The Best iBooks, PowerBooks, and Desktop Macs Ever
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- 2001.12.14
I recently was asked to provide a list of the top five iBooks, PowerBooks, and desktop Macs. I decided that it might make an interesting article, so here it is: my personal list of the best iBooks, PowerBooks, and desktop Macs (note that these aren't necessarily my favorite Macs - that might come another time).
Best iBooks
Since the iBook is fairly new, there really aren't that many models to pick from. The latest iBook (Dual USB, a.k.a. iceBook) is definitely fit to be first on the list. Then would come the iBook (FireWire) SE, regular iBook/366, then the iBook SE. The original 300 MHz iBook with 3.2 GB hard drive wasn't very good (tended to have problems), and the revision to that (with a 6 GB hard drive ) wasn't much better. The iBook SE was faster, and the FireWire model added a video-out port as well as bumping the speed to 366 MHz on the standard model. The newer iBook SE was 100 MHz faster and featured a DVD-ROM drive.
Best PowerBooks
The first of the top five PowerBooks is easy. It's nothing less than the PowerBook G4 Titanium (a.k.a. TiBook), which is just about the coolest looking laptop around. The 15." screen is amazing - and and did I mention it looks great?
The PowerBook 1400c would come in
next for its rugged case, high quality, and plentiful upgrade
options, which include G3 cards from
Sonnet or Newer Tech, PCMCIA devices (unfortunately the 1400
doesn't support CardBus devices), an optional card for external
video, and RAM expansion to 64 MB.
The PowerBook G3 (Lombard) is number three for its great design (the white, light-up Apple logo on a black case makes it look very nice while in use) and good feature set (333 or 400 MHz G3, up to 384 MB of RAM, 56K modem, built in CD or DVD drive, and USB and SCSI ports).
The PowerBook 2400c is fourth for its thin and light case and large, bright screen. The 2400c was the last of the lightweight PowerBooks until the Titanium G4 came out.
And, who could list great PowerBooks without including a 68K model? The PowerBook 180c makes this list for its durability, quality (they are strong machines - I've got one that was dropped and still works fine), and bright screen (small, yes, but the quality of it is very good).
Best Desktop Macs
For the five best desktop Macs, I'd say the Plus would be in here as number one. It
had plenty of features (for its time) such as a 
SCSI port, which allowed one to use external hard
drives, CD-ROM drives, video adapters (although they were slow),
and Ethernet adapters, and RAM expansion to 4 MB. It was on
the market for 4 years and 10 months (1/1986-10/1990), longer than
any other model. A number of people still used them as recently as
1995.
The IIfx is number two on the list. It was the fastest desktop computer in 1990 (not just the fastest Mac), had many features, supported up to 128 MB of RAM (not just standard RAM, but super-fast 64-pin RAM that no other Mac used), two floppy drives (people upgrading from Mac IIs often kept their 800K drive next to the IIfx's 1.44 MB drive), room for a 3.5" or 5.25" internal hard drive, six NuBus slots and a level 2 cache. It also had some special hardware features that allowed software developers to optimize their software so that it was faster and more efficient on the IIfx (not that anyone actually did that, as far as I know).
The Power Mac 9600 also makes this list, coming in at number three. It's got six PCI slots, four drive bays, an easy to open case (just folds apart), and an easy upgrade path with G3 and G4 daughtercards that you just plug into the daughtercard slot. The RAM can be expanded to 1.5 GB, and it is even possible to install OS X (unsupported with Unsupported UtilityX).
The blue and white G3, running at
speeds from 300 to 450 MHz, is on the list at number four. It
featured a really nice 
new case
that made it even easier (than the 9600's case) to access the
components inside, along with a great new color (I don't know
Apple's official name for it, but it sort of looks like a cross
between blueberry and Bondi blue) and is upgradeable to G4. Many
came with DVD-RAM or DVD-ROM drives, Zip drives, and sometimes a
fast 9 GB Ultra SCSI 2 hard drive.
The Quadra 840av should be on this list and becomes number 5 due to its AV features (see my previous articles, Quadra AVs and some cool things you can do with them and Treasure your Quadra 840av) and RAM expansion up to 128 MB (which is still a decent amount for the Classic Mac OS).
The Macs I mentioned above are what I consider to be the best Macs in terms of features and upgradeability. Many of these can be obtained used for very little ($10 or less for a Plus, and under $450 for a 9600), and some of these can even be bought new from Apple (the new iBook and PowerBook G4).
If you have opinions of what you think the best Macs are, I'd love to hear them - just drop me an email. I may put them up on LEM next week, so if you'd prefer not to have yours posted, please let me know in your email.
Recent Apple Archive articles
- iPods, notebooks, and other modern electronics more readily replaced than repaired, 12.07. Whether it's an intermittent failure or a broken display cable, more often than not it's cheaper to replace a broken electronics device than repair it.
- Options for replacing your older iPod, 11.19. Whether you've run out of space on your old iPod or want features it doesn't have, here are your options in new and used iPods.
