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ltitle · Apr 17, 2003, 08:26 PM

Well after a painful wait from the day of Macworld NY, I finally received my 17 PB from Apple Canada.

First impressions:

it's huge (won't easily fit in my old Spire backpack)
beautiful screen
much faster than my 667 PB
the backlit keyboard isn't that great
there is too much space separating the keyboard and the bottom edge
it's much more like a Lexus compared to its Toyoto-like predecesor (TiBook)

Despite the improved esthestics of the silver monotone appearance, there is one big problem with my new aircraft carrier. That is, the large trackpad has relatively poor fit and finish. The trackpad button is not level, so on one side the button is perfectly flush with the body of the laptap, but on the right side the button is a fraction of a mm above the body. This leave a relatively sharp edge that strikes your finger and takes away from the other wise beauty of this Ives device. I am not sure if others have noticed this. I have read of one person having a problem with his button sticking.

As well the ends of keyboard (esp on the right) seem to be higher than the middle keys.

Finally, the release button to open the laptop is awful. I better stop trimming my thumbnail too short or I won't be able to open it up by depressing the thin button.

Little issues, but when you spent close to 6000 Canadian, you want to small details to be perfect.

Unfortunately, I can no longer look at my old TiBook with peeling paint and multicolored parts. Suddenly it looks real cheap and small besides the new machine.

(Let's not even talk about that popping sound which has been talked to death already).

geekwagon · Apr 17, 2003, 08:40 PM

Of the problems you mention, the only one I can really agree with is the latch button. It kinda sucks compared to the one on the Ti, but everything else is so much better that I don't let that bother me very much.

danielb0101 · Apr 17, 2003, 08:43 PM

I'm speaking of my 12" Powerbook, my your observations regarding the trackpad are identical to my observations with my trackpad.

jckalen · Apr 17, 2003, 09:05 PM

I kind of like the latch button the way it is. I think it does a good job of preventing it from popping open unintentionally. The only thing I don't like is the large open spaces on either side of the pad tend to get smudgy - even though (I swear to god) I wash my hands before I use it!

djjava · Apr 17, 2003, 09:15 PM

despite the shortcomings.... no regrets. love this machine....

xylon · Apr 17, 2003, 10:52 PM

Originally posted by jckalen:
I kind of like the latch button the way it is. I think it does a good job of preventing it from popping open unintentionally. The only thing I don't like is the large open spaces on either side of the pad tend to get smudgy - even though (I swear to god) I wash my hands before I use it!

I definitely agree. I have to stash my PB away in my school bag with all my books and the like. Knowing that my PB won't pop open when I take a book out and then get smashed to bits as I put said book back in is a small, but nice, relief.

djjava · Apr 17, 2003, 11:07 PM

Originally posted by xylon:
I definitely agree. I have to stash my PB away in my school bag with all my books and the like. Knowing that my PB won't pop open when I take a book out and then get smashed to bits as I put said book back in is a small, but nice, relief.

as i've said before regarding these little thing that some people seem to like to bash the PB17 with, the trackpad button and latch button are on my "i don't give a s*** about" list. The machine is too great to worry about the little things.

i do also agree, that if the button is a little hard to push in... all the better..

beanman · Apr 18, 2003, 12:16 AM

And I have to say that the backlit keyboard is way cool. I'm sitting in my bed right now, as I can't sleep, and popped open my PowerBook with the TV on only. I can sit here with no problem and see the keys without a hitch.

I love this thing.

nobitacu · Apr 18, 2003, 02:07 AM

I have no problem at all with it.

Ming

parsec_kadets · Apr 18, 2003, 11:01 AM

Originally posted by ltitle:
As well the ends of keyboard (esp on the right) seem to be higher than the middle keys.

I think this is more of an optical illusion than anything else. I thought this was the case on my machine with the right arrow key. But upon further examination it is actually level with the rest of the keyboard. You can see the scissor arm underneath the key, and I believe this is the source of the illusion. It starts on the right and goes up and left until it meets the key. This means you see more of it on the right and nothing on the left. Anyone else agree?

Also, my trackpad is level. Just not with the rest of the machine. The whole button sticks up slightly. I'm voting yes because this is the way it ought to be.

morlium · Apr 18, 2003, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by beanman:
And I have to say that the backlit keyboard is way cool. I'm sitting in my bed right now, as I can't sleep, and popped open my PowerBook with the TV on only. I can sit here with no problem and see the keys without a hitch.

I love this thing.

yeah, it's really quite convenient, and i find it coming in handy way more than i had originally thought.

Originally posted by ltitle:
the backlit keyboard isn't that great.

maybe you need to turn up its brightness?

djjava · Apr 18, 2003, 11:43 AM

how do you up the brightness of the backlit keyboard? i never seen anythign that lets you do that

jtbowden · Apr 18, 2003, 12:20 PM

how do you up the brightness of the backlit keyboard? i never seen anythign that lets you do that

You mean other than the 3 buttons that control the keyboard brightness on the F7-F9 keys?

xylon · Apr 18, 2003, 02:49 PM

Originally posted by jtbowden:
You mean other than the 3 buttons that control the keyboard brightness on the F7-F9 keys?

Yeah, I saw those buttons when I first got the computer and had no idea what they meant. So I pushed them, but since the lights were on the ambient light sensors prevented the keys from lighting up. I took a guestimate and figured that they were for the keyboard, course I didn't really find out until that night. I usually turn it up all the way. Don't really need to, but, well, it's sooooo cool watching the brightness increase and then having the whole keyboard glow. I love it.

gururafiki · Apr 18, 2003, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by jtbowden:
You mean other than the 3 buttons that control the keyboard brightness on the F7-F9 keys?

err...dont you mean the F8-F10 keys?