security on PC's.

This iBook comes with a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive. This is the best feature of the system. Compared to other burners I have used, the burner in the iBook has a write rate of 5x, which is very good. DVD playback is good, if not better, than my family's set top player. Another gold feature are the iApps. I use iTunes to manage music, iCal to keep my calendar in check, and iSync to make my PDA talk to the iBook. These apps are better than the PC apps I used before.

I use a PalmOne m130 handheld for various tasks and Creative's Nomad II to play MP3's. The iBook requires no drivers, which on PC is a pain. Connecting to the internet is easy with the iBook than most PCs. for email and web you get Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Apple's Mail (which is a part of OS X). This iBook also has Mac OS 9 bootable. I have never liked Mac Classic, so I don't boot into it often. If there's one thing that annoys me about the ibook, it's the sound. Let me put it this way: you will need headphones for quality sound.

Compared to other PC notebooks, the iBook costs more by about 2%. With all you will get, I think this not a problem.

For those who need the perfect notebook, the iBook is the way to go!

I love this thing!
I got my 14" ibook around March of this year, and I love it! It has only froze once in the time I have had it, and that was at the beginning and it was my fauly. This is the first macintosh product that I have ever owned, and I am very impressed with it. It's my baby! Ahem. I haven't gone as far to name it, though. It is very fast, especially the internet. AppleWorks is fantastic. iPhoto is amazingly easy to easy. You just plug in the camera- no need for installations or anything- and iphoto pops up for you to import the photos! iDVD is also awesome- you can watch DVDs on your computer, and they are crystal clear! The resolution is even clearer than on tv! It is very much portable, too. They say it's five pounds, but it doesn't feel that heavy. It feels really light.

If you want a really awesome computer that works all the time without giving you any error messages, get the ibook! It is an awesome, powerful machine! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Weighing in at a respectable 4.9 pounds and featuring a 900 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, a 40 GB hard drive, and 128 MB of RAM (expandable to 640 MB)--plus AirPort wireless networking and FireWire, USB, and Ethernet ports--the iBook connects to hundreds of peripherals designed to fit your life.

This system features a brilliant 12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display and razor-sharp 1,024 x 768 resolution. It's the perfect place for doing everything from working on spreadsheets to displaying your movies and digital pictures in millions of colors. (Incidentally, the iBook display scales down beautifully, again with millions of colors, for special games and applications optimized for 800 x 600 or 640 x 480 resolutions.)

Included is a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive for playing games and music CDs, and watching your favorite movies, and copying data to CD-R and CD-RW discs. The 900 MHz iBook ships with a 40 GB hard drive that provides exceptional storage space. In addition, this system comes with the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics accelerator with 32 MB of DDR SDRAM and AGP 2x support for gorgeous 3-D graphics.

The iBook also comes loaded with Mac OS X, iMovie, iTunes, AppleWorks, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Netscape Communicator, Adobe Acrobat Reader, FAXstf, AOL Instant Messenger (preview), WORLD BOOK Max OS X Edition, Quicken 2003, Sound Studio, and Otto Matic game software. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

I will own macs for life!
As a previous ibm owner, i got so tired of the thing crashing on me i decided to go with a Mac. It was the best thing I have ever done! I had read a lot of reviews online and with them being mixed had second thoughts about buying an ibook. But when it arrived, I took it out of the box and had it up and running in no time. Going from windows to the apple system wasn't that bad, and my computer has never once crashed on me. I have owned it for a year now and couldn't be happier! I still have a lot to learn about the ins and outs of the system, and need to figure out my new printer, but not having to go through all of the crap that windows puts you through was well worth the extra learning! The great thing is that documents I save can be switched to load onto an IBM. I am getting an airport card soon, and look forward to wireless connectivity. All of the programs are easy to navigate, and the display is amazing. I am very, very happy with my ibook, and one other thing is that it looks great!

The Best Money Spent
When investing in a laptop/notebook, it is always difficult to draw a line as to how much to spend. Do you spend a couple of hundred more to get that dvd burner or do you settle with just the cd-rom?
The Apple iBook with DVD-rom/CD-RW combo drive is the best value for money I have experianced. I'm a student and believe me, this was no small investment for myself, however I am extremely glad with the results.

The programs run smoothly and beautifully. While opening 3 or 4 programmes at once is never a good idea on any laptop, the iBook can work its way through with little trouble. I have it just under a year now and it is going wonderfully. All the software on it is excellent and easy to use. There has been no trouble for me in terms of transfering from PC to Mac. The constant updates Apple makes available mean that my software can be kept consantly up to date.
The DVD playback is spectacular for a notebook. The detail is so crisp, its just as good as any tv. You can also see the screen clearly from a much wider angle than most notebooks.
The sound leaves you a bit wanting, but its still pretty good for a notebook.
The battery life is fantastic. Everyone keeps saying they cant rely on their battery life where as my iBook can power on for up to 5 hours if im just working on the net.
The biggest warning I have for buyers is that the networking between my iBook and my universities PC based network has basically been a dead goose. It just doesn't want to register.
It is just such a fun, jam-packed, beautifully presented piece of technology. I cannot imagine ever going back to PC.

