Want an iBook, but will it work for me?

E

endscape

Gawd
Joined
Mar 19, 2004
Messages
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Hiya [H]ardziens-

So I've basically fallen in love with iBooks, and I'd like to make the switch from PC to Mac. My PC is pretty good, A64 3000+ 939, Radeon 9600XT, 1024MB RAM, that sorta thing. I really dont game all that much, save the occasional NFSU race, and that isn't crucial to my computing. I'm really just a run of the mill internet, e-mail, chat type user. I am a habitual multitasker, so I'd need the ability to have a couple chat windows open, maybe a couple websites, pieces of the office suite all at the same time. I'd probably keep one of my hard drives and put it in an external box for my media use. However, I am really getting into programming and am taking computer science courses.

So I guess my question is this, would a rather basic iBook run a development environment? And more specifally, would I be able to run Microsoft Visual studio and the like? I'm going to go look around and see if there is a Apple version made, but I figured I'd pose the question to you guys as well.

The iBook I'm looking at is:

iBook 12" 1.2GHz w/ Combo Drive
Airport Extreme
30GB Ultra ATA drive
256MB RAM

I would be picking up at least another 256MB of RAM from Crucial for $50, plus Applecare and a sleeve for a total of around $1250 including shipping and student discount. I'd be selling my PC to take care of most of the bill.

I think that's all I'm wondering, and I think its semi legible. So..thoughts? Comments? Questions? Answers? Random Statements on the meaning of life?


Endscape
 
you'll be much happier with a PowerBook instead. They have faster memory and processors. Hard disks use ATA/100 too. I work with macs and while the iBooks are nice, we generally only order those for the "less demanding" users. Everyone in my department (IT) has either a PowerBook or a G5.

If you do decide to go with a PowerBook though, grab one with a SuperDrive.

You say you want to run a development enviroment, so I imagine you'll understand the benefit of the PowerBook over the iBook.
 
Get the Powerbook if you planning to do the stuff you have listed. You'll also benefit with the DVI/VGA output to a second monitor. The iBook only mirrors unless you install the hack, which voids the warranty.

I am currently doing the prerequisite classes for UW's CSE Program. So far the my Powerbook has done its job.

You could always emulate Windows so you can run Visual Studio (im not sure how well it'll run).

Anyway, this is a little off topic but since you are from Bellingham I am assuming you go to Western?

edit: I think XCode (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/xcode/) is the Apple equivalent to MVS... The plus side its free.
 
Whatcom Community College at this point, I'm doing Running Start.

I'd love a powerbook, but I dont know if I can swing that kind of money for a new one. I might have to look for some used ones, see what I can score.

Xcode looks great! Seems like it does C, C++, and Java from the description, so I'd only have to run VPC when I want to code in VB. THis is most excellent, since the next two or three CS courses are about C and its varients.


Thanks,

E
 
I'm a 4th year Computer Engineering major, and I can tell you that pretty much all of my courses have involved coding in C on a unix machine. All the windows users here have to either run CYGWIN or SSH into the on campus Linux machines. I have a linux machine and an ibook, and I can do all the projects on either computer just fine. Everything in C is compiled with gcc, and the freshmen courses based on java used the command line java compiler, both of which are available for macs. In fact, one of my friends in CS runs a G4 and doesn't even own a PC, and he's always been able to do the projects on his own computer. Nobody uses IDEs either- just a text editor and gcc. I use Nano in linux, but most use eMacs or vim.

Also, don't get a laptop just because you think its better in a college environment. This is a big misconception among people just starting college. Few people actually bring their laptops anywhere, out of fear of damaging it or getting it stolen. Also, a small PC with an LCD screen is almost as compact as a desktop replacement notebook would be in a dorm room.

edit- I forgot to mention that most professors here actually use Powerbooks for their presentations and whatnot. OS X's unix base allows them to run a powerpoint presentation and then quickly switch over and compile something with gcc and demonstrate it.
 
If you don't really have to have Visual Studio, an iBook will be fine for that. If you must have it, maybe a Wintel laptop would be a better choice... Anyway, that iBooks can't handle it is just garbage. As long as a powerful GPU isn't needed, an iBook can handle everything a PowerBook can. It's not like the extra few hundred megahertz really matters... or the slightly faster memory, for that matter. Get an iBook and max out the RAM and it will probably be cheaper than a stock PowerBook with 256 megs, and a hell of a lot more powerful.


so I'd only have to run VPC when I want to code in VB
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You poor thing. :(
Visual Basic is horrible. :(
 
I dont really want a laptop because I am lacking in space or anything, I think it would be a good way to curb the money I put into my desktop though haha. I do a lot of presentations and would like the portability, plus I really want to learn the mac platform in general.

One way or another I'm going to get a laptop is pretty much what I've decided, since they are just are powerful as desktops, and I can always plug in a monitor/ keyboard/ mouse to get the desktop feel. So its either get a PC laptop, which dont really offer the feature set (notably battery life) or looks that I want, so a Mac laptop seems to be the best fit.

