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Low End Mac's Best Deals

Best iBook G4 Deals

2009.11.16

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G4 iBooks are a good option with prices starting below $300 including AirPort Extreme - well under half the cost of a refurbished 13" MacBook.

Apple last updated the iBook line in July 2005 and replaced it with the 13.3" MacBook in May 2006. The final revision iBooks shipped with 512 MB RAM, Radeon 9550 graphics, Bluetooth, scrolling trackpads, and sudden motion sensors as standard features. For our assessment of their value at release, see The 2005 iBook G4 Value Equation. For a good overview of the iBook G4 line, see Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the iBook G4.

We recommend at least 512 MB of RAM with OS X, and that's what Apple suggests for Tiger (10.4) as well. More RAM is better, and all of the G4 iBooks support 1 GB of RAM in addition to 256 or 512 MB on the motherboard.

Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" is supported on all 867 MHz and faster G4 iBooks with at least 512 MB of RAM and the ability to run the DVD-based installer. We recommend at least 768 MB of RAM for Leopard; more if you can afford it.

The 12" 800 MHz iBook G4 is the only model in this family officially "unsupported" for 10.5. You cannot run the Leopard installer from the original DVD without a firmware hack. You can install Leopard from a supported Mac, create a hacked install disc, or modify Open Firmware. See our article on Unsupported Leopard Installation for more details.

Used Macs usually have a 90 day warranty. Listings note RAM/hard drive size. We strongly recommend adding a 256 MB or 512 MB module for better system performance. (For most users, adding 1 GB is probably excessive, but you can best determine your own needs, and prices are pretty reasonable.)

Be sure to factor in possible shipping costs (often included) and sales tax. Your best value depends on whether you need/want AirPort Extreme (APX), a larger hard drive, more memory, etc.

Profiles

Apple never released a 1.07 GHz model, however the 1.0 GHz iBooks (4/04) report themselves as 1.07 GHz models. We suspect that Apple rounded the number down to an even 1.0 for marketing purposes, and benchmarks show the performance you would expect of a 1.07 GHz CPU, not 1.0 GHz. We list them on their profile pages using Apple's nominal 1.0 GHz rating and list them on the rest of this page with their actual 1.07 GHz speed.

12": 800 MHz (10/03) - 1.0 GHz (4/04) - 1.2 GHz (10/04) - 1.33 GHz (7/05)
14": 933 MHz/1.0 GHz (10/03) - 1.0/1.2 GHz (4/04) - 1.33 GHz (10/04) - 1.42 GHz (7/05)

We factor in ground shipping costs when selecting the best prices. Ground shipping charges vary by distance and carrier - the numbers we use are for shipping to Low End Mac headquarters in Michigan.

Best Prices

HOT 12" 1.07 GHz Combo, $210, Laptop Rescue
HOT 12" 1.33 GHz Combo, $298, Mac-Pro
14" 1.0 GHz Combo, $389, DV Warehouse
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, $398, Mac-Pro
14" 1.42 GHz Combo, $479, DV Warehouse
14" 1.42 GHz SD, $498, Mac-Pro

Recent RAM Prices

All G4 iBooks are compatible with PC2700 memory and have only 1 available RAM slot.

PC2100: 256 MB, $7.89; 512 MB, $16.69; 1 GB, $34.89
PC2700: 256 MB, $4.89; 512 MB, $16.69; 1 GB, $34.89

Replacement Batteries

5000 mAh/55.5 Watt-Hour NuPower for 12" iBook G4, 11% more capacity than original, $119.95, OWC
4400 mAh TruePower for 12" iBook, $99.95, FastMac
5000 mAh/74 Watt-Hour NuPower for 14" iBook G4, 21% more capacity than original, $119.99, OWC
4400 mAh TruePower for 14" iBook, $99.95, FastMac

Mac OS Prices

Classic Mac OS (use 9.2.2 for Classic Mode)
Mac OS X 10.0-10.3
Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger'
Mac OS X 10.5 'Leopard' (requires 512 MB of RAM and DVD compatible drive)

Unless otherwise noted, there is no surcharge for credit card purchases. Vendors are listed in alphabetical order. Be sure to visit their sites for full details. iBooks are used unless otherwise noted.

Prices may be limited to quantity on hand. Not responsible for typos. Please email any corrections or additional sources with competitive prices toDan Knight .

Buying through some of these links benefits Low End Mac. Buying at these prices benefits you.

DV Warehouse

Shipping may add $20 or more.

12" 1.0 GHz Combo, 256/30, $289
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 256/40, $395
14" 1.0 GHz Combo, 512/40, $389
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 256/40, $439
14" 1.42 GHz Combo, 512/60, $479

Laptop Rescue

Shipping may add $25 or more. Vinyl stickers can be removed.

12" 1.07 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $209.99

Mac-Pro

Shipping may add $20 or more. 60 day warranty.

12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, $297.77
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 768/60, APX, $397.77
14" 1.42 GHz SD, 512/60, APX, $497.77

Mac Resource 12" - 14"

Shipping can add $20 or more. Add $80 for AirPort Extreme.

12" 800 MHz Combo, 256/30, $299.99
12" 1.0 GHz Combo, 256/30, $384.99
12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 256/30, $424.99
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 256/30, $449.99
14" 933 MHz Combo, 256/40, $399.99
14" 1.0 GHz Combo, 256/40, $434.99
14" 1.2 GHz Combo, 256/40, $464.99
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 256/40, $499.99
add $79.99 for AirPort Extreme Cards

Operator Headgap

Shipping included. Operator Headgap thoroughly refurbishes and tests every Mac they sell. When ordering, please let them know you heard about them on Low End Mac when entering your shipping information. Thanks!

14" 1.42 GHz Combo, 768/60, APX, $599.77 shipped
USB 802.11n WiFi adapter, OS X 10.3 and newer, $34.77 shipped
60W AC adapter, $49.95 shipped

PowerBook Guy

Ground shipping can add $22 or more. PowerBook Guy returns systems to their factory specifications as close as possible. This includes reinstalling the Mac OS as it originally shipped from the factory, replacing any failed parts, cleaning the system and performing various tests to ensure that it functions correctly.

none in stock
AirPort Extreme Card, $69.95

Power Max 12" - 14"

Free ground shipping. Power Max has the broadest selection of used Macs of any Mac dealer we track.

12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 356/30, APX, $429 shipped
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 1.5 GB/40, APX, $549 shipped
14" 1.07 GHz SD, 256/60, $529 shipped
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 768/60, APX, $489 shipped
14" 1.33 GHz SD, 256/60, APX, $549 shipped
other configurations listed

Wegener Media

Shipping may add $25 or more. 60 day warranty.

12" 800 MHz Combo, 256/30, $289.99
12" 1.0 GHz Combo, 256/30, $369.99
12" 1.2 GHz Combo, 256/30, $409.99
12" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/40, APX, BT, $489.99
14" 1.33 GHz Combo, 512/60, $499.99
14" 1.42 GHz SD, 512/60, $529.99
add $34.99 for AirPort Extreme

Need more power or a larger screen than an iBook offers? Check out our Titanium PowerBook G4 deals, 12" PowerBook G4 deals, and 15" PowerBook G4 deals, and 17" PowerBook G4 deals. Don't need G4 power? Check out our iBook G3 deals and PowerBook G3 deals.

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