question from a prospective mac buyer....
First off, just like to give everybody a friendly hullo from a prospective convert. I've been a PC enthusiast / system builder for quite some time now, and all this Apple stuff is new to me. I'm hoping for some helpful input, and I apologize in advance if this is a commonly regurgitated question.
I'm off to college soon, and I'll be ordering a 12" iBook to keep from hauling my desktop to and from college. I've heard the rumors that Apple is supposedly nearly ready to unveil an updated mobile product line, and I've been waiting to see what comes out of them. Most of the hype I've seen, however, has been toward PowerBooks and whether or not their update will include a G5.
My questions to all of you Mac-savvy are these:
What exactly are the rumored 12" iBook improvements? I've heard all sorts of different things. Will they be worth waiting for or could I order now?
How long has Apple historically taken to release their new products after the rumors have leaked?
Also, for anybody who owns or has worked with an 800mhz G4 or 12" iBook... Is that a sufficient speed for normal everyday tasks? (everyday tasks = things like music, divx movies [watching, not editing] and the like)
I'm off to college soon, and I'll be ordering a 12" iBook to keep from hauling my desktop to and from college. I've heard the rumors that Apple is supposedly nearly ready to unveil an updated mobile product line, and I've been waiting to see what comes out of them. Most of the hype I've seen, however, has been toward PowerBooks and whether or not their update will include a G5.
My questions to all of you Mac-savvy are these:
What exactly are the rumored 12" iBook improvements? I've heard all sorts of different things. Will they be worth waiting for or could I order now?
How long has Apple historically taken to release their new products after the rumors have leaked?
Also, for anybody who owns or has worked with an 800mhz G4 or 12" iBook... Is that a sufficient speed for normal everyday tasks? (everyday tasks = things like music, divx movies [watching, not editing] and the like)
Comments
Stay as far away from the Future Hardware forum as possible if you are looking for real advice about purchasing a Mac. Much of FH is either fantasy land about souped-up Macs that should be coming "real soon now" or bickering over why Apple isn't/hasn't done X.
General Discussion is where you want to go for purchasing advice.
That said, no one here has much real information about what the next generation of iBooks (or any Mac, for that matter) will have. All of the items in Apple product line are due for an update soon. You can get more specific information about when updates should come based on past events from the MacRumors Buyer's Guide. The guide says to wait if that's worth anything to you.
Real details about items usually don't leak until days or about a week before the actual product is released.
Most people suspect that we won't see any major updates until WWDC in June. This, of course, would be extremely disappointing since most items haven't been updated in nearly half a year. In the past, though, there have been many instances where Apple has introduced updates outside of major events like WWDC and MacWorld.
Allow me to take a moment to officially welcome you to AppleInsider.
New iBooks will certainly come out between now and when college starts for you.
anyways I suggest wait.
I won't start classes until August, so I don't *need* it now, but I am quite anxious to buy one. Being able to surf on a cousin's laptop while lounging on my couch was nicer than I thought!
I'll be studying politcal science and psychology (that's what's planned... It might change) so there's really no need for a super-powerful rig. The iBook's price after the educational discount really blew me away, especially after adding a 60gb HDD and an AirPort card.
I'll be waiting I suppose, may as well get the most for my money. Thanks again.
*edit* As for the mice... Already have my Logitech MX700, they're wicked nice to use.
Starting your Mac Experience a month or two before you hit school, will help you learn and use it to its fullest potential from Day One of school.
I'm a recent mac convert as well... I picked up a 12" G4 iBook in Decemeber.
I was a long time PC user/builder as well and I couldn't be happier with my MAC.
I was worried about the 800MHZ thing as well, it seemed so slow to me, but it's just a psychological thing you need to get over. I use my laptop for Photoshop and iMovie (video editing) and it works great.
12" is also the perfect size to carry around with you to class. It's smaller than most of my textbooks and the screen is certainly adequate for everyday computer use.
You'll absolutely love it, I can't explain how satisfied I am.