Customer Reviews

Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8981LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's been 3 years since I joined Apple's bandwagon, courtesy of 2nd generation top-of-the-line PowerBook G4. Back then, it represented state-of-the-art with 1" thick titanium-finished chassis and 15.2" widescreen LCD, filled with many desktop-like features: 667 MHz G4 processor (up from 500 MHz of 1st generation PowerBook G4), gigabit ethernet (up from fast ethernet), built-in AirPort (was optional), and DVD/CD-RW combo drive (was DVD-ROM or CD-RW only).

Two more generations of PowerBooks later (3rd added 1280 by 854 LCD, DVI output, faster graphics, and 800 MHz G4; 4th added 1 GHz G4, faster graphics, and SuperDrive), we get more substantial upgrade. No, this 5th generation PowerBook does not have a G5 processor. Mobile G5 probably isn't due for another year or so (Apple and IBM are busy at work cranking out PowerPC 980).

The most radical upgrade has to be aluminum alloy chassis. While not as hip as titanium, aluminum alloy is about as strong as titanium, while looking beautiful and providing one important benefit: nothing's painted over it. Pure aluminum alloy finish. Titanium PowerBooks were notorious for paint chipping off. Now the PowerBooks will stay beautiful year after year. As an added benefit, every keys on the keyboard are painted in aluminum alloy to give more complete metallic look and feel.

Other notable improvements include:
- 1.25 GHz G4 processor (10-25% faster than 1 GHz predecessor)
- AirPort Extreme (802.11g) and Bluetooth
- USB 2.0 and FireWire 800
- Faster 167 MHz FSB with DDR RAM support
- Up to 2 GB of DDR RAM
- ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 graphics card
- Backlit keyboard
- 3 speakers

Last generations of PowerMac G4s lacked many bleeding edge technologies (e.g., PCI Express, Serial ATA). And it being a generation or two before PowerBook G5 arrives, lacks some cutting edge technologies as well: high resolution 15.4" LCD, 7200 RPM hard disk, PCI Express card, faster FSB, digital audio I/O, and higher capacity battery with advanced power saving technologies.

Until then, you should proudly carry 5th generation PowerBook G4, knowing it is among the most powerful and certainly MOST beautiful notebook on the market.

Pros:
- Feels very fast (helped by 1.25 GHz G4 processor with large 512 KB L2 cache, DDR RAM, and ATI Mobility Radeon 9600)
- Very well equipped -- no additional hardware purchase required (although some will want more memory and/or extra battery)
- Simply beautiful... the most beautiful PowerBook yet
- Fantastic connectivity options
- Light and slim for a desktop replacement notebook

Cons:
- Among the most expensive notebooks in its class
- While it feels fast, it is slower than many Centrino notebooks
- 15.2" LCD is limited to 1280 by 854 resolution, which is among the lowest in its price range
- It is slightly larger and heavier than previous Titanium PowerBooks
- Shorter battery life than earlier PowerBook and many Centrino notebooks
- Earlier builds are plagued with white spots on the LCD and lid not closing evenly (both issues should be fixed by now)
- No docking station option

I've used macs and pcs for the past 10 years and owned both windows and macos machines. This powerbook is simply the best you can get for your money. For every one person who writes a bad review here, there are 1000 happy ones - just keep that in mind.

Pluses:
Aluminum case is extremely strong, scratch resistant and solid feeling
Keyboard is firm with excellent depth of th keys
Display hinge is sturdier than any other laptop I've seen
Ports on sides are easily accessible and thoughtfully layed out
Slot loading cd
Speakers are unusually good for a laptop - great separation
Display is gorgeous, crisp and bright - and enormous
Weighs only 5.6 pounds and is only an inch thick
SILENT: have never heard a fan go on in this baby. T O T A L L Y silent!

Minuses:
Display seems slightly warped - hardly detectable, but still.
Bottom of the casing gets very warm
can't think of anything else! Maybe price? It's always nice if things are cheaper, right?

Quite frankly, the fit and finish of this computer is second to none - beats the old titanium powerbooks hands down.

Macos X panther= fast, rock stable, beautiful, fun and intuitive

the combination of powerbook and macos x panther= unbeatable.

First of all, I'll begin by saying I've been a long time PC user for years. I've always admired the Macs, but they never had the right OS. The 10.2 version of OS X definitely changed that for me.

