Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

gooser · Aug 10, 2009, 09:47 PM

did something i thought i would never do. my girlfriend's son in law offered me a free 12" 867 powerbook. i think he felt sorry seeing me with an older, slower clamshell on my lap all the time. but i have no use for it, i already have one spare laptop. (a 600 mhz ibook). thing worked fine but there was no way i was going to have that HOT powerbook on my lap when he comes round to visit. i'm sure he'll sell it on ebay.

CharlesS · Aug 10, 2009, 09:49 PM

You have something even older and slower than a 867 MHz PowerBook?!

Cold Warrior · Aug 10, 2009, 10:23 PM

I would have taken it, sold all three old ones and put it towards a new one.

0157988944 · Aug 10, 2009, 10:45 PM

that sounds like an unquestionably bad decision but power to ya.

SpaceMonkey · Aug 10, 2009, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by gooser

thing worked fine but there was no way i was going to have that HOT powerbook on my lap when he comes round to visit. i'm sure he'll sell it on ebay.

Maybe the OP meant the laptop is stolen and his girlfriend's son in law is a police officer involved in some sort of undercover sting operation targeting "hot" antiques? That's the only way I can think to logically interpret his post.

gooser · Aug 10, 2009, 11:11 PM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

I would have taken it, sold all three old ones and put it towards a new one.

that may have made sense but i wouldn't feel right selling a gift. that would be just tacky.

gooser · Aug 10, 2009, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey

Maybe the OP meant the laptop is stolen and his girlfriend's son in law is a police officer involved in some sort of undercover sting operation targeting "hot" antiques? That's the only way I can think to logically interpret his post.

i meant temperature wise. that thing was toasty.

Spheric Harlot · Aug 11, 2009, 02:01 AM

You turned down One of The three most gorgeous laptops of all time?

God, I loved my 12" PowerBook.

Simon · Aug 11, 2009, 02:21 AM

Gorgeous? I'm not so sure. It was definitely a nice little notebook, but I wouldn't call it gorgeous. Compared to its small footprint, it always looked somewhat obese to me. At least it didn't have that huge bezel around the screen Apple has lately become so fond of.

lpkmckenna · Aug 11, 2009, 04:58 PM

I recently gave my 1GHz 15" PowerBook to my little sister. She's extremely happy.

fisherKing · Aug 11, 2009, 05:37 PM

i loved my 12" powerbook (had 2, and the last version, the 1.5g G4, ran cooler than the first one)...
but really, a clamshell? os 9something? yikes... i'd rather burn off my legs LOL...

CharlesS · Aug 11, 2009, 06:28 PM

Yeah, that 12" PowerBook is more likely to be in good working condition than a clamshell iBook. My brother's got one that he's had for about six years, and it's taken some really rough treatment, and the damn thing just keeps on ticking (except for the inevitable failure of the optical drive, but you can't really avoid that with any slot loader).

amazing · Aug 11, 2009, 11:22 PM

When that first 12" 867 PB came out, there was a movement to nickname it the "FireBook." In the very beginning of its introduction, owners would rave and rave about how nice it was, but pretty soon it was "boy, does it ever get hot."

Later revs reduced the heat problem.

But yeah, you could've accepted it and bought a laptop cooler for use during the summer months.

Simon · Aug 12, 2009, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by amazing

When that first 12" 867 PB came out, there was a movement to nickname it the "FireBook." In the very beginning of its introduction, owners would rave and rave about how nice it was, but pretty soon it was "boy, does it ever get hot."

Yeah, I remember well.

It's a strange thing with the 12" PB. Back in the day it's was heavily criticized for pretty much everything. But now post-mortem it has been glorified to no end. From reading threads about it now you get the impression Apple should have never stopped building the 12" PB. It's really funny to see how perception has changed 180 degrees since then.

CharlesS · Aug 12, 2009, 02:48 AM

In a way, they haven't. The new 13" MBP is a worthy successor to the 12" PowerBook if I ever saw one.

AKcrab · Aug 12, 2009, 02:54 AM

It's strange CharlesS.. There are people that come in to the shop that insist 13" is just "too big"...

I don't get it, but they are out there.

