[TheIceMan]

I have gone 2 1/2 months without my Titanium PowerBook after selling it Oct.2003. Well, 2 days ago, I walked into the Apple store here in Dallas and I walked out with the 15" Al SuperDrive.

Like some, I waited til after the Jobs' Keynote at MacWorld. No updates on the PowerBook line. But the decision to get it now was because I got me a job! Yup, after 6 months of unemployment I got me a great job (I think). So this PowerBook is a gift to myself! *Pats self on back*

So far so good. No white spots, no dead pixels. Was wondering about the battery life though. I drained it down and recharged it. From a full charge, I got about 2.5 hours with almost max brightness, Airport on, surfing web, itunes, and installing programs.

What's the battery life for other 15" users? Is 2.5 hours to be expected?

[jimf_81]

Talking to a few friends, and after reading many posts, and comments on the internet, it seems that 2.5 hours is fairly common.

I have a second edition 17 PB, and I can get just over 3 hours if I am watching a movie, and if I don't use the Superdrive I can get over 4.5 hours. From what I've read this seems to be pretty darn good.

If you haven't already done so, you should install the battery update from Apple (mine just showed up under the software updates). It improved my battery life a little, and it seems to be helping many others get better life too.

[Orion27]

I love my AL Book 15. Solid as a Rock. I really haven't made many demands battery wise. You can expect 3hrs managing power usage. Not one kernel panic or hiccup in the 30days it's been running as the only mac on a Win 2k LAN. Even prints to a HP LaserJet 5 and Lexmark Color Laser flawlessly using Gimp drivers. Sadly, the gal in the next office was having print problems and computer stall most of the day with her Winbox. I came into work,
plugged inn the ethernet cable, spun up Safari and Entourage and then connected to the network. My buddy in the next office throws a CD onto my desk and says listen to this. I pop in the superdrive and copy it to iTunes and hand him back the disk. Plugged in my headphones and my digital camera to down load some pictures of the frozen Chesapeake Bay I took on the way to work. Listening to iTunes I fired up PhotoShop and processed the half dozen picts I took. Sent two of them off email express. Now it's time for work and I open up DayLite my new contact manager. Everything is still open and I remember I came across a post in MacNN about corner hotspots and expose. Open finder system preferences a create two hotspots in the right corners for expose. Everything is still open. Test desktop and all windows. Sweeeeet! A few phone calls and it's time for lunch. Close all my apps, log out, and gently close my book. It was a normal day. True!

[TheIceMan]

Orion27: Yeah, it's nice. The funniest and most ridiculous thing were the comments from my friends who are Windows users.

Friend: Why do you want a Mac?
Me: I love the design, the OS, and it simply works better, don't have to worry about computer viruses.
Friend: I don't like Macs because it's too simple. It does everything for you. I want to know exactly what my computer is doing.
Me: Yeah but you don't know what most of those things are. Call me crazy, but I want my computer to work and be intuitive.

*This guy came back one day and his PC wouldn't even turn on. He freaked! I just smiled. Some people NEVER learn.

[CrackedButter]

Apple did recently post a battery update, get it and you might gain some minutes.

I gained 50 minutes and now have a 4 hour battery life with BT off, AE off and screen down to half along with processor.

With the processor on full I get over 2.5 hours.

[TheIceMan]

Thanks, I have already installed the battery update. 2.5 hrs. is to be expected then. I'm cool with that.

[typoon]

Congrats on your Job and your purchase. I'm sure you'll love it.

[TheIceMan]

typoon: Thanks. I'm loving it!

[typoon]

Glad you are loving it. I got a 12 Inch right after xmas and I love it. What a great little machine this is

[naderby]

I identical model came xmas eve. And I' loving it more and more. I have surprised myself as I even like the keyboard to type on, which I thought I wouldn't. Its a great machine.

[TheIceMan]

For me there was a big difference coming from a 15" Ti 667Mhz PowerBook to a 15" Al 1.25Ghz PowerBook. These are the things I've noticed that are BETTER on the Al PB:

1. Screen resolution is great!
667 Ti = 1152 x 768
Al PB = 1280 x 854

2. Keyboard is fantastic on the Al PB.

3. Processor faster (obviously)

4. Airport reception is better and stronger.

5. Aluminum casing is oh-so-sweet and sturdier than titanium casing. The Ti flexed when I picked it up, Al doesn't.

6. Speakers are better.

7. Not related to the design of the Al PowerBook itself, but Panther is nice!

[selowitch]

Originally posted by TheIceMan:
These are the things I've noticed that are BETTER on the Al PB:
1. Screen resolution is great!
667 Ti = 1152 x 768
Al PB = 1280 x 854

On paper, sure. But in the real world, could you honestly even tell the difference with the naked eye, esp. if nobody told you in advance that there even was a difference?

[TheIceMan]

selowitch: Yes. I guess I'm more of a perfectionist. And since I previously worked on the 667's screen I can tell pretty easily by comparing the 2 screens. In fact, I would argue that the screen on the 15" Al is better and crisper than the 17" Al.