Mac deals

IamBeowulf

Hi there

Since my gal got a macbook I've ben hooked. She uses it less than I do! So I'd like to get one for myself. I wouldn't mind a macbook / powerbook / macbook pro / g4 ibook...

I've looked at the student discount on Apple Store and it's OK but not great. I'm very nervous about buying one on ebay because you just don't know if they're going to last. Does anyone know if there are any new, unopned G4 ibooks out there? Surely there's old stock that hasn't been touched, ready to go?

My budget is tight. I'd get a cheap Dell but I detest Windows and its ability to crash/stall for no apparent reason (XP, you tried hard and valiantly, but you're still a little retarded).

Hope someone can shed a little light. Thanks!

grumpypaddy

what is your budget? the best peace of mind option to to buy is the apple refurb store, but you will only get this generation or last generation machines on it.. at the minute the cheapest macbook with one year guarantee is about 949 euro, thats a 2.2 gHz machine, gig of ram and 120gig hard drive with dvd burner..
cheapest refurb macbook pro is 2.2gig, 120gig hd, 2 gigs of ram for 1349 euro

IamBeowulf

Thanks grumpy. My budget is Low As Possible haha. I'm just wondering if there are previous generation macbooks/ibooks lying around unopened/unused. Surely there's a retailer out there that hasn't fully sold off its older stock...

Ham'nd'egger

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Thanks grumpy. My budget is Low As Possible haha. I'm just wondering if there are previous generation macbooks/ibooks lying around unopened/unused. Surely there's a retailer out there that hasn't fully sold off its older stock...

You would be very hard pressed to be honest; iBooks are two years gone while the Macintel generation 1's are long gone now. There is a list of Mac resellers on the stickies on the top of the boards page; maybe you can uncover one there but I'm not holding out for you.

Sad Professor

Yeah the ibook was discontinued about 2 years ago, there's no way anyone's still selling them. You might find an unused last gen macbook but the saving would probably be minimal.

If your budget is really that tight you're going to have to go second hand.

babypink

ditto to SP.......

Dman001

Didn't the o2 shop have cheapesh MacBooks a few weeks back but they were the ones without the multitouch?

IamBeowulf

Is this a good deal for e360?
Powerbook G4 Titanium

1GHz IBM G4 PowerPC processor (256KB L2 Cache, 1MB L3 Cache)
15" LCD, 1280x854 resolution
1GB PC133 SDRAM
160GB 5,400rpm ATA hard drive (* UPGRADE)
64MB ATi Radeon 9000 graphics card (Quartz Extreme-capable)
Pioneer DVR-K05 dual-layer DVD-RW (* UPGRADE)
Gigabit Ethernet port
DVI-D port S-Video out
Single FireWire 400 port
Dual USB1.1 ports
V.92 56.6k Modem
PCMCIA slot
Also included:

PowerBook case
S-Video-to-Composite dongle
802.11g PCMCIA CardBus
Two-port USB2.0 PCMCIA Card
USB Bluetooth key

Minimal scratches, no problems, no dents

babypink

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Is this a good deal for e360?
Powerbook G4 Titanium

1GHz IBM G4 PowerPC processor (256KB L2 Cache, 1MB L3 Cache)
15" LCD, 1280x854 resolution
1GB PC133 SDRAM
160GB 5,400rpm ATA hard drive (* UPGRADE)
64MB ATi Radeon 9000 graphics card (Quartz Extreme-capable)
Pioneer DVR-K05 dual-layer DVD-RW (* UPGRADE)
Gigabit Ethernet port
DVI-D port S-Video out
Single FireWire 400 port
Dual USB1.1 ports
V.92 56.6k Modem
PCMCIA slot
Also included:

PowerBook case
S-Video-to-Composite dongle
802.11g PCMCIA CardBus
Two-port USB2.0 PCMCIA Card
USB Bluetooth key

Minimal scratches, no problems, no dents

ROFL.....i was watching that on eBay!!

a TiBook......very nice!! good buy

IamBeowulf

babypink wrote: »

ROFL.....i was watching that on eBay!!

a TiBook......very nice!! good buy

*phew!*

I was worried I'd gotten carried away---ebay messes with my already minimal sense of cop-on

swingking

I was in Spectra beside Grafton st and theres a notice up saying they are selling old stock of ibook g4s

It says on the notice that you make them a good offer and they consider it.

Might be only one so it's worth hurrying.

Also if you're a student, you get a very good discount on a macbook on the apple education store

Breezer

babypink wrote: »

ROFL.....i was watching that on eBay!!

