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My Powerbook Won't Die

My brother still has his 12" PB that still chugs along. Although the Intel Books have gotten some hate in here I must say I still have my Core Duo and it hasn't show any problems since the last month or so, and thats almost four years!

hmmmm, now the dilema, 13" C2D or 15" i5?
 
I say keep using it until it dies. I have been impressed with the build quality of Apples machines, both pre and post Intel. I still have a g3 that works perfectly, and my girlfriend just replaced her aging iBook g4, only because her processing needs have increased and the chip just isn't fast enough. Both machines are in pristine condition, and work as well as the day they were bought. Heck, even my first gen MBP is still running strong, and I ran it over with my Jeep a few years ago. That's durable! I love my MBP, I will use it until it disintegrates.
 
I reckon I've got about another 9 years...

...until my 9 year old TiBook 400MHz dies!!! I use it every day and it's my mainstay laptop. It runs 9.2 but does all the things I need it to do (and with only 192MB RAM as well!!!) Design-wise, it looks like it could have been made yesterday - hasn't aged at all! Unlike me...
 
I have a g3 powerbook pismo 500 mhz/512 ram it was built around 2000 and it still works perfect except for the battery that is a boat anchor. thinking about replacing it with either a G3 ibook 800mhz/256 ram or a g4 ibook maybe a g4 powerbook. most of the people i know tell me why waste money when this powerbook does what i need it to do... just get a battery for it. however i dont mind spending money i dont have let the credit card companies deal with the potential loss plus im not real crazy about a black case i like the white better.
 
PICS or it didn't happen LOL.

HughJigo said:
For the last five years I have really hammered my 12" PowerBook. Sometimes literally, when I have hammer-and-punched some of the warps out of the case.

I have tripped and yanked it off tables numerous time, breaking the tips of the power cables off inside the machine. I've dropped it. I've braked hard and watched it fly off the passenger seat.

The paint has been scraped off by thousands of hours of cuff-button friction and my nails have gouged holes in the letter keys, but it is all cosmetic. There's nothing structurally wrong with this thing.

A joke's a joke. I'm in serious danger of not being able to justify getting a new MacBook Pro. I'm just a writer. I don't need really need graphic and audio capabilities. I don't even really need formatting capabilities to be honest. I could do my work on an iPad dock, really.

But I do want a new machine. Five years is long enough.

Come on, please, give me a compelling reason to retire this one.

Were these 12" PowerBooks an anomaly, or when I eventually buy a new machine, am I destined to another half decade or more of the same machine?

Why won't it die!
Click to expand...
 
My powerbook is from 2005, and running leopard, it's doing great, I tried putting custom hardware in there, and run windows on it, but it just won't accept failure. It will work for another few years. I am sure. And I am glad it does. It's what I use in the morning with cup of tea on balcony while writing my book or blog entries.
 
Sorry, but reading everything in this thread is insane. Do you guys really find it THAT hard to take care of your things??
 
Hehe, my Preforma and my iBook G3 wouldn't freaking die either. If I were you I'd keep using your current machine. It means you don't have to worry at all about it breaking or getting damaged or getting stolen. It will put your mind at ease :D
 
I currently have my iMac G4 sitting next to me on my desk waiting for a mobo replacement (won't power on). I almost sold it once, but in the end I kept it. If I can get it to work, I'm pretty sure I'll be using it for years to come :D
 
My 12" PowerBook has also lasted forever. I used it for literally everything in high school and the first two years of college. Then I switched to a MacBook Air, which I was very dissatisfied with and finally settled on a ThinkPad. The PB got stepped on at some point and there is a big crack across the screen, so my little brother uses it these days as an internet-sharing point for his XBox 360. It has numerous dents and the hard drive is starting to go, but it boots up in about 30 seconds and is just a total tank. And the form factor is still unmatched--A4 profile, lightweight, 5 hour battery, matte 4:3 screen, AWESOME full keyboard.

Also, there is a mark on the screen from when I *young people cover your eyeballs* fooled around with my first college girlfriend, and we were so dazed afterwards that we managed to drop a heavy tumbler and smash it on the PowerBook. Good memories, and the computer didn't miss a beat.
 
Re: My Powerbook Won't Die

HughJigo said:
For the last five years I have really hammered my 12" PowerBook. Sometimes literally, when I have hammer-and-punched some of the warps out of the case.

