!7" ALubook Owners~ Post your CONS and PROS!

[Grokgod]

I am still on the fence on my Powerbook buying decision.
I would like to hear from all the lucky new Alubook owners after having used this new machine for a while.

Whats the LOWDOWN?

It is faster than the Ti , really?

DOes it run HOT, like its little sister the 12"?

Is she hard to handle round the curves, sometimes the bigger the cushion the better the pushing!?

Is the 970 around the corner gonna make this Alubook a very expensive food tray?

Lets get dirty and slap it around.

I wanna hear the CONS, the pros mght be obvious but I wanna hear some of that also.

[Chad4Mac]

Well, when performance is set to the highest setting, underneath the keyboard there is a sizzling sound. You really have to put your ear close to the keyboard to hear it, but the sound is there...doesn't bother me, though.

When I tried to do a Apple hardware test, and the disk wouldn't load. Apple says that it is the DVD disk they give with the computer that is causing the problem. They'll ship a new one out in a couple of weeks.

...ah...well, there aren't a lot of cases to buy for it yet. ...ah...ah, other than these things, I don't know. I am extremely happy with the machine.

It never gets hot like the Ti, the fan has yet to turn on, the screen is beautiful, the key board is great (major improvement), speakers rock, very speedy opening apps and moving around windows, etc., Great with iMovie and iDVD, tons of screen real estate, not to heavy, construction feels way more solid than the Ti, battery is good-to-great. I don't know, this thing is perfect for what I need. I was thinking about getting a desktop with a large screen, then this thing came out. Now I have got a low end PowerMac (which suites me great; I don't need a dually for what I do) with a 17in monitor that I can bring anywhere I want.

Coming from a Ti 667, this thing is platinum.

if you got the dough, and you want the best thing out there, go for it!

Chad4Mac

[Grokgod]

I have a Ti 800, so the perspective of moving from the Ti to the ALubook is of great interest to me.

Sizzling?? that sounds strange and irritating. I have a low tolerance to excess noises with computers, its the main reason that I use laptops only and will not but a tower till the fan situation is fixed!

I wonder where this sizzling is coming from?

So you are saying that the fan rarely comes on huh, thats great!

When it does come on, is there the dual fan system like the Ti?

Happy to hear thats its cooler than the Ti!

thanks

oh yea, i was thinking that it must be really ugly to have all the plugs coming out of the side of the case, what do you think?

[Chad4Mac]

The sizzling is not a big deal. You have to really put your ear right up next the keyboard to hear it. In order to hear it from a typing position, you got to have an extremely quite room. Really, it's not an issue.

Ya, man, I have even heard the fan(s) once! And I have done some intense rendering and all. Even burning a DVD it didn't come on. I'll read that there is blower though, and when it comes on, it really comes on. Haven't heard it though...

All the plugs aren't that bad. I'd even say that it's better to have the ports on the side. It's so much easier to plug ethernet cables in and out (you probably know what a pain it is to take an ethernet cable out of a Ti), power adapters, USBs, etc. Much, much easier.

Oh, one more thing. And this might be a thing that might piss you off. The speaker pop a lot. Apparently they go into sleep mode, and when they come back to life, they release a popping sounds. It's kind of bad, but I'm sure that there will be an fireware release soon. Ready not that bad though...

Chad4Mac

[Over Achiever]

Speedwise I can't compare to the ti.

Ports on the side, even tho' it may not look as nice, it's so much easier to plugg stuff in without reaching to the back.

Sizzling sound...seems to be from the motherboard, not really that noticible unless you really listen for it.

Speakers sound decent enough for me. The popping sound can be remedied by using a little app called KeepSoundAwake ... find it on www.versiontracker.com.

Size isn't bad at all...the keyboard feel is great. I don't think that it's pushed in too much at all.

The screen makes a mark on lower part of the computer if you squeeze the computer shut too hard. The included foam sheet works great to prevent that.

The fan does come on...running folding at home I see the fan come on every 10 minutes or so. It may be annoying to you...the fan pulsates. I find that it blends in the background easier that way.

[Chad4Mac]

Hey, Over.

Is the reason you can't compare the Ti to the 17in Al because they are too close to call? 167 bus doesn't make that much of a difference?

