Customer Reviews

Apple iBook Laptop 14.1" M9848LL/A (1.42 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The iBook G4 line has been incredibly successful, for Apple. Why? It combines a beautiful and sleek form factor, while at the same time being a machine capable of getting your tasks completed.

Improvements - What were the improvements in the July 2005 update to iBook?

Faster Processor - The G4 chip was increased in the 14-inch model, from 1.33 GHZ to 1.42GHZ. Big improvement? No, but it is good to always improve performance. The system bus speed in the 14-inch iBook was also increased, from 133MHZ to 142MHZ.

More memory - The memory in the iBook has been doubled, with a now standard 512 MB DDR SDRAM, which speeds up your entire experience on the iBook, particularly, when multi-tasking. The iBook also has an open user-accessible slot, where you can add 256 MB, 512 MB, or an entire gigabyte of DDR SDRAM. However, the now standard 512 MB, allows the majority of users to fully appreciate the iBook out of the box.

Store More Stuff - The hard drive has been increased to 60 GB, from the 40 GB that was previously standard on the 14-inch. This is important, for people are constantly putting more music, photos, and applications on their systems. This hard drive will hold thousands of songs and photos, but video takes up space fast, so be careful with that.

Even More Wireless - Airport Extreme, for wireless networking, continues to be standard, but Apple has also made bluetooth technology standard, with this iBook. Bluetooth allows you to use wireless bluetooth mice, keyboards, mobile phones, etc. It is a great technology and helps to clean-up your desktop by doing away with some of the cords.

Core Image Compatible - The new IBook G4's video card is an ATI Mobility Radeon 9550, which is core-image compatible. This allows you to take advantage of Mac OS X Tiger's core-image technology, including the well-known "droplet" effect, when you open a widget.

The great iBook features that continue to shine: A buyer of the iBook will continue to enjoy Mac OS X Tiger, which is the best consumer operating system in the world. It works seamlessly with the hardware to provide a simple, fast, elegant, and reliable experience. One of the favorite descriptions of Mac fans, to describe Macs, is simply, "it just works."

The iBook continues to include iLife '05, with great applications such as iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, iTunes, and Garageband. These are all included, with every iBook G4. You will be challenged to find any PC notebook that includes applications that come anywhere close to the iLife suite. Manage thousands of your digital images in iPhoto, create home movies in iMovie, and create professional music in Garageband.

Appleworks is included for simply word processing, spreadsheets, etc., but you might want to pick up Microsoft Office for Mac. A student/teacher edition is available, for just over $100.

Superdrive - The Apple SuperDrive allows you to burn music and data CDs, plus you can burn your own DVDs! Edit home videos in iMovie, put together a beautiful DVD menu to access those home movies in iDVD, and then burn it all to DVD! Furthermore, you can use your Superdrive to back-up important data to DVD.

Form Factor - The iBook's strong, white casing is rugged. It is, unfortunately, prone to scratching, so be careful. However, the iBook is strong, and there are many stories of it taking a beating, but kept on performing.

Drawbacks? The 14-inch iBook G4 has a drawback when it comes to video output options. The 14-inch iBook only supports mirroring to an external display, and you cannot close the iBook, while connected to an external display, or it goes to sleep. Furthermore, the iBook splits the video memory between an external display and its on built-in LCD, no matter what you do. The external display is also limited to 1024x768, since it mirrors the iBook's own display. What does this mean? If you want a notebook that works beautifully with a big external display, when you're back at your desk, then you probably do not want an iBook. However, if you're going to use the iBook as its intended, as a notebook computer, it is a fantastic choice.

Furthermore, the 14.1" display runs at a resolution of only 1024x768. This is not a particularly high resolution. In fact, it is the same resolution as the 12-inch iBook. This means you will not fit anything more onto 14-inch iBook display than you would the 12-inch display. The 14-inch display simply makes things look bigger, which is an advantage, if you have a difficult time seeing things up-close.

Overall, the July 2005 update to the iBook G4 has made Apple's consumer notebook even more competitive in the market. It is faster, has more memory, a bigger hard drive, and bluetooth technology built-in. Furthermore, you'll continue to enjoy Mac OS X Tiger, iLife '05, and the other great Macintosh applications. The 14-inch iBook does not offer any more screen real estate than the 12-inch model, but things will appear larger, for those with poor eyesight. Of course, a larger size and slight increase in weight are consequences of the larger screen, but you are also rewarded with a standard superdrive for burning DVDs, which is not even an option on the 12-inch iBook. The new iBook G4 is a brilliant machine, and it is sure to find its way onto many desks in the coming months.

