return of the black PowerBooks

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zozo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
i was wandering around the Apple Expo here in paris the other day when I suddenly saw from the corner of my eye the back of a really beautifully styled, curvacious laptop. It took a second to realise that the bright white logo embedded in the back of it was an upside down apple... for another second I was stumped... I thought it was either a modded iBook r Powerbook or a PC or some prototype.



All of 3 seconds later I finally realised It was a beautiful wallstreet powerbook







It was SUCH a contrast to all the white, aluminum, titanium, etc that I honestly thought it was the most beautiful thing out there (it was at a processor upgrader's stand, showing off G3 upgrades for older Macs)



My god... imagine a thinner, wide screen version of that baby for the "upcoming" G5 PowerBook... mmmmmmm that would be such a sweet laptop.



The iBooks and PowerBooks have been so sterile these years... would be nice to have a radical return to luscious curves and matt black....
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 34
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    I was thinking the same thing last night. The local news was running an ad for their website and the computer that was pictured was a pismo (or lombard - bronze keys). I thought to myself: that was a sexy computer. Not that I don't love Apple's new style, but nostalgia reigns supreme at times.
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  • Reply 2 of 34
    709709 Posts: 2,016member
    *hugs Pismo*
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  • Reply 3 of 34
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Of all the Macs I've sold over the years, I miss my Pismo the most.



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  • Reply 4 of 34
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Well, if they turn the damn logo right-side-up, maybe...



    Nah, I dig the aluminum look of late.
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  • Reply 5 of 34
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    It was a great laptop except for the weight. I nearly took out my back once everything was packed into the carrying case! But the dual batteries were also handy, not to mention it's bulletproof finishing and it wasn't too hot to the touch either.



    Can you imagine the current 15" Powerbook in it's sleek form but with the same finish as the old Pismo? Now that would be one durable (albeit heavier) Powerbook.
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  • Reply 6 of 34
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    The Wallstreet, Lombard and Pismo is a series of computers that will still get looks from people and will still look awesome ten years from now. The same can't be said for the colored iBooks, or even the white iBooks. I really liked the looks of my Wallstreet other than the big scratch near the logo. Also it was very heavy and slow... but it still looked good.



    I think Apple's newer designs bordered on tacky, especially some of the iBooks. The colored ones are funny, and the stark white new ones are fairly dumb looking.



    But the Macs that still get looks (not looks of ridicule a la colored iBooks)... the Pismo, the Cube, the flat panel iMac, the titanium PowerBook, and the Quicksilver PowerMac. Those are Apple's coolest recent industrial designs IMHO.
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  • Reply 7 of 34
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    nothing looks as boss as the pismo. not even Titanium.
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  • Reply 8 of 34
    greggwsmithgreggwsmith Posts: 523member
    As a newbie I have no idea what these look like. Does anyone have pics?
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  • Reply 9 of 34
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    I think the Pismo is STILL the most well-rounded laptop Apple's ever produced. It's the only one to have 2 FW ports, 2 USB ports, VGA, S-Video, audio in and out, IR, PC card, 2 removable batteries and/or a hotswappable internal optical drive all in ONE laptop. The extra weight is worth it.



    I'll probably use my Pismo until it completely ceases to function.
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  • Reply 10 of 34
    leonisleonis Posts: 3,427member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by 709

    *hugs Pismo*



    *hugs (bulky) Pismo*
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  • Reply 11 of 34
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    i used Pismos and Wallstreets, and i must say i liked the Wallstreet much better. just felt a lot more solid to me.



    that and i once dropped it from about 6-8" up in the air and it was just fine. no way my Ti would survive that.
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  • Reply 12 of 34
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by alcimedes

    i used Pismos and Wallstreets, and i must say i liked the Wallstreet much better. just felt a lot more solid to me.



    that and i once dropped it from about 6-8" up in the air and it was just fine. no way my Ti would survive that.



    Man hah I'm so scared of something like this happening to my AlBook! I don't know what I'd do haha.
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  • Reply 13 of 34
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ZO

    The iBooks and PowerBooks have been so sterile these years... would be nice to have a radical return to luscious curves and matt black....



    I couldn't agree more, ZO. It'll be tough to get the curves back, but an intrepid modder could easily anodize a new PowerBook's Aluminium shell in black (or any other color). Who wants to void their warranty?



    Escher
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  • Reply 14 of 34
    eds66eds66 Posts: 119member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ZO

    i was wandering around the Apple Expo here in paris the other day when I suddenly saw from the corner of my eye the back of a really beautifully styled, curvacious laptop. It took a second to realise that the bright white logo embedded in the back of it was an upside down apple... for another second I was stumped... I thought it was either a modded iBook r Powerbook or a PC or some prototype.



