Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M9677LL/A (1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

by Apple

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 9.5 x 1.1 inches ; 5.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 14 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006HU48U
• Item model number: M9677LL/A
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 28, 2005

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Fully loaded with a powerful G4 processor, a 5400-rpm 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of memory, and a nifty scrolling trackpad, the 15-inch PowerBook G4 boasts features few notebook computers can match.

With a processor speed of 1.67 GHz, DDR RAM capacity up to 2 GB, a light 5.6-pound weight and thin 1.1-inch design, the 15-inch PowerBook gives you the ideal balance between power and portability. Work and play in millions of colors on a stunning 15.2-inch (diagonal) widescreen display with 1280 x 854 pixel resolution that's ideal for watching movies in their original wide-screen format. You can also make movies of your own with the included iMovie HD software, or get Final Cut Pro HD for more advanced video editing, compositing and special effects. And thanks to its built-in DVI port, you even have the option of connecting your PowerBook to Apple's breathtaking Cinema Displays.

	As Smart as It Looks The sleek exterior is as stunning as ever. The 15-inch PowerBook G4 comes with all the refinements and esthetic touches that make it the most coveted full-featured notebook computer on the planet: elegant aluminum construction, 1.1-inch thin design, slot-loading Combo Drive and a brilliant illuminated keyboard. On the inside, a faster PowerPC G4 processor, a standard 5400-rpm 80 GB hard drive, powerful graphics, up to 2 GB of RAM and Mac OS X -- the world's most advanced operating system -- combine to deliver off-the-charts performance. Speed-optimized Architecture Inside the 15-inch PowerBook G4 is a screamingly fast 1.5 GHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine. Advanced processor design and memory architecture are among several core advantages that enable the PowerBook G4 to pack such a tremendous wallop. Exremely Fast Wireless Bluetooth. Wi-Fi. Ethernet. Modem. When it comes to communication, the PowerBook G4 covers all the bases, offering state-of-the-art solutions right out of the box, including built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, built-in AirPort Extreme, built-in high-speed Ethernet and a built-in modem. Built in to the PowerBook G4, AirPort Extreme delivers state-of-the-art wireless performance, employing the 802.11g wireless standard. Now you never have to worry about compromised data rates: AirPort Extreme gives you blazing connectivity speeds up to 54 megabits per second(1). And with 802.11g and 802.11b interoperability, AirPort Extreme allows you to connect at the majority of wireless hotspots. Feel the Burn of 8x SuperDrive Your PowerBook G4 with SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) comes loaded with iDVD software. Use it to burn DVDs that can be played in most consumer DVD players. Or use iTunes to burn your own CDs, or the Disc Burner feature in Mac OS X to burn data CDs and DVDs. The 8x SuperDrive reads DVD titles and burns DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW discs.
Powerbook model M9689LL/A features a 17-inch TFT widescreen display.
Powerbook models M9676LL/A and M9677LL/A feature a 15.2" TFT widescreen display.
Powerbook models M9690LL/A and M9691LL/A feature a 12.1" TFT display.

Sizzling Graphics Processor The 15-inch PowerBook G4 comes turbocharged with the new ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor with 64 MB of DDR SDRAM. The Mobility Radeon 9700 features a number of cutting-edge graphics technologies, including programmable pixel and vertex shading for lighting and shadow effects. It dramatically enhances all aspects of your visual experience in every application, perfect for photorealistic 3D games and cinematic-quality video. Fast FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 The PowerBook G4 features FireWire, for connecting external hard drives and DV cameras, and USB, for connecting graphics tablets, digital cameras, printers and scanners. With more than 30 times the bandwidth of the popular USB 1.0 peripheral standard, FireWire 400 has become the gold standard for high-speed data transfer. And Apple ups the ante, effectively doubling data throughput, with FireWire 800. The new 15-inch PowerBook G4 has two FireWire ports -- one for the hundreds of FireWire 400 peripherals already available and the other for the coming generation of FireWire 800 peripherals. In addition, the PowerBook G4 offers the fastest connection to USB peripherals with two 480 Mbps USB 2.0 ports.

Built-in Bluetooth 2.0 Three times faster than Bluetooth 1.x, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (enhanced data rate) is now built into every new PowerBook model. Like AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth connects wirelessly to digital devices, including Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, handhelds and peripherals. What's more, you can even choose to enjoy a cable-free desktop with Apple's Bluetooth-enabled wireless keyboard and mouse. Operating within a 30-foot range, Bluetooth enables wireless data transfers between a rapidly growing list of Bluetooth-savvy peripherals. Using iSync, for example, you can use Bluetooth to synchronize your personal information between your PowerBook, your mobile phone and your Palm OS-based handheld. And your new PowerBook can use your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to take advantage of GPRS or 1xRTT connectivity, so you can check your email from just about anywhere -- a life saver for those occasions when an 802.11 wireless hot spot isn't available.

