the dream machine (Apple iBook G3 900)

Name: competition.man

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Product:	Apple iBook G3 900
Date:	21/01/04 (1870 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: build quality, reliability, os x

Disadvantages: cost per feature, lack of software

Apple Ibook - 2003 mode / 77 key keyboard / built-in tracking pad .

At present the Apple ibook comes in two main configurations namely :

1) 900 mhz G3 processor
14.1? TXT XGA LCD
DVD / CR-rw Combo drive
40 gig Ultra ATA Hard drive
256 meg RAM
( price £1000.00 incl. VAT )

2) 800 mhz G3 processor
12.1? TXT XGALCD
CD drive
30 gig Ultra ATA Hard drive
128 meg RAM
( price £800.00 incl. VAT )

Both variations share the following charcteristics :

ATA Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics card with 32 mb VRAM / 56k internal modem / 2 * USB (12 Mbps )/ 10/100 Base-T Ethernet / 4000bps ( 5eee 1394 ) Firewire / Video Out / Audio out ports . 512 L2 cache / built-in battery level indicator / Kensington security slot . Weight approx. 4.9lb ( 2.2 kg ) .

Ram can be upgraded to 640 meg , and an AirPort can be added for infra-red wireless networking .

~ Looks ~

A white polycarbonate case , internally fortified with magnesium for strength , this laptop oozes charm . The lid has the Apple logo which is illuminated when the beast is turned on . Underneath is the battery level indicator , which illuminates when a small button is pressed .
The left hand edge holds the main connectivity ports , when the right hand side provides the drive bay and power socket .

The front edge provides the lid release and also hidden lcd , which pulses if the machine is left on and the lid closed - nice touch that .

Open the lid , and the translucent keyboard is most striking , and a joy to use . Above the keyboard you find the power-on button and two speakers .

~ Software ~

The main operating OS is OS X , which is a unix based operating system . However in keeping with previous OS releases , much of the tradition OS views are there to be found .

As OS X is unix based and therefore totally non compatible with previous OS releases , Apply also include OS 9.2
, which automatically loads should non compatible software be loaded . This runs in its own enviroment , and in practice has been found to be very stable , as is OS X .

Also supplied is the latest release of Appleworkks ( v 6.2.5 ) , which is similar in function to Microsoft works , only much more user friendly and powerful .

Then you have the iLife suite , comprising of iT unes , iMovie and iPhoto , that make editing of images / movies and music a thing of simplicity . Then you have iCal ( calendar ) , iChat ( real time online chat using AIM ) and Sherlock , which just has to be one of the best search engines available today .

Next you have Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac , Outlook Express and Mail ( Apples Outlook Express replacement ) . NOTE : Microsoft have recently announced that they are no longer to support the Macintosh format , and so the current versions of IE and OE will be the last . While doing this ,however , they will still continue to update MS Office for Mac ( ! ) . This should not be of concern though , as Mail is preferred over OE and there is always Netscape Navigator and Apple?s own forray into the web surfing , namely Safari .
Furthernore you also get three games ( GNU chess , Deimos Rising and Otto Matic ) , and Worldbook .

~ In Use ~

The display is crisp and superbly clear . Brightness is controlled via F1 and F2 keys . Sound is crisp and clear albeit a little quiet . Again control is via key use , name F3,F4 and F5 keys . When using these control keys , the relevant icon appears in ghost format above current application , and disappears just as quick .

When using OS X , you also see on screen the ?Dock? which is fully animated and works in a similar manner to Windows Start Menu , as well as the usual Application menu , synomimous with the Apple GUI .

The supplied software is easy to use , even without previous experience , a thing that Apple have always prided themselves on .
Should you encounter any problems the Help menu is a comprhensive and useful .

Nice features on the desktop include battery level supplied in icon and % formats , speker volume level and modem icon , that when in use provides spent on-line time .
I particularly like iTunes which makes copying your CD collection onto hard disk simplicity , so you always have your musical likes to hand .

As I said before , the speaker volume is not too high , but this is usual with most laptops . However using external speakers or headphones really brings out the quality of playback .

~ Processor speed ~

Prospective buyers should not be put off by the low speed rating of these computers , especially compared to PC models who often have speed ratings in excess of 2ghtz , as Apple computers use the range of power processors manufactered / designed by Apple / IBM / Motorola , which use a totally different archtecture to Intel / AMD processors , but are on a par with there counterparts .

~ Battery Life ~

The iBook comes with a Li-Ion battery , which when used conservatively and in conjunction
the usual enrgy saving features eg, screen dimming after x.x minutes inactivity , can supposidly last for up to five hours . In practice I have achieved in excess of 3.5 hours continuous usage without the need to recharge , which isn?t bad . Re-charging from empty takes approx 1 hour. Additional batteries can be purchased at a cost of around £90.00 .

~ Tracker Pad ~

Approx 3" * 2" in size , and very accurate . However not all like such pads , and non Mac users will find the concept of a single button click hard to grasp in the beginning . Fear not though as any USB mouse can be attached , and function without software drivers , giving the use of stardard PC mouse usage .
External mouse use also increases speed .

~ Built-in fan ~

All computers have built-in cooling fans . In use it has t
o be said that your lap will get quite warm , yet in four weeks of use , only once has the fan come into operation , and that was approaching the 3.5 hours of use mark . While the noise of the fan was noticable , it was not overly loud , but was powerful enough to feel the cooling air from the rear air vents .

~ Disappointments ~

I have the lower spec. 800 mhz / cd version . What would have been nice is the inclusion of a CD-r as standard . Similarly , the higher spec. model could also have included a DVD-R/ CD-r combo drive as standard. Such drives are becomming commonplace in the PC laptop market , and could influence future buyers , given the similar costs of Apple / PC laptops . The cost between the two detailed models ( £200.00 ) , seems a little steep , when you only get an extra 10 gig hard disk space , 100 mghz processor increase and upgrade to DVD / CD-rw
Okay , you can buy external devices , but it the additional cost may be off putting ( probably dearer than buying the higher spec. model ) , and having built-in burning software and no way of making use of it is a huge disappointment .

~ Preferences ~

Having used both Apple and PC laptops , I do prefer the Apple in use . The software tends to be of better quality and easier to use , and build quality is superb .
The downside in use however is the amount of software available , however all the big names are available eg. Photoshop , MS Office , etc. etc. , and file sharing isn?t a major problem . additionally most high profile games do get ported to the Apple platform , although it does take a while for it to arrive .
Not being a huge game player , nor needing high PC compatibilty , I find the Apple all that I need .
Well worth a look , but if you can afford the additional cost , go for the higher spec model .

Thanks for the read.

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