Wow! This laptop is absolutely amazing and gorgeous to look at.. I bought this laptop as a spare computer and to teach myself OS X. After using it for less than 15 minutes, I had already set everything up including AOL Instant Messenger,Internet Explorer, iTunes, iDVD and Microsoft Word. I bought the laptop with 1 gb of ram and a 100 gb drive which I would highly recommend! It moves at break neck speeds and still sips battery life!

Operating System Impressions:

The entire OS X interface can be intimidating at first but once you bring out the explorer from within, it's a blast to use. FOR BUSINESS USERS, I would recommend some caution when picking up an OS X laptop. The latest version of Internet Explorer is 5.2 on Mac and some of my online interfaces for work will not work on 5.2 so I still need Windows for that and some other bits of real estate software. Software (as expected) is a bit difficult to find but I'm learning that although there are fewer software programs per category with OS X, the software programs are of much higher quality than what you will find in a Windows setting. Apple's internet browser, "Safari", is one of the best browsers I've ever used but I decided to use Mozilla Firefox (...) as my main browser because it has a very easy to use interface and tabbed browsing. Also, the animated interface of OS X is exceptional and makes using the computer blissful.

Software/Misc. Additions:

I ordered .Mac software and the AppleCare plan with the iBook and couldn't be happier. I had an issue with FedEx shipping the iBook and it took 4 days instead of 2 days so I called Apple's sales support team and they offered to refund the shipping without any haggling! Such great customer service gives me a great deal of confidence in the company with the AppleCare plan. Regarding .Mac, I have not been disappointed yet. Outside of the most talked about features, they have online tutorials and the homepage creation process is very simple. Once I explore .Mac further, I will try to update this review.

Hardware/Quality of Product

This is probably what I have been most impressed by thus far. The speakers on this iBook are, to understate, AMAZING! They have no bass because they are laptop speakers but the clarity is wonderful.

The one button mouse was the biggest turn off to me because I thought it would make computing such a task but it's actually comfortable and makes using the laptop easier because I'm not accidentally hitting the right click button. For desktop versions where you may be doing more intensive work, I might recommend someone looking into a Logitech MX1000 (also another wonder product) but for a laptop, one button is as much as you'll ever need.

The build quality of this laptop is legendary and Apple didn't disappoint with my iBook. It is a lot more solid and creak free than my last Dell laptop.

The screen is bright and easy to read... The best part of all.. NO DEAD PIXELS! Another sign of quality from Apple.

Lastly, the keyboard is simple, spaced out well and easy to use. The keys still suffer from "laptop syndrome" because they are all shifted over to the right by one but after a few minutes, I was able to pick it up in no time.

Final Thoughts:

The iBook or any Apple computer for that matter is a MUST HAVE for just about anyone... This is how I always thought computing should be and it's nice to see Apple is making way for the future with the positively perfect OS X. For business users, I would still keep a Windows computer around for the rare instance you may need to use it but you can keep it in the closet to collect dust (It'll be our little secret). *** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! ***

--------- Updated Below : 12/8/2005 ------------------

After spending many months with this product, I still couldn't be any happier! Make sure you get the AppleCare plan though because when you are new to OS X and Apple, there are a lot of things you won't know and they are always there to help! I promised to update the review regarding .Mac and whether it is worth the price.

Since the original writing of the review, .Mac now offers 1 gb of storage as opposed to the 250mb that I started with. I would recommend .Mac 200% because it is the best suite of tools I've ever used! Shortly after getting the computer, I had to endure the hassle of switching ISPs and my emails from the old ISP to a new email address. With .Mac, I can pay a low yearly fee and keep my email account wherever I choose to go! Also, the homepage features are stunning and the way it is integrated into Apple's suite of iLife software (iPhoto in particular) is nothing short of a programming miracle shaped by the creative people of Apple. iDisk is also useful because it allows you to create pages where others can download files from your iDisk, serves as a safe backup for items on your computer and it makes great general storage space! I haven't used the other features so I won't rate them. Highly recommended that you pick up .Mac when buying an iBook!

