New iBook

I was reading Mark’s article the other day wherein a CompUSA trade in program was mentioned. I did a little investigating and learned that the trade in value was right around 575 for my iBook. Seemed pretty good for a 12″ 600Mhz G3 iBook.

Side note: The G3 iBook I owned was a piece of crap, if it was a car it would’ve been a Plymouth Horizon (one awful car). I liked the styling and size but it was a bit on the slow side.The real problem was reliability, you’d be better off counting on a crack addict to watch a pile of unmarked bills than you’d be counting on the iBook not to go dead. Add to that the frequent (and increasing) program crashes and you’ve got a computer so lame it should’ve been an e-Machine. It was so bad I wouldn’t have felt right ebaying the thing.

My experince differed from Mark’s. His trade was evaluated in thirty minutes, mine was 24 hours. I went without the internet upstairs for a day, no major deal but a bit of a hassle. Today the call came and I was happy with the quote.

Now before anyone goes nuts telling me that CompUSA is a rip and that I could’ve gotten more for less at SmallDog or Amazon let me say: I know. Amazon had a really good deal, an iBook for only 850 beans. Usually I would ebay my iBook and pick up the Amazon deal (no sales tax) but I wanted the Final Cut Pro Express for 99 bucks deal and, as mentioned earlier, I didn’t want to screw someone over. So CompUSA was the cheapest and most honest option, after all I told them it was a POS.

Tonight I went back to pick up the credit and buy the ‘book. The Apple guy (Steve) who works there despises me cause I just keep looking and looking without buying anything. So he ignored me to the best of his ability but there was another Apple fan at the store (Chris) who was really nice, (of course I haven’t wasted hours of his time…yet) and he hooked me up. Never gave any thought to a Powerbook (though I would have considered a p-p-p powerbook) because I don’t really need any of the advantages a powerbook offers. If it was my only computer sure, but the iBook only gets light duty, surfing and mail. The heavy stuff is (was) saved for the basement computer.

Can’t say enough about the differences between the two computers. The new ‘book is plenty fast, hasn’t shut down Safari yet and that stupid spinning lollipop thing shows up much less. The books look very similar, but looks is where the similarity ends. This is one upgrade that is definately worth the cash outlay. I don’t know if it’s the higher clock speed (1Ghz v 600Mhz) the difference in chips (G3 v G4) or the graphic card (16MB v 32MB) but the difference in performance and usability is incredible.

I do have one complaint, one very major complaint. NO FREAKING STICKERS. Sure a ten cent sticker isn’t a big deal to most normal humans… Still, dammit, I need stickers.

Intersting things I’ve found…or have been sent to me.
Actually I’m gonna call this the Bailey memorial section. Even though Bailey’s not dead his contributions deserve to be recognized. (And if he does crick, well I’m ahead of the game.) (cks@mymac.com if you want to help out)

One of the things I used to do is engage in the creationism versus evolution debate. I found it diverting but too vitriolic. In any event one of the things that would get trotted out occaisionally is “Why do men have nipples?” Well someone has an answer, sure it’s a post hoc hypothesis but it is somewhat convincing.

Of course if men having nipples is a brain buster for people who grew up knowing they were people then fingers must be Double Jeopardy for this guy.

Speaking of Jeopardy: Ken Jennings is on an incredible run. So far Ken has amassed over one million dollars with little drama. Half the show is spent with two people in the red while Ken just racks up the dough. And yep accusations have been made that he cheats.

cks/BL tridiot rating: Well there’s the penalty and all so this entry earns a solid 131%. So lame I’m imposing a three day ban on myself. you can see me back on the 16th.