Product Description

Apple Computer POWERBOOK G4-800 MHZ 40GB 512MB 15.2 WIDE CDRW/DVD GB ENET FIREWIRE AirPort Card

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6320 in Personal Computers
• Brand: Apple
• Model: M8859LL/A
• Platform: Mac OS X
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 13.40" w x 9.50" l, 5.40 pounds
• CPU: PowerPC G4 1 GHz
• Memory: 512MB SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 60GB
• Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB
• Processors: 1
• Networking: 10/100/100Base-T Ethernet
• Battery type: Lithium Ion
• Native resolution: 1280-by-854
• Display size: 15.2
• Included Software: QuickTime, iMovie 2, iTunes(6), Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook Express, Netscape Communicator, FAXstf, and Palm Desktop, Apple Hardware Test CD; complete setup, learning, and reference documentation; and limited warranty; and 30 days of free Internet service through EarthLink.

Features

• Apple Computer POWERBOOK G4-800 MHZ 40GB 512MB 15.2 WIDE CDRW/DVD GB ENET FIREWIRE AirPort Card

Amazon.com Product Description
Early Adopters Pick: November 2002. Aimed at the portable video editing market, Apple’s first SuperDrive-equipped laptop (DVD-R/CD-RW) comes loaded with iDVD software to burn DVDs, iTunes to burn your own music CDs, and a 15.2-inch-wide screen.

In keeping with Apple's goal of providing a convenient technological hub to accommodate the modern Mac user's digital lifestyle, the newest PowerBook G4 with SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) comes loaded with iDVD software and can be used to burn DVDs that can be played in most consumer DVD players. The SuperDrive also lets you use iTunes to burn your own music CDs and the Disc Burner feature in Mac OS X to burn data CDs. They've kept the sleek exterior as stunning as ever, but on the inside is a whole new architecture: faster PowerPC G4 processors, powerful new graphics capabilities, more RAM, and the world's most advanced operating system combine to deliver off-the-charts performance.

Inside is a screamingly fast 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor with Velocity Engine and 1 MB of on-chip level 2 cache running at the same speed as the processor. The cache adds high-speed, short-term memory that boosts system performance by providing quick access to data and instructions en route to the processor. In other words, it adds up to wicked-fast performance.

The unit comes with 512 MB of RAM, expandable to 1 GB of RAM--twice the capacity of most full-featured portables on the market. This lets you run several RAM-hungry applications simultaneously or store an entire graphics project in main memory for fast image manipulations. Its 60 GB hard disk uses the high-speed Ultra ATA/66 interface, which enables video professionals to quickly transfer large video files in real time directly from a DV camcorder.

This PowerBook has all the subtle refinements and esthetic touches that made it the most coveted full-featured notebook computer on the planet: 1-inch thickness, 5.4-pound weight, five-hour battery, AirPort, 15.2-inch megawide screen, and pure-grade titanium body. The system also features an ATI Mobility Radeon graphics accelerator and 32 MB of Double Data Rate (DDR) video memory.

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Customer Reviews

Thinking of switching, but not sure about Mac laptops?
I travel a lot. I need to be connected. I need to be able to do my work on the road. I've been a Windows user for most of my adult life. I've used various Windows laptops over the years. I've seen and used friends' G4 towers and iMacs. I liked using Mac OS X. But I wasn't sure about a Powerbook. Would it be portable and powerful enough?

Then my best friend got one from his employer, and was utterly enraptured. I spent a weekend using his PowerBook, and bought my own matching one as soon as I got home.

The 15" display is gorgeous. Unlike many Windows laptops (especially the ThinkPad I use for work), it is readable from many angles. I often use my PowerBook to watch DVDs. For my Windows laptop, it is hard to position it so that two people sitting next to each other (such as on an airplane) can both see it. With my PowerBook, I never have to worry about that. Besides the fantastic viewing angle, its rendering of colour is very life-like.

