On the Web, no resource is exhaustive. I reviewed the leading iBook
and PowerBook resources on Monday. The following sites were submitted
by readers.
MacPowerBook.com
MacPowerBook.com,
a.k.a. RD's PowerBook Page, is primarily a resource site. It has
profiles of the various PowerBooks, along with commentary - much like I
do on Low End Mac. It's obviously a hobby site, evidenced by the lack
of ads and use of free webspace, but that's how I got my start,
too.
MacPowerBook.com is a good resource. If you're looking for
information and opinion on PowerBooks or advice on what they can do,
you'll want to visit.
Site design is what most sets RD's PowerBook Page from the sites in
the earlier review. The content is all there, but the design isn't
nearly as polished as the more commercial sites. There's a fair bit of
design inconsistency, although there are also some very nice ideas.
Despite the fact it's a bear to print, the use of white text on a rich
blue background for computer profiles looks better than it sounds. And
if you find the type a bit small, you can make it larger in iCab or
Internet Explorer by clicking the Larger button.
iBook-User (July 18, 1999)
iBook-User claims to be the
first iBook site, beating iBook Zone by three days. It's a site that
just recently came to my attention, and it seems to specialize in links
to iBook information on other sites.
Site layout is clean and quick-loading. Text is displayed in Verdana
at the default size set in your browser. Text can be reduced or
enlarged in iCab and Internet Explorer usings the Smaller and Larger
buttons.
I've been visiting daily, sometimes finding some interesting new
links.
iBook Planet
I received a thank you from the publisher of iBook Planet after he read
Monday's article in which I called the design "cluttered,
unprofessional, and incomplete." He acknowledged the problem and said
he would take immediate steps to upgrade the site's appearance.
I've been visiting daily since then, but see no change. My
conclusion remains, "iBook Planet is a helpful site, but the cluttered
look works against it being perceived as a quality site."
