I have seen the new Pismo Powerbook and I must say that I am very disappointed. Nothing has changed on the new powerbook even though rumors speculate that the new version was going to have a clam-shaped design, graphite in color, trayless DVD-Rom drive and the new speakers identical to the ones on the recent iMac. I'm just tired of the same design year after year. It's time for a changed don't you think?

I agree and disagree. 500Mhz, 100 mhz bus, UMA, Airport, UMA, and firewire are all very nice upgrades. So I bought one. Would I have loved it even more if they thinned the box out further, it weighed even less, and looked even better than it does? Of course, but they upped the performance in wonderful ways. The Pismo is nothing to scoff at. And when they come out wih a better looking one with a G4 in it, I will probably have to buy that too.

Fellow Road Warriors,

The new UMA PowerBook "Pismo" that was recently released is a large leap forward in terms of the core architecture, but dissapoints in lack of design changes. The insanely flimsy "Lombard/101" case is used (did I merely get a defective one?), and it does not feature "Graphite" accents and a slimmer profile like expected and heard through many rumor web sites such as http://www.appleinsider.com . Summarized, it is a technical marvel, but something to laugh at in terms of new industrial design.

The PowerBook's internals are amazing, and even more than I had wished for. A 500 megahertz processor is greatly appreciated, but what's more important is the 100 megahertz Bus speed and the UMA chipsets. I don't think the microprocessor speed bump will do much, but the faster Bus will do system performance much good. Like "Lombard/101", the standard 64 megabytes of RAM on the low-end model and 128 megabytes of RAM standard on the high-end configuration leaves much to be desired, but many users will be happy with the standard memory configuration on their "Pismo" PowerBook. I, for one, need the extra RAM, for I open Adobe Illustrator, Adobe ImageReady, Adobe Photoshop, AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 Beta (yes, I have the beta... email me if you want a copy...), Microsoft Outlook Express 5, and a few other "thingamagummies" that may come up here and there while I am working. The hard disk space is adequate for many video editing tasks, and the 18 gigabyte hard disk drive is quite appealing! Unfortunately, these hard disks are made by IBM; IBM's drives are notorious for making quite a racket (not literally, but they make more noise than most drives), for their inner parts are seared and warped by the immense heat produced by its components spinning at high 4500 revolutions per minute speeds and the surrounding components generating excess heat (i.e. the CPU). The 6x DVD-ROM drive standard is excellent! Now we can all watch DVD movies on flights to and from places all over the world when we buy new PowerBooks! Apple's supply obviously has been replenished. Finally, there is the screen, which at 14.1 inches is always nice, the breathtakingly crisp and elegant keyboard, and the ever-so-precise touchpad remains.

I could ramble about my dissapointment about the lack of a new form factor, but I won't, since it's quite late and utterly useless. To make a long story short, I don't like the "Lombard/101" case all that much, and I had wished for a magnesium alloy or clear plastic case with "Graphite" accents.

I use a PowerBook G3 "Lombard/101" running at 333 megahertz, and it is mainly base retail configuration other than my 64 megabyte RAM upgrade for a total of 128 megabytes. It's a fine machine, I must admit! Unfortunatly, or fortunately, which ever way one would like to look at it, the latest and greatest technology of one time is replaced with newer, faster, smaller, and all around "better" technology within months, weeks, or even days. I was planning on upgrading to a Pismo as soon as it came out, but I purchased this fine computer merely three or four months ago, and the lack of a new design. I forsaw this happening, as Steve Jobs showed off the awesome 100 gigabyte (four 25 gigabyte hard disk drives) FireWire RAID that ran off of a PowerBook battery, dictating the need for power compatibility. Also, "Wallstreet" had a second revision, albeit only a speed and feature spectrum bump; it would only be expected for "Lombard/101" to undergo the same procedure. On the good side, if the "Lombard/101"'s schedule goes the same way as its predecessor, we are going to be seeing a new, improved, PowerBook with a new form factor hit the streets late this summer!

I welcome the new, and wish the best of luck to the current, loyal, PowerBook users.

Good night,

- Sean Yepez

Oh yes, and by the way, feel free to email me at seanyepez@mac.com. My AOL Instant Messenger screen name is primarily "Sean Yepez", and I am online from approximately 6 past meridian Pacific time (GMT -8:00) to 10 past meridian Pacific time during the weekdays. Weekends, I'm on pretty much all the time.