The weight of the PowerBook is great. For such a fully-featured laptop, the weight is very light. I carry it all the time and never find myself cursing it for being so heavy.

I use the following applications on my PowerBook regularly: FrameMaker, Photoshop, Toast with Jam, Quicken and The Sims (hey, I can't work all the time!). During normal use, I usually have FrameMaker, a couple of web browser windows, ICQ (an instant messenging program), iCal, and Mail. I never have to wait for it to swap between applications like I do on my Windows laptop.

Since OS X is Unix-based, an experienced Linux or Unix user can simply open a terminal and do all of the command line stuff you know so well. I even run XWindows on my PowerBook. I love having a nice-looking GUI for some tasks (such as FrameMaker), but still having the power of lex, yacc, and all of my favourite Unix tools. Apache is already installed, I didn't have to muck about with getting Perl working. And I've never had my PowerBook show me the Blue Screen of Death, whereas I get that about once a week on my Windows laptop.

My PowerBook just works. I can troubleshoot Windows problems with the best of them. But with my PowerBook, I never have to bother. It took three firmware upgrades before my Windows laptop would recognise my wireless network. The first time I turned my PowerBook on, it found my wireless network immediately. I didn't have to bother configuring anything. Any device that I have added has been similarly trivial to set up.

I don't think that I could be happier with my PowerBook. I am extremely happy that I made the switch. Using Windows is now even more of an annoyance than it was before I knew better.

The best computer money can buy!
My 15" Powerbook G4 has lived up to every one of my expectations and more. I'm a teacher that uses both Windows and Mac computers on a regular basis. It wasn't until I had a chance to use OS X that I decided to purchase a new Mac laptop.

I already owned one of the original iMacs, but that computer is starting to show its age. The computer that I used the most regularly is the PC that I built for my wife last spring (AMD Athlon XP 1800 running Windows XP Pro). That computer has served us well, but like every other windows machine I've ever used, it has major software problems. Here's the defining reason to buy a Mac over a PC. Apple integrates their software into their hardware designs. Microsoft on the other hand has very limited control over the hardware design of computer manufacturers. Thus, Windows tends to have more issues with hardware/software conflicts. Once you try OS X and all of Apples applications (iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, iDVD, Safari), you will realize that the power of this Powerbook is at the heart of its software.

I have yet to see a PC laptop that can match the elegance of the Powerbook G4 and the sophistication of OS X. Sony comes close, but they will remain one step behind as long as their computers run Windows.

On the other hand, my Powerbook and OS X is completely flawless. This laptop, like every other that I've ever used, gets quite toasty on your lap after you using for 30+ minutes. There's a simple fix for this though. I just put a blanket or a pillow underneath the computer when I use it on my lap. Other than that, I have "0" complaints. The screen is beautiful. The 1GHz processor makes computer "feel" quite snappy. And the built-in DVD-RW, paired with iDVD, is awesome!

My best advice for anyone considering the purchase of this Powerbook is to test it at an Apple Store, borrow one from a friend, or just buy it. You won't regret it!

Best computer Ive ever owned, but here's a few warnings
1) Beware of paint chipping off the white trim. The 12" and 17" models dont have this white trim because of this very problem.
2) The power supply that comes with it is poorly designed. If you spool the thin powercord around the hinged arms on the white box, you can easily wear right through the wire within a year's use.
3) The power supply also can easily break at the "head" (where the light changes from green to orange to indicate charging status). I am very ginger with it now, making sure I remove it sparingly and if so, slowly.
4) A replacement power supply which you can only buy from Apple will cost you [$$]. Other power supplies, although they may look the same, will not work with the PBG4. Talk about monopoly.

* word of advice if you still decide to buy this great computer: put a cheesecloth or papertowel over the keyboard when you have the Powerbook closed. Natural dirt from the keys will get on the screen, leaving marks that a friend of mine described as a chromosome map.

Overall: a wonderful computer. I carry it everywhere I go in my backpack.