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New BlackBook! Vs PowerBook

iModFrenzy

iModFrenzy

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 15, 2015
896
873
Kamino
So I recently got a BlackBook!:eek: I have been using my PowerBook as well and comparing it. To be honest, it doesn't look so good for my BlackBook:(

BlackBook Pros:

-Great feel, amazing design.
-Easy process to put an HDD in, RAM is easily accessible.
-Decent performance
-Battery Life
-Webcam
-MagSafe & magnetic lid
-Lifting the lid doesn't pull the bottom half with it.
-Heat

Now here are the BlackBook's Cons:

-Core Duo tends to get slow.
-Fans can get extremely loud.
-Software support, 10.6.
-Architecture, since a Core Duo is 32bit this means all software won't be compatible. This is bad since you can't determine the architecture difference when get applications. I have went through tons of downloads so far, and have ran into "Stopped Unexpectedly" or "Not compatible with this Mac"
-FireWire 400

BlackBook overall is a 6/10(10.6:p), while it can be a great laptop for things I do. It comes with its cons, just like any other laptop you'll get. Compared to my PowerBook, I think they could have done better.:(

On to the PowerBook, there are obviously somethings I can't compare it to but I will try my best.

PowerBook Pros:

-Design is amazing,keyboard is flawless.Mouse is great.
-Screen looks great
-Sturdy
-Fast
-FW800
-More ports.
-Backlit Keyboard
-Great software support(for its time)

Cons:

-Old Software
-Heat
-Upgrading, or replacing HDDs,RAM,etc
-Freezes Occasionally
-Lid clip
-Loud DVD drive
-Flash

PowerBook overall is a 7/10, even though it is PowerPC and is outdated it still works great. It does have its cons but I can live with it. It is very fast and very snappy.

In my opinion, the PowerBook beats the BlackBook.

Keep in mind, this is my opinion. Your experiences might be different.:)

What are some tweaks for the BlackBook that I could use to speed up Mac OS X 10.6?:confused:
 
Sounds as if you've had my experience with my 17" PowerBook G4 and my 17" MBP.

My MBP is also Core Duo, hence 32 bit only.

As far as speed, I might suggest a permissions repair. I have discovered that unlike the PBs that seems to be almost a necessity after OS upgrades or the MBP is dog slow.

Another thing you might look into is SMC Fan Control. You can specify settings and switch between them based on how hot the Mac is getting.

I have found that a setting of 2000rpm for both fans generally keeps my MBP in the 120-130º range while browsing and between 130-145º when doing more processor intense tasks. This is similar to the operating range of my PB, only with the PB, fans kick in at 140º and no earlier. With the MBP, fans are always on. For me though, 2000rpm is a good setting. I don't hear the fans and they keep the MBP cool.

Of course I have higher settings if I am going to be putting the MBP through some serious processing.
 
I much prefer the Al PowerBook keyboards over the MacBook chicklet keyboards. The overall design of the PB is just so much more refined and elegant than the BB. The PB is a piece of art, in my opinion Apple's best looking laptop (though lacks the solid feel of the unibody laptops). The original MacBook is too conventional looking though at the time it was revolutionary and essentially every PC manufacturer copied the design IMO. That said, if you're using the internet the BB is a better contender. For most everything else, the PowerBook should be great.

What size PowerBook 12, 15, or 17? I think the 15 is the best overall, but I had a 12" as my first Mac years ago and loved the (relative, at the time) portability. It's very out of character for me to say something like this, but you wouldn't believe how many girls the 12" picked up, who knew a computer could be so "cute".

If you have FW800 then you must have the 15 or 17. Disregard the previous question.
 
Jkj12 said:
What about internet, youtube, flash etc?

What OS's are they running?
Click to expand...

The BlackBook is running 10.6.8,Snow Leopard, the highest they can go.

Flash isn't that bad actually. I was able to play Happy Wheels, but the frames dropped a bit under the 20s. Youtube was able to play at HD(720p) in fullscreen.:)

----------
A.Goldberg said:
It's very out of character for me to say something like this, but you wouldn't believe how many girls the 12" picked up, who knew a computer could be so "cute".
Click to expand...

Guess I'm getting a 12in:p

----------
eyoungren said:
Another thing you might look into is SMC Fan Control. You can specify settings and switch between them based on how hot the Mac is getting.

