Questions to Powerbook owners...

chillimac

Hi all,



I just purchased a PB 1.5 GhZ 15" last night with 128MB GPU, 5400 rpm HD, an Airport Express hub. Very f###ing excited about getting it ASAP.



But I have a few questions posed to current PB Aluminium owners...



1) It looks like according to the specs page on Apple's web site that it comes with a connector to get video out to a VGA monitor, but the "store" asked me at "checkout" if I wanted a DVI to VGA connector? What video cables does the PB Aluminum come with.



2) Any PB user buy the NewerTechnology PB battery...the one that claims to have 42% more capacity than the one Apple ships (for the 1.5 Ghz 15"). I'd love to know your experience in the purchase and it's actual bennefits.



3) Anyone who bought recently (in the past 30-40 days) who ordered any build to order, what was your actual ship time, with or without expedited shipping?



4) Any recommendations for a laptop case/bag? My MAIN concern is durability (thick padding, suspended laptop sleeve 'that fits the intended laptop', tear resistant, water resistant, big self-repairing zippers)

Second priority for a bag/case is adequate, intelligent storage, pockets for pens, flat sheets of paper, PB battery, power brick, cables, security chain, iPod/headphones, magazines, cell phone, etc.



5) Concerning RAM types for PB Aluminums; On Otherworld Computing's web site...there are 2 different 1 Gig chips with 2 different prices with appartently the same specs...the prices $199 and $289 respectively.



6) Superdrive vs getting the combo drive...anyone REALLY use Superdrive to make DVDs?



7) Any "MUST HAVE" PB accessory that was helpful or cool?



Answers, especially from recent, Alum PB buyers would be helpful.



Thanks, all!

kiwi-in-dc

Hi,

Congratulations - You will LOVE your PowerBook!



You should get a DVI-VGA adapter in the box - My PB17 came with one.



What the probably asked you was if you wanted a DVI-ADC adapter to use one of the previous model Apple displays - the new Alu ones have DVI.



The Newer batter IIRC is for the TiBook not the AluBooks - no options yet for them.



I bought the Brenthaven 17" bad when I purchased mine - less options that you'll have with the 15. That said, it's a great bad. Very sturdy and has a removable padded sleeve when I need to take the PB to meetings.



Be very careful with RAM chips. All Apple machines require very specific RAM types and not all will work. OWC will be able to provide you with what you need, as will crucial.com. The price difference is probably betweeen no-name memory vs branded memory.



I use the SuperDrive all the time for backups, and for making DVDs, but I'm odd with a background in broadcast television. If you have one and a DV camera, you'll end up using it at some point.



I got a Bluetooth mouse - it's the perfect companion and PC weenies keep looking for the dongle that it's talking to - they can't quite believe BT is built in.

gsxrboy

1) Yep you should get the dvi to vga connector, and a svideo to rca picture

2) Is the battery for the current alys?

5) Tricky to say the generic stuff is normally ok, if worried then make sure you can send back if a problem arises.

6) I make heaps of dvd, couldnt do without the drive

7) Wireless internet ability, walking around the house is too cool for school.

gon

7) I'll also say wireless net connection. So far I have rarely moved my Powerbook, but still. I give a *negative* vote to Griffin Powermate, it looks and feels cool and it might be even more so for special use/circumstances, but it has been useless to me so far. It would be more useful on a desktop, maybe for someone who does media editing.

k squared

I second kiwi-in-dc's recommendation for Crucial RAM. The Aluminum PowerBooks have a very low tolerance for Generic RAM; besides, why spend thousands of dollars on a kickass PB only to put cheap RAM into it?

neutrino23

Newertech did announce a battery for the Al PB. However, I just saw the announcement. I doubt they have even shipped yet. They do look good though. When my battery life starts to fade I'll likely get one.



I got a Wenger (Swiss army knife brand) bag with wheels. I'm tired of carrying things around. I travel a lot and this is large enough to go for two nights without taking a full size suitcase.

chillimac

The Newertech batteries are now made for Aluminum Powerooks, by the way.

I probably will get one. I'm especially interested in experiences with laptop bags (looking for DURABLE over any other characteristic).



Thanks for the assurance that the PB comes with the cables needed to hook up a VGA/CRT monitor or TV/Projector!



I'm half regretting skimping on the Superdrive (hey, I saved $200 by going combo, allowing me to get a better bag or more RAM or ...whatever).

Maybe I should cancel my order, (made late Friday night) and reorder with it...I have a Firewire DVD-RW Plextor, but I know Apple's built-in burning software doesn't work with external, third-party drives.



Again I ask for those that bought Powerbooks in the past month or 2, how long it took to ship, any problems etc.?



Also, any other must-have accessories...excluding Airport Extreme router (I bought the AE Express and might buy another for my stereo.)?



I recently saw this very cool new docking station or whatever it is from Kensington:



It elevates your PB screen to eye level, covers the keyboard, adds additional USB-2 ports to the back and retails.

http://www.kensington.com/html/5558.html



I also like the document holders Kensington sells ($2.99) that clip to the side of the screen...simple, very useful, and cheap!



One other question I failed to ask before...Apple says in their specs that operating altitude should be 10,000 feet or lower...does that mean I shouldn't use my Powerbook on an airplane? Just be very careful depending on our altitude?



Thanks for those of you responding to my questions!

k squared

I wouldn't worry about choosing the Combo over the Superdrive. Now that dual layer DVD burners are on the market, you could wait for a little while and buy an external one.

gsxrboy

Ohh I didnt hear about the newer batteries yet.. nothing on their site at the moment tho

neutrino23

Quote:

Originally posted by ChilliMac



One other question I failed to ask before...Apple says in their specs that operating altitude should be 10,000 feet or lower...does that mean I shouldn't use my Powerbook on an airplane? Just be very careful depending on our altitude?

I've seen this before and was never sure why they have this spec. My guess is that at the lower air pressure air is less good at conducting away heat. Some components may overheat at lower air pressure. At 10,000 ft the air pressure is about one third less than at sea level and this is within spec. If you go much higher (say 15,000ft) the pressure would drop to one half of that at sea level or less. With so little air some air-cooled components could overheat.



Another possibility is that some components have gas or liquid inside them which would burst their seals at low pressure. The display has a liquid in it. The disk drive has air in it. This idea is just speculation on my part.



According to the FAA, the pressure in an airplane during flight must not exceed the equivalent of 8,000ft so you are fine operating a PB on an airliner.

stoo

Aircraft are pressurised to around 8000 feet above sea level. Certainly less then 10Kfeet.

fulmer

Quote:

Originally posted by Gon

7) I'll also say wireless net connection. So far I have rarely moved my Powerbook, but still. I give a *negative* vote to Griffin Powermate, it looks and feels cool and it might be even more so for special use/circumstances, but it has been useless to me so far. It would be more useful on a desktop, maybe for someone who does media editing.

I've got a Griffin Powermate hooked up to my desktop G5. I agree, it's probably not usefull for notebook users unless they're sitting at a desk. I use mine all the time for audio/video editing. It's GREAT for that!!