Rating: 
Summary: Pros and Cons
Review: As a computer, this machine is horrible. It's so hot that I was able to cook a three-course meal on it. Unfortunately, that ruined my computer. On the bright side, I'm now an assistant chef at the award winning Chez Amour on Bourbon Street in New Orleans!
Rating: 
Summary: First Class Computer -- Need Upgrades for Support
Review: As other reviewers have stated, the hardware itself is great. The computer is visually stunning. And the OS is rock-solid and user-friendly.Some people have complained about the size for traveling. It's about as small as a 17" computer could be -- but if you are sitting in coach and the person in front of you reclines their seat, it's hard to use. (Get the 12" if you think this might be a problem for you.) Finally, a word on Apple service. I had some problems with this computer and needed to send it back to Apple several times -- which is a bad thing. On the other hand, I finally reached Roberto, a Powerbook specialist in AppleCare, who was understanding and expedited my repair -- which is a good thing. 4-stars -- would have been 5-stars except for the hardware problems.
Rating: 
Summary: FANTASTIC laptop but has some minor quirks
Review: Greetings all, the other review by Sherrila Levin for this item is inappropriate and overzealous (I'm a die-hard Mac fan). Make no mistake this is a PHENOMENAL computer yet there are some buts... In a nutshell:
PROS:
- You're walking around with 17" gorgeous object of envy that has a stunning display great for games, DVDs, doing PhotoShop/Illustrator work, etc. The great screen ratio is perfect for design apps with palettes, toolbars and the like.
- For a laptop, GREAT sounding speakers
- Backlit keyboard: Nifty little feature that is best when you have it plugged in. Otherwise, works well, but is an added drain on the battery when going mobile. Though, the AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR that adjusts screen brightness and backlight is AWESOME when it fades in to let you know it's working.
- Usual suspects of big hard drive, fast processor, pretty snazzy 3d card, lots of ports, DVD & CD BURNER and loads of RAM make for a REALLY AGILE portable workhorse.
- It's always great owning something where you can see the designers put oodles of love and obsession to detail.
- Slot loading drive (has no breakable moving doors)
- Does not generate heat like previous G3 models or earlier G4s CONS (Few and almost trivial, but worth noting for the uninitiated):
- 6.8 pounds isn't the lightest thing in the world if you're lugging it around on one shoulder
- Shell is slightly soft and gives way to some small body damage easily (I accidentally dropped mine on the corner from about 1.5 ft off the ground - now have a nice ding. Other users/reviewers have also mentioned this issue as well). Just don't be as klutzy as me and you should be fine. Hope this helps.
Rating:
Summary: Best computer I've ever owned
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Best Laptop Ever Made!!!
Review: I don't know what more I can add to all of these great reviews but believe the hype!!! this is one AWESOME laptop! I'll just make a list of why I love it --- forgive me if it comes off with any irrationality --- 1. Portability ---- seriously, feel free to laugh, but this laptop really is portable....... yes, it can get heavy (by the end of the day) but it really is comparable, if not lighter, than most laptops available......... I commend Apple for doing such a great job on actually making this computer portable enough to throw in a backpack and take with you 2. The Widescreen 17" screen!!! gosh this screen is beautiful! Sometimes I find myself using a smaller computer and I can't stand it ---- I've officialy been spoiled! Even 15" widescreens won't do anymore! 3. Keyboard ---- there's something special about this keyboard - its pretty cool 4. Speed ---- Apple gets knocked around a lot for its speed, but seriously, the G4 in this thing really handles things greatly! I highly recommend 1 gig of RAM, for the ultimate speed and stability ----- this thing will run Final Cut Pro, Garage Band, OS X, all of those programs, greatly! Take my word for it ---- no probs at all! 5. Stablity ---- this is more of a software thing, but OS X is such a great OS!!! Never freezes, never crashes ------ I have five different apps open right now (Safari, AOL, Preview, MS Word, and iTunes) and the speed isn't slowing down one bit! 6. Output options ----- were talking Firewire, Firewire 800, USB, DVI, best of all, SVIDEO and AUDIO output ---- making it VERY easy to connect this baby to a nice TV!!! its pretty freaking cool I don't know what else to say ---- buy it! IT ROCKS for those of you afraid to switch, let me give you reasons why --- - Microsoft Office on OS X (which works better here than it does on XP) - Final Cut Pro (better than any Windoze editing system) - All Adobe apps available here - All Macromedia apps available here did I forget anything?
Rating: 
Summary: Good system, a few complaints
Review: I got this Powerbook for my wife and I got a new desktop system. I just have a few complaints about this PB: Poor battery life - we only get about 1 hour of use if we are using it. If it's sitting idle the batter last longer, but what good is that? Flimsy case - it's pretty, but we've already scratched it twice and there is a crack on the bottom. This isn't covered by the warranty, but if they are going to use cheap cases they shouldn't charge so much. Things I love - the screen is very nice and I like having a big hard drive. (Despite what people say the drive isn't all that loud so go for a big hard drive.)
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Desktop replacement
Review: I just purchased the newest Powerbook G4 with a stunning 17" display, a blazing fast 1.33GhZ processor and I just haven't been able to put it down. This computer is as well packaged as it is designed. The screen is bright and beautiful. The trackpad is responsive and large enough for even the biggest or the smallest of the hands to use. It has a CD and a DVD burner and not to mention Wireless capabilities built right in it. The coolest new feature I have to say would be the sensor controlled illuminated keyboard that just amazes the heck out of me.The machine is the fastest I have owned and with OS X Panther -- this laptop leaves the rest behind.
The only drawback is the price which for some people might be a bit over the top, but considering the product you are getting it is well worth it.
An absolute must buy.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Desktop replacement
Review: I just purchased the newest Powerbook G4 with a stunning 17" display, a blazing fast 1.33GhZ processor and I just haven't been able to put it down. This computer is as well packaged as it is designed. The screen is bright and beautiful. The trackpad is responsive and large enough for even the biggest or the smallest of the hands to use. It has a CD and a DVD burner and not to mention Wireless capabilities built right in it. The coolest new feature I have to say would be the sensor controlled illuminated keyboard that just amazes the heck out of me.The machine is the fastest I have owned and with OS X Panther -- this laptop leaves the rest behind.
The only drawback is the price which for some people might be a bit over the top, but considering the product you are getting it is well worth it.
An absolute must buy.
Rating:
Summary: Great laptop...one thing i hate
Review: I personally love this laptop....it's the best i've seen. 1.33ghz. Great speed. Lots of memory and love the Airport Extreme. One thing I don't like is the case. Your fingerprints will show like crazy but, don't worry about that..It's still good. I'm already burning movies in the first month. Love the Garageband, iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD. Great stuff comes with this computer. I just preorded Microsoft Office v. X. I'm sure I'll love it. Anyway, overall...I give this computer 4-stars. If the case was better...5 ALL THE WAY. P.S. Be sure to get the extended warrenty...you may need it. My 800mhz iMac just broke and I was 2 days away from my policy expiration date. Good thing i kept the receipt.
Rating:
Summary: Best machine on the market
Review: I run a large number of operating systems on my PowerBook 17, both because I am fascinated by operating systems and environments, and also because a lot of my professional work is and has been in this area (in other words, I legitimately need to run quite a few of these systems). It is helpful to think of the setup as an "iPod of Operating Systems" - I use a portable external FireWire drive that contains all the systems. I run 61 Operating systems on this thing, unmatchable.
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