Advice and Internet Software Applications for iBook G3?

Question

Ok, So I did it late last night, or technically early this morning... I went and bought a Refurbished MacBook - Black 2.0GHz Core Duo with 512mb RAM (in 2x265 sticks which I am replacing with 2x1gb sticks purchased from TigerDirect at the same time) 80gb HDD, Superdrive, Built-in iSight, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and Airport Extreme. Basically the same as the new ones that they are selling except it is only a Core Duo and not Core2 Duo... Will get my AppleCare from LA Company (thanks Ronda for the link, they have great prices) in a month or 2 after testing out the MacBook and making sure I won't need to send it back...
Anyways, this post is not supposed to be about the bragging of the new laptop (due to arrive Tue or Wed, heh), but about finding some good mac software (hopefully freeware or shareware) to use for internet stuff on my old iBook G3, which I am giving to my roommate to use (he will use his desktop for most of his heavy speed/memory/graphics needs and the ibook as an extra mobile internet tool). Basically, he used to use a mac when he was married (an old power pc with OS9 on it) but once he moved out and got the big D, has used windows XP since then, and has never seen OSX at all I don't think, so he definitely hasn't used it before.
He mainly likes to browse web sites and use IRC (he uses mIRC) and watches the free streaming videos from sites like Yahoo... He seemed unsure whether he would find use of it (the ibook), but I am thinking it's because he doesn't know how much better it can be with OSX (10.2.8) than OS9...
So I am asking for help in a way to show some nice simple ways he could work it into his routine (while still using the desktop pc) and have it not be a hassle to "learn" and find programs he wants to use (in comparison to ones he has for windows). Again, this will be for lighter applications because of the 500 MHz speed (has 576mb RAM).
He (unlike me) does not use Mozilla Firefox and therefore does not use its extentions and themes and other add-ons, but sticks to IE7 (which is crazy), but I think it is more out of laziness to try something new and to have to go and add on the extentions (compared to if they are built-in to the browser). So since I never had much experience using the different web browsers for mac, which ones would be most like IE, I know Firefox is available for macs, are there any that are simple basic, but could have things added on to it or customized more (yes, I know I am describing Firefox)?
Also, if wanting to use an application for music, but you wanted it to be smaller than the size of iTunes (and not need as much memory while running it), is there one you would say to go for? Any good mac IRC programs (not messenger things but specific to the IRC protocol)? Ones that have additional scripts you can run for them (he is really into that, he uses Excursion 9.5 alot too)?
I do not want to throw the iBook at him and say here, use it, and walk away, and I also don't want to go and show him every little thing that it does, but want to just find some programs that he might actually use on it right away, and ease himself into using the ibook on a regular basis (I would install everthing for him, and set up all the system preferences and if he actually keeps on using the ibook, I will give him little "lessons" on how to change things, install stuff etc). I threw myself into my ibook as that is what I tend to do with anything electronic and tech like (I am the biggest tech geek around), but I know that alot of others can't do the same and need to slowly learn how to swim in the mac pool, with those floaty arm band things and floating kickboards and all...
Any advise on how to do this for someone that I know would end up loving the ibook and OSX for more basic stuff, but just needs that gentle nudge in the right direction and the right kind of software to make him feel comfortable using it, would be greatly appreciated.
And yes, if he doesn't want to use it after that nudge, I will back off and take it back to sell (or just have a 3rd laptop hanging around, but then I will feel like the old lady with an apartment full of laptops -and other lonely tech gear).

Answer 1

Some people use VLC for watching video, but, in my experience, you are not going to get good streaming video on a 500 MHz iBook.
Shut down all other applications and maybe even restart the iBook before trying to watch YouTube or whatever. I've not had much success with it. (You are talking about a 5½-year-old computer, after all.)
I don't even know what IRC is. It sounds like it's a chat client? If so, iChat works great for me. It uses the AIM protocol.
I would stick with Apple applications. I prefer Safari as my web browser, but Firefox would probably be my second choice. Camino is good. Other browsers out there are iCab, Opera, and OmniWeb, and I may be forgetting some of them. Safari is the one that comes with OS X, and it's my pick over all the others. Once he gets used to tabbed browsing, he will wonder what he ever saw in Explorer (and I was a die-hard Internet Explorer fan, too).
I know of no better music app for a Mac than iTunes. Just so simple.