ibook or mini?

N

natekoz

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 14, 2005
Messages
133
I have been looking at both the ibook and the mini as a starter mac for me to learn on. I have been checking out he refurbished ones, has anyone ever had a refurb mac item? I assum the only real flaws will probobly be cosmetic. Anyway, which one would you guys recommend? If i buy the mini, i have to buy a monitor now as well because i just gave my brother my old pc. If i buy a monitor must it have a dvi connection? Thanks in advance guys.
 
I'd go with the iBook in this case. It's slightly faster, and it'll have extra uses even if you decide you still want Windows on the desktop. Nothing like latching on to a public WiFi access point or typing notes in class.

If you do get the mini, you don't have to go DVI, strictly speaking. There's a DVI-to-VGA adapter in the box. However, DVI is what I'd get anyways, since you'll probably want a flat-panel display anyways. It's slightly clearer and spares you the need for the extra adapter.
 
The ibook was a refurb that didn't mention anything about wireless, so would i need an airport extreme card or something else to use it wirelessly?
 
Only the upgraded (end of July) iBooks have the Airport card as a standard option. Any 12in with a PowerPC less than a 1.33GHz won't have it standard.
 
Also, how does mac memry work? does the same type of memory fit in a mini and an ibook and say a g5? I was searching newegg and i saw mac ram extremely cheap compared to what they charge.
 
The Mini and PowerMac both use PC2700 & PC3200...you can use 3200 on both no probem. They will except any brand of memory so long as its not the super-duper cheap stuff, even then it might. The notebooks uses a SO-DIMM notebook memory.

The iBook and Mini are essentially the same as far as hardware. The Mini is smaller and better for home use, but the iBook can be toted around, plus the 512mb ram is not including the extra memory slot, so it allows 1.5gb of memory where the Mini only allows 1gb....which would help out a little. My Mini uses all of its 1gb to keep things dormant in memory which makes it "feel" more peppy.

However, you could buy a refurb Mini, a 20" LCD and 1gb memory for about the same price as a regular iBook. You can even overclock the Mini :D (1.5ghz here, no stability problems)
 
Do you have a notebook already? Are you happy with the desktop you have now? Pretty much if you don't already have a notebook go for the ibook. That way you have something to travel with. If you already have a pc notebook and are happy with it then you may want to consider a mini. Personaly I would recomend a ibook for the added ability to travel around with it.
 
I have an i9300 that i am very happy with i was thinking about getting a mini but i am moving to korea and that is the reason i got a laptop to replace my desktop. I will eventually need a monitor though to do everything i want with my cisco lab. Also, can i run linux on a mac? If so is it easy to do a dual boot or would it be easier to have a laptop that i can swap the hard drive in and out?
 
westrock2000 said:
However, you could buy a refurb Mini, a 20" LCD and 1gb memory for about the same price as a regular iBook. You can even overclock the Mini :D (1.5ghz here, no stability problems)
Click to expand...
Pretty close.
Mini
Monitor
Crucial Ram
=$1043.78 (before s&h)
add a keyboard & mouse
Apple Keyboard
Logitech Mouse
=$1082.76

WHILE a 1gig iBook 12in iBook will run you.
=$1149.00

Just have to ask yourself what you want. Bigger screen or portablitiy.
 
natekoz said:
I have an i9300 that i am very happy with i was thinking about getting a mini but i am moving to korea and that is the reason i got a laptop to replace my desktop. I will eventually need a monitor though to do everything i want with my cisco lab. Also, can i run linux on a mac? If so is it easy to do a dual boot or would it be easier to have a laptop that i can swap the hard drive in and out?
Click to expand...

Check out linux distro yellow dog linux. Yes you can run linux on the mac but almost everything you can do in linux you can do in mac osx since it is based on BSD. Hell OSX includes X11. The iBook is not easy to do a quick hd swap. You can however boot the ibook using an external firewire hd if you want to. Also are you keeping your 9300 and getting the apple or just looking at getting an apple? It would be better to have both. Use the 9300 for things that need the higher res that they 9300 has. Use the ibook for when being portable is more of an issue.
 
trust me, they'll have to pry my 9300 from my cold dead hands, i am keeping this baby :D. I am trying to set up my own network with all kinds of cool stuff in it. I just bought my 9300, 2 cisco 2612 routers and a 1924 and 2924 switch. I still am thinking about getting a lower end pc to run linux on and trying to network them all together on separate subnets just to see if i can do it and make them all talk.
 
@1200 why not go the iMac G5 and get screen keyboard mouse and room to expand
as need be, and have more speed out of the box?

As for Referb's I bought the 17" with Dvd-r drive and a gig or ram from newegg.com and
have not had a bit of problems with it. And if I do there is always the warranty to fall on.
 
i can get a refurb ibook for $699 so i might just go that route instead, but i am not sure i would end up getting a 20" display, no real need for something like that right now with my current traveling situation and such.
 
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