• Choose iBook or PowerBook

• Find Apple Laptop Computers on eBay

• Buy Apple Laptop Computers with Confidence

Choose iBook or PowerBook

Choose iBook or PowerBook

Apple laptops come in two flavours: iBook and PowerBook. They can have older G3 processors or newer G4 processors.

• Apple iBook: Less expensive and less powerful than the PowerBook, iBook has everything you need to go online, work on papers, and play MP3s. iBooks also have smaller screens (12-inch and 14-inch) than PowerBooks. The 14-inch screen has a maximum resolution of 1024x768, just what you need to get typical computing tasks done.

• Apple PowerBook: Apple PowerBook does everything the iBook can do and more. It's more powerful than iBook and has larger screen options, making it a better choice for anyone who plans to work with video, audio, or high-resolution images.

Select Apple laptop features

Consider an Apple laptop's components before you buy.

• Hard drive: A computer's hard drive stores all your programs and files. A drive with a higher storage capacity (measured in GB) lets you save more data than a drive with a lower storage capacity. You only need 20GB to 60GB of hard drive space if you only plan to store your operating system, programs, documents, and a few photos. You'll want at least 80GB if you plan to save a lot of large files such as high-resolution images, movies, or your entire music collection. Additional external hard drives also work well for data backup purposes and for storing large files.

• Memory: Programs, including operating systems, need a certain amount of memory (RAM) to run, with more RAM providing better performance. If you want to run OS X and the latest software, make sure the laptop meets minimum system requirements for the software you want to run. For example, to run iDVD 5, you need a 733 MHz (or faster) G4.

• Drives: Apple laptops can feature a SuperDrive that can write to CD or DVD media or a ComboDrive that can play back DVDs and write to CD media.

• Ports: Apple laptops typically include an Ethernet port for connecting to a network and FireWire ports that allow you to transfer information from external devices, such as the iPod, at high speeds. Many also have analog in/out, DVI-out, or S-video out so that you can watch video from your laptop on a television screen, for example.

• Wireless networking: The latest Apple laptops have built-in AirPort Extreme that allows your laptop to access wireless home networks and Wi-Fi HotSpots as well as Bluetooth, a form of short-range wireless networking that allows your laptop to exchange information with other Bluetooth-enabled devices such as PDAs and cell phones.

• Touchpad: Traditionally, laptop computers do not include a mouse. Apple laptops feature a touchpad that allows you to scroll through documents and webpages.

• Software: Apple laptops generally include an email client (Mail), calendar program (iCal), video-conferencing software (iChat), and many come with iLife, a software suite that includes iPhoto image-editing software, iMovie video-editing software, iDVD DVD mastering and burning software, iTunes digital music management software, and GarageBand sound-editing software.

• Graphics card: A graphics card processes video, freeing up memory (RAM) for other system tasks.

Find Apple Laptop Computers on eBay

Find Apple Laptop Computers on eBay

Once you know what type of Apple laptop computer you want, go to the Computers & Networking portal, click the Apple Laptops, Notebooks link under Apple, Macintosh Computers, and start searching for items on eBay. 

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for Apple iBook, Apple PowerBook, and Other Apple Laptops, Notebooks.

• Product Finder: Use the drop-down menus on the Apple Laptops Finder to quickly narrow down item listings by product family, processor type, processor speed, screen size, and condition.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a PowerBook, type "PowerBook" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Apple Laptop Computers with Confidence

Buy Apple Laptop Computers with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to C$1,250.

• eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.