Product Description

This Canon PowerShot A95 5MP digital camera lets you capture all of your important images, from their first steps to graduation day, in crisp, bold color. Its 5.0 megapixel resolution gives you larger and more detailed images. It is also equipped with a 3x optical/4.1x digital/12x combined zoom power that gets you closer to the image. Camera also includes a 1.8” TFT color LCD screen, VGA-size (640x480) movie mode, 9-point autofocus plus FlexiZone, built-in flash, has auto and red-eye reduction on/off operation modes and is PC and Mac compatible. Accepts a CompactFlash Type I memory card. Imported. 2-1/2Hx4Wx1-2/5D”. ... Read more

Features

• 9-point AiAF plus FlexiZone AF/AE for off-center subjects
• New Print/Share button for easy direct printing and downloads
• Highly advanced 5.0-megapixel digital camera camera with 3x optical/4.1x digital/12x combined zoom
• 14 shooting modes, with special Scene Modes for spectacular shots in special situations
• New, larger 1.8-inch vari-angle LCD monitor for easier image preview and review

Reviews (73)

Camera burnt internally after 3 months
This camera was good for 3 months. I had taken it to LA last week and took a few snaps at the beach. I did NOT drop it in the water or anywhere else. After some time I started hearing clicking noises and after that there was a louder noise along with a burning smell.

Maybe the other review about moisture affecting the camera is true.It would be pathetic if you can't take pictures on the beach or near the pool etc.

Best camera on the market in price-range
After weeks of research on the web (here at amazon and at other places) reading reviews, comparisons, etc. I came to the conclusion that this is the best camera on the market for the price.

I bought mine here through amazon about 10 days before I was to leave for a long road trip from Oregon to Hollywood through many great stops such as the Redwood Forest, Yosemite National Park, Disneyland, and other great sites. Thus I was very anxious for my camera to arrive.

One week after ordering, I checked to see how far along the way it had come - I was hoping (and expecting) to get it any day. To my disappointment, it had only been shipped the day before (5 days after I placed the order) and I was certain it wouldn't arrive on time for my trip.

To my great surprise and relief, the camera was delivered by UPS only a few minutes before I was to leave. (I was packing up the car and seriously on my way out the door when he came.)

The point of my long story is that I had no time to read the instructions before leaving, so I had to rely 100% on the camera being self-explanitory and very easy-to-follow for people like me who had frankly never used a digital camera before.

Suffice it to say that it was VERY easy to learn, and I was able to get by on my 3,000 mile trip using only the auto functions.

Take a look at my pictures (uploaded to the images section for this camera) to see the results.

The only features I couldn't find (without looking it up in the manual) were: 1) the self-timer. 2) speed-shooting multiple pics pushing the button once (a series of pictures only miliseconds apart from each-other).

As you can clearly see, I am not very experienced with cameras and I don't even know what half the features are called. But I was able to take magnificent pictures without even opening the manual! :)

The things I learned that I wish I knew earlier on are:
1) when taking night shots, use a tripod or lower the ISO. It was very hard to keep might shots from becomming very blurry. (The shutter is generally opened for longer to allow in more light.) If you are taking pictures of moving objects (such as people) in the dark, and don't want to use a flash (to keep more of the background in or for whatever other reason) you can lower the shutter speed beforehand. Look it up in the manual because it's not easy to explain or very intuitive.
2) Most of the time pictures will look better without the flash, but (as mentioned above) you need a steady hand or a good tripod. Sports mode helps a bit as it lowers the shutter speed some.
3) When you take a landscape picture where the mountains (or whatever) are dark and the sky very bright, you will notice that the exposure tends to be lighter, taking out much of the detail from the mountains. To fix this, you lower the frame a bit (focus on the mountains with the sky barely visible in the shot) and then lightly press the shoot button and hold it down while the camera focuses. Then (still holding the button half-way down to keep camera focused) slightly raise the camera so your frame is now half landscape and half sky. Then finish pressing the shoot button completing the picture. The exposure stays locked to the darker mountains allowing for more detail in the shot.
4) For landscapes or anything more than 10 meters from your camera, everything will automatically be in focus so there is no need to worry about it. (In Yosemite I was often worried that if I focused on a waterfall, rather than the rocks around it the shot might turn out strange, but it all was crisp and beautiful regardless of which I chose to use as the focus point.)

Last minute advice: Make sure you...
1) get one (or more) 256 or 512 flash card as the measly one that comes with the camera only allows for about 20-30 pictures. I recommend SanDisk 512 which Amazon currently sells for under $40. 512 Mb will give you well over 350 pictures on the default settings. (I believe I got 385 or so on mine.)
2) get 2 sets of rechargable batteries and a car-charger.
3) get a case with a silky lining that snugly fits your camera so as not to scratch anything. And make sure it has an outside pocket for extra batteries and an extra flash card. I recommend one that closes completely (with a zipper) so it will get protected from rain or if you drop it in a puddle or something.

That's all. Happy photo-shooting! :)

hope this one don't break!
Well, just got my A95 in the mail. I was VERY reluctant to buy it, since I bought the Powershot A70 only a year and a half ago and already it is broken.The only reason I went for the A95, after feeling burned by the A70 (same at A95, except with 3.2 MP and no flip LCD) was because I had already spent lots of money on Compact Flash cards and this was one of the few that still uses CF.
Frankly, I'm really pissed off at Canon for making a camera that didn't even last 2 years under normal usage.Now all my shots have these horizontal lines across it that ruin every photo. The guy at the camera shop says it must be some problem with the chip and I can send it back to Canon for $160+!! I had heard such good things about these cameras, but I guess durability is not one of them.I'm hoping I was just unlucky with the A70 and my A95 lasts longer.

Canon is the best...
I can blindly purchase Canon's Digicam, they are so reliable. I was looking for a camera that can provide me the a resolution together with a proper zoom.

This camera comes my way as it provides 3x optical zoom solving my purpose and a good resolution with 5MP at a pretty reasonable cost.

You Can't Buy A Better Camera For Less Money
Nobody knows more than I, what I don't know.That's where Canon comes in.Easy, economical, low carb technology that's easy on the draw, low tar, and has a taste that's right for me.

The Canon PowerShot (not to be confused with the Canon MoneyShot), brings affordable, big box technology, big bam boom.

So, if you want all of your days to seem sunny as summer weather, make sure, when there's housework to be done, that you do it, together! ... Read more

Product Description

The Apple iPod 20GB digital music player puts a world of music in the palm of your hand. Able to store 5,000 songs and weighing just 5.6 ounces, the newest iPod gives you up to 12 hours of playing time on a single battery charge. It also now incorporates the same touch-sensitive Apple Click Wheel that debuted on iPod mini. Playlists and thousands of songs can be quickly accessed without lifting a thumb from the wheel. Features an intuitive user interface, a 2" backlit grayscale LCD screen, 25 minutes of skip protection and seamless integration with iTunes. iTunes allows you to efficiently and creatively manage your digital music collection, and makes it easy to add to your collection via the Apple Music Store. Compatible with both Macintosh and Windows computers. iPod for Mac requires a Macintosh with built-in FireWire and Mac OS X v10.1.5 or later (Mac OS X v10.3 or later recommended). iPod for Windows requires a PC with built-in FireWire or USB 2.0 port or a Windows-certified FireWire or USB 2.0 card and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) or Windows XP Home or Professional. Supports AAC, MP3, Audible, AIFF, Apple Lossless and WAV audio formats. Available storage capacity may vary. ... Read more

Features

• Feature upgrades from previous version include new Click Wheel, slimmer case, and easier navigation
• Comes with earbud headphones, AC adapter, FireWire cable, and USB 2.0 cable (dock not included)
• 20 GB model holds up to 5,000 songs; supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, Apple Lossless and WAV
• Up to 12 hours battery life when fully charged (typically 4 hours); fast-charge in as little as 2 hours
• Mac OS X or Windows 2000 and XP compatible; FireWire and USB 2.0 interface for fastest digital transfer available

Reviews (300)

COMPLETE,UTTER.........
HYPE! the ipods good, but not that good. it looks nice and thats its main selling point, but it is actually below average as an mp3 player. no fm radio or extras like that, rubbish battery life (apple seem to think that people don't want a lot of battery life to listen to their music, when the battery dies they can just stare lovingly at their ipod instead...), and when your battery finally goes completely kaput, you've got send it to apple and shell out $100. the logic in that please??????? oh yeah apple get money...but what about the customer and their music? they can wait can't they, and then they can stare at their ipod in beautiful green or whatever. EVERYONE HAS ONE THEY ARE BORING AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY CAN DO YOU REALISE..not much. there are way better mp3 players out there, so my advice, ignore your friends and do a little research. only for people who like to follow the crowd and like being told whats cool e.g morons. Good luck to you if you choose to buy this. and no i'm not apple's rival company, i'm just tired of people dissing other mp3 players and saying that ipod is the best, just cos evryone has one! Enough with the sh*t!