Long term use of the iBook makes me understand WHY everyone loves Apple computers so much! I've had so many obnoxious people that poke the LCD screen for whatever reason and still no dead pixels or any damage! To keep the screen and laptop clean, you REALLY need to pick up some iKlear. It's a product that should be married to all Apple computers! The one downside to the screen is that it DOES get pretty washed out in direct sunlight so if you plan to sit on campus in the grass or elsewhere with direct sunlight, make sure you do it within the return policy allowed by Apple (providing you opted not to customize your laptop) to avoid disappointment. It is still usable outside but I do wish the screen was a lot brighter [and yes, it is at maximum brightness! ;)].

The battery life on this thing just goes and goes and goes like I've never seen on an electronic device in my life! I can be at a company meeting and while my manager is trying to find an outlet to plug his juggernaut Toshiba into, my computer happily motors on with 3+ hours of battery life to go!

Lastly, it's been said before and I'll say it again! With OS X, everything just WORKS! lol.. it's so hard to believe that something just works without problems and long talks to the technical support team but this thing does it. When I am in a cafe or wireless network zone, all I do is open the computer and wake it up. Within a minute, it will detect any wireless networks and ask if you would like to connect to it. Imagine my delight when my manager can't get online and keeps fussing with his notebook for 15+ minutes while I just open up and have internet access!

The one thing I didn't know would happen before buying an iBook is how much I would actually love to use it... Now that I use it 99% of the time (that poor Windows machine must get lonely), I have managed to hit the speed limitations of this computer. It's not a bad thing but if you are anything like me and plan to use this for A LOT of stuff, make sure you save up and opt for the Powerbook instead. All in all, Apple has a runaway hit on their hands yet again! Buy it and you won't regret it!

I had mixed thoughts about buying a IBOOK. Apple computers have always had a great reputation, but do they live up to expectations? Are they as good and as compatible as they claim to be?

I bought my IBOOK 14" in Mexico City, but it is the same model as the U.S.A. model.

Technical specifications:
- iBOOK 14"
- 1.42 GHz PowerPC G4 Processor
- 1 Gb of RAM (I added 512Mb)
- 60 Gb Hard Drive
- Super Drive (DVD & CD burner)
- English keyboard
- Bluetooth and Wireless Internet (Airport Extreme) included
- MAC OS TIGER 10.4.2

OPERATING SYSTEM
It's a breeze to use. You take a bit of time (about 3 days) to get used to it, especially a ONE button mouse and the shortcuts with the keyboard, but it is very nice, very stable. I've had the computer for a week, no problems in that time. No freezing, no crashing, but a lot of rebooting for new or updated software.
SPOTLIGHT, and instant finder of files anywhere in your hard drive, DVD/CD bay, IPOD or connected devices is fantastic and easy to use. On the other hand, the very celebrated DASHBOARD (widgets in your desktop like clocks and maps and calculators) feels and looks very cheap. Yahoo! Widgets are much better and are available for APPLE and PC computers.

SCREEN
It's bright, bright, bright ! Looking at it from different angles does not give you a very sharp and contrasted image, but right in front of you, it has incredible colors. TIGER OS, also has incredible and elegant wallpapers and icons that are a joy to see through your screen. 14" is good enough for me. If you read something about "fuzzy text" in other reviews, it is true; compared to my previous laptop (Sony VAIO 15" monitor) it is fuzzy, but it isn't too much and won't notice it in a couple of days.
Best of all, the screen came with no dead pixels. Excellent quality.

KEYBOARD
It has a very nice feel to it. It is soft but yet sturdy. I have it configured in Spanish and can type the characters "ñ" and the accents "'" easily, no need for silly "apple+n+n" combinations or "apple+e+vocal". Underneath the keyboard you will find the extra space for an additional RAM memory module.

HARD DISK
Announced as a 60Gb disk, it really has a 55.5Gb capacity minus the pre-installed TIGER OS, which leaves around 42 - 43 Gb of free space. FORTUNATELY, I have seen that Apple software (Office, Adobe, Macromedia, etc) are made in VERY small files (Office 2004 is only around 250Mb big), so you will have PLENTY of space (30 - 35 Gb) free when you have done installing quite a lot of programs.
Games, on the other hand, do take a lot of space.

RAM MEMORY
I heard that 512Mb were enough, but several people got me convinced on getting an additional 512 which cost $170 USD here in Mexico. It does better performance and allows multitasking (I use Excel, Fire Instant Messenger, Safari Web-browser, Itunes and posibly Adoble at the same time with no lag).
The instalation of the RAM can be do-it-yourself and it is easy (I was very frightened at first, but found it easy enough). The computer recognized the new RAM memory right away.

