[cSurfr]

Originally posted by Ann:
Question/Comment for 12" Powerbook users, I've had my PB for over a month now. When I first got it, I never noticed the fan come on when its temp started to rise. It was nice and quiet. Now, I hear it when it comes on, nothing extremely loud but louder than before. Does anyone know what might be the cause for the increase in fan noise? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

I'm gonna piggy back off of this, and say that the ONLY time i hear the fan on my Rev. C is when playing world of warcraft. Other than that, the never comes on. However, when the fan is on full blast (and believe me this thing gets HOT when playing) it sounds like a jet engine right before takeoff. Also, I've noticed when the machine gets really hot playing a game, sometimes my power adapter shuts off. I have to plug and unplug it from the wall to get it to work. any ideas on that one ? As for increased noise, dust and such builds up over time and may cause some of that. You may try blowing compressed air into the back of the machine (where the fan exhausts is and see if you can get some of the dust out. I've not had to do it yet, but I can't imagine it would hurt anything to try.

-cs

[Voch]

Originally posted by escher:
Mac OS X kicks so much more butt than the Classic Mac OS, not to mention Windows.

I'm so happy to hear folks say this. Remember when X 10.0 came out and it was a dog? Things ARE pretty great now with Mac OS X...

(Back on the 12" topic)

I've been used to my PB G4's 15" screen for about a year now but I just used my coworker's iBook G3/800 for some file transfer stuff and I must say as a former iBook G3/500 owner I miss the form factor (I just dropped by his desk, grabbed it with one hand, and brought it over to my cubicle) and the screen, while smaller, is still really pretty great. My next upgrade may be an iBook or 12" PowerBook just for portability...

Voch

[MilkmanDan]

I ordered a 12in when my G4 Tower konked out. Luckily my order was delayed two weeks, because it was updated from a rev B to a rev C! Whoo hoo! I love it for its size and its power. Fast, small, DVD-R, Airport, 80 GIG HD, 768 RAM. To get all those options on a 15in would cost a heck of a lot more, and be larger.

All in all, I'm happy with my choice. When i need more screen space I plug in an old 17in CRT. Plus having wireless at home allows me to 'spend time with my parents' while still being on a computer.

[derekw]

got my PB12 rev C for two weeks now, loving it thoroughly.

i have used mac IIsi, PM7200, iMac rev A, Cube--all on os 9, and on laptops IBM X, IBM T, Dell Latitude. and this is as refined and perfected as the "golden era" of IIsi and OS 7, i.e. rock solid through and through.

h/w positives: keybd, casing, ac, hinge, rigidity, speakers, even the screen, and most of all, how the parts work so well together as a whole. i thought i would definitely need a 17 LCD, but i don't think i do now. the text is super clear with LCD font smoothing, and i love computing all over the house.

s/w positives: panther engine is rock solid, quartz is amazing, GUI is, unfortunately, a step back from os 9.

negatives: not much really. can be lighter, but that's true for all laptops. can be cooler, but doesn't really bother me as it is. just need to put up with the GUI. would prefer ditching the "fn" key on the left and just have 3 keys there, then on the right, replace the enter key with fn key.

[maxx10]

Got mine yesterday so I'm officially entering the club

Coming from a desktop unit, are there some nifty utilities that no serious powerbook owner should do without??

[fisherKing]

Originally posted by maxx10:
Got mine yesterday so I'm officially entering the club

Coming from a desktop unit, are there some nifty utilities that no serious powerbook owner should do without??

you could check out dockblock, which disables the dock (gives me the FULL SCREEN in photoshop, reason, etc)...but WARNING! it's a little buggy, and i have to quit it from Activity Monitor periodically...worth it to me anyway (haven't seen my dock since i got my 12" pb)

slimbatterymonitor is nice, too, a...slimmer battery menubar item (to replace apple's monitor)

just a few, go to versiontracker.com

[///Milien]

I've owned the 15" Titanium, 17" Aluminum and now the 12" Rev.B. Out of all of them, the 12 is my favorite. At first, I wanted screen real estate. Now it's portability. I am still able to get my screen real estate by pluggin into my ACD 23. I recently upgraded the RAM to a 1.25GB!!!