Also, what case do you use?
Chad4Mac

[Over Achiever]

No, it's because I don't own the ti, nor have I used a ti.

Sorry. :(

[Heart Break Kid]

My very first laptop is this baby. My very first mac is this baby - :) so my pros and cons?


Pros -

1. does what you tell it to when u tell it
2. attention getter
3. no more windows
4. beautiful
5. portable dvd-r
6. i edited an entire home movie on the flight from atlanta to toronto

Cons -
1. chicks check it out more then they do me
2. see above

[Jeffx342]

Pros:

1. very sleek looking
2. bluetooth built-in
3. large screen
4. pc people want it
5. powerful


Cons:

wtf was apple smoking why did they put
Geforce Go 440 that card is outdated!
damn the friggin 15Ti has a better card which supports Shaders f-u-c-k!

[mymemory]

Funny Powerbook in spanish is male "El Powerbok" "El iBook" because it is "El computador" o "El pórtatil".

You see, Powerbooks are male.

[Grokgod]

What makes a motherboard sizzle?
ham and eggs ?

Whats with the sensors?
Does it dim the screen and can it be controlled?

Oh that freaky plastic trim does it look like its the first thing to wear. wonder why it isnt one piece of metal there!

[tazo]

Originally posted by mymemory
Funny Powerbook in spanish is male "El Powerbok" "El iBook" because it is "El computador" o "El pórtatil".

You see, Powerbooks are male.

isnt it la computadora? what do i know i just have taken 3.5 years of spanish

[MacCoaster]

Originally posted by tazo
isnt it la computadora? what do i know i just have taken 3.5 years of spanish
la computadora is Latin-American Spanish.
el ordenador is Spanish Spanish.

However, (most) Latin languages just have a masculinity assumption to products, same is with French.

Le PowerBook (The PowerBook)
Les PowerBook (The PowerBooks, yes, in French, they don't have the s at the end for proper names, it's assumed from "les").

Le PowerMac, Les PowerMac, etc.

[Grimace]

Pros:
1. Incredible display
2. Very lightweight
3. 2x Superdrive is fantastic
4. Firewire 400/800 & Dual USB ports
5. The ports on the side really do make things easier.
6. Bluetooth and Airport Extreme are nice if you can take advantage of those options.
7. Silent operation - no crackling or buzzing.
Cons:
1. It is 2 inches wider than the 15" and a tad bit heavier
2. Occasional popping sound from speakers, not very loud.
3. 2 Hour battery life

Regarding the size - it's a portable desktop - not an ultra-portable. Gauge how often you would travel with it and decide whether the size bump is a problem. Some people might not like to carry it around for everyday use - I think it's just fine.

[Grimace]

If you want a fantastic (really) case for the 17" - check out:

http://www.willow-design.com/WillowAppleCatPORT.html#17Powerbook

I got the Mission Light case. I have a 15" case too and it is almost the same thickness and length. This case is very well engineered not to be bulky or overly large/heavy. I carried it around on a trip for a week and it was no problem at all.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by carletonmusic
3. 2 Hour battery life

OUCH! is it really that bad? i get about 3 from my tibook, with the brightness high; if i lower it, i can ger 3.5 or more. man, that would stink.

[Grimace]

Sorry, it's actually about 2 hours and 45 minutes on full blast - everything running.

[JohnStrass]

Originally posted by mymemory
Funny Powerbook in spanish is male "El Powerbok" "El iBook" because it is "El computador" o "El pórtatil".

You see, Powerbooks are male.

Actually , computer in Spanish is "ordenador", still male though. When I was in Alto Orinoco, I did not lecure my colleagues on correct spanish, though... ;)

[shakespeare]

Originally posted by Jeffx342

wtf was apple smoking why did they put
Geforce Go 440 that card is outdated!
damn the friggin 15Ti has a better card which supports Shaders f-u-c-k!

Is that true? Is the 17-inch PowerBook's graphics card worthless?

[Backtothemac]

Originally posted by Jeffx342
15Ti has a better card which supports Shaders f-u-c-k!

Please do not try to beat the word sensors by doing things like adding dashes to profanity. This is a public site, and there is no need for that in order to communicate your feelings.