On my limited budget, I would have to get it on payments from apple, so I might be able to afford a little higher end laptop. Has anyone financed their purchase through apple?


Man, I have got to stop checking this thread and write this freakin' essay,

E
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
You poor thing. :(
Visual Basic is horrible. :(
Click to expand...


Ohh its not so bad, I rather enjoy it.

:eek:

I keed, I keed

EDIT - Looks like I'd have to sell of my Zen Xtra and switch to an iPod for my MP3 playing needs if I go with a Mac, I think I can handle that haha.
 
I have the same ibook you are thinking of getting:

1.im not joining the ib/pb fight, theyre both solid machines and i think they would both work well.

2. OSX loves RAM, LOVES IT...the more the better, go to at least 512 after a day fo 256 and you will notice the improvement, im running 1.25gb on mine, 12" ibooks only have 1 slot for ram upgrades too, pb's have 2 so consider that as well.

3. Go for the best HDD upgrade you can, MacOSX is bigger than windows is, when i first opened my ibook with the 30gb drive...8 or 9 gigs for OS and ilife alone. So i opted to buy a 100gb laptop hd and do the upgrade afterwards. Also..if you plan on getting an ipod, say a 20gb one...you would have barely enough space for anything but music if you have as much as i do.

4. Invest in a nice bag from timbuktu or incase or some good case maker...these bad boys scratch very easy

5. Battery life is WONDERFUL, but applecare (which i also reccomend) does not cover batteries (consumable item) grab another one of these too

6. Grab the Airport Extreme card unless its coming with your ibook

7. If youre going to be doing music ibooks dont have inputs, youd have to get an iMic from griffin...so thats another thing to conside...i personally regret this alot because i hate breakout boxes...and on that note

8. Get the bluetooth. And get a BT mouse while youre at it, and you will LOVE it.

thats my 2 cents
 
wileycat said:
you'll be much happier with a PowerBook instead. They have faster memory and processors. Hard disks use ATA/100 too. I work with macs and while the iBooks are nice, we generally only order those for the "less demanding" users. Everyone in my department (IT) has either a PowerBook or a G5.

If you do decide to go with a PowerBook though, grab one with a SuperDrive.

You say you want to run a development enviroment, so I imagine you'll understand the benefit of the PowerBook over the iBook.
Click to expand...


The speed differerence between a Powerbook and an Ibook is not enough to justify paying more for the powerbook

the powerbook 12's are not better then the ibooks, the processor is barely faster, the bus speed does not make a huge difference, the 5200ultra in the powerbook is horrible (would rather have the 9200).

What does the powerbook give you the option to do? you can get a superdrive stock and dvi out, thats about it, and for those os uf (me) who could careless about a warranty, the machine will be apart for a larger hd/superdrive 10 min after I buy it
 
the powerbook 12's are not better then the ibooks, the processor is barely faster, the bus speed does not make a huge difference, the 5200ultra in the powerbook is horrible (would rather have the 9200).
Click to expand...

According to this, the 5200 smokes the 9200... The iMac has a 5200, the eMac and iBook has 9200s. But anyway, the iBook performs well enough in non-GPU tests for the price of the PowerBook to be way too high.
 
I've also found the ibook to be plenty for my needs, which sound very similar to those of the original poster. I use it for just about everything BUT gaming. It's plenty powerful for everyday computing as long as you throw in a RAM upgrade. I can't comment on how it would handle trying to run some hog of a dev. environment, as most of my coding is done with vi, which tends to be pretty forgiving on machine specs:)

As long as you don't have any strong desire to game on it, it should be plenty. And if you are coming from a Windows background, you can also treat OSX as an educational investment. The big reason I ended up going the ibook route was because I wanted a stable system with the least amount of effort to get it that way. Figured I could either go x86 + linux and be "on my own" so to speak, or go ibook + OSX and not have to worry about it.
 
Black Morty Rackham said:
According to this, the 5200 smokes the 9200... The iMac has a 5200, the eMac and iBook has 9200s. But anyway, the iBook performs well enough in non-GPU tests for the price of the PowerBook to be way too high.
Click to expand...


I sacrifice speed for image quality and features, the 9200 has a much better control panel design (I hacked the 9800 one).

nvidia cards on macs suck ass, except the 6800,
 
James Crivellone said:
I sacrifice speed for image quality and features, the 9200 has a much better control panel design (I hacked the 9800 one).

nvidia cards on macs suck ass, except the 6800,
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Umm..

I don't remember the Geforce 3 or 4 sucking, it was just the FX that allowed ATi to catch up and get a winner for once.

nVidia makes better drivers in general to boot. Image Quality? Its a 9200 and 5200 FX neither is going to be spectacular, both are on the same level except the 5200 FX Ultra has double the ram.

The 6800's put nVidia back on top.
 
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