PowerBook 17"
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- 19 Responses
- SaintWalker
Has anyone on here had one for some time now? Just wonderign what your experience with it has been so far, and if you have any comments or issues with it...I'm planning to get one of these when the new batch comes out.
- CyBrainX0
I love mine a lot. I've had it for 2 months and haven't crashed once. There are some OS X people on here who haven't crashed in over a year.
The screen is the nicest thing about the computer.
If you're waiting for a G5 Powerbook, it's not coming any time soon. They have cooling fan issues. I would expect that in about a year.
Here's my complaint. The advertised battery life is an ABSOLUTE LIE. I have never gotten more than half of that. I took it to the Apple Store and they told me to dim the screen to some unusable level, not use too intensive programs, set the energy settings to "longest battery life" and then with some chance you can get 3.5 hours. (At the time I told them the advertised time was 3.5 because I forgot. I think they were pretending to have forgotten too. Would they really not know such a thing?)
A second battery would cost about $130, but then the whole purchase would be over 4 grand with tax and an extra 500 megabytes of ram.
- gravityroom0
Having been on a powerbook G3 300mhz for the last 3 or 4 years... I finally upgraded a few weeks ago.
They are expensive, but it is the most powerful laptop you will find. No complaints here.
I don't think there will be a new "batch"... The G5's are a ways off - I'd say at LEAST a year. The G5 desktop has what - 7 fans in it?!?! I'd say there are some cooling issues!
But will you be using it for? This computer is up for almost anything.
- auricom0
i guess you have to realize that they probably base the battery life time on normal use. i do understand the battery gripe though, my iPod doesn't last for shit now. i start working at an Apple Store in 2 weeks so hopefully find out some tips and tricks.
i wonder if there is some sort of update for the powerbooks that deal with the battery issue, like how the iPod updates had battery life improvements.
i heard the screen on the 17" is hard to see in low light situations.
- ChankDiesel0
I got a 17" powerbook to make up for my small penis and now i feel much better !!
I recommend you get a "Tucano Second Skin Folder" which you can get from the apple store, also It's quite hard to find a bag to fit it in.
- sauerbraten0
i make love to mine.
- SaintWalker0
Actually by "next batch" I wasn't referring to the G5s at all...which won't come for a loooong time.
What I was reffering to as the "next batch" is the PowerBooks that will probably come out around the 18th - 20th. The 15" still has yet to have its features upgraded. All of the new PowerBooks should feature the PPC 7457 processors which are much cooler and thereby more energy efficient. Which means that Apple will probably advertise the battery life as 12 hours when infact it will be what it is advertised today, if we're lucky.
My reason for wanting the 17" is because I want to ditch the desktop for a while...wanna become somewhat nomadic, be able to easily move my workstation around. I figure the 17" is the closest you can get to that so seems like a good choice.
- gravityroom0
SaintWalker -
As for the low light conditions - that's adjustable in the sys. preferences. Unless you indicate, it dynamically adjusts the brightness to the ambient light you are in.
The 17inch is an excellent choice if you want to replace the desktop. That's what I've done.
There's supposed to be an apple announcement on the 18th. I imagine the 12 and 15 inch will be updated since there was a $200 price drop a few months ago. I dont' think the 17 inch will change. But I obviously don't know this for a fact. A few weeks ago I was going to buy the 15... they are backordered 4 weeks on those - could be a sign...
Highly recommended here.
- canadian0
would you take a 17" over the desktop? I render a lot of video. Would the 17" handle it?
- Delvetica0
I think desktop is better than laptop in term of those heavy load programs.
- Delvetica0
I reckon we should wait for the G5 PowerBook
- Delvetica0
Currently, I've a problem with... please see the "Apple Care for PB" if you guys don't mind
- canadian0
If I wait I will never buy one. I can wait forever. Than when the G5 is out we all wait for the next run. Than because we waited that long we hear news of a G6. We wait again.
- Delvetica0
So no choice just buy the PB 17", without a machine can't earn money as well... A freind of mine working in IBM as a engineer or something, they are developing the G6 now...
- canadian0
what do you mean "cant earn money as well"?
- Delvetica0
can not can't.. sorry about that
- sexypixel0
"can not can't"
It's TYPEX!
- xrusos0
i have one... had it since late April. I paid $3294 at the time (now they're down $300). I got free 512MB RAM, free extra battery, and didn't pay any taxes.
If you're going to buy, let me know and i'll hook you up with my sales person who takes care of all of my (and my clients') computer needs.
i'm very happy with it... hasn't crashed yet. don't fear it. often run a slew of adobe apps, macromedia apps, and web apps all at once.
battery is a disappointment though. i'm eager to try Jaguar (10.3) and see the updates to power management.
- xrusos0
ummm... i meant panther
- brundlefly0
I love mine....I stuck a gig of ram in it to avoid any swapping to the hard drive, and its the most solid workstation I have ever owned...there isnt anything I cant do, high rez gaming, graphics are peppy and stable, all good