Lean, mean computing machine
Written: Apr 04 '01 (Updated Jun 01 '01)
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Pros: Thin; bright, crisp, wide screen; sleek design; attention to detail; downright zippy
Cons: Tinny speakers
The Bottom Line: Style and computing power all in one svelte package. A definite must if you own a 2 year or older computer and can afford it.
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| kenshin27's Full Review: Apple PowerBook G4 15.2 in. (M8362LL/A) Mac Notebo... |
How much do you want this notebook? Just _look_ at it. I was smitten at first glance. Being a notorious early adopter, I had my order in the day after it was introduced at MacWorld SF. Managed to hunt one down about a month later at a CompUSA when it was being delayed, and delayed, and delayed, and stock was still scarce throughout the country. My unit's specs:
The Specs
500Mhz G4
256MB RAM (added another 256MB)
20GB HD
ATI Rage Mobility 128 w/8MB VRAM
Slot-loading DVD drive
15.2" screen
The Good
This is the thinnest and lightest all-in-one notebook currently available for any platform. Please note that I said "all-in-one" and not "subnotebook" like a lot of people like comparing it to. Make no mistake, this is a full-featured notebook that just happens to be really darn thin. Feature for feature it can hold its own against the horde of PC clones and then some.
Parts of the frame consist of slabs of 99.5% pure commercial-grade titanium. Titanium is extremely tough, conveniently light, and makes this notebook look spectacular.
The most eye-catching part of this notebook is of course, the large 15.2" LCD. The screen is wider than normal, pleasingly clear and bright, and arrived with no bad pixels. The extra width is very useful since it gives you extra space to place program palettes (which tend to be vertical) off to the sides. While it's shorter than other PC notebooks with 15"+ screens, I really haven't found that to be a disadvantage.
The screen hinge is set to a comfortable stiffness. Not like my Sony Z505 which basically had to be pried open with both hands the first few weeks of use. The screen latch has been changed from a pull-type clasp to a push-button mechanism that moves a magnet into and out of place. Very classy and fun to watch the magnet suck down the latch when you close the screen.
The keyboard is slightly translucent black and has just the right amount of flex to it. Some people have made complaints that parts of it flex too much but I haven't had much of a problem with that even though I am a touch typist. The main keys are mostly full size with only the arrow keys and top Function row being 1/3 height.
The trackpad is the same titanium color as the machine itself and feels just fine. Some people can't get used to trackpads but I've been using them since my old Wallstreet and Apple has always made good trackpads. However, it does seem to be a little bigger than what I was used to with my Wallstreet model so you have to take more care in not accidentally brushing against it while typing. The lone button is almost flush with the pad and looked a bit flimsy at first but it actually does have pretty solid click action to it.
Located along the left side of the TiBook is one PCMCIA slot (again, artfully designed) and the audio out jack. The right side of the TiBook is mostly bare except for ventilation slits and a tiny slot for a Kensington security cable. The back is where all the action is as far as ports are concerned. Lowering the thin concealing hatch reveals (from left to right): 56K internal modem, reset button, S-VHS out, VGA out, 2 USB, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet. Flanking these ports is an IR port on the left and the power adapter port on the right. As usual, there are icons of each port located on the inner side of the hatch so you don't need to flip the entire notebook around to see what's what. You can even see the icons through the gap between the screen and the keyboard. Pretty handy if you don't want to be peering over the screen.
The battery is now located on the underside of the notebook. You probably won't get the 5 hours worth of power that Apple touts but it's still alot better than the barely 2 hours I used to get with my Wallstreet. I'd say it'd usually range about 3 to 4 hours for regular use.
The slot-loading DVD has worked flawlessly for me so far. It's nice not having to deal with a flimsy-feeling disc tray that most CD/DVD drives have been using. I haven't had any problems watching movies on it either, software decoding and all. I actually had more problems with hardware decoding on my Wallstreet than I do with the TiBook. Then again, I'm not trying to multitask while watching DVDs either.
