I'm thinking of buying iBook from 2001, good idea?

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I was given the offer of $175 dollars and I thought it was a good price. I just want a starter laptop that will do me for three years while in school. I will be doing a lot of video editing with sound. It is coming with Microsoft Office 2008 and a video editing software. I know it's not perfect, but is it worth it for right now? As soon as I get a real job, I plan on buying a new Mac laptop, so this isn't a set thing. I just need some advice on what to do...
 

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I was given the offer of $175 dollars and I thought it was a good price. I just want a starter laptop that will do me for three years while in school. I will be doing a lot of video editing with sound. It is coming with Microsoft Office 2008 and a video editing software. I know it's not perfect, but is it worth it for right now? As soon as I get a real job, I plan on buying a new Mac laptop, so this isn't a set thing. I just need some advice on what to do...

An iBook from 2001 is:

- no where near worth $175 bucks
- it will in no way be able to do what you want it to do
- or last you 3 years in school

This is a 10 year-old laptop...and if you did get it & used it in school...it would be 13 years old. That is an old, old, old computer. You really need something that's at least no older than 5-6 years old.

Even if this computer could do what you want it to...the main point is $175 is too much for it.

Just my humble opinion,

- Nick
 
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An iBook from 2001 is:

- no where near worth $175 bucks
- it will in no way be able to do what you want it to do
- or last you 3 years in school

This is a 10 year-old laptop...and if you did get it & used it in school...it would be 13 years old. That is an old, old, old computer. You really need something that's at least no older than 5-6 years old.

Even if this computer could do what you want it to...the main point is $175 is too much for it.

Just my humble opinion,

- Nick

what would be a reasonable price for it?
 

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what would be a reasonable price for it?

I would need to know:

- what is the cpu speed
- what size display
- how much ram
- how big is the HD
- does the battery hold a charge
- does it come with the power adapter
- what OS is on it

But roughly speaking (depending on exactly what model it is & the exact specs)...I wouldn't pay more than $20-$50 bucks for it.

- Nick
 
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I would need to know:

- what is the cpu speed
- what size display
- how much ram
- how big is the HD
- does the battery hold a charge
- does it come with the power adapter
- what OS is on it

But roughly speaking (depending on exactly what model it is & the exact specs)...I wouldn't pay more than $20-$50 bucks for it.

- Nick

its a 500 MHz powerPC G3 640MB SDRam display may be 13" HD is 9.24 GB, the battery can hold a charge for about 30 to 45 mins and it comes with the power cable. and it has OS X 10.4.11
 

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its a 500 MHz powerPC G3 640MB SDRam display may be 13" HD is 9.24 GB, the battery can hold a charge for about 30 to 45 mins and it comes with the power cable. and it has OS X 10.4.11

Thanks for the info...sounds pretty much what I was expecting. If you keep your needs modest:

- light internet surfing
- no You Tube videos
- e-mail
- using MS Office 2008 (an older version would probably be better/faster)
- mp3's will be ok
- video editing...I really doubt it. If you're using really old software (maybe)...but don't even think of running any modern video editing software.

Like I said...$175 is way too much for this. I bought one like it a while ago for $40 bucks. I would say it's worth no more than $75.

To add another example. I bought a Powerbook G4, 867mhz, built-in airport & bluetooth, 640 gig ram, 20 gig hard drive (this is a 2003 computer) for $80.

Good luck,

- Nick
 
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Thanks for the info...sounds pretty much what I was expecting. If you keep your needs modest:

- light internet surfing
- no You Tube videos
- e-mail
- using MS Office 2008 (an older version would probably be better/faster)
- mp3's will be ok
- video editing...I really doubt it. If you're using really old software (maybe)...but don't even think of running any modern video editing software.

Like I said...$175 is way too much for this. I bought one like it a while ago for $40 bucks. I would say it's worth no more than $75.

To add another example. I bought a Powerbook G4, 867mhz, built-in airport & bluetooth, 640 gig ram, 20 gig hard drive (this is a 2003 computer) for $80.

Good luck,

- Nick

well thanks for the help. if i could afford a macbook i would, that's why i was looking at this...
 

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well thanks for the help. if i could afford a macbook i would, that's why i was looking at this...

Guess what???...there's a lot of Macintosh laptop models between this 2001 iBook and a much newer MacBook.

