Desktop To Go
Written: Jul 14 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Power, design, lots of extras.
Cons: Somewhat pricey
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| mikej165's Full Review: Apple PowerBook G3 (M7308LL/A) Mac Notebook |
I've had my Powerbook G3 for just under 1 year now and I still love it just as much as the day I opened the box and breathed in the aroma of freshly minted plastic. This is the second Macintosh that I've owned and it replaced my previous desktop G3. So well, in fact, did it perform as a replacement that this is now my primary computer. It will truly replace a desktop.
Since I purchased this machine last year, the model I'm reviewing is the 333Mhz unit with a 14.1" screen. Newer models are now available up to 500Mhz and include larger drives and Firewire connectivity (at the expense of a SCSI port). Also available on the new machines is wireless networking (which can be added to older models through 3rd-party providers like Farallon).
First, and most immediately apparent, is that the design of the unit is undeniably sexy. It isn't the smallest, lightest or most colorful machine on the market but it has curves in all the right places.
One of the the things that distinguishes this machine from other laptops is that it includes many features as standard that are termed 'optional' by other manufacturers. For example, this machine includes a built-in 56k modem and ethernet port. Since those are the two most oft-added features on a laptop, I find I have little use for the included PCMCIA slot, which is where most people stuff their modem and/or network card.
From the day I got it I have appreciated the bright, crisp active matrix display. Although it runs at a native 1024x768 in standard mode, the machine supports lower resolutions in a mode called 'resolution scaling.' What this means is when you are running a program that requires a lower resolution, like some games, the screen won't shrink into the center like it does on other laptops. The feature works surprisingly well.
Apple has always seemed to have a problem with getting the keyboards on their laptop computers just so. I've used several of them, most notably the Duo line, and they've usually been intolerably 'mushy.' - not so with the Powerbook G3. This keyboard is very close in feel to the IBM Thinkpad keyboards, which I regard as the Gold Standard in laptop keyboards. The spacing is not at all cramped and, after almost one year of solid use, the lettering shows no signs of wearing off. My only real complaints about the keyboard are a) the arrow keys are too small and too close together and, b) The function keys are too small. With this last point I should note that very few programs actually USE the function keys on a Macintosh, so this really isn't a problem.
The trackpad and mouse are smooth and reliable but, in truth, I rarely use either. When working at home I connect a USB mouse, which is significantly easier to use and more precise than the trackpad. This is no fault of the trackpad that Apple includes. It is simply a limitation of the trackpad technology itself.
Most important when considering the keyboard, trackpad, mouse button relationship is that they are positioned toward the screen, rather than away from it. This leaves a healthy-sized wrist resting spot which makes typing for long periods quite comfortable.
In terms of speed, all of Apple's G3 offerings compete most favorably when compared to Intel processors of nearly double the speed. This is due to the design advantages of Motorola's RISC architecture. The Powerbook G3 performs very well indeed. For most everyday work, the 333Mhz processor in my machine is more than ably suited to word processing, spreadsheets, Internet browsing, email and so forth. Tasks that might require more horsepower would include certain operations in Photoshop, encoding MP3s and a few web editors (Golive and Dreamweaver). This is not to say that this machine isn't up to the task, but more speed is something that would be noticed in those applications, whereas word processing won't really benefit from it.
My Powerbook originally came witha 4 Gig drive. While this was adequate for a time, I subsequently upgraded the drive to an IBM Travelstar 18Gig unit. So too did I upgrade the memory to 192Meg. This brings up an interesting point: memory and drive upgrades on this machine are very easy to perform - even if you're squeamish about such things. Two small latches at the top of the keyboard pull down and the the keyboard can easily be removed to expose the innards of the machine.
Another find feature of this computer is the 'media bay' architecture. What this mean is that there are compartments on the left and right sides of the 'book that allow you install extra batteries, hard drives, CDR burners, etc. For example, I have a 2nd battery for my machine which I use when traveling. To use it, I simply pop out the internal CD ROM drive from the right bay and pop in the battery. Simple - and I don't have to power down the machine to do it. Everything is hot-swappable.
The quality of Apple Technical Support that I have received has been very good. After using the machine for about 6 months, my internal CDROM unit failed. Apple sent a replacement unit (it pops in and out) to me immediately (via overnight service) and included a return box and label for the bad drive. I appreciate this kind of service and you receive 1 year of it when you purchase the machine. Your service agreement can be extended, at your option, for an additional two years at a cost of about $325. If you decide to keep your Powerbook past the 1-year warranty period, I would suggest you strongly consider purchasing the extended warranty.
Aside from the aforementioned trouble with the CDROM drive, the only problem I have had is with USB devices on this machine. For some reason, USB has proved problematic for Powerbooks. Problems still remain that can cause the machine to NOT sleep when certain devices are plugged in. I usually disconnect my USB hub before I put it to sleep, so I don't find it to be a huge problem. Even still, you should be aware that troubles do pop up with USB.
To summarize, I'm still in love with this machine after having used it exclusively for a year. In fact, I really haven't felt the need to upgrade to the newer versions simply because this machine does everything I need it to do and more. It is my desktop machine, it is my portable machine and I can't imagine ever buying another desktop computer again. Once you've cleared your desk of bulky system units and enormous monitors you really won't want to go back.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mikej165
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Member: Michael Johnston
Location: Long Island, New York
Reviews written: 23
Trusted by: 8 members
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