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Apple Archive
Picking a Portable Mac
- 2000.12.29
Looking for a new portable Mac? If you are, you may be unsure of which portable to get. There are two Mac portables available right now: the PowerBook, and the iBook. The decision can be hard - unless you buy both (not too many people can afford both, though).
The iBook is marketed to the student or teacher who wants
something to take notes on, type up papers,
and access the Internet. The current iBook has a
FireWire port and a video out port, so you can give presentations
and make your own desktop movies.
The PowerBook G3 is for business users who want a powerful machine that they can bring with them wherever they may need it. It is also for those who want a bigger screen and more expandability than the iBook has to offer.
Both machines are fast, Internet ready, and come with a long lasting battery.
The iBook
At 366 MHz, the iBook works well for almost anything you might want to do. The iBook has built in ethernet, so you can connect to a network or transfer files between your Mac and someone else's. The iBook still has a 56K modem and a USB port, but it now includes a FireWire port and video out ports as well. FireWire allows you to attach external devices such as CD-RW drives, video cameras, and hard drives. The video out port allows you to connect your iBook to a TV or projector to make presentations, which you couldn't do with the original iBook. It also comes in new colours - Indigo and Key Lime. The iBook special edition comes in Key Lime or Graphite with a larger hard drive and a G3 processor running at 466 MHz instead of 366.
The iBook has Internet in it's name (the "i" stands for Internet). When you first turn on your new iBook you see a screen asking if you want to sign up for Internet Access. If you click Yes, you will be asked to answer some questions. After that, the setup program configures your computer to use your account. From there you can log on and access the Internet.
The iBook comes with a 6 hour battery. Okay, it doesn't really last quite 6 hours (it usually lasts about 4.5-5 hours), but it certainly does better than the batteries in most other portables.
The PowerBook
The PowerBook is available in 400 MHz or 500 MHz. Both models
include 2 FireWire and 2 USB ports,
as well
as a 56K modem, a 10/100 Base-T Ethernet port, a VGA video port,
and an S-video out port.
The PowerBook also features easy Internet Access with much the same setup as the iBook.
The PowerBook comes with a 4 hour battery (it lasts about 3 hours) and a DVD-ROM drive. You can install two batteries and get longer battery life than even the iBook!
Making the Choice
If you are planning to be doing general word processing, Internet, and some occasional games, the iBook might be the best way to go. Keep in mind that it has a 12.1" screen and can only display the 800 x 600 resolution.
If you are planning to do photo editing and/or want to have more expandability, the PowerBook, with it's 14.1" 1024 x 768 screen, would be the way to go. Keep in mind, though, that a new PowerBook model will almost certainly be introduced at Macworld Expo in January. You may want to wait for that model to appear before purchasing a new portable.
Whatever you choose, I recommend buying a good case for it, and,
if you carry it around a lot, using Apple's password protection. A
computer like this is an expensive investment, and you must take
all measures possible to keep it safe.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: iMac Core Duo, Jan. 2006 - The first Intel-based iMacs ran at 1.83-2.0 GHz, came with 17" and 20" displays.
- Group of the Day: Mac Pro List is for those using a Mac Pro.
- November 23 in LEM history: 99: Should I buy a USB card? - 01: Can a low-end Mac be an only Mac? - Palm Desktop without a PDA - CyberDog saves the day - 05: How Consumer Reports could compare Macs fairly - Speakers for your Mac - Living with the hi-res 15" PowerBook - Birth of the PowerBook - Daystar 1.9 GHz iMac G4 upgrade - 1.92 GHz PowerBook upgrade
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
- i5 iMac Benchmarked, Mac mini 'Shouldn't Be Overlooked', Twitter Client for Classic Mac OS, and More, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
- Apple #4 in Reliability, Apple Tablet a Gadget for All?, HP's i7 Notebook Outdoes Mac Rivals, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.20. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
- NASA Chemical Sensor for iPhone, Smartphone Death Match, iPhone Earrings, and More, Ian R Campbell, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
- Replacing the Hard Drive in a Clamshell iBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.19. Yes, it is one of the most difficult Apple notebooks to disassemble and reassemble, but a 10 GB hard drive just will not do.
- IBM Model F: A Great Old Keyboard with an Outdated Layout, Tommy Thomas, Welcome to Macintosh, 11.19. Although it used a different technology than the revered IBM Model M keyboard, the Model F was a great keyboard in its own right.
- Soft Touch Keyboards, Wireless Mouse Options, Loving SeaMonkey 2, and More, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.18. Also the future of browsing with PowerPC Macs and the multiple mouse input bug introduced with OS X 10.5.8.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
- Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
- Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
- Best 15" MacBook Pro Deals, 11.17. Used 1.83 GHz, $750; 2.16, $800; 2.33, $900; refurb 2.4, $1,299; 2.53, $1,449; 2.66, $1,699; 2.8, $1,899; new 2.53, $1,579; 2.66, $1,799; more.
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.17. Used 400 MHz, $50; 933 MHz, $80; 500 dual, $60; 867 dual, $90; 1 GHz dual, $150; 1.25 GHz dual, $225; 1.42 GHz, $499.
- Best Mac OS X 10.5 Deals, 11.17. "Leopard" upgrade, $80; single user license, $135; 5 users, $173; Mac Box Set, 5 users, $230; Server, 10 users, $340; unlimited, $850. Shipping included.
- Best Mac mini Deals, 11.16. Used 1.42 GHz G4 mini, $379; 1.66 GHz Core Solo, $419; 2.0 Core 2, $450; new 2.26 GHz nVidia, $580; 2.53 GHz, $769; Server, $990.
- Best iBook G4 Deals, 11.16. Used 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $210; 1.33 GHz, $298; 14" 1.33 GHz, $398; 1.42 GHz, $479; SuperDrive, $498.
- Best iPod shuffle Deals, 11.16. Used 1 GB, $35; 4 GB, $65; refurb 1 GB, $39; 2 GB, $59; new 2 GB, $55, 4 GB, $75. New and refurb prices include shipping.
- More deals in our archive.
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