Apple Australia is shipping my custom Powerbook

[OziMac]

Aswitcher,

Been reading your posts since you ordered the PB the first time. I really hope you get it tomorrow and that it's in good nick and that it is worth all the trouble.

All the best.

 

[Flowbee]

Bottom line, PB tomorrow...well at least thats the latest story...

Just know that when you finally have your Powerbook and all is well, people all over the world will be celebrating.

 

[aswitcher]

Just know that when you finally have your Powerbook and all is well, people all over the world will be celebrating.

And a new day (day 45) begins...will this be the day of switching...

 

[eni]

"Today at 05:42 AM" Can you really call that day? -_-

Well as everyone has said, good luck with your replacement! You would hope they'd somehow check DOA replacements aren't....DOA, so you should be fine...you'd hope!

Bought UT2004 for my 15" yesterday, been having a great time. Hope you are (today?) too!

 

[Ozi]

eni im desperately wanting UT2004... does it run good on your pBook? i have the same model. Also, which store did you buy it from?

 

[aswitcher]

OMG it's here! It's actually in my hands. It appears to be working! Case is fine. Screen is perfect. No stuffed pixels. Checking it out right now. Further report when I give it a good thrashing to make sure everything works. Loading UT2K4 as part of my methodical scientific testing regime

Thanks to all for all the support through this sticky switch...

 

[eni]

OMG it's here! It's actually in my hands. It appears to be working! Case is fine. Screen is perfect. No stuffed pixels. Checking it out right now. Further report when I give it a good thrashing to make sure everything works. Loading UT2K4 as part of my methodical scientific testing regime

Thanks to all for all the support through this sticky switch...

That's Great! Honestly, I am so relieved for you. Hope everything keeps checking out. Haha, sticky switch is right...well, massive understatement but anyway.


UT2004 post next.

 

[eni]

eni im desperately wanting UT2004... does it run good on your pBook? i have the same model. Also, which store did you buy it from?

Though perfecting it is perhaps a bit of a balancing act (which I haven't done yet as I'm quite busy getting ready for uni finals) it seems to run quite well (imo). I've been running it on highest everything that it will let me set on second highest res (1152x768 @ 32bit - which unlike at least some of the lower ones gives you widescreen perspective) just to test it out, and although it is noticeably slower in frame rate and pauses from time to time on more detailed maps, it is still playable. Those frame drops go away at lower settings, but as I said I haven't had time to tweak them to the best for Silver ).

As I have no time and I was there anyway, I just bought it at apple centre... Broadway I think? Probably could get it cheeper or something elsewhere but I don't care at the moment. (Edit: Oh, it was $89.95 there. Which is worth it to have kept my sanity these last two nights).

(Edit: Just wanted to say, obviously it doesn't run perfectly completely maxed out on everything, but for a laptop it seems very good to me.)

Anybody have halo for these new pbs? How does it run real world realistically (like, not the completely maxed out benchmarks on some sites). Is it worth getting for someone who hasn't played it before?

 

[eni]

Three posts in a row?? Wow..
Anyone seen this? http://www.apple.com.au/airportexpress/ Maybe everyone has but I just saw it for the first time.

Isn't exactly off topic since I'm about to put wireless in (mainly for net). Just have to work out what to get (cable probably, which isp? + netgear or apple or other? yeah, you know the problems) as I've never dealt with one before. Apple adds another option, haha. Just what I need

 

[Ozi]

yeah I have halo (and will now buy UT2004, as my computer should run it no probs! )

Halo report:

It is widely regarded to have been a crappy porting from a Microsoft product onto Macs. The XBox to PC port is a lot better than the XBox to Mac port, and subsequently, it doesnt run too great.

I run it on 800x600 resolution, with vertex shaders (but NOT ATI pixel rendering) with High detail levels, 2x FSAA, low particles (ie sparks, flames) and no specular and no shadows. The FPS is around 25 and can drop to a noticeably bad level in heavy combat scenarios.