If $175 is the maximum you have to spend...then that's the way it is. But with only $175...you at least want to get as much computer as possible!:) Paying $175 for a 2001 iBook that's probably worth $75 or less wouldn't be a good purchase.

Keep looking for something a little bit newer...and a little bit better...so you get the most for your $175.:)

- Nick
 
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If you're going to use this at school, I'd really try for a Macbook, or one of the fastest PowerBooks at least. I'm currently using an iBook G4 as my main computer, and it's starting to just not cut it. I can't even play a moderately simple flash game without slowdown anymore. Granted if I got more ram it would probably run better and faster, but you're gonna need something that's future proof, and the ever aging Power PC G3's, G4's, and G5's definitely are not. Just my opinion. Also, if money is a problem, try looking at apple's refurbished machines instead of the brand new ones. :)

-Good Luck
 

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I'm currently using an iBook G4 as my main computer, and it's starting to just not cut it.

And you actually have a pretty nice & fast 1.33ghz iBook G4.:)

The computer the OP is talking about is only 500mhz...just imagine how slow that would be compared to your 1.33ghz.

- Nick
 
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And you actually have a pretty nice & fast 1.33ghz iBook G4.:)

The computer the OP is talking about is only 500mhz...just imagine how slow that would be compared to your 1.33ghz.

- Nick

I know. 500MHz is almost nothing compared to today's computers. As for my iBook, it's no speed demon, and I'm a fairly heavy computer user. I'm starting to lose my patience when it comes to the lagging of videos and games as well. :| Oh well, it gets the job done for now anyway.
 

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I know. 500MHz is almost nothing compared to today's computers. As for my iBook, it's no speed demon, and I'm a fairly heavy computer user. I'm starting to lose my patience when it comes to the lagging of videos and games as well. :| Oh well, it gets the job done for now anyway.

Actually I forgot that you have a 500mhz iMac...so you do have something to compare your 1.33ghz iBook to.;)

- Nick
 
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Yeah...I wasn't really thinking about the internet...I was thinking running apps. like the OP referenced in their posts.

- Nick

Yeah. Well like I said, the applications are no competition either. ;D But then again, the applications and OS that are on the G3 are older and therefore "lighter" and probably better configured for the computer.
 

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Yeah. Well like I said, the applications are no competition either. ;D But then again, the applications and OS that are on the G3 are older and therefore "lighter" and probably better configured for the computer.

You're missing my point dude.;) I'm theoretically saying that if you had the same apps as the OP mentioned (MS Office 2008 & video editing software), you have both a 1.33ghz & 500mhz computer, and if those same exact apps were installed on both your computers...then you are in the perfect position to know how much better the 1.33ghz is compared to the 500mhz.

Since you have both computers (and I'm assuming you have used them both)...then you can theoretically (from your experience) "guestimate" how much slower the 500mhz is.

Thus YOU & I both agree that a 500mhz iBook that the OP is talking about is too darn slow for their purposes!;)

- Nick
 
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You're missing my point dude.;) I'm theoretically saying that if you had the same apps as the OP mentioned (MS Office 2008 & video editing software), you have both a 1.33ghz & 500mhz computer, and if those same exact apps were installed on both your computers...then you are in the perfect position to know how much better the 1.33ghz is compared to the 500mhz.

Since you have both computers (and I'm assuming you have used them both)...then you can theoretically (from your experience) "guestimate" how much slower the 500mhz is.

Thus YOU & I both agree that a 500mhz iBook that the OP is talking about is too darn slow for their purposes!;)


- Nick
Right. The 500MHz is slow. The 1.33GHz is much faster. And the 500MHz is too slow for the OP's purposes. I think I got it. :D LOL
 

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Right. The 500MHz is slow. The 1.33GHz is much faster. And the 500MHz is too slow for the OP's purposes. I think I got it. :D LOL

You got it!;) LOL!

- Nick
 
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What could possibly go wrong with a 10 year old computer in 3 years? ;)
 
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I just got a g4 ibook 1.2/512 for a trade of a compaq running windows 7. the compaq was 10 days old. the ibook seems to do everything i want it to do just fine, seems almost as fast too. I will probably max out the ram to the max of 1.25 gb just to do it in the next week. my buddy has a g3 ibook 500mhz/640 ram and a 120 gb hard drive, it does everything he wants it to dobut has issues with youtube unless he sets it to 240p and still has some issues but still plays it. i would look for a little newer ibook or powerbook if i was you, i love my g4 ibook 1.2
 

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