[Gromet]

17” Apple PowerBook Review

Written by: Neal LoCurto April 7, 2003


Writing this review after receiving my PowerBook exactly one week ago today. I got home after a weeklong business trip to Atlanta. My PowerBook had been delivered to my office on Friday afternoon, but I didn’t return to New York until Monday evening. Swung by the office and picked it up on my way home from the airport. When I got to my office I grabbed it in a hurry to get home, but noted that the box seemed smaller than I had expected it to be, especially how thin it was. Got home and cut open the brown outer box to reveal the very professional looking 17” PowerBook box. The box even makes it look impressive. I opened up the box and started browsing through the contents of the box.

Contents of 17” PowerBook box:

1. White Power Adapter
2. AC Cord
3. AC Plug
4. Phone Cord
5. S-Video-to-Composite Adapter
6. DVI-toVGA Adapter
7. Software install and Restore DVD
8. 2x DVD-R
9. 17” PowerBook

It also came with a clear package of documents including”

1. Getting Started Guide
2. Software License Agreement for Mac OS X Single User License
3. Apple Software Proof-of-Purchase Coupons
4. AppleCare Service and Support
5. Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty
6. Airport Extreme Regulatory Certification
7. Bluetooth Regulatory Certification
8. Apple Bluetooth Guide
9. Apple Stickers

I than pulled out the Styrofoam to revel the 17” PowerBook. I unwrapped it and before even opening it inspected the unit from head-to-toe. While holding it I noticed how light it felt, I know the weight was only 6.8lbs but damn for it’s size I was expecting it to be heavier. It seemed large width wise but not overwhelmingly but could not believe how thin this beauty was. Anyway, after a thorough inspection and being quite happy with the results (Not a flaw to be found and an even gap ALL the way around the unit) I opened the screen. I pressed the screen release button and was surprised but how thin the button really was. I had heard people complain that the button was hard to press. I admit it is not as easily triggered as my 15” Ti was but it is a far cry from hard to press. The two latches released smoothly and the screen popped open about a half inch. Now for the Hinge test. I touched the front of the screen and expected some resistance but to my surprise, got none. The screen slid upwards as if on a perfect sheet of ice. Apple has really impressed me with their new hinge design, smooth elegant and strong. I remember with my TiBook wondering if the hinged were going to crack every time I opened it. I don’t think those thoughts will EVER come into my mind with this unit. Well after another inspection of the open area of the book and again, not a flaw to be found anywhere. It was time to power this baby up.

I pressed the power button, which is located to the right of the keyboard imbedded flush into the speaker grill. Nice feel to the button, not at all mushy like some previous versions. The system made some faint noises and the familiar boot up tone rang out. The smile on my face was beginning to hurt. The system booted up quickly and I was looking at a beautiful 17” screen. The first thing I did was run some hardware tests. Everything passed.

The Screen:
I have a program that runs through a bunch of screen test that helps detect dead pixels. Ran through it and found none, this puppy was PERFICT. Let me tell you this screen is gorgeous. I was hesitant at first, thinking a 17” screen on a laptop… well that’s just too big. I travel and bring my laptop everywhere with me, is this going to be too big to carry around? The answer is, NO. It is not all that much bigger than the 15” TiBook. Don’t get me wrong; it’s bigger but not ridiculous. The screen real estate is something that once you have; you won’t want to do without.

Next I needed to transfer some files and apps from my 15” TiBook. I booted up the TiBook in FireWire Target mode and it mounted on my 17” desktop right away. Transfer rates via FireWire were nice. While I was transferring I figured I would hook up my new 802.11g base station. Got a Linksys. Hooked it up and got my wife’s iBook linked up, no problems there, simple as could be. Finished transferring files and set up the Airport Extreme on my 17" found my network right after entering the WEP Key.

Airport Extreme:
So there I am, I have my wife’s 14” iBook, my 15” TiBook and my new 17” AlBook. What a site! All with Wireless Capabilities. I did some transferring over the new 802.11g access point. Speeds were VERY nice. The difference was noticeable right away, downloaded some music, game demos, some FTP Files Etc. VERY Happy with the speed boost. Although 802.11b was still a VERY Large step up from Dial-Up, it was still slow and needed improvement. 802.11g is impressive, speeds that are more than making me happy. I even played some games online, RTCW, MOHAA, MOHSH Demo, WCIII… Was quite happy playing them all.

Next I had to do some application configurations, set things up a bit cleaner than I had on my previous TiBook. Started by doing a system software update. Entourage got my E-Mail no problem, Office and office updates installed easily. Photoshop, DreamWeaver, Bryce 5, Maya, Lightwave, DVD Studio Pro, Final Cut, RDC, Toast w/ Jam, AVID, Shake, VPC 6… All install without a hitch, The Screen just continued to impress me. Playing War Craft III, the colors were just so vivid and rich it was amazing.

