I'm thinking about buying a PB 400 (Pismo). Having spent the last week reading various forums dealing with such issues as, problems with screen hinges, dead LCD pixels, keyboard marking screen, HD becoming noisy after 3 months..... this is making me worried.!!!

What has been the other members experience with reliability?

------------------

[Don Pickett]

Have had only one problem. When I first got it the fan would stay on all the time. I called Apple, who said I should send it in for repair. They sent a box, sent someone to pick it up, and four days later it came back, no fuss and no expense. When I opened it up there was a dead pixel on the screen which hadn't been there before. I massaged it and it went away. It came back briefly during an extended Deus Ex run, but I massaged it again and there it isn't.

The only other problem I have are small, dark regions in the lower corners of the screen. I don't really care about them enough to do anything about it. It crunches Photoshop with the best of them and I've carted it all over NYC and NY State with no problems. Even ran Starry Night Pro sitting on the beaches of Fire Island at night. That was fun.

Don

[jaguarandi]

One problem - bet pins on the AirPort card receptacle. Apple said it was my fault, I believed the whole housing was misaligned from the factory. Regardless, it was covered under warranty by Apple.

I have had no other problems mentioned here on the boards - keys leaving impressions on the screen, noisy hard drives, poor panel fit, etc. Maybe I'm lucky

I can echo Don's sentiment about it's portability. I've taken it back and forth across the US a few times, as well as to Japan (where it got lots of stares on the trains - Japan is a notoriously Apple-mad country).

/e

[scairns]

Have had no problems.
Am very happy with the product.
Am even happier with 384MB RAM.

Bought an Adaptec 1780 SCSI adapter with the machine to support legacy peripherals. Works beautifully with scanner, CD writer, hard drives and removable media drives.

Also purchased a VST Superdrive for floppy disk access.
Have found this to be overkill as I rarely (ever?) used a "Superdisk" in it. Would recommend investing in some sort of USB floppy disk drive.

Would have preferred 16MB video ram instead of 8MB, but hey, maybe next time.

I can see this machine serving my needs for the next couple of years.

Regards,
Stuart.

As far as the screens and hard drives are concerned, there are problems, some of which may be because of bad quality OEM parts, due to the fact that Apple buys parts from companies that make their own laptops, they tend to get the reject parts. Use two hands to open the screen, then clean the finger oil from the keyboard off, but not with a paper towel.

[SillyPooh]

A very good laptop indeed. All the problems mentioned on this list don't happen to all of us... I have rarely noticeable key traces on the screen. Anyway, when you see some, I have found a very good anti-static cleaner which removes them for at least a month. As you have mentioned, my HD got a little noisy with time but I think all machines don't have the same Toshiba drive and you might get lucky there. Anyway, as I said in the other thread, it will only occur if you leave your machine to hot. That disk can only accept a maximum of 55C, says Tosh. In contrast with Don, my fan does not work at all but its fine with me. The screen is ok unless you are really touchy with colors - no one's perfect.

It's a very robust machine even though it sounds a little cheep when you squeeze it. And I mean robust. I carry it all the time from home to university to work - it bumped really hard a few times - in my eastpack backpack. It's an all-round beauty though and unless you got some PC die-hards around, it will shine to most civilized humans.

A good buy, but make sure you got some serious bargains, otherwise wait for mercury - the next powerbook generation previewing in January.

I've had virtually no problems. I do get small marks on my screen from the keys but they are not really visible when working. In my mind, a non-factor. Knock on wood: I've subjected my Pismo to twice daily NYC subway rush-hour adventures, some road trips and a ton of general use (my main work computer) and it's been flawless for these last 8 months....

"Many PowerBook G3 Series (black keyboard) owners are reporting broken display hinges during their second year of ownership, while AppleCare refuses to take a consistent position on the issue.

The hinges, or clutches as Apple refers to them, provide friction to keep the display at a static position when it is open. Without this friction, the display would fall flat onto the nearest surface.

Users are reporting that the display hinges fail under moderate to heavy use - ranging from three to eight opening/closing cycles per day. For busy professionals - the target market of these US$2500+ machines, failure seems inevitable.

