300MHz, 160MB, 3 GB, 3 month warranty, free delivery(from interstate!), upgrade to 288MB RAM AU$45... all that for AU$485.
Is that the kind of deal I should pounce on before the sale ends? Or stick to the PB G3/300/192MB/7GB on eBay which is going for about the same price? I'm just looking to replace my iMac with a laptop. Nothing special...
(btw the iBook is from AppleBits(applebits.bigstep.com))
The original 300Mhz iBook is ridden with suckage and mediocrity. I wouldn't really consider... what, about $300 US?... for one much of a "deal". Particularly with only a 3GB hard drive.
At the same price, the Powerbook is at least a marginally better deal, in that it probably at least has a higher resolution screen. The iBook's video card is *slightly* better, but it's still just a Mach64 varient, similar to that in the tray-loading iMacs. I'm guessing OS X support is a non-issue, if you're looking at machines with such tiny hard disks.
Of course, I've aired my feelings on paying any significant amount of money for a used laptop before, so I'll skip that. Other then note that leftover G3 iBooks are at least in the US going for less then $700. The difference gets you an almost 3 times faster CPU, 4 or 8 times the video RAM, a Firewire port, a machine that's four years younger, and a warranty. Seems like a pretty good deal for not much more then twice the price.
--Peace
they might be cute but they're not fast or "usable" with OS X, i mean 800x600... it makes me sick... might be a good machine for wireles irc and instant messaging :]
rip. mix. burn.
What do I have now? iMac 333 with JUST AS MUCH RAM and the same graphics accelerator.
I was really asking which of the two is better value. I use my iMac for IM-ing, getting email, looking up some pointless web content(basically what I'm doing right now on a 1400cs/133), syncing my Tungsten E and music in iTunes.
Of course I'd be running OSX on either, remember- I started off with an iMac 233/4GB/160MB/2MB VRAM and I was perfectly happy with that. I only upgraded to 333/192MB/40GB as the new components were basically free.
So given that after selling iMac and 1400 I ONLY HAVE AU$450 or so, really, what choice do I have but a PB G3 or an iBook?
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
One more thing; if you looked around in australia you'd notice people are ALWAYS willing to pay UP TO $500 for the iBook 300. That's what they go for here. If I saw one for $250-300 obviously I'd get that.
And as for the PowerBook...well there seems to have been a major price hike on those lately- a 233/64MB example on eBay went for a whopping $255 a few days ago.(yup- a MainStreet.)
Screen resolution- 800x600 suits me just fine. 1024x768 always has a few hundred pixels going unused on my computers. As for graphics acceleration...I'm not a gamer, and it's not like I plan to watch full-length movies on either machine. A Rage Pro variant does well for scrolling through documents.
So taking those points into consideration, can I PLEASE have a real answer- stick to the PowerBook, or migrate towards a possibly less expensive and USB-enabled out of the box iBook 300?
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2792077552&category=4606 <- PowerBook
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
I realize my answer wasn't particularly "useful" when the question is "I'm going to get one of these, hell or high water". All I was doing is pointing out is that neither is really a particularly great value when you consider the cost-benefit analysis relative a new machine.
Of the two for the same price, I'd rather have the Powerbook. Reasons:
1: I don't think you could even *fit* OS X onto a 3GB hard drive in anything approaching a useful configuration, and "free" laptop hard drives are a lot rarer then "free" desktop drives.
2: 800x600 really, really sucks for OS X You can say it won't bother you, but it will.
3: 288MB of RAM is all you're ever going to get. Admittedly that's probably enough, but since a Powerbook doesn't have 32MB soldered into it in place of its other DIMM socket you *can* go to 512MB with one.
4: The Powerbook has a video out port. (Crack your iBook screen, you're boned.)
5: The Powerbook doesn't look like "Hello Kitty"'s toilet seat.
I actually consider the PCMCIA cards on the Powerbook a wash, since to match the iBook you'd have to fill one with USB and the other with a wireless card anyway.
The one thing you *do* get with the iBook is "Panther" compatability out of the box. Assuming you can fit it onto the hard disk, of course.
Anyway.
--Peace
So essentially the PowerBook is stuck with Jaguar? That'd suck...I was about to go half and half buying a copy of 10.3 with someone...
So basically it's a compatibility vs usability thing. Hmm.
I'm sick of this confusion. Now I'm going on- win the PowerBook, buy the PowerBook. Lose the PowerBook, buy an iBook. THat way I won't have to be so conflicted anymore.
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
I have an iBook 466 SE, and my only real complaint about it is screen size. I would like more real estate there. In fact, some programs (such as the latest iMovie) require 1024x768, so I can't run them on it.
You can get Panther on the PowerBook (probably), just not officially. You will have to use XPostFacto to get it on there.
BTW, not a great idea spreading the word that you are breaking your license agreement on OS X. You can't legally split a copy of OS X, it is supposed to be a copy for each computer it's installed on.