Ports:
Having the ports on the sides was one of the decisions I was rather unhappy with on apples part. I liked that they were neatly tucked away on the back of my TiBook with the little door that kept things looking clean. After a few days using the 17” I must say I am growing quite fond of them being on the sides. It gives you quick and easy access to everything you need, no more fumbling with the little door, have to strain to look where I was plugging things in and no more frustration getting the little tab on the Ethernet cable to pop out. It’s funny that I never realized what a pain in the butt it was with the TiBook, until I had the 17”. My other concern was clutter, figuring that with all of these ports on the sides there would be cables everywhere. It not true. Even with power, Ethernet, Keyboard, Mouse, FireWire and a USB Hub plugged in, the system still looks fine.

The slot loading DVD drive scared me for the first time I used it. The drive does make a bit of noise while loading disks into it. So much so, that I though it was broken at first. Although I got used to it, over the past week I have noticed the amount of noise it makes while loading and ejecting disks has gotten quieter. Perhaps the drive needed a little break in period.

Continue to Next Post--->

[Gromet]

The Keyboard:
The keyboard on the 17” PowerBook is BY FAR the best laptop keyboard I have ever felt. This is no understatement. I have been using laptops for MANY years, PC & Mac. The keys on the TiBook keys felt a bit mushy and the tactile feedback left a bit to be desired. These keys have great feel and tactile response. The key travel is perfect and the shape of the keys feels good under your fingers. The position of the keyboard on the base of the 17” is set very far back and I have heard a number of people complain that it is not comfortable. I disagree; the keyboards position leaves plenty of space to rest your palms while typing. I never liked the feeling of my palms resting on the edge of the older laptops I have used.

Backlit Keyboard:
The backlit keyboard was what I thought was going to be the coolest thing on the new 17” PowerBook, I have to admit I love the idea, but it’s not perfect yet. When the lights go down the ambient light sensors (Located in the two speaker grills) does a wonderful job of not only turning up the keyboard lighting, but dims the screen at the same time. Although some may love this feature, I have some problems with it. I like my screen bright. I use my PowerBook day and night, you would be surprised how much time I spend at night typing all through the night in bed, while my wife sleeps. I don’t want the screen to dim, so I disabled this feature in the system Preferences. Now, with the screen cranked up, you can barley notice the keys illuminated. So I down the brightness on the screen to see if I can get used to things, but unless you are using the 17” at a standard height and angle, the light coming through the keys can almost make them harder to see at night. The function key do not light up well at all no matter what angle or brightness you have it set to. So unless you want your screen VERY dim and you use your PowerBook at desk level all the time, I have basically no use for the backlit keyboard.

Trackpad:
The trackpad on the 17” PowerBook is the largest trackpad I have seen on a laptop to date. Although on the surface of the 17” it does not look to big, as a matter of fact, I think the standard size trackpad might look a bit puny on the base. The feel and response has been nothing less than great. Whatever material these things are made of it feels good and cursor response under the tip of your finger is precise, with no delay. The Tap & Drag features must be enables in System Preferences as they are disabled by default. They both respond well once enabled, No complaints at all on the trackpad.

Battery:
After conditioning the battery according to Apple’s directions, I have had no problems getting 100% battery life in my meter readings. After using the book for a few days I get about two hours and forty-five minutes of life (give or take a few minutes) under normal use (Web Surfing, E-mail, writing this review, Etc.). Under more processor intense conditions I seem to be getting about two hours to two hours and fifteen minutes (DVD playing, Gaming, Etc…). Not bad knowing that the 17” was going to be a power hungry machine but I had hoped for at least three hours or more.

Speakers:
The speakers are quite good for laptop speakers, but you must keep in mind they ARE laptop speakers. I think everyone saying they are amazing speakers; people are expecting a set of creatures built in. They are quite good for a laptop actually probably the best speakers in a laptop to date. Just like a set of Apple Pro Speakers without a subwoofer they are lacking in the bass department. The highs are handled nicely, with midrange overall acceptable. For listening to your favorite iTune, or playing a game of MOHAA on the go, they are MORE than acceptable. For those of you looking for a desktop replacement, a set of externals will be a good purchase.

Aluminum:
The new material used on the 17” airplane grade Aluminum. Let me say from the first minute you set eyes on the 17” PowerBook it just demands respect. Not only it’s size but also the finish on this book is absolutely top of the line. For those of you with a TiBook, you know how careful you have to be not to wear your watch or bracelet, or to let anything that could possible scratch come close to it. The Aluminum on the new PowerBook is very scratch resistant, and does not scuff easily. Fingerprints are a bit more noticeable, but a quick wipe with a soft cloth and it looks as good as new. It is not only beautiful looking, but strong. I remember wondering all of the time that if I picked up, or mistakenly twisted or anything that the TiBook would break. The Aluminum does not twist or warp in any way. No need to worry with this guy, it’s not going anywhere.



