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Weighing 2.7kg and measuring 323 x 259 x 34.2mm, the 14-inch iBook G4 has average dimensions for a mainstream laptop, but it's not the best model for frequent fliers. For business travelers and commuters, we recommend the sleeker Apple PowerBook. The 14-inch iBook G4's touch pad is a nice size and sits above the simple, single mouse button. Otherwise, there isn't much to the interior besides the two small stereo speakers, which sit in the corners above the keyboard, and a tiny, built-in microphone on the upper-right bezel around the display.
Along the left side of the 14-inch iBook G4, you'll find a handful of connections, including one FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, a video out, Ethernet (10/100BaseT) and modem (56Kbps, v.92) ports, and a headphone jack. The right side holds the 14-inch iBook G4's cool SuperDrive, which reads and writes DVD-R and CD-RW. Instead of the flimsy sliding disc tray found on many PC laptops, the 14-inch iBook G4 has a simple slot that smoothly accepts and ejects discs like a car stereo. There's no memory-card reader, however. This feature is included on more and more PC laptops, and it would be a nice addition to future models.
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The iBook's 14.1-inch TFT XGA screen, with a 1,024x768 native resolution, produces a vivid image, but you'll need to adjust it carefully to get the colours right. We also found that tilting the display only slightly too far forward or back muddied colours at the top of the screen. All iBooks now have an AirPort Extreme (802.11g) card built-in -- about time, now that most PC laptops include Wi-Fi capability.
The notebook comes with OS X 10.3 as well as Apple's home-computing bundle, which includes a generous selection of apps such as iLife (with iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand), Mail, iChat AV, Safari, iSync, iCal, Quicken 2005, World Book 2004, and the games Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold. Unfortunately, the 14-inch iBook G4 doesn't come with a full-featured productivity package.
The iBook 1.33GHz G4 14-inch delivered performance virtually identical to that of the PowerBook G4 17-inch we tested in late 2003. CNET's test measures the time it takes to convert a 10-minute CD audio track to the MP3 format using iTunes. Both the PowerBook and the iBook took about 40 seconds to convert the file, which is not surprising, since they use the same 1.33GHz G4 processor. Thanks to its speedy CPU, the iBook 1.33GHz G4 scored on a par with the PowerBook 1.33GHz G4 in our iTunes test.
Click here for performance benchmarks.
Battery Life
With a slightly more powerful battery and a smaller screen, the 14-inch iBook G4 lasted longer than the 17-inch PowerBook 1.33GHz G4 in our DVD battery-drain test. The older 12-inch iBook 800MHz G4 tied for first place, thanks to its lower-speed CPU and smaller screen, each of which draws less power. With Apple notebooks, larger screens tend to come at the cost of battery life. Still, the 14-inch iBook 1.33GHz G4 lasted well over three hours in our tests, long enough to watch a full-length DVD (or two).
Some of Apple's support policies are downright stingy. You get only 90 days of toll-free telephone support, so it's up to you to ask every question you'll ever have during those first three months. Otherwise, Apple offers an industry-standard one-year warranty for parts and labour. After that, you'll have to go it alone with the 108-page printed user guide and the online forums and help resources that Apple provides on the support section of its site. The documents can be a bit much to wade through, but the forums are a great place to get help from other users. If you want to extend your support options, choose the AppleCare Protection Plan when you check out. For AU$419, it gives you three years of phone support and three years of parts and labour.
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lomomike
09/03/2008, 08:33 PM
rating
10/10
i cant beleave apple want me to pay $50 for sopport for my ibook g4 theres NO WAY apple is better then windows NO WAY there computers stink
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lalalalola
24/09/2007, 08:20 AM
rating
2/10
im sorry..
but this is the worst computer ive ever had.
sadly, i have had to call in about 7 times to get it fixed-and it has never worked. i have-so far-payed about 300$ in fees to get it fixed. is that normal? NO. the company does not care about its consumers, as my experience has shown.
Pros: not many.
Cons: too many.
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Suzy
06/09/2006, 05:41 PM
rating
9/10
I love my apple :)
Pros: where do I start? apples arent a virus target = handy. They look nice, perform well, and are easy to use. Perfect for me as a student.
Cons: My battery life has reduced a little too quickly for my liking. Used to get up to four hours or more, now down to two hours if im lucky. and thats just for word processing - noting lectures etc. However, my comp was switched off for three months, so maybe thats why. Although I did follow apples instructions to the letter. Also sometimes the battery falls out by itself. the connection is very loose.
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Nikitia
07/03/2006, 12:23 PM
Great Product
EXCELLENT! IT DOES NOT GET ANY BETTER! PROUD TO BE THE OWNER OF THIS PRODUCT! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT GETTING THIS!
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13/01/2006, 02:28 AM
Awesome
i ttally love this notebook. solid, fast and stylish to boot.ANd the best pat is because i'm a student apple gave me a fee ipod video and carry case thanx.!
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26/02/2005, 06:56 PM
fantastic
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john noonan
17/02/2005, 03:47 PM
I feel that this is a great product.
The case is extremely solid, the keys are very comfortable compared to most PC competition, the OS and other software is great. It would be nice if iWork was included, but it isn't expensive.
For those of us who have outgrown Windows and all of the Windows problems and glitches, yet no longer have the time to tweak Linux, Mac is the answer. If your primary goal is to play video games, go Windows. If your primary goal is to play with server software, go Linux. If your primary goal is a well-designed highly reliable system, go Mac.
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Igor Swanson
04/02/2005, 03:54 AM
Simply the best you can get
Hey, its an apple...
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