All,

I forgot to compliment Apple on the expandibility and versatility of this computer.

The expandibility is excellent. The capability to ugprade to 512 megabytes of RAM is wonderful! AirPort is nice, and the UMA chipset will be a great help.

FireWire. Slim. Stunning. Superfast. FireWire is an amazingly fast yet compatible way to transfer data and to capture digital video. Digital video capabillity on a PowerBook is very much so appreciated! Make movies at any place, at any time, in any dimension you may fare with your PowerBook and camcorder. You can also use the FireWire RAID disk array without a PCMCIA card now, which is always good!

Cheers,

- Sean Yepez

The dual battery thing is awesome!!!
Although everyone's hopes of a completely new case design wasn't implemented.......rumor note: my unreliable sources say it was supposed to have graphite accents with a half moon shaped rubber grey hand grip towards the back that wasn't Apple's choice at the last minute for reasons which are even more rumorous and unknown to me. This new Powerbook is outstanding nonetheless!!!!!! From reading posts above this one I see the lack of mention that you can now get a 400Mhz with better specs etc......for a whole 1000 dollars less than the lombard recent (101).........wooo hooo!!!!!
Does anyone know if that 10 hour battery life running off of dual batteries is continous power?

My intuition tells me that we'll probably see a G4 Powerbook with the newer case design around the time of OS X's full release........as well as your G4 iMac..........this makes good sense to me simply if those 2 products stick with G3's around the time of OS X.......they would simply be left out of the picture in terms of Full OS X usage.

But who wants to wait till then!!!!!! This new Powerbook is a Powerhouse!!!!

"disectamac",

If both your batteries are in the battery bay and expansion bay, yes, it is "continuous power". Often times my "Lombard/101" with two batteries installed might all of a sudden lose total power, and I'd have to reboot. I might have a faulty power manager, but I've reset it quite a number of times.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I want one!

Until later,

- Sean Yepez

This just goes to prove that if you put your faith/trust/hopes into what these damn rumor sites push, you WILL be dissappointed! Look at the specs on this new PB - awesome. Who friggin' cares THAT MUCH about a cool case? I like cool too - I have an iMac DV SE, but specs come first, design second.

Stop believing all the crap on the rumor sites and you'll be much happier (and better informed) for it.

Scott

Hey y'all! I feel so stupid now. I, too, was kind of hoping that the new Powerbook would look different than the current one. (I own a Lombard 400). Yet, it seems pretty obvious that Apple wouldn't change the form factor of the new Powerbook. I immediately thought of all the whining (justified) when Lombard was announced. People were justifiably upset that the old expansion equipment they had bought (internal CD-ROMs or floppies or even batteries) wouldn't physically fit. If they had redesigned the case again, all of us would have been left in the cold. Perhaps more importantly, so would have VST and whoever else had designed stuff to fit in the Lombard.

I have to admit that I'm a little bit disappointed, but only because my hopes were so high. If I didn't already have a six month old Lombard 400 then I would be sorely tempted to get one of the new ones. The only problem is that it seems like Apple still hasn't given them an official new name...I guess that this is Powerbook G3 Series III? IV? I've lost count!

I guess that I should add that my Lombard is my first Powerbook, and I've been really happy with it. Hasn't given me problems so far. Maybe that is why I'm less disappointed than some of you. I've been lucky with the current configuration.

Cheers,
Tim

[This message has been edited by tharger (edited 02-16-2000).]

my first reaction to the new powerbook was...this thing isn't a pismo.but then i thought , so what, it is a major jump inside and that's what counts. i sold my wallstreet233 to upgrade my aging 8500. although i don't regret the sale, i miss having a powerbook...maybe this summer i will get a 400 model.damn impressive macs they are,but what DO we call them?

I think everyone should read this:

As much as you guys & gals say that you shouldn't put your hopes up so high based on what you read on a rumor site, which of course no one should.........you have to admit that your going to keep reading info on these rumor sites......plain and simple..... it's almost fact.

The whole purpose of a rumor site is to inform the interested as to what is "Possibly" going on, and what is "Possibly" going to happen based on the most reliable sources the people behind these websites can find and also patterns of Company movement, Current Company movement etc.......you know this.........The line is crossed when the reader wants to believe that what he or she read is true......when in your mind you know that it is possible not fact. Thus, getting hopes up high causing anxiety etc.