In Conclusion:
GO GET A 17” POWERBOOK! OK, perhaps this is a bit quick… The 17” PowerBook has its place just like any other laptop. I’m not going to say that this book is the one for you. It’s big; It’s not the lightest notebook on the market or the fastest. If you are a real “Road Warrior” constantly on the go and having to carry it constantly, this unit is going to be a bit tough to handle. If you are going form your home to your car to your office and back, trust me, it’s not too big. If screen real estate is valuable to you it is obviously a winner. You have to weigh what you’re going to be using it for and make your own decisions. If you are considering the 17” is right for you and are just worried about getting into the first rev. of a new line of PowerBooks, STOP WORRYING. The 17” PowerBook won’t let you down.

Gromet.

[slffl]

Nice review!

What program is it that you use to check for dead pixels?

[AssassyN]

Tremendous review...love your writing style!! Very good coverage I must say! Great to hear of your awesome experience w/ your new machine...hope it continues treating you well!

[Gromet]

AssassyN, Thank you for the compliment, your review was quite qell written also. You have quite a setup there. I'll have to post some pics of mine at some point.

slffl, The program I use for an LCD Pixel test is called "LCD Screen Tester X 1.0" it is available for download at:

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/7903

If you have any trouble obtaining it let me know, I will get it to you.

It is a great little program, just launch it and it gives you a small control panel. Choose which color you want and hit test. It fills you monitor in that color (Black, Blue, Red, White, Green...) Makes Spotting a dead or stuck pixel a snap.

Hope this helps.

Gromet.

[PoisonTooth]

My only problem with the 17", apart from it being too big for me, is that the battery life is pretty disappointing. 2:30 is not competitive anymore, especially with Centrino. Hell, my 15" TiBook gives me 3:30 or 3:45 under general usage.

[tgrundke]

Great review. My only issue with the 17" at this moment is the staggering price. As beautiful as this machine is, I honestly cannot justify this beast - but oh, how I wish I could!

[blacksheep]

Gromet, great write-up. Pretty much agree to every thing you said here.

I just have a little question. Did your 17" PB arrive pre-installed with Mac OS X? I had to run the DVD to install Mac OS X. I was unable to run any pixel test software before that. How did you do it by running the pixel test first before getting OS X on the 17" PB. Or do you have any other method? Thanks.

[cambro]

Originally posted by blacksheep:
.... I was unable to run any pixel test software before that. How did you do it by running the pixel test first before getting OS X on the 17" PB. Or do you have any other method? Thanks.

Ok, what is the deal with all this pixel test stuff lately? Just look at the screen...does it look perfect? GREAT. Can you see a busted one? BUMMER! Why do you need to run some software that tells you that pixel 198332 is not functioning properly and potentially "ruin" what looks to be a perfect screen?? After all, if you can't see that it's broken, is it really broken in this case?

Anyway...I can't see any malfunctioning pixels on my TiGhz screen so you all stay away from me with your pixel testers!

Oh, and congrats Gromet...good review.

[Gromet]

Blacksheep,
Your PowerBook should have arrived with OS X pre-installed. When I booted mine up for the first time, it just booted up normally, and brought me into the setup where it askes for your name and password, address that kind of info... didn't go into this in the review because it was a given I thought due to that fact that you would have to do that no matter what MAC you purchased.

Cambro,
I didn't run any kind of test that tells you "Pixel 2111110 is dead" or anything like that. LCD Tester is just a utility that makes the screen any one of the standard colors you choose so you can tell if there are any dead pixels by looking at your screen. It just makes it easier to look than looking at a screen with multiple colors.

If I just paid over three thousand dollars for a laptop I am entitled to get one that is perfect in every way, that includes dead or stuck pixels. I didn't pay for a brand new laptop for there to be even one defect that I should have to live with no matter how small. If I just bought a new DELL for a user in my company and it came with a scratch on the top, or a gauge out of the bottom, I would still make DELL replace it. Somethign bought new, should be 100% perfect. After that it's up to you to keep it that way.

Gromet.

[blacksheep]

Thanks Gromet. I got it wrong, Mac OS X was pre-installed and I had to go through the process like everyone else. And run the pixel test after that. Can we do it before that?

[cambro]

Originally posted by Gromet:
Cambro,
I didn't run any kind of test that tells you "Pixel 2111110 is dead" or anything like that. LCD Tester is just a utility that makes the screen any one of the standard colors you choose so you can tell if there are any dead pixels by looking at your screen. It just makes it easier to look than looking at a screen with multiple colors...Gromet.

OHHHHH...now I get it. I can defintely see how that would help to visually identify bad pixels. I was really confused by all this software dead pixel finder business. Thanks for clearing it up for me and sorry for being dense!

Enjoy your new toy!

[blacksheep]

Cambro, I did have some confusion over all these pixel test software. Blame it on the way they described their function or sell their software. Very misleading.

[Gromet]

Blacksheep I don't know of any other way of checking or running LCD test before you got through the setup.

Gromet.