Great machine!

[davisrg]

I have owned a Rev. A, B and C 17"
I have owned a Rev. A and B 12"
I have owned a Rev. A and B 15" AL

I love them all ... but working for an Apple Service Provider, I can tell you that I have seen far more problems with the 15's than any other portable Apple has made in recent history... EVEN Rev. B's.

In fact, call me crazy, but this is what I just SOLD on eBay:

PowerBook G4 15" Rev. B @ 1.5GHz
512MB RAM
128MB VRAM
80GB 5400RPM HDD
4x SuperDrive ... everything else standard ...

This is what I just bought to REPLACE it:

PowerBook G4 12" Rev. C @ 1.33GHz
1.25GB RAM
80GB 5400RPM HDD
4x SuperDrive ... everything else standard ...

In my opinion, BY FAR a better machine!

[Mr Mushroom]

Anyone had any experience with the Brethaven Bags for the 17" that are available from the Apple Store?

They seem to have been made specificly for the Powerbooks, but I would be interested to hear any owner's thoughts on these bags.

Thanks

Mushroom

[iREZ]

My cuz has one for his 17" and I have a little envy when he walks around with it on. Very professional looking (for a backpack anyway). Has a sleeve inside that gets strapped in, like double wall cushion. Hey..... wait a minute....... this is a 12" PB thread dude!!!!!!

[quadraphonic]

Just got my Rev C.. had to switch the first C due to some bad pixels. New one looks great! 12" PBs are the best!

[rareflares]

...

Ok, all your positive experience with the 12" Powerbook are leaning me towards buying it over the 15".



I have one question though and that is will I be able to game on it at respectable levels? I'm interested in Call of Duty, UT2004, Warcraft, Starcraft, and upcoming games like KOTOR and Homeworld 2. If I had the money I would go for the 15" and its superior video card but that really isn't an option for me.


So does anyone have any experience with these games? What kind of settings are you able to run them on with the newest 12" rev. C?

Thanks

[iREZ]

I'd have to say that if gaming is a big point in the purchase of your Powerbook, then you should go with the 15" vs the 12" just for the fact that the video card puts the 12" to shame, especially with the vram upgrade.

[olePigeon]

Originally posted by metallic:
the ONLY thing i wish it had is a backlit keyboard.

You can install a backlight in pretty much any PowerBook modle. It's not fibreoptic like Apple's, but it does the trick.

Here's the link .

[Group51]

<raises hand>

This machine is going to be the centre of my digital lifestyle. All I need is a 17inch DVI monitor and a bigger desk and I'm set.

As is my style, I've dropped it and there is some denting around the speaker grill at the back, so it's um, personalised to me now.

Rule No.1 with PowerBooks: Buy a case/sleeve at the same time you purchase it.

One gripe - the crappy plastic around the Ethernet port is giving way, well, its breaking to bits. I can't get WiFi soon enough.

Oh, and thanks to this thread, I just bent the 'Book over the table and fixed its wobble. Yay!

[mh0ffmann]

I'M A CONVERT!!!

I've had a Ti 15", and now use a 17" as a primary machine at work (with a secondary 18" monitor and "real" keyboard and mouse), but recently got a 12" for home use and absolutely love it. It fits right in where the 17" is slightly awkward... surfing the web on the couch/bed/etc., on vacations where you don't want to carry the behemoth around, etc.

It's a delight to use, and I almost derive more pleasure from my new 12-incher than from my 17".

Mark

[ratter]

Just got my new 12" PB with Superdrive yesterday. I'm stoked....BIG upgrade from my dual-USB 500 iBook, but the same form factor that I love. Going to try to snag a 512 chip this afternoon to go that much further with it.

[stefls]

Yesterday, my new pb 12" arrived. It replaces an Oct. 2001 iBook 600. So far, it seems to be a great machine. Most obvious differences with the iBook are:
- It is faaast!
- It is hooot! (installing, ripping, folding, full on! )
- It is louud! (that's relatively of course...)

Works like a champ, second monitor is great: that's a real relief; using a lot of apps on the ibook is just not that practical because of the modest screen real estate. One small thing bothers me though: ripping songs in itunes goes at 10x, sometimes topping at 13x, sometimes falling to 5x. Shouldn't this supposed to go a lot faster? My friend's iBook 14" (G4 1Ghz) easily jumps to 15x.

