Apple iBook G4 unboxing, test & first impressions

[justwolfslife]

orange means its charging the battery

[WACstudios187]

hey, i need this to help me upload call of duty vids with a easy cap is it capable of atleast imovie '08 with out them scamming you? please answer and can i put aduio stigs in it please answer

[vwestlife]

@WACstudios187 I have no idea.

[Samthebam4044]

@WACstudios187 What you on about, your not awfy clear as to what exactly you need. I take it your loooking to upload CoD videos with this iBook G4. The answer is it should be OK if your filming with a Standard-def camcorer at 640x480 and with sound, but for anything higher resolution it might struggle abit

[The2006macbook]

@WACstudios187 ask adrid22 he knows everything there is to know about these computers

[hussainpilot05]

You should probably purchase the 2011 Mac Book Air i5.

[Crazye1974]

@vwestlife

Wow!! Ya I want a laptop 4 my 14th bday but I don't want to spend like 1000 dollars on it! Do you have a laptop that you recommend for starters?=)

[Samthebam4044]

@Crazye1974 I'll pitch in here for you mate, try one of the entry level Dell XPS or HP Pavilion models, also ASUS makes some very good entry level models. Really you could also buy a brilliant 2dn hand year old Macbook Pro for a few hundred bucks, bargain honestly you should try stretch to 1000 you'll be thankful you did.

Cheers

[Crazye1974]

Hey does it work well with vids? Also does it have a webcam?=)

[vwestlife]

@Crazye1974 No, and no. In retrospect, getting a G4 was a mistake. I should've saved my money for something newer!

[Samthebam4044]

@Crazye1974 Isight camera'll fix the 2nd problem, as for the first, vWestlife's right, youtube and video editing probably are too complicated for this aging machines ability, shame really as there isn't much reason as to why, aside from HD Video of course. Lovly machine I think I borrowed a G3 iBook, one of the cleanest and tidiest laptops I ever had.

[Mammothboy110]

what a sitey computer

[vwestlife]

@Mammothboy110 "Sitey"?

[moarfeene]

Baby it ain't over til it's ooooooooverrrrrrr...

[RoryReilly123]

@zwinky588 I have an iMac 2011 I'm just looking for something that I can use for watching movies on in the basement and I didnt want to drag my new computer down besides I bought a used 2008 MacBook instead

[stephstealsstickers]

if i can get one of these... more specifically Processor: 1.33GHz

Memory: 512B

Hard Drive: 30GB

OS X 10.5

CD-RW/DVD-ROM  for $80.00 canadian would it be worth it?

[vwestlife]

@stephstealsstickers That's a lot cheaper than I paid, so that is a good deal!

[vwestlife]

@gillespie1005 No, get something newer.

[SlowMotionTechno]

Should i buy one to use on school and for homework?

[vwestlife]

@SlowMotionTechno No, get something newer.

[BROKENARROWpro]

I don't know if anybody has told you this yet but you can download an Program called youview that will take away the choppiness of the youtube and let you watch it normally

[bigdaus11]

@vwestlife great unboxing!! I'm getting a PowerBook and an iBook now because of you XD thanks!

[Miley3444]

this video made me feel really negative o.O DOWNER!

[javierpopable]

Is this laptop heavy and thick?

[vwestlife]

@javierpopable Compared to a MacBook Air, yes. Compared to anything else, no.

[javierpopable]

@vwestlife about how many pounds would you say it weighs?

[vwestlife]

@javierpopable I'm sure a quick Google search would turn up the exact specs.

[joejoe9632]

Can u edit videos on that?

[vwestlife]

@joejoe9632 As I said, this video is proof that you can!

[AVallstar4]

thanks well i was just asking if ur new to apple computers will this be a good starter???and does it hav good performance???

[vwestlife]

@AVallstar4 I recommend getting a Mac with an Intel processor. These older G4 Macs are getting too old to run the latest Mac software.

[TheFlips9]

if youtube videos are choppy on the ibook g4, you should download youview. it is a way to watch youtube videos without a browser, they aren't very choppy and you can watch them in full HD

[RoryReilly123]

Should I get this or an iMac G4 800mhz?

