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 Apple 14-inch iBook G4The original is still a champ. Price:
$1,499
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The same holds true in the tech world, particularly when the imitator is Dell. So, hot on the heels of last month's review of Dell's silver and white notebook, the Inspiron 700m ($2,200), we decided to revisit the original slick, white consumer laptop, the Apple iBook. Ever since Apple introduced the iBook in 1999, it's set the standard for notebook computer cool. And even though the first iteration resembled a blue toilet seat and was shunned by most business users, the idea was dead-on: a laptop specifically marketed to consumers, but with the potential to cross over to the corporate world. While the latest iBook is still priced well below the company's PowerBook and other comparable PC offerings, it is now a legitimate business option. In fact, even Apple now talks about work along with play, all while emphasizing the iBook's "rave-worthy performance."
The truth is, the new iBook is more than rave-worthy. It's a beautiful combination of intelligent design, muscle, and powerful productivity apps. And while it has maintained many of its original features, the 14-inch model we tested boasts a full-sized keyboard, slot-loading SuperDrive, and 60GB hard drive. Alas, the iBook comes with only 256MB of RAM; so it's worth spending an extra $100 bucks to bump it up to 512MB. As for the longstanding criticism that Macs are more expensive than the typical PC, it's no longer true. Even if you double the 14-inch iBook G4's RAM, the price comes in at a very reasonable $1,599. Considering this notebook's capabilities, that's a heck of a buy. Even more impressive is that a machine with a large, 14-inch display could have the iBook's battery life. We watched Braveheart, which lasts nearly 3 hours, and tried out various apps for another hour before it was time to recharge. The movie, by the way, looked great on the iBook's bright, beautiful LCD. Apple displays have long been among the best on the market, and this one's no exception. Add the ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics card with 32MB of memory and a powerful new 1.33-GHz G4 processor, and you've got an extraordinarily versatile machineNone as good at playing DVDs as it is at creating them. The least exciting thing about the iBook may be that it comes loaded with OS X, Version 10.3, Panther. On the other hand, it's also the best reason to switch to a Mac. Quite simply, OS X is Unix for consumers, and an OS that runs for weeks on end without a reboot is unheard of in our Windows-centric world. Another longstanding complaint about Macs is a shorter list of applications. That's not as valid as it once was, especially in terms of productivity applications. For example, Office 2004 for the Mac now rivals Office for the PC. Entourage is a great program that comes with a built-in project manager that tracks every piece of information relative to a particular project. The iBook comes with a 30-day demo of Office 2004. Users who want to keep it running can do so for $399. Generally speaking, the only programs that don't run on a Mac are proprietary apps designed for specific businesses, like law offices or contractors. For the moment, at least, the alternative is to run them using an emulation program like Virtual PC. It's not ideal, but it's at least an option. Considering that you get Quicken 2005 and the iLife '04 suite, which includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand, a program that allows you to create your own music, you've got a full-featured productivity machine. Given the advantages of OS X Panther and the new, improved Office 2004, now is a great time to make the switch. Compare Prices | Apple 14-inch iBook G4 Specifications
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