Apple PowerBook Laptop 17" M9110LL/A (1.33-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive)

The display is lovely to behold and s-h-a-r-p, and the wealth of (count 'em) 1.3 million pixels makes it hard to go back to my 15'' flatpanel iMac desktop screen. Watching a DVD on a Powerbook screen this big and this good is about as satisfying as visiting my local cineplex, sans the sticky floors.

Like the new G5 desktops, the G4 Powerbooks strike me as quite hi-tech and futuristic. That's not a bad thing, but it's a far cry from the happy candy-colored iBooks of a few years ago. The G4 Powerbooks are also not as "warm & inviting" as the current generation of elegant white Powerbooks. The persona of the G4 machines is a bit more stand-offish, stark even, and you either like that or you don't. I think they're plenty gorgeous but, at the risk of sounding sexist, my hunch is that it's a 'guy' computer, and that a lot of women won't take a shine to these machines. But I'll let Apple's marketing department worry about that.

Finding Panther (Mac OS 10.3) loaded on this machine was a greater boon than I'd imagined. I've used 10.2 (Jaguar) since it came out in August 2002, but Panther is such a big step forward, it almost qualifies as a whole new operating system -- without the learning curve. You can log out without quitting open applications, for instance, in a matter of literally seconds. The improved Finder -- which appears to be modeled in part on Windows XP, though no Mac user would admit that without the benefit of thumbscrews ;-) -- makes navigating through complex hierarchies of folders and files a snap, and it's easy to customize. Also, Apple has brought back color labeling of files and other items -- an OS9 staple it stupidly discarded when the company launched OSX a few years ago. There are more than 150 other big and small improvement (wait'll you get a load of a feature called Expos, which displays all your open windows, across applications, at the roll of a mouse!), but this is supposed to be a review about the computer, not its operating system.

Well then, the G4 17'' Powerbook is a tactile and esthetic pleasure to use. The fit is tight, the finish beautiful. Everything just works right out of the box without the user having to study manuals or spending time on the phone with tech support. I would gush about this machine (and so far I have!), but there are a few minor points of criticism, too:

- Apple does sometimes put good looks over practicality. The shell of this Powerbook has no ridges on it -- it's just this sleek, smooth expanse of aluminum. Very purty, but since this is a large and relatively heavy laptop, you're quite likely to let it slip from your grasp at one point or another. Some kind of grip would have been a good idea. Also, there's a latch at the front of the machine that you push to unlock the screen. The latch is almost perfectly flush with the front of the case (so as not to visually break the sleek line of the shell, I'd wager), and I find that it sometimes takes two or three pushes before the screen pops open.
- The material looks like it might scratch easily (but I'm trying not to find that out first-hand). At this price -- 3,000 semolians! -- Apple should have included a soft leather sleeve or something, so that you can toss the thus-protected Powerbook into a shoulder bag or backpack and not worry about it. I ordered a neoprene third-party solution called a Sportfolio (40 bucks) that does the job.
- I've been forced to use them for years and I still don't like 'em: trackpads. Ugh. Get a mouse. Kensington makes one that works well with a Powerbook; it has a retractable USB cable that stores inside the device when not in use.
- The power cord plugs into the side of the machine. That's a bit unsightly. It should have been in the back, where it essentially doesn't show.
- More visual clutter: the sides of the machine. They're outfitted with a bevvy of ports, including a Firewire 800 port and an S-video socket (excellent!) and no cover (not so excellent). I realize doors can easily break off, but maybe a molded rubber strip would have (a) been better-looking, and (b) kept dust, dirt, and lint out.
- Apple should take a cue from the automobile industry and its included standard 3 year/50,000-miles warranties. The Powerbook has a one-year warranty and only 90 days of phone support. To extend coverage to three full years, you're supposed to purchase a protection plan for -- gulp -- 350 bucks. I guess I'll do it, but I have the uncomfortable feeling I'll be paying for a few years' supply of Steve Jobs's black turtlenecks. I'm OK with him playing hardball with Disney, he just should let up on his own loyal customers a bit. ;-)

I've had the G4 17'' Powerbook for a week and intend to really put it through its paces in weeks and months to come. So far, the verdict is very positive. The first Apple Powerbooks, in 1992, also cost multiple thousands of dollars, just like this one. For the same money (less if you count inflation), you can now buy a super-good-looking supercomputer that is a kick-ass music player, an excellent movie-playback machine, a top-notch number cruncher, a high-powered portable recording studio, a serious photo- and video-editing tool, and on and on... I shrugged when I heard about Apple's plans, three or four years ago, to turn their computers into "hubs for the digital lifestyle." But the company did just that, and no portable computer today is a more capable, pleasure-to-work-with digital hub than this gorgeous 17'' G4 Powerbook.

Addendum: A few weeks after I wrote this review, I'm on a plane, with the Powerbook in its neoprene sleeve tucked safely in the overhead luggage compartment. Well, maybe not SO safely after all. After touchdown, people start grabbing their bags, anxious to get out -- and some idiot yanks her own luggage out so hard and carelessly that my computer goes flying. It drops in a graceless arc, like a limply flung brick, and lands with a thud that churns my stomach. I actually gasp. This is more abuse than any consumer laptop can handle. After all, it's a fall from almost seven feet high; surely the case is cracked, or the screen broken, or the hard drive knocked out of whack and my data lost -- or all of the above. Absurdly enough, though, I'm wrong. I zip open the sleeve, fingers trembling, but all is as it should be. The aluminum case is un-dented and as tight as ever; the screen unblemished; the hard drive unperturbed. Now, I wouldn't care to duplicate this little involuntary experiment. Clearly I got lucky. But it's also proof that Apple builds its Powerbooks with real structural integrity -- equipped to deal with the rigors of the road, and with the abuse inflicted on it by hapless users and clumsy strangers alike.


Great computer, few flaws   February 19, 2004
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Yeah, I know it's a little more money than the knock-off PC clones from Dell and Gateway, but this is a far superior computer. The Mac platform is not only the most powerful one available, it is also the simplest and most versatile - once you learn it.

The 15-inch is the perfect size for me. I looked at both the 12 and 17-inch models and felt they were a little too small/big respectively. There is something attractive about the 12 inch - a friend of mine has one and he carries it around everywhere, able to write anywhere anytime. And seated at a desk the 17-inch is also attractive, presenting a massive, bright screen to work on. But all in all, the 15-inch provides the best both worlds. It's very portable - maybe not as easy to tug along as the 12-inch, but certainly manageable with a small backpack. The 17-inch can be problematic on a plane if there are people crowding you, and it's certainly cumbersome to maneuver in tight spaces, whereas the 12-inch is easy to maneuver but can cause a little eyestrain from a distance.

I definitely recommend a Mac, first of all, and within that I recommend the 15-inch G4 notebook. If you must have a 12-inch, you might take a look at the 12-inch iBook, which is cheaper but obviously not as feature rich (the iBook's graphics card is not as powerful and the processor is slower, most notably).

The complaints I have are exterior - the computer doesn't age well (i.e., it nicks and scratches rather easily) and there should be some sort of elevation device to raise the back end while typing (like the older Powerbooks had).

All in all you can't go wrong with any Apple laptop you choose. They are truly making the digital life a reality with all of their integrated software - iTunes, iPhoto, iSight, and the iPod are particularly cool. No other laptop will have an operating system with so many fantastic programs that are so perfectly integrated together. If this is remotely in your price range, go for it. It can literally change the way you operate on a day-to-day basis.


Best computer I've ever owned   April 14, 2004
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

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 17-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.