Rumor sites are a very important part of the Macintosh Community and play a very imortant role, whether you want to believe that or not won't change it's affect to everything in the Macintosh Community from increases sales as an indirect advertisement plate for Future Product releases......to business desicions made by dozens of third party SW/HW manufaturers.....and several other effected factors. I would even bet $100 (I don't have much) that some of those brand name Financial Analysists that report on where Apple is headed have "The Apple Insider" bookmarked in their browser. All of which effect you (the consumer) in the end.

On a final note, nothing that you hear or read about, whether it came from Joe Shmoe or an Apple Employee working on a product will hold much truth at all until you hear it from the horses mouth (Apple) or see it in a store. EVEN THEN things still change, but it's nice to be informed.
Who else will inform you of the "likely possibilities" if they don't?
Apple won't...in fact...I believe part of the reason Apple turned into such a secretive company is because of these rumor sites......they are bat and ball.....and we play catch. They go hand in hand in that sense.

personally, I am very disappointed that pismo did not sport a new case design. Although the specs look nice, in the mac world looks count too. Apple has always been on the cutting edge of industrial design, it's sad to see them losing their grip.

I have to admit, the inside specs is an improvement but I'm still a bit disappointed. According to one comment from Jason O'Grady's site, he said that the new powerbook is in fact NOT Pismo 'cause the motherboard is not the UMA as we thought it would be. It's a 102 motherboard and the future UMA is a 103. He also said that it's just Lombard on steroids. *L* Also at Go2Mac, another comment said 'even at Jason's site said that the new powerbook will sport a new industrial design that will send shockwaves!' Apparently, we've been deceived. Even my source told me that he have seen a prototype powerbook that was "totally different" from the current powerbooks. But then again, could this prototype be the new Pismo? As for rumors, some have been proven true and some were false but it's not a crime to hope for something new. For more info and comments, go to http://www.go2mac.com
Take care you guys.

So Lombard/Pismo is not on the cutting edge of industrial design? Any PC laptop I can sit my Lombard beside looks like a brick.

Everybody seems to think that the current Apple "revolution" began with the iMacs, but remember that the G3 Series 'Books were shown on the same day. Their design -- albeit with the Lombard shrink -- remains current.

I can't help but rave about the current look and hope that it sticks around for a couple of years.

These repsonses are why PC and IT people hate Mac people. The current PB design (as stated before) still makes most PCs look like bricks. It's a great technological step.
What kills me though is all of the griping around here and other forums from people who get upset at Apple when they release hardware/software that's "not ready" or "beta" but you want a brand-new design every three months! Come on. Do you people have endless funding? Do you like supporting all-new hardware every quarter? I do this for a living and I can tell you that I want stability first, new and cool second.

Scott

considering the high cost of apple products, yes I would expect them to update their designs frequently. Sure, pcs look like ****, but for the money I wouldnt expect more.

High cost compared to what?

From the CDW catalog I received today:

Sony VAIO PCG-F390 notebook, 500 MHz Pentium III, 128/192MB RAM, 12G hard drive, 4X DVD-ROM, 56k modem, 15" TFT screen, 2.1" thick, 7.3 pounds. $3,496.

Toshiba Satellite 4100XDVD notebook, 400 MHz Pentium II, 64/192MB RAM, 6.4G drive, 2X DVD-ROM, 56k modem, 14.1" TFT screen, 1.6" thick, 7 pounds. $2,599.89

And so on and so forth ...

It's time to dispel the myth of PowerBooks being overpriced. Apple produces laptops comparable to most high-end PC notebooks on the market. What you don't see from Apple are machines to match the $1,000 Celeron-based notebooks with 12" passive screens that are even heavier than the PowerBooks.

Would I like to see a sub-notebook from Apple? Sure. It would have its place in the market. One of our reporters had to have one of the super-slim Sony VAIOs, and now he's hoppin' mad that he can't expand it with a third-party hard drive.

However, I refer again to my previous post. Calling the current Lombard/Pismo design "old" would be the same as calling for a radical redesign of the iMacs. Everything in the Apple product line is less than two years old, and only the iBook hasn't had a noticeable alteration in either its box or processor (if you count the switch of the desktops from G3 to G4.)