CD/DVD
I have been able to read copied DVDs in this driver which I haven't been able to play elsewhere (I'm sorry, it was a present, but say NO to piracy).
I have only burned data disks so far, but with TOAST 6.0 Software (not included out of the box) it was a breeze and the burn rate was very fast (around 600Mb in 4 min).
DVDs look OK, but they lack a LOT of crispiness and contrast.
CDs sound great !

SPEAKERS
They are small, have no bass, but sound good overall.

AIRPORT EXTREME
Thank goodness this is standard now. I picked up wireless hotspots easily and manage to connect in a few seconds. I have not found it to be as powerful as some people say. It still can't get a decent signal through to concrete walls, but one wall gets you a nice signal.

BLUETOOTH
This thing is awesome, if you have a cel phone with camera and bluetooth connectivity, you certainly want to check this out ! It connects easily and fast. I had my strange format videos from my phone in the my hard drive in no time and playing in Quicktime (format .gp3, who knew?)

BATTERY
Just as promised. If you use non-demanding software and no CD drive, you will have around 4.5 - 5.5 hours of battery, which is GREAT. They other day I installed software using the CD drive and had it in "maximum performance" and still the battery lasted for about 3 hours.
The option of adjusting the energy consumption through processor performance is great, so you can set it to "low consumption" if you are doing internet only or "high performance" if you are doing heavier stuff. Also dimming your screen brightness and deactivating Bluetooth and Airport Extreme will result in longer battery life.

PROCESS0R
It's not lightning speed, it seems quite as fast as my old Celeron 2.4GHz (aprox. Pentium IV 1.7 Ghz), but it does the job.

VIDEO MEMORY
I have seen no problems with this. Although I do not do image rendering or design, my Astronomical software has had no problems with this.

CASE
It is a beautiful case, the white is astonoshing and the lit up Apple behind the screen is just way too cool.
Yet, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, it will sooner or later get scratched. It is up to you how much you take care of it and how deep and common will your scratches be.


OVERALL:
I have used the computer for too little, only one week, yet I believe that going back to Windows is a big NO NO. This system rocks, it's easy to use and stable.
The goodies offered are great and at a fantastic value.
The battery life is awesome, yet the disk space could be bigger.
2 USB ports, 1 FireWire 400, 1 DVI video (strange format) seem to be enough considering that you have bluetooth for new-generation mouses, printers and extra keyboards.
Office's Excel in spanish has proved to be quite annoying. The decimal point separator is a "," instead of a "." This is the way Spain uses it, but not the rest of LatinAmerica and there is NO WAY OF CHANGING THIS PREFERENCE.

Tiger Operating System has proved to be compatible with (almost) everything, why not switch now when the price and the hardware are correct?

I will be attending law school in August, and I needed a laptop, something I've never researched before. When I began looking both online and in stores, this Apple iBook came back with every option I required. Let me be honest: I was a Windows elitist. If it wasn't hacked up from the bowels of Microsoft, I had no interest in it. Macs were just computers with training wheels. How wrong I was.
I finally, after much internal debate as well as research into cross-compatibility with my desktop PC (it is fully compatible) bought this iBook. I was especially attracted to the reputation Macs have for relaibility, which is a must for me. Also, the external casing feels so much more solid than the Toshibas and Hp's I was looking at. So I took the plunge. I've used Mac products before, so OS navigation wasn't too bad of a transition. I should say that if you are concerned about learning a new OS, don't be. OS X Tiger falls over itself to be easy to use and intuitive.
What do I mean by intuitive? Your files end up where you think they should. They are always in easy reach. The interface (or GUI) is a work of art both asthetically and functionally. Don't buy a Mac if you want to play the latest videogames. DO buy a Mac if you want a computer that will do anything a Windows will do with a minimum of fuss that makes usage actually enjoyable.
When I first got this baby home and turned it on, it automatically detected my Linksys-G wireless router and connected to the internet. It then updated all of the programs on the hard drive, and had me enter a password (which was the same as my iTunes account, making things simpler. That was it. Seriously. It took ten minutes tops, and I was up and running. No need to worry about virus protection or third party software working on my computer. I was ready to roll! That's the simplicity that makes me recommend this machine to whoever is reading this. Do yourself a favor: poney up the extra money for a Mac; Once you're up and running, you may never look back at Windows again (except, of course, for games!)

