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Apple Releases New PowerBooks

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Got my new PB! Bought 1Gb ram from datamem.com

Hey guys -

Got it finally!

Question:

I immediately checked for wobbliness as I've read it's a common problem. No wobbliness, however the right front corner of the lid seems slightly gapped/loose comapred to the secure/tight fit if the left front corner. Am wondering whether this will make the lid more likely to have future closing problems (as so many PB's have eventually) or if it won't make a difference and is no big deal. Is machine more at-risk for little pieces of junk falling into it in a bag (e.g. - not that i plan on leaving cookie crumbs in there or anything) with that slight gap? I noticed that if I press on that corner, then the left front corner gaps up a little in its place. Anyone else notice this on theirs?

Oh yeah - and just wanted to mention (haven't I before?...can't remember) that I ordered 1 gb ram from www.datamem.com for $104.00 plus $7.00 S&H (might be less if you live closer to NH - not sure). Won't be here till Monday. They have lifetime guarantee (exchange), after the 30 days money-back with any dissatisfaction, and they guarantee it will fit in your apple. Here's the link:
http://www.datamem.com/viewcat.asp_Q_C_E_1178
 
~Shard~ said:
Great, glad to hear it! And it sounds like you made a good choice with your RAM - always buy from a company that guarantees Mac compatibilty and has a lifetime warranty.

Enjoy! :cool:
Click to expand...

Thanks - I think it might have been you who originally suggested them?

But hey - you didn't answer my PB lid question! :confused: Please scroll back and tell me what you think! ;)
 
Greenone said:
Thanks - I think it might have been you who originally suggested them?
Click to expand...

Yes, possibly, it could have been me, I make all sorts of recommendations in all sorts of threads so it's tough to keep track... ;)

Greenone said:
But hey - you didn't answer my PB lid question! :confused: Please scroll back and tell me what you think! ;)
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Actually I'm not sure about this one, as I've never had a portable myself and can't comment on if this is common, if it causes problems, etc. From the sounds of it you have nothing to worry about, but perhaps someone else can comment who is in a better position than myself... My guess though would be you have nothing to worry about, just be conscious of it. :)
 
ram speed?

The apple ships pb with 333mhz DDR2 ram

Can I pluck this out and put in 2GB of 533mhz DDR2 ram? And what sort of improvements can I expect

3 exams down, 2 to go, then the ordering of 15" pb.Also my bro reckons the seek time on the 120 and 100 are roughly the same, can someone confirm this? Cheers team,
 
skullsplitter said:
The apple ships pb with 333mhz DDR2 ram

Can I pluck this out and put in 2GB of 533mhz DDR2 ram? And what sort of improvements can I expect

3 exams down, 2 to go, then the ordering of 15" pb.Also my bro reckons the seek time on the 120 and 100 are roughly the same, can someone confirm this? Cheers team,
Click to expand...

I doubt you would see any improvement, other than having more ram (which is always good). Just because you add a 533mhz capable chip doesn't mean that the system will be able to utilize it. (which is my understanding of the new PB)

I don't know about the disk question though.

Kimo
 
kbonnel said:
I doubt you would see any improvement, other than having more ram (which is always good). Just because you add a 533mhz capable chip doesn't mean that the system will be able to utilize it. (which is my understanding of the new PB)

I don't know about the disk question though.

Kimo
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True... You'll just end up with the ram running at the lowerspeed. But more memory is always a good thing :)
 
Impressions of a 17" PowerBook

Played with my new 17" PowerBook (1.5 megs of memory, 7200 RPM Drive)

Pros:

1. The screen is markedly brighter. I put it side by side to my old Rev B 17", and the difference was shocking. It made my old PowerBook look terrible.

2. The resolution is perfect, and it would of been a mistake to go with HD-esque (or anything higher than they did) resolution since everything would of been too small. Yes, Leopard should take care of the scale problem, but Apple picked the perfect resolution for their new Macs. Everything looks tight, but not too small.

3. 7200 RPM drive is blazing fast. Have not noticed a difference in battery life yet.

