Ibook or MacBook?

Hi again,
I'm the one who posted a few months back because my 2-year-old HP laptop was dying and I was thinking of replacing it with a Mac, mainly for longevity (the last Mac I had was 13 when I donated it to Goodwill). Well, the HP died and for budgetary reasons I bought another PC laptop. And I don't like it.

It does have some problems. The fan has issues - it goes on and stays on, for hours at a time, and it's really loud. And the display not only hurts my eyes - because it's so sharp - but also does wacky things with web pages. Some show really small, others are large.

I posted about the fan problem on the manufacturer's forum; no solutions there. I've done everything I can think of to make the display better and more consistent - no success. So yesterday I called the manufacturer's tech support; after a very long phone call even the tech support person apologized and said he couldn't help me, and basically suggested I return the machine to the store. Which I will do, *after* I have a replacement.

Sorry for all the PC information here, but I'm mentioning it because if I do get a Mac I don't want to deal with the same issues. I really don't know if Macs have fan problems, but as for displays - I've done a bit of research and it seems that I might be better off with an older machine that has a lower resolution - like an iBook. I've heard good things about the G4s. There are a few for sale here in town, including some refurbished ones, and they do fit my budget. I'm posting here because I have some questions:
- The RAM seems to max out at a little over a gig. Is that good enough, especially since these machines run an older version of the system?
- The hard drives aren't big either, but once again I don't know how much I'd need. In 2 years of using my HP I got the hard drive to only 80 gigs. *But* most of that was software; I've been able to back up all my files, including my browser and email preference folders, on an 8-gig flash drive.
- What, if any, compatibility issues could I have? My current printer is 6 years old and came with an installation disk that says it will work with OS 10.1.5 "and higher." (I doubt that "higher" would go much past whatever version of the Mac OS was available in 2004.) Will this Mac read the files on my flash drive - or on the external hard drive I have acquired, that used to be the *internal* hard drive on my HP?

I figure it would help to know how I use my computer. Basically, I do productivity stuff, so I need word processing, spreadsheet, and database; I think OpenOffice will work for that (I was using Microsoft Works, not MS Office). I do a bit of image manipulation for my jewelry, but I use Paint (basic drawing and painting tool) and Irfanview for that. And I need a good browser and preferably an email program; currently that's Firefox and Thunderbird.

I don't do music or video production or graphic design, and the games I play are pretty simple, I think - word games like Scrabble. I'm not into role-playing games or anything else that needs sophisticated graphics or sound.

So, before I go out and buy something else I have to return - any opinions? Will an iBook - G4, I'm thinking - work for my purposes? Or maybe a PowerBook? I'm not too sure of the difference between them. But right now I'm not seeing any PowerBooks for sale locally, while there are a fair number of iBooks. And I would like to get the "new" (used) machine set up and running before I return the current one - which I have to do before next Monday.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Meg

One thing I neglected to mention - I've checked the prices of MacBooks, and even a used one will seriously strain my budget. Plus, I'd probably have to buy a new printer.

Meg

If you want a reliable computer it's best to buy a new one. While Macs are certainly IMO more reliable than a PC, anytime you're dealing with a used machine there are unknowns. And you're talking about buying an iBook or PowerBook both of which are older PPC type machines that are fast becoming obsolete....

Don't get me wrong, the iBook and PowerBook are still nice machines if you can find one in prime condition. However, most, if not all software developers for the Mac are developing only for Intel Macs. And that includes Apple. The latest Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, can only be installed on an Intel Mac.

What I suggest is buying a refurbished MacBook or MacBook Pro direct from Apple. You save money and get a machine that's fully warranted by Apple. Folks who have refurbished Macs will tell you that for the most it's just like a new machine.

It seems that an iBook/Powerbook will suit your needs speed wise. As you don't seem to do any really CPU intensive tasks. But as chscag said they are fast becoming obsolete, and if there's any new software developed that you might want to try, odds are it won't support the PowerPC CPU. The real question is, do you want to go for the cheaper option of an iBook, where your basic needs will be met, but you'll never have expansion option. (Ex: Play that cool looking game that you saw, or download that new piece of software) As with the Macbook, sure you're probably going to pay a lot more $$$ but you'll have room for the future.

