Rating: 
Summary: Excellent features in a compact Powerhouse
Review: Ah, the Powerbook. For many years, Apple's version of what a laptop computer should be. Then they created "consumer level" ibooks and the Powerbook was elevated to a status of Pro machines (which it always was). There used to be only a couple models (remember Pismo?). Then the Titanium wonder that shocked the portable world. Now, Apple has 3 different sized Powerbooks with various models inbetween those sizes. The compact little gem is the subject here. This is one of the finest Macs I have ever used. The weight is so light. The aluminum case is amazing. The slot load Superdrive which burns either CD's or DVD's is elegant compared to slide out trays that risk being damaged. The keyboard feels amazing. I could go on and on. Battery life I have gotten has ranged in the 4 hour range...excellent for a G4 equipped laptop. ALthough 256MB of RAM seems rather low, it surprisingly does well (Though I did add a 512mb module later, and watched performance grow). The power adapter itself has hooks to wrap the cord around (though admittedly, the old doughnut design was better looking). The 12" Powerbook is an excellent piece of hardware for those looking to tote a laptop. Two Thumbs Up!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent features in a compact Powerhouse
Review: Ah, the Powerbook. For many years, Apple's version of what a laptop computer should be. Then they created "consumer level" ibooks and the Powerbook was elevated to a status of Pro machines (which it always was). There used to be only a couple models (remember Pismo?). Then the Titanium wonder that shocked the portable world. Now, Apple has 3 different sized Powerbooks with various models inbetween those sizes. The compact little gem is the subject here. This is one of the finest Macs I have ever used. The weight is so light. The aluminum case is amazing. The slot load Superdrive which burns either CD's or DVD's is elegant compared to slide out trays that risk being damaged. The keyboard feels amazing. I could go on and on. Battery life I have gotten has ranged in the 4 hour range...excellent for a G4 equipped laptop. ALthough 256MB of RAM seems rather low, it surprisingly does well (Though I did add a 512mb module later, and watched performance grow). The power adapter itself has hooks to wrap the cord around (though admittedly, the old doughnut design was better looking). The 12" Powerbook is an excellent piece of hardware for those looking to tote a laptop. Two Thumbs Up!
Rating: 
Summary: Question about Powerbook G4 12 inch
Review: Dear Powerbook users,
On the 12 inch G4 1 GHZ...is the heat that it generates really a problem? I get really annoyed with hot laptops...I'm a college student and I usually sit for hours on my desktop typing up papers and what not. However, I really do like the design, speed, and portability of this powerbook. I'm also considering the ibook G4...Let me know what you pros out there think..Thanks :)
Rating:
Summary: Question about Powerbook G4 12 inch
Review: Dear Powerbook users,
On the 12 inch G4 1 GHZ...is the heat that it generates really a problem? I get really annoyed with hot laptops...I'm a college student and I usually sit for hours on my desktop typing up papers and what not. However, I really do like the design, speed, and portability of this powerbook. I'm also considering the ibook G4...Let me know what you pros out there think..Thanks :)
Rating:
Summary: Great machine, with caveats....
Review: Ditto all of the lauditory comments of my esteemed colleagues here on the review page, with a few additional comments. AppleCare is a must since the "logic board" of MACs are notorious for going down. The plan is $300 additonal cost for a three year policy, and you absolutely have to have it (you may buy it during the first year after purchase). The shipping protocol of the computer is excellent, with prepaid shipping containers sent to you, but Apple will charge you an additional $50 to save your hard drive data in the event that it must be replaced, a cost that should not obtain in my judgement given the expense of the add-on policy. The quality of the call-in help line varies (as they all do with PCs), but it's necessary, particularly for PC defectors like me. Lastly, if you have a problem with the enormous heat generated by the unit, get an 11" x 14" zip folder at Staples or Office Depot to place under the unit and also to carry/protect it. And you will carry this unit since this is a truly portable computer with a 3 to 4 hour battery time (my old SONY Vaio pooped out after 40 minutes - it's like a dinasaur next to the PowerBook). Plus, truly amazingly, you can edit video and burn DVDs that work simply great on a home DVD machine. Unbelieveable.
Rating:
Summary: Great machine, with caveats....
Review: Ditto all of the lauditory comments of my esteemed colleagues here on the review page, with a few additional comments. AppleCare is a must since the "logic board" of MACs are notorious for going down. The plan is $300 additonal cost for a three year policy, and you absolutely have to have it (you may buy it during the first year after purchase). The shipping protocol of the computer is excellent, with prepaid shipping containers sent to you, but Apple will charge you an additional $50 to save your hard drive data in the event that it must be replaced, a cost that should not obtain in my judgement given the expense of the add-on policy. The quality of the call-in help line varies (as they all do with PCs), but it's necessary, particularly for PC defectors like me. Lastly, if you have a problem with the enormous heat generated by the unit, get an 11" x 14" zip folder at Staples or Office Depot to place under the unit and also to carry/protect it. And you will carry this unit since this is a truly portable computer with a 3 to 4 hour battery time (my old SONY Vaio pooped out after 40 minutes - it's like a dinasaur next to the PowerBook). Plus, truly amazingly, you can edit video and burn DVDs that work simply great on a home DVD machine. Unbelieveable.
Rating:
Summary: The 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. 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: Macking301
Review: I got my new Powerbook in January and it is just as advertised. The fit and finish are perfect; the speed is V8 (zoom zoom) all the way. I owned a iBook before this new Powerbook and loved it except for the keyboard and the speed. Remember that the iBook is much less money and does not offer a DVD burner. If the power does not grab you, the quality and overall competence of this machine will win you over. Panther (OSX.3) is rock stable, I added memory and am using it for DVD movies and digital imaging which all works perfectly. If I had one complaint it would be that the battery last longer than the 3 1/2 hours I am getting burning this machine up. If you own any small laptop, you would do well to take a look at this baby. Its small and strong-really strong and rock solid! The screen, the app's and the weight are simply unbeatable. What will the boys at APPLE do next? Anything seems possible at this point!
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!!!
Review: I have owned over 20 macs in my 12 years of Macintosh consulting and development.. This is the best Mac yet. I just sold my 15" TiBook to get this 12" Aluminum/1ghz/DVDR model. I can't put it down. The screen seemed small - until I used it. No problem there at all. I do a lot of digital photography and programming and the 12 inch PowerBook is THE MACHINE!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Laptop:
Review: I just recived this laptop for my birthday, and god, it is perfect. The PowerBook 12'' has more power than all but desktop replacements, and greater portability than almost every other computer. Equiped with one of the fastest Apple processers, a DVD burner, and a large hard drive (I got 60 gb), you cannot lose with this package. Amazon offers good deals, but if your a student like me, the apple store for education (go to www.store.apple.com and click on education may be a better choce) every computer is $200 dollars off the normal price. One other thing a buyer should know before purchasing; If you are comparing with the 12'' iBook, be sure to compare it in real life. The iBook is much less rigid and feels much cheaper. Also, the new G4 iBook is much slower (processer) than the PowerBook than the processer speed would suggest, if you dont need the speed, consider the iBook. If your editing video or music, choose PowerBook.
-Alex Parker
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