- The processor speed is 1 GHz PowerPC G4.
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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
As the mid-level model of Apple's freshly unveiled PowerBook roster, the 15-inch PowerBook G4 M8980LL/A offers a good compromise between power and price. Though not the fastest notebook on the market, it nevertheless sports a bevy of truly high-end amenities and state-of-the-art connectivity opportunities, all wrapped up in distinctive and durable shell.
Surprisingly, the affordable 15-inch PowerBook G4 M8980LL/A is driven by the same processor used in last year's top-of-the-line 17-inch PowerBook, the 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor with 512 KB Level 2 cache for rapid retrieval of recently accessed data. Apple has added 256 MB of ultra-fast PC2700 (333 MHz) DDR SDRAM memory (upgradeable to 2 full GB) and an ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics processor with 64 MB dedicated video memory, thus ensuring smooth operation during most high-complexity tasks. Serious gamers, 3-D designers and demanding businesspeople may want to look at either the more powerful 15-inch PowerBook G4 M8981LL/A or the top-of-the-line 17-inch PowerBook G4.
High-speed architecture is evident throughout the unit, where you'll find connectivity options such a standard FireWire port, an ultra-fast Apple-designed FireWire 800 port, two 480 Mbps USB 2.0 interfaces, integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, a DVI output for LCD monitors, and built-in Bluetooth for the new breed of cordless digital peripherals. 54-Mbps AirPort Extreme wireless communication is available with the addition of an AirPort Extreme card.
Storage facilities include a spacious ATA/100 60 GB hard disk and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW ComboDrive through which you can burn audio CDs, backup critical data and watch the latest movies on the system's 15.2-inch widescreen display (1280 by 854 maximum resolution). DVD burning is not supported in this configuration.
Measuring just 13.7 by 9.5 by 1 inch and tipping the scales at a mere 5.6 pounds, the 15-inch PowerBook G4 M8980LL/A is eminently portable. Battery life is estimated at an admirable 4.5 hours under ideal conditions.
Manufacturer's Notice
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of product: Rechargeable batteries used in 15-inch PowerBook G4 computers. Units: About 28,000. Computer Manufacturer: Apple Computer Inc., of Cupertino, Calif. Battery Manufacturer: LG Chem Ltd., of South Korea. Problem: An internal short can cause the battery cells to overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Apple has received four reports of batteries overheating, though no injuries have been reported. Description: The recalled batteries are used with the 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) laptop computer. The batteries, which contain cells manufactured during the last week of December 2003 only, have the model number A1045 and serial numbers that begin with HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, or HQ408. The model and serial numbers can be found on a label on the bottom of the battery. The battery is approximately 4 > inches long, 3 < inches wide, and > inches tall. No other PowerBook or iBook batteries are involved in this recall. Sold at: National and regional resellers, catalogers, and Apples online and retail stores sold the computers with the batteries from January 2004 through August 2004 for between $2000 and $2600. The batteries also were sold separately for about $130. Assembled in: Taiwan
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First apple, won't go back,
This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8980LL/A (1.0-Ghz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)
This is the first Apple machine I've owned after being a PC user ever since I was a young teen. I have always dabbled in Linux and wanted a change of pace, something portable to boot.I never considered macs really, until I started reading reviews. This model got high praise and I decided to purchase it after a test run at a computer store. Its truly an amazing piece of hardware and software. From the instant you open the package you'll notice the very fine detail Apple puts into everything. From the packaging to the power adapter, everything has thought and an elegance that is totally unrivaled by any manufacturer. Mac OS X is the first OS I am truly satisfied with. Its rock solid, beautiful, and has ease of use *and* power control for power users. The machine itself has a completely vibrant and sharp 15.2 inch widescreen display. It easily rivals my sony 19 inch LCD at work, which is not a small task. Its bright, crisp and completely alive with color. Performance wise I have the stock system (256 megs of 2700 ram) and its enough to push around a few apps. Definitely going to upgrade it soon, but even if you buy this how it is out of the box you should be quite pleased with the performance. Its quite thin over all, but width wise its a bit of a beast. Apple literally crammed all of its width with LCD goodness, a fact you'll admire once you unlatch the hood. It straddles the fine line between portable and desktop replacement at a reasonable level. Overall, if you're thinking of taking the mac plunge and have a little money to burn, this is your system. Its sleek, sexy and a great introduction into why Apple users are so proud of their systems. You won't understand until you join the club.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Best computer I've ever owned,
By Zach Everson (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8980LL/A (1.0-Ghz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)
I bought a 12-inch Powerbook after I gave my old Sony Vaio notebook the Pete Townshend treatment - I put my fist through it. (Yes, it looks like a stained glass window.) I hadn't used a Mac in years, but I decided I'd had it with Microsoft and Windows. All it took was one weekend and a good book - "Mac OS X: The Missing Manual," by David Pogue - however, and I mastered the machine. (Other than the size of the screen, the 15-inch model is the same as the 12-inch one.) SOFTWARE Safari is a great web browser. It has a Google search box built into the toolbar, prevents pop-up ads (I've never had one), has tabbed browsing (preventing a cluttered desktop), and allows for bookmarks to be added with one click. iChat allows Mac users to customize their AIM and Rendezvous chat sessions in ways that the normal applications don't allow, such as adding pictures from iPhoto to their profile. I haven't mastered iPhoto yet, but it is downloading pictures from a digital camera is as easy as plugging it into the USB port and clicking a button. Also, Macs are less likely to get a virus or be overtaken by spyware. The iCal and Address Book look good, but if you are going to sync a PDA with your Mac, you are better off using Palm Desktop software. Hopefully the functionality of those programs will be improved in the future though. Finally, most of the programs work with each other. For example, if someone on my iChat buddy list is online, a green dot will appear next to a message from him or her in my Mail inbox. I also use Microsoft Office, Quicken, Dreamweaver MX, and Palm Desktop - they all work well on the Mac. Office shares files perfectly with PCs. HARDWARE I'd recommend upgrading to at least 768 MB of memory and the 80 GB hard drive. Burning a DVD requires a lot of memory and can take a while - this way you can use other applications while burning a DVD (on my old PC, if I was burning a CD, I couldn't use anything else). The hard drive space is really cheap. Plus, if you load your CDs on your computer, they can eat up a lot of memory, even as MP3s (my 5,000 songs take up about 25 GB). Also, there is a lot to be said for getting the Airport Exteme card (although you can buy a third-party base station for less). I am able to browse the Internet in any room of my house - well worth the extra $100 or so. I have the 12-inch monitor, but that was because Apple hadn't released the 15-inch in the new style when I made my purchase. The 12-inch is fine - it's much clearer than my old PC notebook - but if I had the opportunity, I'd probably go with the bigger monitor. DRAWBACKS Regardless of those drawbacks, however, buying a Mac was an easy decision. If you have any questions about it, click on my profile and send me a e-mail. UPDATE: After 14 months, the hard drive started making noise and system performance got slow and I couldn't run as many programs as I used to. I called Apple and had to spend $300 for them to put in a new hard drive and some other hardware. They were unable to transfer my data to my new hard drive, so I've spent the past four days reloading all of my software and applications. No idea why the hard drive went. Hence I dropped the rating from five stars to four.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WinTel to Apple a piece of pie.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8980LL/A (1.0-Ghz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)
Like the looks, the performance specs but affraid of having to learn a new operating system? Don't be, the cross over functionality is great, there isn't a lenthy painful transition, it was out of the box and setup in 30 minutes with no prior Apple experience or assistance. There aren't the blue screens of death, system halts, illegal functions that there are with a WinTel machine. Computers are suppose to be friends
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