Great product! Very happy with it, minor issues.
I'm very happy with my iBook. I've had this guy for a few months now, and love him to death. I've named him Findlay, which means "Blonde haired solider". This guy has been a strong and faithful warrior for me. (I figure the white case is close enough to blonde. :)) I rarely have to re-boot, and haven't had any issues with the software.

I'm a student and carry him with me all over. The previous computer I used (shared with siblings) was the 14 inch model. I like the compactness of this one, because of how much time I spend lugging him around.

I chose this model because of it's price and size. 20-20 hindsight, I might have bought the next newer model. I spent another $100 on more RAM, because it was painfully slow. Now it's nice and speedy, but I don't like the fact that I don't have another slot, for future upgrade.

The only other issue that I have is that they claim it is "Airport Ready." This does *NOT* mean that it has an airport card, and is ready to go. It means it is "Airport *CARD* Ready." The airport card costs about $100.
So, if you're going to want the extra RAM, and the airport card, count on your final price being about $200 more than is listed.
If I'd thought about those costs, I might have choosen a different model to begin with.

Besides those little issues with the extras, I love my computer! I'll be off to college next year, and expect him to service me through at least 4 years, as long as I can put up with the shame of having a 4 year old computer. :)

Great Product from Apple!!!
I bought my ibook around xmas and i was very impressed! The graphics are increible!!! This a fast computer especially when I added 512 mb of ram. If you arent computer literate (which seems like the people who didnt write a good review for the product) then apples arent for you. If you are not very good at computers and have trouble on them then go with a PC. I am very satisfied with it and I actually started on a PC and made the SWITCH. I will never go back to a PC. Apples are absolutely awesome computers with sweet applications. Itunes, ilife '04, and safari are great. It seems like they made this computer just for me and if you bought this, youd feel the same way!

Huzzah for Apple and Steave Jobs!
i bought this computer when it first came out (may 2003) along with an iPod and a few other stuff. This beautiful machine has served me very faithfully, better than my 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 machine. I read the other reviews and i salute the mac supporters, but the others have to learn that they are computers, and they sometimes dont run very well. but macs have a RISC processor setup, like the AMD machines (switch i have also switched to) and OS X runs on the UNIX system, which is the most stable system in the world. I have used macs from the first OS that came out, i was impressed with each one, i have also used windows from DOS, which bill gates stole from IBM, DOS was originnaly designed for Apple, i know DOS like the back of my hand, and i hate it, its worthless compared to UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and OS X! If you buy any mac computer, you will agree with me, they kick @$$ either if its a dual 2.0GHz G5, or this litte iBook, you will be amazed!

Also, for those hackers out there... Macs are a wonderful hacker computer, i am a hacker, and when ever i attack something, my computer shows as a Windows NT 4 machine! Ha! Also, there is a wonderful hacking program for the mac, its called Cyanide. D/L it, its free and rocks. Oh yeh and for the other people interested in macs, macs are very hard to hack, and there are very few macintosh viruses out there, and most of them are corrected with Norton!

wOOT mACs!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Available in three configurations, Apple’s new iBook G4 series of notebooks targets a more cost-conscious market than its flagship portable computer, the stunning PowerBook. This model, the iBook G4 14-inch M9165LL/A, is the top of the current iBook line. Though it doesn’t feature upscale PowerBook amenities such as a DVD burner or widescreen display, it is powerful, compact, and impressively battery efficient. And, like all Apple notebooks, it’s very well connected.

Featuring a nimble power section consisting of a 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor, 256 MB RAM (expandable to 640 MB) and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory, the system packs enough raw muscle for most typical mobile computing tasks including some 3-D applications such as midlevel games, graphic design and drawing packages.

At just 12.7 by 10.2 by 1.35 inches and 5.9 pounds, the iBook G4 14-inch M9165LL/A is a pound heavier and a few square inches larger than its close cousin, the entry-level iBook G4 12-inch M9164LL/A. Nevertheless, it’s smaller and more portable than many competing notebooks. Furthermore, this unit features a larger viewing screen than the 12-inch model, a 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display capable of 1024x768 resolution. It also features a substantially larger hard disk than any of the new iBooks, a 60 GB drive that’s spacious enough for a typical roster of applications and a small library of multimedia and music files. Furthermore, Apple has added a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive files and play the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

Connectivity options include an integrated 56K modem for dial-up communications, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for LAN and high-speed Internet and email, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for external high-tech toys such as scanners, digital cameras and digital camcorders. Users can also purchase an Apple AirPort Extreme Card for wireless communication and an internal Bluetooth module to interact with future cordless Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and PDAs.