Cheers,

Stefan

12"/768M/80G

[Voch]

One small thing bothers me though: ripping songs in itunes goes at 10x, sometimes topping at 13x, sometimes falling to 5x. Shouldn't this supposed to go a lot faster? My friend's iBook 14" (G4 1Ghz) easily jumps to 15x.

Do you have the machine set to go the fastest speed in the Options tab of the Energy Saver system preference? Maybe the optical drive speed is a limiting factor, too.

Voch

[kastegir]

I see that several people have upgraded from a TiBook to a 12". I have a 1gHz Ti (1GB RAM, superdrive, 60GB drive) and am considering upgrading to a Rev. C 1.33gHz 12" G4.

Any thoughts on the performance difference? Will I see a decent bump in speed?

I tried a Rev. B and found the Ti to be a bit faster....

Any info is appreciated.

[stefls]

Originally posted by Voch:
Do you have the machine set to go the fastest speed in the Options tab of the Energy Saver system preference? Maybe the optical drive speed is a limiting factor, too.

Voch

Yes, all settings are optimal. Optical drive speed could indeed be a limiting factor. However, I believe iBooks and Powerbooks use the same drives, don't they? Thanks.

Stefan

[kastegir]

Well, now I'm a member of the 12" club again. I just got my Rev C model this afternoon. I'm planning to upgrade the RAM to 768, though I'm considering the full 1.25GB. Any thoughts on whether that's going to give me a benefit or just be overkill?

I'm also having the 7200rpm drive from my Ti swapped into the 12" by a local Apple service center so as not to void the warranty. :-)

That should be plenty fast for a good, long time.

[jorgem4]

Yupi!

I just ordered a sexy 12" PB !!!
Going from a Ti PB to the 12" got an external 17" LCD so I won't be missing the extra screen space...but I will be enjoying of the compat portability on the road!

Finally the 12" I wanted.

it feels good!

[rugerpower]

Rev C 12" owner here! it's the best thing i have ever bought

[cewade]

I just got my little 12" Powerbook, and I can't say I've ever been happier with a computer purchase in my life. This little gem does everything I want it to (Well, most everything, still working on some things) and more. Somehow I see this litle beauty replacing my Athlon XP 1800+ Desktop machine. As soon as my new trackball gets here, and I pick up a WAP, this machine will be complete, and I'm happy with that. It came yesterday, and I've already logged at least 12 hours on it, just learning new things, showing myself around, and installing new applications.

I couldn't be happier.

[Ann]

Trivial complaint, my 12" PB slightly rocks with the weight of my right wrist. I guess the bottom is not level. At first I just thought it was the surface it was on, but it does it on all flat surfaces. Anyone else have this problem, know the cause, or have a solution (besides just sticking paper underneath it to balance it out)?

I know this is a ridiculous complaint, so ridiculous responses welcome.

[t4r1q]

thats the wobble problem people have been talking about. search the forum for 'wobble' and you'll find diy instructions which explain how to fix it.

basically you place your powerbook over the edge of a desk/table and carefully bend the powerbook in the right direction to fix the uneveness.

[fisherKing]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
You can install a backlight in pretty much any PowerBook modle. It's not fibreoptic like Apple's, but it does the trick.

Here's the link .

whatever...
guess we'll have to wait for revD..or the G5 book...

[escher]

Originally posted by Ann:
Trivial complaint, my 12" PB slightly rocks with the weight of my right wrist. I guess the bottom is not level.

Ann: I'm pretty sure we discussed this problem further up in this very thread. If not, do a search for wobble, as suggested above, or similar words.

After getting my new Rev.C 12-inch PowerBook two weeks ago, I ordered a 512MB RAM stick and a white Podium Coolpad from OWC. In the end, I decided that I did not want or need to spend an extra US$150-200 on a 1GB RAM stick at this point. I complained about the fan noise previously and was hoping that more RAM would result in less HDD activity/paging, and thus less heat and fan noise.

