I guess I'll have to chime in like that squeaky wheel and weigh in against certain iBooks: The white iBook G3 series--all of them--are dogs and to be avoided like the plague. And it is not just cranky complaint, it is acknowledged so by Apple, who still have an extended repair program in place to handle the failures of logic board, screens and screen power and data connections. Furthermore, if they fail in any other regard than the extended program covers, then you are in for either an expensive or complicated repair: expensive if you have to hire someone to do the work, and complicated if you do it your self. The market believes them to be dogs as well, for they continually sell at values well below the older Lombard and Pismos on eBay, yes, but more importantly, in local classifieds of computer savvy locations like SF and Seattle.
The iceBook G4 on the other hand seems to have corrected many of the G3 flaws. I enjoy the ice form factor immensely. BUT, even the G4 iceBooks are very difficult to self serve in repairs. I also still have affection for my G3 upgraded PowerBook 1400c. The keyboard is the best ever provided by Apple. It is light, and the active matrix screen is gorgeous. A G3 upgraded 1400 can fly past many stock Wallstreets in finder and non-ram intensive apps. It chokes at ram, but I did choose to try the flash ram/virtual memory & OS load, and it works like a charm. It is easy to self service. It is a powerful net surfer with a G3 chip, even the 250 Newer chip, but it cannot and will not ever enjoy USB or Firewire connections. If you use SCSI peripherals, then you are in luck. it is stuck in OS9 at best, and web surfing options are shrinking in that platform. Explorer has not been updated, Mozilla is buggy, Netscape--forget it, iCab is nifty... And SO cheap to buy and build up these days! 2400s...nifty, but clunky as far as all the needed peripherals. 3400s...great, simply great. Slightly heavy, very thick. Easy to service. Which is good because failure rates are increasing. These machines seem to be slightly less robust than the 1400s build-wise, especially at the track-pad clicker, which is the most frequently broken compenent I see. And no wonder, underneath it's a tab of weak plastic against a steel spring--guess who wins over time? Like the 1400s, cheap to buy, build and repair. Basically stuck at OS9 also, although X-Post Facto will induce a load of X.1 (and the loss of several functions). Lomards are robust machines, easy to fix, handle X OK, but need special tricks to load past X.3. Have USB, SCSI, no built in firewire, and you cannot use firewire and a wireless card simultaneously due to the reduction of PCMCI slots to one. You could use a wireless e-net bridge and firewire at the same time though. Getting cheap enough to be good "travel in risky places" units. If stolen, or seared by molten lava, relatively cheap to replace. Pismo--a very sweet machine. With 1 gig of ram and the 500 chip, a relative screamer compared to the pack. Only the G4 iceBooks compare in price and performance, but the Pismo is supremely upgradeable in ram load and processor (even to G4), has more connectivity and expansion options, and can handle even the latest X OS. Interestingly, you even see some tiBooks at this price range, but the early ti's are not as fast as a G4 boosted Pismo, nor as robust apprearance wise-issues with dents and paint chipping abound. If you have the money, my suggestion would be a Pismo. Yours, Run > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 21:37:50 -0500 (EST) > From: The Northerner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Question re: buying a used Apple Laptop > > I have been trying out some various apple laptops, > primarily for use as a writing tool, though I want to > surf wirelessly. > > I have a 1400 - too slow on the Internet. I bought a > Clamshell iBook. I liked it, but somehow my daughter > ended up with it. > > Then I bought a severely upgraded wallstreet, now a > g4-500, and while I love the way it works, I dislike > both the size and the heat factor. As a writer, I feel > distracted by the heat coming up through my fingers. > > I have heard the Pismos run much cooler. > > I want small size, battery longevity, cool running, > wireless ability (doesn't have to be built-in as long > as I can add on). -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-Books list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