[zwinky588]

@RoryReilly123 niether

[ChristianIsTech]

Dude im gona get one for xmas

there as low as $150 bucks

[theman7431]

I just got a PowerBook G4 with os x 10.4.11 waiting for my os x 10.5 disc in the mail so i can update it.

[MinecraftOutlaw]

does it have a wireless adapter built inside?

[vwestlife]

@MinecraftOutlaw Yes, if you get one with the Airport card installed.

[MinecraftOutlaw]

@vwestlife ok, would this be a good deal? amazon(dot)com/Apple-Ibook-G4-­Airport-Garageband/dp/B000YFVS­AW/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid­=1319222851&sr=1-5

[GlewDoesit]

@MinecraftOutlaw lol did you know see him connect to his wireless internet ?

[fincallmatter101]

safari sucks for watching movies on youtube ect use camino you will see a huge differences

[TPS19812]

can you watch dvd's on it?

[vwestlife]

@TPS19812 Yes.

[doctorwhotoyreviews]

do you still use this now and how is imovie ? :)

[vwestlife]

@doctorwhotoyreviews Yes, and I really like iMovie '06 for editing video from my DV tape camcorders (Digital8 and MiniDV).

[thedarkone2134]

@vwestlife Is one of these worth picking up if you can get it for a good price? What would you consider an okay price for a 1.33ghz one?

[vwestlife]

@thedarkone2134 I suggest saving your money and getting a newer Intel-based Mac. That's my one regret about getting this iBook -- that the G4 CPU can't run the latest Mac software anymore.

[JaimeEskobar]

@thedarkone2134 i found one tradera, its arriving this week. my first mac, its gonna be övfvertrefligt!

[batelg7]

Thanks

[batelg7]

Where could I get one

[vwestlife]

@batelg7 I got mine from eBay.

[batelg7]

Can an iBook use wifi?

[vwestlife]

@batelg7 Yes, if it has the Airport card installed.

[jamarieafterjesus]

after he opens safari...video plays...video stop... guy's reaction..."alright is that it?".... computer says "YEP!"

[Macintoshmani12]

i love your videos! 

[mgreinhardt]

youtube is best on PPC macs using Tenfourfox browser and for the G4 i would suggest youtube HTML5 player instead of flashplayer

[sessionmk]

Nice vid man!

[coffeeandsugar20]

The microphone is that black dot that's near the top right of the LCD screen bezel

[Ch4rlz4rd]

Hi! My friend is giving me his iBook G4 1.42 GHz, 120 GB HD and 1.5 GB RAM for 75 dollars. How good does yours run, and would mine be good to run iMovie 2006 edition?

[vwestlife]

@Ch4rlz4rd That's a great price. It will run iMovie '06, but saving (exporting) the video is very slow.

[Ch4rlz4rd]

@vwestlife Okay. Because it usually takes my PowerMac G4 around an hour to export a 5 minute video, but it is a little slower than the speed of this iBook.

[TheHorrorTastic]

@Ch4rlz4rd No that's really not a good price this thing is OLD

[staroner101]

ohh and by now u know that u have to watch vids in 240p

[staroner101]

this computer really sux i have one it goes hella slow and i cant even watch videos they play then pause they play then pause its a shity computer and its the same with all of them

[mgreinhardt]

@staroner101 use tenfourfox browser and join youtube htm5 instead of that damn flashplayer , its not the iBook that sux its the adobe flashplayer that sux big time

[ouimetnick]

You should have at least purchased a Intel based Mac. Not the Core Duo, but the Core 2 Duo. These can handle the latest and greatest.

[vwestlife]

@ouimetnick If I could afford an Intel Mac, I would've bought one!

[J25x]

Good video. Are you new to macs?

[Drivingace01]

@vwestlife i hav one but when i put in the charger the ibook wont turn on even though my charger lights up green and everything

[ciscoboi8]

its kinda slow js

[compactc9]

My PowerBook G4 1GHz drove me nuts on being slow with youtube, the main reason I bought the MacBook.

[jack213rt]

You should give me that laptop if you still have it

[vwestlife]

@jack213rt Why? I'm using it right now to edit a video, in fact.