    All of 3 seconds later I finally realised It was a beautiful wallstreet powerbook







    It was SUCH a contrast to all the white, aluminum, titanium, etc that I honestly thought it was the most beautiful thing out there (it was at a processor upgrader's stand, showing off G3 upgrades for older Macs)



    My god... imagine a thinner, wide screen version of that baby for the "upcoming" G5 PowerBook... mmmmmmm that would be such a sweet laptop.



    The iBooks and PowerBooks have been so sterile these years... would be nice to have a radical return to luscious curves and matt black....





    I had a lombard for about six months. Did not like the keyboard. Sold it for that reason. The screen was nice, not as bright as the screens on the new Powerbooks, but nice. There was something special about the color gamma; it was just right. But the keyboard was weak.
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  • Reply 15 of 34
    709709 Posts: 2,016member
    You know, AI is funny like that...



    My gf kind of 'adopted' my Pismo for couch DVD playing, and today's the first day I've had her in a while (Pismo, boys...don't get funny on me ), with the .8 update and all, I thought I'd bring her into the office today for updates.



    I almost forgot how much I love her. Sturdy, sleek and a nice round booty...I mean frame...um, enclosure...



    Crap.
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  • Reply 16 of 34
    ryaxnbryaxnb Posts: 583member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Luca Rescigno

    The Wallstreet, Lombard and Pismo is a series of computers that will still get looks from people and will still look awesome ten years from now. The same can't be said for the colored iBooks, or even the white iBooks. I really liked the looks of my Wallstreet other than the big scratch near the logo. Also it was very heavy and slow... but it still looked good.



    I think Apple's newer designs bordered on tacky, especially some of the iBooks. The colored ones are funny, and the stark white new ones are fairly dumb looking.



    But the Macs that still get looks (not looks of ridicule a la colored iBooks)... the Pismo, the Cube, the flat panel iMac, the titanium PowerBook, and the Quicksilver PowerMac. Those are Apple's coolest recent industrial designs IMHO.



    I think they overdid the cool factor on the iBook/99 and iBook/00, but the iBook/01 looks fine.

    Looks rating (IMHO):

    Great: PM G4 since Quicksilver, B&W G3, Cube, G5, new iMacs, PB G4 Al, Pisomo

    Good: iMacs (except iMac/Early01,) iBook/01 and later, PB G4 Ti, PM G4s before Quicksilver, Lombard, Wallstreet

    Better 'n beige (by a good amount): iBook/99 and iBook/00, eMacs.

    Questionabe: iMac/Late01

    Beige-e: PB G3 Kanga
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  • Reply 17 of 34
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Escher I couldn't agree more, ZO. It'll be tough to get the curves back, but an intrepid modder could easily anodize a new PowerBook's Aluminium shell in black (or any other color). Who wants to void their warranty?



    Escher



    Hell, I just wish I had a warranty to void!
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  • Reply 18 of 34
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ryaxnb

    I think they overdid the cool factor on the iBook/99 and iBook/00, but the iBook/01 looks fine.

    Looks rating (IMHO):

    Great: PM G4 since Quicksilver, B&W G3, Cube, G5, new iMacs, PB G4 Al, Pisomo

    Good: iMacs (except iMac/Early01,) iBook/01 and later, PB G4 Ti, PM G4s before Quicksilver, Lombard, Wallstreet

    Better 'n beige (by a good amount): iBook/99 and iBook/00, eMacs.

    Questionabe: iMac/Late01

    Beige-e: PB G3 Kanga



    Actually the Pismo and Lombard look identical. They just have different motherboards. The Wallstreet is essentially the same except for a few minor differences - the Apple logo inside the case is a rainbow one at the bottom of the screen rather than a white one at the top, and Wallstreets are thicker with a solid black keyboard instead of a translucent bronze one.



    I definitely agree that the B&W G3 was an awesome looking machine! I'd also have to switch the TiBook and the G5 - I think the TiBooks are really cool looking, and the G5 isn't that cool.
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  • Reply 19 of 34
    smirclesmircle Posts: 1,035member
    *Sigh* you are right. Unfortunately, my Wallstreet died on me, 2.5 years back, so I had to replace it with a TiBook.

    The Ti is a work of art - but it is missing the soul the Wallstreet possessed. It looks cold and sterile somehow.



    I have the same feeling when looking at a G5 vs. a G3 "smurf" tower, btw.
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  • Reply 20 of 34
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    the biggest difference to me, and the biggest problem i had betwen the Pismo and Wallstreet was the transition from using metal for the body to plastics.



    just made it feel really flimsy and cheap to me. this, of course was while i was picking it up and realizing it was something like 2.bs. lighter.
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