G3 Powerbook: Small but Powerful
Written: Jun 19 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use and understand.
Cons: The track pad is a bit tricky.
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| soulgrind1's Full Review: Apple PowerBook G3 (M7308LL/A) Mac Notebook |
The PowerBook G3 was a worth-while investment for me. I don't regret buying it in any way, even despite the $3,000 price tag. As a college student studying Graphic Design, I needed a computer with the power for design applications, and the portability to take it wherever I need to.
The Powerbook G3 is available with many options including the RAM size, hard disk size, 24X CD-ROM or DVD player, etc. These options can be viewed on Apple's website, and the price will be adjusted accordingly. This is one of the features that makes buying the G3 more affordable. If you don't have a need for extra RAM or disk space, the price will be lower. IF you do need certain options, you will have to pay for them. My G3 has 333 MHZ, 192MB RAM, 6 GIG hard drive, and a CD-ROM. The monitor on all G3's is 14.1 inches which is a good size for laptops. The highest resolution is 1024 x 768, and millions of colors can be displayed.
I can open several high-end applications at once, and my laptop can handle them with ease. It has only frozen a few times on me. The speakers aren't spectacular, but are good for their size. This is also one of the more nicely designed laptops I have seen for what it's worth.
There are two ports on the sides of the laptop for batteries, CD-ROM's, DVD players, Zip-Drive's, etc. that can be removed with the touch of a button and replaced in seconds. There are two USB ports which can be used to connect to mice, printers, scanners, Zip drives, etc.
The battery lasts about 4 hours, and recharges fairly quickly. The power cord can be connected to the computer at any time, and it will charge the battery and power the computer at the same time. The computer can be adjusted for longer battery life, and the sleep mode saves battery power when the computer is not in use.
The small track pad is operated by sliding your finger over a sensor pad, and clicking with a small button above it. I found it extremely frustrating to work with at first, but now I have the hang of it. I did buy a mouse though for more precise movement with my graphic applications. Most of my friends in graphic design use the track pad with ease for their work, so I guess it depends on the user.
I would have liked to see more USB ports, because I am constantly switching devices on my laptop. But, the USB ports are extremely easy. You just unplug one device, plug in the new one and the computer automatically recognizes the device and utilizes it.
I really don't have that many gripes with this computer. I really love the MAC operating system and how easy it is to use. The G3 is very expensive though, and if you don't really need the portability I would strongly recommend buying a desktop G3 which will give you much more power for a lower price. It is amazing though, when you see this laptop, that so much power can be packed into such a small machine. But you're paying for this-remember that.
To sum it all up, This laptop has everything I need and more, it is very fast, and the downfalls are so minor that I have learned to live with them. I very much recommend the PowerBook G3 laptop.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
soulgrind1
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Member: Ryan Halvorsen
Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 1 member
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