Not just a toy anymore
Written: Jun 05 '01
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Pros: Lighter than the old iBook and more compact volumetrically.
Cons: Not as fast as the G4 Powerbook.
The Bottom Line: This machine is well designed, elegant, functional, and best of all, not too expensive!
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| KarsinTheHutt's Full Review: Apple iBook Key Lime Special Edition 12.1 in. (M82... |
When the original iBook debuted in the second half of 1999, critics and the general public were less than impressed. Although the iBook came in several nifty colors, it was simply too heavy at ~3.2 kg, and its clamshell case was too bulky. Some computer users mocked the iBook, declaring that it looked like an oversized makeup compact. "I want a Compaq, not a Compact," said one detractor.
Today, the iBook is a much different beast. Gone is the toyish looking, colorful case. This new generation of iBook looks more like the Titanium G4 Powerbook, although the iBook has a slick translucent off-white case and a smaller screen. Specs for the demo I saw were:
500 MHz G3 Processor
128 MB SDRAM
10 GB HDD
12.1" TFT screen
Integrated 56K modem and LAN (network) capabilities
2 USB ports, 1 FireWire Port
CD-RW Drive
MacOS 9.1
Weight of only 2.3 kg (about 5 pounds)
General Use:
As mentioned before, the new iBook is much less bulky than its ancestor, and is thus fairly easy to carry around. The screen is high quality and easy to read, and the trackpad has good response. I'm wondering if Apple skimped on the keyboard, however. The keys don't have the best feedback, unlike the G4's keyboard and the various keyboards on Dell notebooks.
Performance:
The iBook was responsive with office and standard productivity suites, but the low amount of RAM could hamper those people who do photoshop or multimedia work (get at least 256 MB of RAM for multimedia work). People who need extra processing power should clearly choose the Powerbook G4 over this machine.
Conclusion:
At about ~1600 $US, the iBook is not the best of deals, but it isn't a bad price either. The features were impressive, and the highly integrated nature of the new iBook makes it convenient for students, home, and business users. This machine clearly has a good, stylish design, and should satisfy the needs of most Mac users.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1600
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor: PowerPC
Processor speed: 401-500
Screen Size: 12
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-RW
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
KarsinTheHutt
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Member: Karsin Eng
Location: United States of America
Reviews written: 83
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
I am a part time computer hobbyist and moderator at forum.thinkpads.com
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