Like to carry around a notebook that delivers exceptional power at an affordable price? Then pick up an iBook G4. With a fast PowerPC G4 processor running at speeds up to 1.33GHz -... more
This review already contains more than 120 words. As a Ciao member you could earn up to £5 with this review.
A review by TMC1320 on Apple iBook G4 - PPC G4 1 GHz - 12.1" TFT April 18th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Speed
Average
Look & Feel
Good
Comfort & Portability
Good
Robustness & Durability
Good
Value For Money
Good
Advantages:
Very portable and reliable, good basic spec with lots of upgrade possibilities .
Disadvantages:
Pretty poor after - care support, not the most sensible colour !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I purchased my iBook 12" at the end of 2004 on an end-of-line deal from Micro Anvika. I was very happy with my purchase but added an extra 512MB worth of memory and an Airport Extreme card which wasn't standard back then. My iBook came with Mac OSX Panther, the pre-runner to Tiger and came with the iMovie and iPhoto suite which unfortunately is not standard with the newer Tiger OS. Initial set-up is a breeze, even intalling extra memory and the Airport card, likewise with every piece of software I have since installed. My main uses are internetting and music composition with Reason and this iBook meets my current needs just fine. The iBook was given a fairly severe road-test in 2005 when I was away on an outdoor instructor course and was virtually homeless. I obviously kept it well away from the water activities but my adventures took the ibooks durability to the extreme when it was dropped accidentally from about 20 feet onto a concrete floor wrapped only in a neoprene second-skin and a Karrimor daysack, cushioned by a bit of clothing. After the fall, and I had forced back the tears, all seemed fine; soon it started taking a little too long to boot-up, then would occasionally freeze completely on start-up and during use. I eventually found that the firewire port wasn't working so, upon returning to London, took it back to Micro Anvika, literally 2 weeks within the 1 year basic warranty. (A tip to new Mac users, get an extended warranty!) Micro Anvika replaced the logic board entirely but when I got my Mac back found that the battery would take 6 days to charge up! I still haven't remedied this problem and my warranty is well-and-truly done, but it does mean that my Mac hasn't been on many adventures lately, probably a good thing! Just before Christmas 2006 my Mac died completely. Luckily I already had an external hard-drive which held all my important stuff. This time the hard-drive was the culprit, corrupted beyond repair. (I put this down to me constanly using the sleep mode rather than shutting the mac down. It probably meant the hard-drive had not stopped entirely before it was put in a bag and carted off.) Now I have a double sized hard-drive and OS Tiger, although I've heard that Tiger uses more processor power and therefore more battery life. My other gripe is that there is no iPhoto included, at least there wasn't on the version that Micro Anvika installed after the hard-drive replacement. I've also had to get a dashboard killer to enable some music programmes to run happily. I don't even use dashboard! I will eventually get round to buying a new battery to see if my theory that the new logic-board is not entirely compatible with the old battery is correct. That'll give me more time in the park! A solar charger would be cool.... I rarely pay for WiFi access and am building a list of nice parks in London where you can get free WiFi. Other than that, I love my Mac. I must have been quite bored to bother writing this, they don't make my iBook anymore and I doubt anyone will want to sell theirs on! Peace.
Advantages: Apple ease-of-use Disadvantages: Mediocre components compared with other companies
...biased in any way toward Apple machines.
I first bought an iBook when the 'white' models were introduced in June 2001, which at the time just ran MacOS 9. It was a good machine, and like most Apple products, still works now four years later. However, I wanted to upgrade to MacOS X Tiger, and believed that it would be better to buy a new machine than to max-out my existing kit with more memory etc.
I bought this replacement iBook laptop from a company ... ...just why I love the Apple brand. Even unwrapping the laptop from its packaging is 'fun' and an experience! No other computer I can think of takes as much care over every detail of the product such as Apple.
Setup was easy - Apple's Tiger Operating System has an excellent setup wizard interface, which also setup my email account and detected my home wireless network.
Software-wise, Apple's new Tiger Operating System is very fast, and I am particularly ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Fast, light and beautiful! Disadvantages: Inaccessibility of Apple accessories and software
...The iBookG4 is a great little machine. I bought mine 2 weeks ago and would highly recommend. At first I thought it would be a long and laborious process getting used to the differences between a pc and a Mac (having always used pc's and never Macs) but the software is a doddle to use and the Apple support website is incredibly thorough. The iBook is a beautifully designed laptop and the keyboard is a joy to use. My only slight niggle is the fact that any Apple accessories and software are not readily available in the shops. Unless you purchase over the internet or visit the one of only two Apple shops in the country (which are in London and Birmingham) you will be hard pushed to find a retail outlet selling a decent range of Apple products.