You see, I use PCs because frankly, they were cheaper and had more software compatibility, but they have security issues and stability issues. I like the UNIX systems (Linux and Solaris) for their robustness, but frankly, I never could get into XWindows.

Now, w/ Mac OS X, I have a great UI and a UNIX shell for power use -- sounds like Nirvana!

So I finally caved in and picked up a Powerbook 15. The 12" is a little too small, and the 17" is too large to be portable. I took the wraps off the 15" Powerbook and set it next to my Dell Inspiron. Never has my Dell looked so ugly than when next to this aluminum beauty.

I powered up the Powerbook and quickly figured out my way around. My only gripe was that the Terminal application was buried two levels deep in the menu, but that was quickly fixed by pinning it to the dock. All my favorite UNIX tools were there: perl, awk, gcc, and vi. What do you know SSH is there out of the box.

Within minutes, I had downloaded eclipse, set up an SSH tunnel to my office and was working on the same Java application that I had been working on my Dell. The only difference is I didn't have to download 15 applications to get it all working. Beauty!

One downside -- the laptop is so beautiful that I'm being extraordinarily (picky) about how I put it away. I kept some of the packaging and continue to use it. I put the foam sheet between the keyboard and the screen when I close the powerbook and I cover it w/ the foam cover to prevent it from getting scratched when I stow it away into my bag. :)

i have been actively looking for a new computer for the past six months. with so many variables, i found it hard to to fall in love with just one. price was a huge concern but i knew i didn't want to settle for a product i wouldn't want to use in 6 months. I knew OS X was a superior product compared to windows but i was apprehensive about compatibility problems. Once the aluminum came out though, i had to have it. it was more expensive than the titanium and the dell (d600), but after using mine for about twenty four hours now, i can honestly say you get what you pay for. Its as fast as you could ever want, the wireless is awesome, the whole i-suite is so easy and pleasing to use, windows office works seemlessly, and its all grounded by the best OS available. i have seemlessly set up the wireless using a netgear mr814v2 (they tried to convince me to spend an extra $100 for the airport ext base station but i'll never get more than 10mps over the cable anyway), my hp psc 2210 was easy to install as well (i have yet to put it through its paces though). as a student, my primary needs for the laptop were portability and word processing with wireless internet. I kept telling myself: "bare essentials." that pretty much went out the window (no pun intented) with this purchase but i have no regrets. its awesome. They should ship this product with a disclaimer though, in the past twenty four hours, i've left the house twice and both times i couldn't wait to get back and play with my toy. buyers remorse? only for windows chumps.

While Apple's 12" and 17" new PowerBooks were great, they tended to be for niche markets. The 12" was aimed at journalists and others who needed a full-function laptop as small as possible. The 17" seems to be used more in place of a desktop than as a laptop. Now all the new technologies previously only available in the 17" model, such as built in AirPort Extreme, the back-lit keyboard which adjusts automatically, the high-speed system bus, and built in 800Mbps FireWire are available in the most convenient laptop size. I have been able to use the system in an advance release at my university and it is stunning. It is fast, the SuperDrive is excellent, and the features are great. Of course it ships with OS X and Apple's iSoftware, all of which are great. I used to use a Windows based PC, but have really appreciated both the power and ease of use of OS X. And now I can use two mouse buttons. It is certainly a laptop well worth waiting for.

When you are buying a Picasso, you can't expect to pay discount. The Powerbook G4 is a premium computer, and you pay a premium price. What you get puts competing PC-based products to shame, except, alas, on price.
The biggest advantage of the PBG4 -- besides, of course, the operating system -- is design efficiency and elegance. Despite having a 15.2-inch screen and a fast processor (one optimized for intensive video applications and presentations), the PBG4 weighs just 5.6 pounds and is stunningly slim at 1-inch thick. Check your average ad for similarly equipped laptops and they simply can not compare.

Take Sony's VAIO GRX for example. It boasts a "gigantic 16.1-inch screen." Okay, great. I'd love a 16-inch screen too. But then, in the fine print, is this laughable phrase: "Just 8.4 lbs. and 1.8" thin."

Let's see, sounds like a great tradeoff, doesn't it? You get about 12 percent more screen real estate, 55.5 percent more weight and 80 percent more bulk (and faster battery drain to boot).

