Entered CNET Catalog: 10/27/2004
SKU: M9627LL/A
Manufacturer: Apple Inc.
Product summary
The good: Clean Apple design; includes built-in 802.11g wireless; faster CPU clock speed; can accommodate up to 1.25GB of RAM.
The bad: Only 90 days of toll-free telephone support; comes with only 256MB RAM standard; no memory-card reader.
The bottom line: The 14-inch iBook G4 is a solid and stylish laptop, but it's considerably more expensive than the PC competition.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Rating: 7.4
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/22/2004
Weighing 5.9 pounds and measuring 12.7 inches wide, 10.2 inches deep, and 1.35 inches thick, the 14-inch iBook G4 has average dimensions for a mainstream laptop, but it's not the best model for frequent fliers. For business travelers and commuters, we recommend the sleeker Apple PowerBook. The 14-inch iBook G4's touch pad is a nice size and sits above the simple, single mouse button. Otherwise, there isn't much to the interior besides the two small stereo speakers, which sit in the corners above the keyboard, and a tiny, built-in microphone on the upper-right bezel around the display.
Along the left side of the 14-inch iBook G4, you'll find a handful of connections, including one FireWire 400 port, two USB 2.0 ports, a video out, Ethernet (10/100BaseT) and modem (56Kbps, v.92) ports, and a headphone jack. The right side holds the 14-inch iBook G4's cool SuperDrive, which reads and writes DVD-R and CD-RW. Instead of the flimsy sliding disc tray found on many PC laptops, the 14-inch iBook G4 has a simple slot that smoothly accepts and ejects discs like a car stereo. There's no memory-card reader, however. This feature is included on more and more PC laptops, and it would be a nice addition to future models.
You can choose to configure the Apple 14-inch iBook G4 in a number of ways (see more information in our series review). Our test model featured a 1.33GHz G4 processor with 512MB of Level 2 cache, a 133MHz system bus, 256MB of system RAM, a 60GB hard drive, and the rather ancient ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics controller with 32MB of video memory. The G4 processor--the same one used in the lower-end PowerBooks--is plenty fast for most tasks, as evidenced in CNET Labs' tests. The iBook's minimal RAM, however, leads to degraded performance when you try to do too much at once, such as running video and graphics programs at the same time. Fortunately, the 14-inch iBook G4 can accommodate much more RAM than comes standard (the previous generation topped out at 640MB, but the present one can hold up to 1.25GB), and we recommend shelling out for at least 256MB more ($100 as a build-to-order option).The iBook's 14.1-inch TFT XGA screen, with a 1,024x768 native resolution, produces a vivid image, but you'll need to adjust it carefully to get the colors right. We also found that tilting the display only slightly too far forward or back muddied colors at the top of the screen. All iBooks now have an AirPort Extreme (802.11g) card built-in--about time, now that most PC laptops include Wi-Fi capability.
The notebook comes with OS X 10.3 as well as Apple's home-computing bundle, which includes a generous selection of apps such as iLife (with iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand), Mail, iChat AV, Safari, iSync, iCal, Quicken 2005, World Book 2004, and the games Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold. Unfortunately, the 14-inch iBook G4 doesn't come with a full-featured productivity package.
Application performanceThe iBook 1.33GHz G4 14-inch delivered performance virtually identical to that of the PowerBook G4 17-inch we tested last year. CNET's test measures the time it takes to convert a 10-minute CD audio track to the MP3 format using iTunes. Both the PowerBook and the iBook took about 40 seconds to convert the file, which is not surprising, since they use the same 1.33GHz G4 processor. Thanks to its speedy CPU, the iBook 1.33GHz G4 scored on a par with the PowerBook 1.33GHz G4 in our iTunes test.
Performance analysis written by CNET Labs assistant lab manager Eric Franklin.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
 |
Seconds |
System configurations:
Apple iBook 12-inch G4 800MHz
OS X 10.3.2; PowerPC G4 800MHz; 256MB DDR-266 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9200 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple iBook 14.1-inch G4 1.33GHz
OS X 10.3.6; PowerPC G4 1.33GHz; 256MB DDR-266 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9200 32MB; 60GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook 17-inch G4 1.33GHz
OS X 10.2.7; PowerPC G4 1.33GHz; 512MB DDR-333 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9600 64MB; 80GB 4,200rpm
To drain the battery of an Apple notebook, CNET Labs plays a DVD movie in full-screen mode with brightness and sound set to half.
