a few questions

A

admin0

Guest
Hi,

I plan to get the new g4 12" ibook this sunday.
I have some basic questions. I apologize if those are already answered and i have missed in the forums.

#1
What do I need to to do after taking it out of the box?
I know the OS and all components will be tested before I make the purcahse, but how would I actually go ahead and get the battery calibrated and see if its faulty and requires replacement ?

#2
I have always been a do-it-myself guy, and I want to have just tiger in the ibook and not anything else. Is there anything to consider when doing a re-install? Maybe to drain down the battery for calibration, can I reinstall 10.4 while being on battery?

#3
Being a windows/linux power user for the past 7 years (and OS 8.1/9), will it be a good idea to have a seperate partition for the core OS and a different partition for my own files. Or just don't bother with partitions and use it all single. If I do want to partition, is it same like other unix systems with / /boot /var /usr /home swap etc or are things a bit different here.
If there is a specific partition where user data is stored, do you advice to mount it seperately? I will get at least 1gb of mem, so would an extra 1gb of swap be enough? I plan to get either a 80gb or 100gb disk.

#4
I am here in Nepal, and will be in Singapore for just 2 days, especially for this purchase. What can I check in that short time period and return happily back, since going again with issues will cost me around $600 round trip. I mean what tail-tale signs to look for? Or are all new ibooks without any issues on the firmware/motherboard/lcd/battery? A most-important-thing-to-check list would be very helpful. How soon does the batter charge from 10% and say 50% .


#5
I will be using the ibook mainly for php/mysql/website developments - so that all my work is centralized and not distributed among my home and office computer, and that i can get rid of my pda in exchange for ical and tons of widgets that provide more. Please recommend me some good softwares for the same. (website development, php, mysql, perl, a bit C)


#6
What usage pattern would be the best way to prolong the battery life?
always use plugged in? Always drain it off and recharge? a few hours on battery and overnight charging? Charge after reaching 50% of battery power and unplug after its fully charged? Charge after reaching some XX% and let it plugged in for YY hours after its charged full?


#7.
Does ibook work very well with other AccessPoints apart from its own airport. Can I share the internet connection from my pc and have the ibook connect to the PC and share files using other brands like LinkSys, NetGear etc? Does it connect to the 108mbps or limited to 54mbps.

#8.
Anything that I might have missed or need to know? For example, some must-have softwares or accessories.



Thank you for reading and taking your time to reply.


Cheers! :dummy:
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook C2D 2.4 2GB
Battery Issues:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22682
http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/

Extra Software: The iBook comes with a lot of extra software, just look for the extras on the Applications folder and delete it, i wouldn't worry about reinstalling Tiger just to have a clean install.

First Steps: When i got mine, the guy at the Apple Store just tested the extra RAM i got, he didn't tested anything else, yet everything has wroked great since (4 months). I suposse if you ask, they might help you to test everything.

Bigger HD: As far as i know, they don't upgrade the HD in the store.

Internet Connection: I have my cable modem connected to a Linksys router, and through it i connect my PC and my iBook (using Airport).

Most Important: Have fun! the OS is really easy to use.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro M1 • iPhone 14 Pro • iPad Pro • iMac Retina 27"
admin0 said:
#2
I have always been a do-it-myself guy, and I want to have just tiger in the ibook and not anything else. Is there anything to consider when doing a re-install? Maybe to drain down the battery for calibration, can I reinstall 10.4 while being on battery?

As mraya says, just delete what you don't want. It's much easier.

#3
Being a windows/linux power user for the past 7 years (and OS 8.1/9), will it be a good idea to have a seperate partition for the core OS and a different partition for my own files. Or just don't bother with partitions and use it all single. If I do want to partition, is it same like other unix systems with / /boot /var /usr /home swap etc or are things a bit different here.
If there is a specific partition where user data is stored, do you advice to mount it seperately? I will get at least 1gb of mem, so would an extra 1gb of swap be enough? I plan to get either a 80gb or 100gb disk.

The Mac has everything under the root (/) partition. The directory structure is similiar to other UNIX/Linux systems, but (for example) /var does not have its own partition.

I was a UNIX sysadmin in the old days (Sun and NeXT among others) and I would recommend against messing around with the partitions. Just go with what Apple provides you. And that includes the swap partitions.

Also, as mraya said, Apple Stores do not generally carry the larger disk drives on machines they keep in stock-- you have to order them and they come directly from the factory in Taiwan. I would suggest you call the retailer you're planning on visiting to see exactly what they have available when you're there.

#4
I am here in Nepal, and will be in Singapore for just 2 days, especially for this purchase. What can I check in that short time period and return happily back, since going again with issues will cost me around $600 round trip. I mean what tail-tale signs to look for? Or are all new ibooks without any issues on the firmware/motherboard/lcd/battery? A most-important-thing-to-check list would be very helpful. How soon does the batter charge from 10% and say 50%.

Most likely, your battery will be fully charged when you get it. You can run through a full discharge/recharge cycle in about 8-10 hours.

If you have access to a broadband connection in Singapore, I would run Software Update to make sure you have the latest updates to the OS.

And of course, Apple would always say that "all new ibooks are without any issues on the firmware/motherboard/lcd/battery." :)

#7.
Does ibook work very well with other AccessPoints apart from its own airport. Can I share the internet connection from my pc and have the ibook connect to the PC and share files using other brands like LinkSys, NetGear etc? Does it connect to the 108mbps or limited to 54mbps.

Airport Extreme is 802.11g, which is 54mbps. There are no Apple-compatible "pre-N" wireless products available at this time.

The Mac is compatible with all other 802.11b/802.11g network hardware.

Good luck!
 
OP
A

admin0

Guest
Thank You mraya and caribiner23 for the reply.
I will call a few retailers and see what will be available when I am there.

Additionally, I found a list of resellers in Bangkok, where I will be stopping, so that will help.


Thanks again.
 
Joined
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Your Mac's Specs
ibook g4, 14'', 1.33 Ghz, 60gig, 768ram, Mac OsX 10.4.3
if you are going to singapore, you can check out some accessories at Sim Lim square. Basically it's the busiest computer hardware in singapore.
if u need to buy any extra ram or any other stuffs, you can bargain over there.
 

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