The Sony is about 20 percent cheaper, mind you, but I already told you about that part, right?

Let's compare Apples to apples, then, shall we? A new VAIO model with a 15-inch display and Combo drive sells for about a grand less than Apple's deluxe Powerbook, and a few hundred below the bottom-of-the line. You would think with a smaller display, maybe they could take out some of that bulk? Naw. This one is "Just 8.6 lbs. and 1.8" thin."

I don't know about you, but if the Sonys bulk up any more, their owners will be able to throw out their old "Body By Jake" video tapes.

Now, there are a number of competitors using Intel Centrino chips now that are finally becoming competitive with the Powerbooks -- you can now get wider, higher resolution screens (a great 15.4-inch model on the Compaq x1000 series) that are less ugly and heavy than before. Battery life is comparable to the Powerbooks, for once. You can now find DVD burners, though not slot-loading models. But the PC 'books all come down to being utilitarian, plastic hunks of hardware, mostly thrown together with only an eye on maximum features for minimum price. Apple's are the product of a harmonious mix of design and integration that lead to a pleasing whole. It's the only company I know of that creates 5.6 pound pieces of aluminum art that will literally have you cracking a 1,000 watt smile when you open it up for the first time...And isn't that worth a few hundred bucks? A thousand? How much did you pay for the painting above your sofa?

Taking this computer with you also gets you noticed. Jealousy abounds. You are instantly associated with the "cool" people. Add an iPod and you would fit right in to any hip hangout and become a magnet for like-minded folks who appreciate that there is more to life than just megahertz. Folks who understand feng shui and design and a better way of life will be attracted to you. Trolls will be repelled. Another bonus.

By the way, you might also consider buying Apple's 3-year protection plan. Sure, it's expensive, but if you bought that Picasso, would you take it with you on an airplane (not to mention through overzealous security guards) without insurance?

Like it or not, I've used Windows/PC for the past 12 years. Macintosh occasionally appealed to me, but I didn't get it partly because it's expensive, partly because of compatibility. At work and at home, I owned: Dell Inspiron, Thinkpad, Dell/HP Desktops, running Windows 98/2000/XP. Also I tinkered with Sun workstations running UNIX (I'm an EE guy and have a respect for UNIX).
After 12 years of Microsoft (and blue screens), I made a bold switch to Apple Powerbook 15" with 1.5GHz/512RAM/80Gb, and I'm so happy with this system that even 5 stars are not high enough.

- The sleek aluminum chassis and the wide screen generate Wow! effect.
- This 15" machine is lighter than my old Dell laptop.
- It's very quiet during operation, but the bottom side may occasionally become hot.
- The keyboard has a good depth and touch, and the backlit keyboard is simply cool.
- Using the built-in microphone, you can play the bundled 3-D chess game via OS X's voice-recognition. Isn't that futuristic?

About software compatibility (from EE guy's viewpoint):
- MS Office 2004 for Mac became my favorite patch of programs. Even better than the XP version - a very important factor in my decision to switch.
- Math tools, especially Mathematica 5 and Matlab, run well on Mac.
- Favorite design tools, Adobe Photoshop and Carrara 3, work well. After all, Mac was built for them.

- There are tons of open source programs you can use: GIMP, A/G BLAST, ...
- Some layout and CAD tools are not compatible. I have to use old PC. For those number-crunching jobs, however, I don't use laptop anyhow.

As much as I enjoy steering this elegant silver machine, I love to navigate through the Mac OS X. As Sun's Bill Joy said during an interview, "Mac OS X is rock solid". I like the idea of using UNIX commands on my Mac, although I can do everything with the user-friendly Mac interface.

Yes, Powerbook is more expensive compared with Dell and other PCs, but you get what you pay for: top-quality components, futuristic functionality, eye-catching design, and the enormous joy of owning a rock-solid elegant machine (like BMW!). You'll definitely like this one!

