Powerbooks = awesome

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Its strange to me that so many people are awaiting the next generation of powerbooks when the current generation kicks ass. I just bought a Powerbook 667mhz and I'm amazed by its speed. This generation has everything you could ever want in a powerbook. Lets give Steve some credit. He finally made a portable that is not lacking in any area. The new Radeon is awesome. I play games on my powerbook and I can play most of them on the highest settings with no problem.

I've owned powermacs for the last ten years and I know I will only buy powerbooks from now on.

There's only one weird thing about this beauty. The hard drive makes weird clicking sounds all of the time which many people have complained about. Oh well, I can live with that.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 67
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Wish I had one. Guess peopole want to hit a Gigahurts before they outlay the cash.
  • Reply 2 of 67
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    Yeah, I want a used one as I can't afford a new one. A new 667 DVI is a bit out of my price range (a used 667 DVI may just barely be in my price range, and that's what I'd get if I find a good deal at the right time). Otherwise, I'll get a used old 667. But I like the sharper resolution, better cooling, and L3 cache of the new ones.
  • Reply 3 of 67
    rupertrupert Posts: 69member
    I suggest waiting until the next revision and using that time to save a little more cash and buying the top of the line.



    The next rev. will probably be 800 MHz and 1 GHz.



    This is what I'm doing.



    I'm waiting for a 1 GHz Powerbook with a Superdrive for $2999.



    -'pert
  • Reply 4 of 67
    I recently purchased an 800MHz TiBook for my wife, to replace an aging Wallstreet Powerbook.



    Overall I am really impressed with it. Speed is fantastic - much faster than my Dual 500 I use daily as my production machine.



    I have a couple reservations (these in no way inhibit my love of this machine - I doubt any computer will ever be *perfect*)



    1) Airport reception pretty much sucks - I ended up sticking the Farallon Skyline card from the Wallstreet in it and now reception is back to what it was with the Wallstreet. But I would be pissed if I didn't already own the card and had to buy one to get that airport range back...



    2) It feels well constructed, but yet its a bit fragile. Yeah its a computer I know, but it feels much more fragile than the Wallstreet did. I can't just pick it up and carry it, I have to grab it gently and then hold it like I am a waiter. I have no desire to be a waiter.



    Also, the screen comes into contact with the keyboard when it is shut and scuffs up the LCD. Same thing happened with the Wallstreet but it took 3 years before it was really noticeable. It took less than 2 weeks before there were permanent lines on the TiBook's screen. This is a very expensive computer and this problem has been around a long time. Apple needs to do something about this.



    The design is so tight too that even the thinnest of cloth between the LCD and keyboard puts pressure on the hinge.



    And on top of all that, the screen is so thin you have to be careful when opening it. My wife tends to click the latch then grab the side of the screen to open it, which stresses the screen and has actually bent it slightly. When closed the right side now has a noticeably thicker gap than the left.



    We haven't even had this machine 3 months.



    But even with all that I am totally in love with it. It is by far the nicest laptop I have ever used - just go into the purchase knowing it isn't as durable as the plastic models you can throw in a backpack...
  • Reply 5 of 67
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    I'm trying to decide right now whether to buy some parts to build desktop machine or to save the 1000 bucks and get a new PowerBook in a few months. I have the Rev A 500, and I'll sell that to my mother when I buy a new one. So that's 2000 bucks towards a new one. . . . (1000 from not building desktop + 1000 from sale)



    Decisions, Decisions.



    [ 07-22-2002: Message edited by: Splinemodel ]</p>
  • Reply 6 of 67
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    I've always lusted over the Titaniums, ever since they first came out (as seen in my thread back then). Thing is laptops are more expensive, and I haven't really felt like I've needed one in any way.



    Granted I would love a laptop, if new towers come out I just don't see myself justifiably purchasing a PBG4 over one. Plus, now I'd be downgrading (from dual GHz).



    Now that I'm off to college it makes a little more sense to get a laptop, but I still don't wanna trade off all that speed and other things just for one. The 800 is awesome in my opinion, especially since they increased the resolution (the more the better for me) & added the Radeon 7500. Makes it pretty good for a 5 lb portable.





    I've always wanted a laptop, but I'm just not sure that I can say I need it.
  • Reply 7 of 67
    Apple prolly sells as many PowerBooks in the week after they announce the new one than they do in the following 6 months. Macs are one of the worst brands when it comes to customers waiting till the new machine comes out. It is the same way with every Mac product. I'm not gonna let Jobs bend me over so easily by releasing a new Powerbook a week after I buy one....I am gonna make him wait 6 months to bend me over.
  • Reply 8 of 67
    rupertrupert Posts: 69member
    Another solution for people desiring a laptop and a powerful desktop is to buy a low end tower and an iBook, together, the price would be about the same as a high end Powerbook.



    Then you have a ultra-portable iBook and a SUPER-powerful G4 tower (with who knows what come August 13th) for serious work.



    Anyway, just a thought.



    -'pert
  • Reply 9 of 67
    spotbugspotbug Posts: 361member
    [quote]Originally posted by Rupert:

    <strong>Another solution for people desiring a laptop...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yup. There are different ways to allocate that amount of money; ways that may give you better value.



    Personally, I've decided that since an iBook is perfectly capable right now and probably for another year or more, I'll buy an iBook and replace it sooner than I normally would (sooner than I would replace the more expensive TiBook). The iBook of 2004 will probably be pretty freakin' impressive.