Typically failing on the right side of the computer first, the hinges on these Wall Street and PDQ computers loosen over time, then snap suddenly. The result is an extremely 'loose' feeling display. Below the surface, a jagged metal edge exists that can easily cut the display cables routed over them. If the broken clutch is not repaired, the remaining clutch will also fail, rendering the PowerBook useless for portable use."

Adding insult to injury, the article continues:

"Unfortunately, replacing these seemingly simple parts isn't an elementary (or cheap) job. Since the display must be disassembled, the computer requires a trip to Apple's Texas PowerBook repair center, at a minimum cost reported to be over US$300.00."

[Felix]

I got the latest Pismo 500 with a 20 GB HD (IBM Travelstar). I just love it. I haven't faced any serious hardware problems, yet. (In terms of Software it is another issue, since I am a beginner with Apple) The overall qualitity is good and fine with me, the design of the PB and its accesoires is exciting. Eventhough a 500, the battery seems to last forever, not to compare with all the WINTEL's I used before and beside.
At work I use an older IBM Thinkpad (380 ZX or so), which, however, seems to beat the Pismo in terms of the quality of the housing, etc. The keyboard feels better, f.e.

There are a few minor issues I faced when I got it:

1. The keyboard had a strange loose feel in the lower right corner. I was able to solve this with a strap of isolating tape underneath.

2. It was a big effort, to get the TV oulet for DVD-watching running. I tried the enclosed S-Video Chinch adapter with a Chinch-HiFi Cable, first, what did not work. Finally a got a s-Video cable and it was fine. I have never seen such a sharp picture on my TV when running DVD's. However the TV is beat by the Pismo TFT. DVD-Videos run very smooth.

I have owned about 10 laptops since they first started making PC laptops in 1986 and have never been happier with a laptop than I have with my Pismo 400. It has been to hell and back and is always reliable. The keymarks do appear on the screen, but wipe off. Less of a problem if you don't type with greasy fingers as I do (I lke to eat and write).

[whitedb]

I've had a PBG3 250 for nearly 3 years. It has travelled over 250,000 miles all around the world and is the best PB I have ever owned. I had a problem with the screen in the first year due to a problem edge connector. It was fixed by Apple quickly at no charge. No problems (touch wood) with the hinges.

I upgraded the hard disk (IBM) and had problems with it becoming noisey but this is an IBM issue, not Apple. In fact I listened to lots of IBM thinkpads and Dell machines and they were even noisier.

After 3 years it is still faster than many a Wintel machine. Sad really as my company now insists I must use a PC - but don't get me started on that.

I've set up, seen, and used many Mac and Wintel laptops (IBM, Toshiba, Dell, Gateway) over the years. The current Pismo PowerBook is hands-down the best I've ever used. It's been trouble-free, including AirPort installation (although it's a little awkward and you have to be careful). I've seen none of the problems reported.

The Rage Mobility Pro is a reasonable 3D chip, letting me play Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Deus Ex, and others in reasonable-to-great quality. I'll have to buy another once the Rage Mobility RADEON is announced, though!

I'm proud to carry it around, and it gets people interested when I'm watching DVD movies on flights. One thing is that the relatively large display size is a tight fit on a crowded coach seat-back tray, but that's what I get for flying the cheap airlines. ;-)

I heartily recommend it, and with the recently-announced rebates it's a no-brainer. Go for it!

[SJobs]

"Many PowerBook G3 Series (black keyboard) owners are reporting broken display hinges during their second year of ownership, while AppleCare refuses to take a consistent position on the issue.
The hinges, or clutches as Apple refers to them, provide friction to keep the display at a static position when it is open. Without this friction, the display would fall flat onto the nearest surface.
Users are reporting that the display hinges fail under moderate to heavy use - ranging from three to eight opening/closing cycles per day. For busy professionals - the target market of these US$2500+ machines, failure seems inevitable.
Typically failing on the right side of the computer first, the hinges on these Wall Street and PDQ computers loosen over time, then snap suddenly. The result is an extremely 'loose' feeling display. Below the surface, a jagged metal edge exists that can easily cut the display cables routed over them. If the broken clutch is not repaired, the remaining clutch will also fail, rendering the PowerBook useless for portable use."
Adding insult to injury, the article continues:
"Unfortunately, replacing these seemingly simple parts isn't an elementary (or cheap) job. Since the display must be disassembled, the computer requires a trip to Apple's Texas PowerBook repair center, at a minimum cost reported to be over US$300.00."