Continual restarts and bugs finally got me looking at Mac about six months ago, so after some preliminary research, dove headfirst into buying a generation 5 PowerBook (Ti, 1 Ghz, w/ superdrive).
Was an immediate converter into how seamlessly everything fit into one another. Making movies while importing music from iTunes and photos from iPhoto were a snap. Getting directions to any business via Sherlock is easy. Type in your Uncle's name from a state away, and Sherlock will get his address from Address book and recalibrate the directions. Wow.
Anyways, after a month of owning the Ti, started drooling over the Aluminum PowerBook. It was faster, much faster connectivity (USB 2.0, Firewire 800, Wireless G etc..), Bluetooth, stronger hinges, and an aluminum finish which should be much more durable than the painted Ti.
I had read about the white splotches on screen, kernal attacks, and the releasing latch...so I sold the Ti and ordered the Aluminum and opened the box with a little apprehension...

Two weeks later. I think I made the right choice. Aluminum casing seems much more rigid and stronger. iLife 04 processes things much faster. Screen when closed is not quite flush as one corner is slightly elevated. No evidence of white blotches, but my personal preference was the screen of the Ti. It sits a little higher off the keyboard than the Al (due to hinge structure) and the interface between screen and casing just seems more fluid and finished.
The Aluminum is literally hot. Almost hot enough to melt my polyester pants when I'm ripping a music CD or just have a couple of intensive applications running. The Ti never ran this hot and contrary to another reviewer on this site, the fan is on about 25% of the time. It's still quieter than previous generations, but it's on nevertheless.
I love the backlit keyboard, but when you're looking at the keys from a 25-45 degree angle, you seen bleeding of the light from the edges. A little distracting. Apple should encase the fiberoptics and embed it so the only light release is at the top of the clear character of the keys.
The new screen design prohibits this, but I still prefer to have some ports available only in the back. When using the PB as a desktop, I would prefer to have the monitor port and power port available in the rear. The light of the AC adapter is distracting and when I use the monitor adapter, I would prefer that clutter in the rear.
Surprisingly, with all the talk about the poor wireless reception of the Ti, I got better reception with the Ti than the Al (even with it's redesign of the antenna in the screen.)

All in all, I am pleased with my switch to Apple. It has changed my digital life. I took pictures and movies before, but they just sat in my closet. Now with it's included apps, I am excited to present it in a format that's viewer friendly and allows me to be creative. Even with all that I listed, I think the move from the Ti to Al will be worth it, but that will probably until they release the G5 PowerBook in the upcoming year, and then I'll probably be kicking myself again.
The increase of processor speed, USB 2.0, Bluetooth and backlit keyboard were the main reasons I upgraded. I am a little concerned that this is the first generation of a new line, but in actuality, it may also be the last, as the G5 has to be coming out soon.
Hopefully I have been able to throw out some nuggets of info that aren't typically on your normal reviews of specs and published info out there.

I read a couple of reviews about Apple support and would like to share my experience. We had a hard drive go down on Monday, called Apple Support on Tuesday and arranged a (free) pickup the next day, they came and picked up the computer on Wednesday late afternnoon, they returned the computer completely repaired first thing Friday morning (again with free delivery). Thats right, ONE DAY TURN AROUND.

Yes, Apple warranty does not cover cases where you break your computer yourself but what warranty does? Did that reviewer think he should be able to to drive his car over his computer and then have it fixed for free?

Apples stores are now available all over the U.S. At apple stores they have something called the "Genius Bar" where experts are waiting to help you with your problems for FREE. Especially in the case of a laptop, if you have a problem or wish to learn how to do something, just take your Mac to your local Apple Store and get all your questions answered. Instant Gratifaction.

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
The computer comes with some great software. iTunes is the best media player on the market. I have almost 5,000 songs stored on mine. With the search function and browser display, it is easy to find a particular song. iTunes also keeps track of the number of times you've listened to a song and it allows you to rate your songs. It's easy to create a playlist. Also, burning one of those playlists onto a CD can be done with one click.

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
Spend the money and get the superdrive (CD-RW/DVD-R). DVDs have more memory than CDs and blank DVD-Rs are becoming more affordable. If you are into collecting videos of concerts, a DVD-R is a must.

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
-While most software is available for Mac OS X, there are some programs that aren't (Google toolbar, Yahoo! toolbar, Kazaa, AvantGo) or minor problems in software that is available (Quicken can't access accounts on Ameritrade via Macs)
-The PowerBook doesn't have a fan, which is great for the battery, but can cause it to get a bit hot underneath where the user rests his left hand.

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.