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PoisonTooth · 09:52 AM

I'm about to drop a large sum of money on a dual G5, a 20" Cinema Display, and a PowerBook. Problem is, I don't know which PowerBook I should get. Big surprise here, I know.

My original intention was to go with a 15" aluminum model, but there have been too many reports of "white spots" blemishing the display as well as other quality issues. Here, ArsTechnica, SH/SC, and MacWorld all have discussions/articles regaring the problematic rev A-model 15"ers, and even Apple's own support forum has a thread dedicated to 15" PB white spots that's over 260 responses long.

To boot, when I went to the Apple Store in Troy, MI, one of their two 15" PBs was blemished with a few small white spots, even though the sales reps denied they've ever seen one.

So my question is this: how's the new 12" model (1 GHz)? I realize it's smaller, but it's also more portable, which is cool. It's a rev B machine, so all of the first-run bugs seem to have been worked out.

Seeing how I'm buying a dual G5 as my desktop machine, the notebook will be relegated to surfing, email, writing, office stuff, and maybe some music. The 2x2 G5 will be used for heavy lifting.

Do any of you Mac dudes have the 12" PB? If so, what are your experiences?

If the 15" PB issues were fixed, I'd go that route in a second. Problem is, nobody seems to know if they are or not. I'd be ordering a CTO machine, so maybe that would help me out. I dunno.

Just trying to get some input before I pull the trigger on a large purchase.

Thx in advance.

rjenkinson · Oct 30, 2003, 09:56 AM

-r.

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 10:01 AM

Originally posted by rjenkinson:

-r.

LOL.

No, I'd be bling bling if I were keeping my current Windows machines. Instead, I'm selling them to offset the cost of this mega-switch.

Anyone interested in a brand-new ThinkPad T40?

janmc · Oct 30, 2003, 10:09 AM

i'm trying not to be jealous but failing miserably! i would say not to be put off by the bad reports on the 15 inch PB's - mine is perfect (bar short battery life) and i'd imagine they'll have resolved all the problems by the time you get yours. it sounds as though the 12 inch would be enough if you have a dual G5 as well. i'd suggest you go down to the nearest apple seller near you and lift both and see whether you could handle carrying the 15 inch regularly. it's definitely not as portable as the 12 inch. though actually, if you have that kind of money to blow on computers, you probably have a nice car too, like a porsche, or a audi tt...

better stop there - feeling jealous again!

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 10:30 AM

Originally posted by janmc:

i'm trying not to be jealous but failing miserably! i would say not to be put off by the bad reports on the 15 inch PB's - mine is perfect (bar short battery life) and i'd imagine they'll have resolved all the problems by the time you get yours. it sounds as though the 12 inch would be enough if you have a dual G5 as well. i'd suggest you go down to the nearest apple seller near you and lift both and see whether you could handle carrying the 15 inch regularly. it's definitely not as portable as the 12 inch. though actually, if you have that kind of money to blow on computers, you probably have a nice car too, like a porsche, or a audi tt...

better stop there - feeling jealous again!

Heh...I wish I had a Porsche or TT. I drive a G35, which I love, but it's not in the same league as a Porsche. Not much is.

bbales · Oct 30, 2003, 11:03 AM

I would think the 12-in would be more than sufficient for your needs, if you have a new G5, too. (I'm trying not to be jealous, too...)

I have a 12-inch and love it -- it supplements my G4 tower (400 MZ -- it's old!). Have you thought about one of the new G4 ibooks? That might do it, too -- and they're lots cheaper!

EvanV · Oct 30, 2003, 11:04 AM

Originally posted by PoisonTooth:
Heh...I wish I had a Porsche or TT. I drive a G35, which I love, but it's not in the same league as a Porsche. Not much is.

Nice taste

Coupe or Sedan?

I ordered a 15'' AL Book a couple weeks ago, but it ships tommorow so I won't get my initial impressions until next week

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 11:12 AM

Originally posted by EvanV:
Nice taste Coupe or Sedan?