This said, I love my iBook and wouldn't change it for the world!...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Quick, Stylish & Fun Disadvantages: It uses up the battery even when switched off
...Although this is not up there with the great laptops, It is still a good laptop to have, It is fast, durable and reliable. Apple MACs tend to be new to the people in Britain, so the Apple operating system can be confusing at first, It has some similarities to Windows but on the whole it is alot different.
People say MACs are better for handling graphics, and this laptop seems to prove that case, I have played games on this laptop that even my Desktop PC has a tough time running, Apple MAC stores are hard to find in the UK and their customer care is not too good, I bought mine in America to save money, I also bought alot more software over there because its so much easier to come by.
One disadvantage is, that if you have the battery fully charged and have the laptop switched off for about a week, the battery will run flat, this laptop...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Light, easy to use, very pretty Disadvantages: safari and firefox web browsers
...Like the manufacturers of cars, Apple seem to have embraced the idea of making smaller prettier computers for the female market - or is that just my opinion? Well, I've never seen a man with one of these, and the women I know who own them are first and foremost concerned with the prettiness of this little gem of a laptop.
However, the iBookG4 is not all show and no substance. This is a perfect computer for the designer who hammers the life out of a computer and needs something fast and reliable. Though the battery, when fully charged, will only last around 4 hours.The operating system, OS X, is superior (and the forerunner to) to Windows, especially in that it doesn't try to do the work for you. It is also incredibly simple to use. Having used PC's all of my student and working life, I thought that the switch to the Apple would...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Built-in Devices: Stereo speakers, wireless LAN aerial
Width: 28.5 cm
Depth: 23 cm
Height: 3.4 cm
Weight: 2.2 kg
Localisation: English / United Kingdom
Processor
Processor: PowerPC G4 1 GHz
Data Bus Speed: 133 MHz
Cache memory
Type: L2 Cache
Installed Size: 512 KB
Ram
Installed Size: 256 MB / 1.25 GB (max)
Technology: DDR SDRAM - 266 MHz
Memory Specification Compliance: PC2100
Storage controller
Type: IDE
Storage
Hard Drive: 30 GB - 4200 rpm
Optical storage
Type: CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - integrated
Read Speed: 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)
Write Speed: 24x
CD / DVD Rewrite Speed: 16x
Display
Display Type: 12.1" TFT
Max Resolution: 1024 x 768 ( XGA )
Widescreen Display: No
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor: ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 AGP 4x
Video Memory: DDR SDRAM - 32 MB
Audio
Audio Output: Sound card
Audio Input: Microphone
Input device(s)
Type: Keyboard, trackpad
Telecom
Modem: Fax / Modem
Max Transfer Rate: 56 Kbps
Protocols & Specifications: ITU V.92
Manufacturer's product description
Like to carry around a notebook that delivers exceptional power at an affordable price? Then pick up an iBook G4. With a fast PowerPC G4 processor running at speeds up to 1.33GHz - optional DVD-burning SuperDrive, expanded memory capacity, advanced wireless networking capabilities, and the impressive stability provided by Mac OS X, iBook G4 brings truly impressive performance to everyday life.
Networking
Networking: Network adapter
Data Link Protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Features: AirPort Extreme ready
Expansion / connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free): 1 ( 1 ) x memory
Interfaces:
1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 6 PIN FireWire
2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type A
1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11
1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45
1 x headphones - output - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
1 x display / video - VGA
Miscellaneous
Cables Included: Display adapter
Compliant Standards: EPA Energy Star
Power
Power Device: External
Voltage Required: AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Battery
Technology: Lithium Ion
Installed Qty: 1
Capacity: 50 Wh
Run Time (Up To): 6 hour(s)
Operating system / software
OS Provided: Apple MacOS X 10.3
Software: Sound Studio, Microsoft Internet Explorer, AppleWorks, Apple QuickTime, Apple iTunes, Apple Hardware Test, Apple Mac OS X Mail, Apple Mac OS X Chess, Apple iPhoto, Apple iMovie, Deimos Rising, Apple iChat, Apple iCal, Apple iDVD, Apple DVD Player, Apple iLife, Apple iSync, Apple Address Book, Apple Safari, Apple Sherlock, Tony Hawkís Pro Skater 4
After knocking a full cup of tea over my laptop (and destryoing the insides completely) I claimed on my insurance and was sent an Acer Aspire 5315. It costs around £300 to buy in the shops, placing it at the bottom end of the price range for laptops at... more
I recently bought this iPod Shuffle for my mum as a Christmas present and I think she is going to love it. She has been saying for a while she would like a little Mp3 player so I thought this would be perfect for her. This little Mp3 player is small and... more
Good Points: - before I rated the old Powerbook from Apple but not yet this little black Macbook. It is "faster", has audio in, wireless internet, a brighter screen, a better power connector and a whole range of excellent software delivered with it. The... more
01.06.2005
26.07.2005
18.03.2005