Get out of my head, the lot of you! That machine had my name on it! Until Apple cut the price on the Mini this morning that is

WUSBDesign

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Is this a good deal for e360?
Powerbook G4 Titanium

IMO, it isn't a good deal. Uses a 7455 CPU, which is power hungry for a laptop. Last time I popped by, there was a listing in www.clubmac.ie for a 1.5GHz PowerBook for E430. If it is still there.

cj2007

most of the sellers on ebay give warrntys.i bought mine off ebay never had a problem with it and i love it they discounts in the apple shop for students are great and keeping in mind you wont have to buy anything else like you would with a dell like antivirus and if your girlfriend has a mac book i persume she already has microsoft word so take that from her and buy it between you you can use it on 3 diff laptops

babypink

WUSBDesign wrote: »

IMO, it isn't a good deal. Uses a 7455 CPU, which is power hungry for a laptop. Last time I popped by, there was a listing in www.clubmac.ie for a 1.5GHz PowerBook for E430. If it is still there.

i respectfully disagree.....

while compared to today's CPUs the 7455 isnt the most frugal....at the time, this was the puppy's privates. This model was the pinnacle of the TiBook, as such there's a price below which machines like this won't fall too much below and i believe that the upgrades done to it......1GB RAM from 512MB, 160GB HD from 60GB and the upgraded optical drive more than justify the €360 price. In fact i'd say its a bargain.

Though i would agree that the 1.5Ghz AlBook is cheap cheap at €430

WUSBDesign

If you want your PowerBook/MacBook to be useful, and not just with good looks and animated OS icons, then go for one with a concealed wireless card and USB2.0 ports. The "add-ons" (PC Cards for wireless, USB2.0) simply don't cut it for me as investments for a mobile computer. Believe me - bring that TiBook outside and attempt wireless connections, and heads will turn round for the wrong reasons.

IamBeowulf

babypink wrote: »

i respectfully disagree.....

while compared to today's CPUs the 7455 isnt the most frugal....at the time, this was the puppy's privates. This model was the pinnacle of the TiBook, as such there's a price below which machines like this won't fall too much below and i believe that the upgrades done to it......1GB RAM from 512MB, 160GB HD from 60GB and the upgraded optical drive more than justify the €360 price. In fact i'd say its a bargain.

Though i would agree that the 1.5Ghz AlBook is cheap cheap at €430

Babypink, now you have me vexed:) The one for e360 has double the harddrive, double the RAM but a 1ghz G4. The one for e430 has a 1.5ghz G4 but 512 RAM and half the hard drive.

Argh, I'm confuddled. What's your advice?

Also, the ibook that was mentioned in Spectra in grafton...I'm lost now...:(

babypink

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Babypink, now you have me vexed:) The one for e360 has double the harddrive, double the RAM but a 1ghz G4. The one for e430 has a 1.5ghz G4 but 512 RAM and half the hard drive.

Argh, I'm confuddled. What's your advice?

Also, the ibook that was mentioned in Spectra in grafton...I'm lost now...:(

sorry for the delay in replying.


assuming you haven't already bought the TiBook and are willing to stretch for it, i would buy the 1.5Ghz AlBook......RAM is cheap and the 80GB HD is more than satisfactory, it has the Superdrive built in and native USB 2.0 and wifi. It looks like he'll part with it for €400 which is easily €150 below value.

Buy it, buy it right now..........register on clubmac and buy it before someone else does.

Dont buy the iBook either.

IamBeowulf

I got in touch with the seller on clubmac: it's a TiBook, one of the RAM slots won't work (the other's fine), apparently this is a common fault of the model. The other has been *upgraded* to 512MB... so I'm guessing it doesn't have Airport...

What do you think?

Also, why not go near ibook? Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it, I'm a relative Mac n00b

babypink

IamBeowulf wrote: »

I got in touch with the seller on clubmac: it's a TiBook, one of the RAM slots won't work (the other's fine), apparently this is a common fault of the model. The other has been *upgraded* to 512MB... so I'm guessing it doesn't have Airport...

What do you think?

Also, why not go near ibook? Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it, I'm a relative Mac n00b

I'm assuming we're talking about the following PowerBook:

http://www.clubmac.ie/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=16368#Post16368

This is definitely not a TiBook........unless he went and got a very expensive processor upgrade for it. The TiBook maxed out at 1Ghz. This is 99% an AlBook.

If one of the RAM slots is busted you can only upgrade to 1GB RAM max. This would be the same as the ebay machine. It does have airport......its standard and uses a different slot.

hmmmmm.......broken RAM slot.....don't know quite what to make of that. It's probably ok however. If we're talking about the same machine here, he makes no mention of a dodgy RAM slot......hmmm something not quite adding up here.

I wouldn't go for the iBook simply in terms of value for money......Spectra probably won't let them go for less than €600 i rekon, and the iBook maxed out at 1.42Ghz and has and inferior graphics card. It can't support dual displays in the normal mode....it can only mirror the displays rather than have two working desktops, whereas the PowerBook can.

IamBeowulf

The seller personally messaged me, so he was very honest, fair play...as for the ibook, th main reason it has me interested is the 1 year warranty they have to give...apparently the price is negotiable...

Anyways thanks for the help!

babypink

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Anyways thanks for the help!

don't mention it!