[zman2005]

Hey all, Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for for a while. I get to go to the apple store and buy my Ibook. THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS.......
Getting the ibook tomorrow and installing TIGER in a month will that machine work just as well as if I wait a month then buy an ibook with tiger allready preinstalled. I guess what I am afraid of is getting the ibook tomorrow and in a month installing Tiger and having the ibook be slower or tiger not work as well or have a inferior Ibook. (by the way does anyone know how much i'll have to pay for tiger given im using my student discount and buying it tom?)

In addition since PB are outa my budget and I dont really need one what should i get put in my Ibook. I know I want to upgrade the ram to 512 but should i get a bigger harddrive or anything else that will benifit me since I'll have to thave this computer for the next 4 years of college.

Also since I am a new mac owner should I buy any anti-virus software or anything to keep it running well throughout the next years.

[Brad]

I have an almost five year old PowerMac G4. Every major update to Mac OS X has made it significantly faster, more stable, and more responsive and has generally made it "feel" like a newer computer all over again. I expect the same will be true with 10.4.

My story is not at all uncommon. Many people have reported (here and everywhere else) the same thing, that major Mac OS X revisions perform better on the same hardware. Each upgrade has introduced better code and compiler optimizations as well as new facilities that scale very well for old and new hardware.

My advice: don't sweat it.

The standard retail price for 10.1, 10.2, and 10.3 has been US$129 with the student price at US$69. Some university bookstores may offer it for an even lower price.

[zman2005]

so brad your advise would be go buy it have fun learn how to use a mac, then buy the upgrade and it'll be like buyin a new ibook but having all my old stuff onit?

[Brad]

Yup.

When you install it, I always recommend using the archive and install featue with the "Preserve User and Network Settings" option enabled. This truly installs a clean copy of the operating system while keeping all your existing applications and user data.

And as for anti-virus software...
Reccomendations for antivirus package?
Anti Virus for Mac
Do we really want anti-virus soft ?

512 MB of RAM is a definite must. 768 MB would be nicer. RAM isn't terribly expensive right now; so, I'd also suggest looking around for a 512 MB stick to compliment the original 256 MB that is included with your iBook. Heck, just a few months ago I bought a 1 GB stick for a little over $100.

[ast3r3x]

Brad where did you get 1GB of RAM for a little over $100?!

The cheapest I've seen is last summer, I got 1GB for 147.50...which included shipping.

[Brad]

It was some time last fall. Honestly, I don't remember where I got it.

edit: I did a little searching and I see I got it from Outpost and the total was, yeah, about $150. Still, that beats out any current prices.

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by Brad It was some time last fall. Honestly, I don't remember where I got it. edit: I did a little searching and I see I got it from Outpost and the total was, yeah, about $150. Still, that beats out any current prices.

Ok, same deal we did

I was just going to make sure I wasn't missing out on an even more amazing deal.

[Luca]

RAM prices just dropped like a rock.

1 GB for $134

512 MB modules are down to about $50 too.

[ast3r3x]

I guess another gig couldn't hurt

If only the mystery to the processes that keep spinning the HD up would be figured out.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Luca 1 GB for $134

Yeah, that's nice and all.

Too bad it won't fit inside his iBook, though.

[torifile]

I'll take credit for the awesome ram deal we all got for our powerbooks.

[zman2005]

i have no good comp skills so i have to pay apple to install it toml. so im not sure how much ram ill get. do i need a bigger harddrive?

[Luca]

Ah dang! Well the point remains that RAM has been getting cheaper lately.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by zman2005 i have no good comp skills so i have to pay apple to install it toml. so im not sure how much ram ill get. do i need a bigger harddrive?

Hard drive space has nothing to do with RAM. A larger hard drive might be nice but you probably won't use it.

By the way, installing RAM in an iBook is super easy. Even a non-technie can easily do it, with only a small Phillips screwdriver. I'd suggest giving it a shot yourself - don't pay Apple $50 or whatever to give it a few turns of the screwdriver.

