Apple iBook Laptop 14" M9627LL/A (1.33 GHz PowerPC G4, 256MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive, Built-in AirPort Extreme)

Well, I got the laptop on time from Amazon. Good job by them.
Ok, now to Apple. It's not even 1 month after I bought the thing and they upgraded it. That's lousy. I heard that upgrading a computer and selling it for the same price without warning is a constant "feature" of Macintosh computers. But..less than a month of use and already there is a memory, wireless, and video upgrade? That just plain sucks. How about charging more for more? Hello-If you like losing customers...Just keep up your current practices. I changed my mind from buying a PC for this Mac ...but I'll never do that again. Back to PC's for me. Great policy Apple!!

This iBook is the best computer i have ever used. The os is great Much beter than xp. My dad gave me two getting an c- on the ITBS. Apple's great macintel !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elegant. That's the word I've used to describe this laptop since buying it. You can put Jane Hathaway in a ball gown, but she's still homely. This thing is more like Jackie Kennedy. It's got the ball gown, but it also speaks French and doesn't snort at dinner parties.

I've read quite a few of the reviews for the iBook 14". I, like many reviewers, I am a new convert to Apple. I used the old (first generation?) Macs in college in the mid-80's, and loved them then. PCs were just bulkier, uglier, and tougher to navigate. PCs have obviously come a long way, and so have Apples.

I bought my iBook at CompUSA, which had an 18 month no interest promotion on all computers, which got my attention. I'm not a huge nerd, but I do spend a lot of time online and do a lot of digital photography. I also am president of my homeowner association, so I do quite a bit of writing--meeting minutes, newsletters, etc. I talked with the nerds (IT guys) at work, telling them that I was about to buy a laptop. We use Dell at work, and I found a great deal on a Dell at Costco.com. I showed them the deal, and they agreed it was a good price, but I might need a few upgrades. Several of these IT guys mentioned an Apple as a choice. I didn't feel like learning a new operating system, so I actually placed the order for the Dell.

Believe it or not (and I hope this doesn't turn too many people off), it was Rush Limbaugh who made the best arguments for Apple for me. He was talking to a listener who had called him asking which computer would be best for his daughter who was entering graduate school. Rush (a technophile) suggested the PowerBook and went down a laundry list of reasons to choose Apple over PC. At the top of the list (like many of the lists here) is the fact that there are virtually no virus issues with Macs. I turned the car around and went to CompUSA to check out the (small and somewhat neglected) Mac department. I cancelled my order for the Dell and bought my friendly little iBook.

There's no vert like a convert, and I'm convinced. I've always thought Apple people were just a little too fanatic. Now I see why. Frankly, I wish Apple would just offer a serious money back guarantee. I'm convinced that once most people get one of these things home and find out that there's NOT much of a learning curve, and the lack of heat, exceptional speed (I did upgrade to 768 MB RAM), and available MS Office for Mac, they'd forget all about getting their money back and decide they got a realy good deal.

I have a friend of a friend who works at an Apple store and just recenlty he let me play with all the new stuff, some old stuff too and here is my impression of the new, improved 14 inch iBook. First off, and I feel like shouting this, but I won't, how come Apple is still putting out iBooks without enough ram to run them properly? After all these years of releasing underpowered machines, they finally came 'round right with the PowerBooks by bumping up the ram to 512 megs instead of the lousy 256 they're pushing the iBooks out the door with. So add another 75 bucks to the price. Which is still a pretty good deal, considering now that Apple has built in Airport Extreme. This machine comes with the combo drive and unless you need to record video it'll do you fine and you'll save a couple hundred bucks to boot over the model with the Superdrive.

This G4 is way speedier than the old iBook 700 I'm still using. That old G3 processor just does not measure up to the G4. However the screen seems brighter and crisper.

I'd just love to give this computer a five star rating, but shame on you Apple for not bumping up the ram. You have made a darn fine machine, otherwise, and the ram required to run System X right would have made it just about perfect.

Jack Priest, Sailor Home from the Sea

After all of my life using Windows software, Windows-based OS, systems built for the flawed programs and having my computers overtaken with spyware, bugs, worms, viruses, adware etc... I did about a years worth of on-line research and took the plunge into buying a laptop that only 5% of the population acknowledges. I am thoroughly impressed and surprized at how happy this computer has made my computing needs enjoyable.
First off, as other readers have said 1.33 GHz vs. 2.whatever processer speeds don't really mean a whole lot. (compared it to friends 2.4GHz and my ibook was faster) So, don't let these well publicized numbers sway you

Second, NO VIRUSES! Let me say that again...NO VIRUSES! The platform apple uses for their OS is rock solid. Most Mac users use no anti-virus, spyware, adware etc. programs because there is not (to my knowledge) a way to infiltrate the system. NO VIRUS CONCERNS!!!

Third. The programs in the mac are so intuitive...The computer was built by Apple, the programs were built by Apple...so everything is where it should be. It is easy to find everything you want and nothing you don't. This part is hard to put into words. Basically, if you need a file you can find it, easy.

Fourth. Other computers may look initially enticing by their low prices...but buyer beware...don't compare apples to oranges. The only two purchases/upgrade I think are essential are to max out RAM (which should be done by yourself to save big $$$, which doesn't void your warrantee (apple actually gives you directions to do so and it's very easy)) and to buy Microsoft Office if you must comply with most who use Microsoft for easy cross communication between platforms.

I will NEVER buy another computer system which solely operates on Microsoft products, with viruses, files scattered throughout, crashing, etc...I wouldn't even consider it.

Do your research, talk to some apple owners, you won't miss you're PC for a minute once you have that beautiful mac in your possession.

So many other reasons to switch...once you own a Mac, you'll never go back.