I ordered a 15'' AL Book a couple weeks ago, but it ships tommorow so I won't get my initial impressions until next week

I got the G35 sedan. Need the four doors for business and cargo. I had an Acura CL-S as my last car, and the two doors drove me nuts.

Good luck with your 15". I think that, given that I'll have the G5 machine, I'll go with the 12" and save a few bucks.

janmc · Oct 30, 2003, 11:16 AM

off topic - what's a G35? Never heard of it!

spatterson · Oct 30, 2003, 11:26 AM

Originally posted by janmc:
off topic - what's a G35? Never heard of it!

The Infiniti G35... go to http://www.infiniti.com and click on G35! Its a sweet looking ride.

anaphora68 · Oct 30, 2003, 11:27 AM

I have a 15 inch, 1GHZ aluminum powerbook and i've had no problems with it. Granted, I just got it a few days ago but no white spots or anything like it. It's an amazing step up from my Pismo 400.

I would say go for it.

There's nothing wrong with a G35 btw, it's a really nice sleeper car.

Skypat · Oct 30, 2003, 11:44 AM

Poisontooth, I called Apple this morning and they told me the problem had been fixed. I am in the same situation : I have the budget to buy the 15" but I am a little scared about all the quality issues I read about. But if they tell the truth, no more white spots !

Anyone else heard the same thing from Apple ?? (I called the Belgian Apple Store).

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 11:55 AM

Originally posted by Skypat:
Poisontooth, I called Apple this morning and they told me the problem had been fixed. I am in the same situation : I have the budget to buy the 15" but I am a little scared about all the quality issues I read about. But if they tell the truth, no more white spots ! Anyone else heard the same thing from Apple ?? (I called the Belgian Apple Store).

I called yesterday and the sales rep said he couldn't comment on it, and was thereafter dead silent. I asked if a fix has been found, and he repeated he couldn't say anything.

Doesn't exactly give me the warm fuzzies. What also doesn't help is that the Apple support discussions are absolutely FILLED with white spots complaints, some very recent. A few folks there have had their screens replaced two, three times and are still having spot problems.

The worst part is that you can open your machine, see no spots, and think you're safe. Problem is, the spots can develop as long as 5 weeks later, as indicated several times in the Apple forums.

-Q- · Oct 30, 2003, 11:56 AM

Originally posted by janmc:
off topic - what's a G35? Never heard of it!

A very fine automobile made by Infiniti. Based on the same frame as the Nissan Z, but a much better ride and handling, IMO.

When I was looking for a new car I was very tempted by one. But it would've come down to the G35 or staying married.

michael_on_mac · Oct 30, 2003, 12:00 PM

Originally posted by janmc:

though actually, if you have that kind of money to blow on computers, you probably have a nice car too, like a porsche, or a audi tt...

OMG!
How could you seriously compare a Porsche to a TT (which is basically a Volkswagen Golf-TT)!

Now, from the OPs usage profile, I can recommend the 12" machine for it's portability. I myself use it for similar things, and it perfectly fills the pniche below my large, heavy and powerful A30p.

However, I really cannot understand how you could think about selling your new T40. That also a very, very nice machine, in my eyes. Did you have some kind trouble with it? (no OS flaming here please!)

Best, Michael.

Macbear · Oct 30, 2003, 12:02 PM

Since you say the laptop will be for stuff like surfing, email and music, I'd say the 12" would meet your needs quite well. I've had mine for about two days, and I'm very pleased. So far, no problems, and it's a fast little machine. I also thought about the 15, but with all the problems and shipping delays, I just felt better about buying the 12". I'm not disappointed at all. For general use, it's a great portable.

typoon · Oct 30, 2003, 12:09 PM

I'm still deciding as well. It's a toss up between the 12" PB or the 15 for me. I do about the same thing but I also do some photoshopping and web dev. I'm still leaning towards the 12" because of it's portability.

xylon · Oct 30, 2003, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by bbales:
I would think the 12-in would be more than sufficient for your needs, if you have a new G5, too. (I'm trying not to be jealous, too...)