Battery-life analysis written by CNET Labs assistant lab manager Eric Franklin.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
|
Hours |
System configurations:
Apple iBook 12-inch G4 800MHz
OS X 10.3.2; PowerPC G4 800MHz; 256MB DDR-266 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9200 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple iBook 14.1-inch G4 1.33GHz
OS X 10.3.6; PowerPC G4 1.33GHz; 256MB DDR-266 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9200 32MB; 60GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook 17-inch G4 1.33GHz
OS X 10.2.7; PowerPC G4 1.33GHz; 512MB DDR-333 SDRAM; ATI Radeon 9600 64MB; 80GB 4,200rpm
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
User Rating: 
7/10
Good At The Time.
Pros: Decently Fast, Nice User Interface.
Cons: Bulky, Some Applications Are Slow.
User Rating: 
8/10
Great Notebook For Students
Pros: Great Design, Easy to Use, Lightning Fast, and portable
Cons: Weak Speakers, Low on memory, Lack of Upgrades
User Rating: 
9/10
great student book
Pros: good performance, solid platform for school work, does well with video and photography software
Cons: doesnt work with all CAD and math programs, limited software library
User Rating: 
10/10
Perfect for students, and people on the go.
Pros: Nice features, durable, good looking.
Cons: More expensive compared to other computer in it's class, 14" is the largest screen size.
User Rating: 9/10
Relax & Enjoy! Simplicity at its best.
Pros: Quality of build, Ease of use, Great battery life, and Apple support if you ever need it.
Cons: Realistically, none.
User Rating: 
3/10
Don't buy this laptop
Pros: It is a Mac and it is still better than a PC
Cons: Bad monitor, logic board and Hard drive
Another monitor gone.
User Rating: 9/10
Great , powerfull computer for everyone!
Pros: Sleek white finish goes with apple's line of products. Powerfull as a desktop and the screen looks GREAT!
Cons: Trackpad leaves alot to be desired...
User Rating: 9/10
Perfect reliable and reasonable laptop
Pros: 14 inch perfect size, smooth running, reliable, protective outside, upgradeable
Cons: Keyboard, viewing the screen
User Rating: 7/10
From Dell Insperion to Apple iBook
Pros: Wireless Capabilities, software, sleek design & trendy.
Cons: Windows apps are still pretty different to learn, Combo drive,
I also purchased the Student Edition of Office for Mac and it's been useful (I have to use Word or Excel for almost every assignment), however I've had to relearn how to use these applications. Things aren't where they normally are on the Windows Office and sometimes it's tricky to get things how they need to be formatted. Also, Entorage is too much for the simple tasks that Outlook performed. Trying to do too many tasks that Mac applications already perform.
Also, I have also had a horrible time with my CD drive. It makes scary noises (scary as in, how much is that going to cost to fix??!!) when loading or ejecting the CD. After sending it in to Apple (being handicapped to doing work in the library) they sent it back, and the problem hadn't changed.
The whole experience with Apple has been good overall. It's a great little computer, and it works perfectly with my iPod Mini, and my Palm. My pictures look great and it's fun to do slideshows with iPhoto. iDVD is more or less useless to me becuase the combo drive can't burn CDs or DVDs. None the less, after my experience with the Dell (bulky and slow) I am thrilled with the iBook. I would rather have spent the money on the 12" powerbook because of the superdrive rather than the combo drive. I've also added more ram to my computer, and it didn't seem to have any effect though it does detect that it's there. I would go with the powerbook to be safe, but the iBook has faired me well so far.
Just a students perspective.
User Rating: 10/10
Best ever student computer...beats any PC competitor
Pros: Portable, Fast, Great for School, Awesome Educational Software, Nice LCD
Cons: Only ships with 256 Ram & Battery life isn't 6hrs as stated by Apple
I was nervous when I first bought it because I wasn't sure how it would fit in with my PC desktops at home or at school. It works wonderfully with all my PCs (I set up a network that allows my Mac OS X, Windows Millenium, and Windows 98 to all share files.)
This computer has truly been an awesome gift that has greatly helped my in school. I am glad I didn't go along with everyone else who bought a Dell and I am going to continue buying Apple products.
From the moment I opened my iBook and looked at its sleek and beautiful design I new this computer was awesome. I received this as a present for Christmas when I entered high school.
Its ease of use, powerfulness, amazing aesthetic appeal, and sound, sturdy construction make it #1. You can believe that I looked at every laptop available (Dell, HP, Compaq, Sony, Alienware, Toshiba, IBM..did I name them all?) to make sure that I was getting the best laptop for the price. I needed an inexpensive computer, but one that was powerful enough to last me through 4 years of high school.