    It helps greatly to put time into the buying equation. Realizing that you'll forever be buying new hardware, it's an extremely relevant factor.



    [ 07-23-2002: Message edited by: spotbug ]</p>
  • Reply 10 of 67
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Having the low-end tower + iBook route is one I've heard about, but I know a guy with a Ti 800, a second 15" display, and an external Firewire drive, and in my opinion that does a much better job than the iBook + Tower, for about the same price.



    That is the setup I plan to get, albeit the TiBook will be whatever model is released in a few months. Even for a demanding 3D modeler, this setup is great, and it is compatible with my mobile lifestyle.



    Tiger: get a laptop. In college, there are a few times where it's nice to have a portable, but mostly the laptop comes in handy when you want to use your desk for other things, as it can easily be moved aside. Dorm rooms aren't the same in reality as they are on TV. . . usually they're pretty darn small.
  • Reply 11 of 67
    jet powersjet powers Posts: 288member
    If you've got the bones, there is nothing that Apple offers that beats the Powerbook G4.



    iBook - I love mine, but if I had a $1000 more $$$, I'd be in Titanium city, baby! TiBook offers more power and performance, at only a slight disadvantage to size (and possibly durability).



    iMac - It's basically a Powerbook, except you can't take it with you. The HD is larger, and the Superdrive is nice (if you need to burn a DVD, which still seems to me as a very narrow market), but TiBook is still the better way to go (except for the price, of course).



    Powermac - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but the Powermac should ONLY be purchased by people who really need to run some hardcore 3D/DV shjt. The rest of that power is just wasted. A lot of people think they want a Powermac, but then they end up using it for nothing more than what an iMac could have handled in the first place, except now they have bragging rights. Whoop-de-doo.



    So, if you can get a TiBook, I'd say get it!



    Down with the desktops! Long live notebooks!



    TING5, iBook whore
  • Reply 12 of 67
    pyr3pyr3 Posts: 946member
    [quote]The design is so tight too that even the thinnest of cloth between the LCD and keyboard puts pressure on the hinge.<hr></blockquote>



    Use the foam that came with the TiBook. My friend's iBook came with a very thin styrofoam type thing that was covering his iBook and it was in between the keyboard and LCD. I would assume that this came with the TiBook as well. If not, try and find some of that stuff on the internet. I'm not exactly sure what it's called, but I cannot see this stuff taxing the hinges on the TiBook at all. Maybe someone can help me out with what this stuff is called, and where you could get it. (I'm getting a PowerBook 667 DVI later this week , so I would want to know too )
  • Reply 13 of 67
    Pyr3 writes:

    [quote] Use the foam that came with the TiBook. My friend's iBook came with a very thin styrofoam type thing that was covering his iBook and it was in between the keyboard and LCD. I would assume that this came with the TiBook as well. If not, try and find some of that stuff on the internet. I'm not exactly sure what it's called, but I cannot see this stuff taxing the hinges on the TiBook at all. Maybe someone can help me out with what this stuff is called, and where you could get it. (I'm getting a PowerBook 667 DVI later this week , so I would want to know too ) <hr></blockquote>



    Screensavrz. Get it at <a href="http://www.devdepot.com/description.html?pcode=HRLWPP"; target="_blank">DevDepot</a>.



    But I ordered mine last week and got a message saying they were backordered -- 7-10 days, they said. It's been about 5.



    Regards,

    Pete
  • Reply 14 of 67
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    I probably wouldn't hesitate if the iBook had a G4 in it. That would be ideal. Having something that portable with a G4..



    Yeah, I'm sure the dorm room will be small as hell. I'm gonna need to buy a TV for that b*tch too. Kinda a lot to take my big bulky 19" CRT and my dual gigger with me, I wouldn't have much room for it. I guess I'll wait and see what's up with the G4s. 1 GHz & 64 MB graphics would probably make me budge.
  • Reply 15 of 67
    bodhibodhi Posts: 1,424member
    My Powerbook 800MHz for $2499 brand new is very very nice!
  • Reply 16 of 67
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    [quote]Originally posted by TigerWoods99:

    <strong>I probably wouldn't hesitate if the iBook had a G4 in it. That would be ideal. Having something that portable with a G4..



    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    I've felt this too, except that not having a video spanning also rules out the iBook for now.



    I bought an LCD iMac and for the most part love it.

    But if I had my way (and money), I'd get a Powerbook and add an extra 17" LCD display. It'll give you the best of both worlds.
  • Reply 17 of 67
    Are the lines caused by the keyboard really permanent? Can't they be wiped away with a damp washcloth? (I have a Ti/800 in the mail and would like to know this...thx).
  • Reply 18 of 67
    Ti 800 prices:

    Can anyone explain the recent drop in the Powerbook Ti 800 prices? As mentioned above, the 800's -- new, factory sealed, and Applecare-ready -- are being offered for $2500 --&gt; or even lower. I know for a fact that those prices are WAY below the dealer cost of a major retailer.



    Any idea how this is being done?
  • Reply 19 of 67
    tigerwoods99tigerwoods99 Posts: 2,633member
    2500? Where? Do you think i could get EDU pricing similar to that?
  • Reply 20 of 67
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    I would love a Ti book, but not until the specs are up a bit...



    I figure the Ti will go DDR with 'new' G4s (like the ones that are supposed to come out in August) when the PowerMac goes G5 @ MWSF2003...!



    Dual 1GHz CPUs (of the 'new' variety, but a low power version, hence the 1GHz...) would also be extra sweet...!



    Don't get me started, it only getting worse from here...!
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