I have a 12-inch and love it -- it supplements my G4 tower (400 MZ -- it's old!). Have you thought about one of the new G4 ibooks? That might do it, too -- and they're lots cheaper!

I would have to suggest the same. Although I really have no real world experience with the 12" or the G5, it seems the 12" would better compliment the G5. Since you'd have a solid desktop as sort of your home port, the 12" would be the perfect little portable. Just my opinion though.

Unless there are features on the 15" that you just can't live without, the 12" sounds to me to be the ideal side kick.

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 12:55 PM

Originally posted by michael_on_mac:

However, I really cannot understand how you could think about selling your new T40. That also a very, very nice machine, in my eyes. Did you have some kind trouble with it? (no OS flaming here please!)

Best, Michael.

Actually, I had tons of problems with it.

The wireless connection simply WILL NOT hold for longer than 20 mins. I've talked to IBM Level 3 tech support for over 3 hours total, and no solution. I've sent the machine in, and no solution. I've updated my AP firmware, no solution. I've reverted back to the factory XP image, no solution.

Now, IBM wants me to send it in again. No thanks.

When I had my first TiBook -- which I now regret selling -- I never once had even the slightest hiccup with WiFi. It was effortless.

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 01:19 PM

Well, I pulled the trigger. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback.

The damage to the credit card is:

12.1" PB G4 1 GHz
256 MB RAM (will add more via 3rd party source)
80 GB HD
SuperDrive
Airport Extreme
Bluetooth

Dual 2x2 G5
512 MB RAM (will add more via 3rd party)
250 MB SATA HD
Radeon 9800 Pro
SuperDrive
Bluetooth

20" Apple Cinema Display

Now all I have to do is sell all of my Windows machines. Suddenly it's become REAL urgent to sell them.

Question: where's the best place (pricewise) to get reliable 3rd party RAM? Is Crucial still the best?

deviousgelatin · Oct 30, 2003, 01:21 PM

Whatever you do, don't buy it from MacMall.

threestain · Oct 30, 2003, 01:25 PM

That's not very good - I thought IBM support was meant to be really good?

I remember when you were doing the selling of the TiBook, and buying the Thinkpad - I had just got my TiBook. I for one am so glad that I got it, and it seems you've had the ultimate "switch" experience, but not in a good way!

I would get the 12" as its more than powerful enough for all purposes if you've got a 2x2 G5 kicking around. Plus its that little bit more portable than the 15". And now they've gone for a good hinge sytem no more snappage problems! My classmate has a 12" and its really nice, doesn't have the lovely black Ti keys though!

janmc · Oct 30, 2003, 01:27 PM

Wow! That looks like a nice early Christmas present!
Congratulations!

s0litude · Oct 30, 2003, 01:28 PM

Now all you need is a cel phone! Haha!

PoisonTooth · Oct 30, 2003, 01:33 PM

Originally posted by threestain:
That's not very good - I thought IBM support was meant to be really good?

I remember when you were doing the selling of the TiBook, and buying the Thinkpad - I had just got my TiBook. I for one am so glad that I got it, and it seems you've had the ultimate "switch" experience, but not in a good way!

I wish I never sold my 15" TiBook. The thing was flawless, and I loved it.

Oh well -- bygones. I'm thrilled to be getting two new machines + a new display over the next few weeks.

DekuDekuplex · 03:50 PM

Originally posted by PoisonTooth:
[comments deleted]
Question: where's the best place (pricewise) to get reliable 3rd party RAM? Is Crucial still the best?

The following two online resellers, among others, have had good reviews in the "Best Place to purchase Memory" thread on this forum:

Coast to Coast Memory
E.g.,
512 MB PC2700 DDR SODIMMs (OEM Part No. M8995G/A) (18004memory Part No. MAL3364U/512/Q2B) for 17-inch Rev. A 1 GHz PowerBook (M8793LL/A):
$109.90 (Web Price: $99.00)

Transintl.com
E.g.,
512 MB DDR DIMM memory module for 17-inch Rev. A 1 GHz PowerBook (M8793LL/A): $119.00

--DekuDekuplex