Bundled software includes Apple’s newest operating system, Mac OS X v.10.3 Panther, and a broad range of highly useable multimedia utilities. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at a stunning six hours. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mac is tops, as usual
I've been using PCs and Macs since the "early days" (we all know what that means). I'm still buying PCs (Intel/AMD/etc and Windows based) and Macintosh. I bought my latest PC about a year and a half ago with XP on it. Not a bad OS, but still windows if you get my drift. My last Mac was a Lime 233 iMac and a Tangerine 300 iBook with Airport. I've used OS9 and OS X on both of the older Macs and while it's neat, it's just too slow. So this time around I decided I'd pick up a new notebook. Shopped around for some sort of windows based one. Then started reading about the iBook G4. Checked them out locally and was sold on the 12" iBook G4. It's a beautiful, tiny machine. There in lies my problem. Even thought the 12" is 1024x768 (i.e. same info on the screen as the 14.1"), the stuff on the display was just too small for me to read comfortably because of the age of my eyeballs. The 14.1" on the other hand was perfect. Machine is pretty light, display is very bright and overall it's easy and comfortable to use. OSX 3 Panther is included with the machine and let me tell you it rocks. They're really getting OSX slicked out. Networking with PCs and other Macs is a matter of turning on file sharing in System Preferences. The hardware is fast, very fast. The computer comes with most everything the average person would need. The suite of 'iApps' and AppleWorks. If you need MS Office, it's available for the Mac (and the Mac version of Office is actually better than the PC version). And to top it all Amazon was the cheapest place I could find on the net or locally to pick up the 1Gig 14.1" iBook! (...). I'm in heaven. Good machine, good OS, great price. Get one, you won't regret it.

Apple is going to be BIG!
I've been using and defending PCs for a long, long time! Ever since I got in front of a computer (about 20 years ago), all I've worked with were PCs. And I stubbornly kept defending PCs and disregarding Macs as thought they were inferior. As of late, however, I've been using UNIX quite a bit and knowing the strengths of all *IX OS's I knew I wanted a *IX compatible laptop. Well, alas! Apple came with Panther and I was sold! I bought this laptop through my university's Apple store and got it "souped-up" and I tell you with confidence that this is the *best* laptop I've ever owned! The weight is lower than most competitors' comparable laptops. The power of Panther is outstanding. I feel confident recommending this laptop to anyone without any reservations. Apple is giving consumers, for the first time, a TRUE alternative to MS Windows' hegemony. Some of you who have been around computers might read the title of this post and giggle for that is what people were saying back in the mid-80s and never became a reality (at least not for the consumer as evidenced by the market share apple holds). But I think with this laptop and Panther Apple has made a believer out of me. Very solid, good-lloking, powerful laptop.

Great computer...until it broke
I bought my iBook and for three days was happy as a clam. On the third day my hard drive completely failed. This was confirmed by the support team at the game development company where I work. The iBook was sent to a service center where they tried to charge me 50 dollars to look at it. I refused and the iBook sat unlooked at for three more days until finally under pressure from both me and the support team, the performed the five minute hard drive diagnosis and pronouced it dead. Then the ordered a new hard disk and told me it would be a week until it arrived. So far my iBook experience has been

1)defective product
2)attempt to charge for repair of product
3)late diagnosis
4)late repair

If you're thinking about getting a mac, get a powerbook. They're 2cnd generation and won't have nearly as many quality issues as the iBooks. Apple always tries to fix computers, never replace them. Dig around and you'll find a lot of people with iBooks and failed hard disks on forums. If I had a chance to do it again, I wouldn't have bought this computer. I'd have got the 12 inch powerbook instead

A great laptop for the road warrior
Although Apple markets this laptop as though it's an entry level laptop for casual users, I can tell you that from my experience it's plenty powerful enough for the road warrior as well. Unless you have money to burn or some very good reason to go for the Powerbook, I suggest you save $1,000 and buy the iBook. The only downside to ordering from Amazon is that you can't get one with the internal Bluetooth module. This was an issue for me because I have a Bluetooth enabled phone and mouse, so I ordered direct from Apple.

The 1 GHz processor and maximum RAM provide lightening fast boot-up and application loading. Add the Airport Extreme card and you can surf the web from hotspots all over the country.

APPLE IBOOK G4
SIMPLER TO USE THAN WINDOWS. LESS TIME TO BOOT. NO VIRUSES BECAUSE IT IS A MAC. EXCELLENT SECURITY FOR DSL AND CABLE CONNECTIONS. FULLY COMPATIABLE WITH MY COMPANY'S WINDOWS NT ENVIRONMENT. SUPERB GRAPHICS. ADD WINDOWS FOR OFFICE AND YOU GET WORD, EXCEL, AND POWERPOINT SO YOU CAN SEND DOCS OUT TO THOSE ON WINDOWS. QUITE SIMPLY A BETTER PRODUCT THAN ANY NOTEBOOK ON THE MARKET AT ITS PRICE WHETHER YOU TAKE THE 12 INCH OR 14 INCH MODEL. AIRPORT EXTREME OPERATES THROUGH MY HOUSE CREATING A WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT FOR MULTI-USERS. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

If you’ve considered Apple’s amazing new PowerBook G4 series of portable computers but can’t quite justify the expense, you may want to check out PowerBook’s less expensive, slightly less capable sibling, the iBook G4. Available in three flavors, the iBook G4 doesn’t sport PowerBook amenities such as DVD burning and massive widescreen displays, yet all three models feature superb connectivity, subcompact dimensions, and impressive battery life. This particular unit, the 14-inch M9388LL/A, is the midlevel iBook and one of the best bang for the buck notebooks in the entire Apple roster.

