Apple iBook Laptop 12" M9426LL/A (1.0-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

To all PC Users: Switch to the Mac and Never Look Back!

I've used PC's my whole life, starting with the Commodore 64 and on. I currently have a Dell at home and at work. As much as I love Dell's service, I always encounter frustrating PC problems. You always need to update drivers, peripherals don't play well with one another. Finally after finding the courage, I purchased this iBook two weeks ago and it's the best decision I ever made. MP3 player, camera, wireless, Apple begs for the challenge and comes out with flying colors every time.

It's difficult to put into words what it's like to own a computer that integrates itself within your lifestyle and not the other way around. PC users that are reading this, go to an Apple store if you can, you really have no idea what I mean until you try it out for yourself. Apple handles every task I throw at it, unlike temperamental PC's. If you're worried about few software choices, I took the iBook to work in the middle of a Windows haven and it handled everything I threw at it, including some my work Dell couldn't handle. I did have to add Office Mac, but the Apple offers far superior graphics and publishing abilities. I'm able to create richer documents and have yet to encounter a single problem with sharing among operating systems (mac's preference for .pdf is fantastic!) Work documents, spreadsheets, music, dvd watching on long flights (i'm getting just under 5 hours of battery life), photos of my family. None of it is a problem for this little guy and it looks great! The only draw back is if you are a gamer, this is not for you, either stick to a PC or buy a console.

If you travel a lot like me, the iBook is as light as they come and finds all wireless access points on its own. It's great and is now cheaper than comparable PC laptops in weight with far superior performance. I picked the iBook because I wasn't sure about mac, I didn't want to spend too much. But now I'm already thinking about a Power Book and I'll never buy a PC again. p.s. invest in the RAM upgrade, minimum 512, it's worth every penny.

(5 out of 5)

THE PERFECT LAPTOP!

For those of you looking for a great laptop, look no further!

I had owned Apple computers through the 80's and into the early 90's. But I, as many others, switched to IBM/Windows compatible computers when they broke the $1000 mark about 10 years ago. The vast software choices and the low price made me think it would be OK to switch.

Through the years, I struggled with windows operating systems, and with each new release of Windows, they copied more and more off the Macintosh operating system. But even with Windows XP, Microsoft still could not get it right. Applications frequently lock up, and you still need to restart your computer every day or so in order for it to run properly. So finally, when it came time to purchase a new computer (as everyone does every few years), I decided to go back to Apple. This was the best choice I ever made!

The 12" screen is so crisp and clear that you are not even bothered by the fact that it is really only 12". The operating system (OS X panther) has so many great features that you will wonder how you ever lived without it. It offers excellent compatibility with any windows network (I have found that sometimes it works better on windows networks than windows pc's do!). If you have never used a Mac before, the operating system is easy to learn, plus the online help will answer any questions you may have.

Another big advantage is the speed the G4 processor has over a Windows compatible machine. Don't be fooled by it being rated as a 1 GHz processor, because a 1 GHz processor in a Mac is much faster than a 1 GHz IBM compatible computer.

Furthermore, the battery life is amazing for a laptop (approx. 5 hours).

The computer comes with 2 USB 2.0 Ports for endless expansion possibilities. Also, you can add an AirPort extreme card for wireless networking, which makes it easy to get online anywhere in your home or office.

This is a great little laptop for the student or business professional!

(1 out of 5)

NEW MODEL OUT FOR SAME PRICE

DO NOT buy this model because Apple has just come out with the next generation iBook which sports hefty hardware upgrades including a 1.33ghz processor and integrated Aiport Express. It sports the same price.

(5 out of 5)

iBook= Best Value and Power for Money

I got this laptop just last week as a fufillment of my dad's two year laptop promise. (...)

Installing this computer's OS was a snap. In order to install the Os, you need to know the following things:

1. the ability to use the the laptop's tracker
2. Ability to "click" on target
3. the ability to read to a 3rd grade level
4. Ability to load a DVD
5. Ability to turn on a Notebook.

That's it. You click about 4 buttons, and the OS installs itself, no confusing questions, no catchs, nothing. Even my 7 yr. old brother could have done it.

The battery last about 4.5hrs., give or take, but when put on "Longest Battery life", it gives about 1/2 hr more. Still, 5hrs. is very long battery life expectancy for a laptop . Many other computers , like the Dell 600m ( the laptop that was in competiton against this one) , give about 2.5-3 hrs. battery. I think we all know which one seems more battery efficent.

On to speed and performance. Since I'm just going to be a Freshman in High School, i don't need to have a RAM upgrade, and even if i wasen't a Student, I doubt it would be required. This computer hasen't frozen so far because of excess applications. This is because the ibook has a Velocity Engine ( information is processed in 128bit chunks), a dual Channel Memory Card (256mb), and the Ability to Multitask and the OS (Panther) itself. As for speed; 1 Ghz might sound a little low, but, if you amount for all performance stats i've told you about: 1ghz + V. Engine + dual Channel memory + the Multi Tasking ability + Panther = One Hella Powerful and Fast Computer.

