This weekend, I picked up my first-ever Powerbook. I debated over whether to get the 12″ or the 15″. Both have the 867MHz processor, but the 15″ version has two additional features: a 1MB level 3 cache and a faster graphics card. However, portability, and more importantly, budget, determined that the 12″ with the combo-drive (CD recording and playback / DVD playback-only) and RAM maxed out to 640MB was my best bet.
Now that I have the Powerbook, the 500 MHz iBook that I bought used is redundant. It has served me well, helped pay the rent and will make a great machine for someone who’s doing writing, Web surfing and even some programming (I used it for PHP/MySQL development). I just needed a faster box on which to do my work and master the complexities of unix-y network hackery.
I bought the iBook in November and put another 256MB RAM into it for a total of 384MB. It has a 10GB hard drive, with about 2GB free. One of the reasons it went so cheap is that the trackpad doesn’t work. The warranty ran out before it went kaput, and I’m told that replacing the trackpad would require replacing the motherboard, which would cost as much as buying a new machine. When I used it, I plugged a Logitech optical mouse into it, and I’ll include this mouse with the laptop. The battery doesn’t last terribly long, either — I treat it more of as protection against a fuse blowing rather than as a battery. A replacement battery should solve that problem. Otherwise, it’s a pretty solid machine.
My asking price: CDN$800.
As a price comparison, the Toronto store CPUsed is selling a used iBook 600 — slightly faster, with a 20GB hard drive and 128 MB RAM — for CDN$1300. You can see what else they’re selling used on their price list (remember, it’s a Canadian store; all prices are in Canadian dollars).
If you’re interested, drop me a line!
Recommended Reading
Low End Mac’s review of the iBook 500.
