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Thinking of getting a Pismo

R

rastalin94

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 9, 2002
56
0
Well after fours years of waiting my time might have actually come. I have the OK from my Fiancée to spend my tax return on a Mac laptop and wanted to get some opinions on my plan. Currently I am thinking of getting a Pismo G3 PowerBook, here is why.

My reasons for wanting a Mac are simply to get off of the Windows platform. Now the irony is the fact that I am an MCSE and my job is a consultant for Windows networks. The programs I am looking to run are mainly office related, I am not looking to do DVD burning or hard core graphics. I will be doing some basic web development, and other items, but all of that will be more of a hobby than anything else. The main application I am looking to run is Office 2004, that project center item is something I have wanted in Office for years. That and all the other stuff that Macs have to offer, iLife, Omnigroup software, Safrari, etc…..

Why the Pismo?
Well first off the price, I have under $1000 to spend and can not go above that. I really like the way the Pismo looks, way more than any current offerings. I do not want to go with a G3 iBook because of the problems they have been having, and again I just do not like the form factor. The upgradeability of the Pismo makes me feel like over time I can add a processor, dive bay items, etc, to keep it up-to-date enough to make me happy. The only real limitation I can think of is the video card. I can have dual monitors which is something I want, I will not be able to run Quartz Extreme, but I do not see that as a major item.

I guess what I am looking for are items I might not have thought of and recommendations on where to purchase, currently I was just thinking of getting one off eBay. I have done quite a bit of research and feel pretty good about this choice, even if it does not work out I can sale it on eBay.
 
I would buy an ibook g3 that support the dual monitor hack, and go it get it paited black by those people that paint ipods and laptops, (I don't rember the name). We have 2 powerbook g3's here at work, one with firewire, and one with SCSI. They are pretty slow, especially in OSX due to the old video card that they have in them. I am sure that you be able to do all that you want with the Pismo, but I would go for an Ibook, they have faster proc, faster memory and better video and are smaller and ligher with the same screen resolution.

That's just me.
 
I guess my main fear with the iBook is the logic board problem. How bad is the problem? If I was to go for the iBook are their specific models that I would want to look at?
 
rastalin94 said:
Well after fours years of waiting my time might have actually come. I have the OK from my Fiancée to spend my tax return on a Mac laptop and wanted to get some opinions on my plan. Currently I am thinking of getting a Pismo G3 PowerBook, here is why.

My reasons for wanting a Mac are simply to get off of the Windows platform. Now the irony is the fact that I am an MCSE and my job is a consultant for Windows networks. The programs I am looking to run are mainly office related, I am not looking to do DVD burning or hard core graphics. I will be doing some basic web development, and other items, but all of that will be more of a hobby than anything else. The main application I am looking to run is Office 2004, that project center item is something I have wanted in Office for years. That and all the other stuff that Macs have to offer, iLife, Omnigroup software, Safrari, etc…..

Why the Pismo?
Well first off the price, I have under $1000 to spend and can not go above that. I really like the way the Pismo looks, way more than any current offerings. I do not want to go with a G3 iBook because of the problems they have been having, and again I just do not like the form factor. The upgradeability of the Pismo makes me feel like over time I can add a processor, dive bay items, etc, to keep it up-to-date enough to make me happy. The only real limitation I can think of is the video card. I can have dual monitors which is something I want, I will not be able to run Quartz Extreme, but I do not see that as a major item.

I guess what I am looking for are items I might not have thought of and recommendations on where to purchase, currently I was just thinking of getting one off eBay. I have done quite a bit of research and feel pretty good about this choice, even if it does not work out I can sale it on eBay.
Click to expand...

I love my pismo, so it is difficult to be objective here...here is a thread(about
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/64613/
the g3 900 update) that speaks to the strengths of the model. I don't think you will be disapointed..
as far as where to buy one...
http://www.powermax.com/cgi-global/generate_css_temp.cgi?i=PM_CU_PB_PI
I do feel that the iBooks deserve a consideration though, you can get a g3 700 or 900 for $700-850@the apple store(refurbished), and you will have a warranty (in case of bad logic board for example). With the pismo, there are no guarantees...I feel they are extremely well built, but they are 4 years old. Also a 12" PB 867 is only $1100, and a fine machine...as yet another alternative, you might consider a lombard PB. It only has a 66mhz bus(vs100 for pismo), smaller stock drive, SCSI instead of FW, and a RAM ceiling of 512 vs 1G for pismo. That said, there are also G4 upgrades for it, as well as drive-bay options, HD replacement etc. They sell for about $200 less than pismos, and for that difference you could upgrade the CPU, put in a new HD, add Ram (ok, plus $100). I guess it is what machine fits your needs for now and into the near future. Good Luck w/ your decision.
 