Featuring a spry power section consisting of a 933 MHz PowerPC G4 processor and 256 MB RAM (expandable to 640 MB), the system packs enough raw muscle for most typical mobile computing tasks. However, the real surprise comes in its 3D rendering capabilities. Unlike many comparably equipped notebooks, the iBook G4 14-inch M9388LL/A features an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory. Thusly, it will efficiently handle many demanding 3D drawing and gaming applications too.

At just 12.7 by 10.2 by 1.35 inches and 5.9 pounds, the iBook G4 14-inch M9388LL/A is a pound heavier and a few square inches larger than its close cousin, the entry-level iBook G4 12-inch M9164LL/A. Nevertheless, it is smaller and more portable than many competing notebooks. Furthermore, this unit features a larger viewing screen than the 12-inch model, a 14.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display capable of 1024x768 resolution. For data handling, Apple has included a midsize 40 GB hard disk and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive files and play the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

Connectivity options include an integrated 56K modem for dial-up communications, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for LAN and high-speed Internet and email, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for external high-tech toys such as scanners, digital cameras and digital camcorders. Users can also purchase an Apple AirPort Extreme Card for wireless communication and an internal Bluetooth module to interact with future cordless Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and PDAs.

Bundled software includes Apple’s newest operating system, Mac OS X v.10.3 Panther, and a broad range of highly useable multimedia utilities. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at a stunning six hours. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Daziling Laptop
The iBook G4 is a great laptop! It runs like a charm. And is extreamly fast compared to the older iBooks. I can have several applications open and it works great! Such as I can have Safari, AIM, iTunes, and more open and play a game and it runs perfectly. In fact it would seem it is just as fast as some of the iMacs. It has very clear sound for iTunes or games or anything. Speaking of games: Because it has a very strong processor (G4 933 MHz) games run like heaven on it. Currebntly I have Call of Duty on it, a rather strong game, and it delvers the perfect experiance Mac gamers want. The iBook G4 aslo comes with for no charge at all Tony Hawk's Proskater 4 and Deimos Rising. Back to applications: Th iBook G4 has great applicatons such as iTunes, Safari, Internet Explorer, iChat, AppleWorks 6, iCal, iPhoto, iMovie,and more! This computer also has very long battery life. Around 4 or 5 hours! As for design, wonderful. It has a great screen, and great keyboard (in fact one of the best laptop keyboards I have used). And I like it's color. It's just a simple good looking white. There you have it, the great and almighty iBook G4. Trust me, worth it's money.

Great Laptop!
The iBook G4 is a GREAT laptop, perfect for-- just about everything. I only didn't like some things in it, like it only having an Apple MINI DVI video out, no PCI slot and it does not have the extensive amount of software that you can use with windows.

PROS:
Just 5.9 pounds for a 14.1" laptop
GREAT design
2 usb 2.0, firewire
802.11g (optional airport extreme card)
UP TO 6 HOURS of battery life! That's amazing
Combo drive CD-RW & DVD-ROM
40 GB, Speedy processor (933 MHZ) & LOTS more!

CONS:
does NOT come with bluetooth & airport card (sold optional)
no PCI slot :(
speakers are small, and are not that loud
i can't find another bad thing about it!!

Great value.
At nearly the 1 GHz speed and with identical specs, this is a great value. Also, while not mentioned here, this does include all the latest software included with more recent, faster models, including iLife (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, GarageBand), AppleWorks, Mac OS X Panther, Quicken 2004 for Mac, World Book 2004 Edition, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, and Deimos Rising. The hardware is identical to more recent, faster models as well. Aside from these notes, I can say I'm very impressed with the Mac experience, as this is my first Mac. The quality of the design of the hardware and software is unending and flawless. This is a great, lightweight (7.9 lbs) laptop for using to create documents or surf wirelessly. I highly recommend adding the Airport Extreme card, not included.

Great Computer
I use this as a travel computer for work. All work PC's are dell machines. Word documents, Excel documents, and power point presentations can all move back and forth between the mac and the dell without problems. Obviously email and websurfing are interchangeable, too. This is my favorite computer. Small, light, large screen, holds personal photos and music, and almost never crashes. Compared to our Dells, this computer is a rock-solid saint.
Battery lasts a long time, plays DVD's, burns CD's that can be read by PC's.
Reasonable price, great value.

Bad reliability and tech supports
I have bought an Apple 933 MHz G4 iBook for my wife. It worked beautifully in the first few days. Then it would not start up at all. My wife called Apple tech supports. After few questions, the lady realized my wife was not quite knowledgeable in the iBook and required some hand holding to debug the problem. She hanged up on her. I would never expect Apple support people would do that at all!

The 2nd tech support was much more helpful. After running some tests, he decided the hard disk was not working and asked my wife to bring it to a nearby Best Buy for repairing. Best Buy asked us to pay for the shipping fee. We then called the tech support again. We were asked to bring it to a nearby Apple store so we don't need to pay for the shipping fee due to it's within 90 days of the purchase.

