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Apple iBook 700-MHz
by krmc01
I have been a PC user for almost 14 years. I have been using them regularly since my first job and have developed a good working knowledge in particular the Windows operating system. I decided recently to have a look for a new notebook PC. I tried everywhere looking for a compact system which offered great portability but still with ... desktop performance. I could not afford more than £1100. This would also be my main system at home. I had used a Fujitsu-Siemens lifebook for years but this was looking very old and was so big you had to carry it out around in a suitcase!
I was watching TV one night when an advert came on for the Powerbook. The advert caught my attention and filled my head with thoughts of making the switch to Mac. I went to PC World the very next day. There was no way I could afford £2700 for a top of the range Powerbook. Even £1400 for the entry level model would be pushing it with my dead end job so I decided to look for something less expensive. That's when I found the Ibook. I read up on the product for a couple of weeks. I was practically living on the Apple Website researching as much as possible. Then I made the plunge. I opted for a CD Rom only model as I would never be watching DVD's on the move. I also had an external Philips jack rabbit CDRW drive which I used with the lifebook, this was compatible with the ibook.
Surprisingly I got the 700mhz model with 20gig and 128mb ram for an incredible £699. This was just before Apple increased the processor to 800mhz and 900mhz and PC World had knocked £100 off the price. I couldn't wait to get home, the drive from Edinburgh was the longest ever but as soon as I got home and opened the box I was in love!!!!! This was true love!!!!!
The design is timeless. Finished in white, reinforced polycarbonate shell which claims to be practically 'bomb proof' and weighing in at 2.2kg. Even the Hard drive is encased in rubber to make it shock resistant. I haven't d
ropped it yet though to test this and I think if it were to drop I would likely cry! The Keyboard is great and very quiet which means even if you are typing in a public place the noise will be kept to the minimum. The 12.1" screen is very sharp and I don't notice the 2" drop in size from my old system. A 14" Ibook is also available but this does not seem as cute. The Cd rom drive also seems solid as I use this extensively.
I use the Mac mainly for music creation and having a mess around with Photoshop version 7. I have also used Bryce and UZR 3d (design programs) and these programs run perfectly. A 700mhz system may on paper compared with the Intel chipset seem slow but I can assure this is not the case. We will soon be on an Intel Pentium 27 with a 10 gig processor or something like that but I feel the Mac uses the processor more intelligently as I have noticed no drop off in system performance. The one thing I would recommend is upgrading the ram. The system comes with 128mb which is dissapointing. I added a further 256mb which made a huge difference. I believe that the operating system Mac OSx uses 128mb alone so an upgrade would be a wise investment. The spare slot for the Ram can be upgraded to 512mb making a total of 640mb with the 128mb built in. I believe the bigger processor ibooks now come with 256mb ram built in.
The included connections are great. 2 usb, 1 firewire (400), phone connector for net access and Ethernet port for creating a network. The system also comes with a VGA out connector so if you feel flush you can treat yourself to a flat screen apple studio display which is all powered from the Ibook via the supplied connection. There is also a headphone port which can connect to a stereo system and gives great sound quality. If you are seriously into music and want to input music to the ibook the iMic is the ideal purchase as it turns a USB port into an audio out or in at the flick of a switch.
The b
attery life is also fantastic. Apple claim 5hrs. That may be based on the system doing very little but I have had upto 4hrs with everything blazing and ripping CD's etc. Compared to my other system which ran for 85mins.
The trackpad mouse is also quite good and ideal if you are on the move. If you plan to use the ibook as a home system though an external mouse is a worthwhile investment.
I have owned this product now for over 3months and it is without doubt the best purchase I have ever made. I have been so won over with Apple products that I am trying to convince my friends and family to make the switch. That though will take some doing. No longer am I tied to Windows systems. In a way its a two finger salute to the world of P.C's and Windows. Although I am at work at the moment typing this review on a Windows system so perhaps I should shut up.
I cant recommend this product enough. If you are a power user this may not meet the requirements you have but if you are looking for a system to use at home and take on the road from time and are not running monster applications or programs you will have no problem at all. The price was also fantastic. I had enough left over for an external mouse and other peripherals.
The system itself is only half the issue. If the operating system wasn't any good the product wouldn't be any good. I can safely say that after years of using Windows, Mac OSx, which is supplied with all new Macs is the most user friendly OS I have ever used. My ibook must be on for at least 4-6 hrs everyday and not once I have had an issue with the product or the operating system. The operating system is so good I could do another review for that.