4. In general, upgrading from a 2 year old Rev B, everything is much faster.


Cons:

1. Screen makes weird mutli-color ripple when closing down. I do not think this is normal, and I may have a bum build. (I certainly hope not since the wait will suck) But I will wait it out a day or two and see. Man, I hope I don't have to return this beauty. Fingers crossed...

2. That's it. It's an awesome Mac.
 
skullsplitter said:
The apple ships pb with 333mhz DDR2 ram

Can I pluck this out and put in 2GB of 533mhz DDR2 ram? And what sort of improvements can I expect

3 exams down, 2 to go, then the ordering of 15" pb.Also my bro reckons the seek time on the 120 and 100 are roughly the same, can someone confirm this? Cheers team,
Click to expand...


Apple ships it with 533MHz DDR2 RAM, it just runs at 333. There are no 333MHz DDR2 modules. You won't notice any difference because you're putting in the same thing you're taking out (other than the obvious difference if you add MORE RAM).
 
anyone use live and reason on the 15 yet? could someone tell me how it runs


when i get the money i am going to have to buy...so now the question is do i buy one of the new PBs or a used or refurbished one to save money and prepare for whenever an architecture change occurs.
 
So no one else is having problems with the lid not closing tightly/flush in one of the front corners?

I really want to find out how common it is cause this will help me decide whether or not to return mine (they gave me that option, with no restocking fees - just exchange).

How many of you have new PB's (or old, for that matter) that don't have this issue?

Thanks
 
Greenone said:
So no one else is having problems with the lid not closing tightly/flush in one of the front corners?

I really want to find out how common it is cause this will help me decide whether or not to return mine (they gave me that option, with no restocking fees - just exchange).

How many of you have new PB's (or old, for that matter) that don't have this issue?

Thanks
Click to expand...

When I close the lid on my 1.25 ghz PB the gap on the right side can be a bit larger than on the left. I don't think it's really anything to worry about. If you sent it back to them they'd likely adjust the hinges a bit, but in all likelihood, it probably doesn't matter at all.

btw, is the rippling effect you're talking about when you're closing the lid, or when you're shutting down? Sounds weird, but does it actually have any implications for your using of the machine? I don't care much what my screen does when I'm shutting the machine down or when I'm closing the lid, as long as it comes back ok.
 
Surreal said:
when i get the money i am going to have to buy...so now the question is do i buy one of the new PBs or a used or refurbished one to save money and prepare for whenever an architecture change occurs.
Click to expand...
Even if you bought a new PB, you could sell it when the new architecture comes out and recover most of your money.
 
PCMacUser said:
Even if you bought a new PB, you could sell it when the new architecture comes out and recover most of your money.
Click to expand...

Very true - the resell value of PowerMacs, and Macs in general for that matter, is very good. :)
 
Digital In & Out

Does anyone know if you can use the Toslink Cable, that has the mini digital on one end to Optical on the other (comes in the kit for Airport Express), with the 15" digital audio in/out? I was going to try but would rather someone else who knows tell me if it works or not before I screws something up.
 
Thought I'd chime in cause I've got a 15" due to arrive Tuesday from Amazon, $1999 -$31 A9 discount -$200 rebate +$20 2 day shipping = $1788 total for a new PB (throw in another $40 or so for my Amazon credit card reward and I think I got one kick ass deal. Apple corp. discount couldn't touch that, not with the tax hit.

I'm pretty happy with all the specks except for the CPU. The screen res. was the most important to me. I work with Flash (currently on a Pismo) and have to use a second monitor.

I would have gone with the 20" iMac with the Amazon discount, but the expected ship date is getting rediculous (you might get it in Jan if you order now). But it ain't shipping so I took the 30% performance hit (everything under the sun guestimate) and went for portable and now. If they do get a dualcore G4 in it before the intel switch, I will cry a little on that day (and mock up an ebay ad just incase I go crazy - I did sell a Lombard the week the Pismo was announced :)

I'm pretty sure this won't last me 5+yrs., But it will at least get me to the second rev. or possibly generation intel PBs maybe 3yrs.

