Low End Mac Reader Specials
TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com
Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how
to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full
Tilt Poker Mac.
Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.
The Usefulness Equation
12" G4 iBooks and PowerBooks Are Mac Netbooks: Cheap and Powerful Enough
- 2009.02.05 - Tip Jar
Popularity: 
The second that Apple made the announcement it was going Intel, it was only a matter of time before PowerPC was phased out.
Did I look down upon this decision? Yes, I did.
Why? Well because one of the hooks of Macs of the time was the difference in architecture. With Windows machines, it was the same bland co-op of Intel, AMD, or VIA.
With PowerPC Macs, it was a rare mixture of hardware. It could be found in far fewer machines by comparison. After some initial research, I was hooked, to say the least. So when Apple announced they were abandoning the PowerPC architecture, I was a bit disappointed.
Fast Forward a Bit
I love my MacBook and MacBook Pro. Now that they've accumulated a few past generation models, I've gained some more respect for them. Maybe the Intel switch wasn't such a bad thing after all. Additionally, OS X has maintained it's stability and gained improved abilities with the Intel Macs. It's performance really blossomed atop the dual-core Intel architecture.
I was walking down the street by my house when I spotted a man with a scraggly beard and severely needing a shower. He was holding a large sign that said, "The end of PowerPC is near."
My response was simple: "Not in the slightest, my friend."
Realistically, PowerPC is at an end in terms of updates. It's pretty solid to say that OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard" will phase PowerPC out of the latest and greatest operating system builds.
But does that mean my iBook G4 won't perform well in Tiger anymore? Not in the slightest.
Pseudo-Netbooks
My iBook G4 sits next to me while I type this on my MacBook. It's happily chugging along, processing some shell scripts. It's 1.33 GHz G4 processor is no slouch. It's ability to play streaming media, stream music from any of my servers, and run multiple Terminal windows with remote connections is more than adequately suited.
My 12" iBook, in comparison to an ASUS Eee PC (a common Hackintosh itself) is not large. Although roughly 1.5 Eee PCs can fit within the iBook, it's still fairly light, and my favorite feature is it's full figured keyboard. For me, typing on the Eee PC is clumsy at best.
A 1.33 GHz G4 holds its own against a 1.6 GHz Atom in most tests.
Just in regards to laptops (12-inchers, if we want to maintain the definition of a netbook), the G4s have officially become netbooks. There was a comparison recently done between an MSI Wind Clone and a 1.33 GHz G4 iBook (images above and below adapted from that article). The iBook held it's own in terms of daily performance and had twice the battery life compared with the netbook's standard 3-cell battery. Don't forget, however, that iBooks run much slower system buses and a previous generation of RAM.
The iBook G4 has over twice the battery life of a base netbook.
Now, for the juicy part, the part you've all been waiting for. Price comparison.
I'm using the 12" 1.33 GHz iBook as my base price point for the G4s.
- The cheapest I could find an iBook G4 without going to eBay was $417 (1 GB RAM, 40 GB hard drive, Combo drive).
- The cheapest I could find a 1.33 GHz PowerBook G4 without going to eBay was $579 (1.25 GB RAM, 60 GB hard drive, Combo drive).
- The cheapest I could find a baseline MSI Wind was $435 (1.6 GHz Atom, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB hard drive, webcam, 6-cell battery, no optical drive).
- A comparably powered ASUS Eee PC comes to $440 (1.6 GHz Atom, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB had drive, webcam, 6-cell battery, no optical drive).
The comparison is close, with the iBook and PowerBook lacking the larger hard drive and webcam available on the most modern notebooks and netbooks. However, the iBook and PowerBook have the largest screen and keyboard, almost as much battery life as the netbooks with 6-cell batteries, and come with Bluetooth. The PowerBook unfortunately goes for much more due to it's aluminum case and relative rarity.
All in all, 12" iBooks make great netbooks. They can be found for relatively cheap, are modestly powered, and well suited for the purpose. Additionally, they're very backpack friendly. And who could forget a touch-typist friendly keyboard.