Breakthrough in digital music!
This is by far the best MP3 player on the market. Please don't be fooled by the price. It can hold up to 5,000 songs, which is approximately 357 CD's. If you were to go out to the store and by 357 CD's, it would cost you about $4,285!!! So rethink the price. It's a good deal.

When I first bought my iPod, I was worried that I wouldn't understand how to download and transfer the songs to the iPod. About a half and hour- fourty-five minutes after I took the iPod out of the box, I was a master at transfering songs from my CD's to the iPod. About an hour after I took it out of the box, I was downloading songs off of apple.com.

The iPod is really simple to use. Just pick the order that you want to list your songs(by artist, alphabetical order, by album, etc) and pick the song that you want to play. Or choose randomize to play all your songs in a random order. There are also extras to the iPod like a calender and a couple of cheap games like bricks and a quiz.

The iPod has a very neat design. It has a wheel on which you move your finger to scroll. As your finger moves around one way, the iPod scrolls down through your playlist. As your finger moves around the other way, the playlist scrolls up your your playlist. You also do that to change the volume level.

The iPod is better than iRiver, Creative Labs, Sandisk, and Dell. As simple as that. I have listened to all of them and found that the iPod has:
Better sound
Is more durable
EASIER TO USE!!!
SO BUY AN iPOD ALREADY!!!

The Software Interface from Hades
This is my 3rd iPod 20GB unit .. won't even begin to address the problems with the first two, except to say most (not all!) problems have been related to the software.This third one works fine, except for one small detail .. every time I try to add songs from an updated iTunes, I get a message saying "...this iPod needs to be reformatted for use on your PC.Check the update button..." which then forces only one option .. a complete reformat of the unit.In other words, if I have 1000 songs loaded on the iPod and wish to add 2 more, the required protocol is to completely erase the existing 1000 songs and then upload 1002!!Again, this happens EVERY time, even if the next update attempt happens immediately after the previous one is concluded.
What an overpriced piece of junk!Fortunately, I have 2 other MP3 players .. a Creative Zen 5 GB Micro and an iRiver 1 GB 899 flash player, both of which are outstanding and are BUTTER SMOOTH when it comes to software interfaces.My plan for this iPod is to just leave it as is and use it as a "jukebox"; i.e., just keep the same songs on there and use it as a traveling automobile player.The iPod is great as long as you already have songs loaded on it and have to connect it to your PC as little as possible.

20 Gig Just Right!!
The Apple iPod is a great little invention. I love the click wheel and the backlight is perfect. 20 GB of space is HUGE, capable of holding some 10,000 songs, and iTunes is relatively simple to use. However, I don't recomend buying and iTunes, because you can just download music and get music off CD's. Besides, who would pay a $1 for ONE song?!?
I already have some 2,000 songs on my iPod and have only owned it for 5 days.

It's great!
Buy one...or a mini.

love - hate relationship
Love: I got my ipod 4 months ago and have loved it dearly. I have grown very dependent on it and bought some of the accessories to go with it, it has become quite an investment. I even use it for work. It is very easy to use and I can't tell you how easy it has made carrying around my music as opposed to carrying all those CDs.
Hate: However, a few weeks ago my ipod completely froze (remember it is 4 months old),thank goodness I bought the service plan! So, it was sent back for repair. That was 2 weeks ipod-less, very upsetting when you have a dependancy. I was happy to see it arrived back to my house after the repairs (without my music of course) so I reloaded all my music and 4 days later the exact thing happened (that was this morning so I am still fuming!).Of course, the store I bought it from could careless, thier 30 day refund/exchange plan has expired, all they will do is ship it off to who knows where for 2-3 weeks. Now that I have read all your reviews about how horrible Ipod service is, I am not expecting much from them either. So, just wanted to put a warning up to those thinking of purchasing ipod. I love it (3 stars for its ease and potiential to be great if it worked) but hate that is may still be a very unreliable product. You might want to wait to see what else comes on the market or at least shop around. ... Read more

Product Description

Picture this: an iPod that holds your entire photo collection along with all your music! Carry up to 25,000 digital pictures or up to 7,500 songs anywhere you go with the 30GB iPod photo. View and share your pictures easily on the high-resolution 2" color display. Synch your music and photos for music-accompanied slideshows, right on your iPod or on your TV. Improved battery life gives you up to 15 hours of music playback or 5 hours of photo slideshows with music. The included iTunes software (for Mac and PC) allows you to efficiently and creatively manage your digital photo and music collections, and makes it easy to add to your music collection via the Apple Music Store. Includes earbud headphones, AC adapter, USB 2.0 cable and Getting Started Guide. Compatible with both Macintosh and Windows computers. iPod photo for Mac requires a Macintosh with built-in FireWire or USB 2.0 port (USB 2.0 requires Mac OS X v10.3.4 or later) and Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later (Mac OS X v10.3.4 or later recommended). iPod photo for Windows requires a PC with built-in FireWire or USB 2.0 port or a Windows-certified FireWire or USB 2.0 card and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) or Windows XP Home or Professional. Supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, Apple Lossless and WAV audio formats. Supports BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, PSD, TIFF and SGI image formats for Mac. Supports BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG and TIFF image formats for Windows. Available storage capacity may vary. ... Read more

Features

• Compatible with Mac OS X v10.2.8 or v10.3.4 or later; or Windows 2000 with SP4 and XP with SP2; FireWire and USB 2.0 interface for fastest digital transfer available
• Comes with earbud headphones, AC adapter, and USB 2.0 cable
• 30 GB model holds up to 7,500 songs; supports AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 (32 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible, AIFF, Apple Lossless and WAV
• Holds 25,000 photos and displays them on a 2-inch diagonal 65,536-color LCD screen with LED backlight
• Up to 15 hours battery life when fully charged (which typically takes 5 hours); fast-charge in as little as 3 hours

Reviews (31)

GOOD BUT BE CAREFULL
I have no too much to say becouse my englush SUCKS, i have this baby since 1 week ago, it's just fine, nothing new, same as any other mp3 player, just more hard drive, and more size as well, I remember gozilla prewiew SOME TIMES SIZE DOES MATTERS,,this thing is extematelly big and heavy, hard to keep on you, forget about running with it,,, also, for those that have a computer with small hard drive, you better upgrade it to a biger capacity, you will need it, becouse when you upload your music to your computer from cds or from net and you put it on your ipod you will have to keep these music always on both devices,pc and ipod, if you delete any song on your computer, or make any change, it will affect your library on ipod as well,,so, if you are having 25gb of music on your ipod you need to have at least40 gb free space on your computer, it sucks to me, doesn't it,,, well, see you later, if some one finds that Im wrong or I am using this thint the way I don't supssed to be, let me know, I may need some orientation,,, thanks,, jose_ambriz@yahoo.com

20 GB v. 30? Go with 30
I bought a 20 GB iPod a couple months ago and i was very sad when it was stolen. But now i bought a better, color Photo iPod and im definitely happier. The screen, while the same size, is color, and for only 50 bucks u get 10 more gigs and acolor screen. It's practically the same size so its pretty much the same. Great Price Too.

Cool, simple and endearing
What do you say for one of the most popular products on the planet? You can't but fall in love with it.

I had bought a iPod mini thinking 4GB is all that I want to store my music. With a few hours, I had used up more than 30% of the space! I decided to exchange the mini for a 20 GB iPod ($299). At the store, I saw that you get an extra 10GB and photo-storing/viewing abilities for $50 extra. I don't regret that decision.

There are many credible reviews that compare the features of the flavors of the iPod and I am not going to do that here. This is my first impressions, much like 'Love at first sight'.

Most of us know the iPods to be a MP3 player. The iPod Photo variety isn't as much familiar or advertised. The color screen is extra sweet compared to the B&W regulars. You can transfer your digital photo images to the iPod Photo using the same iTunes software but setting some additional options - it is pretty straight forward. The photos appears delightful on the 2 inch screen. It is a great pleasure to carry around all your photos in your pocket. Next time I visit my grandmother, she can look at all the photos I have without having to use a computer.

