Okay, I can understand people who call the iBook a 'Mattel' computer. It does have a very distinctive design and it consequently does draw a lot of looks at the airport. Oh well. If you can't get over the look of something then heck, stick with your butt ugly Compaq and Dell laptops.
But I really love this little computer. I got my Tangerine iBook back in April 2000 (for my birthday) and pretty much haven't put it down since. I'm even using the iBook more often than my G4. I never thought that would happen.
I think the cause of this is the Airport card inside it. I can connect wirelessly to my G4 and from there to the whole internet at speeds that equal 11Mbit/sec. That aint bad. In fact as my cable modem has an absolute maximum speed of 10Mbit/sec (yeah right) the Airport is more than fast enough.
But why does this make my little tangerine laptop of lurve into such a wonderful device? No wires for a start. Not impressed? I am. I can use the iBook from anywhere in the apartment, browse the web from the futon, icq people from the toilet (ewww), check email from the bed. It really changes the way I use a computer. The computer is now not just to play Unreal Tournament on or something to do my work on. It's now a true household appliance. To hell with those annoying set top boxes or those bizarre email net appliances that some companies make. This is what a computing appliance should be. I think portability is the key here.
One of the most commonly visited websites on this iBook happens to be imdb. It's great for reading a reviews of a movie before deciding to pay for it on pay per view or for trying to work out just where the hell you know that certain actor is from.
Look at the difference between a cordless phone and a normal phone. You are no longer restricted to using the phone within a few feet of the socket. You can talk to people over the phone while taking the garbage out. The difference is dramatic
All this applies to any other computer with an Airport (or equivalent) card attached. Very true. And if you are in the situation where forming a household wireless network is feasible, do it. It'll totally change the way you use computers.
I happen to like my iBook for a whole host of reasons. The biggest reason by far is the Airport. Other reasons (glossed over for the sake of brevity) are size (with the lid closed it just sits innocently in the corner of the coffee table), speed (it doesn't compare to my G4 but it aint a slouch and price (there is no way I could have justified $2500 and up for a PowerBook).
All in all a wonderful little computer.