It looks like the tech supports were more interested in whether we wanted to buy their Apple Care than fixing our problem. I always have very high opinions on Apple products until now.

Later on I found out Apple.com has lots of informaiton regarding iBook problems and how to fix them. I was able to fix the start up problem after I have tried several instructions at Apple.com. But the computer failed again with the same problem the very next day! This time I could not get it work per Apple.com's instructions.

I would suggest people check the Apple web site for all known problems before they buy any Apple product.

I also found out that Amazon's supports were very responsive throughout this event. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Those who’ve considered Apple’s amazing new PowerBook G4 series of portable computers but can’t quite justify the expense would do well to explore its less expensive, slightly less capable sibling, the iBook G4. Available in three flavors, the iBook G4 doesn’t sport PowerBook amenities such as DVD burning and massive widescreen displays, yet all three models feature superb connectivity, subcompact dimensions, and impressive battery life. This particular unit, the entry-level iBook G4 12-inch M9164LL/A, is the most affordable mobile computer in the entire Apple roster.

Featuring a spry power section consisting of an 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor and 256 MB RAM (expandable to 640 MB), the system packs enough raw muscle for most typical mobile computing tasks. However, the real surprise comes in its 3-D rendering capabilities. Unlike many comparably equipped notebooks, the iBook G4 12-inch features an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video chipset with 32 MB of dedicated DDR SDRAM memory. Thusly, it will efficiently handle demanding applications such as 3-D drawing and even some 3-D gaming.

At just 11.2 by 9.1 by 1.3 inches and a scant 4.9 pounds, the iBook G4 12-inch is downright tiny. Yet when you flip the lid you’ll find such desirable perks as a full-size 77-key keyboard with 12 function keys and four arrow keys, a trackpad with double-tap and drag capabilities, a smallish but crystal clear 12.1-inch display capable of 1024x768 resolution, and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive through which you can burn audio CDs, archive files and play the latest Hollywood blockbusters. For storing your files, Apple has installed a serviceable 30 GB hard disk -- enough space for general use but too little for serious multimedia archiving.

Connectivity options include an integrated 56K modem for dial-up communications, a 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port for LAN and high-speed Internet and email, and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 400 port for external high-tech toys such as scanners, digital cameras and digital camcorders. Users can also purchase an Apple AirPort Extreme Card for wireless communication and an internal Bluetooth module to interact with future cordless Bluetooth devices such as cell phones and PDAs.

Bundled software includes Apple’s newest operating system, Mac OS X v.10.3 Panther, and a broad range of highly useable multimedia utilities. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at a stunning six hours. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Most value packed Apple
Let us raise the glass: long live the G3 processor, for it is dead. Apple's iBook was the last holdout to G4 processor. It is G3 no more.

Despite some rumors, iBook's G4 processor is a true G4 processor with Altivec fully on-board. While it runs slower (800 MHz vs. 1 GHz) and features smaller L2 cache (256 KB vs. 512 KB) than 12" PowerBook, it comes remarkable close in most performance parameters. They share the same 133 MHz front-side bus and PC2100 (266 MHz) DDR SDRAM.

Even their feature sets come remarkably close. Both sport sharp 12.1" 1024-by-768 LCD, 256 MB memory and 32 MB graphics memory, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, and 100/10 fast Ethernet. Both lack the PC Card (PCMCIA) slot but can accommodate AirPort Extreme wireless network.

Other than faster G4 processor, just about the only reasons to consider 12" PowerBook are:
- Larger memory capacity on the PowerBook (1.25 GB vs. 640 MB)
- Larger hard disk (40 GB vs. 30 GB)
- PowerBook can drive an external display (dual display) up to 2048-by-1536 via DVI port; iBook can only mirror up to 1024-by-768 via VGA port
- SuperDrive (DVD burner) is optional on PowerBook; it is not available on iBook
- Bluetooth is standard on PowerBook; it is optional (built-to-order) on iBook
- Marginally faster GeForce FX 5200 graphics card on PowerBook (vs. Radeon 9200 on iBook)
- PowerBook is slightly lighter (4.6 lbs vs. 4.9 lbs) and slightly smaller (10.9-by-8.6-by-1.18 inches vs. 11.2-by-9.1-by-1.35 inches)
- You like the PowerBook's anodized aluminum allow chassis better

There are sufficient reasons to get the iBook instead:
- Costs almost 50% less
- It is not dramatically slower
- Longer battery life (up to 6 hours vs. 5 hours)
- Polycarbonate plastic chassis is more scratch proof and offer better wireless network (AirPort Extreme) reception

How is the iBook in itself? For a little over a grand, you get a beautifully designed notebook (similar to iPod) packed with features: combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, optional 802.11g AirPort Extreme wireless network, beautiful LCD, sensible keyboard layout, snappy performance under included Mac OS X Panther 10.3 -- all in very portable form factor. This little book represents a serious bang for the buck.

