Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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137 of 145 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Mac Notebook Value, August 18, 2005
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.
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111 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THRILLED to be a switcher!, August 8, 2005
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!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Windows to Mac: Light years ahead!, March 28, 2006
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!)
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