Simon · Aug 12, 2009, 03:16 AM

If Apple got rid of that ludicrously large bezel around the 13" MBP screen, I'd also see it as a worthy successor to the 12" PB. But as it is, the 13" is simply too big to be considered a small notebook. Put it on top of a 15" MBP. You'll see what I mean.

If Apple would drop the optical from the 13" I'm pretty sure they could get rid of that oversized bezel and still increase battery volume on top of all.

Spheric Harlot · Aug 12, 2009, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by AKcrab

It's strange CharlesS.. There are people that come in to the shop that insist 13" is just "too big"...

I don't get it, but they are out there.

They usually shut up when you put them side by side and they compare screens and thickness.

The unibody 13" pro is the first book since the 12" to really have me head over heels.

Simon · Aug 12, 2009, 04:17 AM

Andrew Stephens · Aug 12, 2009, 04:29 AM

my wife won't give up her 12in for anything (fnarr fnarr) no, seriously she's definitely one of the MacBook too big crowd. She just loves her 12in. They are remarkably tough machines, AND her slot still works (fnarr fnarr)

CharlesS · Aug 12, 2009, 04:47 AM

Simon, I think those pictures just make my point. The 13" MBP isn't significantly larger than the 12" PB in any dimension except for width, which is the least important dimension as it is the least likely to hinder you in any activity I can think of (as opposed to height, which can make it difficult to open in an airplane). It's nearly the same height as the 12", and it's significantly thinner. Plus, just look at that third picture. Can't you see the build quality difference there?

Simon · Aug 12, 2009, 05:25 AM

Dude, nobody nere ever mentioned build quality. You're gonna have a tough time finding anybody who doubts the unibody isn't as tough as the 12" PB.

fisherKing · Aug 12, 2009, 09:37 AM

i swore by my 12 PB (especially the last one, the 1.5). but i have to say...the 13" mb IS a worthy replacement.
yes, it's (relatively) too big, but...faster, brighter (a lot). less hot. basically better in every way (EXCEPT it's footprint).

am happy with it (and will get a newer one this fall, so i can have firewire again)...

Spheric Harlot · Aug 12, 2009, 01:35 PM

My 12" PowerBook rev. A, while I loved it dearly, was a complete POS, technically. AppleCare evantually replaced it with a refurb 15".

CharlesS · Aug 12, 2009, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by Simon

Dude, nobody nere ever mentioned build quality. You're gonna have a tough time finding anybody who doubts the unibody isn't as tough as the 12" PB.

Dude, I mentioned build quality. Of course, time will tell, but my prediction is that as tough as the 12" PB was, the 13" MBP will prove to be the toughest laptop Apple's made to date.

Simon · Aug 12, 2009, 04:25 PM

What a prediction!

No seriously, there's no doubt the unibodies are tough. They're definitely tougher than the plastic MBs and they're also more sturdy than the Al MBPs and PBs.

But no matter how you spin that, the 12" PB was still about an inch less in depth and about two less in width than a 13" MBP. Which is why IMHO Apple should consider doing something like a 11" widescreen. That would likely end up being about the same width as the 12" PB and it would also cater to roughly the same crowd. It's actually what I'd like to see replace the plastic MB. And I'd much rather see that than some multitouch tablet/netbook doohickey running iPhone OS and restricted to the app store.

CharlesS · Aug 12, 2009, 04:37 PM

My brother's got a 12" PowerBook, and the thing he's always going on about is the longevity of the thing, not the size. He's taken it to some environments which he was sure were going to take their toll on it, but the damn thing just keeps going. I kind of wish it would die, myself, so we could get him to get a more modern machine, but it just won't.

The unibody is going to be the next one of these "buy it and it lasts 10 years" sort of notebooks. Mine just took a collision with an electric fan this afternoon and won. Heck, if you replace the hard disk with a SDD, you won't even have to worry about that going out.

molala · Aug 12, 2009, 05:06 PM

My rev C (1.33) 12" PB just won't die either. Except the battery, it lasts about 3 minutes. I use it at work and I've been thinking of replacing it with an MBA because the screen seems dim now. The 13" MBP would have been a no-brainer if it weren't for the glass, I just don't like glass.

Back on topic, I would have turned down that PB as well (if I wasn't going to use it). It is tacky to eBay a gift, and not so nice to just let it gather dust somewhere. If someone offered me a 12" PB or a clamshell, I'd take the clamshell. They're way cuter.