Pros:
- Very high bang for the buck: good performance and high in features
- Looks beautiful
- Includes almost everything an average computer user needs
- Very portable and durable
- Fantastic wireless reception

Cons:
- Cannot drive external display higher than 1024-by-768 resolution
- To get built-in Bluetooth, you must order from Apple (built-to-order option) -- unlike the AirPort Extreme, you cannot add it later on
- Standard 256 MB memory is based on two 128 MB RAM modules. To add more memory later on, you will need to toss out one of the memory modules (the other memory module is soldered onto the motherboard)

Great Notebook
I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5, because 800MHz is acceptable to most users, but 1GHz would have been nice. The 800MHz G4 is still much faster than last year's 900MHz G3 model, and Panther is slightly faster. I have a 733MHz G4 tower, so this is a slight speed increase for me.

I am so glad I got the 12" screen over the 14". Everyone I asked recommended the 12" over the 14". It's easier to carry, lighter, easy to sit on your lap with, and you don't feel the need to buy a huge case to carry it around in. Both the 12" and 14" have 1024x768 displays, the 12" is just denser, about 96 dpi, about the same resolution as my 23" Apple LCD. Text is sharp and clear and very readable. Both models have the same sized keyboards. No burned out pixels on either LCD!

Wireless networking to my G4 tower was easy to setup, and very fast.

The built in DVD player is also fun, although headphones or external speakers make the experience much more enjoyable - most laptops suffer from small speakers.

Recommended Options: Get the 512M RAM upgrade card (about $125) which maxes the iBook out at 640Megs, and the Airport Extreme card ($99). Wireless internet is happening all over, in many hotels and restaurants. If you travel, consider adding some good Ear Buds if you use it to watch movies on or listen to music.

This is my 5th Apple laptop, dating back to 1992, and by far the best one to date.

Old and slow
Look I love Macs but an 800MHz G4? It's just too slow to run modern software. The basic design of this CPU is almost 10 years old!! Most upper-end new software isn't rated to run on it.

Keep looking and accept nothing less than a fast G5.

Mac OSX is nice, but the hardware is years out of date
I had this notebook for a few months, having switched from the PC to the Mac platform. OSX is a contender... it has grown quite a bit over the past few years to be a true alternative to Windows. If you are the type who only needs a few core applications (as 90% of computer users are), you might seriously consider the Mac platform.

However, Apple needs to get their hardware out of the stone-age. The iBook is a toy, and a 800mhz processor *is indeed* slow. Mac Zealots will tell you otherwise, that the G4 platform is more efficient than x86, etc. This may have been true five years ago, when the G4 was first introduced and comparable to the then-current Pentium IV. But x86 has come a long way since then (Athlon64 anyone?), and the G4 is very, very slow in comparison. Think of the specs... 133mhz bus. 0.8GHZ processor, 256mb RAM, 30GB HD. The LCD is only capable of 1024x768, and is extremely dim and slow.

I could reccomend this notebook to students who need something simple to get their work done, home users that surf the internet wirelessly throughout the house... or a second computer in homes already with a powerful desktop (like a G5...!) who would like roaming wireless capabilities. This isn't a primary machine for a moderate user who demands even a little power for applications.

Pros: Looks nice, feels good, fun to use and look at. Runs OSX, which is great.

Cons: Wimpy little toy under the hood. Don't expect much. The Powerbooks are a better choice for power-users, but Apple needs to bring the G5 to their laptop line soon.

Good machine
I've got friends with this (I personally have a 15" PowerBook) machine, and it's great. With OS X I recommend at least 512mb of ram, but for the casual user, 256 would work.

And a side note...multiple users posted reviews about how old and outdated an 800mhz processor is; one thing these people don't know is that it's not x86. Anything non-x86 (POWER, PowerPC, SPARC, MIPS, Alpha, etc) is much better than anything x86. One number I've heard is that in the days of 100mhz, anything non-x86 was 2 to 2.5 times the speed (100mhz Alpha = 200, 250mhz x86). ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Laptop For Portable Work
Having been a Macintosh user for 12 years, I found it difficult to abandon Apple as I was purchasing a computer for college. This gem was by far a good buy. For its price, the iBook is powerful enough to do all standard work on the go - wordprocessing, e-mailing, browsing the internet, listening to music, and really any non-gaming task. The built-in 128 megs of RAM was not enough memory, so I upgraded the RAM to 384 Megs (OS X is RAM-hungry).

My experiences on-the-go have all been really good. The sleek, light design of the iBook makes it easy to take with me while travelling. Its battery life is very good - especially running OS 9. Speaking of which, OS 9 runs awesome on it! If it wasn't for the fact that OS X is much more stable, I would definitely be using 9.

The gaming power is all that limits the iBook. Partially this is because the processor isn't high end. Also, the 16 meg ATI Radeon Mobility video card leaves a bit to be desired. However,the new editions of the iBook have 16 and 32 meg ATI Radeon 8500 Mobility cards which probably help speed up gaming.