[MrACDC1997]

i like Sinatra and Mac!

[vwestlife]

@MrACDC1997 Sinatra?? Mack The Knife is by Bobby Darin, not Frank Sinatra.

[MrACDC1997]

@vwestlife so what, i still like Sinatra...

i like cereal too...

[TheRealSonicYouth]

I think im getting this one in the next couple days ffor free from my aunt. Maybe its the same one Idk

[FreightExpress1993]

They still make Microsoft Office, Windows Live Messenger, Google Chrome, and Firefox for the Mac

[dmblackhawks88]

could you play black ops or newer games on this????

[Dontpickmelast101]

@dmblackhawks88 this computer is from 2005, with an integrated graphics card, ill be surprised if it can play Cod 2

[PsionicArchon]

Rather then delve into the realm of over-hyped mac hardware, why not simply head on over to new egg and order yourself the parts at one third the cost, then self build yourself an editing box. I built a quad core, high definition 1080p capable server for around three hundred. The closest. similarly priced mac will run you over a grand. Beyond that, for the kind of editing you do, movie maker will do you fine.

[vwestlife]

@PsionicArchon 1. I wanted a Mac anyway. 2. iMovie '06 is amazingly quick and easy to use. As you can tell from my videos, I don't use fancy effects anyway. 3. Windows Movie Maker's deinterlacing is crap compared to iMovie's, plus it doesn't support nearly as many video formats.

A *LOT* of people on YouTube, both beginners and professionals, use iMovie, and they're not just doing it to be trendy... it's because iMovie is a damn good basic video editing program.

[PsionicArchon]

@vwestlife You have some good points there, I use Cyberlink Powerdirector myself for everything I work on. It's easy to use and reasonably priced for a piece of software. If and I stress if I were to ever need both final cut pro, nor I movie I'd simply purchase OS X, it's cheap as anything, then boot it up in a modified virtual machine. OS X lacks things like proper driver support, I'd hate to edit hd footage without tapping into my gpu for extra processing power.

[Lachlant1984]

@PsionicArchon Not everyone wants to or like myself may not be able to build a computer out of parts, they just want to buy a whole computer system, set it up and start right away without installing hardware and lots of software from scratch, and though Movie Maker may be good for some things it is basic and may not suite everyone's needs, and that's the most important thing about a computer, it needs to meet your news in order to be useful. Mac meets me needs, Windows doesn't anymore.

[PsionicArchon]

@Lachlant1984 There are perfectly good resellers that will build a computer tailored to your specific needs. For example, I contact said reseller with concerns about my ability to edit, and encode video, I then proceed to ask this person what such a computer will cost. Any reputable person will be plenty capable of giving you an honest answer without you needing to understand technical specifications. I don't hate Mac, I hate that they charge twice as much, for the same thing.

[PoChopper]

Most Steaming Flash videos on PPC won't play properly.. some few will, almost everything else wont.

Even the intel macs have a horrid time running flash.. uses a lot of cpu power compared to windows when streaming flash. Must be a Mac OS thing... So with combination of PPC and Mac OS you can more less forget about flash videos.. unless you download them and play them.

[CarnelProd666]

Not sure if it's been mentioned before, but applications on the dock only need to be clicked once to launch it.

Personally, OS X is better than the latest incarnations of Windows, particularly Win7, which is basically a crummy version of Puma (10.1) with all the Activation horrors. It's just that the hardware to legally run OS X is so damn expensive these days.

[poopooGarret]

Lol if you ever need a replacement power cord for one of those... I have 7 or 8 from smashing the things :P

[vwestlife]

@poopooGarret I bet someone like you previously owned this iBook, because every single piece of the casing is worn out, scratched, and misaligned... but yet it still works.

