The i is for Impulse
So I just went out and bought a 1.2 GHz 14” iBook G4 at the Apple Store. Uncerimoniously, I might add. Making such a large purchase in person seemed so unfulfilling (which oddly enough, Apple’s Safari doesn’t seem to know the definition—or at least spelling—of). With all the other major computer purchases I’ve made there were hours of deliberation spent on Apple.com comparing features and options. Then the weeks of waiting for the computer to be assembled, configured and shipped.
This experience was akin to walking into a newsstand, buying some Chicklets and a newspaper. “Throw one of this month’s iBooks in there too. And don’t forget the AppleCare!”
Now instead of sitting at a desk in front of a G5 and two 17” flat panels in my home office I am sitting indian-style on the floor of said office (haven’t set up a wireless network yet so I’m still tethered—all in due time) basking in the decadent white glow.
Mmmh, Apple.
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I did the same recently with my wife three weeks back. We walked into the Palo Alto Apple store and bought her the first Powerbook she’s ever owned.
Quite interesting how unceremonious it all felt.
However, we both agreed. Apple has the best damn shopping bags ever made!
Kind of like buying a car… One gets more fascinated with a detail like the cupholder rather than the expensive car upon purchase.
I remember when I got my PowerMac G4 about five years ago, I was very excited about how fast 450Mhz was! Yet, the coolest thing , I thought, was how when it slept the power buttons would breath (of course I would try to match the breathing pattern myself and would have to work really hard).
I am waiting to get my PowerBook for college. I am saddened by the lack of G5, but am happy none the less as a PB 15” would be about 200% faster than my current computer (which still runs very well for a five year old machine). I think I will be going online to get my laptop bumped up, but I have always loved the idea of picking a computer off a shelf and just making it yours.
Apple Retail Stores’ shopping bags are awe-inspiring, I have one of the first ones from the Tyson’s Shop that was a misprint (it has directions for how the bag should be made)
As for impulse, I am not much of a person of impulse. I often have “the buyer’s remorse.” I even think about what I am going to eat for the day before I head out the door. I like everything planned in front of me, but I can roll with whatever comes my way. Except for that new DanActive drink.
I need to get myself an Apple. Unfortunately, I don’t have the money to spend on it either. Plus Uni starts in September so I need to be able to pay for that. It’s times like these I wish I won the lotttery. Just enough for some Apple goodies, mind!
Chicklets? What the bl**dy hell are Chicklets?
You mean there are still things that you Yanks ‘haven’t’ exported to us yet?
Mmmm… Chicklets
I’m heading over to the Apple store today to check out 15” and 17” PowerBooks. Not to buy, mind you, but I have to see if the 17” is just too hulking huge to lug around all the time or if it’s just so sweet that I won’t mind.
I don’t tend to make impulse purchases on anything over $5.00… Chicklets barely fall within that range.
I know exactly what you mean. There needs to be a certain ceremony when parting company with that much money. Candles, incense and a completely white room are essential.
As is that long wait while Apple ‘build’ it.
shaun -
how is the ibook to do photoshop/illustrator work on? doe sit chug or keep up pretty good? i know it has the slower bus and cache speed but i haven’t gotten the chance to play on one. i’m pitching in to get my brother a laptop for his graduation…do you think it would be sufficient for design work? thanks in advance man…
I wish Apple would get their act together and open an Apple store in Copenhagen! Some of the guys from my company went to San Francisco a little while back, and half of them brought back Powerbooks and iPod’s!
Of course they won’t stop bragging with the fact that they’ve been in an Apple store…
Aaaanyway. Congratulations on you P12, my P15 has served me well thus far.
Wireless is definitely a must. When I finally got it for my TiBook I was in heaven. Unfortunately my battery is slowly perishing with its 50min charge. If there were only a way to receive power wirelessly…
The ibook will be fast enough - but the screen res (1024x768) will be tough for design work on the go. You can always plug it into a external monitor.
I have a 17” - moved up from a 12” - the 17” is not to big - but you really only take advantage of it if your doing full time design work. If your not in PhotoShop, etc. all the time the lower res will work fine.
Those Apple bags are pretty sweet. Especially if by bags you mean the packaging (they didn’t offer me a bag this time!). If I could convince clients to go with something a fifth as minimal and reserved as Apple’s packaging and advertising I’d be a happy man.
One shortcoming of the iBook line is that you can only use video mirroring with an external monitor. It takes some Open Firmware magic to toggle on the extended desktop option but I stumbled across this little do-hickey that will do the heavy lifting for you, the Screen Spanning Doctor.
I have a 12” iBook and as much as I love the machine, working as a graphics professional on a single 1024x768 monitor sucks. So when I followed your link to the Screen Spanning Doctor and read about what it can do, I had to restrain myself from leaping out of my chair and running around the room, shrieking with joy.
Then I saw my iBook listed in the “These machines can NOT use the patch” section. :(
Dude, that Impulse is directly connected to the NEW COMPUTER SMELL they have got on them complooters.
Hmmm… I’m more of a Windows guy myself, but I Macs sure do look clean as hell (if only hell were clean).
On Friday I made an impulse purchase of a 12” PB (I’d been scoping out ThinkPads, but really wanted the PB). I figured if I didn’t like it I could re-sell it for almost what I paid, and have had a little fun for the price.
Holy frijoles — this is my fourth Mac in as many years (12” ibook, 15” tiBook, 15” iMac), and this is by far my favorite. Display spanning is a wonderful thing, and the form factor is excatly what I wanted. Bumping the RAM up to a gig may even allow Virtual PC to run almost as well as on a P4, meaning I might be able to use HomeSite (the one piece of software that keeps me from dumping my work PC).
Anyway, I now have a Dell P4 1.7 and an iMac 15” for sale :)
I really really (and by really really, I mean really really) envy anyone with a dual monitor G5 setup. And now the laptop for a sense of freedom and mobility? Must be great.
Be aware that the Screen Spanning Doctor voids your warranty, and could do some strange hoodoo to your iBook. I believe the Doctor is an Applescript that makes a change to your Firmware, so resetting your Firmware before you send your iBook in for repairs (which I have had to do to no end) might make the Apple Support posse none the wiser.
I find a laptop to be pretty useless to me if I can expand my desktop.
errr… please read that as “… can’t expand…”
You’ve got this great previewing device and I still can’t proof my post properly.
Haha, no harm done.
Actually as far as I understand it, the patch doesn’t modify the firmware at all. It just changes a value stored in persistent memory. Zapping the PRAM resets that value leaving no trace of any modification.