Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9388LL/A (933-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

by Apple

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 17.9 x 8.5 x 14.9 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11.9 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000U98MQ
• Item model number: M9388LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,304 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 22, 2003

Product Description

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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great revision. Best laptop?, November 17, 2003

By 

Cosmo Kramer "The Real Peterman" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9388LL/A (933-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

I've owned three iBooks. The clamshell was a sturdy design, but heavy and limited. My G3 iBook 800 was great, worked well, but the screen was a little small (dense) and it didn't quite fit on the lap. Plus I wasn't a fan of the drive tray. So this new design is far better. It is much sturdier. They replaced EVERY material in construction for the better, improved battery life, and it is much faster. It might just be the perfect laptop at any price. For most people, it can even replace a desktop. Comes with tony hawk, plays beautifully. All other apps I have work perfectly, airport extreme is faster than airport, and keyboard is MUCH better (no longer squishy, better feedback). You will not regret buying this machine. Not sure that the 1GHz is worth the extra money. This model hits the sweet spot.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, powerful, reliable, January 10, 2004

By 

J.R. Gardella (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9388LL/A (933-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

The iBook, Apple's "consumer" portable (a consumer simply being an everyday user), really has it all now: a very speedy processor, great graphics, great design (it took a few years for them to perfect this white beauty), great features (a lazy way of saying "All the other things on the machine I forgot to mention"), and most importantly, a great price.

Ever since the iBook went G4, the machine took on a whole transformation. It is no longer lacking in the processor department and thus is a very "well-rounded" laptop.

As for the machine itself, it's great. The entire laptop is white, crisp white (a mixed blessing...it's elegant, but very, very hard not to dirty it), and the overall design is great. Everything is ergonomical and compact: the little latch to close the iBook stays hidden on the top, but then magically appears as you close it. (Gotta love Apple's design team for those little things!) The keyboard, unlike other models, isn't "spongy."In fact, it is rather sturdy for a laptop keyboard. It is stationed to a strong metal backboard and if you take the keyboard and backboard off, you will see a slot for an Airport Extreme card (card that enables wireless internet). No more PC "NIT" cards protruding from the sides, everything is on the inside. The top of the computer has a translucent Apple logo that glows when you are computing in the dark. The trackpad is large and precise, and the button (Windows users, beware: no "Left-clicking" in the Mac world, only "Command clicking"!) is large and responsive.

Battery life is excellent, I get an average of 5 hours with normal use. The charger has a light indicating the level of charge so you know when the 'book is charged (green for charged, amber for charging) without turning it on or waking it from its "Sleep" mode. Panther, the latest version of Mac OS X (10.3), is stunning, powerful, and reliable in its own right (go ahead and check out those reviews or Jaguar's reviews, the previous OS X version.) I don't want to go into the benefits of its UNIX core, just trust me that it is stable. The "iLife" set of software is one that really revolutionized the Apple world, after OS X, software-wise. It's all here: iTunes (store, burn, and buy music in one easy-to-use program), iPhoto (organize, burn, share, print, edit, email, and more with a plug-and-play friendly piece of software), iMovie (for editing, storing, and organizing your DV movies), but no iDVD...no DVD burner (but you can buy an external one.) Some other good programs that supplement your iLife are Mail, Appleworks, iChat, iCal, etc. It comes with World Book 2003, Quicken, and a few others.

It's fast. CD's burn with one click. My iPod (a great addition to this for music lovers) loads with one slide of a Firewire cable (literally.) Safari has built-in pop-up control (never has a single pop-up existed here.) Games (only the Sims so far) load and play flawlessly. DVD watching is pristine. USB 2.0 and Firewire (a BIG plus for external hard drives) work at top speed. No bugs, no crashes, no viruses. This machine was engineered to have the software and hardware be integrated. Have a problem? You won't be told to call a different company. You will always have one number to call, and they can't transfer you (since they make the hardware and software)

What more is there to say? I love my iBook! It's light, user friendly, and works like a dream. Quick! Go order one. You'll be in for a treat.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Computer, April 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9388LL/A (933-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

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.