If you're like me (read: not that into computers, but need to use them on an everyday basis nonetheless), the following might describe your computer-related experience:

1 - You used Apple computers when you were in school, but that was years ago (Apple IIg, Oregon
     Trail!)
2 - You've been using PC computers on Windows operating systems since then, and have achieved
     competence there in. You probably also have another computer already, likely a PC desktop or
     laptop on Windows XP or Vista.
3 - You've become attracted to the Apple Macintosh platform for use as a possible "second-string"
     computer, because you've heard about the reliability of its operating system. Add to this curiosity
     factor the general decrease in price of many "dream machines" that were out of your reach five years
     ago, but are inexpensive enough now for you own. Or maybe you even want to drop Windows
     altogether and switch to Mac, and want to buy an inexpensive machine to test the waters.

Okay, so we've established you're not a computer geek. The first questions you might want to ask yourself before bidding or "buying now" on any Apple computer (or any computer, for that matter), are:

a. Do I really want this particular machine?
b. What do I need this computer for, and will this computer meet those needs?
c. What happens if this computer doesn't meet those needs and I already bought it?
d. How legitimate is the seller?

A word of advice: as for question "b," if you need a high-end computer to do really complex things (professional music and video editing,  advanced gaming, and things of that sort) it's probably not such a smart idea to buy it used over the internet from some stranger unless you get really exact specifications from the seller and are technically competent enough to know what those specifications mean, and are confident the seller is honest and will work it out with you if you are dissatisfied. A truly powerful, state of the art machine is likely to go for several hundred if not thousands of dollars, and I just don't see the wisdom of paypal-ing that money to some guy across the country who may or may not offer refunds on the equipment should you come to realize it's not what you really wanted. If you need this kind of machine, why not just go to the Apple store and do it the right way? If you can't afford a brand new, cutting edge computer (probably why we're looking for them on eBay in the first place), go on craigslist.org (affiliated with eBay) and see what's available used in your own area, that you can drive over and see with your own eyes before you hand over your hard-earned money. If you want it, pay the man! If you don't, you're only out the gas it cost you to drive over there.

Basic rule of thumb -- if you plan on spending more than $500, don't buy it on eBay unless you're really, really, REALLY (can't stress it enough) sure about what you'll be getting.

Now that we've settled that, we're on to the "bargain" computers -- you know, the "second string" computer that probably won't be your primary machine, but will hopefully make your life easier. The one you plan on taking to class with you, or taking to the coffee shop to work on that novel or surf the internet on.

So, you've punched "iBook G3" (or "Powerbook," or whatever it is you typed) on the eBay search engine, and wow, all these cool looking machines came up!

If you're like me, you like to look at the cheapest machines, and the ones whose auctions are ending, first. You also like to look at the "buy it now" auctions to see what a low end machine might cost if you want to avoid competition.

Oooh, look at that Macintosh Powerbook 540c! It's only $59.99 and it's "buy it now!" Shipping is only $20!

But wait -- ask yourself again, "do I really want this computer?"

Sure you want it. After all, Tom Cruise used an Apple 540c in the original Mission Impossible movie and it looked really cool.

But that was in 1996! Can that old computer still do everything you need it to do? (see question b).

If you're just looking to buy it for fun, or for nostalgia or to add to your collection, by all means buy (if the seller looks legit)! But if you need a machine to hook up to the internet or to print papers, you may want to think again.

Why? Because obsolete equipment is hard to find peripherals for. It's really frustrating to need something for your computer and know you can't just go to Best Buy and get what you want. You have to go on eBay to randomly find something that may be available, and may work, from a person who may be honest, but then again may not be, and in any case will take days to ship it to you.