What really sets the Mac apart is not the hardware, (amazing though it is) it's Mac OS X. I love it and it keeps me earning high A's on all my PowerPoint presentations, my research and statistical analysis work (a highly intensive task) and much more. It really is a joy to use everyday, both in work and play. I love listening to music and creating movies. This really is the best computer I've ever used. My friends that received their Dell and HP laptops (which are already loaded with spyware, viruses, and constantly crash) look at my iBook with astonishment; wishing they had done more research and got the Apple computer.
Really in all seriousness, if you need a fast, powerful computer and don't want to spend a lot this is the computer for you. And if you're a student definitely take advantage of Educational discount.
User Rating: 9/10
Perferct for students, No problems, OSX is incredible
Pros: style, ease of use, student discounts, close to 5 hours battery life
Cons: price (depending), touch scrolling not standard, low ram
User Rating: 10/10
Functionality Without the Crashed
Pros: Clean Color and Design, UNIX Base, Everything
Cons: Price and Nothing Else
User Rating: 9/10
1st Mac... Won't go back!
Pros: Ease of use (online in 15min. out of the box!)
Cons: No PCMCIA slot
User Rating: 3/10
POOR POOR QUALITY
Pros: LOOKS GOOD
Cons: POOR QUALITY. NO SUBSTANCE
User Rating: 9/10
Worth Every Penny!
Pros: A true out of the box experience.
Cons: Possibly a tad on the wieghty side
User Rating: 10/10
What is there not to like?
Pros: Built like a Benz, Mac OS X and iLife, no viruses, excellent tech support (buy the extended warranty), beautiful display, very lightweight, IT'S NOT MORE EXPENSIVE,more powerful than it looks on paper
Cons: Well, in an imperfect world, this is as perfect as consumer notebooks can get as of March 2005, so I'll have to stick with my 10.
I personally own a new iBook G4. What really pisses me off is when people say it's overpriced. The standard-equipped Apple may cost more than a Windows machine, but the Windows machine is also quite underequipped. Add a few "extras" to the Dell and you're about to spend a couple hundred dollars more. (About $300 in my case). So, is it overpriced? Only in another world.
-No viruses.
-No guilt of supporting nerdy Bill Gates' greedy monopolistic empire.
-Tech support not only speak English, but actually know what they're doing! Imagine that! And OMG, hold times of 5 minutes? It's true!
I could go on, but sorry, I have a life lol. In conclusion, I'm pissed not because I think Macs are the greatest gift to the world ever and they're gonna save my life and blah blah blah, I couldn't care less about technology since it always seems to complicate more than simplify (I say this despite being quite knowledgeable and experienced in the field of computers, both Windows and Mac.) But for the sake of all that is good and decent, look at what these reviewers are doing to Apple! Do you people know the story of Preston C. Tucker and how the government screwed him out of his auto company to save the "Big Three" (and hence a huge portion of the U.S. economy)? There's a movie about it, it's great. Well anyway I'd like to show you the new Preston C. Tucker (Steve Jobs) and the new perpetrators of free enterprise (Cnet and others, but none so blatantly as CNET). Look at the statement they made about the Linus guy using a Power Mac G5. They make the man sound like an idiot for using a Mac, and why? Well... because it's a Mac...
If you only look around, you will inevitably notice the countless logical fallacies that run rampant on what could have been a very good site. But bias has ruined everything. They don't criticize the Mac because they hate it, people... they criticize it because it's what their sponsors require them to do. How do you think Dell gets such great reviews? It's not because of their customer support, that's for sure...
User Rating: 9/10
Once you go Mac you don't go back
Pros: Stylish looks, feel of keyboard, weight
Cons: As bought memory
The only thing I wish I had done is gotten it with more memory but right now for doing mail, surfing the net, doing presentation for work the memory is ok. I will be upgrading the memory soon though.
User Rating: 9/10
Simply awesome!
Pros: OSX, FAST (!), vibrant display, bluetooth, awesome design, SuperDrive
Cons: Stingy on base RAM
User Rating: 3/10
Poor Machine, take a VAIO
Pros: nice design; nice keyboard
Cons: cheap plastic case, not well finished product like Powerbooks
User Rating: 9/10
AWESOME.....
Pros: THE WHOLE UNIT ITSELF
Cons: hi price compared to PC
User Rating: 10/10
It's love!
Pros: Switched to Mac from a Gateway PC and I am never looking back. (There's a reason they pack them in cow spotted boxes.) The iBook has a sleek design, it's fast, and super easy to use. No "Fatal Errors" yet!
Cons: I'm addicted.