First things first. I have always been a loyal apple fan. Even before the whole ipod craze began, and Steve Jobs began to drive this company out from the shadows, I was dazzled by the ease of use that all apple computers offered to users. With the purchase of this ibook, however, all of my feelings about Apple's computers were reiterated and magnified.

I feel that this review would be more meaningful if a comparison was drawn between the ibook and a similar high-end laptop offered by Dell (the Inspiron 600M Celeron) Please note that this is not a true comparison because the Dell Inspiron 600M has a 1.3ghz processor while the ibook (14") has a 1.42ghz processor.

The Dell Inspiron 600M at a price of $1,623:
1. Processor: Celeron M Processor 350(1.30 GHz)
2. Memory: 768MB DDR SDRAM
3. Hard Drive: 80GB
4. Optical: 8x CD/DVD burner
5. Monitor/Video: 14.1-inch XGA 32MB video memory
6. Wireless: Dell Wireless 1470 Internal Wireless (802.11a/b/g, 54 mbps), bluetooth technology
7. Software: Windows XP home edition, Microsoft Office Small Business (including outlook, word, excel, and powerpoint) *note: office is an add-on and does not come pre-installed
8. Service: 3 year limited warranty


The Apple Ibook at a price of (vis-a-vis my parameters) $1,653:
1. Processor: PowerPC G4 1.42 GHz
2. Memory: 768MB DDR SDRAM
3. Hard Drive: 80GB
4. Optical: Superdrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
5. Monitor/Video: 14.1-inch TFT 32MB video memory
6. Wireless: Airport extreme card (802.11 b, 54 mbps) built-in bluetooth technology.
7. Software: Mac OS X Tiger, ilife (including itunes, iphoto, imovie, garageband, appleworks and more) iwork (including pages and keynote) *note: the full version of iwork does not come pre-installed; you only get a 30-day trial version.
8. Service: Applecare warranty and service/support

So there it is. I know what you are probably going to say: "Oh. The Dell is cheaper and it has more memory." What about the processor speed? I know that 1.42 isn't much better than 1.30, but this is dell's low-end 600M. Even the low-end ibook has a faster processor (the 12-inch with 1.33 ghz) Also, the price difference is mainly due to shipping, which dell offers for free on top of the 34% discount that you get on the laptop.

Another thing about the dell 600M is that you have to add-on all of the software, security and wireless capabilities.

Looking at the software, you have to purchase Microsoft office in order to attain the same degree of productivity that you can get with ilife on the ibook. (Which comes pre-installed by the way). Iwork, however, is not pre-installed but I would suggest that you purchase it ($49 extra) if not for keynote. Keynote (apple's version of Powerpoint) blows it's opponent right out of the water. Here's just a quick summary: with keynote you can enhance slides with animated text, layered images, and transcending builds and transitions. In short, it makes Powerpoint look like freeware.

Turning to wireless and networking capabilities, the ramifications of both the systems are basically the same. But the set-up is not. To begin with, the specified dell system doesn't come pre-installed with a wireless card like the ibook does. You have to add those on. Second, the ibook comes pre-installed with bluetooth wireless technology, while the 600M doesn't.

Networking and Security: AirPort let's you take off

Security is another feature that comes standard with apple (considering that Tiger is a much more secure operating system than windows). Right out of the box, the apple ibook offers configuration while with the 600M, you have to get tons of software to protect you from spyware and other potential security breaches. The apple airport extreme system features a built-in firewall to protect the end-user from hackers and potential thieves offering password protection and encryption technologies.

Another great feature of the apple ibook is that Mac OS X has a network autosensing feature which detects the fastest network available to you, all the while automatically configuring your computer for network activity. Wave good-bye to manually setting your wireless settings.

ITunes
Of course the whole driving force behind apple's success as of late has been the ipod, itunes team. With the purchase of an airport express (sold separately) you can use your built in AirPort card to wirelessly play your music through a home theatre system or any other audio device in your home. All you have to do is plug your speakers into the AirPort Express Base Station and the rest is music to the ears.

Widgets
Another handy feature of Mac OS X tiger, "the most sophisticated operating system in the world", is the ability to use mini-applications called widgets. There are over a thousand of them and each are unique. My favorite one is the "Gas Finder" which, true to it's name, finds the cheapest gas in a specified area. Along with their basic albeit necessary purposes, widgets simplify so many things and take the place of the internet in some cases.