I had the hinge problem on my PB, the left one broke apple charged 500$$$$$ to fix it !!!! I was pissed but I had to do it, they sent it back and they replaced the plastics around the LCD then the right side is mis aligned the case lines are not flush, I really don't care much, I have had otehr probs apple didnt send it back for 3 months one time, they eraced my HD, I really dont care about the PB anymore I love it but I need to replace it soon with of course Mecury... Sorry for the bad spelling gotta run any more questions I got more stories to share.... [email protected]
-SJobs

[Damien]

I was thinking about buying a certain make and model of car, so I went around to all the repair shops and junkyards. There, I asked the mechanics and scrapmen about the car I wanted to buy. I saw several of the make and model I wanted to buy totaled because of accidents and two were up on hoists being repaired.

I did not go to a saleroom to see the car I wanted. Nor did I take it for a test drive. But because I saw the car I wanted to buy in for repairs and on the scropheaps, I decided that it *must* not be a very good car to buy.

Because I was focusing on only this one make and model of car, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that there were dozens of different makes and models of cars also crashed and being repaired.

I'm awfully glad I didn't buy that car! Wow, if I were to have bought it, I might've gotten into an accident or had to have it periodically visit the repair shop! Goodness!

-----

Obviously this is a slightly sarcastic analogy. If you look only in the forums for reported problems on a product and you--THE HORROR!--find someone reporting a problem, don't be surprised! That's why these forums exist. I've serviced HUNDREDS of Apple PowerBook and Wintel Notebooks. In my experience, the PowerBooks are far superior in craftsmanship, durability, and reliability than any other laptop I've ever seen.

Damien. http://www.mrbarrett.com

Thanks guys, for all the info and tips. I guess Damiens response puts the issue in perspective.

[scottiB]

Had to throw in my two bits:

I've had a 400 Pismo (18 GB/384 RAM) since April and have nothing but good things to say. I do get marks on the screen, but I found some Fellowes brand wipes that work well (do not use anything alcohol based).

Everything else is graaaaaaaaannnnnnddddddd!!!! With a $200 rebate, buy! BUY!

[TigerN28763]

I have a Pismo 400 for 1 month, before which I had a PB Wallstreet for 2 years, give or take a couple weeks. The only problems I ever had with the Wallstreet were the battery issue forgetting its memory, and the AC addapter connector breaking. That is why my PB Wallstreet is gone, Apple had problems with the repair...only problem I've had in over 10 years of Apple repairs on many many Apple computers.

The Pismo is an elegant improvement over the Wallstreet, which is not evident just viewing them. In this month, I've carried it everywhere with me and have had narry a problem. I've seen zero defects and not a single idiosyncrasy in operation. It is so much lighter & faster, and the battery lasts significantly longer. Interestingly it runs far far cooler. (No one ever mentions that when a LAPTOP is on your LAP it shouldn't be so hot that it makes you sweat.) The AC addapter "flying saucer" is a wonderful change to the old brick.

In the end, buy what you need NOW, and for the next 1.5 to 2 years. Pragmatism is still the best rule in computer equipment. (With both the Wallstreet and the Pismo, I have not had a desktop computer, and I am doing well with it in my service bureau where I have to manipulate large graphic files.)

[Potatoswatter]

I'm a high school student and I take my Pismo to school just about every day. I bike 2.3 miles each way with my PB kinda squished into my backpack (well, I'm not *that* careless). I'm personally more than satisfied with its durability.

Three of the four little rubber feet on the bottom have come off, which is kinda understandable with the friction it goes through... I'm looking for some way to replace them; if anyone knows, please mail me.

Aside from that, I'm incredibly happy with it. The battery simply never runs out , it's very quiet and has decent speakers (I use it as a boombox sometimes), very stable.

As for any problems that do crop up, I've found Apple's support to be great. My power adapter kinda fried itself, and Apple express-mailed me a new one. It's almost scary how few questions are asked .

[This message has been edited by Potatoswatter (edited 12-01-2000).]

Hi to loyal PowerBook users!