I have tripped and yanked it off tables numerous time, breaking the tips of the power cables off inside the machine. I've dropped it. I've braked hard and watched it fly off the passenger seat.

The paint has been scraped off by thousands of hours of cuff-button friction and my nails have gouged holes in the letter keys, but it is all cosmetic. There's nothing structurally wrong with this thing.

A joke's a joke. I'm in serious danger of not being able to justify getting a new MacBook Pro. I'm just a writer. I don't need really need graphic and audio capabilities. I don't even really need formatting capabilities to be honest. I could do my work on an iPad dock, really.

But I do want a new machine. Five years is long enough.

Come on, please, give me a compelling reason to retire this one.

Were these 12" PowerBooks an anomaly, or when I eventually buy a new machine, am I destined to another half decade or more of the same machine?

Why won't it die!
Click to expand...

I am having a hard time fixing the same problem. I cannot find the appropriate solution for it. :mad: I will just post the information once I figure it out. I am just looking for a good idea.
 
I have a 17" PB although mine looks like the day it was assembled (except the stupid latch which was never very durable to begin with) and I have all the original boxes, cords, etc. I have a soft spot for this computer as I lost my "Mac virginity" with it.

What I have found though is that the backlight is starting to get weak. Is it worthwhile to replace the LCD panel or should I finally bite the bullet and buy a new MacBook Pro? Even if a good LCD panel is $300, it still seems cost-beneficial to replace the LCD and hang on to it for a few more years. I suppose there's a bunch of new software I am missing out on, but my PB works just fine - syncs with my iPad wonderfully too. It truly has been a flawless machine, even with the Leopard upgrade.

Probably like other PowerPC owners on here, it is nice to have something that works so well, all the time, with no worries. I have faint memories of Dell laptops with build qualities similar to a 1970s American car, and I don't ever want to risk having to go through that again.
 
ORDguy79 said:
I have a 17" PB although mine looks like the day it was assembled (except the stupid latch which was never very durable to begin with) and I have all the original boxes, cords, etc. I have a soft spot for this computer as I lost my "Mac virginity" with it.

What I have found though is that the backlight is starting to get weak. Is it worthwhile to replace the LCD panel or should I finally bite the bullet and buy a new MacBook Pro? Even if a good LCD panel is $300, it still seems cost-beneficial to replace the LCD and hang on to it for a few more years. I suppose there's a bunch of new software I am missing out on, but my PB works just fine - syncs with my iPad wonderfully too. It truly has been a flawless machine, even with the Leopard upgrade.

Probably like other PowerPC owners on here, it is nice to have something that works so well, all the time, with no worries. I have faint memories of Dell laptops with build qualities similar to a 1970s American car, and I don't ever want to risk having to go through that again.
Click to expand...
You could always just replace the backlight bulb (about $15 on eBay) and avoid a total LCD replacement. If the Powerbook is fast enough for ya, then keep it and save up for when you really feel like you need a new computer.
 
Wow, that's a really indestructible machine. My Mac mini G4 is five years old and hasn't died yet. The G4 based machines surely are reliable.
 
I would think with the current joke of a president and the economy in shambles people would rather waste money and get into serious debt so the economy will really crash and we can get rid of the currant garbage in the white house... plus by wasting money we all can get the new toys we want and dont worry about bills. i wouldnt mind being well over 100k in credit card debt by 2012 .... theres always bankruptcy and maybe that would help people see the mistakes they made with the last election.
 
g3powerbook boy said:
I would think with the current joke of a president and the economy in shambles people would rather waste money and get into serious debt so the economy will really crash and we can get rid of the currant garbage in the white house... plus by wasting money we all can get the new toys we want and dont worry about bills. i wouldnt mind being well over 100k in credit card debt by 2012 .... theres always bankruptcy and maybe that would help people see the mistakes they made with the last election.
Click to expand...

shut up forever.
 
Oh yeah? Well, I have 1998 Macs, PowerMacs, and Power Macintosh G3 Desktops that are alive and kicking. Even my 180c Powerbook is still holding strong (just need to buy a new power adapter which I can't find anywhere now). 5 years?! Heck, that laptop will be 17 this coming month!
 
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