With my pretty awesome laptop (the only way it could be better is if I put another Gig of RAM into it) a game like Halo should run pretty damn awesome. However, it simply doesnt. I have finished the game, and it is lots of fun: great story line, involving characters, fun action and vehicles to use; but the reality is that the experience is not as good as it should be on a mac with my specs. This inevidably means that the beauty of HALO cannot be as properly portrayed on my computer, and thats a little disappointing.

So I had fun playing it, but overall I am dismayed at how poorly it runs on my top of the line pBook.

~ozi

 

[Ozi]

oh and ASWITCHER, I am so happy it finally got here for you. It has been a long and frustrating journey for you, and I really truly hope there will be no more problems, just Apple loving goodness.

Let us all know when you have been using it for a bit how u are going!

 

[aussie_geek]

Houston,'Tranquility Base here.. The eagle has landed'

OMG it's here! It's actually in my hands. It appears to be working! Case is fine. Screen is perfect. No stuffed pixels. Checking it out right now. Further report when I give it a good thrashing to make sure everything works. Loading UT2K4 as part of my methodical scientific testing regime

Thanks to all for all the support through this sticky switch...

Thats one small step for Mac, one giant leap for aswitcher..

Congratulations mate - welcome to the new world of Macintosh!!!

aussie_geek

 

[aus_dave]

OMG it's here! It's actually in my hands. It appears to be working! Case is fine. Screen is perfect. No stuffed pixels. Checking it out right now. Further report when I give it a good thrashing to make sure everything works. Loading UT2K4 as part of my methodical scientific testing regime

Thanks to all for all the support through this sticky switch...

Good to hear! I'm sure Apple customer service will be happy your sig has changed to something more positive .

Look forward to hearing more about how you are finding the new machine.

 

[yinyang]

just spent the last hour and a half reading through this entire thread and i hope aswitcher, that your 17" PB is really doing well, and that the real switching journey can begin

i too am looking at getting a PB, though it'll be a 15". my only question at the moment is for those that went from one mac machine to another...did you reload all your apps etc, or did you copy them from the old mac to the newer mac. i just saw that the new g5s have a really useful tool called 'system migration'.

amyway well done to aswitcher for persevereing and i hope (just like everyone else) that you're enjoying your new pb - maybe you should call her 'patience' LOL!

 

[aswitcher]

Hey all.

Well its day two as a Mac owner. Still finding my way around but I am having a ball.

My machine seems faultless!

Everything seems to work. A few things took a bit of figuring out but with google, my books and random button pressing I seem to be ontop of things. Still got a bunch of stuff to test out.

I still have to transfer my life from my PC but hopefully that wont be to hard. Synching my palm might be a little tricker from what I have read. We shall see. .Mac is pretty fab although I am hardly using any disk space yet. I just bought the full version of quicktime as well so I can save and show off all the great movie previews.

What I really need now is some great quicktime mac demo movies like those in the apple stores so I can really show off what this machine and OSX can do.

 

[eni]

Hey aswitcher, great to hear everything's going well so far.

From another switcher (well, switcher back), if when you're transferring your life ove involves a lot of music (...I think I recall you saying you had a useless ipod because of the DOA) and you haven't been using iTunes (probably have but I hadn't before my powerbook), one thing that I found counter intuitive from the windows world was it makes a copy of your files you drag into it and does all the organising for you. Of course this makes complete sense, but initially I found I made a few folders to sort things manually before I realised iTunes does it for you. Just a tip you probably know, but if you didn't it'll save a lot of time just dragging your files from your pc to your powerbook and dropping them on iTunes and just walking around the room a few times (gotta love ethernet).

 

[aswitcher]

Hey aswitcher, great to hear everything's going well so far.

Well the only real problem switching has been transfering files from my win98 machine. I spent 5 hours yesterday trying to get them to network. No success except I know they data was moving I couldn't get one to properly mount the other. Its probably a simple issue but I am not sure what exactly...

 

[Flowbee]

Well the only real problem switching has been transfering files from my win98 machine. I spent 5 hours yesterday trying to get them to network.

