Still going strong after all these years, Apple's iBook starts a 2nd career.

NOTE: This review is for a used laptop purchased from eBay in July of 2006. The manufacturer date on the laptop is August 2003 making this system 3 years old. Please read on if you’re interested in a budget priced laptop with plenty of life and functionality still ahead.

--- System Specifications ---
Apple iBook 12” G4 1.0 Ghz 512 L2 Cache
Bus Speed: 133 MHz
RAM: 256 MB Built-in
Hard Drive: 40 GB Storage
Disc Drive: CD-RW Writable, DVD Read-Only Combo
Wireless: Airport Extreme Card
Video Card 32MB

After the purchase of my iMac 20” Intel Duo system I convinced myself I didn’t need a laptop anymore since I do most of my computing while sitting at home. After a few months going by without any mobile computing options I decided to bite the bullet and shop for a used laptop. After owning a Toshiba Satellite and a Powerbook G4 I knew my only options were a system made by Apple. I wanted a much smaller laptop than my 17” Powerbook and after a bit of research I decided on a 12” iBook. Since I wanted this system mostly for light wireless internet use, Microsoft Word documents, and iTunes, I wanted a large hard drive and an Airport card. I found quite a few used iBooks on eBay ranging from almost new condition to visibly damaged with prices from $300 to $1,200. My final choice was a 1.0 Ghz G4 with Airport installed, 256MB Ram, 40 GB hard drive, and DVD player. The total cost for the system was only $360 not including shipping and handling which was $60. The condition of the laptop was average to good, several scratches were present on the bottom of the case, all four rubber feet were missing, the corner of the monitor surround was cracked, and the were several scratches on the trim surrounding the trackpad.

----- Using the 12” iMac today -----

After using my iMac for the last 3 months I’m very happy with the performance and utility in this older Mac laptop. The OS 10.3.9 operating system boots up slightly slower than my iMac, but runs very smoothly once the system is loaded. The lack of any optional RAM beyond the factory 256 MB causes multiple programs to lag a bit when fast-switching between apps. I run Mozilla Firefox for my browsing needs and I find it runs without a hitch even with multiple tabs or windows open. Microsoft Excel and Word (software version X from 2001) both work smoothly once opened, the only downside to running Office apps on a 12” iBook is the miniscule screen size. The narrow width and height cause you to scroll quite a bit when navigating your document or spreadsheet.

Concerning the preloaded suite of Apple software I’ve only used iPhoto two or three times to download pictures from my Nikon D70 while on the road. When navigating pictures in the iPhoto library there are slight delays in loading images due to the lack of RAM in my system. I haven’t even tried iMovie since I’m sure it wouldn’t run satisfactorily with only 256 MB ram. The best running app is thankfully the one I use the most, iTunes. ITunes runs fluidly and smoothly whether playing music or watching a downloaded video.

Watching DVDs is simple enough thanks to the DVD player software. Once you insert a recognized DVD disc the player pops up and begins playing the movie. The display quality is fairly good for a small laptop although there is a slight washed-out look to the colors. The built-in speakers for a 12” iBook are honestly some of the worst I’ve heard on a laptop. While never a strong point on compact laptops these are exceptionally mediocre in both quality and volume. If you wear a high quality pair of headphones (or earbuds) and relax in your seat you’ll have a great viewing experience and a mildly warm lap.

Speaking of warm laps I’m impressed by how much cooler the exterior of my iBook is even after a couple hours of usage. My old Powerbook 17” would leave you with red marks on your legs even when wearing jeans. My guess is the smaller screen and minimal video card on the iBook keep things much cooler. The plastic exterior also helps this baby iBook feel cooler to the touch.

----- Durability and battery life -----

I was marginally concerned about the age of my iBook when I purchased it since there’s obviously no warranty on a now 4-year old system. I could have purchased this laptop and had it fail two weeks later, bye-bye $420. Instead I’ve been impressed at the durability of this mini-machine.

The screen is still bright and clear with only a little artifacting (residual burn in) from years of use. On my particular screen there’s only two dead pixels which is about average for a laptop screen this small. One slightly troublesome area of the monitor is the lid latch with doesn’t always release right away, sometimes I need to push the release button hard to trip the mechanism.

Battery life is exceptional for an original iBook this old and I am completely surprised I didn’t have to buy a new battery. Once fully charged I get about 4 hours of Microsoft Word writing time with the screen brightness set at 30%. If I have iTunes playing the time drops to about 3.5 hours. Steady internet browsing using Firefox brings the time down to about 3 hours flat. I though at first my battery meter just wasn’t accurate, however I’ve consistently noticed 3+ hours of use on a single charge. This is partly due to the small screen size and the fact I don’t do much other than use Word with my iBook.

The CD/RW burner works well although I’ve only used it twice, ditto for the DVD player. I’ve watched several movies and each one has loaded and played smoothly without any hiccups.

As far as keyboard, trackpad, and overall user interface durability this system still functions perfectly. The keyboard still has an excellent tactile feel with no dead keys, the same for the trackpad and “mouse” button.

----- It’s all fun and Games, but not on this laptop. -----

I had to address this system’s gaming power since someone was bound to bring it up. I’ll say this about G4 iBooks, don’t buy one if you want to play most games on your laptop. I’ve tried to run Warcraft 3 and Myth 2 on my G4 iBook without much luck. Warcraft 2 works fine if you want to play on a 12” screen, but for most games newer than 2003 there’s just not enough computing power to play at an acceptable framerate.

The 12” iBook series was intended for small-size portability and value, not gaming on the go. If you like Yahoo Games style Java apps you’ll find those play fine on older G4s, just stick to the simple stuff and you’ll be fine. If you upgrade the RAM to 1 GB or more you’ll notice an increase in playing speed although you’ll still have a small screen and minimal graphics card capability.

----- Bottom Line -----

Since new Apple MacBooks are running between $1000 and $1400 for the Intel Duo models there’s quite a bit of money to be saved by going with a used iBook. If you don’t need the processing power of the new uber-laptops there’s quite a few deals to found on eBay whether you want a 12” or 14” iBook. Most people will have some hesitancy buying an older laptop in used condition, all I can say is know what options you’ll need and wait until you find a good condition unit. I’m expecting to get several more years out of my baby book before it finally goes to that great charging dock in the sky.

There’s two things I strongly recommend when shopping used iBooks, don’t settle for anything without a DVD reader and an Airport wireless card. These are both essential for everyday laptop use and add virtually nothing to the price of a used unit. I also wouldn’t go much below the G4 1.0 GHz processor even though 800 MHz units are cheaper. Although it’s unsightly to the eye I wouldn’t discount laptops with external scratches or gouges as almost all Apple laptops are very susceptible to surface damage. The price will be lower and the functionality will remain the same. For a student on a budget, a family looking for computers for the kids, or even a small business owner looking for a deal, iBooks are a great buy used. As always on eBay or any other auction site, buyer beware and NEVER pay for an auction using Western Union as it’s almost guaranteed to be a scam. Check the sellers feedback, how long they’ve been a member, and ensure they’ll accept payment via PayPal. If you do a bit a research you’ll be the happy owner of a great used Apple.


Related links:


•Apple iMac 20" Intel Duo
•Apple Powerbook G4 17"
•Apple iPod Photo 40GB
•Apple iPod 20GB
•Nikon D70 Digital SLR


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