12" vs. 14" iBook

I finally took the plunge into OS X by upgrading my G3 with Panther. It works fine. Now Apple has some great deals going on, and I am thinking of getting an iBook. (I know the iMac does a lot more, but I sure would like to get at least another year of use from my G3 after going through the cost and time of upgrading it. Also, my daughter will be college bound next year, and the laptop would come in handy for her.) So...I was all set to buy the 14" iBook, until I started reading reviews which seemed to like the 12" better: better price; crisper display; lighter. Does anyone out there have a preference? And do you really think the 12" display is that much better than the 14"?

Posted on Aug 22, 2005 2:57 PM

38 replies

Aug 26, 2005 4:28 AM in response to Chad Dormer

Hi Chad

Glad you are settled :):)

I went for the 80GB Hard Disc same as the mini. The system uses about 10GB and I have another 20GB music and 10GB pics, so to do any real work I needed soimething bigger. I don;t have any games (yet....!)

Its easy to upgrade the RAM later on but very difficult to upgrade the HDD so thats hwo I made my choice. With the Edu discount the 80GB cost only a fraction more than the base so I feel very happy:)

Paul - UK

Level 2

200 points

Aug 26, 2005 10:25 AM in response to Ann

I went for the 14" with 1.5GB ram and an 80GB disk. The screen is great - nothing wrong with it at all as far as I can see. At least as good as my Toshiba laptop only brighter. I'm really pleased with it.

BTW, the extra ram makes a huge difference.

Aug 26, 2005 11:14 AM in response to Ann

I'm a college student and I have the 14" ibook and I love it. The size is not to bulky for me and the superdrive comes in handy for me to burn photo dvd's. Again I love mine....

Christine

Aug 26, 2005 11:54 AM in response to Chad Dormer

Chad -

Keep in mind that the system files take up a good chunk of space on their own, and if you start wanting to add things the 40Gig might fill up faster then you think. There is a 60GB as well I thought...might save you a bit of money but provide that extra space. Or just say "heck with it" and get the 80GB so you never have to worry 😉

And I agree about getting extra RAM, but you can add that pretty easily yourself and may find it cheaper through a source like Crucial or Newegg (that is if you're comfortable with adding RAM yourself).

I'm sure you're going to be REALLY happy with it either way - I know I am!

Aug 26, 2005 3:21 PM in response to Ann

Hi Ann... my dad got a 14 and I got a 12... i love the 12. I can echo what everyone else said. It's just right when it comes to size. I added a 1 gig RAM chip from Crucial (get PC2700, the manual is wrong) and the thing flies right along.

I got an 80 gig drive right out the gate, too.

Ann Author

Level 1

100 points

Aug 27, 2005 5:45 PM in response to Ann

Just wanted to thank everyone who has posted on this subject. You have all given me plenty of food for thought! I have been to the Apple store (twice) and have just about decided to get the 14" with extra RAM. Thanks again...

Sep 4, 2005 6:43 PM in response to Ann

I, until very recently, had 12 inch iBook and loved it (I, like your daughter, am a student) with the exception of one issue -- the backlighting. would sometimes switch off. I never got to the bottom of this issue because my computer was damaged and now needs an entirely new screen, but if you look through this site you will find several conversation threads devoted to this problem. The suggestion that seems to make the most sense is faulty wiring and John Sawyer, a computer technician, has suggested that the 12 inch models are at greater risk for wire breakage than their 14 inch cousins. Anyway, otherwise, I have loved my computer, I wish you all the best with your decision!

Ann Author

Level 1

100 points

Sep 17, 2005 6:05 AM in response to Ann

So, the final update. We bought the 14", and everyone loves it, including my daughter. So glad I had Apple discussions to poll before making the decision. The size is perfect for desktop use, and not too heavy to move around if necessary. We did get the model with super drive, as well as extra RAM.

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12" vs. 14" iBook