- Could the $200 'green' PC with gOS Linux become a threat to Apple?, 11.14. The low cost, low power Everex desktop comes with a customized version of Ubuntu Linux, has a Mac-like Dock, and sells for $400 less than the Mac mini.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, 11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
- More in the Apple Archive index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 'Sawtooth' Power Mac G4, Aug. 1999 - Available in speeds from 350-500 MHz, 'Sawtooth' introduced AGP video to the Mac.
- Group of the Day: G4 List is for those using Power Mac G4s or G4 upgrades.
- November 22 in LEM history: 99: Gradebooks - 00: Leveraging Apple design - Quadra 630 to Power Mac 5200 - 02: Laptop or desktop? - 04: SuperDuper: Quick, easy, efficient backup - Cross-platform programming for the rest of us - 05: Mac video surveillance on the cheap - Which OS is best for my vintage Mac? - No 'best browser' for the Mac - Sorry state of browsers for classic Macs - 06: Core 2 means cooler running 'Books - 2.0 GHz G4 upgrade
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- The Long Term Value of a High End Mac, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 11.21. Low-end Macs are more affordable up front, but the flexibility and upgrade options of a top-end Mac can make it the better value in the long run.
- iPhone #1 Worldwide, Google Voice Search for iPhone, iPhone 3G Battery Pack, and More, iNews Review, 11.21. Also British accents throw off Google voice search, lots of new iPhone apps, universal USB car charger, new protective cases, and more.
- 15 Reasons Macs Are Better, Quad-core iMac in January?, USB 3.0 Spec Finalized, and More, Mac News Review, 11.21. Also 25 years of Macs, 'Snow Leopard' in Q1?, SimpleTech's faster and greener hard drive, Hyperspaces, StarOffice for OS X, and more.
- DisplayPort Copy Protection, Trackpad Update, Netbooks Not to Be Taken Lightly, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.21. Also Apple set for record sales, 4-finger gestures on original MacBook Air, MacBook Apple's best consumer notebook to date, Cricket laptop stand, bargain 'Books from $490 to $2,299, and more.
- Virtualization Shootout: VMWare Fusion 2 vs. Parallels Desktop 4, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 11.20. Both programs do the same thing, but one runs Windows XP smoothly alongside Mac apps, while the other bogs down everything but Windows.
- Just Right: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear MacBooks, Charles W. Moore, 'Book Value, 11.20. Some people like small and light notebooks, others prefer huge desktop replacements, but the best value tends to be in the middle.
- Apple Caves to Hollywood with DRM on iTunes Videos, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. HDCP on the new MacBooks means that you may never really own those videos you buy from the iTunes Store.
- Leopard Runs Very Nicely on PowerPC Macs, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 11.19. Some claim that Mac OS X 10.5 is so optimized for Intel Macs that it runs poorly on PowerPC hardware. That's simply not the case.
- No High Definition iTunes Video for You, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 11.19. The October 2008 MacBooks are preventing users from viewing some high-def iTunes content from being viewed on their external displays. Poor form!
- Every Working Computer Is Useful to Someone, Allison Payne, The Budget Mac, 11.19. Whether it's a PowerBook 1400, G3 iMac, or Power Mac G4, it could be all the computer someone needs.
- 3 WeatherBug Options for Apple Users, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.19. Have instant access to current local weather conditions with a Dashboard widget, iPhone app, or Firefox plugin.
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Power Mac G4 and AGP Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used 400 MHz, $50; 733, $100; 800, $199; 1.25 GHz, $300; 800 MHz dual, $200, 867, $300; 1 GHz, $350; 1.42, $400.
- Best iBook G3 Deals, 11.20. Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 366, $199; 800 CD, $180; 600 CD-RW, $240; 700 Combo, $290; 900, $369; 14" 600, $360; 900, $449.
- Best Power Mac G3 and PCI Video Card Deals, 11.20. Used beige 300 MHz, $25; blue & white 350, $80; 400, $90; 450, $105; PCI video cards from $15; shipping additional.
- Best iMac G4 Deals, 11.18. Used 15" 700 MHz Combo, $243; 800 MHz, $280; 1 GHz, $380; 17" 1.25 GHz SuperDrive, $400; 20", $549.
- Best MacBook Air Deals, 11.18. New 1.6 80, $1,150 after rebate; 120, $1,744 a/r; 1.8 80, $1,794 a/r; 1.6 128 SSD, $2,150; used 1.8 64 SSD, $1,500; new, $2,200 a/r; 1.86, $2,398 a/r.
- Best Mac OS X 10.0-10.3 Deals, 11.18. Mac OS X 10.0.3, $30; 10.1, $20; 10.2, $60; 10.3 CD, DVD, $100; CD, $119; 10.1 Server, unlimited users, $58; 10.3 Server, unlimited, $150.
- Best iPod nano Deals, 11.17. Refurb 3G/4 GB, $79; new, $114; refurb 8 GB, $99; new, $125; 3G/8 GB, from $134; 16 GB, from $189. Prices include ground shipping.
- Best Titanium PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.17. Used 1 GHz with SuperDrive, $478 plus shipping.
- Best Xserve deals, 11.17. Used G4/1 GHz, $999; G5/2 GHz, $1,288; new 2.0 4-core Xeon, $1,900; refurb 3.0 4-core, $2,599; 2.8 GHz, $2,499; 3.0 8-core, $3,499.
- More deals in our archive.
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