User Rating: 8/10
Best computer decision I ever made!
Pros: Right out of the box, this speedy notebook works flawlessly. I've been using it 3 months and it hasn't crashed once (Try going 3 hours on a Windows system w/o trouble!). It is pricey, HOWEVER, what good is a cheaper PC-based notebook if you have to worr
Cons: The shiny plastic scratches easily.
User Rating: 9/10
Solid bargin
Pros: Everything works very well. Included software doesn't need to be purchased after trial (uinlike my HP). Best laptop in the price range. Super battery life, Airpot wireless is awesome easy to configure.
Cons: No PC card slot.
User Rating: 
6/10
Great for multimedia freaks, not as great for others
Pros: As a person who is big on film and music, I love the iLife that comes standard with imovie, itunes, iphoto, idvd and garageband. Also the other hundreds of dollars worth of software and games that come predownloaded on it are nice too.(all that predownlo
Cons: No expandable video memory!!! I like film and all, but sometimes its nice to just relax and play one of the few games that come for mac, and although 32 mb of video memory is acceptable, it is not perfect if you want the game to look flawless and exactly
User Rating: 10/10
This is an excellent computer!
Pros: For me a student this is an ideal computer. It has everyhting I need. We switched from a mac to a pc and I found it very easy to switch. I have a 12inch Ibook and it is the perfect size. The keyborad is good and there are many feautures.
Cons: There are only a couple of cons that I have and that is the solid clicker thing. This may sound weird but the side that the input to plug in the adaptor always seems to be on the wrong side.
User Rating: 10/10
Great integrated product, there's no competition.
Pros: Great price for Apple integrated product. Hardware and software integration is key. The BSD-based OS puts it ahead of Windows machines. These days you either use a Unix-based OS or a Windows OS. Apple is now clearly a design company, and the 1-inch iBook
Cons: I like it too much. Some mention the weight -- I find it easy to carry. One thing, go for the memory upgrade when purchasing the machine -- I did. On the AppleStore site the extra memory is cheap. Having 512M gives peace of mind, and the BSD kernel will
User Rating: 10/10
cost does not determine value!
Pros: no spyware, no viruses, beautiful display, completely compatible, easy to use, a great value compared to infested windows machines!!!!
Cons: more expensive (worth every penny!)
User Rating: 9/10
Blows Toshiba Satellite AWAY
Pros: Great wrieless internet. Compared with my last computer I did not have a 50% sucess rate.All programs work GREAT.Plus the super drive is not buggy like previous windows computer. With this computer I can actually make music cd's that work. Previous Toshib
Cons: None that really come to mind other than I wish there were more than the white color to choose. But that is a reach and is being nit picky.
User Rating: 8/10
It WORKS the first time around!
Pros: The system software rarely, if ever, crashes! Everything works very well- no silly "illegal operations" to deal with. This computer is simply awesome to USE!!!
Cons: The speakers aren't so hot, though fine. And the screen, while quite nice could be a tad brighter.
User Rating: 10/10
Even better than my 12' 700 Mhz ibook
Pros: Bigger screen, excellent speed, nearly 4 hr battery life in real use. Very solid, resistant to damage. Good value esp. when purchased with university discount.
Cons: A tad heavy.
User Rating: 8/10
Best laptop I've owned!
Pros: Software package; wireless; simple to use even for the most novice computer user
Cons: too heavy
User Rating: 8/10
Great Computer Made Even Better With..
Pros: Great computer made even better with Apple Educational Discount for Students. If you know ANY student, you get obtain this easy to get discount. Unique, Powerful and Reliable.
Cons: Unless your get the AppleCare Ext. Warranty, you're gambling with fate and a high credit card bill should you do something accidental that you cannot undo. While Apple has gone through great lenghts to make almost every software package or its equivlent a
User Rating: 10/10
awsome, reliable, great value
Pros: Have taken my ibook around the world, climbing, camping and, of course, school and work. It's my primary computer and has worked without any problems for a year now (I had a gateway before the apple, it lasted 4 months, the dell before that made it 8 mon
Cons: okay, my little notebook is no longer so pretty and white but, hey, my truck is dinged from work too and I wouldn't trade it either.
User Rating: 9/10
My best purchase of the year!!!
Pros: It is fast, stlyish and bottomline great. Take it anywhere and do anything you want. The PC is a thing of the past.
Cons: The web browser safari has too good of a pop up blocker. Difficulties opening certain windows--pop ups.
