Rating: 
Summary: The greatest laptop ever with the best OS.
Review: I love this powerbook. It is without a doubt the handiest computer that I've ever used. The wide ratio display makes it easy to have multiple coding windows open while the convenient brightness controls allow me to work easily in changing light conditions. The mute button is handy whenever the phone rings. But that's just the start of the story. The really beauty of this laptop is that it runs OS X. Mac OS X represents the pinnacle of evolution in operating systems. The highly intuitive environment lets a user get their work done without having to really think about the computer. It is more or less a seamless interaction. But if you need to leverage the UNIX core, it is just a terminal window away and gives you all the power you could possibly seek.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest laptop ever with the best OS.
Review: I love this powerbook. It is without a doubt the handiest computer that I've ever used. The wide ratio display makes it easy to have multiple coding windows open while the convenient brightness controls allow me to work easily in changing light conditions. The mute button is handy whenever the phone rings. But that's just the start of the story. The really beauty of this laptop is that it runs OS X. Mac OS X represents the pinnacle of evolution in operating systems. The highly intuitive environment lets a user get their work done without having to really think about the computer. It is more or less a seamless interaction. But if you need to leverage the UNIX core, it is just a terminal window away and gives you all the power you could possibly seek.
Rating:
Summary: Thinking of switching, but not sure about Mac laptops?
Review: I travel a lot. I need to be connected. I need to be able to do my work on the road. I've been a Windows user for most of my adult life. I've used various Windows laptops over the years. I've seen and used friends' G4 towers and iMacs. I liked using Mac OS X. But I wasn't sure about a Powerbook. Would it be portable and powerful enough? Then my best friend got one from his employer, and was utterly enraptured. I spent a weekend using his PowerBook, and bought my own matching one as soon as I got home. The 15" display is gorgeous. Unlike many Windows laptops (especially the ThinkPad I use for work), it is readable from many angles. I often use my PowerBook to watch DVDs. For my Windows laptop, it is hard to position it so that two people sitting next to each other (such as on an airplane) can both see it. With my PowerBook, I never have to worry about that. Besides the fantastic viewing angle, its rendering of colour is very life-like. The weight of the PowerBook is great. For such a fully-featured laptop, the weight is very light. I carry it all the time and never find myself cursing it for being so heavy. I use the following applications on my PowerBook regularly: FrameMaker, Photoshop, Toast with Jam, Quicken and The Sims (hey, I can't work all the time!). During normal use, I usually have FrameMaker, a couple of web browser windows, ICQ (an instant messenging program), iCal, and Mail. I never have to wait for it to swap between applications like I do on my Windows laptop. Since OS X is Unix-based, an experienced Linux or Unix user can simply open a terminal and do all of the command line stuff you know so well. I even run XWindows on my PowerBook. I love having a nice-looking GUI for some tasks (such as FrameMaker), but still having the power of lex, yacc, and all of my favourite Unix tools. Apache is already installed, I didn't have to muck about with getting Perl working. And I've never had my PowerBook show me the Blue Screen of Death, whereas I get that about once a week on my Windows laptop. My PowerBook just works. I can troubleshoot Windows problems with the best of them. But with my PowerBook, I never have to bother. It took three firmware upgrades before my Windows laptop would recognise my wireless network. The first time I turned my PowerBook on, it found my wireless network immediately. I didn't have to bother configuring anything. Any device that I have added has been similarly trivial to set up. I don't think that I could be happier with my PowerBook. I am extremely happy that I made the switch. Using Windows is now even more of an annoyance than it was before I knew better.
Rating:
Summary: My first Mac, and what a machine!
Review: I've been using PC's for twenty years - my first was a Compaq lunchbox luggable that ran DOS 1.1. Today I have a couple of IBM laptops and Dell desktops, all running Windows XP Pro. I was in the market for a new laptop, and after looking around for awhile, I came to the conclusion that there was nothing in the PC world to compare with the PowerBook from a pure hardware standpoint. That is, I couldn't find anything that included all of the of the following: 1" thick profile, but with an extremely sturdy titanium case (that doesn't flex); 15.1" screen, and a dazzline one at that; slot-loading CD/DVD drive that writes both CD's and DVD's; long-battery life (3 - 4 hrs.); sturdy keyboard with decent tactile feel and minimal flex; built-in Bluetooth; built-in Firewire; built-in wireless networking (AirPort) I found machines that offered maybe two or three of these, but none that had them all. Since 75% of the work I do involves using MS Excel, Word and PowerPointk, excellent versions of which are available in Office X for Mac, I decided to give the PowerBook a try. I haven't been disappointed. This is a terrific machine. The display is awesome, and the OS X operating system is enough to make me give XP the boot. When I first got the machine home and turned it on, it went through a short configuration routine in which the AirPort card automatically detected my wireless network and had me on the Internet in minutes -- no loading PC card software and setting parameters and entering system ID's. I'm seriously thinking of getting a dual-processor 1.42ghz Power Mac as my next desktop. My only reservations center on the relative paucity of native OS X software. I miss not having Visio or Access available, although the machine comes bundled with a trial version of FileMaker Pro, which while not a replacement for Access, is decent. It also comes with OmniGraffle, which while not as powerful as Visio, is adequate. Even mainstream applications like encyclopedias and software are sparse (Britannica is the only encyclopedia I've found that will run native under OS X). I use Bible software extensively on my PC, but there's only one decent product available for Mac OS X, and it's really expensive. Also, as a hobbyist music recording and guitar enthusiast, I'm disappointed there's not more stuff available for the Mac. There are a few high end programs like Logic, Pro Tools and (soon) Digital Performer available for sequencing/recording, but little else. Programs like Finale, Band-in-a-Box, Jammer, etc. are virtually non-existent. If I were running Apple, I think I'd concentrate on being developing innovative, state-of-the-art software to complement OS X. Still, the more I use my PowerBook, the more I'm inclined to switch completely. This is a great machine with a terrific operating system.