The photos can be viewed as a slide show. As with the music, the photos can be displayed in a random order. Different transition effects while switching between photos makes the viewing interesting. Coolest thing is that you can connect the iPod to a TV using an optional Audio/video cable and play as background music one of your playlists.

The color screen makes a lot of difference when you use the other features of the iPod Photo - calendar, contacts, games, etc. With 30 GB space there is plenty to store music and photos and data. I wish all iPods were compatible with earlier versions of USB ports. It comes with earphones, a firewire to USB 2.0 connector and an adapter for charging. The product description gives you a thorough description of the accompanying parts, so I won't re-describe them.

Apart from the A/V cable, you will want to buy a sleeve for the iPod and preferably a scratch protectant for the screen as you will be using the iPod to view your photos quite a bit.

Music and photos to carry along wherever you go - yummy! Now what can we expect more from Apple? An iPod Photo that is a cell phone too and cool like nothing else but an Apple! Just Love it.

Ipod 30G Photo
I have a first generation Ipod, and decided it was time to upgrade.The ability to save photo's without a PC was key.
the Ipod ships with a USB cable.Now, I have friends using the USB cable with no problem, but, the ipod would not recognize for me (I use a Belkin USB/firewire card).It would recognize in another PC using Usb 1.1.In looking at Apple's discussion forums, I wasn't the only one with USB issues.I went to the Apple store, picked up a Firewire cable, and it worked like a champ.I wish Apple wouldn't even bundle a cable, and let the user pick up the cable they need.I now have a USB cable that is useless for me.Other than that, this thing ROCKS!

I'm glad I waited.
I have wanted an iPod for a long time, and was planning on getting the 20gig B&W.Not that there's anything wrong withthe 20gig version, but for just a few dollars more, you can get the 30gig version.I have not put any pictures on the iPod, but its nice to know you have the capability of doing so.I apprecite the color screen, even if it is just for making the music slelection.The include iTunes software is pretty awesome.It took a little time to copy almost 300 CD's to my computer, but the iTunes interface between the computer and the iPod always updates the iPod with no hassles.I have used about 17gog, so, with the 30gig iPod, I will never have to worry about running out of space.The iPod is also very versatile.I hav an adaptor to play it through my boom box, and an adaptor to play it through my car's cassette player.It makes long drives very bearable.Finally, I like the way the iPod autmatically organizes all of your music, by artist, composer, genre, album, etc......The shuffle function, and the playlists are also great.This is one of my best purchases. ... Read more

Product Description

The Apple iPod mini music player just got better, brighter and longer lasting. The Apple iPod mini can easily manage about 1,000 songs on 4GB of space. It features the Click Wheel-enhanced durability and sensitivity (complete with color coordinated icons), and uses little space, so you can scroll single-handedly. The iPod mini plays up to 18 hours of play on a single battery charge, which is more than twice than the last version. Plus, with up to 25 minutes of skip protection, you won't have to worry about missing a second of your music. You can also charge and sync the mini via one simple USB 2.0 connection. Using the included iTunes software you can easily manage your digital music collection. Organize your music by genre, artist, or album; or build your own dynamic playlists. Music and playlists transfer quickly and automatically from a Mac or PC to the iPod mini. The anodized aluminum case resists stains and scratches. Also includes a Text Notes function for reminders, 4 popular games for on the go, a sleep timer and calendars and to-do lists to stay organized. System Requirements: iPod for Mac requires a Macintosh with USB 2.0 or FireWire port and Mac OS X v10.2.8 or v10.3.4 or later. iPod for Windows requires a PC with FireWire or USB 2.0 port or a Windows-certified FireWire or USB 2.0 card and Windows 2000 (Service Pack 4) or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2. Supports AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible and Apple Lossless audio formats. ... Read more

Features

• Stores about 1,000 songs on 4GB
• Play up to 18 hours of tunes on a single battery charge
• Seamless integration with iTunes for Mac or Windows
• Compact design, only 3-3/5Hx2Wx1/2D" and 3.6 oz.
• Includes Earbud headphones, belt clip and USB 2.0 cable and iTunes software for PC and Macintosh computers

Reviews (86)

As usual, Apple scores again
The iPod has been an extreme success over the past two years and it seems no matter what competition comes in, Apple is still going to win.

This is the second edition of the iPod mini. It still has the same, durable, and fashionable design, and the easy click wheel to navigate from music to the calendar to the games.

The battery life is up to 18 hours, which is excellent. Some other MP3 players won't even last 5 hours, which is pretty lame becuase you need (or as I'm agreed with) at least 5 hours of playback.

The sound quality is very decent. Not the best sound quality, but still has bass and clear treble to it.

The price has been lower to $199, but still, the price seems a bit overpriced...as most 4 GB MP3 players are lower priced.

Another big drawback is that the AC adapter and the FireWire cable is unincluded. THis means you need to pay an extra $50 for these needed accessories. Also, the iPod Mini can ONLY be used with iTunes, though, iTunes is a nice software, if you haven't used it before, re-iding your tracks will become a pain.

Also, as most people know, all iPods are FM tuner free. This is poor because 80% of MP3 players out now have some tuner in it.

Overall, the iPod may not have FM tuner, the decent sound, stylish design, game features, and a strong battery life to be happy about. If you really careless about a radio tuner, and have some cash on hand, the iPod Mini is a fantasic choice.

Great sound at a fair price
I got my silver 2nd generation 4gig last month. The sound quality is great and I'll end up being able to hold around 850 songs with my better quality files.

Battery life is good-- around 15 hours with some backlight use in my experience. I wouldn't have bought a first gen mini with only 8 hours of power at most.

A great buy if you know you'll use it a lot. If not, get a Shuffle.

Good MP3 Player for Decent Price
If you don't want to pay $299 for a regular iPod. I would go with this. It holds about 1,000 songs. I bought a silver iPod mini about a month ago. It worked perfectly. Yesterday I just exchanged it for the 20gig iPod because I wanted for room, but if you think 1,000 is enough...buy this. You won't be disappointed.

A teen's review
I have to admit that I absolutely adore iPods. I have what you could call a "fetish" with them. I remember early last year, when I first saw the advertisement for the Apple 20GB model, I was almost drooling. Every time I saw a picture of an ipod on the side of a bus stop or an apple store, I would linger and wish I had one. Because the iPod is more than just a music player- it's a fashion accessory, a symbol that you're cool and up with the trends, and an amazing little piece of technology that lets you be yourself, no matter what type of music defines YOU.

At first, the prospect of owning an iPod was a dream. I can't tell you how many people I freaked out on the street, spotting the distinctive white earbuds and staring at them 'til I lost sight. About halfway through last year, a friend of a friend signed onto MSN Messenger with the screen name, "OMG I HAVE AN IPOD!". My reaction was nothing short of overwhelming for her. I attacked her with questions, everything from "how much does it weigh?" to "does it look nice?", only to find out it was actually an iPod mini, and a PINK one at that. I was seething for a week. Guranteed way to make a teen girl jealous- tell her you have the latest piece of technology in a colour she absolutely loves.

Towards the end of last year, the dream slowly start to take place as reality. I watched as one by one, my closest friends slowly started to fall into the iPod mini trend. The 20GB version seemed too much- it was a little too big, and only came in white- but the iPod mini was PERFECT for giggling schoolgirls. I made sure to take note of what colour everyone was buying- the agony of choice between all the pretty metallics was the hardest part of buying one. In my spare time in between school and daydreams about iPod players, I moved over my Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne cds, and began to pay a lot more attention to my dad's enormous cd collection. (Now, I have to admit, that I am the biggest 14 and a half year old Beatles fan that you have EVER seen.) My dad noticed the considerably larged-sized dent in his collection, and that was how I finally got to tell him about my love for the Apple iPod.

Christmas came and went, I gathered cash slowly and steadily. My birthday was approaching, my father made a deal with me ("ok, you be good and i will pay for half of it"), and I realised that in late February I was really and truly going to have an IPOD MINI!

It was surprisingly difficult to buy one- we must have gone to about seven stores until we were told that the second generation of iPod minis were about to be realeased, which was why there were no first generation iPod minis in stock. I ended up ordering an iPod mini off the Apple website, along with a Griffin FM transmittor, and recieved it delivered to my door only 3 days later.

I figured out how to work it extremely quickly, for someone who has not even grasped the concept of the cheese grater yet. On the first day, I'd gotten about two-thirds of my beloved Beatles collection on it, as well as my still-loved Avril Lavigne. Four months later, I now have 542 songs on it (and there are more to come!).

