On the one hand, I'm very tempted to take my G4 iBook and max out the RAM, replace both batteries, and maybe even give it a new hard drive with 10.4 installed.
OTOH, maybe I should just buy a new iBook...
What do you guys think?
OTOH, maybe I should just buy a new iBook...
What do you guys think?
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 8:54 PMI've been really pleased with the MacBook. And this is after using Macs continuously since 1985. It made me not miss the Pismo. :)
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 8:54 PMGet a new one. The new ones a re Sooo much faster, and eventually, the Motorola chips are going to go out of style and it will get harder and harder to get software for them. My Mini finishes it's Applecare contract in May. I plan to take it in for one last check-up and then consider it retired. Then it's just a matter of picking the right time to get the next one.
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Mon, February 25, 2008 - 9:39 PMRAM = ~$100
HDD = ~$300
Battery = 2x$130
~$760
MacBook = $1199
That iBook will last ****maybe**** 1 - 2 years at the most. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 6:47 PMNot to mention the possibility of succumbing to the video chip/logic board fiasco. Take the plunge for the MacBook (refurb or edu).
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 1:35 AMIt's time for a new computer. The speed difference between the G4s and the Intel-based machines is going to give you whiplash. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 5:27 AMand more and more software is going to be "Leopard only"...
plus you'll get the latest hardware: built-in cam, airport N, and bluetooth.
I'd recommend a used Macbook pro though... real graphics card, light up keyboard ( I love that feature!) I got a year-old one, 2.33ghz/160G HD/4 G ram, for $1500.
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 7:57 AMWow. Where'd you score that? -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 9:18 AMIf you have 3000$ sitting around the house and you are wanting to buy a new computer then do it.....if you don't have more than a small african village makes in a year in your budget for the new thing, then don't get it......
but i will say that if you max out your ram you'll notice a difference in your old computer
but if you do get the new one you'll want more ram than they ship with......otherwise you'll think the new thing is slower than your old one maxed out......
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 1:12 PMI have to admit I'm kind of confused by the original posting.
I can understand why you'd like to max out your RAM. This is especially valuable if you're doing a bunch of graphics, video, music and/or have lots of application open at the same time. For websurfing and emailing it shouldn't be necessary.
But you don't say why you want to replace two batteries. Have the failed? Have you drained them completely before recharging them? What's the deal? How is it that both batteries went bad at the same time? Quite unusual.
Further, do you really need a new hard drive? Has your current one failed? You know, if you have a lot of stuff on your current HD that you don't regularly use, backing them to a DVD or CD will save you space and delay the need for a replacement.
And why do you only want to upgrade to Tiger? I use a 1.67 MHz G4 Powerbook with 1 Meg of RAM. I upgraded to Leopard and everything seems faster and snappier.
So unless your HD and batteries are actually bad, I would suggest keeping them, upgrading the RAM (not through Apple!) and getting 10.5.2. Put off getting a new computer until you simply must have the new features of the latest model. Sure, the 'books that came out today are incrementally better than previous ones, but if you can hold off for a year or two, the computers will be even better. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 1:38 PMI can answer some of those questions. Have you looked at the Leopard posts in this tribe alone? Most of them are about people erasing their data to complete the transfer. 10.4 looks like the last stable release of OSX, I could totally see why someone would prefer not to go 10.5
Batteries- 300 full discharge cycles is about 1 year of heavy use. Chances are good that the powerbook is nearing the end of it's battery life. Both of them below 80% is not at all uncommon. Particularly if you consider that when one battery begins failure, the other has to pick up the slack. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 2:47 PMI've got 726 cycles and i still get 4.5 hours of use on a good day......longer if i keep the screen dimmed..... but i do let the battery dissapate (spelling) every time I recharge.....
that's a good point.....if the ibooks are going to last another year or two at max....what will the new macs be like then? they'll be the same price no doubt as a new macbook is today, so maybe it's better to wait for that gooshi stuff
harmony & blessings -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 7:56 PMI've also heard conumer advocate guru Clark Howard say that with computers, if you're ready to buy one, just to buy one instead of waiting for the next, best thing.
My battery is just about gone. Holds about 5 min of a charge and then the machine just summarily shuts down. No warning or nothing. The other internal battery isn't doing its job, either. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 8:18 PMYeah, that's kinda where I'm at with it too....
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Tue, February 26, 2008 - 10:52 PMMickey, just for clarification, there is NO internal battery in the iBooks.
Never was. Power books have a backup battery that will keep a machine alive for at most 5 minutes -- intended so you could sleep the machine while changing batteries -- but the iBooks always shut off as soon as the battery hits zero/are removed. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 7:36 AMWell that backup battery is dead, too. The machine just shuts all the way down when it isn't plugged in. Resets date & time, too...
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 10:36 AMCraigslist. There's loads of gear there. -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 11:53 AMSpeaking of which, I just found out that the AppleShare service for my iMac G5 is expiring this August, so I'm starting to think about getting a new Apple desktop computer later this year. (I kind of wish Apple would let us extend our AppleShare service beyond the three year limit, but that's a separate issue ...)
Mostly, I wanted to ask if Craigslist is a good place to sell a used Apple computer? -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 2:01 PMI sold a desktop on CL last year.
Got a fair price
I got a lot of interest in the two days following the posting.
Sold it on the third day
do a little research on CL and Ebay for the best price to sell at.
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 3:52 AMWorking with the iBook's harddrive is NOT FUN. Repeat NOT FUN. However, if you need to use Classic (OS 9 or earlier) apps, you might be wise to stick with the iBook and upgrade it considerably. On the other hand, if you factor in the expense of the upgrade AND the resale value of the iBook, buying a refurb MacBook or MacBook Pro from Apple looks better and better...in fact, today, they had refurb MacBooks for $799... -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 6:55 AMwhy would anyone replace an ibook hd themselves? iresq does it for you, overnight service, for barely any cost above the price of the drive itself.
www.myaffiliateprogram.com/u/ma...t.asp -
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Re: upgrading vs. new
Wed, February 27, 2008 - 9:06 PMWhy would I pay $199 to replace a 30 gig drive with a 60 gig drive in an old iBook? Seriously, better to sell the old iBook and invest the money in a new (or refurbed) MacBook. You'll get a just as big or bigger harddrive, much more modern hardware, and less worry about the video chip going wonky, etc.
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