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After yawning over the last under-achieving iBooks in our September 2004 issue (page 58), a breath of fresh AirPort has perked up our appreciation. Yes, the 12" iBook finally has built-in AirPort Extreme for high-speed wireless Internet access, and this means the most portable and affordable of all Apple laptops will likely never leave your side. Wireless access is everywhere these days, and we had a ball discovering all the hot spots we could leech off of in cafes, bars, friends' apartments and of course at home. The AirPort Extreme worked flawlessly and automatically, and its performance seemed limited only by the strength of the host network.
The G4 processor has bumped up from 1GHz to 1.2GHz, while the price has dipped a bill from $1,100 to $1,000. Somewhat disappointingly, the RAM, hard disk and graphics processor are all the same as they were two revs ago when the iBook first added a G4 processor. Overall, however, the improvements and the price drop make this iBook a much more enticing buy.
Well known by now for their white polycarbonate plastic casing, iBooks have traditionally traveled well, and this one is no different. The laptop served some strenuous time on our daily commutes and a coast-to-coast flight, but never were we nervous about the wear on its solid frame. While it's only common sense to treat the iBook with care, you definitely don't have to dote over every slight impact it may encounter (while closed) as much as you do with a PowerBook. Its keyboard action is very comfortable and reasonably quiet.
The advertised battery life is six hours maximum, and we achieved close to that when using low-CPU programs, eschewing use of the optical drive and keeping the LCD brightness low. The iBook heats up considerably when using processor-taxing apps such as graphicheavy games. This makes the fan run more and can decrease battery life by more than half, as can playing CDs or DVDs.
Notice from the table above, that the 12" iBook performs significantly slower than an iMac with a comparable G4 because of other less powerful system components. As such, you'll be fine browsing email and the Internet, writing and using the iApps, but the iBook is not a workhorse for top-shelf creative programs. It can suffice for monster apps such as Adobe's Creative Suite and play older but entertaining 3D games such as MacPlay's No One Lives Forever ($30; www. macplay.com), but it's essentially an entry-level machine. Fortunately for those who simply want an affordable, reliable, sturdy Mac they can take anywhere for everyday tasks, the 12" iBook G4 fits the bill. -MARKKUS ROVITO anywhere for everyday tasks, the 12" iBook G4 fits the bill.
-MARKKUS ROVITO
iBOOK G4 12": 
Apple | www.apple.com | 800-692-7753 | $1,000
Pros: Airport Extreme built-in, sturdy construction, potentially long battery life, affordable, software bundle includes AppleWorks, World Book 2004, Quicken 2005 and all the iLife '04 apps.
Cons: Skimpy built-in RAM and VRAM, hard disk is on the small side.
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