Installing extra RAM was a breeze. Slide down two latches at the top of the keyboard and it comes right off. Pop the RAM into its slot, slip the keyboard into place. Make sure it's secure, and you're all ready to go. And with RAM prices so cheap these days, it makes no sense _not_ to add more RAM.
The Bad
The only thing I dislike about the TiBook are the built-in speakers. Lots of distortion at high volumes. I think the speakers on my Wallstreet were better than these things. Ah well, at least the audio out jack is now in a more convenient place to plug in earphones.
The Ugly
While my experience with the TiBook has overall been superb, the machine does have (or had) problems that other users have discovered.
Many people have had problems with the DVD drive being unable to eject discs properly. Usually the cause was a misaligned DVD drive which normally would be an easy fix but in this case, can be a lot tougher because the bottom of the TiBook is very hard to put back on correctly when it has been removed to say install an Airport card or a new hard drive or whatnot.
Some people also had problems with their battery suddenly losing contact with the machine when being picked up and moved around which would result in loss of data and date/time settings. Titanium may be light and tough, but it's also flexible. So this problem usually occurred when the user had picked the notebook up in one hand and caused some torque to the bottom frame. But, a fix for this is also available. You can either do it yourself or send it in to Apple.
People have also been disappointed with the graphics chip included with the TiBook. Not enough VRAM, there are better chips available, etc. Personally, I'm not too upset since I'm not a particularly dedicated gamer. But, there is still a _huge_ increase in graphics quality when playing Quake III on my old Wallstreet with its 4MB ATI LT Pro chip when compared to the ATI Mobility 128 on the TiBook. And that's enough to keep me happy until the Powerbook G5. ;-)
The one slightly annoying feature that I had to get used to with the new TiBook is that the function keys now require you to hold down the "fn" key to work because Apple has also mapped some hardware controls to a few of them such as brightness, volume, mute, and disc eject. This probably isn't as big a problem for most other people but I'm used to mapping my regularly used apps to the function keys via Action Menus on my old Wallstreet. What used to be a one button application launch now requires two.
No expansion bays. I have to admit, the expansion bays on the Powerbook G3s were awesome. Convenient and useful. But, I find myself not missing them as much as I thought I would. The battery life I get now with the TiBook's one battery is just about as much as I used to get if I had doubled up my Wallstreet's batteries. I wish they had made the TiBook battery a side loader though as opposed to where it is now underneath the machine. I never use a floppy anymore so there's no need for a floppy module. And I never really had to swap in a Zip drive or CD-RW. Sure it's a bit less convenient to have to use external USB or Firewire drives but that's the price to pay for having a one-inch thick computer. I'm surprised they even got the DVD drive into this frame. All the subnotebooks of this thickness have external disc drives.
The hockey puck power adapter has also gotten its share of grief from people who think Apple should have made it smaller. It is pretty heavy for what it is. That's the one thing that I really liked about the Powerbook G3's. Their power adapters weren't gigantic bricks like most PC notebook power adapters. I don't find the hockey puck too bad since I think being able to wind up the cord into it is very nice and I don't carry too much other computer accessories on the road with me so the extra weight is bearable.
The Verdict
Overall, the TiBook _rocks_. It's speedy (Virtual PC 4 works just fine on it), light, and stylish. Guaranteed to gather crowds. A worthy successor for Powerbook users owning a Wallstreet model or earlier. Feature-wise, there might not be as much difference between this and the Lombard and Pismo models besides the different processors to warrant upgrading just yet. And dropping those 2 lbs from an 8 lbs Wallstreet to a 6 lbs TiBook is definitely good for my shoulders. Having been spoiled by the wide screen, it's tough getting used to the 12.1" screen on my Sony VAIO. It's like night and day. At $3500, the price is comparable to top of the line all-in-one PC notebooks from IBM, HP, Compaq, and the like. But you won't find one as light, thin, and classy as the TiBook.
Airport Network Card - A must-have for any TiBook user:
http://www.epinions.com/content_25072668292
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 3500
Operating System: Macintosh
Processor: PowerPC
Processor speed: 401-500
Screen Size: 15
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
kenshin27
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Member: Ben C
Location: NJ
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 17 members
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