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Randman · Aug 10, 2005, 10:47 AM

Have a chance to get a Pismo in pretty good shape but should I? It's more of a novelty at this point but down the road, maybe I could do some upgrades to it?

What do y'all think? What's a fair price for one? Any suggestions on ways to improve it if I do go for it?

Timo · Aug 10, 2005, 11:28 AM

I still have a pismo -- it's a good machine. I wouldn't pay more than $200 for one, though.

One good thing, they don't run nearly as hot at the Al powerbooks, a really big plus this summer.

Geo669 · Aug 10, 2005, 11:40 AM

I'm also interested. Ive found one for 600 AU, which is 300 US roughly.. I think. I would love one for the novelty, and instant mesaging + web surfing in bed.

Is it worth it?

Or should i just get an old blueberry iBook for that, for $350 AU

kmarketing · Aug 10, 2005, 12:28 PM

Hi,

Well I am definitely biased on this one. I have a g5, a 17" powerbook, and a 500mhz pismo. Of all of them I use the pismo the most. It does pretty much everything I need - from surfing to comfortably typing to watching dvd's to even light photoshopping.

I got mine for $200 but even now I don't think you will find one for that price, especially one in very good condition. I got lucky with my pristing one. I think even $300-$350 would be reasonable for what you are getting. I would get the 500mhz if you can. But if the specs ae good it may cost a bit. This is what I have in mine... 1gb memory, 80gb 5400 hard drive, airport installed, 2 batteries nearing 7-8 hours running together. I don' think you will get that in the $200 range. I got the upgrades for cheap, and the total for everything for me was about $350. And again, I think this has been a much better investment than my 17" powerbook. But that's just me.

Novelty?! Sorry but not for me. The pismo still holds it own against todays machines. It has 1mb L2 cache (don't know what that is though), runs cooler than the new ones, airport reception is impeccable, can have 2 batteries installed for up to 10 hours at a time, removable drives, and fully serviceable by its owner.

I recently installed tiger and it runs better than ever. I don't worry about dents or scratches anymore, and if something happens to it, no worries for me. I can either fix it up myself, or won't think too much of it because it didn't cost too much for me in the first place.

I had ibooks, but really didn't like the look of them. They had either a feminine or kiddy feel to them. Sorry if I offend anyone. The older g3 ibooks were better looking in my opinion. The ones today just get too dirty. The titanium powerbooks got too hot for me, paint chips, and poor airport reception hindered it greatly.

Going used?! And for something that is cheap, dependable, fully upgradeable, and can still nicely run today's software? A pismo will do it, and do it well.

Finally, you can even upgrade it to a g4 processor or a 900mhz g3 if you want to extend its longevity.

Good Luck searching for one. If you never had one, I think you will be so impressed with it.

wubrew · Aug 10, 2005, 01:36 PM

I too love my g3 pismo. Any opinoin on processor up grade i.e g4 500?

Ryknow215 · Aug 10, 2005, 02:57 PM

I've had my Pismo for about a week now and it has been absolutely flawless. Seriously dude, if you want a badass laptop, get the Pismo.

This is the first laptop I have ever owned and I can only see myself using Mac laptops from now on. I was raised since a kid on Windows, 3.1/DOS being the first systems I learned. I didn't want to buy another Windows machine because i knew i would get really bored with it. I have barely touched my XP desktop since i got my pismo last week.

I paid $400 for the Pismo and I would say i got my money's worth. Everything runs perfectly on it, although I haven't used any terribly demanding software on it. Safari, Mail, AirPort, NeoOffice, DVD-Player, iTunes all run great without any hiccups. The networking is unbelievably easy too, if you're planning on connecting it to a Windows PC

. The battery life seems pretty great too.

Good luck!

Jacob · Aug 11, 2005, 02:24 AM

The thing that makes the Pismo fly is that 1MB cache. It's unbelievable that Apple actually threw this much in. This is basically the memory for the processor, so instead of ths CPU fetching data from the hard drive (being the slowest component in the computer)...recent and important data is held in the cache (or buffer zone) for almost instant performence. This is why Pismos beat the socks off of ibook G4's even! They only have a 256KB cache. Nothing in comparison. Pismos rock.

brettcamp · Aug 11, 2005, 03:35 AM

I liked my Pismo, but not as much as the iBook I replaced it with. Still, a lot of folks consider it the best portable Apple ever made. You might hop over to Low End Mac and read Charles Moore's Road Warrior column archives in which he makes the case for the Pismo and also lists what upgrades etc. are available.

brettcamp · Aug 11, 2005, 03:37 AM

I liked my Pismo, but not as much as the iBook I replaced it with. Still, a lot of folks consider it the best portable Apple ever made, including a few in another active thread in this very forum. You might hop over to Low End Mac and read Charles Moore's Road Warrior column archives in which he makes the case for the Pismo and also lists what upgrades etc. are available.

