Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best iBook G4 Prices

2012.07.16

Short link: http://bit.ly/ADKj9

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G4 iBooks are a good option with prices starting below $200 including AirPort Extreme - well under half the cost of a refurbished 13" MacBook. The biggest drawback to the iBook design is the tedious process involved in disassembling and reassembling it to upgrade the hard drive.

12-inch iBook G4
12" iBook G4

Apple last updated the iBook line in July 2005 and replaced it with the 13.3" MacBook in May 2006. The final revision iBooks shipped with 512 MB RAM, Radeon 9550 graphics, Bluetooth, scrolling trackpads, and sudden motion sensors as standard features. For our assessment of their value at release, see The 2005 iBook G4 Value Equation. For a good overview of the iBook G4 line, see Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the iBook G4.

We recommend at least 512 MB of RAM with OS X, and that's what Apple suggests for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (which comes installed on most used G4 iBooks) as well. More RAM is better, and all of the G4 iBooks support 1 GB of RAM in addition to 256 MB or 512 MB on the motherboard.

14-inch ibook G4
14" iBook G4

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is supported on all 867 MHz and faster G4 iBooks with at least 512 MB of RAM and the ability to run the DVD-based installer. We recommend at least 768 MB of RAM for Leopard; more if you can afford it.

The 12" 800 MHz iBook G4 is the only G4 iBook officially "unsupported" for 10.5. You cannot run the Leopard installer from the original DVD without a firmware hack. You can install Leopard from a supported Mac, create a hacked install disc, or modify Open Firmware. See our article on Unsupported Leopard Installation for more details.

Used Macs usually have a 90 day warranty. Listings note RAM/hard drive size and whether AirPort Extreme (APX) is included or not. We strongly recommend adding a 256 MB or 512 MB module for better system performance. (For most users, adding 1 GB is probably excessive, but you can best determine your own needs, and prices are pretty reasonable.)

Be sure to factor in possible shipping costs (often included) and sales tax. Your best value depends on whether you need/want, a larger hard drive, more memory, etc.

We factor in ground shipping costs when selecting the best prices. Ground shipping charges vary by distance and carrier - the numbers we use are for shipping to Low End Mac headquarters in Michigan.

Best Prices

HOT 12" 1.33 GHz Combo, $158, Beta Macs
14" 933 MHz Combo, $195, UsedMac
14" 1.07 GHz Combo, $229, UsedMac
14" 1.2 GHz Combo, $249, UsedMac
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, $269, UsedMac
14" 1.42 GHz Combo, $274, DV Warehouse
HOT 14" 1.42 GHz SD, $299, Teksale

Recent RAM Prices

All G4 iBooks are compatible with PC2700 memory and have only 1 available RAM slot.

PC2100: 512 MB, $14.97; 1 GB, $32.99
PC2700: 1 GB, $33.59

Replacement Batteries

5000 mAh/55.5 Watt-Hour NuPower for 12" iBook G4, 11% more capacity than original, $89.99, OWC
74 Watt-Hour NuPower for 14" iBook G4, 21% more capacity than original, $99, OWC

Mac OS Prices

Classic Mac OS (use 9.2.2 for Classic Mode)
Mac OS X 10.0-10.3
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard (requires 512 MB of RAM and DVD compatible drive)

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases. Vendors are listed in alphabetical order. Be sure to visit their sites for full details. iBooks are used unless otherwise noted.

Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices toDan Knight .

Buying through some of these links benefits Low End Mac. Buying at these prices benefits you.

Profiles

Late 2003: 12" 800 MHz / 933 MHz/1.07* GHz
128 MB onboard RAM (1.125 GB max), Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics with 32 MB VRAM, OS X 10.3-10.5
Early 2004: 12" 1.07 GHz* / 14" 1.07*/1.2 GHz
256 MB onboard RAM (1.25 GB max), Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics with 32 MB VRAM, OS X 10.3-10.5
Late 2004: 12" 1.2 GHz / 14" 1.33 GHz
256 MB onboard RAM (1.25 GB max), Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics with 32 MB VRAM, OS X 10.3-10.5
Mid 2005: 12" 1.33 GHz / 14" 1.42 GHz
512 MB onboard RAM (1.5 GB max), Mobility Radeon 9550 graphics with 32 MB VRAM, OS X 10.4-10.5

* Apple never officially offered a 1.07 GHz iBook, but the 1.0 GHz iBooks report themselves as 1.07 GHz models. We suspect that Apple rounded the number down to an even 1.0 for marketing purposes. Benchmarks show the performance you would expect from a 1.07 GHz CPU, not 1.0 GHz. We list them on their profile pages using Apple's nominal 1.0 GHz rating and list them here with their actual 1.07 GHz clock speed.

BetaMacs

Shipping may add $23 or more.

12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 768/40, APX, OS X 10.5, $158

DV Warehouse

Shipping may add $20 or more.

12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, OS X 10.5, $199
14" 1.42 GHz Combo, 512/60, APX, OS X 10.4, $279

Mac-Pro

Shipping may add $20 or more. 60 day warranty. OS X 10.4 installed.

12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $297.77
14" 1.42 GHz SD, 768/60, APX, $397.77

Midwest Notebooks

Ground shipping can add $20 or more.

12" 1.07 GHz Combo, 512/30, APX, $214.88
12" 1.07 GHz Combo, 512/30, APX, new battery, $238.88
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $244.88
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, new battery, $279.88
other configurations listed

Operator Headgap

Shipping included. Operator Headgap thoroughly refurbishes and tests every Mac they sell. OS X 10.4 installed. When ordering, please let them know you heard about them on Low End Mac when entering your shipping information. Thanks!

60W AC adapter, $39.77 shipped
hard drives and many other accessories also available

PowerMax 12" - 14"

Free ground shipping. OS X 10.4.11 & Classic installed. PowerMax has the broadest selection of used Macs of any Mac dealer we track.

12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 512/30, APX, $249 shipped
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 1.5 GB/40, APX, $319 shipped
14" 1.42 GHz Combo, 512/60, APX, $319 shipped
other configurations listed

Teksale.com

Ground shipping can add $15 or more. OS X 10.4 installed.

14" 1.42 GHz SD, 512/60, APX, $299
14" 1.42 GHz SD, 1 GB/60, APX, $315

UsedMac

UsedMac is located in Sherman Oaks, CA and collect sales tax on California orders. Shipping can add $30 or more. Fresh OS X 10.4 or 10.5 install. 60 day store warranty.

12" 800 MHz Combo, 512/30, APX, $179
12" 1.07 GHz Combo, 512/30, APX, $195
12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 512/30, APX, $199
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $225
14" 933 MHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $195
14" 1.07 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $229
14" 1.2 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $249
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/60, APX, $269

Wegener Media

AirPort Extreme not included except as noted. Add $35 for APX. Shipping may add $25 or more. 60 day warranty.

12" 800 MHz Combo, 256/30, $289.99
12" 1.07 GHz Combo, 256/30, $319.99
12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 256/30, $329.99
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, BT, $339.99
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/60, $429.99
14" 1.33 GHz SD, 512/60, $469.99
14" 1.42 GHz SD, 512/60, $499.99
add $39.99 for a new high capacity battery

Need more power or a larger screen than the 1024 x 768 iBook offers? Check out our Titanium PowerBook G4 deals, 12" PowerBook G4 deals, and 15" PowerBook G4 deals, and 17" PowerBook G4 deals. Don't need G4 power? Check out our iBook G3 deals and PowerBook G3 deals.

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