Pros: Big bright screen, silver case is pretty to look at
Cons: Frequent repairs necessary, multiple design flaws, screen ruined by keyboard scratches, condescending Apple customer relations
The Bottom Line: Find another option. These laptops are too expensive to have to deal w/keyboards that scratch screens, flimsy hardware/parts, the constant need for repairs, and unresponsive Apple "customer relations" reps.
jesswick's Full Review: Apple PowerBook G4 17 in. (M8793LL/A) Mac Notebook
I have had my Powerbook G4 for a year, and had numerous problems. Immediately upon receiving it, it was missing one of its little rubber feet. Not a huge deal, but it took about 3 weeks to get a replacement mailed to me.
Another problem, and this IS a big deal, especially for all my fellow graphic designers and digital illustrators using a Mac:
Apple has worked so hard to make this laptop look good, they've sacrificed functionality and longevity. IMMEDIATELY upon receiving it, I noticed that there was not enough clearance between the keyboard and the screen when the laptop was shut, resulting in the keys ACTUALLY SCRATCHING THE MONITOR. This is bad. Very bad. (I've read of others having this problem on discussion boards about this product.)
Another big problem: the CD/DVD drive has broken, not once, but twice. (My G4 is currently in the shop, having the second drive replaced.) This second time around, the drive actually scratched and ruined several CDs before I realized they were being physically destroyed.
When I brought the laptop in for this second repair, I noticed that the case was cracked near the closure mechanism. The technician at the repair shop suggested this could be from the need to press down hard to get the case to close, and showed surprise that my case actually still closes at all. He said the magnetic closing mechanism often eventually fails on these Powerbooks.
He also suggested I contact Apple about all of these problems. So I did. The initial operator I spoke with, Janae, and the tech support rep I spoke with, Chris, were both courteous, but both told me that I needed to speak with someone in customer relations. I was transferred to a woman (also named Chris), who was as unaccommodating and borderline rude as you can get. I explained my problems clearly and politely (I used to work in a software company, and I know how hard it can be to be in tech-centric customer support). I explained that these problems were directly affecting my income. I told her that I'd used Macs for years, and wanted to stay with them, but that the problems I'd had both with this laptop and my G3 tower, had me losing faith in Apple hardware.
She informed me that Apple would not cover the cracked case, even under its warranty. I said, even if it's due to a design flaw? (Having to press so hard to close the case.) She said, and I quote, "there are no design flaws" with these computers.
I asked her about the keyboard scratching the screen--wasn't this a design flaw? She said you'd get that with any laptop (not true--I've NEVER had this problem with any of the other multiple laptops I've worked with or seen). Then she said--and this is more or less a direct quote--The issue with the keyboards on the Powerbooks scratching the screens "has been around from the beginning," and that "they can't do anything to fix it" for me because "the next one will just do the same thing."
No design flaws, huh?
And when I asked if they would be changing the design in the future to fix this problem, she said no. Overall, she fell into that horrible category of customer service reps who speak condescendingly and without any sympathy whatsoever, to the person on the other end of the line.
The long and short of it is, Apple did not offer any assistance of any type (not even to cover the cost of replacing my ruined CDs).
Personally, I am stuck with Apple hardware until I can afford to convert my software to PC-based. It's a heartbreaking decision to make--I love the new OS X, and I've always enjoyed the Apple community and product line 'til now. But the cost of Apple's hardware combined with the shoddiness of design and parts is too expensive for me to continue investing in their products.
I highly recommend (albeit, sadly) that you find another option.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 2500 (?) Operating System: Macintosh Processor: PowerPC G4 Processor speed: Don''t Know Screen Size: 15 inches RAM: 256 Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD Hard Drive (GB): 31-40
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