iBook SE 466 vs. iBook 500

A

amo

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I'm considering buying one of these two computers, but I'm just not sure which one I should go for. I like the graphite SE becase a) it's cheaper by about $300 and b)it's cool looking. Here are a few concerns of mine that I can't seem to figure out on my own, so any help or opinions would be very much appreciated!

My main concern is the graphics card on the SE. I know it's resolution is stuck at 800x600 which isn't great, but I can live with it. I've noticed on the iBook 500 that when you switch to 800x600 the screen becomes very fuzzy, is this how the SE will look? Also, can the SE's card handle Quartz stuff like the transitions in the screensavers, etc.

How do you suppose the speed will compaire? At 466mhz vs. 500mhz, I can't imagine it would be very noticable in day-to-day use. What about ram? I've read that the SE can only take 360 mb of ram, what would happen if I put in a 560 mb stick (the kind that fits in the iBook 500)? Would it only see 360?

I am going to be using this in college. So AirPort is must, as is portability. I will be using OS 10.1 and will mainly be typing in Office v.X and web-browsing. With a little work in Photoshop and iMovie on the side. Thanks for your time!!
 
I imagine it would be a close contest. The screen on the clamshell iBooks was an LCD at 800x600, whereas the modern iBook has 1024x768. That is why the modern iBook looks fuzzy if set to 800x600, and will mean the older iBook will be sharp at this res.

The biggest difference, though, will be size and weight. The clamshell iBook is significantly larger and heavier than its iceBook counterparts. I imagine performance would not be much of an issue, though I don't know what the older iBooks had in the way of graphics. The modern iBooks have 8mb AGP, which is good enough for anything but high-end games.

I have just tried running OS X in 800 x 600, to see what it would look like. Actually, its not as bad as I thought; a little cramped, and the menus look huge, but it still looks neat and aqua-licious.

If you're planning on carrying it around with you, I suggest getting the iceBook, even if it is a bit pricier. If it will only travel with you ocassionally, then the clamshell would still be an okay option.
 
Oh, and BTW, the max RAM for the current iBooks is 640mb. If you start out with 128 internal, you can add a 512mb stick. I've never seen a 560mb stick around, but I imagine that would be what you'd need for the 64mb iBook.
 
Thats a tough question. I would have to say, that if you don't mind the 800x600 resolution, you should save your 300 bones and for the graphite. Then use that money you saved to get some nice software or hardware for your machine.

The LCD used in the SE will look sharp at 800x600, that is the resolution it was intended to run at. Just like 1024x768 is the resolution the dual usb's LCD is intended to run at. So yes, it will look sharp.

As far as I know, the iBook 466 SE will not accept a 512 mb stick of ram (you did mean 512 and not 560, right?). Other than that, the difference in speed of the two computers in OS 10.1.3 should be negligable.

Good luck with your decision!
 
Does the ATI chip in the SE support hardware acceleration under OS X? If not, it's probably not a good idea to get the SE.

-B
 
what do you mean when you say "iMovie on the newer iBook will show more shelves because of the higher resolution"?
 
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