[K-Bat]

I have a 2-year-old 15" Powerbook. In the last few days I started to experience a lot of kernel panics (luckily, the culprit was a bad memory stick, not the logic board), and this got me thinking the possibility of buying a MacBook Pro. The way I carry my Powerbook to work is not very advisable - the PB sits inside a sleeve inside a shoulder bag which is tied to the rear seat of my motorcycle. I imagine that the hardware fatigues much faster than when it's transported in more gentler manners.

I'm just curious what's been people's experience in hardware failures on your Powerbooks due to their ages? Not having owned the same Powerbook for more than 1.5 years in the past (except this one), I have very little idea as to the typical life expectancy of a Powerbook. Has anyone experienced a sudden death of your Powerbook in year 2 or 3? Getting a Macbook will mean a new warranty and zero hardware fatigue. I use PowerPC applications extensively for my work so I wasn't planning an upgrade until more universal binary programs come out. I'd like to hear stories of premature hardware failures (like before three years into use) as well as stories of incredibly robust Powerbooks that survived abusive handling. Thanks.

[mduell]

The first hit on Google for "powerbook reliability" is a very good article on the topic.

[cenutrio]

Those are indeed good questions and a nicely written and informed article.

My opinion with Powerbooks is solely based on my 5 year long relationship with a rev A powerbook G4 400.

A work beast, I keep it running for months, went through my MS and PhD without problems. A nice machine very reliable. Sadly, the logic board died around 2-3 weeks ago. I will sell the parts in ebay the soonest and get a MBP.

[molala]

Good article. The reliability really varies from model to model. I'm still using a 7 year old Powerbook G3 (lombard, bronze keyboard) that has never left me for repairs. but i've also had an iBook G3 (800MHz) that went through three logic board replacements before I finally sold it after 20 months, while it still had extended warranty.

[jasong]

It also depends on what you mean by failure. My old Pismo (which I have sold to a friend) is still going strong, but has required a hinge repair (which I did by myself), and a battery replacement. My TiBook has required the same work, except I sent it in to Apple for the hinge repair since it was still covered under AppleCare. So while parts have failed, the system as a whole has not.

[mrmister]

I have a Ti500 that has been going 5 years strong, and doing very well as a secondary machine that handles daily work. My primary PB will be 2 years old in July and shows no signs of slowing down; problem with drastic hardware failure is that it is rarely predictable. I will replace my primary with a new MBP (or something else...) before July 2007, when its AppleCare runs out, and finally sell off my venerable Ti500 at that point.

[freakboy2]

i have a 12 inch pb. it had some problems right when i got it (bad mb i think) but since then it's been solid (2+ years).. i think that once you get everything working on any laptop, it will work for a long time as long as you don't bash it around.

the newer mbp's will probably have a lower breakage rate due to the motion detector hd's and the magnetic powercord. Of the 3 laptops i've had, i've tripped (and broken) the power plug on 2 of them. it's just so easy to do.

[yugyug]

Well my tibook 500 has been going strong for nearly five years BUT the power manaagement unit has just started giving me trouble

but it seems from the data on that page that if you get through the first year you are less likely to have a subsequent problem.

I also noticed that although ibooks are designed to be more durable for a younger market, powerbooks still get dropped more. Is it because they are so thin and sleek they just slip through our fingers? Or is it what I've always suspected; that deep within every powerbook owners subconscious mind there is and dark desperate desire to know exactly how tough their powerbook really is........

[freakboy2]

yeah i think the metalic cases are just really slippery. it's so easy to drop them.

[nayr x]

Rev A PBG4 500.
5+years as my primary Use Machine- up for months at a time under heavy usage.
Best machine I have ever owned.

Will probably retire the ol' girl this summer with a MBP.
I do worry that the chances of getting a lemon have increased with the increased production volumes of mac portables theses days. You know, the whole 4th gen ipod syndrome...

keeping my fingers crossed.

[tigas]

PismoG3/400 with 6 years: dead battery , dead optical drive, short on the HD data/power flatcable (too much disk swapping... it went up in smoke); being a Pismo, replacements were a swap. So was the new G4/500 processor card.

[Tuoder]

I have a Lombard running without a hitch. I was playing with the ejector for the PCMCIA card slot, and the whole button came out. But then, I don't actually use any PC cards, so it doesn't matter to me.