Common Powerbook Issues?

[Scorched X]

Hello, I ordered a 15" Powerbook and it should arrive tomorow. This is my first Apple product and hope it will be a great experience. I know there's occasionally problems upon first arriving, so what should I check for? Obviously, first I'll check for cosmetic damage. Then make sure it actually starts up ok. What's the best way to check for dead pixels? I've also read here about some screen problems, including white spots and uneven backlighting. Would these problems be immediately evident, or does it take some time for them to surface?

Also, I bought a 512mb of Corsair ram. Are there any known Corsair compatibility issues with Powerbooks? I should have bought Crucial, but it's too late now.

Thanks,
Scorched

 

[oingoboingo]

Hello, I ordered a 15" Powerbook and it should arrive tomorow. This is my first Apple product and hope it will be a great experience. I know there's occasionally problems upon first arriving, so what should I check for? Obviously, first I'll check for cosmetic damage. Then make sure it actually starts up ok. What's the best way to check for dead pixels? I've also read here about some screen problems, including white spots and uneven backlighting. Would these problems be immediately evident, or does it take some time for them to surface?

Also, I bought a 512mb of Corsair ram. Are there any known Corsair compatibility issues with Powerbooks? I should have bought Crucial, but it's too late now.

Thanks,
Scorched

The white spots on the screen were largely a 'feature' of the first revision of the aluminium 15" PowerBooks, and I believe that this has been solved in the second revision (which if you are buying new, is the one you will get).

A good place to check for common issues appearing in any Apple hardware is to check Apple's own discussion forums. When I was having trouble with my G5 last year, these forums were invaluable for comparing my experiences with other users and for diagnosing the problem before calling up Apple. Check this forum:

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?14@60.rSEmaTEuql8.0@.59999943

which is the 15" PowerBook (aluminium) forum. If there is an issue, it's likely to be reported somewhere in these forums. Just remember while you're browsing to take notice of only problems reported in the 'Revision B' model...Apple fixes a lot of glitches between revisions, and problems reported for the Revision A may not apply to a new PowerBook.

Sorry, can't help out on the RAM. Corsair is considered to be a quality brand in the PC world, but I've never used it in a PowerBook. Give it a go and let us know if it works well.