If you want to print your doctoral thesis on that old powerbook, you'd better make sure you have a printer that's compatible with its obsolescent operating system (it's probably got OS 7 or OS 8, if it's got anything at all). Most printers in stores now require at least MAC OS 10.4, with a few still supporting OS 10.2 - 10.3.9, and nearly all connect via USB cable. Even with a USB to Serial adapter, it's unlikely you can ever get that old powerbook to directly print something off your modern printer unless you're a computer expert with the knowledge and equipment to work around the machine's limitations.

Obsolete equipment is also hard to connect to the internet for novices, and even when you do connect, pages often don't display properly because many websites no longer support views from obsolete operating systems (if you've tried using Internet Explorer on OS 8.6, you know what I mean). Forget about watching youtube on that old computer. If your plan was to do some typing on the old powerbook and simply upload your work as an attachment to your email and print it on your other computer, make sure your old powerbook is even capable of connecting to the internet in a meaningful way. It would be terrible to end up spending $80 on what you thought was a bargain powerbook, finally get it on the internet, and realize it won't even load the web page where your email account is because you need to "update your browser" and unfortunately your computer hasn't got the hardware compatibility to be updated anymore.

If you plan on saving your work on a floppy, then transferring that floppy to your other computer, which doesn't even have a built in floppy but requires that external USB floppy drive, that might work, but why go through all that trouble when you could simply spend a little more for a machine that doesn't need all these work-arounds?

Have you got an iPod that you want to hook up to this old computer? Forget it, because it doesn't have USB ports, and even if it did (because you thought you'd be clever and buy a USB adapter for the PC card slot), even your first generation iPod and iTunes software won't work with anything earlier than OS X. Your USB printer won't work either -- even if you plug it into that same USB adapter card -- because your operating system is obsolete, and your computer is too weak to install OS X.

Even if your old powerbook has a CD drive, forget it, it hasn't got the RAM or hard drive space or technological architecture to run the modern system.
You're stuck, topped out at OS 9.1 at best, therefore your options for peripherals are small and getting smaller.

Keep looking!

Be very wary before you buy a G3 Wallstreet (even the 290mhz model with a better level 2 cache), no matter how cool it looks -- and even if it's advertised as running OS X -- unless you know it's what you really want. Why? Because, like the other older powerbooks  from 1991-1998 (the 100 series all the way to the 3000 series and Kanga), it doesn't have USB ports for your other modern equipment. Also, Wallstreet tops out at OS 10.2.8 at best, unless you do some extensive upgrading that  is not only costly but also isn't authorized or endorsed by Apple (you can get a Wallstreet up to OS 10.3 on XpostFacto). Even with RAM and hard drive upgrades, using the internet on a Wallstreet on the ethernet or modem cable is noticeably slower and more tedious than new machines. On an airport card (or other 802.11b compatible wireless card) using the internet on OS 9 is a nightmare, and the Internet is a lot less fun on OS 9 -- believe me. Why should you care about using the wireless card on OS 9, when the Wallstreet you're thinking about buying has OS X?

Your airport/wireless card won't work if you boot the Wallstreet on OS X unless you download a lot of compatible drivers which are often hard to find, and almost always cost you money. You could work around Wallstreet's lack of USB ports by buying a USB adapter to fit in the PC card slots (buy from eBay because the Apple store won't have them anymore, haven't since 2002), but that's an additional expense on top of other additional expenses that would be required to help that Wallstreet maintain a losing battle against advancing technology that's rapidly leaving it behind. So when you see a Wallstreet that looks like a bargain at an $89 "buy it now," or that Wallstreet auction is ending in 3 minutes and the high bid is $76.50 and you're thinking about "sniping" at the last second, don't do it unless you know what you're getting into!

I wouldn't recommend spending more than $100 on a Wallstreet, shipping included, no matter how much software comes with it or how nicely it's been kept, unless you already have a bunch of compatible accessories for it, or you want it just to have it. But that's just me. The Wallstreet's technology and compatibility are simply too old and too much of a hassle for non-technical types to deal with. Investing in such a computer would be an endless cycle of buying additional equipment to keep it usable, and it's just not worth it because it will end up costing more than the machines you avoided due to their  slightly higher additional cost.

