EXCLUSIVES

Apple® G4 iBook®
By Scott Dewbre

July 2004

The "PowerBook® for the rest of us" has made the jump from G3 to G4. And not a moment too soon. Had something not been done, the iBook line was in danger of becoming a white elephant-running the outdated G3 processor while all other Mac models, including the lowly eMac™, have been moved to the G4. The situation worsened with the rollout of the PowerMac® G5, when the iBook line suddenly faced the possibility of being two generations out-of-date in the processor department. Not good.

With the introduction of the iBook G4 ($1,099, Apple Computer), Apple has modernized the wildly popular student Mac® laptop and ensured it a continued place in Apple's product line and in the hearts of its fans.

Features: G4 power on a budget
In keeping with the philosophy that the 12- and 14-inch iBook line is the student's Mac, the iBook G4 is a collection of compromises. Just like Joe College wants to drive a Mercedes-Benz on a Subaru budget he may be drooling over the G4 PowerBooks while having trouble with the $1,599 and up price tag. What to do? Pay for what's really important and leave off the frills. That's a good way of looking at the iBook G4. Buy what's important and skip the rest.

So what is important in a Mac these days? We'll run it down for you.
First, you need a processor that will be useful two to three years from now. Buy a machine with a processor as close to state-of-the-art as you can; and while it will probably be somewhat outdated in three years, most major software companies should still support it. While the G4 is not the latest and greatest processor, it is very much in the mainstream. The new iBook line comes with a G4 processor with Velocity Engine™ running at either 800MHz, 933MHz, or 1GHz speed, depending upon the model.

The second most important feature is storage space. All this "digital hub" and "digital lifestyle" talk can be boiled down to four words: one big honkin' drive. Want to carry around your full audio CD collection and years worth of photos along with some really cool digital video you shot on vacation last summer? You're going to want the biggest hard drive you can afford. The iBook G4 comes with a 30GB, 40GB, or 60GB drive, depending on the model. Thirty gigs is as small a drive as we'd consider, particularly considering a 100 CD music collection can take up 7GB all by itself.

Okay, that's processor and hard drive. What's next? That depends. Do you want to make your own DVDs? If the answer is yes, this might be a deal breaker for you because the DVD burning SuperDrive™ is not available on an iBook G4. You have two choices: pony up more bucks for a SuperDrive-equipped PowerBook G4 or buy an external DVD burner, which will set you back somewhere between $200-$300. If all you want to do is watch DVDs, you're in good shape with the G4 iBook because the DVD-playing combo drive is standard.

Now we've dealt with the processor, the hard drive, and the optical drive. There's one more area to cover: connectivity. Like all Macs, the iBook G4 has you pretty well covered from the start, with a 56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, and a FireWire® 400 port all built-in. If you need wireless networking, you can buy an AirPort® Extreme card, which allows the iBook G4 to connect to any wireless network using the 802.11g (or the older 802.11b) standard. Need Bluetooth®? You can pay to have a Bluetooth module added on. Never heard of Bluetooth? Then you probably don't need it.

Once you cover these four bases-processor, hard drive, optical drive, and connectivity-you've made all the important decisions. Anything else is just a matter of what you can afford and what level of inconvenience you're willing to put up with. Why? Because those four factors determine what a computer physically can and cannot do. With a few exceptions, all other factors, such as bus speed, RAM, and processor memory cache affect how well or how fast the computer does what it can do.

Our Test: Kerouac and baby Mac
Our test machine was a 12-inch 800MHz iBook G4. Our first impression was amazement at how much it reminded us of the 12-inch PowerBook G4 we reviewed last year. Aside from the plastic case (versus aluminum for the PowerBook G4), we'd almost swear this was the same machine.
If a laptop is going to live the life of the undergrad, it had better be able to travel well and travel often. So, we scooped up the iBook G4, tossed it into a stylin' case kindly provided by Acme Made bags and hit the road. Thanks to the iBook's small form factor, we were able to fit its tiny power adapter into the Acme Made case as well.

We lugged the iBook through libraries and train stations, into overpriced coffee shops, and overstuffed bookstores. All the while, the iBook withstood the bumps and bruises and the constant opening and closing of its lid like a champ.

During an extended layover at Denver International Airport (thanks, United), we discovered that with judicious use of the iBook's energy saver settings we could coax almost four hours out of the battery, particularly if we didn't use the optical drive. Unfortunately, we also discovered that we could only coax about two hours of continuous iBook use out of our laps before our legs overheated. Nevertheless, we were certain that the iBook never got as hot as its aluminum-cased PowerBook cousin, which had us squirming in discomfort after as little as a half-hour.

Perhaps the nicest compliment we were paid about the iBook G4 (and we got a bunch) happened as we were going through security at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. The iBook bumped into a PowerBook Titanium as the Macs came out of the X-ray machine. As the TiBook's owner scooped up his titanium-clad beauty, he spotted the iBook and exclaimed, "Hey, a baby Mac! How cool is that?" Pretty darn cool when you get compliments from complete strangers in another country, eh?

About the only shortcoming we could find about our test machine was that it had one dead pixel on the LCD monitor. To be honest, we didn't even notice it for the longest time. At worst, it was a minor distraction that was easily overlooked. A more notable problem was with the iBook's latch. The plastic case has just enough give in it that if you grip the iBook too tightly over the latch area you might accidentally spring the lid open just far enough to bring the iBook out of sleep mode, cutting into the battery life.

Bottom line: Sturdy machine, great value
No matter how many hard knocks our test iBook G4 took it never crashed and it never ate our data, even when the battery conked out. Suffice to say that the iBook G4 wowed us with its cool looks and dependable service. Considering the price tag, starting at $1,099, we were amazed at how much you get for such a small amount of money (small when compared to the PowerBook G4 line).

In short, the iBook G4 is the perfect first laptop for the college-bound student, or for the home. If you are in the market for a home office laptop, the PowerBook G4 is more likely to have all the features you'll need.

Item: 12-inch iBook G4
Manufacturer: Apple Computer
Price: $1,099 (MSRP) (as tested)
Web: http://www.apple.com/ibook/
Pros: Durable, capable Mac
Cons: Heat buildup, touchy latch