PROS:
1) The battery life is very good, in comparison to the first generation of iPod minis. I listen to my iPod mini for at least 5 hours a day (straight), and it lasts me approximately 5 days until I have to charge it again. I do think it lasts longer than the advertised 18 hours, and it only takes about an hour for it to be three-quarters charged (if I don't have four hours to wait for it to be fully charged).
2) For some reason, it's quite a bit cheaper than the previous model as well. (and I had a good reason to laugh at all my friends who went out and bought the previous models.)
3) It's well-sealed in a gorgeous metallic case, and VERY durable indeed. I've dropped my iPod countless times (even on tiled floors), gotten the headphone cords stuck on doorknobs, had it bouncing around in my schoolbag, etc, and it still looks as new as the day I got it.
4) It's MINUTE- about the same size as my mobile phone, with a bigger screen- and incorporates a whole heap of features into one little package. I can easily fit it into the pocket of my school uniform or my jeans, so it goes everywhere with me.
5) Navigation is wonderful- it's so easy and so fast. The click wheel is a wonderful idea, I can go all the way from "A Day In The Life" to "Your Mother Should Know" in my Songs list in seconds. Plus, on iTunes it's so easy to organise playlists. I have a playlist of songs I listen to when I'm sad, one for when I'm happy, hyper, angry, etc....
6) The colours on the new model are just plain cute. I chose a silver one, and don't regret my decision one bit, as it goes with every outfit, is a totally classy colour and I love buying colourful cases for it. I had a tough time choosing though, because the sweet blue and pink ones are adorable. And wherever I go, I can always be guranteed an, "Oh, wow, you have an iPod!"
7) It's extended my love of music considerably. With my old cds, I couldn't be bothered changing cds so often. Now I can flip to any artist or genre I want so easily- and I have discovered so many new artists that I love, trying to build up my music collection, that now Simon and Garfunkel cds have replaced my Hilary Duff ones.

CONS:
1) I only have one complaint, and that's about the charger- you always need a computer handy if you want to charge your iPod, and that's not always possible. I recommend buying a power adaptor for wall outlets, as that's often easier and you don't have to leave your computer on for hours at a time. My family also travels a lot, and I like buying the wall-plug converters you can get at the airport for ten dollars, so my iPod will definitely work in every country.

I've read reviews complaining about the battery life, comfort of the earbuds, etc, but have to say that I haven't had any difficulties with these issues whatsoever. Battery life will depend on how you use your iPod (don't keep the backlight on... it's a waste of battery and really unneccessary unless you're listening to it in bed :D). And with earbuds, it's personal preference- I find them very comfortable, as does my brother (who, having limited music tastes, owns an iPod shuffle) and my friends, but if they really bother you, it's a standard headphone jack and you can fit any pair into there.

Overall, I love this thing. I take it everywhere and listen to it all the time (my parents think I'm antisocial, but I'm not really!). Apple iPods were definitely my first love.

Oh Dear Lord. Ok music player.
Ok. I just bought the silver 4GB model iPod mini. There is some good features and some bad ones.

Pros:
-Light and Compact.
-Backlight
-Easy touch pad.
-Stores lots of songs.
-Comes with iTunes.
-Earphones are good, light.

Cons:
-Litheum battery is not good. Lied about battery life-"Up to 18 hours of music playback." But I tested this thing out and it only lasted about five hours. After five minutes, the battery bar goes down 1/4. Then after five more minutes it's halfway down. And if you have the backlight on, it doubles the battery use. I think it's a waste of money to buy a popular music player that everyone has that only lasts about 5 hours.

-Too expencive. One hundred ninty nine dollers for a hard drive that only last five hours. I bet iPod makes a profet because it's so cheap to make them. My Sony Cd player owns the iPod mini, 53 hours of batter life.

-Head Phones. Personally the headphones suck. They don't snug into my ears. They feel very loose. I know I said the headphones are good on my pros, because I've heard people say they fit perfectly.

-iTunes Store. Rip off for one single song. Think about it fellows, 99 cent for one song. You could either go to the go to the library and wait for the album that contains your favorite song and add the track/tracks to your music library and update the songs on your iPod. Or for you obsessed impatiant people who can't wait, waste 12.00+ on that CD that contains your song. The only thing I like about iTunes is the free weekly single track, even they all suck, it's free and you don't have to wait.

-------------
Even though I'm a kid, these facts are all right except for the headphone one. Trust me, think about it before you buy an iPod. I can't believe people say "AMAZING" "SPECTACULAR PLAYER" ect...the good comments, because all out, the Apple iPod need's redoing.
-------------
-Adrian ... Read more

Product Description

iMac G5 Desktop, PowerPC G5 2GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, 8X DVD+/-RW SuperDrive, Built-in 20-inch LCD Monitor, Mac OS X Tiger v10.4 ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Dual-Layer DVD Burning
Should be noted: This iMac comes with a Dual-Layer DVD burner. So it will not only read and write DVD+/-RW - but also will burn dual-layer discs which hold about 8.5 GB in capacity. Amazon does not mention this in the description, but it is in the product manual that can be downloaded.

MAC 101
It has been three years since I bought my last Apple computer.

When I saw this G5 20" widescreen that now comes fully loaded, I was very impressed. It was loaded with TIGER (OS X.4) which ran like a Benz!

Thats before I got this big boy home!

Wow, loaded with wireless networking, bluetooth and a fast DVD double sided burner using a high speed connection, it is rocket fast and a state of the art machine!

It was easy to connect and all I needed for my own taste was an extra 512 meg of ram at $75.00.

I can now use Adobe Photoshop along with iPhoto and other applications all at the same time, and the spinning wheel is a thing of the past. The iMac is now a VERY fast aand smooth running machine.

I have the wireless Apple keyboard and mouse that came with mine and it only adds to the thrill of this zoom computer.

I could go on and on...but....

Pro's- the entire iMac !!!!
Cons? None! This is a thing of beauty and performs so well that I am truly amazed. Its the best computer I have ever owned or for that matter ever used!\

THIS IS A MUST SEE -MUST USE AND A MUST OWN!!!

High-Grade Materials Shine
After owning PCs since 1987, I finally was persuaded by techie friends to get an Apple. The advantages were a lack of Internet viruses, incredible tech support (very true), and high-grade materials. Indeed, my techie friends proved correct. The glass coating on the iMac is like an expensive Italian coffee table or a modern sculpture. The hefty feel suggests it's made of some adamantine gemstone. Very good.

But the 512 mg of RAM is too slow even for a low-tech guy like me who prints and surfs Internet. Definitely upgrade the RAM to at least a gig or maybe 2.5 gigs if you're running a lot of visual software. You'll want to upgrade BEFORE the iMac is delivered. Putting it in yourself is nerve-racking, especially when you know you can void the warranty if you screw up.

Also I recommend the 130-dollar Apple-Care program, which is essentially unlimited tech support. All of the techies at Apple have proven to be very articulate, helpful Apple lovers who apparently have a passion to promote their love of Apple in part by making their customers happy. Surveys support my individual experience. It's also nice not to have to call someone to your house everytime you have a problem.

Last bit of advice. Buy a 30-dollar USB port so you'll be able to attach more gadgets to your Apple. Most importantly, get a Flash Drive to back-up your files. I have a Kingston 512 mg. and I can use itbetween my Apple and any PC. It stores in a split second and you no longer need floppies or discs.

In conclusion, I'm glad I made the switch to Apple.