Onto the G3 Lombard.

The Lombard, especially in its 400mhz DVD incarnation and with RAM upgraded to at least 192 MB is adequate for many basic users because it can be set up to run OS 10.3.9, which, although becoming obsolescent, is still highly usable and compatible with a lot of equipment, including many modern printers, cameras, and older iPods. In particular, a Lombard with 400mhz, DVD, and 512 MB RAM is still a highly potent piece of office equipment.  Even a Lombard with the inferior 333mhz processor is still very useful, provided you have a lot of RAM (say, at least 192MB for basic office applications). Lombard works well with the internet, and on its ethernet cable it is nearly as fast as brand new laptops -- however when watching videos it is noticeably choppy regardless of whether you max out on RAM upgrades because of its aging video card. Wireless cards work on Lombard if you boot on OS 9, but be very wary if you plan on using the wireless card on OS X, because most of the time it won't work unless you have specific drivers that once again aren't free (the nightmare on Wallstreet, revisited). Once again, the internet isn't so great on OS 9.

A good deal on a Lombard is $150 or less. Don't spend more than that unless you know you're really getting a good deal (i.e., lots of expensive software preinstalled, maybe a carrying case, extra battery, etc.), because you could get a newer G3 or even a G4 iBook for that money or only slightly more, likely with at least OS 10.3 installed and maybe a bigger hard drive and more RAM, if you do a little homework or if you stay up till 3 in the morning to see which auctions are ending. Remember also that the white iBooks can run OS 10.4 without upgrading, where as the Lombard will  need help from unsupported third party software.

On to the Pismo!

The Pismo is, like the Lombard, still a relatively modern, competitive machine that should do nicely for most basic applications (unless you get fancy with the audio and video editing and gaming stuff). In every way that makes the Lombard an excellent computer, the Pismo matches or exceeds it. It's got firewire ports, and you can load OS 10.4 "tiger" without special equipment. In many ways, the G3 Pismo (and to a lesser extent the Lombard) is superior to the white iBooks that superseded it. For one thing, there are fewer cases of component failure for these laptops than the newer models, and for another, you can get a 400mhz Lombard or Pismo with a huge hard drive and tons of RAM often for a lot less money than a G3 iBook with a puny 10GB hard drive and only 128 MB RAM.

A good price for a Pismo, depending on what software is included, would be $200 or less.

Although the "clamshell" ibooks look cute and are newer than Lombard and Pismo, the clamshells are for the most part inferior because:

- the ones you usually find on eBay have only 300mhz processors, thus making even the old 333mhz
   low-end Lombard superior
- the ones you usually find on eBay have smaller hard drives than the average Lombard or Pismo for
  sale
- clamshell ibooks only have 1 USB port
- they're ironically bigger and heavier, even though you'd think the opposite would be true
- the maximum screen resolution on the clamshells is absolutely inferior to the Lombard/Pismo screen
- the clamshell screen is smaller, too! Strange, since the physical dimensions of the computer itself are larger than the powerbooks.
- does not have stereo speakers (only a mono speaker).
- inferior video card (youtube and videos in general are terrible on a clamshell -- best not to even try watching videos on the internet)
- Lombard and Pismo still appear modern where as the clamshell is kitschy and noticeably dated
  (i.e., more of a nostalgia item)

You shouldn't pay more for a clamshell than you would for a Lombard or Pismo unless you just want it for looks or for fun, or that clamshell has a faster processor, more RAM, DVD, and a bigger hard drive. Even then, the Pismo is just better. Even the Lombard is usually better, for many of the same reasons.