I just recieved my PowerBook 400 "Pismo" and it is an absolute dream! I have always envied other laptop users and lusted for one. After purchasing one through the educational discount, I finally have a Book of my own. Sure Wintel users have more options to consider, but to use an ibook or PowerBook is just too easy. It's a joy to behold, no crazy buttons, slots or extra things for show. Leave it to Apple to keep a simple yet bold design, hence the PowerBook moniker. Just today took it to my local health science library today (med student) and sat working on a paper, there was a Wintel user just adjacent to me and honestly speaking, stylisticly the PowerBook just looks better, especially the glowing apple.

my 2 centavos

[jamesa]

Originally posted by scairns:
Have had no problems.
Am very happy with the product.
Am even happier with 384MB RAM.

Bought an Adaptec 1780 SCSI adapter with the machine to support legacy peripherals. Works beautifully with scanner, CD writer, hard drives and removable media drives.

Also purchased a VST Superdrive for floppy disk access.
Have found this to be overkill as I rarely (ever?) used a "Superdisk" in it. Would recommend investing in some sort of USB floppy disk drive.

Would have preferred 16MB video ram instead of 8MB, but hey, maybe next time.

I can see this machine serving my needs for the next couple of years.

Regards,
Stuart.

I agree. I have a 500mhz one. It's by far the best machine I've ever owned... mines been dragged all over Australia. Holding up just great - and the OS X beta runs great on it.

Couple of comments:

1/ Only place where this machine is something of a "letdown" is in graphics performance. I mean it's good for a notebook, but Quake isn't magical on this.
2/ Had the screen/key problem. Got a silicon strip from MCE... called a Bookmark. They don't advertise it on their page, just email and ask.
3/ If you're gonna buy an expensive laptop, buy a good bag for it! I got a Spire http://www.spireusa.com and it's absolutely fantastic. Highly recommended.

I'm on my second PB G3, and I have a number of problems.

On the first one, a 250 MHz 96 MB machine (May 1998), the screen died, the logic board died twice, the modem died, the power management board stopped working and one other thing went wrong (after a while you lose track). I tried to get Apple to replace the machine, and they were very unsynpathethic. They even lost some of the repair records and then had the nerve to say that since the problems weren't in their records, they never happened.

The second machine is one of the new 400 MHz models. I've had it for a little over a week, and it has been rough going. Right now, the machine has trouble booting with certain combinations of USB devices plugged into it (the same combination works fine on a desktop PC). I'm still trying to figure out whether it's a problem with the PowerBook or one of the external devices. The second problem I have had has been with system software corruption. 9.0.4 seems very sensitive to errors -- I've already had to reinstall the software several times. Again, it may be a problem with something other than the PB G3, but the whole process has been very frustrating. I should know more in the next few days.

Originally posted by JamesG:
I'm thinking about buying a PB 400 (Pismo). Having spent the last week reading various forums dealing with such issues as, problems with screen hinges, dead LCD pixels, keyboard marking screen, HD becoming noisy after 3 months..... this is making me worried.!!!

What has been the other members experience with reliability?

We have 3 G3-class powerboks including 2 pismos, and have had various other laptops in the past. The pismo's are great, it's as simple as that.

[SillyPooh]

Three of the four little rubber feet on the bottom have come off, which is kinda understandable with the friction it goes through... I'm looking for some way to replace them; if anyone knows, please mail me.

Tell us when the fourth one drops!
I have tried anything but you just can't put these damn things back in place! The only thing you might wanna try is cutting a mm round off the feet so that they fit and try using some strong glue, but no cyano, it won't work.

One of mine is off, and a second one is slipping... I'm thinkin of taking some Cray-Zee glue to the suckers...

[TazmanDman]

I love my pismo 500... take it to all my classes and to the multimedia lab i work in on campus.... works like a charm, especially with a madsonline.com powerbook case... a very nice tight fit... zero problems that i am aware of after 4 months...

Oh and Diablo 2 and Starcraft runs great

-Taz

Thanks everyone for the Input...just to let you know I have oredred PB 400 with extra 128MB ram, should receive it Thursday/Friday.. can't wait.

[ARK]

Well I dont own one. But I've had a chance to work on it for several days. So far so good. Treat it good, keep it clean, and dont install buggy software you should be fine. Oh yeah, and its nice.

just get it or wait for a newer powerbook, you know most people has a powerbook that dont have so much defects would have too little time to go around forums and posting how good is it, they would be playing deus ex or diablo 2 or some other games we got

you can buy that powerbook - i do have a pismo 500 and it is the best and fastest computer i ever had. my friend who i convienced to buy one he bought a 400 pismo and is happy with linux on it. there is nothing better you can buy!