James M. Baker
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Computer Nerd
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My site
Sure both machines are slow by todays standards, and the powerbook has a better screen size and resolutin, but i think the ibook is the better mac. The powerbook no longer has a supported graphics card by OSX. The ibook have a smaller HD but it is possible to run X.3 on it, something that PB will not be able to do without some research. sure the ibook may be more fruity lookin, but i have an indigo and more people think it looks cool than stoopid. Personally, i think the ibook is better, my friend has had so much trouble with his wallstreet he says it wasn't worth excepting it as a gift. Plus you have to buy a USB card if you want to use any newer devices. its up to you though
Oh, Hazel, look. The field! It's covered in blood
While I'm with edui on this one You have to keep in mind that there is a big difference between being able to do something and being able to use something. You're right that you can install 10.3 on a small hard drive, but by no means is it a smart thing to do. I can install OS 9.1 on my 540c/PPC or my 5300 but it wouldn't be useable by any strech of the imagination.
Graphics, I'm willing to bet that the next version of OS X is going to have flaky support for fruit iBooks. its 5, 6 years old now? I don't think Apple has ever supported a system much longer than that.
I won't degrade the form of the ibook, its kinda of cool expecially in a deep color like indigo, however its a more dramatic version of the 5300s or 1x0s and 540s. The 540 has by far a better case design than the slab 'books and I love using mine at a desk but on a portable system I for one like a slab. Nice, simple, easy to slip into a bag and take off. If I want it to stand out, well theres a reason I hack.
USB seems like a moot point. He's got an iMac so if he really needs to import from a USB device he can do it on the iMac and swap files
It really could go either way. I've used both an iBook and a Wallstreet with comparable specs and for a portable to be a portable The wallstreet is the way to go. For a semi portable go ahead and get the iBook. If you really want to get something worth the money forget both and get the newest Duel USB iBook you can afford.
Well, I'm personally leaning towards the iBook. Love the shape + colours, always made me feel like I was on some kind of super-cool iMac when I used one in primary school. For NOW, I'd be installing Puma .1.5 on it. And not much more. Hard drive space is not an issue. And once again, resolution doesn't bother me. Earlier this year when it was really hot I used my iMac from an external 14" screen supporting 800x600, and I really didn't mind it at all.
As for the PowerBook, I've been noticing stories all over the net about WallStreets just throwing in the towel after OSX installation. Plus the screen hinge problems. The lack of USB and the dead-end feeling it'd produce(really I can't be bothered hacking a new OS into one) would never be made up for by the bigger screen.
At least now I'm starting to make sense of everything here...:p
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
I'm curious, does the ibook have a pcmcia slot and/or a firewire port? The reason why I am asking is if the ibook isn't capabile of having a highspeed external port, that would limit it in regards to new external perpherials. I assume that the powerbook could use a usb2.0 or firewire pcmcia card.
I love my WallStreet. I have 9.2.2 on it though. I was thinking about X for both the WallStreet and my new iMac. I have a friend that never had problems with WallStreet and OS X. The hinges are a problem though. A CardBus USB card will solve USB problems. I don't know if USB 2.0 speed is an option. I just use my iMac for USB. I will eventualy get a card for it but I use the iMac for USB now. I have a friend that has problems with his iBook. He already bought 2 batteries for it. But it still works. I'll stick with my PowerBook. I like the 14.1" screen.
Kevin
Blue iMac 333MHz ~WallStreet 233 Rev II ~Blue Handspring Visor Deluxe~
Kevin C. Woods
The very first model ibooks do not have either PCMCIA or FW. However the nex models did, 366 FW and the 466FW. They still have the clamshell design, but have FW. Their colors were, indio(not to be confused with blueberry), graphite, and Key Lime. just be careful, there was a graghite 366 model that does not have the FW port. It was the special edition of the very first ibooks.
Oh, Hazel, look. The field! It's covered in blood
I can't afford a newer iBook, the PowerBook is gonna cost me $70 more just for USB, and the three(and ONLY) USB peripherals I use are Palm T|E, printer, and digital camera. Plus maybe an optical mouse or new keyboard.
I'd love to see someone talk me into the PowerBook at this point. If anyone thinks they can, give it a go by all means!
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
I'm just teling my experience with both the PowerBook and the iBook. I have never had problems with my friends iBook but the battery that has been replaced twice. And my new WallStreet is still holding up good. The only real problem with the iBook is its lack of ports and tiny screen. The PowerBook has it's share of problems too. If you like the iBook, buy it. Its a nice computer. I still want an iBook to match my iMac!
Kevin
Blue iMac 333MHz ~WallStreet 233 Rev II ~Blue Handspring Visor Deluxe~
Kevin C. Woods :macos:
So...you want MORE Blueberry? Blech! My iMac made me so sick of that shade every time I look at it now I feel...icky.
Course it was never as bad as stale old Bondi Blue.
I say- Vive la ordinateur Tangerine!
(excuse the poor french)
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
OK to some extent, I took your advice and got a newer iBook- a 366(FireWire) Indigo, $100 more than the 300. I'm buying it with 320MB RAM and a 10GB HD for $700 including postage.
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
...and I'd love to know how this ended up half way down the screen. :s
You like your Macintosh more than me, don't you, Dave? Dave? Can you hear me, Dave...?
You may be set as threaded list. If so your reply (and this one) will be in the middle of the page. If you want it to be set up like the YaBB forums choose flat list expanded.
I like my Blueberry. I DON'T like Bondi.
Kevin
Blue iMac 333MHz ~WallStreet 233 Rev II ~Blue Handspring Visor Deluxe~
Kevin C. Woods