If the computer you're looking at is newer than a Pismo (i.e., white ibook G3), then you're getting a modern machine that ought to do everything you need it to do, and then some. Just make sure the computer you're bidding on has the RAM and the hard drive capacity you need in order to make its cost justifiable compared to the still-excellent Lombard and Pismo powerbooks. Do not get seduced into buying an iBook G3 just because the case looks modern. Often times there's a laughable 8 GB hard drive and 64 MB RAM hiding in there, pretending it's better than a 400mhz, 80GB hardrive Pismo with 1 GB of RAM that just got sold for fifty bucks less in another auction.

Some key things to consider before you buy:

1 - it's not a good idea to buy from people who say things like "as is" or "no returns" unless you're a
     a computer expert or really do want it for parts. Despite anything else the seller has to say, just
     consider it another way to say "this item is broken and I want to unload it on you and give you no
     chance to return it after you realize what I've done."

2 - don't buy a laptop that costs more than $30-$35 to ship ($20 to $25 is more like it), unless the seller is using an ultra-fast method (overnight, next
     day air, etc.) that you both agreed to. $50 to mail it to me? Yeah right. Even with tons of padding and insurance, not going to happen with a five
     pound laptop. They're just making more money off you on shipping.

3 - does that laptop come with an adapter? If not, add another $30, because that's about how much it's
     going to cost you on eBay to buy one, even more with shipping. You might find one at the Apple
     store for around the same price that would work with your laptop. Maybe.

4 - does the battery work? If not, doesn't that defeat much of the purpose of laptop portability? Sure, I
     guess you could lug it around to different places and plug it in, but a working battery is useful. If the
     battery "won't hold a charge" or isn't included, tack on another $50 plus shipping for a working
     battery unless you don't care to have one. Be especially wary if the battery is dead and the adapter
     isn't included either. Your laptop isn't going to run on air, and neither the adapter nor battery are
     free.
    
5 - if the seller says "untested" or "as is," don't buy it unless you want to buy useless junk. Sure, your
     friend bought an "as is" item that worked out fine. But why take that risk? Don't be the guy who got
     burned, because tomorrow you'll be posting that same laptop you just bought on eBay selling it "as
     is" or "for parts," for less than you bought it for.

6 - don't buy a laptop that doesn't have the operating system you need installed (I recommend aiming
     for at least OS 10.3). Nothing's worse than buying what you think is a bargain laptop, then realizing
     you can't do much with it because OS 9 is not longer supported by anything, and OS 10.3 panther
     discs cost $50 on eBay, and you can't install it anyway because your laptop has only 64 MB of
     RAM and a 3 GB hard drive!). If you buy a laptop with no operating system included, make sure
     you have or can get the OS discs you need, and you know what you're doing when you try to
     install!
 
7 - when a seller doesn't offer a return or refund policy, don't buy no matter how good the deal sounds.
     You WILL get burned. If the seller believes in his product, he has no reason to run and hide from
     you. He DOES have a reason to hide from you if he thinks you might be dissatisfied with the trash
     he's trying to con you into buying. Did the computer arrive, and it won't work? "Sorry," he says, "I
     sold it as is, no returns." And then when you try to complain to eBay, they side with him because
     that's what it said in the auction.

8 - Don't pay for anything with a check or money order. There's a good chance your money will get
     stolen. Why risk it? Do you really want to go to the bank, withdraw $200, buy a money order, mail
     it, wait five days, email the seller to ask them if they got your money, and then have them say "NO"
    ??? Yeah they have your money. And they have your laptop, too.

     Paypal, every time. If they say "sorry, no paypal," say to them, "sorry, no sale.
     Pal."

9 - If they feed you lame lines like "we don't have time to test this item," ask yourself why you should
     have time to fork over $150 plus $25 shipping. Do you work for free?

10 - It's a better idea to deal with individual sellers than sellers who appear to be businesses. Individual
       sellers tend to be more concerned about their feedback score. Also, individual sellers tend to be
       more knowledgeable about their computer because it's theirs, where as businesses take in dozens of
       these things and don't know anything about the individual units.