Gorgeous, fast and a pleasure to work with
I am mainly a PC person that purchased this iMac to have in addition to my PC, not to "switch".
The 20" iMac is beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use.It took me about 10 minutes to set it up after booting.Right out of the box I was able to plug in my DV camcorder, use iMovie and iDVD and edit and create a DVD.That's how easy it is to get started on the Mac.I really do like OSX so far.
I would really recommend upgrading the RAM to at least 1GB but the included 512MB is good enough to get the work done.The extra RAM helps the overall feel and helps when using the iDVD/iMovie etc...
You will not be disappointed with the G5 iMac!Plus, it looks really nice.
Oh, I also purchased the Bluetooth keyboard to further minimize my wires.It is great!Now, if Apple could just make a two button wheel mouse... But that is minor.I just used my Logitech MX510 and it works great.
Lastly, I plugged in my 8 in 1 USB 2.0 reader to access my microdrive and SD cards and it worked without a hitch.Also, I was able to connect and browse my HP iPaq HX4700 with little effort.It will not sych though.More software is needed for that and I am still working on that.Still, the iMac gets 5 stars.

pc magazine's take
I don't have this iMac but rated it at 5 stars in honor of PC Magazine, which calls it "excellent" and gives it an editor's choice award:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1822054,00.asp ... Read more

Product Description

records high-quality DVD-Video * records to mini DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, and DVD+RWs * recording capacity of one disc: 20 minutes at HQ setting; 30 minutes at SP setting; 60 minutes at LP setting * digital photo mode * 2-11/16" widescreen color touch-panel LCD * ... Read more

Features

• 10X optical zoom
• 2.7 inch, 16:9 aspect display
• Dolby digital 5.1 audio recording
• DVD + RW / -RW media
• 3.3 megapixel CCD

Reviews (12)

Excellent Point-And-Shoot Camcorder
Prior to buying this particular Camcorder I have owned over the past 6 years 2 digital Mini DV Camcorders from Sony, but felt the media is now outdated for the multimedia environment of today, so I opted for the Sony DCR-DVD403, in the belief that Sony's DVD Camcorder design is now on a par with Mini DV Camcorders. I must also add that I was looking for a small point-and-shoot camcorder, and not a Pro-Cam.

I was initially pleasantly surprised by the small size of the Camcorder and its simple interface. I was also impressed by both video picture (3.3 mega pixel CCD) and sound quality. The DVD is a real plus for me as I use DVD+RW, and these are both re-recordable and recognizable by my laptop (Sony Vaio), so I have no compatibility complaints. Overall, I rate the Sony DCR-DVD403 very highly for those who want a quality point-and-shoot camcorder that is easy to carry around.

But doesn't it take time to spin up?
I am still at the verge of buying this product because I'm wondering how long it take from the time you turn it on to the time you can capture your first picture. If you have to wait for the DVD to spin up, that must be some time! Otherwise, this product looks fantastic!!

Would someone please respond who owns this camera/camcorder?

It drops frames.
I just received the camcorder yesterday and I tried shooting some video at High Resolution and was surprised to find some frames being dropped when playing back on my DVD player. When the scene is fairly static the video is fine but when there is moderate movement I see occasional drops (about one frame every minute on average).
You have to however really watch for it to notice the drops (since it only drops one frame now and then). This appears as a sudden jump of a moving object as opposed to a smooth movement.
Just to rule out the possibility of bad media or the player I tried different media as well as another DVD player with the same results.
I hope this is only a problem with my unit, I'm going to try and exchange it for another one. Those of you that already have the camera please check your videos again carefully to see if you notice any sudden jumps and post your results.
Other than this problem the camera is great but for a camera at this price point dropping frames is unacceptable.

One other thing I have to mention about this camer is its awesome multi channel audio. I recorded some scenes outdoors with kids playing and birds chirping all around, then I played it back at home with 5.1 channel speakers and it sounded like I was back outdoors!. The surround effect was simply incredible.

UPDATE: I tried the videos with a Sony DVD player and I stopped seeing the dropped frames. So, there could be compatibility issues with DVD players (the other players I used were one from Apex and another from Samsung).

Advice?
I love this camera, but can't seem to get the settings right for good night video and video stills. Does everyone have their settings on auto for exposure, white ballance, Program AE etc. I know this thing rocks, I just have gotten a little aggitated with the manual because it involves several models, not just the 403. Additionally, has anyone bought a external flash and if so which one and how much? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

Shoot, Finalize, Play, be Amazed.
I can't believe how easy this camera is to operate.

I received the camcorder last night and was anxious to get some test footage of my daughter before she went to bed.To save time, I skipped reading the directions and went straight to fiddling with the camera.With absolutely no difficulty or direction I was able to snap on the battery pack, plug the camera to AC power, pop in a disc, and begin recording my daughter's silly bed time antics.

Now it was time to play it in the DVD player.A freind had told me that you need to "finalize" the disc before you can play it in a DVD player.So, after a moment of hunting in the setup menu I found and selected the "finalize" option.A little whirring and a grave warning not to vibrate the camera, and a few minutes later the disc was done.

I placed the disc in the DVD player still believing this was too good to be true, but there it was.My daughter giggling and singing in 16:9 aspect ratio on my big TV, with no wires and no need to boot up my computer.Within 30 minutes of pulling the camera out of the box I was playing a freshly recorded movie without having to glance at the manual.I can't say enough about the ease of use.

And, the quality is top notch.I'm no expert but I have an older Sony Mini-DV and I've been exposed to home movies made on a number of different cameras.The picture quality on this one is as good or better than any video camera I've ever seen. But it was the sound quality that shocked me.

As I sat watching my daughter sing on camera I heard her singing in front of me.Then, I was startled to hear the sounds of my wife and I laughing and coaxing her comming from the surround speakers behind me.That's right, this thing records in Dolby 5.1 surround sound!

So far, I've only recorded two discs worth of material, and I haven't even gotten into exploring the more advanced features of the camera, but it does everything I want it to do.Incredible ease of use.High quality digital picture and sound.The only drawback I see is the $5-$8 price tag per blank disc.But as one reviewer mentioned you can transfer your movie to a much cheaper full size CD-R using a DVD recorder or your computer.Then you can reuse the same $8 mini disc over and over again.

Either way, it's a small price to pay for such a convenient and high quality product. ... Read more

Product Description

iBook G4 Notebook, PowerPC G4 1.2GHz Processor, 256MB RAM, 30GB Hard Drive, 12.1-inch XGA TFT Display, 8X DVD / 24X16X24 CD-RW Combo Drive, Mac OS X Panther v10.3 ... Read more

Reviews (61)

This is GREAT!!!
i just got this computer today june 15, 2005 its absolutley amazing everything spectacular i would highly recommend this computer for students. It never freezes up. No virus or spyware this computer is great but windows has alittle more options but this computer is very good. Its better than my dell d600 laptop which has 512mb 30gb also 1.6ghz processor and it dosent even come close to this ibook this is GREAT

Still getting used to this
Overall the iBook is wonderful.The only computer I've owned was the Mac 512k back in 1985.Since then I've worked on various pc's in corporate america.I struck out on my own just recently and needed to purchase a computer and decided on the iBook for several reasons;price and the stability of the OS.I like the iBook 12" but it's taking some time to adjust to it.My previous pc was the Toshiba M100 and it costs roughly twice the iBook, so keep that in mind.The factors I'm adjusting to are:
*The iBook is 4.9 lbs, which is pretty light except when you've been carting around the 2.5 lbs Toshiba.The Toshiba does this by having a shorter battery life and no built in drive.But now the iBook feels like it'll throw out my back when I carry it around.
*I'm disappointed with the fit and finish of the iBook vs the Toshiba.The edges are a bit sharp and I'm getting used to the less precise feel of the track (mouse) button.Also I'm afraid the white surface of the iBook will show dirt and stains more easily than the black and sliver colored surface of thee Toshiba.
*Someone told me that I'd miss the right click button.They were right.
*I also need to get more RAM because the iBook is very slow with just 256k.Originally I was going to get an additional 256k but now I'm leaning twards 512k or 1meg.

My gut reaction is that chosing an Apple computer was the right move vs a pc and that it's just a matter of adjusting to the new OS.But I really wish that the Apple OS could be installed onto non-Apple machines.

Apple IBook - Two Thumbs UP!
Really enjoying this IBook. It's small and very light. I just took it on a trip and was glad to have it with me.Mine came with a built in wireless card and I was able to utilize wireless hotspots on my trip.Watched a DVD on the plane and listened to some tunes with ITunes.Don't be fooled into thinking a 12" screen size is too small(everyone seems to want larger these days. The graphics are really sharp. The battery has been lasting about 4 hours. Best of all I got mine through one of those Offercentric sites.My friend received one that way, so I signed up.[...]

Enjoy!

Great Computers work alike
I work with Mac OS X in my school, and I have found it to be very good! It is very convenient and easier to use than Windows (I'm not saying Windows is bad). I can write essays, get pictures, and go on the internet without being confused.

The iBook is no different than An iMac or eMac. I can do anything I want and store it anyplace since it is so compact. You can also have good functions on an iBook and it will look styling.

Tip: Don't use Appleworks. Get Microsoft office teacher student edition. Microsoft office is a lot easier to use than Appleworks.