User Rating: 10/10
Best Investment ever
Pros: I used to have a Toshiba running XP Home and that crashed pretty often and now with this Apple iBook, it has yet to crash (knock on wood). If anyone is reluctant about transferring from a Windows to a Mac, don't hesitate b/c there is really no gap b/t the
Cons: None really, not enough USB's? (2) or firewires (1), but thats it really.
User Rating: 
2/10
hate the spinning beach ball!!
Pros: apple store provides good support.
Cons: you'll need support - lots of it!!! Never had this many problems with my old Gateway
User Rating: 10/10
im lovin it
Pros: firsts time mac user and its so much easier than windows, learned panther in one day
Cons: needs more memory
User Rating: 10/10
Perfect buy, excellent!
Pros: EVERYTHING, kick it up to a 512 ram and its the perfect machine.
Cons: really none. maybe a little bit on the high end in price but it's worth it
User Rating: 10/10
Notice to Windows : YOU STINK!
Pros: Mac OS X, the most stable operating system that I have ever used, leading-edge design, fast and efficent, quiet, excellent audio. If you have used windows and are tired of things not working, then get the Apple iBook, or for that fact any Apple product.
Cons: You should upgrade ram to 512 mb, bluetooth, a wonderful thing is $50 extra.
User Rating: 9/10
A Best Buy
Pros: Everything just works!! Compare everything (screen quality, software, battery life, size, weight, etc.) and price is same as windows laptop.
Cons: Buy the 12" ibook for $999 - small, light, top quality, includes firewire, USB2, video out, cd burner, iLife software - a bargain!!
User Rating: 7/10
Great for all the graphics pros
Pros: 1: It runs Microsoft Office (the best version out at this point, 2004). It's virus-free, runs UNIX (BSD via OS X) and has many best-of-breed applications. Applecare (for an extra few hundred bucks) gives you three years of phone tech support, and warranti
Cons: Not as fast as it's sibling PowerBooks. Missing Firewire 800, only mirrors video.
User Rating: 8/10
Its stylish and has lots of good things going for it
Pros: It is really really user friendly, and if you happen to be computer illiterate its fine because its so easy to figure out.
Cons: Pc games don't run on it.
User Rating: 10/10
Mac's Rule , Windows Sucks !
Pros: i would rather pay extra for a product that will work forever than buy something that runs windows that can't even handle multi-tasking. Macs will always be better. You get what you pay for!
Cons: i would rather pay extra for a product that will work forever than buy something that runs windows that can't even handle multi-tasking. Macs will always be better. You get what you pay for!
User Rating: 9/10
Great Tool...hassle free!
Pros: Slick,fast and easy to work with...but takes practice after being Micro_softed to death for so many years! I do high tech art on my machine, so artists can feel comfortable with this machine...you can always plug into another large monitor with the cable
Cons: Most people are right handed. Power supply input should be on the left side, and all of the other ports should be on the right... at least one USB port for a mouse or pad.
User Rating: 10/10
Industry Leader as always!
Pros: Inovation is always happening at apple. Mac people love their computers. We have to. The Companies we work in can't keep their Microsoft technology running. Windows people dislike computers and they should blame Microsoft. Software crashes and networks a
Cons: Apple's automatic online software update system is beginning to work well. Automatic internet hookup is almost here. Office building ethernet and server systems are unnecessary with internet security and online sharing improving.
User Rating: 8/10
LOVE my new iBook
Pros: no viruses! no "blue screen of death"! no problems! I have adapted well to Mac. VERY nice interface...very clean.
Cons: tad heavy, yes.
User Rating: 9/10
Fantastic + Affordable
Pros: - Incredible build (both stylish and durable) - Much more solid keyboard than the G3 - Just as powerful as Powerbook for most tasks, especially with 1.25GB RAM - Panther (soon Tiger) - Everything is easy and simplified and self-maintainable - No viruses o
Cons: - As a new PC convert, I still think Apple should get their heads outta their wahzoos and switch to a two-button mouse. The clicker on the iBook is WAY too big. - Not much else to complain about
User Rating: 6/10
Reece from Philly
Pros: Great laptop for those who want a large screen portable mac. Great features, keyboard and alternative to powerbook 15 which is to big.
Cons: Expensive(but students get discount). Bluetooth is extra.
User Rating: 9/10
Never more satisfied.
Pros: Everything I need built right in. Power, ease of use, intuitive, looks good, and should last for quite a long time.
Cons: Heavier than expected. Needs more memory out of the box.
User Rating: 8/10
Dude... it's awesome!
Pros: - 14" screen - wireless (802.11g) - Mac OS X 10.3 Panther - speed - coolness :-)
Cons: - tad on the heavy side