If you're truly interested, I would recommend doing some more personal research about apple's ibook. There are so many features (many that I did not cover) that propel this laptop past many of it's competitors. I am truly impressed with this laptop's performance and would recommend that anybody who is uncertain about apple definitely suspend any negative judgment or advice that they may have received from other PC addicts. The fact is, Microsoft has been working on their new operating system Longhorn for quite sometime now. Apple has already come out with Tiger and has consistently offered updates every year (which Microsoft has not). Apple has made computing trendy.

I am a recent PC/linux user who got sick of linux and wanted something UNIX-like that offered more real support for hardware/video/etc. than linux did (LINUX doesn't quite work right on a lot of different hardware configurations), as well as an easier interface. So I decided to get an apple computer, and the next question was should I get an iMac G5 or an iBook G4 -- both are about the same price. I was initially leaning towards the G5 because I was afraid the G4 1.42 GhZ would be wimpy performancewise, but on the end decided I really wanted a notebook. I must say I'm quite happy with the performance of the G4. I wouldn't recommend trying to run something like Madden 2006 (yes, I know it doesn't/won't for a long time exist on MacOS, but you know what I'm getting at) on here, but it does well on games that aren't quite so cutting edge (eg. Warcraft III, or SimCity 4). The OS is quite stable and the battery lasts a nice long time for me on here.

If you're a PC user, you'll find that you'll have to shift your thinking as to what meta keys (i.e. keys like shift, option, control) you need for a given task, but this is only a minor obstacle. Unless you are really into high-end gaming and graphics, more important than obsessing over processor speed is to have a good, solid OS that doesn't crash on you and that is easy to use, and the iBook fits both bills. Things like more memory and HD space are easy to add later to extend the useful life of your machine. If you do want really high-end gaming and graphics, then even the Powerbook (which isn't all *that* much better than the iBook, but is a lot more expensive) won't be good enough, and if you want a Mac, you'd have to get one of the G5 desktops. Also cool is the built-in microphone, and a chess program that allows you to give moves verbally.

I only have two complaints: 1) The SuperDrive seems a bit too finicky about scratches on DVDs -- the iBook complains vigorously about a DVD (to the point where it gives up altogether) at a given point, where, on my other computers (including other laptops) pause for a second, figure out what to do, and keep playing. 2) Trying to do system-config tasks seems a bit harder than it needs to be -- for example, if I add something to my "keychain" (something like a "memory" of certain settings), I can't figure out how to get it out of the keychain.

The 14" iBook gets four stars from me. I feel I need to say that, since the Amazon system is not working properly now -- every time I preview this review, the rating comes up as one star. Having tried to correct the star rating at least five times to no avail, I'm just going to hit the submit button now.

I'm giving my impressions as a new iBook owner rather than waiting several months to do so because the current iBook models will most likely be discontinued this calendar year. You can expect the successor models to use an Intel chip.

I bought an iBook (my first laptop) with full knowledge that it will not be around in its current iteration much longer.
Why? iBooks get pretty good reviews for laptop reliability. I'm of the school that wants the dust to settle on a newly introduced product before I buy it. New models are generally more prone to having problems than a design which has been around long enough to have the glitches sorted out. Also, I'd always been curious about the Apple operating system, having always used a Windows product.

So, how does OS X stack up against Windows? Sorry, Apple zealots, I'm not going to completely trash the competition. I have been running XP Pro (64 bit version) on my desktop for around seven months now and like it. It works pretty well -- I've had no crashes, no blue screens of death, etc. like I was used to getting with Windows 95 and 98. It is however, still prone to the things that plague Windows: spyware and viruses. According to the log on my spyware software, I've run 295 scans that picked up over 2000 tracking cookies and have eliminated the Ibis toolbar twice in seven months. I really enjoy not having to scan for spyware at all with my new notebook.

So far as the Windows vs. Apple debate goes, -- yes, Mac OS X is an extremely stable system. It blows away Windows 98 and the home versions of XP. XP Pro comes pretty close to matching it in terms of stability, from my experience. So, I give the edge to Apple. The tradeoff for buying OS X over Windows is in software availability.

As far as the iBook itself is concerned, I like it so far. It only took a few minutes to set up and get on the Internet. The operating system seems a bit more intuitive than Windows. What, as a complete novice to OS X, I expect to happen is usually what does happen. Don't be afraid to switch due to fear of not being able to operate the computer: things fall into place nicely.