[ast3r3x]

Does the iBook use the same phillips 00 screw drivers?

[Brad]

Originally Posted by torifile I'll take credit for the awesome ram deal we all got for our powerbooks.

Vindicated!

Originally Posted by ast3r3x Does the iBook use the same phillips 00 screw drivers?

Yes.

[baaron]

Buy the book from Apple with the minimum amount of RAM. (256MB in your case). Go on the net, find a cheap 1GB stick, (I suggest www.crucial.com) and throw it in there. You'll be happy. I guarentee it.

[Luca]

Crucial charges up the butt for 1 GB SODIMMs though. Over $300!

OWC is the way to go. They're a Mac shop and the RAM is reasonably priced. At $200 it's a bit more than you'd spend at a place like NewEgg, but if you buy from NewEgg you might get a bad module and have to send it back.

[zman2005]

i cant lol im to much of a wuss to mess w/my new computer i can just imagine what could happen. ill pay able for it and jus get 716 mb of ram, do i need the blue tooth chip or apple care?

[baaron]

Okay, I understand why you're such a baby.

I still suggest buying the iBook from Apple with 256MB of RAM. Then go and buy the extra RAM off the internet, bring it to the Apple Store, and get the guys Apple Store to install it.

About Bluetooth, yeah, go ahead and get it. It's only $45 bucks or so, and if you ever get anything that you can use it for, eg. a cellphone/PDA to use with iSync, bluetooth headphones, you'll be glad you did, since everything's internal. If you didn't, you'd be forced to use an external adapter, which would take up a USB port and more space in your case/on your desk. It also somewhat increases the resale value of your laptop when you want to turn around and sell it.

AppleCare, I've had mixed opinions. The 14.1" iBook G3 900Mhz that I'm typing on right now has about a year and a half of AppleCare left. It definitely makes me feel more secure, because if it broke right now, it isn't worth much, but it would be hard to sell on Ebay as "broken" and it would be expensive to repair or replace. I think it buys peace of mind more than anything, and that is very important with a laptop. (Especially with Apple's pretty much no-questions-asked policy on replacing a harddrive that has failed its SMART check. Laptop harddrives often fail within the first 2-6 years, because they are jostled around so much.)

So yeah, get it because you're getting a laptop. But if you were to get a desktop, I'd give you a whole other lecture.

Are you getting the 12" or the 14"?? Why??? Sorry, I'm just curious.

And sorry if I'm pushing your buttons, because I have no idea of your mac experience/knowledge, and I don't want to overwhelm you or repeat everything you already know.

And on a completely unrelated note, balance is very important. Remember that kids.

~Baaron




EDIT: Luca, I never even bothered to check Crucial, or anywhere else for that matter. It seems whenever I need to buy RAM, Crucial is within $5 or $10 of the cheapest price I can find, and that's a premium I am willing to shell out for. I've never had a problem with them, shipping is good quality and speed, and I've never had to use their supposedly excellent return policy.

But by all means buy the cheapest stuff out there, if it's from a reputable place. (Not necessarily a macintosh place.) You just have to be aware of all its specs - like timing, speed, size, etc. If all else fails, give us the link and we'll help figure out if it's the right stuff for your machine.

[zman2005]

14inch w/sd i am going to today gettin bluetooth 512 maybe 716mb of ram a 80gb harddrive and apple protection oH an a wireless mouse. All using my student discount so it should come otu to be around 2gs. Oh ya im gettin popcorn too so i can burn some of my old dvds tonight. yes...

[Wraven]

zman,
Sounds like you will have a nice little laptop when you are done. Just an FYI - it is 768MB of RAM, not 716MB (the only reason I am writing this is because you mentioned it twice). 256MB on-board + 1x 512MB SODIMM = 768MB. No big deal, just for your future reference. Make sure that Apple Store does not screw you on the price for the RAM upgrade. Have fun with you iBook!

[baaron]

Can't wait to hear back from you!