I hope this review has been helpful to you. If you are considering switching to Apple check their website which is fantastic. Its packed full of information and the support section is first class. If you decide to purchase an ibook I hope you find the
same pleasure in the product that I have.
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Amigo AMX-CA6xE
by dale.s
I have been researching routers with in-built modems, and the prices seemed way too expensive as oppose to the dsl router/switches. (The RJ11 WAN out is the tell tale sign, as this goes straight into your wall, whereas as RJ45 goes onto an ethernet modem or cable set top box.) I found this router on adslguide.org as the best ... for value for money, and before purchasing, i made sure i would have all the support i needed.
USB drivers for the connection, i you dont have a network card, dont come with but are availible for download on the net.
There are many different sites offering set up guides, which in its self seems pretty painless as it runs through explorer, software we're all used to using!
I will be installing it in the next few days and will let you know if it performs, and if it took me anymore than a day to set it up.
Till then...
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Apple iBook
by Tybalt348
I recently bought an iBook to take away with me to university in September, wanting something different from a normal windows system. I briefly considered getting Linux, but then looked at the iBook and decided to give it a try. People tried to convince me it was a bad idea initially, saying that I'd have to get used to a new OS ... and there wasn't much software for it. Blah Blah Blah :)
Well, it took about a few days to get used to the new OS. I haven't had a problem with it. The only reason it feels odd at first is that I'm so used to Win 98. A total computer newbie would find learning to use Mac OSx much easier than Windows. The software that comes with it is excellent and feels very well thought out, unlike the utilities that come with windows, which can feel like something of an afterthought. There are a few little weirndnesses, but I'm sure that they result from my inexperience with the software and aren't the fault of the system.
There are some slight niggles with it though - you'll miss the windows taskbar at times when talking to 3 people on AIM or browsing multiple windows. It can also feel a little restrictive at times, but the flip side of that is that it's harder to mess things up without realising it. The single mouse button is a little annoying until you realise that if you plug in a 2 buttoned mouse, you can right click to your heart's content, just like in Windows.
What else? It all feels very well made, like it will last a long time. It's well specced, with 2 USB ports, Firewire, an Ethernet card and a modem as standard. The visual quality of the monitor is nothing short of phenomenal with an extremely clear, sharp picture. The compatibility problems aren't really that bad, because there is excellent software out for the mac and I haven't yet wanted to do something that I couldn't. If all you want is a games machine, this wouldn't be the one to go
for though. It will play games, there just aren't nearly enough around for it, and it is a little low on power. You'd be better off with a G4 or G5 desktop if you wanted to play games on an apple computer.
I very highly recommend the iBook. I went for the 14.1" version but the 12" version was just as impressive. Only a little smaller. It's a fantastic system for those who are looking for something a little different and for those who are new to computers. Give it a try.
UPDATE: I believe this review may be for the wrong "class' of iBook. Mine is the one currently on sale on www.apple.com. It's the 800Mhz, 256Mb, 14", DVD CD-RW version. The other reviews here seem to be for the older iBooks.
LONG TERM UPDATE: Ok, well I've had the iBook since late February now, so I have a good idea of what it's like owning one in the long term. I have to say that I haven't looked back once, or once regretted buying it. It's crashed once on me, in about 7 months. It doesn't get much better than that, and I don't know a single person who has a windows machine that matches my iBook's record.
I have friends with windows XP laptops that are, to be honest, a mess. One of them can only run about half the games he buys. Another of them has a problem with Windows media player which means it takes about 15 seconds to load an MP3. They ALL crash regularly. Looking at the software that comes with their machines, I'm happy I bought the apple. I love the way it all feels totally integrated, the way programs all just work together without problems and on the very rare occasion that a program has an error and needs to close, it doesn't affect the rest of the system. I've also tried out networking the machine, and it's extremely easy to connect to a windows system. I used it to play Quake 3, if you're interested.
The ONLY problem with it
is a slight lack of power. I put in another 256Mb RAM for it, which has given it a useful boost, but it's not a blazing fast system. It's more than adequate for what I want to use it for though, and still much faster than any 800Mhz windows system.
My best piece of advice to a new owner would be to learn all the keyboard shortcuts. They make life much easier and come in really handy. The problem I had in the past with multiple windows is no longer a concern. But I still rate it 5 stars and I'd give it 6 if I could.
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