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Question for Mac Users

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d

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I'm ready to jump to the other side. I'm about seconds away from purchasing an iBook laptop but I have a few questions:

Does the iBook come with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port for my iPod?
What about wireless internet capabilities? How much will I need to spend to equip my computer to make it wireless?

S

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Originally posted by darvlay
I'm ready to jump to the other side. I'm about seconds away from purchasing an iBook laptop but I have a few questions:

Does the iBook come with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port for my iPod?
What about wireless internet capabilities? How much will I need to spend to equip my computer to make it wireless?
why don't you ask the shop assistamt, I believe they get paid to answer you.

X
Cancerous Bus Crash

p^2.sin(phi)

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Originally posted by darvlay
I'm ready to jump to the other side. I'm about seconds away from purchasing an iBook laptop but I have a few questions:

Does the iBook come with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port for my iPod?
What about wireless internet capabilities? How much will I need to spend to equip my computer to make it wireless?
Google is your friend. We are not.

(www.apple.com)

g
Wayward Soul

Your Blackened Sky

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my brother recently got an iBook and it came with wireless internet already, and they chucked in a wireless router too for free. but i think he might have got that through a deal at his work...

shop around. ask shop assistants. it's the best way. 🙂

d

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A good friend has told me that Apple is rumoured to be switching to Intel processors very shortly so "shelflife for new software will be about a year". He suggested I hold off until the switch to purchase. And to purchase a Powerbook because iBooks won't have firewire. He stated his Powerbook has lasted him 6 years and that I won't be disappointed if I buy.

Thank God for real friends who will tell you this kind of stuff. You know, stuff you may not read on the Apple website.

g
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Your Blackened Sky

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Originally posted by darvlay
A good friend has told me that Apple is rumoured to be switching to Intel processors very shortly so "shelflife for new software will be about a year". He suggested I hold off until the switch to purchase. And to purchase a Powerbook because iBooks won't have firewire. He stated his Powerbook has lasted him 6 years and that I won't be disappointed if ...[text shortened]... ds who will tell you this kind of stuff. You know, stuff you may not read on the Apple website.
forgot about the switch-but will that reall affect the software?

d

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Originally posted by genius
forgot about the switch-but will that reall affect the software?
I don't know. I'm not the computer programmer, my friend is. You'd have to ask him what he meant by that. I'm only paraphrasing him, btw.

s

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Originally posted by darvlay
I'm ready to jump to the other side. I'm about seconds away from purchasing an iBook laptop but I have a few questions:

Does the iBook come with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port for my iPod?
What about wireless internet capabilities?
Read the specs : http://www.apple.com/ibook/

s

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Originally posted by darvlay
A good friend has told me that Apple is rumoured to be switching to Intel processors very shortly ... (text shortened) Thank God for real friends who will tell you this kind of stuff. You know, stuff you may not read on the Apple website.
It's not rumour. It's fact. Jeez.... it's there at the tip of your fingers

s

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Originally posted by sevenstar
It's not rumour. It's fact. Jeez.... it's there at the tip of your fingers
with the link even :-)

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/jun/06intel.html

Aiko

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Originally posted by darvlay
I'm ready to jump to the other side. I'm about seconds away from purchasing an iBook laptop but I have a few questions:

Does the iBook come with a USB 2.0 or FireWire port for my iPod?
What about wireless internet capabilities? How much will I need to spend to equip my computer to make it wireless?
I believe the iBook has both an USB port and a FireWire port. On this page: http://www.apple.com/ibook/ it says two USB port and a FireWire port. But that is the latest model, I don't now which one you are after.

For wireless internet you need to get an Airport card (http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/). But depending on the iBook you buy, it may already well be inside...?

d

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Aiko and Sevenstar:

Do you guys suggest that I wait for the transition to purchase?

Aiko

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Originally posted by darvlay
A good friend has told me that Apple is rumoured to be switching to Intel processors very shortly so "shelflife for new software will be about a year". He suggested I hold off until the switch to purchase. And to purchase a Powerbook because iBooks won't have firewire. He stated his Powerbook has lasted him 6 years and that I won't be disappointed if I buy.
.
Most likely new Apple computers will not have FireWire anymore. I only have a Dutch link for you somewhere, but I bet the story can be easily found in English. And indeed, switching to Intel processors is not a rumour. But why wait untill the switch of processors? There will always be a reason to hold a purchase and to wait for something better. There will always be something better on the market a few months after a purchase.

d

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For Genius:

I asked my friend your question and here's what he told me:

Darv: "I’m curious. How does the processor affect the software shelflife? Isn’t software compatible with all processor types?"

"Not across architectures. When intel processors first come out there will be a piece of software to let you run old powerpc software. It will change 64 bit little endian addressing to 64 bit big endian addressing, map a larger number of registers to a smaller number, and convert (RISC – reduced instruction set computing) code (small operations but more of them) to CISC (complex instruction set computing) at a a very machine level, in the compiled code. Going forward, all code will be compiled for intel, and the performance difference is staggering. Powerpc architecture due to heat and transistor limitations, and the limitations of the physical properties of silicon, heat emission and cross talk when paths on a processor are 9 nanometers apart, is Throttled at 2ghz..That’s the limit in the powerpc portable line, Intel seems to have a little more leeway there, for some unknown reason, whether it is the transistor layout or what. But apple is making the right choice. Also, all indications are that new iBooks will be able to dual boot windows xp, so usefulness doubles. Just some things to bear in mind. For further explanation of the RISC vs. CISC jihad, and what side of the fence I stand on, just ask….For more information on Community Colleges turning out garbage programmers who write inefficient code that requires 4 ghz machines…again just ask…."

Aiko

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Originally posted by darvlay
Aiko and Sevenstar:

Do you guys suggest that I wait for the transition to purchase?
I don't know the whole story of why you should wait for the purchase. But only if you are very close to the release of a newer version of the type you want to buy, I would wait (but then again, the 'older' version will be a lot cheaper, that is of interest for a Dutchy like me of course...!).

A year is a long time to wait for a purchase, and it is a long time for me to welcome you on board of my clan of course!

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