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Apple PowerBook Laptop 12" M9184LL/A (1.33-GHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)Platform: Mac OS X
Brand: Apple
Binding: Personal Computers
Warranty: 1 year warranty
Features: - 1.33GHz PowerPC G4 processor
- 256MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM (expandable to 1.25GB)
- 2 RAM Slots - (256MB non-removable & 1 open slot)
- 60GB Hard Drive
- Slot-Loading SuperDrive - 16x CD-R, 8x CD-RW, 24x CD-ROM, 4x DVD-R, 8x DVD-ROM
Good machine. More software for MAC OS X will help [Posted on 2004-09-20]
Good machine. I love the way it looks, works and handles things. Macs can do things so nicely that PCs can only aspire. But it does just [this] many things.
Windows based software may be poor and unstable, but they sure can do many (read aloud - many) more things, and sure are cheap. PC software is available in such abundance that there are always at least some options out there to meet your needs. Not as neat as its MAC counterpart, if there is any. Yeah, I said, if there is any.
Do more things = meet more needs. Hey you, guys at Apple! Get more people to make more software to meet more needs. Software domain for MAC OS X have a lot of catch up with. Wake up Mr. Rabbit!
Wannbe converts: MAC is a different animal. It might not replace your PC altogether. Not yet. Be careful.
Once you go mac you never go back [Posted on 2004-11-29]
I was really in the market for a small lightwieght PC notebook. But as the only ones I could find below 2000$ did not match my basic needs (good grafics, linux compatible) and I could not afford the top of the line 3500$ notebooks. I decided to settle for a 12" powerbook.
Since I was visiting the US at the time of purchase I thought I would buy it from the Apple store and meet with my future companion first hand. At first I was rather mesmorised by how sexy it was... But I thought that was just puppylove and that it would wear off after a while. So I scrutinsed the screen, the ports, the graphics and the drives. As the only other candidate that still would stand a chance agianst the 12" PB specs was a slightly more expensive and physically larger Dell that I had never seen apart from a wonkey picture on thier website. I took the plunge.
I invested my meager student allowance into the beast.
At first I thought I would replace the OS with linux and that I would have alot of problems with a win2000 only GIS software that I have to use for school. But, now, 6 months down the line this amazing machine is still as sexy as ever. It runs my wonkey GIS software (requires almost 3 reboots during installation) through virtual PC much faster than my old PII400. And I have yet to get around to putting linux on it as OSX just keeps blowing my mind. Everytime I want to do something, someone has already thought of that and implemented it as default in the OS.
The only problem I have had is, after a month the computer failed to recognise the builtin bluetooth, even after re-installing OSX the problem persisted and none of the packaged diagnostic software could detect any probs. After a week without bluetooth I decided to go down to the local apple store and have them sort it out. But just as I picked up the PB of my desk my mobile connected to it. And as strange as it seems I have had no problems with bluetooth since, despite rigorouse testing.
Overall this laptop gives the impression of being EXTREMLY well built. And I have yet to encounter any other laptop of this build quality (having worked for advertising firms where a 7000$ was the standard for running powerpoint presentations, with the justification that -we have to show our power through our superior laptops), this is in fact quiete a acheivment for any laptop, especially a sub 2000$ one. The bluetooth failure had me worried for a while but the overall build of the laptop keeps screaming well built and as such I dont think about that problem anymore. I just keep throwing it into my bag, taking it with me to classes and seminars, guiding it throught the worst student town weather/storms without complaints.
And to all you peze lovers out there, my beast comes to life in under 2s. I just open the lid and it wakes up offering to perform the most complex mathamatical functions. I havent had a virus since I got it. And the battery last for 5 hours without any hickups. I dont think you can beat this with any PC. If you dont think any of this is REALLY important, as I did before i went mac. I mean its not REALLY that important... But to tell you the truth, it is... Just try it, and you will find you probably can not live without it.
To summerise my 12" PB has suprised my in ways i did not expect it to, and has by far surpassed my expectations so far. And although i, out of principle, never award anything the top mark, I am happy to award something that keeps surprising me a 5/5.
The best thing ever [Posted on 2004-12-24]
Ten years ago I had a Mac. Then I went to law school and discovered that I lived in a world dominated by Bill Gates's Microsoft. So I became a PC user. I spent this year in Iraq and I had a Compaq laptop with me that served me well. Then I saw the specs on the 12 inch G4 PowerBook with superdrive. It is all that people say and more. The keyboard is roomy and comfortable (hard to believe given the small size) and the iLife bundled software enabled me to take my hundreds of digital photos and MPEG clips and create a movie after just a few hours of work.
And for those who complain about the heat produced by the PowerBook, not true. The laptop, like all computers, gets a little warm, but at worse the heat is slightly uncomfortable.
The WiFi ability has me cruising the net wirelessly and easily. Simply put, this PowerBook has re-inventing computers for me.
As a lawyer and a soldier I primarily use MS Office. I bought Office for Mac and the stuff I produce at work runs seamlessly on my PowerBook, and the stuff I produce on my PowerBook runs seamlessly on my PC at work.
I flew from Kuwait to Germany to Newark this past week and the light weight of the PowerBook made it an instant hit with me.
This thing ranks up there with sliced bread and the TV remote control.
A little more room on the hard drive is all I would ask for, but, with my SuperDrive, I can save large files quickly.
Apple Still Cant Get It Right [Posted on 2005-09-01]
I had a iBook 800mhz that the logicboard died and I could not get it fixed for free even though Apple said later there iBooks had this flaw and would only fix certain ones that had the correct serial numbers. I gave them another chance with the 12inch 1.33ghz laptop worked nice for awhile but now one whole column on the left side of the lcd screen is screwed up. It shows in that row a higher contrast so it looks funky. I baby my laptop also just for poeple to know that so this looks like a factory problem again. I have learned Apple laptops are nice but they may only last a year. You can risk on this one but I would stay away if you dont have the cash.
A great affordable investment & fun to use [Posted on 2005-10-15]
I purchased this 12" Powerbook 5 months ago. It wasn't the most recent model at the time, but it suited my needs. It still draws alot of attention whenever I use it in public. It is light weight and durable. To this day, no crashes. Airport Extreme works flawlessy where other wireless cards fail. Battery length is reasonable at a realistic 4 hours (A DVD movie is power intensive). No dead pixels -screen is still in great condition. I easily self installed additional ram, beefing it up to 768mb from the factory 256mb according to numerous reviews stating the factory installed memory was insufficient. The operating temperature of the laptop doesn't get excessively hot like other laptops. I spend more time on my powerbook now than i do reading books or watching TV.
Downside: Aluminum casing scratches easily. Poor audio capabilities (but then, invest in headphones!). USB ports on the left is incovenient for right-hand corded mouse users. It is also necssary to upgrade this from Panther to Tiger ($10 from Apple). Factory installed 256mb needs to be beefed up at least 512mb i you ant to avoid seeing the spinning ball of death.
Accessories to invest in: iSkin keyboard protector, a screen protector, and a good laptop sleeve (Booq is very reliable and sturdy). Don't waste your time purchasing a full size computer backpack or bag for this - it's overkill.
I'm taking a gamble purchasing this without applecare. Thanks to the forums and review sites like this, so far, so good. I highly recommend this product to any business person or student jumping into the Mac world for the first time.
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