[MyTechtime]

I recommend to download firefox it works better that safari and camino is the best

[MyTechtime]

this might help, Orange = charging Green = charged, It can't charge in the first stage of booting

[Knaeckebrotsaege]

PS.. kinda funny how the iBook can't even manage 360p on youtube, but my piece of shit asus netbook (eeePC 1005HA ; Atom N280) works fine with 480p and barely manages 720p (it runs perfectly as long as you don't do anything else, otherwise you get dropped frames).

the Atom N280 is roughly comparable to an old Athlon XP 1800+ (Thoroughbred 1.53GHz) while only using 4watt .. but this full fledged iBook doesn't even get anywhere near that lol

more performance per MHz for PPC CPUs? yeah right lol

[thedarkone2134]

@Knaeckebrotsaege Except you intel is far newer, making it not worth comparing with the far older G4

[Knaeckebrotsaege]

lol.. i just went ahead and installed a retail OSX Snow Leopard (10.6) on my normal x86 PC with the help of iBoot (tonymacx86 com)

specs of that PC (my testing box) aren't that great, but it runs OSX just fine :)

Core 2 Duo E4300 (1.8 @ 2.4GHz), 2GB DDR2 RAM, Geforce 9500GT 512MB

i'm kinda thinking about putting that above PC inside my old Powermac G4 case, as the original G4 400 is use- and worthless nowadays..

[MrStaniland]

great video man! infact it was that good that I subbed you and went and bought an iBook G3! how are you finding this machine?

[ThePhoneUpdate]

You think video editing on that is slow? I used a 800MHz iBook G3 as my main laptop for a few years!

[DOBBSA87]

'Hope I can turn that off, that seems kind of stupid.'

And THAT'S why I came back to PC.

[wilkes85]

cool new laptop. I've used Macs in the store, and I hated the layout, but it's not really that bad if you got used to it. If I had one of these, I'd just end up installing Windows on it LOL, but for the price they charge for them, I'd expect a whole lot more than what they offer. But one thing I really don't like is the general attitude of mac users.

[EastAngliaUK]

May be try upgrading flash player and it might work better?

[ClactonRadio]

even thought its from 2005 it has better spec than my mates acer laptop which is just 1GHz

[barret46922]

Just out of curiosity why don't you buy modern hardware? I know you don't need it.. is it just because it's so expensive? Or..?

[kayslaay]

@barret46922 Obv. he likes retro technology / older hardware

[vwestlife]

@barret46922 I wanted to gain some experience with modern Macintosh software before deciding to spend all the money on a new Mac computer, so this cheap used iBook was the perfect way to do that. So far I'm very happy with it.

[Leafblower29]

We had these at school.

[NJRoadfan]

Still using my 7.5yo 1.25Ghz Powerbook G4 (first gen 15" Al-book). I scored it cheap new using a student ADC discount. It stinks that PPC support is being quickly dropped by apps for no good reason. I'm using a 3rd party build of Firefox 4 with no issues (TenFourFox). Over time its going to get tougher to use though as things like Flash (which got slower with each release) become outdated. Eventually I'll replace it, chances are it will be a PC next time though.

[BadEditPro]

Neat score. I have an Acer laptop and I hate using it. Between the small screen and the touchpad it takes me twice as long to do everything! :) JC

[MyWonderApple]

i really want a powermac g5, it would be a cheap mac desktop for casual use :)

[16mmDJ]

NICE music

[Ethaninsf5]

Thats a great computer! I have one, and a g3, but unfortunately the g4 got wet and now is a bit "funky". Great computers!

[diowfj]

Nice pickup. I wouldn't mind one of those myself! Maybe one day. :)

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

I have always HATED the layout and functionality of Mac OS X. Macs almost always cost about twice that of a well equipped Windows PC with about 1.5 X more hardware and software capability. Ever since the mid 2000's, Apple has had a HUGE snob appeal among the Hollywood liberals of my generation. They pay so much attention to the design and visual appearance of it and don't take into account how few USB ports it has, or the fact that it has no SD card slots, etc.

[vwestlife]

@MIKON8ERISBACK I'm a Hollywood liberal, so I like it.

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@vwestlife I don't mean to be a prick, but I thought you hated the design of Apples recent products.

[giammyzanna]

@MIKON8ERISBACK WTF? Is it even possible to hate the design of Apple computers? If you hate their design you throw off a mountain all pcs

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@giammyzanna Your sentence didn't even make any sense.