Don't feel too bad. I had a tough time networking my Mac with my XP machine, which is supposed to be 'easy.' I'm still not sure exactly what I did to finally get it to work. (Connecting my Macs, on the other hand, has always been completely painless.) Keep searching the web and these forums for tips. Trial and error... you'll get it eventually.

 

[eni]

Well the only real problem switching has been transfering files from my win98 machine. I spent 5 hours yesterday trying to get them to network. No success except I know they data was moving I couldn't get one to properly mount the other. Its probably a simple issue but I am not sure what exactly...

I setup my powerbook to mount my xp (HOME I know I know) desktop as I felt it would be the most painless. After setting permissions on the entire drive to share, I couldn't get it to recognise on my powerbook. For some very strange reason for me, xp won't share until I open the networking folder (whatever it's called). Very strange, but I've set it to open on startup now since I don't seem to touch my desktop much anymore. Good luck with it aswitcher.

 

[aswitcher]

I setup my powerbook to mount my xp (HOME I know I know) desktop as I felt it would be the most painless. After setting permissions on the entire drive to share, I couldn't get it to recognise on my powerbook. For some very strange reason for me, xp won't share until I open the networking folder (whatever it's called). Very strange, but I've set it to open on startup now since I don't seem to touch my desktop much anymore. Good luck with it aswitcher.

Thanks. I've given up and have been using r/w cds to move everything

 

[locopano]

Thanks. I've given up and have been using r/w cds to move everything

Hey ASWITCHER, use ur DVD-R and buy some blank DVD's, that way you could do it in a few ticks. Also i wouldnt load all ur bull**** onto your Mac, keep it free and just load on the songs u listen to and some photos you like.

I've noticed whenever i load on too much stuff my PB goes from being super zippiy to a slight slight lag, so i just erase and install.I cant stand a cluttered computer tho.

Otherwise get an external HDD and load it via that.

Whenever i need something i just get it off my external HDD. Just my opinion but i find it faster that way.

Im sure u know all this but.... just checkin

 

[locopano]

OOHH I FORGOT!!!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! ! ! !

That was such a wait... Seeing as mine came in less than 2 weeks and had been sitting in the shop for a week too apparently...

But yeah enjoy...
PS: there is some dude in Perth on EBAY selling 1GB single stick of RAM pretty cheap.. apparently <$500 or so with lifetime warranty factory approved by apple etc etc... I'll try and find the link in my hsitory if anyone is interested.... or just jump om ebay and search completed items etc

 

[DJY]

Otherwise get an external HDD and load it via that.

Whenever i need something i just get it off my external HDD. Just my opinion but i find it faster that way.

I am thinking of grabbing one of these atm!
Any recommendations?

I currently am a PC user - still contemplating switching - and really can't afford a Powerbook (or a Power Mac for that matter) at present.

Was thinking of surviving - grabbing an external HDD - to give me extra storage - as well as being able to start to migrate dat from my PC to the External HDD - prior to a Powerbook (if I switch).
Must check out which are the better external HDD that are compatible with both Windoze and Mac.

 

[locopano]

I am thinking of grabbing one of these atm!
Any recommendations?

Only thing i can recommend is getting a FIREWIRE External HDD, much faster than USB2.0 (even tho the specs lead you to believe otherwise)

If u only have USB get a USB/Firewire combo one

Check out ebay for some external cases with HDD's. There is a guy who sells 120GB firewire drives for $219. Not sure if that cheap these days.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=70881&item=5100635793&rd=1

The above guy is in meblourne and allows pickups, good guy and uses good parts...

Ps im not associated with him in any way, i just bought a cheap case off him ages ago.

 

[locopano]

Ohh and i would recoomend putting a hdd together yourself.. ie get the CASE somewhere off ebay... you get get one easy for $50 if you have some patience and look around. Then go to your local computer shop, look in green guide and get a 120MB segate with 8MB buffer for $130 easy..

that way your setup costs only $180..MAX...