I got my Lombard 400 because it could fulfill my daily requirements of both a laptop and a desktop machine. The great design was a bonus.



------------------
"Can you spare some
copper processors, me
brother?" - The drunk
from "A Clockwork Apple"

Personally, i like the classy look and design of the the previous and current g3 powerbooks. All you folks craving for a laptop that looks like a lolipop should get an iBook, simple.

Messing with a VERY good design just because everyone and thier dog has iCandy fever is stupid. I have never seen a notebook that looks as professional as the powerbook.

I dont want a translucent toylike gizmo, its fine as it it.

-my half a cent-

I have been thinking about getting a portable Mac, and I don't know if I need an iBook or a new PowerBook. I want to be able to play games, I just got an iMac DV, and its almost exactly like the new PowerBook. If I got the 400MHz PB, could I expect the same gameing performance as an iMac DV? Another concern is money. I can affourd either, but if I get the PB, I wont have much money left for upgrades. What do you all think?

I heard the new PowerBooks have dual monitor capability where an external monitor would not be mirror...but a different desktop. If I bought one of these....would i be able to set it to mirror so i can plug it into a monitor at home and have it be the same desktop?

"JonW",

You're having the same problem I was having when I bought my PowerBook G3! I would suggest that you get an iMac DV Special Edition until now, that the PowerBook, with equal gaming performance, a brilliant LCD screen, DVD standard, AirPort, UMA, a 400 megahertz microprocessor, and most importantly a 100 megahertz bus, came out. If you can afford it, get the PowerBook G3. Watch out, because the PowerBook case scratches very easily, though.

Personally, I think should have bought the or the iMac DV Special Edition G4 instead of my PowerBook, as I could have bought a faster computer for less money. Even though I regret my purchasing decision, I do appreciate my PowerBook, especially on road trips. If the PowerBook "Pismo" had been out, I think that would have been a better choice. Alas, my PowerBook is the best computer I've ever owned, none the less. The next computers I'm getting are a new PowerBook and an old, discontinued, 350 megahertz G4. I don't know, maybe the PowerBook was a better choice?

If you are going to be playing games or doing graphics more than anything else (and you don't need the portability that much), get the Power Macintosh G4. It will be upgradable, and faster for games compared with any PowerBook or iMac in the near future. The G4 is still available, albeit in limited quantity, in the 350 megahertz. Snag one for a good deal while supplies last!

What did you have in mind for upgrades?

I hope my "two cents" help,

- Sean Yepez

"ZooTV",

As far as I recall, when I plugged my PowerBook into my external monitor and restarted (it didn't work until I did), it gave me not a mirror but an extension of my desktop. Although I don't know (although I'm pretty sure it's possible) if you can mirror the desktop on purpose, I have this experience to share. Mirroring would limit you to a 1024 by 768 resolution, though.

"Latez",

- Sean Yepez

Zoo TV,
I have a Lombard and the video capabilites are the same (well, for this purpose anyway). You can indeed set the monitor to mirror. Here's how I've done it:

I put the computer to sleep. Then I plugged in the new monitor. I was actually using an external LCD display, but the connection was the same. I'm not completely sure that it is okay to sleep-plug...anyone care to comment on that?

Then I woke the computer up. After waking up, both my screen and the projector were working from the 'Book. On the control strip, if you wait a couple of seconds, two new modules pop up. One of them looks like a monitor behind another monitor. If you click on this you get two options: "Turn video mirroring on" and "Turn video mirroring off". You want to turn it on.

Alternately, you can open up the monitors and sound control panel and you will see an option there.

You can also select to have an extended desktop by turning off video mirroring. Then go to the monitor control panel and you can even arrange where you want the extension to be. You can set it above, below, to the side, or any mix of these options. Pretty cool.

If you have a new 'Book, it should have plenty of video horsepower to handle the dual-monitor stuff.