[giammyzanna]

@MIKON8ERISBACK Yes, I realized it now. English is not my main language, so yeah. My main point is that it's impossible to hate the design of Apple products.

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@giammyzanna I just don't like the girly, sterile, white look of their computers.

[giammyzanna]

@MIKON8ERISBACK Only the macbook is made from white plastic. All other models are made from aluminium and they are amazing: much better than pc notebooks made from cheap plastic that after 1-2 years the paint gets worn out.

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

@giammyzanna I just prefer the Windows operating system. It's more customizable, and I also prefer the platform that let's you screw around take risks with aftermarket hardware/software modifications.

[MasterNaruto1214]

@MIKON8ERISBACK Same here,you also get more for your money when buying a PC,and it doesn't become outdated as quickly of course.

[IsraelLieberVEVO]

@vwestlife What Does "Hollywood Liberal"?

[compactc9]

@vwestlife LOL! I do like the simple look they have to them tho, and I like that the new ones have solid aluminum cases, very durable. My white plastic MacBook has held up very well tho.

[Lachlant1984]

@MIKON8ERISBACK I understand some of your points, but I'd far rather use a Mac than Windows, Mac OS meets my needs and Windows doesn't, new Macs do have SD card slots on them, but yeah, more USB ports on the iMac would be great, it only has four, I wish it had six or even eight ports, but no. But I don't ever want to use Windows at home again.

[FCule]

first time i see your face

[giammyzanna]

To open an app from the dock, one click is enough :)

[hord]

office 2011 came out for the mac, just so u know still :)

[uxwbill]

That light around the charging connector tells you whether the battery is charging (orange) or not (green). Be careful with that connector--it can develop bad solder joints. The outer connection ring is also easily spread out. If your power connector gets loose, this is probably why. You can can squeeze it back together carefully.

[uxwbill]

To get a 16:9 aspect ratio going in iMovie, choose to create a new project just like you did. When you are prompted for a file name, there should be a drop-down box (you may have to reveal it by clicking a disclosure triangle) where you can choose a few different formats. Pick "DV widescreen" and there you go.

As I'd mentioned earlier, Flash Player on PowerPC machines is not at all optimized for the CPU. It's said that Adobe just dropped support for Mac OS X on PowerPC...another nail!

[CenTexVideo]

My mom has a MacBook and loves it. I don't believe she'll be going back to MS Windows.

My netbook running Win7 takes about the same amount of time to render video, but I use WMV in different configurations. H.264 is a little faster, but the present I like renders into interlaced frames and it can't be changed.

My netbook also plays 480p video in Flash player well. It will play back some HD, but I have to download it to watch it. Flash player is a CPU hog, more so the channel page.

[ErrorsAndComputers]

i have one of these, clocked at 800 mhz, the LCD screen wire is ripped and the screen wont work

[themaritimeman]

Nice buy! I want to get a Mac someday, something like a Powerbook G3. I too have very little knowledge on their user interface. lol

I'm afraid the choppy YouTube video can't be helped. From what i've read, the PowerPC processors are simply no longer capable of handling YouTube well. They USED to be able to, but every release of Flash is bigger and slower, and apparently Adobe does a poor job of optimizing Flash for the PowerPC, making even a 1.3 GHz G4 handle YouTube like a 600 MHz Pentium III.

[giammyzanna]

Actually the lastest version of iMovie that you can install on the G4 is iMovie 09 with a few tricks.

[giammyzanna]

You won't be disappointed from it, you will be amazed from what an old Mac can still do. If you look online, you can find the way to install the newer version of iMovie (iMovie 11), which is even more intuitive.

[adamxp12]

the light is the charge indicator all ibooks had it

[ashleycox432]

they do still make office for mac. the latest version I think is 2011. I'm not a fan of it, completely inaccessible, slow, and just annoying. get a copy of iWork.

[lenoat702]

It looks like a white IBM, Leneveo or old Dell laptop

[shortwavesam]

How much was it? i have an 800MHz white iBook G3 with 640MB of ram, running OSX 10.4.9, it's a great little machine!