Thanks to Apple...I now believe there is a GOD!
Okay, all jokes aside. This Apple ibook is really one of the best purchases that I have ever made. I had a Compaq Presario 2500 with an 80GB Harddrive, 15" screen, 64MB graphics card, 768 MB RAM, with wireless internet and a 1400 by 1050 resolution. This Apple ibook beats the pants off the Compaq in almost every category.

1) Price: The Compaq cost $2,200 when I bought it a little over 2 years ago as opposed to the Apple which cost me $900 on eBay and came with 1.25 GB!!!! of RAM. Just for a side note, the Apple ibook that I got on eBay was 3 months old and I didn't actually pay $2,200 for the Compaq since there was a glitch on their website and I paid $500. Otherwise, nobody should buy a Compaq ever!

2) Portability: The ibook weighs 4.9 pounds as opposed to the 7.5-pound Compaq. In addition, the ibook is smaller by far and I can actually take it to class without having to hurt my back.

3) Noise level: The Compaq was so loud that I would hear a noisy fan almost every time I turned the machine on just to type up a paper or to browse the net making it useless for taking to class since people would stare at me. When playing video games such as Warcraft 3 or Counter-Strike the Compaq would run so loudly that I would have trouble hearing the game or thinking. The ibook is noise free when I type papers; browse the Internet, or most anything else. The only time that the ibook makes a sound is when a disc is inserted and the very quiet fan comes on only after a while of playing Age of Empires 2.

4) Screen size and resolution: The Compaq did have a better resolution of 1400 by 1050 compared to the ibook's 1024 by 768 but I have not really cared since the ibook's resolution is what I would normally use on the Compaq anyways. Just because it can have a better resolution doesn't mean that I will use it. Plus, I assumed that switching from a 15" to a 12" would be hard especially for a gamer but in fact it's not a big deal to me even when I play games on the ibook. The change from a 64MB onboard card to a 32MB onboard card was not great but when running games at the highest resolution, the ibook has a good enough display to make it worth keeping.

5) Battery life: The Compaq advertised 2 hours of life but usually put out 1 hour if I was typing or listening to music. The ibook advertises 6 hours and constantly puts out 4.5 hours of battery life while typing and a little less if playing music.

6) Operating System: While I thought that Windows XP was a step up from previous versions and that the Apple OSX would not be worthwhile I soon realized that I was wrong. My Compaq always had software compatibility issues with other devices, random warnings that I didn't understand, and random crashes while I was playing Warcraft 3 even though I had updated all of the software for the computer and the graphics card. The ibook does not crash, randomly scare me with warnings, and is very compatible with all my devices including my HP 1200 LaserJet. Also the Dashboard on the OSX is very useful with a calculator, stickies, a clock, stock tracker, weather, dictionary, thesaurus, and many other helpful tools that appear and disappear in one click. What's more the Spotlight lets you search your entire computer quickly and easily unlike windows, which is a pain and doesn't actually find what you're looking for.

7) Virus's, spyware, Worms, and other junk: The Windows system always lets all sorts of nasty programs into the Compaq through Activex or many of its other holes. The Apple OSX does not do that because every time that I download a program that could possibly give my Apple a Virus or some other nonsense, I am asked for a password. That is why Apple's don't have Virus's. I used to spend at least $60 a year on Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, and Firewall software, now I don't need to.

8) Compatibility: Apple works with most hardware out there such as printers, mp3 players, and mice such as my Logitech (don't buy the apple mouse). Most software such as Warcraft 3, Microsoft Word, and Age of Empires 2 can be bought for OSX.

9) Speakers: The Compaq's speakers do sound a little better when listening to music but only when it's really loud. Yet the ibook has great speakers that are of almost equal quality and may actually be better for listening to audio books or radio. My Compaq speakers had static when turned up all the way and went bad several times. The ibook speakers do not hurt my ears with static and have not gone bad.

10) Laptop looks, keyboard, and durability: The ibook is much more beautiful with its white sleek looking case and light up apple on the back. It doesn't look like it would scratch up like the Compaq or those silver Powerbook's. The keyboard on the ibook is better than Compaq's but worse than the Powerbook's not in terms of wearing out but that the Powerbook has those quiet keys. My Compaq had dirty palm prints all over its case from wear and this white ibook is doing much better but that may be because I've had it for a shorter period of time.

11) Harddrive space: I had 80GB on the Compaq and have 30Gb on the ibook but I still use only 15GB on both of them. So what does it matter whether I have 30GB or 80GB?

If you're thinking about getting anything besides an Apple (including a Dell) go for either an ibook or a Powerbook. If you're making the choice between an ibook or a Powerbook, consider this: The Powerbook has a 64Mb graphics card (32MB in ibook), a better screen resolution, a faster processor (1.2 vs. 1.5) but is louder, hotter, more expensive, and has 90 minutes less battery life than the ibook. Check out the Apple discussion boards for yourself. I hope this helps and don't hate the Apple, hate the Game. ... Read more

Product Description

Affordable portable performance.

Fully loaded with a powerful G4 processor, a 5400-rpm 80GB hard drive, 512MB of memory, a faster-burning 8x SuperDrive and a nifty scrolling trackpad, the 15-inch PowerBook G4 boasts features few notebook computers can match.

With a processor speed of 1.67GHz, DDR RAM capacity up to 2GB, a light 5.6-pound weight and thin 1.1-inch design, the 15-inch PowerBook gives you the ideal balance between power and portability. Work and play in millions of colors on a stunning 15.2-inch (diagonal) widescreen display with 1280 x 854 pixel resolution that’s ideal for watching movies in their original wide-screen format. You can also make movies of your own with the included iMovie HD software, or get Final Cut Pro HD for more advanced video editing, compositing and special effects. And thanks to its built-in DVI port, you even have the option of connecting your PowerBook to Apple’s breathtaking Cinema Displays. Add optional dual-link DVI capability and 128MB of graphics memory and your 1.67GHz 15-inch PowerBook even supports the massive 30-inch Cinema HD Display.

As Smart as It Looks
The sleek exterior is as stunning as ever. The 15-inch PowerBook G4 comes with all the refinements and esthetic touches that make it the most coveted full-featured notebook computer on the planet: elegant aluminum construction, 1.1-inch thin design, slot-loading 8x SuperDrive and a brilliant illuminated keyboard. On the inside, a faster PowerPC G4 processor, a standard 5400-rpm 80GB hard drive, powerful graphics, up to 2GB of RAM and Mac OS Xthe world’s most advanced operating systemcombine to deliver off-the-charts performance.

Built for Speed
Inside the 15-inch PowerBook G4 is a screamingly fast 1.67GHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine. Advanced processor design and memory architecture are among several core advantages that enable the PowerBook G4 to pack ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A great computer for anyone in your home.
Being a technician on many products, I've come to learn that computers are tools. I came to work on Apple products through the years but recently my job functions required more hands on use of the G4. Mac Office 2004, which you have to buy on the side doesn't have a good ODBC plugin that makes it hard for people in finance to do their job. That is unless you buy a third party plugin for Office. Some of the features loaded on OS X are not fully developed and seem to be added just so they can add it to the ever-growing list of features. I'd say the top programs I use are Terminal, iTunes, iPhoto, Adium, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Quicksilver.

I'm sure I can get a lot of Mac enthusiasts to argue against me and flame me in every way possible. That's the beauty of this system; you actually have a fan base that most other systems don't. It's fairly easy to adapt to this operating system and hardware if you have patience. I think the nicest thing about this laptop is the DVD-RW that comes with it, Apple calls it a "Superdrive." Although you'd probably be recommended to buy Roxio's Toast program to burn cds. All in all you have to be ready to fork out some money when you switch.

Personally I love the G4, I have distanced myself enough to be very critical on some items but this is one product that doesn't have much criticism. Of course that is compared to almost every other system out there. They've embedded FreeBSD into the OS perfectly and makes it sound for developers to use and compile software. I do hope that in the future Apple fixes a lot of the minor glitches and becomes mainstream because this product is a very valuable tool.

Switching is easy
I was a confirmed PC-bigot since DOS3.1 and made the switch evetually after increased frustration with Windows led to several failed attempts to move to Linux.

My only chance to try a new OS was to buy new Hardware.

A year on I'm not disappointed.OSX is the best of UNIX under the covers with a GUI that's sweeter than anything MS could dream of. The bundled apps have enabled a novice like me to prepare printed books of photos, make DVDs of my photos and home movies and even dabble in making a little music with Garageband.