Any dislikes? Yes, a couple of things. First, believe all the comments you read in the reviews about the screen on the 14" model not being overly sharp. It isn't. Being a presbyopic middle-ager,I bought a 14" model for the larger screen size over a 12" iBook (with which it shares the same native screen resolution). You get a bigger, but less sharp screen. Apple does seem to be a bit behind with screen resolution on the iBook compared to competitively priced notebooks from other manufacturers. On the upside, the fairly low contrast viewing screen is easy on the eyes. A high contrast screen may initially seem more appealing, but eye fatigue usually sets in much sooner. I have yet to get eye fatigue with the iBook.

The keyboard could be better. It does not have the nice tactile feel that the Apple Powerbooks and the better Windows notebooks possess. The feel does not bother me that much, but be aware the difference does exist.

Also, if you use memory-hungry applications at all (Photoshop or doing a lot of video editing), go ahead and max out the memory of the iBook to its 1.5 gigabyte capacity. It will run noticeably faster than the stock version.

Anything else bad? Nothing pops into mind. Would I buy the iBook if I got to start all over again? So far, yes. So long as it holds up over time, I will not regret my decision to buy one.

I admit that I don't know a lot about computers, so this review will be all about my FEELINGS!

I have never owned any type of computer other than a Mac, although at school I sometimes am required to use a PC. Using the PC is always depressing and counter-intuitive to me and I am always happy when I am back on a Mac. I have owned Apple computers since 1990 or so, and I can truthfully say that I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO GET ANY OF THEM REPAIRED OR SERVICED! Isn't that amazing! I've never had a virus. I've never had a crash. These are experiences I have read and heard about, like unicorns and UFOs, but never experienced for myself.

Sometimes, however, I need to know how to do something obscure and I can't quite figure it out. In such cases I call the Apple-Care Hotline. Now anyone who has ever called, say, the Microsoft Hotline knows how awful calling a computer-related support number can be...you're on hold forever right? And then you end up saying your name 20 times to someone in Bangladesh who doesn't really know the product, right? Well, if this sounds like something you would like to avoid with a computer product, get a Mac. I have never been on hold more than 5 minutes and then I get a friendly, knowledgeable and often funny person who is located in the US! I know! Impossible right?!? But it's true!!! It is a real joy!

And I very much love Tiger OSX and on this computer in particular. It is so fast and you can have 20 programs open with no problems at all! You can burn DVDs and CDs on it with such ease. I have never had to read a manual to use a Mac. Most of the time I think "How would I design the computer to work if it were up to me?" And guess what? It works the way you would think it would.

Also, I don't know if this is the case for all computers now, but I love the search feature where I can type in the most obscure word or term from an undergraduate paper I wrote 5 years ago, like "teleological suspension of the ethical" and it will show me every single thing on my computer what has that sentence *anywhere* in it. In a 20 page paper I didn't even remember writing! That's amazing.

I am very much an Apple advocate. It is the one product I can think of that I will actually tout the merits of, and defend against lame PC advocates in public. I just think the Mac is one of the last well-made products in this sorry, war-ridden and weary world of ours.

I have owned various computers since 1991:

Mac 128k
Calssic II
LC 520
Mac Portable
PowerBook 160
Duo 2300c
PowerBook 5300c
iBook Tangerine
PowerBook G4 12 in
Dell desktop-my only mistake...:-(

After developing somne vision problems, I finally decided it was time to retire "Little Al," my PowerBook G4 12 inch model. The purchase of this iBook would qualify as the best purchase of a computer in my long and illustrious computer career. It spanks the Dells I have to use at school, both in terms of usability and in terms of raw power. I would recommend getting the biggest HD you can afford. Also, since memory is relatively cheap, max it out. I do the web ppage for the school where I teach, and I usually have the following apps open simultaneously: Netscape, Safari, Firefox, Interarchy, Word, Graphic Converter, and Preview.

All in all, a great purchase.

Ted

My old G3 ibook died (which I had bought second hand) due to a defective motherboard. I sent the computer to Apple for repair, but supplies were on back order and would take more than a month to arrive. Apple subsequently sent me a brand new ibook G4 "14 as a replacement, free of charge. Not only was my original G3 3 years old, but I was not even the original owner. It didn't matter. Apple treated me like a valuable customer. The ibook G4 is a great computer, and it's nice to have a company backing their products up with great customer service. Though I only used PCs before I got my original G3, I am now a lifelong Apple user.