[rickvanr]

Originally posted by carletonmusic
Pros:

3. 2x Superdrive is fantastic



2x superdrive since when? apple's page says its a 1x and its the same drive as the 15 tibook's

clarification would be great...

[scem0]

Size is both a pro and a con. But it is an awesome computer.
Battery life seems to be a big con.

[orangefoodie]

Words don't do justice to the sexiness of this computer, which also happens to be my first mac :D It is quite big, bigger than you realise it is when you play with it in the Apple Store.

Though, I have the same sizzling (quite noticeable in complete silence) as well as the fan making really obnoxiously loud pulsating noises (which only turns on when I'm doing some heavy-duty compling), like a turbine whirring up and then slipping on its gears. Is that normal? I'm thinking of maybe contacting Apple about it...

[Chad4Mac]

Originally posted by carletonmusic
If you want a fantastic (really) case for the 17" - check out:

http://www.willow-design.com/WillowAppleCatPORT.html#17Powerbook

I got the Mission Light case. I have a 15" case too and it is almost the same thickness and length. This case is very well engineered not to be bulky or overly large/heavy. I carried it around on a trip for a week and it was no problem at all.

Yea, I like this one. Did you buy on line? How was the service? any problems?

Did anyone notice the power button on the 17in is on the left side of the computer, not the right...

Chad4Mac

[Wano]

Pros:
Size and brightness of screen
Feel of Keyboard
Lit up Keyboard
Really fast
Video editing is great on it
Is compatible with everything I have plugged in so far
Quiet
Great sturdy feel
Awesome speakers
Looks great

Cons:
Callculation of battery time confuses me(it's always changing)
iMovie has quit on me twice in two days

[shakespeare]

Yeah, I just got mine too, and the speakers were definitely the biggest surprise. They sound as good as the Pro Speakers - at least in the ears of this graphic designer.

[maradong]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
Yea, I like this one. Did you buy on line? How was the service? any problems?

Did anyone notice the power button on the 17in is on the left side of the computer, not the right...

Chad4Mac

look closer to the image, actually the imac is on the right side of the screen not on the left, i suppose they just rotated the image by 180 degres...
Nothing special.

[Grimace]

I ordered the 17" case online and had no problems. I thought it might take a while coming from Canada, but they only use UPS (nominal shipping charge) and it actually arrived a day earlier than expected. Very lightweight, yet sturdy enough to take a beating on the road.

And yes, the entire picture has a flipped exposure - notice the X - + buttons are on the wrong side of the browser and all of the images and words are flipped.

[Chad4Mac]

aaaahhhh, I see.

I think I'll order one of those bags today.

Chad4Mac

[DrGonzo]

Originally posted by Grokgod
What makes a motherboard sizzle?
ham and eggs ?


no not ham and eggs, ham and eggs don't sizzle by themselves. I'm guessing that the low "sizzling" sound is from the heatpipes in the laptop. liquid to gas to transfer heat.

[tazo]

Originally posted by MacCoaster
la computadora is Latin-American Spanish.
el ordenador is Spanish Spanish.

However, (most) Latin languages just have a masculinity assumption to products, same is with French.

Le PowerBook (The PowerBook)
Les PowerBook (The PowerBooks, yes, in French, they don't have the s at the end for proper names, it's assumed from "les").

Le PowerMac, Les PowerMac, etc.

that would make sense since i am being taught mexican spanish :D

[Grokgod]

Has anyone here that has a 17 inch Alubook have any trouble with the lid?

Opening or closing it, or with the latch?
Or the hinge?

There has been recent developements about a possible defect on the 17".
The gentleman that runs MacNet bought a Alubook.

And after trying to open it the LCD cracked in many places and claims that it was defective.

Does anyone have any similar problems.

[Grimace]

I haven't had any problems with the lid - it is so light for such a large screen.

People have had random mishaps with the 17" - dead pixels here, broken hinges there. I haven't heard of any design flaws that have affected all Powerbooks other than the speakers popping when coming out of sleep mode.

[Grokgod]

It seems that some people are saying the the manner in which the LCd's are placed into the framework and the New HInge
design are not very user friendly.

That the Hinge and LAtch can cause soem difficulty in opening and if you force it, it can shatter the LCD.

I wonder how many more of these stories will turn up during th enext few weeks or is it a singularity?