Product Description

Includes: lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, S-Video to Composite adapter, DVI to VGA adapter, iLife, iSync, & more. Apple 15" PowerBook Computer - This notebook computer comes packed with unique and convenient features that will greatly enhance your mobile computing experience. Built-in AirPort Extreme is a great feature to help keep you connected on the road. Wherever there's a Wi-Fi Hot Spot, you can wirelessly surf the Internet and check e-mail. And if there's no Wi-Fi around, you can use a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone as a modem, thanks to built-in Bluetooth 2.0 support. With Bluetooth 2.0, you can also use it along with iSync, to keep your contacts and schedules up to date. Not to mention enjoying a cable-free experience with an optional Apple wireless keyboard & mouse! Another really unique feature is the trackpad. Unlike other trackpads, this trackpad lets you easily scroll through web pages and large documents using a unique 2-finger method. ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64MB of DDR SDRAM 80GB 5400RPM HDD SuperDrive - up to 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 24x CD-R, 10x CD-RW, 24x CD-ROM, & 8x DVD-ROM Built-in Gigabit Ethernet - 10/100/1000 Built-in 802.11g AirPort Extreme Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) Built-in 56k v.92 Fax Modem Full size illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor Unit Dimensions - 1.1 (h) x 13.7 (w) x 9.5 (d) Unit Weight - 5.6 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing laptop ... but you might want to wait just a bit., February 23, 2005

By 

Maine Writer "David" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M9677LL/A (1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

Why wait? There have been problems reported with the new trackpad and noise from the 100 GB drive (which is an optional upgrade). The trackpad is a departure from previous models and likely needs some time to shake out on the manufacturing side. Okay, those two issues aside, this is THE laptop to own. Let me explain.

(1) The screen is unparalled in brightness and clarity. Apple pioneered the "widescreen" laptop, and its displays have only improved over the years. The 15.2" size is perfect for tasks that the 12" screen is too cramped to handle, and as to which the 17" is great, but adds to much weight and unwieldiness. (It looks like they may still be having problems with the latch design on the 17" -- it just isn't an ideal solution for a laptop of this size. But I digress ...)

(2) The speed of the system is remarkable -- noticeable even over the 1.5 gHz from last year's top of the line model. Whips through everything, even GarageBand 2 ... which is amazing processor and memory hog. (Please, Apple, fix that ...)

(3) The illuminated keyboard (triggered by light sensors that react to the ambient light levels in the room) now is bright enough to be very practical. Last year's model's with illuminated keyboards were pretty dim and not entirely useful. By the way, this year they've included the illuminated keyboard in both 15.2" models -- the SuperDrive and combo drive models. Last year, it only appeared in the SuperDrive model).

(4) Fit and finish. Unparalled -- no other laptop even comes close. Apple has the attention to detail of Mercedes and BMW.

(5) Size. Just an inch thick, and weighs in at a bit over five pounds. Very portable, with lots of custom cases out there in the marketplace.

(6) New technology to protect the hard drive in the event -- GASP! -- it falls. It's some patented gyroscopic doohickey, and I'm glad it's there!

I can't recommend this highly enough.

51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get This Laptop!, February 15, 2005

By 

Jacqueline Gandia (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M9677LL/A (1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

I sent back a Sony Vaio for this laptop and I am glad I did. The laptop is physically beautiful, a great blending of form and function. The processor is fast, I have run mutliple apps and downloads, even with just the 512 RAM, and no problems. Wireless is great, I am using AirPort with my old Belkin transmitter and can pick up from across the house and yard. Battery is running between 3 to 3.5 hours. I am new to OS/X but it is easy to pick up and, I think, a better OS then XP. A lot less virus and adware garbage to worry about. The SuperDrive whines a litle bit when you start it up but this is really minor. No problem with availability of software titles from what I have seen. However, I am not a gamer, so if you are, you might want to check this out first. I did however see a lot of game titles available for OS/X at the store. If you are undecided between this laptop and PC's like the Vaio and Dell series, I recommend go for this one. It is really a much better value and a very rugged, well built, physically elegent laptop. The only question is between the 15 and 17 inch, but, I think the 15 inch is a bit more portable but I bet the 17 inch is a great laptop as well.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Switching is easy, June 1, 2005

By 

Alan C. Francis "geek" (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M9677LL/A (1.67 GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) (Personal Computers)

I was a confirmed PC-bigot since DOS3.1 and made the switch evetually after increased frustration with Windows led to several failed attempts to move to Linux.

My only chance to try a new OS was to buy new Hardware.

A year on I'm not disappointed. OSX is the best of UNIX under the covers with a GUI that's sweeter than anything MS could dream of. The bundled apps have enabled a novice like me to prepare printed books of photos, make DVDs of my photos and home movies and even dabble in making a little music with Garageband.

But it's not just about media...MS Office for the Mac blows the socks of the PC version in power and beauty. Apple ship the development tools CD with the mac as well, so for a programmer, I can get started right away coding lovely mac apps (in ObjectiveC), as well as C, C++, Python, Ruby and Java, all of which ship pre-installed.

As far as the hardware (this specific PB) is concerned, the machine is lovely to look at, ludicrously fast to wake from sleep, and the only times I've rebooted it in the last year are when the automatic software update system suggests I reboot after an OS upgrade. I can even swap batteries while the machine is on and running. The backlit keyboard and superdrive are extras I wasn't sure I would need, but I'm damn glad I paid for.

Do it. Do it now. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.