All in all, the iBook is a great value for a laptop. With the new lower prices, they are an even better value for somewhat powerful, portable computing.

i love the ibook
the ibook is perfect for me i am a student and wanted a cheap portable small and light computer, it has all the software i need, my first upgrade will be 512mb more of ram. but i can use it just fine. it is well built much much better than my old compaq and the battery life is excellent. poeple might say the 12 in display is small but if you had a bigger screen it makes it heavier, and larger i wanted the 12in because of the size and you do not ahve to squint all the time. the best thing about this laptop is that it was mad e by the same company that makes the os so it works in perfect harmony. 600 mhz is mine but big deal ot runs faster than my girlfriends p3 hp. so get the ibook the end

Wireless multimedia tool
Let's be clear up front: You need to add memory, an air port card and some cables to make this computer work to its best. We added Jaguar and the latest version of Office. Given that, we love this machine. It is an integral part of our wireless home network; it was easy to set up and to add to the network. The extra memory was easy to install and goosed the performance. The DVD player works fine and drives a large screen projector with the right cable; it is a good tool for the classroom.

The screen is sharp enough for good movie viewing. Speed is fine. memory is expandable. You can burn CDs. The unit is pretty rugged, and not too heavy. A child can manage to start it, load and install software, and operate it easily. It comes in handy, surfing the net or reading e-mail while riding an exercise bike. Portable, powerful and user friendly.

I can't believe Apple still sells this
This was a great laptop... three years ago. If you buy this now in a year you won't be able to use any new software on it (you can already rule out buying any high end software now). If you buy anything less than a 800 MHz G4 you are wasting your money.

Meet Max!
Not long after Max (my iBook) arrived Ruin13's fiancée walked up to me and said "I hear you got a new iBook."

I replied. "Yes! He's cute!"

I believe this just confirmed his opinion of me as a slightly off center weirdo. Eh. Truth hurts more if you don't just accept it from the get go.

Max is cute. He's all white and the little apple on his cover lights up when I have him on. Total strangers have cooed over him as if he were a particularly adorable baby and some of my friends are plotting getting one of their own.

~So what's so great about Max?~
First of all, he's a Mac. This translated into common tongue means that Max is super easy to run. Turn him on and he goes. Just like magic. I'm a junkie now. Sit me down in front of a PC and I'm apt to spent a lot of time cursing it when I can't quit an application with a simple keystroke or navigate Excel with one finger.

Then there's all the cool stuff Max came pre-loaded with. There's the usual stuff, mail, Internet Explorer, Appleworks (a lesser word processing program with greater art capabilities than Word), Sherlock (which is a shortcut file finder), and Quicktime. Do PCs come with that stuff or do they figure they have you over a barrel after you spent less on the machine so they make you pay, what, [price] for Word? Thank you, sir, may I have another?

Max also came with (for free and nothing) iTunes, iMovie, and iPhoto. ITunes is probably the easiest MP3 dealie on the market. It took me about 20 minutes to master it because I assumed it was more difficult than it was. I haven't played with iMovie yet and I haven't even loaded iPhoto because I'm still too enchanted with iTunes to be bothered. I have absolute faith that once I start playing with those applications I will be entertained for months after a short introductory learning session. ....

Max is packed with memory and charges up really fast. I'd tell you how much memory, but those numbers didn't mean enough to me to stick in my mind. It's probably enough for me to edit a 2 hour movie without having to delete my game. I did, however, run him down to nothing on his battery shortly after arrival and it took between 90 minutes and 2 hours to charge up.

And there's one stupid Mac trick that makes me smile every time. When you click on a file to open it, it bounces while it's opening. Yes, it's stupid, but it never fails to bring a goofy grin to my face to see the iTunes icon bouncing up and down. And if you want to pretend don't have the most fun as well as the best machine going, there's a downlaod you can get to make it stop. You can also set the icons on the genius bar to magnify when you pass the cursor over them which is also a lot of fun, but gets in my way.

~The upgrades~
I didn't order the stripped down iBook. Oh no, I needed, required, could not live without DVD playing capabilities. And I'm actually impressed. I was afraid it would look like a big screen projection TV. It doesn't. The picture gets faded or darkened depending on how far off center you are, but the screen is only 9.75 inches wide, how far away did you think you were going to get? Three people could sit abreast and watch a movie without trouble.

I also got (but don't tell my husband, it's a surprise for his birthday) a CD burner. Yes, inside Max's guts hides a CD burner. ITunes being the super simple process that it is, all you have to do to burn CDs is click a button. No, I'm serious. There's a button on the screen that says Burn CD. Click it and wait a few minutes. I think it took 20 minutes or half an hour when I tried it.

~What's not great about Max?~
Not much, but there are a few things. The speakers aren't so great, but I didn't expect much from a speaker the size of my thumb. The help section is nearly impossible for me to navigate. It sort of works like Ask Jeeves. You type in a question and it provides you with likely topics for your answer. I labor with the handicap of an English major so I know how to research and this kind of help just isn't helpful for me. I'm also not crazy about the mouse pad thing. I'd be happier if they just took that out and put in hole for a removable mouse. Steve, if you're paying attention, that's the only thing I really want.

The only thing that truly bugs me is the color. (I'm such a girl that way.) I actually liked the colored clamshells. I'm sure Yoko Ono approves of the all white design, but I'm just worried about getting it smudged. I haven't taken the plastic cover off the battery thing because I want to keep it from getting banged up. So I guess there's another thing I really, really want. Color. Can you see Max with a nice sapphire blue case? He'd be really cute then.