But it's not just about media...MS Office for the Mac blows the socks of the PC version in power and beauty.Apple ship the development tools CD with the mac as well, so for a programmer, I can get started right away coding lovely mac apps (in ObjectiveC), as well as C, C++, Python, Ruby and Java, all of which ship pre-installed.

As far as the hardware (this specific PB) is concerned, the machine is lovely to look at, ludicrously fast to wake from sleep, and the only times I've rebooted it in the last year are when the automatic software update system suggests I reboot after an OS upgrade. I can even swap batteries while the machine is on and running.The backlit keyboard and superdrive are extras I wasn't sure I would need, but I'm damn glad I paid for.

Do it.Do it now.I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

A word of caution
Apple needs to improve quality control and product support. The superdrive stopped working when laptop was 6 weeks old.Sent to Apple repair on April 4 and was informed 5 days later after I called that replacement wouldn't be available until end of April. New Superdrive could be quality control problem like permanent white spots on screens and batteries that catch fire of earlier models. Pity, because everything else about the machine is simply superb.

The Holy Grail of Laptop Computing
I have a friend of a friend who works at an Apple store and just recenlty he let me play with all the new stuff, some old stuff too and here is my impression of the new, improved 15 inch PowerBook. First off, and I feel like shouting this, but I won't, "It's about time Apple put out a computer that had enough memory in it to actually run it!" I have an old G3, 14 inch iBook and right off the bat I had to buy more memory, bumping it up to 640 megs, so knowing this baby comes with 512 right out the door, will bring a sigh of relief to anybody thinking of buying one.

The screen on this baby is gorgeous, no reading glasses for me here. This machine is svelte and sleek, comes with Airport Extreme built in. Has all the usual ports, plus FireWire 800 and it's crowning jewel, in my humble opinion, is the backlit keyboard. Apple claims it's ten times brighter than the old model. I can attest to the fact that it's brighter, but ten times, I don't know, I didn't see it. However, it's plenty bright enough to work in the dark. This 1.67 GHz model comes with a Superdrive and a scrolling trackpad (which I didn't mention in my other reviews). I found the trackpad scrolling business to be a little annoying, but no matter you can turn it off in System Prefs if you want. However, I imagine once you get used to it, one might find it darned handy.

Compared to my aging, but still working like a champ iBook, this baby screams. And the 80 gig hard drive gives you plenty of room to load up those MP3s to play in iTunes.

This, in my opinion, is not only the best PowerBook of the bunch, but the best laptop ever made. It is truly the Holy Grail of laptop computing. Apple has really gone and got it right this time.

Jack Priest, Sailor home from the Sea

tens years later... back from retirement
Had to return an hp laptop because it refused to cooperate.ProTools Le was too much for it.
I didn't want a powerbook, I needed one.
The blend of beauty and pleasure shocked me when I booted it up the first time.
Slipped in the gig of pc 2700 ram with no problems.
It hasn't complained once.
The superdrive is super-intuitive and easily backed up a full dvd in as much time as my pc would burn files to cd-r.
All my peripherals are compatible with osx.3.8 (which I had to download from apple...breezy.)
I'm enjoying the interface, a lot less clicks and menus to access files.
Got giggly about the zoom feature for the display.
When's the last time your pc made you smile?

In short, my g4 is the perfect houseguest.
... Read more

Product Description

Ultra-compact. Full-featured.

More. That’s the word that best describes the 12-inch PowerBook G4.

It has more speed, thanks to a 1.5GHz PowerPC G4 processor. It offers more memory: 512MB, to be exact. It provides more storage, with a standard 5400-rpm 60GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive. It boasts more power to burn CDs with its DVD / CD-RW combo drive. The only thing less about it is its affordable price.

As Smart as It Looks
Housed in a stunning, scratch- and stain-resistant aluminum alloy enclosure and weighing just 4.6 pounds, this diminutive powerhouse features a high-resolution 12.1-inch TFT XGA active-matrix display with brilliant 1024 x 768 pixel resolution. You’ll marvel at the way this supersharp display fits into such a remarkably small frame: just 10.9 inches wide, 8.6 inches deep and 1.18 inches thin. Perfectly smooth on all surfaces, the 12-inch PowerBook has no doors, protruding latches or levers to break, no external buttons to accidentally press and no sharp edges to catch on your clothing.

Built for Speed
The 1.5GHz PowerBook G4 delivers blazing-fast performance, thanks to the PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, which processes data in huge 128-bit chunks and accelerates the data-intensive processing required by next-generation video, voice and graphics applications.

Scroll Mate
Scrolling through web pages or large documents on a trackpad can challenge even the most nimble fingers. That’s why every 12-inch PowerBook G4 features a new trackpad with scrolling capability. Just drag two fingers over the trackpad to scroll vertically and horizontally or pan around any active window. Change this feature to suit your needs: Customize your trackpad settings or turn off scrolling completely via System Preferences.

Handled with Care
Now the 12-inch PowerBook G4 is equipped to help protect your most valuable asset: your data. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Looking for a laptop?
There is a lot of attention to the Mac vs Windows topic recently, as Apple has begun to gather attention as being capable of doing everything a Windows computer can - word processing, e-mail, Internet browsing, and everything else.For most Windows users, the Mac software will feel different, but essentially do the same thing.(To top it off, Microsoft Office is offered for Mac as well, presumably for former Windows users that are uncomfortable making the switch...but keep in mind that Apple has other programs that do pretty much the same thing.)

Now, I am looking for a laptop.Just because an Apple machine can do what I need doesn't make it my choice.It's a matter of which does a better job - Windows or Mac.

Since I am not one to rely on ultra-biased reviewers on either end, I have gone to visit the Apple Store a number of times, specifically to try out this PowerBook.I highly recommend that if you are seriously considering what will work best for you, do not just rely on other people - go see for yourself.

Having said that, instantly the differences were obvious.The programs I tried worked beautifully, even intuitively.Imagine not knowing anything about Windows and starting from scratch at computers - that is what I had expected.Wrong!Instead of the cluttered desktop, the long list of programs, and the general cheap and unorganized feel of Windows, I found Mac's operating system to be clean and efficient...everything was at my finger tips.In short, after fiddling with the PowerBook a number of times, I am convinced that it can not only do everything I need it to, but it can do it better than Windows can.Even more, Mac is more secure because most viruses are written against Windows, being that Windows is the majority.

I look forward to distancing myself from memories of Windows worries....For example, Windows Media Player doesn't work for me any more - I get a message saying "INTERNAL PROGRAM ERROR".Now, I'm no computer technician, but all I know is that such errors are frequent, I'm annoyed and hindered by them, and that typically, Microsoft treats it as my problem, not theirs."INTERNAL PROGRAM ERROR"?More like, "Microsoft can't write decent programs."Where Microsoft is infamous for the Blue Screen of Death, Apple is known to simply work.

Having seen that one computer company prides itself in that its programs actually work and lives up to that guarantee, I have no reason to put up with the cheap mess and insulting incompetence of Windows.I had thought Apple computers to be expensive, and still do, because $1500 is a lot of money.But, $1500 on a product that works is far better, in my mind, than any sum for a product that makes me mad, that is, Windows.

Now, maybe you are just fine with Windows, and somehow you have avoided the errors and you don't mind constantly downloading patches and service packs.Still, try out this PowerBook if you are looking for a laptop.See if it doesn't FEEL like a quality product.(Keep in mind, also, that some very serious people are users of Macs...namely, professional artists, schools, small businesses, the United States Military, and certain departments of Microsoft!)(I would post some URLs but it's against the rules.)

it goes everywhere with me :D
i've been a mac user all my life, i have tried a few windows based systems but they just seem poorly integrated and clnuky and too much trouble, i don't mind playing with them at work for the 'geek factor' but i do all of my music and digital artistry on my macs and wouldn't have it any other way.

since the 12" powerbooks came out i have been drooling over them, but i had a 15" titanium powerbook and then recently got a g5....but when my titanium powerbook practically fell apart, i decided to buy the 1.5hz 12"pb (combo drive).

i absolutely love this thing, its so small and cute but it can handle anything you throw at it, i thought the screen would be too small to do my graphics work on it but i can easily sketch away with my graphics tablet wherever i am.

the battery life is good, its compact and relatively lightweight, made of metal, built very solid and runs osx.what else could you want?!

the one thing i was a little unhappy with was the screen because its just a regular lcd, alot of 'windoze' notebooks are using those nice shiny 'crystal bright' displays.
if apple had those displays in a widescreen form factor on this thing, it would be absolute perfection, bar none.

but overall im very happy with it and its abilities to perform anything i throw at it.
if you are considering one then go to an apple centre and play around with one for a while...i bet you will go home with one, or want to :D

osx tiger is fast, sleek, powerful, futuristic, beautiful.
and below the hood in the terminal you have access to its darwin/unix.
ive never had a virus EVER in my life thanks to being a mac user, no spyware, MUCCCH less chances of being hacked, my titanium powerbook only crashed once in the whole 3-4 years i had it, and my g5 and 12" powerbook have NEVER crashed.
sure it is possible to get a 'lemon' and have problems, it IS a computer afterall and there can be things that go wrong, but overall....macs just work. and in doing so they let you work without screwing around with settings and troubleshooting.

i honestly dont know why people still bother with windows, its primative compared to osx.

