Minimum Requirements

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JAdams

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I'm really looking into getting a used iBook.

What are the minimum requirements I should be looking for to have an actual efficiently usable computer?

Hopefully, I'd like to get the newest operating system, but being able to run huge programs isn't really necessary.

Thanks in advance.
 
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I'd get 800 MHz G4 or higher, with 512 MB RAM or more. 768MB-1GB would be better, but that's minimum for it to run all right.
 
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I would go with one of the ones with 32mb vram, which started with the 800mhz G3 iBooks, then up the ram to at least 640mb(which is the max for iBooks in the 800mhz-1Ghz range).
 
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JAdams said:
What are the minimum requirements I should be looking for to have an actual efficiently usable computer?
First, you would need to define "efficiently usable".

In other words... what do you plan on doing with the computer? What programs do you run on a daily basis? Do you use your computer for school?... work?... leisure?

If your answer is "just surfing the net, a little word processing, email...etc", then ANY computer is sufficient enough for that Mac or Windows.
But you will have to expand on what you plan on using the computer for, before we can give a better bit of advice to you.
:black:
 
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I have an ibook g4 800mhz with 387mb ram and I run tiger, office, all the usual apps like itunes, iphoto no problem

As advised already the RAM is important because sometimes it can affect the performance of any computer if you try to run too many apps at once.

The min requirement for Tiger is 256mb ram and this is standard on the ibook 800 so you will be fine..

Good luck..
 
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JAdams

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I definately need to elaborate a bit more.

I'm looking in the $300-$500 price range. That being said, most of the refurbished ones available in the apple store are out of my price range. I've been intently surfing www.powermax.com

I'd be looking to do internet, email, word processing, iTunes, probably the mac equivalent of powerpoint. The mac equivalent of trillian.

Also, I don't think I could stand having an outdated OS, I'd want it to run the newest system. One of my computer classes last year was entirely geared towards Windows XP, but my class was in the school's only computer lab still running Windows 98.
 
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JAdams said:
I definately need to elaborate a bit more.

I'm looking in the $300-$500 price range. That being said, most of the refurbished ones available in the apple store are out of my price range. I've been intently surfing www.powermax.com

I'd be looking to do internet, email, word processing, iTunes, probably the mac equivalent of powerpoint. The mac equivalent of trillian.

Also, I don't think I could stand having an outdated OS, I'd want it to run the newest system. One of my computer classes last year was entirely geared towards Windows XP, but my class was in the school's only computer lab still running Windows 98.


If those are your intended uses, then any iBook would suffice. Just be sure that it has at least 512 MB of RAM.
The Mac equivalent of PowerPoint, is well...PowerPoint from the MS Office for Mac suite. You can always try Apple's Keynote software as it does more or less the exact same thing.
The Mac equivalent of Trillian is Adium X. Just do a Google search and you will find where to download it.

There is no real need for you to go out and get the best, biggest, newest machine with all the bells and whistles despite what others might tell you. Your needs are rather minimal and pretty basic, so even if you end up getting a five year old iBook, it will still serve you quite well. ANY iBook would do you fine. So, my advice... just find one that has at the very least a 10GB HD, 512MB of RAM, and make sure that you get original copies of the OS with it.

Good Luck! :black:
 
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JAdams

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Why is it important to have the OS cd? Most of the ones on PowerMax say it's not included.

Also, I'm not entirely sure I understand how the different versions of are actually named/numbered. I know the newest one is like 10.4 but what's the differences between 10.2 and 10.4
 
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UncSki1218

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the os cd has the actually os if you need to reinstall and some other optional software and stuff to install. you can also boot from it. its not necessary to have it but its a good thing to have around.

at first the mac os's had numbers like 8 and 9. but then when they got to ten they started using decimals. (thats why its os x...the x means 10) so theres 10.2, 10.3, so on. each os is equivilent to windows 95, 98 2k, xp etc. for example if 10.3 is 2k then 10.4 is xp. each new decimal is a new os..not like a service pack or anything.
 
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JAdams

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So, getting a laptop with 10.2 would I want to update to 10.4 or would most of the better software work without the update?
 
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UncSki1218 said:
at first the mac os's had numbers like 8 and 9. but then when they got to ten they started using decimals. (thats why its os x...the x means 10) so theres 10.2, 10.3, so on. each os is equivilent to windows 95, 98 2k, xp etc. for example if 10.3 is 2k then 10.4 is xp. each new decimal is a new os..not like a service pack or anything.
Actually, they have been using the decimal upgrade system for years. Even older versions had it, like System 7.5.3 or System 8.6 and even earlier versions.
 
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JAdams said:
So, getting a laptop with 10.2 would I want to update to 10.4 or would most of the better software work without the update?

You would probably be fine with 10.2. To get the latest version Tiger(10.4), it would cost $140, most likely not worth it.
 
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JSchultz

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To put things in perspective with speed -

I'm using the original TiBook (400 mhz) and have 640 mb of ram currently. I'm using Office X (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) Safari, iTunes, and iChat all at the same time. If my piddly little computer can do it, any iBook can.
 
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You would probably be fine with 10.2. To get the latest version Tiger(10.4), it would cost $140, most likely not worth it.

I'd actually make sure that it comes with 10.3 at least. 10.2. was something of a dog...

for example if 10.3 is 2k then 10.4 is xp. each new decimal is a new os..not like a service pack or anything.

I'd say 10.3. is like XP and 10.4. is better than XP...

I'd also go for a G4 iBook if you can afford it - even at the same Mhz speed the G4 is quite a bit faster at certain tasks... (multimedia stuff).
Also some apps actually require a G4 (Garageband and iDVD I think).
 
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JAdams

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So 10.2 isn't very good, but 10.3 is? Can I get an upgrade from 10.2 to 10.3 somewhere for cheap? Is it worth it?

I'm definately not paying the $140 for an upgrade to 10.4, but if I can get 10.3 somewhere for cheap I'd do it.

I'm still looking to find out how much different 10.2 and 10.3 or 10.4 really are?
 
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fernando87

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I don't know the exact differences, but I know by experience that 10.3 is a big improvement over 10.2. A friend of mine uses 10.2 and I have noticed it lacks a lot of the things I love about Mac OS X. That being said, 10.4 is awesome, but 10.3 will do.
 

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