I recommend Macs to everyone except game junkies. There isn't much in the way of games and what there is comes out months after the PC version. I, however, find that to be a boon. If Max and the Blue Meanie could play lots and lots of wonderful games I would be forever playing games and never writing. The world would be poorer by 2 romance novels in the last 6 months alone. (Stop laughing, it is too a loss.)

Get an iBook and discover how accessible computers can be. I must be off. I'm either going to watch my DVD of Earthquake or I'm going to finish that CD I started to assemble the other day. Or maybe I should be writing. The world needs more quality romance novels. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cool Photo sytem!!
My cousin has one and he took a picture of my brother with his digital camera, he then downloaded it to his computer and made lighting come out of my brothers hands!! How cool is that? I am a great mac fan and I suggest this mac is the one for you and your family. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Now there's even more to love about Apple's iBook notebook. Weighing in at a respectable 4.9 pounds and featuring a 700 MHz PowerPC G3 processor, a 20 GB hard drive, and 128 MB of RAM--plus AirPort wireless networking and FireWire, USB, and Ethernet ports--the iBook connects to hundreds of peripherals designed to fit your life.

This system features a brilliant 12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display and razor-sharp 1,024 x 768 resolution. It's the perfect place for doing everything from working on spreadsheets to displaying your movies and digital pictures in millions of colors. (Incidentally, the iBook display scales down beautifully, again with millions of colors, for special games and applications optimized for 800 x 600 or 640 x 480 resolutions.)

Included is a CD-ROM drive for playing games and music CDs, and buyers have the option of upgrading to a DVD-ROM for enjoying DVD movies. The 700 MHz iBook ships with a 20 GB hard drive that provides exceptional storage space. In addition, this system comes with the ATI Mobility Radeon graphics accelerator with 16 MB of SDRAM and AGP 2x support for gorgeous 3-D graphics.

The iBook also comes loaded with iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, and iDVD application software, making it easier than ever before to manage your digital images, video, and music. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Actually portable portable.
The iBook is very portable. It is about the same size as a spiral-bound notebook. It's not much heavier at under 5 pounds. Some people may think that the 12.1" screen is too small, but for me it is just the right size for a laptop. If the screen got much bigger, it would no longer be truly portable. There is no squinting going on to see the display, Apple ships the highest quality displays of any PC manufacturer...I highly recommend this iBook. Especially if it's going to be your first Mac like mine was. I'd also recommend buying a 256MB or maybe even 512MB stick of Crucial® RAM to go with it -- installation is incredibly easy. Apple even has videos of how to do it on their support site.

Great Computer, excellent size, fantastic price.
This iBook is my first foray into the Mac world (making me a switcher I guess) and I must say, I am impressed and pleased. I got this laptop because it would be an easy and cheap way to check out mac products. I actually hook it up to a 19" monitor when I am home, or sometimes just sit in my lazyboy chair and work from there. Those who complain about the screen size seem to miss the point. It is small, light, and extremely portable. It would be small if this was your only computer, but for a laptop it is perfect. It isn't incredibly fast of course, but with a little bit more RAM it does everything I need it to (Word, Photos, E-mail & Web, etc). It is also, quite simply the most stable, beautiful, and fun computer I have ever owned. Mac osX is the operating system we have all known could and should be. It simply does not crash, and looks good in the process. The loaded software is also excellent. iTunes, iChat, iPhoto etc. are fun and solid. The battery life is great. I don't think this will be the last mac I ever buy. They are certainly more expensive, but the quality is superior and immediately apparent. Little touches make the difference. If you are looking for a very cheap entry into the macintosh promised land, this is the way to go.

can't imagine being without it
I bought this along with a separate 512 MB RAM chip (even some Apple employees will admit that Apple gouges you for RAM) and the 3 year AppleCare in August of 2002. I had been a longtime PC user, but after playing around with OS X, I absolutely fell in love. I was amazed with the ease of plugging in peripherals, like my digital camera and not having to install external software. Best of all, it's built from the BSD kernel, so it's amazingly stable! My only complaint is that I've had to send it back to Apple twice for hardware repairs, but both times, tech-support personnel were incredibly polite, and the unit was quickly back to me (less than a week down time).

12 inch screen is nice size
This is the ultimate portable size. The person who complained that the 12" screen is too small doesn't get the point. The whole computer, when folded, is exactly the same size as a small standard notebook. It fits well in places others won't, and the screen is very high quality (not like some of the [stuff] you see on other brands).

As to the ignorant complaint that the G3 chip is outdated, the G3 has been updated numerous times, not just in clock speed, since its introduction. It will most likely be dropped in favor of the G4 at the end of the year, but it is a great chip in its own right, and the speed is fine. Every computer uses a chip that will be dropped or changed by the end of the year, by the way.

You won't find a better value for a small, basic laptop computer.

Very light but not enough of what you need
It's easy to lug around but it is slow and the 12" screen seems way too small for regular use. I really didn't find the 12" model fun to use at all. I think 15" is the only way to go these days. ... Read more