I do think the resell value on the new iMac is going to be pretty strong(overall demand for it is exceeding Apple capacity right now) vs. the PB. The iMac has all the new toys and a G5 is going to be in more demand than a G4 once the transition to Intel takes place. On the bright side the entry point for a G4 Mini will be dirt cheap once those go Intel.
 
Spazmodius said:
Yikes, I forgot: Never buy anything Rev. A from Apple.

It's gonna be a reeeeal looooong time...I dunno if I can wait. iBook? Feh.
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Can you cite any examples of a Rev A from Apple that was terrible? I am in need of a new PowerMac but will wait until Intel Macs come out in 2006 so I have some longevity. Why should I fear the Rev A? I think this is an urbanlegend that we perpetuate out of ignorance.
 
cgc said:
Can you cite any examples of a Rev A from Apple that was terrible? I am in need of a new PowerMac but will wait until Intel Macs come out in 2006 so I have some longevity. Why should I fear the Rev A? I think this is an urbanlegend that we perpetuate out of ignorance.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Every single Mac forum I frequent speaks of how never to get a Rev A machine, yet in the next sentence proclaims Apple to be the single most reliable computer manufacturer on the planet. The pc world has far more frequent updates, incorporating new processors and chipsets, so in a since they have far more Rev A's than Apple. I for one will buy the first intel powerbook, as soon as it shows up on Apple's homepage!
 
cgc said:
Can you cite any examples of a Rev A from Apple that was terrible? I am in need of a new PowerMac but will wait until Intel Macs come out in 2006 so I have some longevity. Why should I fear the Rev A? I think this is an urbanlegend that we perpetuate out of ignorance.
Click to expand...
I bought one of the new 15's to replace an aging TiBook 667. My rationale for doing that (when I swore I wouldn't by a new PB until the FSB was running at a decent speed) was based on a number of things. Firstly my TiBook was getting old and I wanted the DVD burner, USB 2, bluetooth, higher resolution, an extra GHz in processor speed and a year's AppleCare. I also feel little warmth for Intel so the first Intel rev was going to make me feel somewhat ambivalent anyway. I hope Apple does have a great product with the first Intel PB but from my perspective there were too many unknowns. How well will apps perform on the new machines and will all the wrinkles be ironed out on day one? I don't know but I think the PB's are likely to be one of the first off the rank. I'm hoping my new PB will keep me happy until Merom.
 
pigwin32 said:
I bought one of the new 15's to replace an aging TiBook 667. My rationale for doing that (when I swore I wouldn't by a new PB until the FSB was running at a decent speed) was based on a number of things. Firstly my TiBook was getting old and I wanted the DVD burner, USB 2, bluetooth, higher resolution, an extra GHz in processor speed and a year's AppleCare. I also feel little warmth for Intel so the first Intel rev was going to make me feel somewhat ambivalent anyway. I hope Apple does have a great product with the first Intel PB but from my perspective there were too many unknowns. How well will apps perform on the new machines and will all the wrinkles be ironed out on day one? I don't know but I think the PB's are likely to be one of the first off the rank. I'm hoping my new PB will keep me happy until Merom.
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I'm sure Apple (and every other manufacturing company in the world) has an internal Quality Control section who's sole mission is to ensure products leaving the company are reliable and of good quality. Apple has built its reputation on its quality and has a vested interest in maintaining this image.

With that said, I will but a Rev A Intal PowerMac AND Applecare but I do assume Rev A's will be of "Apple Quality."
 
pigwin32 said:
I bought one of the new 15's to replace an aging TiBook 667. My rationale for doing that (when I swore I wouldn't by a new PB until the FSB was running at a decent speed) was based on a number of things. Firstly my TiBook was getting old and I wanted the DVD burner, USB 2, bluetooth, higher resolution, an extra GHz in processor speed and a year's AppleCare. I also feel little warmth for Intel so the first Intel rev was going to make me feel somewhat ambivalent anyway. I hope Apple does have a great product with the first Intel PB but from my perspective there were too many unknowns. How well will apps perform on the new machines and will all the wrinkles be ironed out on day one? I don't know but I think the PB's are likely to be one of the first off the rank. I'm hoping my new PB will keep me happy until Merom.
Click to expand...

Yeap, I will be a happy camper until Merom too :D
 
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