Unfortunately, neither the RAM upgrade nor the Coolpad have reduced heat or operating noise in any significant way. After 15-20 minutes below 45 deg Celsius (113 deg Fahrenheit), the fan kicks in and runs more or less until I put the PB back to sleep. This is in an air-conditioned environment. On the upside, I am glad to report that OS X runs much better with the added RAM, as expected. The default 256MB is obviously insufficient for all but the most limited multitasking (1 or 2 apps).

Bottom line: I still absolutely love my Rev.C 12-inch PowerBook. But I also still want to build a Duo-style Dock for it -- with a built-in fan for extra cooling.

Or maybe I just need to crank up the A/C...

Escher

[fisherKing]

escher...
interesting how this thing gets hot...the way the 2400c did.
and it's 7 years later...
(we need more progress with heat dispersion!)


still, my favorite pb so far!

[escher]

Originally posted by fisherKing:
interesting how this thing gets hot...the way the 2400c did.
and it's 7 years later...
(we need more progress with heat dispersion!)
still, my favorite pb so far!

You know, fisherKing, I actually think that the 12-inch PB generates a lot more heat than a stock 2400c ever did. The difference is that the 12-inch runs its fan quite easily, while the 2400c just got hotter and hotter. I still think the 2400c felt cooler, and it certainly was quieter. Of course, the 2400c was thicker and made of non-heat-conductive plastic.



But yeah, the 12-inch is my favorite PowerBook so far... by far.

Escher

[fisherKing]

great photo!
cant believe how much bigger the 2400c looks.

my 12' pb fan has only come on once, but, yes, it definitely gets hotter than the 2400c.

looking forward to:
lighter, faster, less heat...and a backlit keyboard!

[escher]

Originally posted by fisherKing:
great photo! cant believe how much bigger the 2400c looks.

Got it and a few others from a Japanese website. Unfortunately, I sold my 2400c to pay for my iBook/500 in May 2001. Sure miss that little Comet.

my 12' pb fan has only come on once, but, yes, it definitely gets hotter than the 2400c.

I can't believe your 12-inch fan has only come on once. That's the way my 12" iBook was. Maybe I shouldn't have picked the performance of the 5400rpm BTO drive after all....

looking forward to: lighter, faster, less heat...and a backlit keyboard!

Until then, we'll be computing away on our Rev.C 12-inchers, happy and productive. (See my sig.)

Escher

[kastegir]

When I got my new Powerbook, I pulled the 7200rpm drive out of my Ti and had it installed in the 12" (didn't want to void the warrranty, so I had it done). It makes a noticeable difference and the fan still doesn't come on often.

Just wanted to let folks know that it works great, if you want that last drop of speed!

[Saramin]

I've had my Rev C for about two weeks and am almost unilaterally delighted with it. The one thing that bugs me is the fan- it sounds like a jet engine before takeoff. This tends to inhibit my playing CoD during lectures. =/

Aside from that though, it's a splendid little piece of machinery.

[mcsharick]

Originally posted by Saramin:
The one thing that bugs me is the fan- it sounds like a jet engine before takeoff.

I've had the 12"Rev C now for around 3 months, and I have only had the fan turn on no more than 2 times during my ownership. I'm only guessing but I think the products from the following link is why:

http://www.roadtools.com

There are hundreds of these stands in various configurations, but what is cool about these stands is the one for home and the travel one can be purchased in a bundle. The travel one is very small but totally functional with the 12", easy to put in your laptop bag w/ the PB. I think keeping the PB elevated does help with heat dissipation, and the travel one can even sit comfortably on your lap and still keep the PB's air flow effecient.

Oh yeah, while I'm not a gamer I do consider myself a power user...Reason, Logic, DreaamWeaver, Photoshop, all are resource hungry and the 12" doesn't even break a sweat (or turn on a fan).

[Saramin]

I run photoshop and similar applications as well and never have the fan turn on. Like I said, it's only in gaming. Run NWN and tell me if the fan stays off with your fancy-shmancy stand.

[Frumpy]

Something like the iCurve would help with this problem too, right?

