Eewww, New iBooks are opaque, ick ick ick...

matsu · April 24, 2003 7:40PM

I just noticed that the new iBooks now all feature the disgustingly white low end fisher price case. Oh boy, none of the lovely pearlescence of the old ice book. It has now become a outdoor chew toy looking piece as opposed to a sexy sophisticated consumer piece.

Definitely no longer any aesthetic reason to recommend it over a PB.

luca · April 24, 2003 8:37PM

I don't think the opaque look is as good as the older look, but it's not THAT bad.

But I liked the clamshells too... they are big and heavy, but very durable, and sleek for their size. I used one once... very well made.

splinemodel · April 24, 2003 8:40PM

Errr. In the pictures it looks the same.

luca · April 24, 2003 9:22PM

Well, there's no pictures so it's not quite ***CONFIRMED*** but someone at MacNN said it and then another person went to an Apple Store where they had one and all were the same opaque color. But if you really want to ***CONFIRM*** it I'd suggest just going to an Apple Store and seeing for yourself.

matsu · April 24, 2003 9:33PM

Go to the Apple Store, pick a model, any model and the scroll to the extra battery menu, they now all say "(opaque)" whereas before the battery options were opaque and transluscent.

murbot · April 25, 2003 9:32AM

I can't understand why Apple would do this... unless they're trying to make the iBook a little less desirable compared to the 12" PowerBook. The opaque 700 was butt-freaking-ugly IMO... I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that this is a BIG consideration for people planning no picking up a new iBook.

The old 800 combo is looking better and better.

BAD IDEA

matsu · April 25, 2003 9:35AM

I'd rather have an old 800 over a new 800, but good luck finding one for less.

liquidr · April 25, 2003 11:34AM

Mine shipped today, so I should be able to confirm it by Tues.

matsu · April 25, 2003 11:42AM

Kinda devioous the way Apple just buried this fairly dramatic change in the iBook's appearance. I wonder how many people ordereed one thinking they were getting the old style?

The difference doesn't show up on the web page graffics, but when you see one in person it's instantly recognizable.

ahbo · April 25, 2003 12:01PM

The only iBook I've ever seen in person was the old bottom end 700MHz, so I've only seen the "cheaper" looking one and it didn't look so bad.

I bought a new 900Mhz so I guess I'll just never know what I was missing. I guess it's better this way...

Was it THAT much better? Or is there some exaggeration going on here?

luca · April 25, 2003 12:04PM

There are some pictures somewhere comparing the opaque to the "crystal" or "transparent" white model. I don't know where they are though. Anyway, I think Matsu is exaggerating, but I still think the previous ones looked better.

ahbo · April 25, 2003 12:14PM

If anyone's got a link to a page comparing them (with pictures!), please let me know...

Might as well see what the other one would have been like. Because I was originally going to order the 800Mhz (translucent) but didn't when I heard the rumor that the line would soon be updated (this was like 3 weeks ago).

matsu · April 25, 2003 12:14PM

It was that much better and more. It had a jewel like finish to it, to me the white looks pretty bad on a lap top, way too loud and toy like. The transluscence, while a subtle difference, gave the older ones a far more sophisticated look, and kept them from looking like a chiild's toy.

The old thread was in general discussion or current HW, and was one of the last threads I recal belle posting in, so that might make it easier to search.

ahbo · April 25, 2003 12:21PM

Do you think they changed it just to save cost? Or might there be some kind of functional reason for the change? Like that it scratches more easily or that sort of thing...

luca · April 25, 2003 12:22PM

Here is the thread. And the picture...

mcq · April 25, 2003 12:24PM

Some pics over at ZDNet Japan, I think this is from Nov. 2002 when the first opaque white iBooks came out IIRC.

http://www.zdnet.co.jp/news/0211/08/nj00_powerbook.html

matsu · April 25, 2003 12:25PM

Here you go,

Check out this pic:

To see just how bad this white (center) looks next to the transluscent (back right)

From this thread

PS: vBulletin and search ROCK! Thanks Brad, Jon, Amorph.

ahbo · April 25, 2003 12:26PM

Thanks, Luca!

Oh, okay... yeah, the transparent one definitely looks nicer. Much more subtle. I wish there were a few close-up pictures, especially of the outer shell, but you can still tell it's nicer.

I have to say, though, that the opaque case still looks nicer than 90% of PC notebooks! Which is part of the reason getting a Mac was appealing to me (it's my first Apple). So, to me, having the white is still much cooler than a standard gray-ish PC notebook. So I'm not really that mad.

Does look a bit toyish next to the transparent one, though... I have to admit.

bauman · April 25, 2003 2:40PM

Wait... these things have been out since November, and all we have is one crummy picture? Aargh! even apple-history.com is down.

I'd really like to see more about this model change.

Eewww, New iBooks are opaque, ick ick ick...

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