Rating: 
Summary: Tough laptop!
Review: My PowerBook has been accidentally dropped twice. The first time it fell from a table as my kids were watching a DVD movie from the laptop. The second time my carrying fell from a reception counter. The PowerBook is still running as if nothing had happened.
Rating: 
Summary: Advertising hyperbole
Review: Received the powerbook and discovered the famous OS X is a system designed for multiple users. This means when you turn it on it sets up your ISP the first thing so it can register your machine with Apple. It does not tell you that it has created a password for you as an administrator. Before you can do anything else on the PB the pop up window demands the password you didn't intentonally create or want at this stage. Looking at the little top secret dots I counted 7 which is the correct number for my last name. I entered my last name in 5 different ways and two languages with no luck. The help app called a "finder" told me how to change this elusive password by loading the included disc with lots of back up info and a copy of the OS. Are you ready for this? Before I could use the disc I had to type in the elusive password! A small glass of scotch and a call to tech support got the password changed. I then looked over the included software which contains a suite known as Quickbooks, new user edition. Needing to address an envelope I opened the word processor, set up the printer, cliked on print and received a window that says this edition doesn't support printing, but if you click on "Buy" the real edition (for $200+) will print just fine. This from a machine that costs around 3 grand!
I am an old dude. 65+. I've owned a lot of stuff. Apple has 3% of market share. They are not likely to increase that in my life time.
Rating: 
Summary: More quality control problems
Review: The technical details regarding this Mac are available for all to read, and there is no reason for me to repeat them. I will only note that this Mac continues my lengthy experience with poor Apple quality control. It came, as did many of this model, with white splotches marring the screen, and the track pad button was so stiff I couldn't consistently hold it down. Both of these probems existed out of the box and the Mac was sent to Apple for repair. Since 1997, all but two Apple hardware products I've purchased -- and there have been many -- have suffered from at least one substantial defect. One small additional note: the keyboard is rather slick; fingers tend to slip while typing. The unpainted keys of my iBook have a better feel.
Rating:
Summary: Powerbook g4 15"
Review: There is no compelling reason to ever own a desktop machine with the likes of the fabulous Apple Powerbook. This is a fantastic, futuristic machine that will never be obsolete. Packed with the latest technologies, the PB flies through even demanding tasks such as video editing with grace, speed and stability. With the Unix-based OSX operating system and the excellent iLife application suite you will never go back to the colorless Windows world. There is no better machine out there than the Powerbook line; I've owned 30 computers and this one is far, far superior to anything else out there. It's that good. Nurture your right-brain creativity; the PB is the perfect tool to take your hard-earned skills to another level. Whew...
Rating:
Summary: Nice looks, but don't look at the price
Review: This is awesome! I replaced my desktop with this feature-rich laptop and love it. The wide screen is perfect for watching DVDs and the design is stunning. The best part about it is OS X. Very stable and much more intuitive than it's Windows counterpart. I can't think of one bad thing to say about this laptop. Yes, it costs more than your average laptop, but it packs many more features. Worth every bit of the money.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This is awesome! I replaced my desktop with this feature-rich laptop and love it. The wide screen is perfect for watching DVDs and the design is stunning. The best part about it is OS X. Very stable and much more intuitive than it's Windows counterpart. I can't think of one bad thing to say about this laptop. Yes, it costs more than your average laptop, but it packs many more features. Worth every bit of the money.
Rating: 
Summary: apple ok , perhaps great - but not ouside usa
Review: This review is for people that live outside the States. The bottom line is: do not
expect decent support service from Apple. In my case, I live in Mexico. In a recent trip to the states I bought a 15in Powerbook. (The possibility of using UNIX got to me.) After a month the audio card burned. It took almost two months to get it replaced. The service here is simply horrendous. There is a single provider for the whole country. Replacements are sent to the local service centers and must be used within three days, otherwise they have to be returned. And more time passes. The people in the Apple "certified" local service centers are incompetent. Eventually, I got my laptop back, with a working audio card. However, from the service center, they took the liberty to change passwords and include all sort of files from a different customer (out of respect for privacy I deleted them). Not even a word of apology. As a scientist, I was considering going Apple with the resources of my next grant. Not now. I pick Dell. I will put up with Windows and/or Linux. They provide good support internationally, not only in the Bay area.
Rating:
Summary: apple ok , perhaps great - but not ouside usa
Review: This review is for people that live outside the States. The bottom line is: do not
expect decent support service from Apple. In my case, I live in Mexico. In a recent trip to the states I bought a 15in Powerbook. (The possibility of using UNIX got to me.) After a month the audio card burned. It took almost two months to get it replaced. The service here is simply horrendous. There is a single provider for the whole country. Replacements are sent to the local service centers and must be used within three days, otherwise they have to be returned. And more time passes. The people in the Apple "certified" local service centers are incompetent. Eventually, I got my laptop back, with a working audio card. However, from the service center, they took the liberty to change passwords and include all sort of files from a different customer (out of respect for privacy I deleted them). Not even a word of apology. As a scientist, I was considering going Apple with the resources of my next grant. Not now. I pick Dell. I will put up with Windows and/or Linux. They provide good support internationally, not only in the Bay area.
Rating:
Summary: A work of art...
Review: 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?
Rating:
Summary: The newest technology, in the most convenient size...
Review: 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.
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