A TRUE Switcher!
I am writing this review in order to give you my thoughts on this powerbook versus the last guys that wrote a review about switching. First off there's no way you can compare apples to oranges, or in this case Apple to Windows computers. Because first off Apple's processor is much more efficent in the way it handels information. You can not look at Gzh! there are many more steps involved than just that. Now I will go down the line of "cons" that superman2k3 had.
1 - The screen is small, there's no doubt about it but that's what you have to sacrifice for the smallness of the 12 inch powerbook, and I still do not know what he means by clearity in the font, I can easily read what I am typing, what folders say on my desktop and anywhere else there is typing of FONTS!.
2 - I have 512 mb of RAM in my powerbook. It runs perfectly smooth and flawless. My powerbook 1.5 ghz runs faster than my neighbors 3.0 ghz pentium desktop!
3 - First off with the accessories the $60 mouse he's talking about is the Apple bluetooth wireless mouse. You can get a corded mouse much less. And second of all you DO NOT have to buy just Apple accessories. I have a mini wireless mouse that I got when I had a windows laptop (with windows XP) and to use it on the windows laptop I needed to install drivers and other software, well one night I decided to try it on my powerbook and it worked GREAT! with no drivers, nothing. The manufacturers website never stated it made for a Mac! Only for windows 98, 2000, ME, XP ect.
4 - Now I don't know about you but I personally don't have any reason what so ever to get to my hard drive. With 60 or 80 gigabyte discs I don't think I will be randomly droping new ones in. In fact I don't think I will ever even open up my RAM slot for more RAM. There is just nothing inside the computer I would ever want to mess with. Instead I would just send it in to Apple.
5 - Well in a way this is true. Most software for Windows won't work for a Mac but you can however get a $80 software called Virtual PC made my Microsoft for the Mac computer. This program enables you to run every program made for a PC. And when you buy future programs you will just buy the mac version instead.
6 - What do you mean NON SCROLLING. This trackpad in my powerbook has a built in scrolling function. Just drag two fingers over it in a webpage, a word file (yes Microsoft makes all of the Office suite, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, ect. for Mac) pdf's, Jpegs, you name it it works. And I know it only has a single button but if you need a sort of "right click" just hold down the Ctrl button at the same time. A list (just like on a Windows) pops up.
7 - As I stated earlier you can't compare apples to oranges. The Apple computer will run faster, smoother, and is already pre-loaded with amazing applications that would cost you hundreds of dollers on a PC like iPhoto, but mostly like iMovie and iDVD.
8 - Innovation, give me a break!!! Apple invented the personal computer. They wrote the Mac Operating System (OS) that Microsoft eventially copied back in the 80's. In fact there was a huge lawsuit over it. You can search Google if you want to learn more! And Apple has to compete with PC's everyday. I mean you think about it, a person is not going to buy both an Apple laptop and a PC laptop together! THINK HERE MAN!
9 - You DO NOT have to order any more warrenty from Apple, Apple gives you a one (1) year warrenty for your machine already, in fact better than most PC manufactures, however you may want to purchase the extended warrenty because laptops get a more rugged approach to them then desktops. Now this would be the same case as if I were buying a Dell, HP, Compaq (owened by HP so is relativley the same machine) or any other PC. And they're all in the same price range for the extended warrenty.
10 - As I stated earlier (I seem to have to repeat myself a LOT!) almost all hardware devices work both ways. And software, if you want to keep your PC software you can purchase an $80 virtuall PC software that will run it just fine!

Now I hope I did not make anyone angery by this, it's just the facts. And in conclusion the Powerbook is a remarkable tiny, shiny, all around great machine that has the looks and feel of Apple all around, from the hardware, to the OS it is all Apple (with no viruses or spyware) and the best part of it is that if you ever have any problems at all, because Apple makes the whole thing (inside and out) there is just one (1) number to call for anything dealing with it. Try doing that with a PC company. They'll just refer you to another company who will refer you back. That's if you get an actuall representative! Not just a computer on the other end. Well I hope this helps to clear up any thoughts you may have. I am a TRUE switcher. I went from a PC for five (5) years to a mac for now my 3rd month. And I LOVE IT!

One more thing "Once you go Mac, you'll never go Back!"

~God Bless!~

Faster than My Old iBook, that's for Sure
I have a friend of a friend who works at an Apple store and just recenlty he let me play with all the new stuff, some old stuff too and here is my impression of the new, improved 12 inch PowerBook. First off, and I feel like shouting this, but I won't, "It's about time Apple put out a computer that had enough memory in it to actually run it!" I have an old G3, 14 inch iBook and right off the bat I had to buy more memory, bumping it up to 640 megs, so knowing this baby comes with 512 right out the door, will bring a sigh of relief to anybody thinking of buying one.

The screen is too small for my tired eyes, but if you're young and seeing 20/20 or don't mind reading glasses that shouldn't be a problem. This machine is small and sleek, comes with an Airport Extreme card built in. This model comes with the DVD/CD-RW drive instead of the Superdrive, so you can't record video, but for an extra 200 bucks, maybe you don't want to. Compared to my aging, but still working like a champ iBook, this baby screams. And the 60 gig hard drive gives you plenty of room to load up those MP3s to play in iTunes.

The machine does not, however, come with one of those nifty, light up in the dark keyboards and you don't get a FireWire 800 port, 400 only, but I guess Apple had to give them up, due to size considerations. But as I said, this machine screams, really screams and for 1500 bucks, it's a deal. It would have been nice if Apple could have figured out a way to engineer a G5 chip into the machine, but, I suppose they are still too hot and a fan or fans would have made this silent marvel both noisy and bigger. Anyway all in all I have to say, well done Apple. Five stars and worth every one.

Jack Priest, Sailor home from the Sea

You'll fall in love with this go-anywhere Powerbook!
I made the "switch" last fall when the 20" iMac G5 was released, and was looking to pick up a laptop with the same quality hardware and OS. I knew I wanted an ultra-portable laptop, partially because of the price and partly because a laptop is just not meant to require a desk to use it. (In my opinion, anything over 15" or 6 pounds is a desktop-replacement). I had originally considered the 12" iBook, which is a great value (1.2 GHz + Airport Extreme!) for the money. In the end, after getting the "i"Mac, I though I'd go with the "Power"book. My decision was partially due to the realization my 15 GB iPod is about 60% full, so importing the iTunes collection would have taken up a good chunk of the iBook's 30 GB drive.

It's quite a bit more expensive than the iBook, but you get a faster processor, a disk drive that twice as big and faster, Bluetooth, and an aluminum case that looks stunning. Also worthy of mention would be the new features in the 2005 Powerbooks, namely a scrolling trackpad (I wish my iMac had one now!), Sudden Motion Sensor that'll park the disk heads if it senses that it might have just been dropped, and Bluetooth 2.0, a standard so new there's no peripherals that'll use the 2.0 speeds, only its 1.1/1.2 legacy support. 512 MB is finally enough for standard usage (I can't endorse anything less than 512 MB for OS X), but I still upgraded the memory. Too bad Apple still has 256 MB built-in, as I had to pull the socketed 256 MB SO-DIMM to put in a 512 MB SO-DIMM, unlike the 15" and 17" which come with a single 512 MB SO-DIMM and an open slot.

If you can afford the extra money over the iBook and need the features, this machine will quickly become your pride and joy. If a 30 GB HD is big enough and you won't be doing heavy-duty iMovie editing, I still believe the iBook is an unbelievable price/performance value. ... Read more

Product Description

iMac G5 Desktop, PowerPC G5 2GHz Processor, 512MB RAM, 160GB Hard Drive, 8X DVD+/-RW SuperDrive, Built-in 17-inch LCD Monitor, Mac OS X Tiger v10.4 ...