[BMWDrum]

How many people here have tried out the Bookmark 4 form MCE? I am thinking on purchasing one, since I am noticing marks on my screen (they rub off) after only a couple weeks of owning this thing (I love it!)

I am thinking on ordering one of these "Bookmarks" but I would like to here all of you peoples experiences.

Thanks!

drum

[Misha]

A piece of paper works just as well as Bookmark, and it's free...

[Richard Pinneau]

After a month with my Pismo 400 (upgraded from 2 years with a Wallstreet) I am DELIGHTED! with performance and reliability.
I am, however, being awfully careful about inserting power adapter plug as wearNtear of that stiff connection on the Wallstreet necessitated a $300 sound card replacement.
--RP

[Richard Pinneau]

On the otherhand, the posting on "Pismo Brutal Switch Off" raises a question - whether it's hardware that's under warranty or IE fun

I've had the Powerbook G3/400 (Pismo) since early April. I have 320 MB installed and AirPort. I have one pixel stuck on red near the edge on the right. The keyboard does leave marks on the screen which wipe off readily. I've seen the Bookmark 4 online, but it seems overpriced for a piece of plastic.

[tooki]

Originally posted by JamesG:
I'm thinking about buying a PB 400 (Pismo). Having spent the last week reading various forums dealing with such issues as, problems with screen hinges, dead LCD pixels, keyboard marking screen, HD becoming noisy after 3 months..... this is making me worried.!!!

What has been the other members experience with reliability?

Well keep in mind that people generally only post when they have problems--this is, after all, a kind of volunteer tech support forum. People only post about how few problems they have when a new model comes out and it isn't incompatible with everything they own...

For what it's worth, I haven't had any problems with my Pismo, and compared to basically any notebook ever, it's very, very reliable (the Wallstreet, Lombard and Pismo models have a 3-way tie when it comes to reliability--my assessment from working at Mac dealers).

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one, especially with the good deals Apple has going on right now.

tooki

Does anyone use the adapter from MadsOnline?
I have a Pismo, but the adapter that came with it is very hard to plug into the 'Book. I am thinking about replacing it with the MadsOnline aapter, can anyone tell me if that would be easier to plug/unplug into the computer.

<http://madsonline.com/acadapter.html>

Thanks


Eric

[tooki]

Please do not post new questions to an existing topic.

tooki

We purchased 50 PowerBook G3 400 Pismo's this summer for our college. So far, There has not been a single hardware problem except for 2 IBM drives replaced because there was something broken inside the drive (made lots of loud clicking noises and were unusable during this) and one DVD drive replaced. Apple replaced them all under warranty without a problem. Other than those three, they have been great machines. Just make sure you don't settle for 64MB of RAM; it does this machine no justice. But personally if I were you, I would wait for the next revision of the PowerBook, just because it MUST be close.

Cory
[email protected]

I have a Pismo 400 and a later model Wallstreet (which
my sister now uses for college). Both machines have
been true champs. I had a slight screen issue with my Pismo
(the lower right corner appeared to be slightly darker than
the rest of the screen). I sent it back to Apple, and they
fixed it and sent it back. All within a matter of days. I am
running MacOS9.0.4 on my unit, and it has been very stable.
I use my Pismo at work (the ONLY Mac guy) and it was extremely
easy to get it configured to the network. Plus, out of the box,
I can drive 2 displays (the laptop screen and an external monitor).
The Wintel guys at work are envious!

Bob
http://www.pcweenies.com

[typoon]

I'm on my forth Powerbook. First I had a 2300 then a 233 Wallstreet then a 333 Lombard and now I upgraded to the 500 Pismo. I think this is one of the best and fastest Powerbooks I have ever used. I have only had a few problems with my older 'books. I had a video cable with my 233 sent that to Apple and had that fixed in 2 weeks. Other than that no problems with my powerbooks. Took my Pismo to Hong Kong in my Pelican case and no problems. Also I do everything on my Powerbook and it is like an extension of my body. I am the Mac Specialist at work and I sit in front of a PC and have my Security blanket oops I mean Powerbook next to me. I use it as my stress relief.