[MyWonderApple]

@vwestlife They still make Office for mac, I have Microsoft Office Mac 2011 on my Macbook, just to let you know :)

[MyWonderApple]

Hey that first video you clicked on was from adric22 i love his videos :D

[CavemanPerson]

The reason YouTube vids are so choppy is that Flash is very poorly optimized for G4/G5 based machines. I have an old 1.4GHz Tualatin processor overclocked to 1.6GHz that can play 480p full screen and even 720p/24 windowed YouTube vids on Chrome. Yet I'm sure the G4 has a stronger FPU than the P3.

[grod75]

@vwestlife Just don´t perform any crash tests on this iBook, like you did with that Sylvania netbook... Haha... XD

[MyWonderApple]

I know the iBooks and Macbooks look similar, and i have a Macbook, but I always liked the way the ibooks looked better for some reason, idk...

[dylbyl1234]

can that thing even handle hd videos on youtube

[IBMThinkPadR51]

Nice! I have a G4 eMac, which is a piece of crap because the power button doesn't work! It has a 700MHz G4 with 512MB of RAM and a 60GB Hard Drive!

[GanEdenAustralia]

Could have been packed better.

[talldude123]

Is that G4 1.33Ghz similar to the performance of an Atom N270? Or similar to maybe a Pentium M?

[sheps999]

If you didn't already know, OSX keeps programs running/in memory after you've clicked the close button. Irritating, but I think you can properly quit the program with the global menu, or pressing Command + Q.

[aquachek3]

great video man i like messing with old tech

[JinzoDefiler]

I say OS X instead of ten... Office is still made for the Mac

[aquachek3]

how much was it

[theking0fnowhere]

I know the iBook Guy recommends using Camino on G4 computers. The G4 is still surprisingly a decent computer. Check out his video where he gets rid of his iMac for a week and replaces it with a G4 iBook. Might get a kick out of it.

[bmdmaloclm]

I gad a 1.02GHz iBook G4 3 years ago. The orange light on the plug means its charging, green means its fully charged. If I where you I would downgrade the OS to Tiger 10.4 it will run much smoother. Great video thanks for sharing!

[clubcar98]

I bought an iBook G3 and the logic board failed on it shortly after. I am not too sure if the G4 units have the same issue, so I hope yours lasts. I still want to try another or a Powerbook G4. Maybe a new Mac someday but they are expensive!

Safari is a memory hog last time I used it. So if you get something superior, like Opera or Firefox, I bet it would be going better.

[vwestlife]

@clubcar98 I considered a Mac Mini G4, but their prices seem to be around the same as an iBook of similar age and specs, so it made more sense to get the iBook. Opera is my favorite web browser, so I will definitely be installing it on the Mac.

[MyWonderApple]

@vwestlife Try using a browser called Camino, its mac native and gives you some unique options that really help with older macs and performance while browsing :)

[oldmac6]

@vwestlife I have a lot of Mac all PPC, no intel, 2 iBook G4, 1, 1.33 Ghz and the last 1.42 Ghz G4, upgraded to 1.2 and 1.5 Gb of ram and original 60 Gb 5400 RPM HDD, they didn't realy wroks great under leopard (i suggest Tiger 10.4) but the real problem of iBook is the slow G4 processor and flash need a lot of power to run, unless you watch video in 240p, it can't be better, in 360p the framrate will drop (but it's really better on Tiger).

[oldmac6]

@oldmac6 For the green LED at startup it's normal, it's from the Power management and on the dock it's only 1 clik to lanch the application.

If you realy want to use a mac every day for web (flash video) you need to have an intel one. And don't buy G5 PPC mac they're crap motherboard always fail (i've seen a lot of iMac G5 with dead motherboard, and not only due to bad capacitors).

[macintoshgermany]

@clubcar98 No, the G4 iBooks are fine. Only the G3 iBooks had this fault, most of them have probably died :(

[Misstersack]

@macintoshgermany Actually, there is a known problem with the G4 iBook's video output. Yes I also know about the G3 video cards. In all honesty, all the white iBook's are going to die sooner or later from hardware failure.

[Dell0304]

Cool! I don't blame you for getting a 6 year old mac, they are so damn expensive!