thinking of buying my first mac

I am thinking of making the switch to mac. My funds are limited so I am looking to purchase a used Powerbook G4. Not being very familiar with Macs I am looking for advice how to look at a used Powerbook and quickly confirm that everything works well so I don't buy a defective computer from an unscrupulous seller. Any input would be appreciated. I'm very excited at the prospect of making the move to apple!

Well depending on how low your funds are, you could always look at a refurbed macbook. They are much cheaper than a new one and as the current ones (i believe).

nukehammer said:

I am thinking of making the switch to mac. My funds are limited so I am looking to purchase a used Powerbook G4. Not being very familiar with Macs I am looking for advice how to look at a used Powerbook and quickly confirm that everything works well so I don't buy a defective computer from an unscrupulous seller. Any input would be appreciated. I'm very excited at the prospect of making the move to apple!

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First, don't buy a used machine from either eBay or Craig's list - unless you can meet with the seller in person and get some kind of a guarantee the computer is OK. Even that is risky since you're not familiar with the workings of a Mac.

However, as the other reply suggested, if you have limited funds you might think about purchasing a refurbished MacBook from Apple. There are still older generation MacBook machines available. They come with a full warranty from Apple. You'll probably pay more than you would for a used Powerbook G4, but consider the loss of $$ if the used PB G4 turns out to be a dud.

Regards.

Just another thing to add - MacMall is currently blowing out closeout models from the previous generation. The model that I have, which sold new for $1999 is running $1299 at the moment. If you go with a lesser machine (like a standard MacBook), you should be able to get a brand new machine of the older generation for less than $1000.

Well, if you are insistent on getting it second hand, I'd say that you should make sure that the seller provides you with the installation disks as well. So just in case you have a bunch of applications installed, you still get them back by reinstalling everything via the disks. I have heard of buyers from eBay getting an EMPTY Macbook, with nothing inside whatsoever. So, just be careful, and make sure that all the standard Apple softwares are there.

I am unfamiliar with second hand trade, but that is probably what I can think of as of now. I am sure others can provide a more comprehensive check on the machine.