[radii_22]

I know that this post is a little bit personnal, thank you for reading it, it is not necessary to you to reply to it.

I've been living a process that have changed a lot my way to see Apple computers. I'm (or was?) a really lover of Apple computers. Good design, good ideas, superb OS, etc. I have worked a year to have the savings for buying a PowerBook. That was in 2001. I buyed my portable and I was happy, I considered in that moment "the most beautiful and fast portable computer in the world", as the marketing of Apple predicated in its brochures and web site.

Now, I'm just son angry with Apple and my TiBook because it has given me so many problems (first a black screen problem, then it repeated a second time, then a backlight problem, and now a keyboard damage and bottom case). All the damages except the first has been caused by the same Apple technics, who repair one thing and then damage one other. I don't know whose fault it is, I only know that the industrial design of the Titanium PowerBook is the most bluffy and stupid one ever done.

I'm not angry for my computer failing. Not even for the Apple technic service (that kind of thing could happen in every company, human errors, etc.). I'm just furious by thinking how is it possible that a company could sell a computer so bad designed at that price, given that the company is Apple, the so-known as the best industrial design oriented computer company.

Then, I thought that the thing to do was buying a new PG G4, I observed that they are a little bit less expensive now than the was in 2001, and better designed. I went to Fnac, one of the best stores here in France, and I had the opportunity of comparing the Powerbooks with the PC's (I know very well Windows, I was an user for many years, and I know well also the problems of PC computers). I realised that PC portables design had improved a lot, prices are very good and that there is a lot of choice.

So, I returned home to compair the performance of G4's with the newest PC mobile processors and I find that the majority of people coincide in saying that PowerBooks are not just slighty slower than PC portables, but they are really a whole lot under the bar.

I'm very dissapointed, I'm even thinking in spending my last savings in buying a PC portable, to replace and update my actual bluffy and slow Tibook. Portable Macs are only pretty, for the rest they seem to be slow, antiquated and expensive. Powerbook revisions are not in the view, Apple insists in making computers which does not fit with the necessities of its users, they are just happy with the sucess of the iPod that the Mac reality is just obscure.

The "dark side of the force", as Mac fanatics call the x86 world, is really making something in my mind. I even think if the really dark side isn't Apple, whose arrogance is so similar to that of Mr. Vader team (arrogance testified by the same Apple employees in a recent survey).

That was all, thanks for reading. Regards.

Ps. When is comming a PB G5, G4 multicore, Super G3, or whatever? It's just embarrassing to see how Apple costumers loyality can be so flexible. Even Nintendo (other Applish company) is announcing that its next console is going to be as fast as the now faster Power Mac (expected for the end of 2005). Sony's PS3 is going to be faster, and Microsoft (with Vader inside) announced a toy charged with a triple multicore Power5 processor (not a dual G5 but a trial G6). State of the art entertainement will use that kind of power... and Apple response will be : easy, another pretty computer with a deceaving graphics card. The reason : arrogance, they think that gaming is not for smart and chic people.

End of the file.

[macaddict0001]

on average mac laptops have less problems. and mac laptops are good value. I also don't understand how next generation consoles fit in.

[Randman]

Feel better by ranting a little?

[mrmister]

That was pointless. Hope you feel better--I suggest you get whatever laptop you like.

[King_Rat]

Its true that the Apple powerbooks are a good bit slower than the wintel laptops. I think that the gap is not as bad if you factor in the size & weight of the fastest wintel laptops (the fastest ones that I have seen hardly qualify as portable), but you can still get a faster wintel setup for the same size range. Most people seem to feel that the apple laptops have a lot better design than the wintel ones. I hear a number of powerbook horror stories, but I don't know how common that it.

For a lot of people the big difference is going to be what OS you want to use. The bloat of win XP helps cut down on the performance gap, and you may have trouble running the next windows on a current wintel laptop, while each version of Mac OS X has run as fast or faster on the same hardware. Anyway, I don't think that I could stand using windows, but it sounds like you are OK with it.

Someday I expect that Apple will come out with a much faster powerbook, but I don't know when. You can look into the debates about a powerbook G5, or whatever else it is that they are working on. Good luck with whatever you choose. BTW, If you don't want your old Tibook I will take it...

[Scooterboy]

It may be a rant, but I can understand where radii_22 is coming from.

The aluminum PowerBooks have features and design that are far better than PC laptops, but are lacking seriously in CPU and FSB and this is killing the performance value of G4 PowerBooks, compared to PC laptops. Add to that Apple's intransigence regarding increasing screen resolution and implementing better, top of the line GPU's and you can understand the original poster's rant. If I was in the market for a laptop right now, I would be seriously considering a PC or not bother and instead buy a G5 iMac or PowerMac. 167 MHz system bus is really looking dated. That's the limitiation of the G4, and Apple needs to move on soon. I won't be buying another G4 Mac, and I wouldn't recommend one to very many people.

[osxisfun]

never mind.