Internet: I purchased this laptop with an Airport Card and Base Station. These 3 mix together like bread, peanut butter and jelly. The Airport Card automatically senses the Station, and visa versa. I live in a 1550 sq. ft. home, and this card picks up the station's waves from every nook and corner of the home. Even before I installed the Airport Station, the Card already saw neighboring stations! The Airport Setup Assist is easy to use and almost installs itself. And since the station can host up to 50 Apple and/ or Windows servers, the station is perfect for big LAN parties, or to put in hotels ( that's not my position, though).

Software: The Startup disk installs Everything, iLife, Panther, AppleWorks etc. The iLife softwares work together in a flawless manner. The iLife softwares' are a snap to use; I haven't seen any multimedia softwares like it on Windows. AppleWorks is a fine subsitute for MS Word. It even has a "PowerPoint" like mode.

Final Note:

This computer is perfect for people of all ages. You dont need to worry about a thing, this computer takes care of everything itself. It can work with Windows, and can even see CD/DVD's made on Windows (Apple has always been able to do so). The Slot Loaded combo drive + the 12" screen (don't worry, it isnt soo small that you need to squint) + a weight of 4.9lbs.( that's very light) + that long battery life i talked about, its an excellent choice for those on the move. There is very little competiton for this computer, I know this, I did my homework. This computer is one of the cheapest compact notebook on the market

So, enjoy it, i know I will

(3 out of 5)

Good but not great

Should you own this ibook? Maybe. In my opinion, it all depends on your preferences and your needs. I got this laptop as a birthday present and while I have to say it looked cool, it certainly didn't perform up to expectations. Here's how I break it down.

Pros
- Probably, the best thing about this laptop comapred with others is it's beautiful design. The sleek white plastic and the slot-loading combo drive certainly make it stand out from the rest. It's great how you can push a button on the battery and check how much battery life there is left and the display is good, though not as crisp or sharp as the other laptop's I've seen. Mainly Sony and IBM.
-It is also surprisingly quiet and hardly makes any noise at all. In fact, you just can't hear it when you're typing.
- The full size keyboard is also a plus. Most laptop computers come with funny looking keys that alter the way you type. Not this one. This makes it a pleasure to use.
- Battery life is also great. I have no idea where they get the six hour figure. Even with the highest settings. The highest I've ever got while using it is 3 and a half. Which is still better than average.
-I also like the I/O ports included. There's no serial or parallel port attached, which are useless to me.
- Multi-tasking functions much better on a Mac.
- Mac OS is also fun to use. I agree, that it is so much more stable than Windows. Of course it depends on which version you compare it to. I have never had any trouble with Windows XP Pro or Windows 2000. Not once. No freezes. No problems shutting down. No crashes nothing. But Mac OSX is a bit better when it comes to plug & play and it definately doesn't suffer from spyware. Not so far at least.

Cons
- Probably, the biggest minus of all is the fact that this model does not come with a wireless card. Apple did that obviously to lower the price to make it competitive. But it's still a bummer. Most of the laptops out there already have wireless G built in at an equal or lower price.
- Hard drive space is another. Most laptops again, average around 40GB with 60GB fast becoming the new standard. Apple will likely do an upgrade sometime in the future but right now, it falls behind others in this category. In the future I'm sure it will again, until the demand for a larger drive increases.
- I'm also a little dissapointed that this computer only came with 256RAM. It's pretty fast as it is, but Mac OSX is very memory intensive. It should at least come with 512.Not only that but there is only one open slot for you to upgrade. Which means you have throw the old module out to place a new one in.
-The speakers on this laptop are just awful. Again, it was a feature that had to be cut back in order to lower the price. The more you raise the volume, the worse the speakers sound. If you want to listen to any music or watch a movie, you're gonna want to use headphones.
- I hate to say it, but the processor in my opinion is slow. I had a 1.8Ghz celeron laptop with only 256MB RAM and it loaded applications instantly. I am tired of seeing that colored swirly thing.
-The slot loading combo drive can also be a bad. In the first few day of using it. A CD got stuck in it. Normally, when you use a tray version, you can use a pin to stick in the hole to pull it out. Not here. I almost had to call Apple Support because of it.
-I also don't like the one button track pad. This is really a personal thing though. I prefer being able to right click without the help of a mouse.
- It'd also be better if there were more USB ports and that all the ports were located to the back rather than the side. It would make things look a bit less conspicuous.
-Finally, there are some issues with Mac OSX too. For one, programs do crash - and when they do, they quit without warning. At least in Windows, a little sign will flash saying 'Program Not responding'. Not here. So you better save often if you don't want to lose your stuff. Also, there are program conflicts as well. Divx will not run on my Mac as it does on my PC and Windows Media Player keeps on quitting. It can also be very frustrating to 'find' programs and documents you might be looking for as they are scattered throughout the hard drive. At least, in Windows, everything is locate in the Start Menu alone. Also, you have to buy Mac Version software and hardware in order to use it. Which is a bummer if that happens to include programs like Photoshop, Office and an expensive scanner, as well as an MP3 player.


Having said that, should you buy this ibook? Or a Mac for that matter? Well yeah, but only if you can afford it. They are great machines. But if you don't have a lot of money to spend in the first place and can't afford to spend big bucks for Macintosh software and hardware, then there's nothing wrong with sticking to a PC. It's a machine for crying out loud and results matter much more than what platform you use. It's all preference. As for me, I gave my laptop back and was able to get a new PC laptop that suited my needs perfectly.