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In Dave Schultz's latest editorial on Applelust, he talks about how:

"...when I saw that new iBook I about fell off my chair, and I am still dragging my chin around, saliva dripping and all, from the paralyzing applelust I have for this 'Book. There is no doubt - I WILL have one, I just don't know when. I may have to give up a trip to the Expo, and teach a summer class, for it. It almost hurts from the applelust pounding in chest. But I want one and Apple has made me fall in love all over again...

I have to agree. There has never been a Mac, portable or desktop, that so nearly made me drool with desire as the new iBook does. I love the TiBook. I love the Cube. But both of the latter with more of an intellectual and aesthetic appreciation. The iBook pushes some buttons way down deeper. It is, I guess, as Dave asserts, a case of Applelust.

It isn't just looks, although I do like the appearance and form factor of the new iBook. I am by nature parsimonious, and I know a bargain when I see one, and relative to all other Mac portables in history, the new iMac is a rip-roaring bargain. The original iBook left you asking "Where's the beef?" The new iBook is a quarter pounder (actually a 4.8 pounder) with the works. It makes you salivate with anticipation. I want one.

However, whether I will buy one or not is another matter. I have no hesitation advocating the new iBook as the default, hands-down, best choice for anyone who can't think of a compelling reason why they need a bigger or more expensive Mac, but does that apply to me?

Prior to the iBook announcement, I had pared my system upgrade short list down to two potential candidates -- a TiBook, or a Cube and 15 in. Apple Studio Display monitor combo. Now the iBook has also solidly staked out a slot on the list.

Dan Knight's report on Low End Mac comparing the performance of his TiBook to his new Cube has given me pause to reconsider once again. Dan says that the Cube outperforms even the TiBook by a substantial margin in real world tasks. Its support configuration (e.g.: bigger hard drive; nice satellite speakers; more powerful video support; etc..) is also a lot more impressive than either of the portables.

On the other hand, the iBook offers respectable performance with a 500 MHz G3 processor, and sells as a complete, self-contained package for the same price as the 450 MHz Cube less monitor. It certainly wins the capital outlay contest decisively. And it's also a laptop, and I'm a laptop aficionado. One concrete reason why: this morning our local power utility turned off the electricity for maintenance, and power outages due to weather are not an unusual occurrence in this neck of the woods. With my PowerBook, I am enabled to keep working. With a Cube, unless I laid out more capital for a backup power supply, I would be left twiddling my thumbs.

Decisions, decisions.

Charles W. Moore

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