11 - don't buy a computer "with issues" such as missing parts, little quirks ("the hard drive makes a
       weird sound when you boot up," spots on the screen, missing keys, etc.), unless those issues are 100% costmetic
       and the seller can guarantee this, and you don't mind having a really ugly computer. You are buying someone else's problem, and that's why they're
       getting rid of it. Guaranteed. I reiterate, do not buy a computer with issues unless you want to have a computer with issues that need to be fixed
      (e.g., money thrown at them) and not a computer that  works well. Same thing with cars, but that's a different buying guide.

12 - be wary of laptops that say "taken from a school setting." Many times these laptops have the name
       of the school or district etched on the plastic case, and just as often, they've been stolen.

13 - no matter how specific someone's ad is, email the seller a lot of questions about the item. Get
       everything in writing, and do it only via eBay. If the seller is on the up and up, he won't mind
       answering your questions, because he's honest and he wants to make the sale. If he's a liar, he
       won't answer you at all or he'll be evasive. If you're serious about winning the auction, don't be afraid to ask for their phone number if you
       have questions that you aren't good at putting in writing, but remember, if you ask for their phone
       number, give yours in return. Ask for more pictures of the computer if you're not sure of
       something, or even if you're curious. Just how big is the "small crack on the corner of the case?" If
       the computer is actually his and in his possession, he can do it. If the computer doesn't exist and he
       just wants you to paypal him the money before he shuts down his account and disappears, well
       then... *sigh*

14 - be wary of sellers who refer to themselves in the plural, or worse, sellers who intermittently refer to
       themselves in the singular and then the plural. As in, "we test our items," or "check out
       our other auctions.""I loaded OS 10.3." Many of these businesses are honest of course, but
       remember my homily about dealing with individual sellers as they tend to know more about the
       specific piece of equipment you're buying. Be wary of the shady guy who wants to appear to be a
       big-time business when he's just an individual hustling money from his mom's basement.

15 - Don't buy things from people in other countries unless you are very, very sure and are willing to
       take a big risk.

16 - Feedback is important, but study a person's feedback carefully before buying something from
       them. A person with a 99.9 % feedback score based on 200 comments is most often a good bet, but
       one could also manipulate feedback (multiple accounts, phony auctions, etc.) to make themselves
       appear more trustworthy than they really are.

17 - don't buy something where the seller uses stock pictures from other websites. It's just common sense
        to want to see the actual item. If they're too lazy or incompetent to have an actual picture of the item they are asking hundreds of dollars for on an
        advertisement of their own design and choosing, why should you even give them the time of day? There are other laptops. Move on.

18 - be wary of buying from sellers who use the same set of photos for many of their items. The one
       YOU get will look a lot worse than the one in the picture. Believe it.

19 - stay away from clamshell G3 iBooks that advertise having OS 10.3.9 installed, yet only have 128 MB or less of RAM and a 6 GB or smaller
       hard drive. Unless you like waiting three minutes for MS Word or iTunes to finish loading.

20 - Remember -- do not settle for anything less than a computer that meets your needs. Don't bid on a laptop thinking it will be a bargain, when it will
       require a lot of upgrades and other components to make it usable (as in, don't buy that crummy iBook G3 clamshell with OS 9 installed thinking
       you can borrow your friend's OS X install discs; not only is it not as easy as it sounds to install an operating system -- especially if you need to
       partition a hard drive or are working with inadequate RAM -- it's also illegal to share copies of OS software.

21 - Which reminds me. Be wary of sellers who have many laptops for sale at the same time (or sell them frequently) who always say they did a "fresh
        install" of the Operating System (i.e., "includes a fresh install of OS 10.3 Panther"), but won't include the system discs, even if you ask. Chances
       are your copy of Panther will be illegal, and what the seller is doing is 100% illegal and they (maybe even you) can be prosecuted.

I think that covers a lot, but then again, the best way to learn is through experience. Good luck! And, please click "YES" below if this guide was of any assistance to you. Thank you!