The Apple iBook G4 14-inch notebook computer starts out at $300 higher than its 12-inch little brother, but in addition to the larger screen, this laptop also features a faster processor and a larger hard drive.

Armed with a 1.42GHz PowerPC G4 processor, you'll get great performance on office applications as well as graphically intensive tasks. There's only 512MB of DDR memory to start with, so some users should consider a RAM upgrade. You can take it up to 768MB for $150, or max out the system at 1.5GB of memory for $500.

The hard drive is 60GB, providing a good amount of storage space for installing applications and reading multimedia files. You can opt for a bit more room with an 80GB hard drive for $50.

The excellent 14.1-inch display is great for watching movies or having multiple applications open on screen. With the larger screen, the 14-inch iBook does weigh more than the 12-inch version, but still easy to carry at 5.9 pounds.

By default, the iBook comes with a Superdrive 8xDVD+/-RW/CD-RW drive that lets you burn to DVD media, as well as watch DVDs and burn your own audio and data CD's.

With an ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 inside with 32MB of dedicated video memory, you'll be able to play some of the latest 3D games. An AirPort Extreme wireless card is built into the laptop for easy connectivity in airports or other wireless hotspots. Bluetooth 2.0 is built into the iBook, letting you connect to your Bluetooth peripherals wirelessly.

You can get up to six hours of battery life from a single charge, and Apple offers a one-year warranty on the iBook with 90 days of free telephone tech support. You can extend both the warranty and the phone support to three years, but it adds another $249 to the sticker price.

The iBook G4 14-inch isn't the least expensive laptop from Apple, but it offers good performance and an excellent widescreen in a well-designed shell.

Pro: Large screen, good performance
Con: Not inexpensive, low RAM

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Apple
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-996-1010
http://www.apple.com

Warranty
1-year limited