[escher]

Originally posted by mcsharick:
I've had the 12"Rev C now for around 3 months, and I have only had the fan turn on no more than 2 times during my ownership. I'm only guessing but I think the products from the following link is why:
http://www.roadtools.com

The heat and fan puzzle me. I actually bought (and use) a Traveler CoolPad in the hopes of improving cooling, reducing heat, and reducing fan noise. It has made absolutely no difference! ThermographX still shows similar CPU and GPU temperatures. And it's not like I'm gaming or anything. Most of the time I just run Safari and Eudora: No heavy lifting at all.

Do those of you who rarely hear your fans have the standard 4200rpm drive or the BTO 5400rpm drive? I'll also have to check whether WeatherPop or other background processes are driving up processor load.

Escher

[fisherKing]

i've only heard my fan once, but this thing does get hot;
even just surfing, etc; lightweight stuff.

burns my hand (am left-handed)

learning to use the trackpad with my right hand, but seems a bit unfair;
i want my computer to accommodate me, not the other way around.


still, a great powerbook. i'm carrying it everywhere (more than i did with my pismo).


so... ... but basically

[TiUser]

Escher, I am puzzled by my Rev. C fan as well. I also use iCurve and CoolPad. Once the temperature reaches 115F, the fan will come on and will stay on until I put the PB to sleep. This is just using Safari and Mail, nothing intensive. I had both a Ti 400 and an Al 15" 1.25 previously and the fans never came on. I have the 5400 rpm drive in my Rev. C 12" PB.

[escher]

Originally posted by TiUser:
Escher, I am puzzled by my Rev. C fan as well. ... Once the temperature reaches 115F, the fan will come on and will stay on until I put the PB to sleep. ... I have the 5400 rpm drive in my Rev. C 12" PB.

For me, the fan comes on at 45C/113F (according to ThermographX). Even if I'm just browsing the Web, the PowerBook rarely cools enough to shut the fan off while it's still awake.

I suspect that the 5400rpm drive is to blame for the higher temp and fan. But I'm not sure. I think somebody earlier in the thread barely heard his fan even though he had a 5400rpm disk. Maybe some brands of HDD generate more heat than others?

I absolutely love my 12-inch PowerBook. But reducing fan noise would certainly put the icing on the cake. Or maybe I'll just have to stick it under my desk like the noisy Wintel box.

Escher

[fisherKing]

i've heard my fan exactly one time; have the stock 4200rpm drive; is that it?

but the heat is getting on my nerves; took my pb out to the coffeebar today, and sat for a while to let it cool down before closing it (and throwing it in my backpack)


nothing's perfect (but am still thrilled with the 12" pb)

[Saramin]

Originally posted by fisherKing:
i've heard my fan exactly one time; have the stock 4200rpm drive; is that it?

but the heat is getting on my nerves; took my pb out to the coffeebar today, and sat for a while to let it cool down before closing it (and throwing it in my backpack)


nothing's perfect (but am still thrilled with the 12" pb)

My PB heats up but never reaches scalding temperatures of any sort, even while playing games. The metal is always only slightly warm to the touch. I'd actually prefer that it get hotter since at least that way the fan won't have to turn on as often.

[fisherKing]

hmmm...
all i know is, i'll be enjoying using this a lot more when winter comes...

[mcsharick]

Originally posted by me:
I've had the 12"Rev C now for around 3 months, and I have only had the fan turn on no more than 2 times during my ownership.

I should add that my 12" PB does get hot. Not too hot to touch, but heat around the wrist rests and on the bottom of course. My HD is 5400 RPM. It just doesn't seem to reach the temperature threshold that causes the fan to come on. It appears people are having different experiences, both positive and negative.

I would also add that both times the fan has come on, it was plugged in and I believe I was watching a DVD on one occasion.

And just so I make a feeble attempt to stay on topic...I love my powerbook

[tekno_geek911]

My Rev C gets warm,never too hot and the fan never comes on unless im playing a game.

[iREZ]

Everybody is saying how cooler the Rev C runs vs the Rev B, anybody here willing to elaborate and/or comment?

[teknopimp]

does anyone here span with a 20"+ Cinema Display and how is the temp with that setup?

[iChelle]

ooh ooh me me! Reb B 1Ghz/768RAM/40gb combo. as someone earlier mentioned, why do we need desktops again? i love my lil buddy.