I have found that a setting of 2000rpm for both fans generally keeps my MBP in the 120-130º range while browsing and between 130-145º when doing more processor intense tasks. This is similar to the operating range of my PB, only with the PB, fans kick in at 140º and no earlier. With the MBP, fans are always on. For me though, 2000rpm is a good setting. I don't hear the fans and they keep the MBP cool.

Of course I have higher settings if I am going to be putting the MBP through some serious processing.
Click to expand...

Can't seem to find SMC Fan Control for 32bit:(
 
i proudly have 2 macbooks. both 2.13ghz core 2 duos. really don't know how they compare to the core duos.
 
Altemose said:
A Core 2 Duo BlackBook with 10.6 or 10.7 would be a much better "daily driver" than the PowerBook or the Core Duo BlackBook.
Click to expand...

I find that my c2d Blackbook does almost everything I could ask of it. The only thing I miss is not having iMessage in 10.7
 
Blackbooks are magical little devices. Put an SSD in one and you've got a perky little machine that can do so much, yet so little. I love to take mine to conferences. People there are always like "Is that a new Macbook????". It's a great feeling.
 
Intell said:
Blackbooks are magical little devices. Put an SSD in one and you've got a perky little machine that can do so much, yet so little. I love to take mine to conferences. People there are always like "Is that a new Macbook????". It's a great feeling.
Click to expand...
Yeah, but…do they have PRAM batteries? :p:D
 
Last edited:
Intell said:
Blackbooks are magical little devices. Put an SSD in one and you've got a perky little machine that can do so much, yet so little. I love to take mine to conferences. People there are always like "Is that a new Macbook????". It's a great feeling.
Click to expand...

For web browsing and other typical light tasks, mine is actually a bit more "perky" than my i5 MBP, although I think that's largely due to the fact that it has an SSD and my MBP is still running on a platter drive.

I too always get questions and compliments on mine. One of the first ones many folks ask is what type of case I have on my MBP, because they've never seen one that looks that good :)

The plastic is miles ahead of any other laptop I've used-PC or Mac. It's hard to describe, but is very "soft" with a perfect texture that balances grippiness to with comfort. It's not "slick" like white Macbooks or iBooks, nor is it "sandpapery" like some PC laptops(and the top case of white Macbooks for that matter).
 
I have the last model BlackBook with a 250GB SSD installed and love it to death. Recently bought a battery for it and plan to take it to work for doing spreadsheets. I highly recommend the 2.4 GHz model as it is still capable of running all modern applications that are compatible with SL and Lion.
 
iModFrenzy said:
The BlackBook is running 10.6.8,Snow Leopard, the highest they can go.

Flash isn't that bad actually. I was able to play Happy Wheels, but the frames dropped a bit under the 20s. Youtube was able to play at HD(720p) in fullscreen.:)
Click to expand...

That is actually pretty decent for these machines. I'm considering getting one of the latest 17" PBs. Nice laptops for a low price. Maybe I should go for it.

bunnspecial said:
I too always get questions and compliments on mine. One of the first ones many folks ask is what type of case I have on my MBP, because they've never seen one that looks that good :)

The plastic is miles ahead of any other laptop I've used-PC or Mac. It's hard to describe, but is very "soft" with a perfect texture that balances grippiness to with comfort. It's not "slick" like white Macbooks or iBooks, nor is it "sandpapery" like some PC laptops(and the top case of white Macbooks for that matter).
Click to expand...

Agree. I use my Black C2D 2.4 as my everyday machine running SL with 4gb ram and 128gb SSD. Runs fine. And yes, people are asking me all the time too. People ask what type of new mac that is. They always make a strange face when I tell them it's 7 years old.

Only problem with mine is that I dropped it, and the only thing that broke was the power button. Haven't been turned off for two months now. :rolleyes:
 
Pictures! :)

Sorry about the quality, I'm using my iPhone 4S(I don't have a camera ATM)
 

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Enzocagg said:
http://osxdaily.com/2011/04/08/hack-mac-os-x-lion-for-core-duo-core-solo-mac/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I honestly hadn't imvestigated it that much since SL Server does everything I need on it(I run the computer headless via VNC and use it as a file server).
 
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