[rescue] WTB/Advice: Mac iBook/PowerBook

Mon Apr 8 11:03:18 CDT 2002

The iBook does use commodity SO-DIMMs (small outline?). The 128MB is
soldered to the motherboard I think.

Size is an issue. The RAM slot is below the removable keyboard and airport
tray, and only specific smaller profile SO-DIMMs will fit. When I got my
first 512meg SO-DIMM, it didn't fit. Luckily the reseller (don't remember
who otherwise I'd give a recommendation) didn't try to pull anything shady.
I think I bought the DIMM at an especially cheap time for RAM - I'm
remembering a price of somewhere around $130-150. For a half-gig of RAM.
The mind reels.

Anyway - my 600mhz iBook is very zippy with 640megs on OSX. I'm very much
in love with X on this thing. It's rock-solid. I've burned CD's while
downloading a ton of software and doing layout work simultaneously without
so much as a hiccup.

My only beef with the iBook is that it doesn't seem to be of the same solid
manufacturing quality as I'm used to from Apple. Within a few weeks I got a
short in the power adapter's connector because the plastic hood comes loose
when you pull the connection and the wiring itself was getting stressed.
Apple was very prompt in giving me a replacement and I've since super-glued
the hood onto the connector. Now it's getting a bit loose because being
placed on the side subjects the assembly to lots of wear during
non-tabletop use. I'm praying it's the adaptor's connector getting loose
and not the connector on the motherboard.

Also - the trackpad has started popping out of its housing. Pushing it back
in firmly keeps it there for a few hours but it always finds its way out.
The trackpad works fine.

The monitor housing is particularly disturbing to me - these new iBooks
have a single hinge in the center, meaning that all the weight of the
laptop's upper half falls on one point. I've noticed a pronounced bending
away at the bottom of the LCD from its housing as the weight of the upper
half sits at any kind of 90 degree or greater angle.

I love the iBook, but I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the extended
AppleCare given these reliability worries. I've had the thing for about six
months and have never hauled it outside the house - all of these concerns
have shown up only from using the thing while sitting on the futon.

Oh, and also the funky magnetic latch thing is becoming less reliable. It
only engages if you bring the lid down smoothly from a fully opened state.
If it's already somewhat closed when you try to close the iBook the latch
apparently doesn't have enough momentum.

... and so there's my experiences. OBLIGATORY CLASSIC CONTENT - My
powerbook 180 running OS 7.5.5 is still running like a TANK. I use it for
field sound recording still. Manufactured in 1991 I think?

-carl

                    "Loomis, Rip"                                                                          
                    <GILBERT.R.LOOMIS        To:     "'rescue at sunhelp.org'" <rescue at sunhelp.org>           
                    @saic.com>               cc:                                                           
                    Sent by:                 Subject:     RE: [rescue] WTB/Advice:  Mac iBook/PowerBook    
                    rescue-admin at sunh                                                                      
                    elp.org                                                                                

                    04/08/02 10:43 AM                                                                      
                    Please respond to                                                                      
                    rescue                                                                                 

> For OS X I would not recommend anything less th[an] 384MB\
> (128MB built-in + 256MB module).

All right, so color me clueless.

Can I just buy an iBook with 128MB and then upgrade the
RAM easily myself later?  I thought that it used commodity
SDRAM, and I don't want to pay Apple prices for that.

  --Rip