Rating:
Summary: My first Mac, and what a machine!
Review: I've been using PC's for twenty years - my first was a Compaq lunchbox luggable that ran DOS 1.1. Today I have a couple of IBM laptops and Dell desktops, all running Windows XP Pro. I was in the market for a new laptop, and after looking around for awhile, I came to the conclusion that there was nothing in the PC world to compare with the PowerBook from a pure hardware standpoint. That is, I couldn't find anything that included all of the of the following: 1" thick profile, but with an extremely sturdy titanium case (that doesn't flex); 15.1" screen, and a dazzline one at that; slot-loading CD/DVD drive that writes both CD's and DVD's; long-battery life (3 - 4 hrs.); sturdy keyboard with decent tactile feel and minimal flex; built-in Bluetooth; built-in Firewire; built-in wireless networking (AirPort) I found machines that offered maybe two or three of these, but none that had them all. Since 75% of the work I do involves using MS Excel, Word and PowerPointk, excellent versions of which are available in Office X for Mac, I decided to give the PowerBook a try. I haven't been disappointed. This is a terrific machine. The display is awesome, and the OS X operating system is enough to make me give XP the boot. When I first got the machine home and turned it on, it went through a short configuration routine in which the AirPort card automatically detected my wireless network and had me on the Internet in minutes -- no loading PC card software and setting parameters and entering system ID's. I'm seriously thinking of getting a dual-processor 1.42ghz Power Mac as my next desktop. My only reservations center on the relative paucity of native OS X software. I miss not having Visio or Access available, although the machine comes bundled with a trial version of FileMaker Pro, which while not a replacement for Access, is decent. It also comes with OmniGraffle, which while not as powerful as Visio, is adequate. Even mainstream applications like encyclopedias and software are sparse (Britannica is the only encyclopedia I've found that will run native under OS X). I use Bible software extensively on my PC, but there's only one decent product available for Mac OS X, and it's really expensive. Also, as a hobbyist music recording and guitar enthusiast, I'm disappointed there's not more stuff available for the Mac. There are a few high end programs like Logic, Pro Tools and (soon) Digital Performer available for sequencing/recording, but little else. Programs like Finale, Band-in-a-Box, Jammer, etc. are virtually non-existent. If I were running Apple, I think I'd concentrate on being developing innovative, state-of-the-art software to complement OS X. Still, the more I use my PowerBook, the more I'm inclined to switch completely. This is a great machine with a terrific operating system.
Rating:
Summary: Best workhorse portable from Apple in years...
Review: I've worked on and with Macs for years. Our company has around fifteen PowerBooks G4s in use, four of which are the 1Ghz models with the superdrive (DVD-R). I use one of them daily, and it is the strongest performing laptop I've used (I also use a Sony VAIO PCG GRX670, a 2Ghz P4, very comparable PC laptop). The Apple doesn't so much run circles around the SONY, they are about the same overall speed-wise, but the PB manages to *feel* faster by at least 15%. The PowerBook and the OS (Mac OS X 10.2) are better integrated.
I don't know how well the SONY will do over time physically. The PB G4 is basically the same as it was 2 years ago, and those machines have proved to be very durable, scratches being the only problem. Oh, and someone at work spilled a beer on theirs. It wouldn't start and appeared dead. Our local Apple dealer took the motherboard out, dumped it in water, let it dry a couple days, put it back together, and it started up just fine.
Anyway, great machine. If you need raw power in a portable package, enough so that you can replace your desktop with this too, then this is the machine for you.
