Hello Folks:
I took delivery of a new PowerBook 12", 1.5 Ghz, 768MB RAM, in June. I've been a Apple/Mac user since my first Apple, a IIsi with a "revolutionary" Radius Full-Page Display that physically rotated from landscape to portrait. (Anyone remember that silly thing?
) Here's what I think of my latest Mac, why I got it, and the things that matter to me.
The Build Quality: Pretty amazing. Fit and finish are flawless with only one key slightly off perfect set-in. This PB does not have the completely solid, rugged feel of my old clamshell iBook, but it isn't supposed to. It was built to be a very compact, powerful unit and it is just that.
Physical Operation: Overall, superb. The keyboard is the primary reason I bought the PB over the 12" iBook -- there is a night and day difference between typing on both models. The metal keys of the PB have a responsive, solid "click" and since I do not use an external keyboard, it's a real pleasure to have such a good touch-feel in a laptop. I spent quite a few days in my local Apple Store with the 12" PB and iBook side by side, typing away. While the iBook is a good portable, no question, its "bouncy" and plastic keyboard will probably make a big difference to anyone that does a lot of continuous writing/typing vs. the PB.
Software: I started out with Tiger 10.4.1 installed and currently run 10.4.3. No problems with any programs, AirPort works very well. I mainly use this laptop for writing and have about a dozen word processing and outlining programs installed. All work without a hitch.
The hots on the heat: there has been much talk all over the place about various levels of heat generated by the Al PBs. When I first got this PB, it did seem -very- hot from what I was used to from my old iBooks and such. However, after freaking out about it, running various temperature monitoring programs and worrying too much, I realized all was well. It does run hot if I'm burning a lot of CDs or something, but under normal use it's warm but not uncomfortable. I can't say for sure, but 10.4.2 seemed to have made it cooler and 10.4.3 seems cooler still. Overall, though, according to the temp monitors, my PB never got even close to "overheating" or to the point it was uncomfortable to the touch.
Portability: I never considered the 12" vs the 15" because I fly on planes a lot. The 12" has no trouble standing up properly on any airline fold-down traytable I've encountered. I've seen people with the 15" having a lot of trouble if the person in front reclines their seat even a bit. Also, the 12" is very portable in that it's not much bigger than a large book and can "hide" in any carry-on I happen to be using. I keep it in a ZeroShock sleeve and have never had any problems tucking it away.
Other things: the scrolling trackpad is wonderful and makes me wonder why all laptops don't come with this as a standard feature. I've had no problems with it, either. One thing that initially worried me but turned out to be nothing was that the bottom of the case seemed to warp a bit after two months, causing the PB to be slightly unsteady on flat surfaces. I simply -very- gently bent the case back in the opposite direction and it's fine. ("Don't try this at home" unless you know a little about fixing electronics and how they're put together inside! )
Lastly: the 12" PB is an exceptionally fine laptop that serves my needs well and exceeds them on most occasions. I've not had any significant problems with it (not even one kernel panic) and would happily buy it again. I will, however, be sorely annoyed if Apple drops the 12" PB and doesn't make an iBook to "replace" it, especially with something equivalent to the excellent keyboard in the current PB's.
That's my two cents.
Cordially,
BuddhaGoth
I took delivery of a new PowerBook 12", 1.5 Ghz, 768MB RAM, in June. I've been a Apple/Mac user since my first Apple, a IIsi with a "revolutionary" Radius Full-Page Display that physically rotated from landscape to portrait. (Anyone remember that silly thing?
) Here's what I think of my latest Mac, why I got it, and the things that matter to me.The Build Quality: Pretty amazing. Fit and finish are flawless with only one key slightly off perfect set-in. This PB does not have the completely solid, rugged feel of my old clamshell iBook, but it isn't supposed to. It was built to be a very compact, powerful unit and it is just that.
Physical Operation: Overall, superb. The keyboard is the primary reason I bought the PB over the 12" iBook -- there is a night and day difference between typing on both models. The metal keys of the PB have a responsive, solid "click" and since I do not use an external keyboard, it's a real pleasure to have such a good touch-feel in a laptop. I spent quite a few days in my local Apple Store with the 12" PB and iBook side by side, typing away. While the iBook is a good portable, no question, its "bouncy" and plastic keyboard will probably make a big difference to anyone that does a lot of continuous writing/typing vs. the PB.
Software: I started out with Tiger 10.4.1 installed and currently run 10.4.3. No problems with any programs, AirPort works very well. I mainly use this laptop for writing and have about a dozen word processing and outlining programs installed. All work without a hitch.
The hots on the heat: there has been much talk all over the place about various levels of heat generated by the Al PBs. When I first got this PB, it did seem -very- hot from what I was used to from my old iBooks and such. However, after freaking out about it, running various temperature monitoring programs and worrying too much, I realized all was well. It does run hot if I'm burning a lot of CDs or something, but under normal use it's warm but not uncomfortable. I can't say for sure, but 10.4.2 seemed to have made it cooler and 10.4.3 seems cooler still. Overall, though, according to the temp monitors, my PB never got even close to "overheating" or to the point it was uncomfortable to the touch.
Portability: I never considered the 12" vs the 15" because I fly on planes a lot. The 12" has no trouble standing up properly on any airline fold-down traytable I've encountered. I've seen people with the 15" having a lot of trouble if the person in front reclines their seat even a bit. Also, the 12" is very portable in that it's not much bigger than a large book and can "hide" in any carry-on I happen to be using. I keep it in a ZeroShock sleeve and have never had any problems tucking it away.
Other things: the scrolling trackpad is wonderful and makes me wonder why all laptops don't come with this as a standard feature. I've had no problems with it, either. One thing that initially worried me but turned out to be nothing was that the bottom of the case seemed to warp a bit after two months, causing the PB to be slightly unsteady on flat surfaces. I simply -very- gently bent the case back in the opposite direction and it's fine. ("Don't try this at home" unless you know a little about fixing electronics and how they're put together inside!
)Lastly: the 12" PB is an exceptionally fine laptop that serves my needs well and exceeds them on most occasions. I've not had any significant problems with it (not even one kernel panic) and would happily buy it again. I will, however, be sorely annoyed if Apple drops the 12" PB and doesn't make an iBook to "replace" it, especially with something equivalent to the excellent keyboard in the current PB's.
That's my two cents.
Cordially,
BuddhaGoth