I just looked at Apple's web site and they are starting to have refurbished 800 MHz G4 iBooks for $949. I think in the end this would be my best bet. I will not be getting the money for a while but once I do I will just watch Apple's site and than grab one when I see it. I still love the way the Pismo looks but I think it is just a little too old for the cost.
 
I would get a g3 ibook. They are cheap and faster than a g3 pb. My brother has a 700 mhz ibook and he loves it. It runs expose well and all the iapps (I havn't tried grage band) But anyway.. Thats your best bet I think.
 
rastalin94 said:
I just looked at Apple's web site and they are starting to have refurbished 800 MHz G4 iBooks for $949. I think in the end this would be my best bet. I will not be getting the money for a while but once I do I will just watch Apple's site and than grab one when I see it. I still love the way the Pismo looks but I think it is just a little too old for the cost.
Click to expand...
In that case, I would get the 12" PB. There is a 'special deal' on the 1ghz model for $1299, or the refurbished 867 for $1099.(@ Apple) And that is now...if you are waiting, more possibilities (and price drops) will open up...I'm kinda sad, I was hoping for another compatriot...
 
rastalin94 said:
I just looked at Apple's web site and they are starting to have refurbished 800 MHz G4 iBooks for $949. I think in the end this would be my best bet. I will not be getting the money for a while but once I do I will just watch Apple's site and than grab one when I see it. I still love the way the Pismo looks but I think it is just a little too old for the cost.
Click to expand...

I love my Pismo, but if there had been a G4 iBook around when I was shopping (last year), I would have bought that instead. I would stay away from a G3 iBook at this point. GarageBand already requires a G4 processor (to use the software instruments) and I have the feeling that more Apple software down the road will require G4 or higher. There's also the issue with the Pismo's graphics card not supporting Quartz Extreme graphics... and it's not upgradable. It may not look as nice, but the G4 iBook is a better value today.
 
blackfox said:
...as yet another alternative, you might consider a lombard PB.
Click to expand...

I've got a Lombard (400MHz G3), and I love it. I've had it since 1999. However, you should be forewarned that OS X is useful but not very zippy on it. The CPU upgrades you've heard about are not only expensive but, as far as I can tell, no longer made. For the price of a Lombard with an upgrade, you can buy something nicer.

I'm not dissing the Lombard. I love the form factor and the feel. But they are getting old, and I'd seriously recommend buying a newer used PB or iBook.
 
jsw said:
I've got a Lombard (400MHz G3), and I love it. I've had it since 1999. However, you should be forewarned that OS X is useful but not very zippy on it. The CPU upgrades you've heard about are not only expensive but, as far as I can tell, no longer made. For the price of a Lombard with an upgrade, you can buy something nicer.

I'm not dissing the Lombard. I love the form factor and the feel. But they are getting old, and I'd seriously recommend buying a newer used PB or iBook.
Click to expand...
Just giving options...if you need a decent apple portable for word-processing/browsing/etc for cheap w/ insane battery life...Lombard may work for some...the powerlogix upgrade is discontinued, but a G4 433 can be found here:
http://4daystar.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=78
...In this case, it seems it is not the best choice for rastalin94, but different strokes for different folks...
(PS the SCSI ports add a niche-factor also)
 
i LOVE my pismo... but it's only useful for word processing and web surfing... other than that, it gets cranky... i'd try to find a cheap iBook...
 
I like the Pismo. It's the oldest Apple laptop that has all the stuff we use now (i.e. firewire) and has a decent amount of power. If you are going to use it for web, email, word processing, and similar tasks then it's a fine choice. I wouldn't have one as my only computer, but it makes a good light duty laptop.
 
rastalin94 said:
I guess my main fear with the iBook is the logic board problem. How bad is the problem? If I was to go for the iBook are their specific models that I would want to look at?
Click to expand...

The iBook dispaly problems are over.... unless you already own one. A used one is something I'd stear clear of myself. I have a G3 PB, the one with the bronze keys whatever the heck it's called (Pismo? Wallstreet? SpongeBob?), and actually it's quite a nice machine. That being said, I have 9.2.2 on it, not OSX. I'd be glad to try that OS out on it and get back to you. Right now I just use it for some hyper-specific things, and haven't even turned it on in a few months.
I'll get back to you.....
 
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