Tim

PS. If you are interested in playing DVD movies on an external display, on the Lombards you must have mirroring OFF. I am not sure about the Pismos.

http://www.macnn.com/thereview/revie...erbook2k.shtml

[tooki]

Since someone asked:

The naming convention of G3 PowerBooks is indeed confusing. It is as follows (codename followed by official name):

Kanga - PowerBook G3
Wallstreet - PowerBook G3 Series
Lombard - PowerBook G3 Series (Bronze Keyboard)
Pismo - PowerBook (FireWire)

yes, that's right, the latest one no longer has "G3" in the name

So if you ever need to search the Tech Info Library (http://til.info.apple.com), those are the names you must use to search.

tooki

[This message has been edited by tooki (edited 03-02-2000).]

Since when the Lombard/Pismo design bad? I've always thought it was eye catching, bold, and yet professional. Its design shouts power. If you are desperate for a more radical design, why not get an iBook SE? And a Pismo looks a heck of a lot better than any PC laptop, you must agree. It's ergonomically curved, has a light-up white Apple logo and is incredibly sleek and slim.

If Apple changed the design of this laptop just for the sake of changing the design, companies that make expansion bay peripherals would get frustrated. Pismo continues a fabulous design scheme, and it has kick-ass standard features and internal hardware. So stop moaning!

Maxintosh

My sentiments exactly, Maxintosh! It's an elegant design that demands to be taken seriously. I can't wait to get mine ordered since the 21st of last month.

firstly i have to say i just mostly skimmed over all the posts so if i repeat something..please excuse me...busy day at work!

anyways i just wanted to add that i got my new book (400) yesterday...and i still cant believe all of the features that i just bought for the relatively small amount of cash i put out (especially when i started looking into pc based laptops)

yes..a new case would have been cool but ..man this thing is ready for some serious workouts...

instead of dealing with all of the potential configuration nightnames that sometimes accompany a brand new model(ie: a g4 powerbook), i have a solid, reliable unit that is ready to go, out of the box..(well except for a sound manager upgrade..not a big worry) and has a serious shot in the arm in terms of features and expandiblity (read firewire, airport, dvd)
and with 1 meg of level 2 cache to boot...(great for cubase vst)

yes the g4 will smoke, but it wont make this book a paperweight. also i see the integration of a g4 into a portable as being not an easy process..(the first generation could come with its more than fair share of bugs to workout)

boy ..it was along wait..but for now anyways, this model addresses all of my needs in terms of computing in general, let alone being a portable, so im pretty happy.

hope this helps

I just bought a 400Mhz Pismo w/airport and base station and it rocks!

Pismo . . . a redundant, bad design? give me a break. This is the first powerbook to keep the same design as it's predecessor . . .ever. The reason is that it rocks. Sure, I can go get a wintel machine that's as thin as a cedit card, claims 600 mhz, has a 2hr. battery life and looks like it belongs to an uptight business type (ie. Bill Gates)
Why do you think the lombard design permeated it's way into Hollywood, showing up in at least 4 movies last year? I say it's great. Sure, maybe it's a little heavy but it's got the power to back it up.

As for the Lombard/Pismo design being in movies, I just saw it in The Sopranos a couple of weeks ago. Pretty cool as I got my new Pismo the following morning.

I just received my Pismo 400 64megs yesterday and I can't be any happier. Except that I'm waiting for my extra RAMs!! DVD is quite quite nice too, not audio problems, just a picture few bumps, since I still have v-memory on. (oh, gotta make a new set for the exstensions!, it really helps out!)It is ironic that is baby was made here in Taiwan, yet nobody has every seen this thing! Everyone comes by to say, " a very beautiful machine...who makes it?" Well, I'd just have to say good job MacNN, you've done a excellent job!! Keep up the great work and thank you all for giving valuable insight and comments!

Originally posted by anly:
I just received my Pismo 400 64megs yesterday and I can't be any happier. Except that I'm waiting for my extra RAMs!! DVD is quite quite nice too, not audio problems, just a picture few bumps, since I still have v-memory on. (oh, gotta make a new set for the exstensions!, it really helps out!)It is ironic that is baby was made here in Taiwan, yet nobody has every seen this thing! Everyone comes by to say, " a very beautiful machine...who makes it?" Well, I'd just have to say good job MacNN, you've done a excellent job!! Keep up the great work and thank you all for giving valuable insight and comments!

What did MacNN do recently? The pismo's even been discontinued since the TiBook!! You're obviously very confused...

Uh... if you notice, the date of the last post was March 16, 2000 -- over a year ago. I guess you got confused since it look like it was just a few days ago.

-Steve