Concerning the screen, I much prefer the Macbook to the iBook. When working on my schools Macbook, the screen is bright and the colors are sharp. (But not too sharp) Probably because it has a higher resolution. Then when I switch to using my iBook, I find it dim and not as sharp.

Overall only you can decide what's best for your needs. Go for future proof and spend more, or go aging yet save a lot. Good luck.

Given the funding situation you have a dilemma, but I agree that if you can possibly stretch to it, buy a newer Intel based machine, or at the very least a late model Powerbook.
The iBook was prone to logic board failure ("the fans of death" being a good clue) and while the solder fix for that works, it's a very old machine now. I have a Powerbook and it's fine, but it is a top spec model and I don't use it for much other than sound recording from my drums and browsing the web.
For guaranteed future software compatibility you definitely need Intel, but of course money is always an issue, and you're not going to get much change out of $400-500 I guess (older models currently sell for £250-300 here), but the US does seem to be cheaper for used Mac's.
Good luck.

Three things:

1. Although you don't say it directly, you imply that you're having vision problems. You should really have that seen to first. Computers are replaceable; eyes, not so much.

2. It would be nuts to spend any substantive money on a non-Intel iMac at this point.

3. You mentioned laptops, but do you REALLY need one? Particularly given that the screen of a laptop is ALWAYS going to be tiny? Why not consider a recent-model Mac mini ... to which you can attach any sort or size monitor? More than capable of doing all the stuff you mentioned, affordable and compact. Sounds tailor-made for you, quite frankly.

I'll keep this short, since the last message I wrote here wasn't accepted because I somehow got logged out while I was writing it.

- My eyes are fine. My glasses prescription is not old. Since I had no problem with the display on my HP - which had a lower resolution and a different operating system - I'm assuming the problem is with this new machine, either the resolution or the OS or the way the software runs on the OS - or possibly all of those. I did a search on this problem when I first noticed it, and discovered I'm not the only one whose eyes hurt when they tried to use a new computer.
- I do need a laptop because I'm getting ready to do some extensive traveling and will have limited space.
- I strongly believe in the 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - because I think they're good for the planet. But it seems that, especially in the world of technology, the first one - Reduce - gets ignored in favor of "more, faster, newer." That may be important for some computer users, but it isn't so much for others - and I suspect there are a lot of us in the second category.

Thank you to the people who gave me information about the iBook problems and display issues. I'm going to try to check one out in person today, and will make my decision either today or tomorrow. I'll report back when it's settled.

Meg

megada said:

I'll keep this short, since the last message I wrote here wasn't accepted because I somehow got logged out while I was writing it.

- My eyes are fine. My glasses prescription is not old. Since I had no problem with the display on my HP - which had a lower resolution and a different operating system - I'm assuming the problem is with this new machine, either the resolution or the OS or the way the software runs on the OS - or possibly all of those. I did a search on this problem when I first noticed it, and discovered I'm not the only one whose eyes hurt when they tried to use a new computer.
- I do need a laptop because I'm getting ready to do some extensive traveling and will have limited space.
- I strongly believe in the 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - because I think they're good for the planet. But it seems that, especially in the world of technology, the first one - Reduce - gets ignored in favor of "more, faster, newer." That may be important for some computer users, but it isn't so much for others - and I suspect there are a lot of us in the second category.

Thank you to the people who gave me information about the iBook problems and display issues. I'm going to try to check one out in person today, and will make my decision either today or tomorrow. I'll report back when it's settled.

Meg

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Sounds like a MBA would be good for you.

I would recommend the original poster takes a look in person at the White Mcabook and the Macbook Air. As both of those computers seem to be right up the alley of what he wants to do. And then take a look on the Apple refurbished store from time to time for a bargain used Mac. They go fast but you might end up being lucky.