Kyros · Aug 12, 2005, 10:01 PM

You would be lucky to get one under 400 dollars. They are considered by most to be the best powerbooks ever, and since many people are willing to pay that much for one, most people won't sell for less.

Geo669 · Aug 12, 2005, 11:18 PM

I know i'm finding Tibooks, on ebay, for less.

stwain2003 · Aug 12, 2005, 11:35 PM

This looks like a good one. 500MHz, too!:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-PowerBook-...QQcmdZViewItem

Geo669 · Aug 12, 2005, 11:38 PM

Is a pismo worth it more than say a 667mhz Tibook?
I love the look of both of them, and obviously the TiBook is better speced, but what are the main advantages of the pismo.

Dont TiBooks have flaws that everyone always talks about.

Kyros · Aug 13, 2005, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by Geo669

Is a pismo worth it more than say a 667mhz Tibook?
I love the look of both of them, and obviously the TiBook is better speced, but what are the main advantages of the pismo.

Dont TiBooks have flaws that everyone always talks about.

Pismos are very reliable and sturdy. They are also very expandable and upgradable. You can also give them 2 batteries, if you are willing to sacrifice the cd drive (They have 2 bays that fit floppy/battery/cd/zip drives in them). The TiBooks have a few flaws. Poor wireless reception, screen problems, they run very hot in general. I think those are the main problems. I don't know if a Pismo would be worth more than a 667 mhz TiBook, but I'd be willing to bet it they're worth more than the first TiBook model (400 mhz).

rambo47 · Aug 13, 2005, 11:10 AM

Another cool thing about the Pismo is that since it uses the original AirPort card, not the AirPort Extreme, Linux distros like Yellow Dog Linux can use the WiFi. Nice for a dual-boot system.

romeosc · Aug 13, 2005, 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by stwain2003

This looks like a good one. 500MHz, too!:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-PowerBook-...QQcmdZViewItem

..... but does not include AC adapter whis is ~$40-$100

angelmb · Aug 13, 2005, 05:27 PM

sorry, double post.

angelmb · Aug 13, 2005, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by romeosc

..... but does not include AC adapter whis is ~$40-$100

Please note that the auction says also DVD/CD Drive Not Included

kmarketing · Aug 13, 2005, 08:28 PM

Hi,

I think complete 500mhz pismos for $300-$350 would be a decent investment, or $250-$300 for 400mhz. Everyday, I am still amazed and content with what my pismo can do.

I had a used 667mhz titanium powerbook at one point, and the poor airport reception, frailty, and heat made me sell it right away. I like the widescreen, but again, as a portable laptop, its hard to pass up some of the notable features of the pismo.

I use my pismo everyday since I got it used for $200, and it still looks brand new. When I had an ibook g4 for a little while, I couldn't believe how dirty it would get and cheap it felt to me. Of course that's just me. With my upgrades, I can't tell you how pleasant everything has worked out.

If it would be your primary machine, I might say to you to get a more updated machine. But with the knowledge that apple is heading into a different direction, I am definitely on the side of spending as little as possible/saving towards the improved machines that should be out in less than a year. Need more power? Go to a solid desktop like an imac g5 and have the pismo as your laptop. I have a powermac g5, and I feel at least with that, I won't be obsolete in computing power as the g4 is really an old chip.

Good Luck, I always think it's fun to shop around for the best deal. I think when getting used machines, you at least go on a little journey of finding the best machine for the best price.

Geo669 · Aug 13, 2005, 10:20 PM

I completely agree with you. I'm also looking at US stores, being here in Australia there isnt many pismo's floating around the market. I do own a dual G5, so anything from an ibook to a pismo would suit me fine, i just want to wirelessly surf the web a bit when i'm not doing actual work.

I'll keep looking, thanks for the advice, everyone.