Does anyone here have experience with one of the new iBooks? I am looking into getting the cheapest one and I would be intereasted in knowning what peoples thoughts are on them. I would like to be able to play games on it too..

But yeah, don't bother with a Dual USB iCeBook. They have many many issues, and seeing as I worked at an Apple retailer for a year, that's been hammered into my head quite firmly. If you don't want a PB, (even a Pismo or Lombard would be a good machine that probably wouldn't break the bank), get a clamshell iBook. Sure, the fastest one is only 466 Mhz and can't do QE, but still, the clamshells are good, sturdy, solid machines, and don't have anywhere near as many issues as the Dual USB iCeBooks do.

IMHO, of course!

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

I know getting a Pismo would be nice alternative, but I was kinda in the mood of buying my first thing brand new from apple, but ho well. Plenty of time to decide, I need to find myself a job first

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

So Im stuck between a PBG3, or an Clamshell iBook, whats the fastest Tangerine ibook?

Ahh, this reminds me of the days that I wished apple was going to make a PDA a tangerine color, damb Apple for getting my hopes up!

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

12" IceBooks: inverter board problems
12" AlBooks: battery life problems
15" TiBooks: chipping paint, overheating problems (rare, luckly)
Clamshell iBooks: speed limitations

Just remember to not limit yourself to just the iBook line. Powerbook G3's (Pismo models) are coming down considerablly in price, and can be obtained for a price between a Clamshell and a new IceBook. Advantages include PCMCIA slots, DVD-ROM (not available on 300/366 Clamshell, or some older iceBooks), and the expansion bay, which can give you additional capabilities if needed. USB and FireWire are already present, so the only thing missing verses a new iBook is speed (500 vs 800MHz)

Also, Pismo upgrades are also showing up, with G4/500 upgrades available from NewerTech, and G3/900 upgrades coming onto the market if your not satisfied with the stock G3/400 or G3/500. (iBooks are currently locked into current technology. No processor upgrades.)

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Captain Z - Mobile Operations Commander
68K Macintosh Liberation Army
31 68K Macs Liberated

Visit Captain Z's Starbase of EV Stuff

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

On one side I have the brand new iBook that apparently spontaniously combusts the second it leaves its wraping (or warranty). Or I could go down the Powerbook G3 route using something like a Pismo. And If im truley desperate for an iBook I can go for a clamshell...

Well, could somsone give me a link to a decent online store that sells all of these. I have been using Applebits and Microseconds, but the first is horrendously overpriced.

Remember, I want this laptop to play games, so something zippy would be nice...

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

emaq123

You should also seriously ask yourself if you are going to be running OS X now or in the future, if the answer is yes get the machine that has the most VRAM.

If I wasn't looking at new iBooks, or the last generation on eBay I'd be looking at something like a Pismo.

Although some iBooks have had faults so has have some of every other mac model. Like I said if a power board is fried it can be replaced, if clamshell battery died there probably is no cost effective replacement. Batteries for most other mac models are plentiful however.

Finally if you do buy new or refurbished as you won't be buying the most expensive model perhaps you'll have some cash to put towards Apple Care which will cover you if anything does fail.

EDIT - I'm not saying dual USB ibooks are perfect but obviously Maclover5 was only going to see the worst of them in the Apple store, how many people bring in computers and go "This is great, it still works" !! I know 2 people who have new iBooks and neither has had a problem with them.

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LC 2, LC 3, Q605, Perf 638, Colour Classic (160 603e) 6100, 7200, PTP 225 (Quad 604), PM 9600, G4 Cube

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

That said, it is getting long in the tooth, and is about to be replaced by a 12" Aluminium PowerBook. But it works like a charm.

,xtG
.tsooJ

Go for it!

if it causes problems for you, get rid of the fscking thing before you start to hate apple though.

I know someone who had one and the stupid guy STILL has it! after like... 3 years of trying to get this thing to work... He's had it replaced 3 or 4 times and still doesn't get it...

Apple keeps sending him lemons or something...

I'd say that you need to do what you think is right...

I do know that some people here (ML5 really) have a strong bias, because one of his friends (the same as I had) has only had lemons of IceBooks...

I personally haven't personally used one but I'd say that all the PowerBook G3's are great, and the early PowerBook G4's are certainly coming DOWN in price as well as the G3's... (as I've seen)

I certainly think that some are good and some aren't...

I also personally believe that all of these "Crapple horror stories" we hear are isolated incidences.... dunno though.

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

Warrior maclover5
68k Macintosh Liberation Army
Number of 68ks Liberated: 7
Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster:
1

On the other hand, you could always get a 12" AlBook.

quote:

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Excelent, now I finally have my mind made up. Im thinking of getting the 1ghz model upgraded to 512mb of memory. Then watch the games flow in....

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Warrior maclover5
68k Macintosh Liberation Army
Number of 68ks Liberated: 7
Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster:
1

quote:

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Excelent, now I finally have my mind made up. Im thinking of getting the 1ghz model upgraded to 512mb of memory. Then watch the games flow in....

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68k Macintosh Liberation Army
Recently Rescued from Deep within Enemy Lines:
Christophillis-
Lt. Colonel
Newton Squadron Commander
Total 68k Macs Liberated: 6.02x10^23
or just 4

Now you know how little I know about modern macs

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

Thanks Christophillis for poinitng me in that direction and maclover5 for helpign me with my stupid question , and for that matter, anyone who has helped in this thread.

But yeah, you want to get as little RAM as possible from Apple, and then soup it up after you get the machine. Apple's RAM always costs more than third party stuff.

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

GHz with 512 MB of RAM will make you happy, and you'll have that HUGE resolution'd display with that funny resolution

Oh, and as for your question about the vid card, i believe that it's soldered onboard, which means that you can't. Dunno though because i've never been into an eMac.

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

Would I be able to play SimCity 4 once its released? Medal of Honor ect ect...

while classic mode is ok for applications that you absolutely cannot upgrade (my heart goes out to QuarkXPress 5 users who do not have the QXP 6 beta), it's basically unreliable and fails often, sometimes needing a reinstall.

Going OSX-eriffic is often cheap (depending ont he programs you use and how you get them) and there IS free solutions like the GIMP and OpenOffice.ORG

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Give your dreams a chance.™ - Apple in the mid '90s

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