Why do ibook g3's still sell for over $350?

mac mini n00b · #1 October 20th, 2005, 08:02 PM

I swear I still these being sold on ebay for over $350. Most arent over 500mhz. Some go over $500 yet the mini mac is much more powerful. Sure I know its a laptop, but its old, as in 1998-2000 old.

ElDiabloConCaca · #2 October 20th, 2005, 08:46 PM

Macs keep their value a lot longer than comparable Windows machines.

My machine was purchased in 1999, and still sells for around $200 - $300 (more with all the add-ons).

**mdnky** · #3 October 20th, 2005, 11:58 PM

Actually they used the G3 in the iBooks until late 2003 (G4 models were introduced Oct 23, 2003). I have the 14" version of the last model to use the G3 processor and it's more than capable for most tasks. One of it's advantages is it's low battery usage. The G4 draws more power than the G3 did, which is the reason the G4 iBooks saw an increase in battery capability on their G4 release (which just helped...didn't make them equal). The 14" G3 models shipped with 55W/Hr batteries, the 14" G4 shipped with 61W/Hr batteries. 12" models shared a similar difference.

I'll be keeping it and buying a 71W/Hr battery from MacSales/OWC here in the near future. Right now I'm still seeing 4 to 5 hours of light usage on a battery that's only 66% of it's original capacity when fully charged. Probably have to do that soon, since last week it said it was 72% of original capacity. (Guess when they go, they really decide to go and do so quickly.)

The other thing to remember is that the G4 doesn't "blow" the G3 out of the water by a huge margin unless it's doing something that's alti-vec optimized. So that 1250MHz Mini isn't necessarily that much more powerful at all times than my 900MHz iBook. The higher clock speed Mini has an advantage not matter what, yes...but not as much as you'd expect on certain common tasks for which it's just marginally quicker.

**fryke** · #4 October 21st, 2005, 07:35 AM

Or more simply put: Because they're good. You can give all those white iBook G3s up to 640 MB of RAM, put Tiger on as well as iLife and iWork, and you have a very capable, good, although basic, computer system to go. And yes: The battery lasts.

If you're looking into buying one (doesn't seem so from your post, though), I'd grab any 12" 800 or 900 MHz G3. They have the graphics power for Quartz Extreme and combo drives, which makes them really great little companions.

nixgeek · #5 October 21st, 2005, 11:29 AM

At work, I have an iMac G3 running at 600 MHz that I use from time to time for network tasks. All it needed was bump up to 256 MB or RAM and it was surprisingly usable with Jaguar (10.2.8). I may go ahead and upgrade it to Panther just to see what the speed improvements might be. This says a lot about a computer with specifications that in the PC world would have already been considered obsolete.

symphonix · #6 October 21st, 2005, 11:35 AM

I have an iBook G3-500 which is now over 5 years old, has a slightly dicky optical drive and a dead battery. I still wouldn't let it go for any less than $500, simply because thats what it would cost me to find another computer that would be as useful or effective. Its clear that Macs definitely hold their value a LOT longer than PCs.

**fryke** · #7 October 21st, 2005, 08:59 PM

Now here you just have a paradoxon. If you'd _start_ to sell your iBook(s) for less than 350 USD, you'd also _find_ iBooks for less than 350, symphonix.

symphonix · #8 October 22nd, 2005, 07:32 AM

:-p Maybe I should just buy mine then?

A good reason why they sell so well is that even a G3-350 will run Mac OS 10.4, iTunes sharing, streaming to Airtunes, web & email, DVD playback, dashboard, emulators and low-end games, or as a quiet and unobtrusive web or file server for small loads. They can be dropped into the garage or rec-room or a corner of the kitchen and deliver all the information and multimedia you can get on a modern Mac.

They are quite simply too useful to get rid of, and thus the price stays high.