They've said that the (official) end of PowerPC is approaching. I
say nay, just another chapter in the legacy.
Recent Columns by Phil Herlihy
- Max Miller, Solo Musician, 08.21. An interview with Max Miller, solo musician and Mac user.
- Lombard PowerBook: Almost a Pismo for Less, 06.18. Although Pismo has the huge following, Lombard provides comparable performance of often sells for quite a bit less.
- Heat Management for 'Books and the Last Mac to Run OS 9.1, 01.08. Tips on keeping a first-gen MacBook Air from throttling back with CoolBook, using G4FanControl with a G4 PowerBook, and the fastest Mac that can boot Mac OS 9.1.
- Software to Keep Your MacBook Cool, 11.25. Heat is the enemy of long hardware life. Two programs to keep your MacBook running cooler.
- More in the The Usefulness Equation index.
Links for the Day
- Mac of the Day: 17" MacBook Pro Core Duo, Apr. 2006 - The top-end MacBook Pro includes a 1680 x 1050, 2.16 GHz Core Duo CPU, and supports Apple 30" Cinema Display.
- Group of the Day: PCI PowerMacs covers pre-G3 Power Macs and clones with PCI slots.
- March 18 in LEM history: 02: The case for a 'Book - More on living Microsoft free - Prep your low-end Mac for Linux - 03: How good a value is a WallStreet? - 05: How the iPod trounced the Walkman - 08: 13 port USB 2.0 hub
- Support Low End Mac
Recent Content on Low End Mac
- How Ad Blocking Hurts Your Favorite Websites, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 03.18. Ad income keeps the Web free. Blocking online ads hurts your favorite websites.
- Taking Apart the 12" PowerBook, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 03.17. There are a lot of steps involved in disassembling a 12" PowerBook. Proceed with caution.
- Why I Plan to Stop Using Google Docs, Jason Walsh, Mac Life, 03.16. Jason Walsh continues his search for the perfect word processor and explains why he uses Google Docs - and why he will stop using it.
- Ubiquitous Computing: Tabs, Pads, Books, and Clouds, Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 03.16. "Ubiquitous computing names the third wave in computing, just now beginning . . . when technology recedes into the background of our lives."
- More links in our archive.
Recent Deals
- Best Intel iMac Deals, 03.17. Used 17" from $600; 20" from $750; 24" from $825; refurb 21.5" nVidia, $999; new, $1,099; refurb Radeon, $1,299; new, $1,399; refurb 27" 3.06, $1,499; more.
- Best G5 iMac Deals, 03.17. 17" 2.0 GHz, $380; 1.9 GHz iSight, $479 shipped; 20" 1.8 GHz, $509 shipped; 2.1 GHz iSight, $549 shipped.
- Best Time Capsule Deals, 03.17. Close-out 500 GB, $140; new 1 TB, $279; used 2 TB simultaneous dual-band, $400; new, $455. Shipping included.
- Best iPad Deals, 03.16. 16 GB iPad, $499; 32 GB, $599; 64 GB, $699; 16 GB with 3G, $629; 32 GB 3G, $729; 64 GB 3G, $829. Free ground shipping.
- Best iPod classic Deals, 03.12. Used 20 GB, $119; 40 GB, $139; 60 GB, $159; 30 GB video, $129; 60 GB, $159; 80 GB, $169; refurb 120 GB, $189; new, $214; 160 GB, $228 shipped.
- Best G3 iBook and AirPort Card Deals, 03.12. 366 MHz 12" clamshell, $89; 466, $125; 500 white CD, $100; 600, $199; 800 Combo, $239; 14" 900, $225.
- Best Xserve Deals, 03.12. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $499; 2.0 dual G5, $599; 2.3, $749; refurb 2.26 4-core Nehalem, $2,499; new, $2,699; 8-core, $3,449; refurb 2.66, $4,299; new, $4,799; more.
- More deals in our archive.