Rating:
Summary: The Best laptop/ Computer Ever
Review: Im only 15 years old by my life basically revolves around computers, this is, I think, My 5th computer. This is also my first laptop/mac and id have to say it is better than any desktop PC i have ever used. I have also used/worked on laptops such as Dell laptops. Though dell makes a nice desktop there laptops are poor quality, they fall apart, overheat, and dont support Mac OS X. My new laptop has had none of these problems except on occasion it will get hot, this problem was easily solved by putting it on a flat surface, like a desk. My other problem i had with the computer was the display, it had 1 stuck pixel(a stuck pixel is a small colorder dot on your screen) which dissapointed me very much since I payed 3k at the time out of my own pocket. If you buy this laptop buy it at a local retailer and ask to take it out of the box before you buy it! If you do get a stuck pixel, take a soft clothe and lightly massage the screen, over time this can make the stuck pixel work again(Use this technique at your own risk). This laptop works well all around, I use is for Graphic Design, Webdesign, Games, and Music. I had no problems getting it to work with my pc's and my wireless router. If you get a laptop i definatley reccomend a powerbook g4. If your really a freak on having the best computer dont upgrade the ram on this one, i upgraded to 1 gig of ram and i didnt notice a difference after i installed it.
Rating:
Summary: I LOVE this computer
Review: Mine is actually a generation back (800MHz processor). It's more than fast enough for the things that I do (graphic design, mathematics, music recording, programming, internet browsing... can you tell I have catholic interests?) The Apple bundled apps are fantastic, and iPhoto incorporates enough of what I do to my pictures that I rarely open PhotoShop any more (not to mention the permanent retention of the original photo is always a good thing). I rarely reboot the system (it's just not necessary unless I do an OS upgrade), or close applications and all is well. It's nice to have Word, Excel, Safari, iTunes, Eudora, Illustrator and InDesign all at the ready at a moment's notice. Perhaps most exciting is the realization that with this machine I just don't need a desktop anymore. My G4 tower gets only occasional use anymore (and the PC hasn't been turned on for nearly a year). This is easily the only computer you'll ever need.
Rating:
Summary: The best computer money can buy!
Review: My 15" Powerbook G4 has lived up to every one of my expectations and more. I'm a teacher that uses both Windows and Mac computers on a regular basis. It wasn't until I had a chance to use OS X that I decided to purchase a new Mac laptop. I already owned one of the original iMacs, but that computer is starting to show its age. The computer that I used the most regularly is the PC that I built for my wife last spring (AMD Athlon XP 1800 running Windows XP Pro). That computer has served us well, but like every other windows machine I've ever used, it has major software problems. Here's the defining reason to buy a Mac over a PC. Apple integrates their software into their hardware designs. Microsoft on the other hand has very limited control over the hardware design of computer manufacturers. Thus, Windows tends to have more issues with hardware/software conflicts. Once you try OS X and all of Apples applications (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Safari), you will realize that the power of this Powerbook is at the heart of its software. I have yet to see a PC laptop that can match the elegance of the Powerbook G4 and the sophistication of OS X. Sony comes close, but they will remain one step behind as long as their computers run Windows. On the other hand, my Powerbook and OS X is completely flawless. This laptop, like every other that I've ever used, gets quite toasty on your lap after you using for 30+ minutes. There's a simple fix for this though. I just put a blanket or a pillow underneath the computer when I use it on my lap. Other than that, I have "0" complaints. The screen is beautiful. The 1GHz processor makes computer "feel" quite snappy. And the built-in DVD-RW, paired with iDVD, is awesome! My best advice for anyone considering the purchase of this Powerbook is to test it at an Apple Store, borrow one from a friend, or just buy it. You won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: The best computer money can buy!
Review: My 15" Powerbook G4 has lived up to every one of my expectations and more. I'm a teacher that uses both Windows and Mac computers on a regular basis. It wasn't until I had a chance to use OS X that I decided to purchase a new Mac laptop. I already owned one of the original iMacs, but that computer is starting to show its age. The computer that I used the most regularly is the PC that I built for my wife last spring (AMD Athlon XP 1800 running Windows XP Pro). That computer has served us well, but like every other windows machine I've ever used, it has major software problems. Here's the defining reason to buy a Mac over a PC. Apple integrates their software into their hardware designs. Microsoft on the other hand has very limited control over the hardware design of computer manufacturers. Thus, Windows tends to have more issues with hardware/software conflicts. Once you try OS X and all of Apples applications (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Safari), you will realize that the power of this Powerbook is at the heart of its software. I have yet to see a PC laptop that can match the elegance of the Powerbook G4 and the sophistication of OS X. Sony comes close, but they will remain one step behind as long as their computers run Windows. On the other hand, my Powerbook and OS X is completely flawless. This laptop, like every other that I've ever used, gets quite toasty on your lap after you using for 30+ minutes. There's a simple fix for this though. I just put a blanket or a pillow underneath the computer when I use it on my lap. Other than that, I have "0" complaints. The screen is beautiful. The 1GHz processor makes computer "feel" quite snappy. And the built-in DVD-RW, paired with iDVD, is awesome! My best advice for anyone considering the purchase of this Powerbook is to test it at an Apple Store, borrow one from a friend, or just buy it. You won't regret it!
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