I'm shopping for a new laptop and have been seriously looking at the Apple iBook. I'm a Linux/Unix advocate so OS X is very appealing to me.

Any one out there have any experience with Apple computers?

 

I am typing from a 12" iBook. OS X beats Windows hands-down. And, with OS X, file compatibility is much less an issue than it used to be. If you spring for MS Office, you can open just about any Windows generated file without any problems.
The iBook itself is great, too. The case seems very rugged. My CD drive is pretty loud when you load/unload a disc, but that is the only problem with it. I still haven't made up my mind whether the 12" was the right choice, but I don't think either iBook is a wrong choice. (If that makes sense...) Battery life is great (about 5 hours, real time) and it recharges quickly.
If you want one, buy one. Don't let the Windows users scare you into thinking you need to be running Windows to communicate with the rest of the world. It's not true. Heck, even one of my engineering professors uses Apples.

 

I'm typing from my PowerBook 2400c because my 12" iBook is in the car! I've done a lot with computers in my relatively short life. I've invested a lot of time in both Windows and the Macintosh platform, and even though I manage a 20-machine XP lab and about 10 other PCs at work, I come home to my Power Mac dual-G4 every day.

I'm not going to spend a lot of extra keystrokes trying to convince you which platform is best. I am going to say, however, that if you do not do a heavy investment in to PC-only software and workflows, you can do just as much with the Mac, and I find its interface to be far more intuitive.

If you are seriously looking at the iBook... I'd encourage you to wait until January if at all possible. MacWorld Expo is around the 10th, and that is when Apple does new product announcements. The iBook and PowerBook line have been relatively unchanged for quite a while now, and it's widely speculated that Apple's new Intel-based portable line will bow at MacWorld this year.

Head over to Apple's website and click the "Switch" link on the left side of the nav-bar at the top of the screen. That should give you some more detailed information regarding going from Windows to Macintosh. If you are interested in Linux, there are several prominent distributions for PowerPC-based Macs, Yellow Dog Linux, and I think Fedora and Mandrake are all popular ones. Googling for "Mac Linux" will give you some insight. Also remember, Mac OS X runs on the Mach kernal, and has an open-source BSD port (Darwin) at its core.

Food for thought, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Not disagreeing, but in the computer world, the next best thing is ALWAYS right around the corner. Sooner or later, you have to bite the bullet and buy one, or else you would still be using a portable typewriter. Just my $.02

 

As of right now i'm typing on a Wallstreet. Its only a 300Mhz but it runs OS X 10.2.8 good enough to get my homework done and surf the net. Can't play movies or anything processor extensive though. MS Office for the mac is also compatiable with OpenOffice which is what I use on our Mandrake stations - got a wild hair to try OpenOffice on the mac today, i'll see how it works. Firefox for the mac isn't as good as the linux version, still alot of bugs. I have no Windows workstations, I do have Virtual PC though, and I can do everything they can, and no crashes.. knock on wood. If I ever get any extra money i'll probably spring for a ibook, a powerbook is a waste of money unless you do alot of video or high-end apps.

 

Does my Apple IIgs count? The only newer Apple I have used was an iMac. I'm not a big fan of the new Apple products. i'm sure they are good products, but I prefer other brands.

 

Well I purchased a 12" iBook a couple of days ago. Wow. OS X and the entire Apple product is simply amazing. The quality, the look and feel, user interface - everything is superb. I couldn't be happier.

OS X (10.4.3) is incredible - Windoze doesn't even come close. You know that feeling you get when you just "know" a product you're using is of incredible quality? That's the feeling I have right now with this iBook. Wow.

 

Good choice. That's the same machine and OS I have. I'm confident you'll be very happy with it.

 

Always wondered who else used a mac on here,ive been with apple since the macSE! im using a emac right now,trust me once you use a mac youll never want to go back

 

Our small office is all Mac and those of us that have to travel (luckily that's not me very often) schlep Apple notebooks everywhere and beat on them day in day out. As long as the bossman doesn't get ahold of our computers and "fix" something for us, they've performed wonderfully.

I love my dual 1.8 G5 (work computer), of course who wouldn't upgrading from one of the old blue and white G3s. I've been thinking about getting one of the Mac Minis to use at home and just perch it on top of my old G4.

Enjoy your new computer!

 

after hearing about the bad id boards in the apple comps a coulpe of years back i decided to stay with ibm based laptops but running linux

 

I have been a Apple/Mac fan since the late 80's. At my school, I was on a committee to make technology decisions for the school renovations. I pushed for Macs. The business ed teacher convinced the powers that be that "PC's are cheaper and they are what everyone will be using when they graduate from here and go into the workplace".

I argued that the primary software packages used were Word, Excel, etc. and although were MS products, they were also cross-platform. Using them on a Mac would train one to use them on a PC as well later. I argued that the PC was cheaper because so many vendors could make components while Apple maintained control over virtually all of their components. I argued that Mac networks were more stable. I argued that Macs were far less virus-susceptible due to their OS.
All fell on deaf ears.
Now in our school district, they are paying a tech staff of about 8 people to keep the network up and running and virus and pop up free. Another member of the committee had vehemently sided with the PC platform. He has since moved to another district and just recently actually apologized to me and admitted that I was right. He said their entire network (Mac), although having an initially higher cost, has actually nearly paid for itself in terms of the very limited (2 people, one of whom is part-time) tech staff that they have to keep the network running. He said problems are virtually non-existent and the tech staff is more like the old Maytag Repairman, just desparate for something, anything, to go wrong so they wouldn't be bored out of their skulls.
Anyway. My .02