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Maybe Buying a G4 PowerBook - What Should I Check?
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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There's a guy locally selling a 15" G4 PowerBook for a good price, with pretty good specs--1.25GHz, 1.25GB RAM, 80GB HDD; the only thing wrong with it is that it's missing its rubber 'feet' on the bottom. I'm seriously tempted by it, and I'm going to have a closer look at it on Monday evening. However, as it's second-hand, one always has to be careful to check it out fully before buying.
What should I check when I go to see it? What are the main points of failure on this specific model of PB? Also, one thing I'd like to know with more certainty is the heat it generates. I mainly use my laptop sitting on my lap; am I likely to make myself infertile/melt the skin off my legs using a PBG4 in a similar manner?
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2006
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never owned one but i seem to remember people complaing about white spots on the screen. however i also own a 466 clamshell that i use on my lap and i don't think you're going to find anything more comfortable than that.
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imac g3 600
imac g4 800 superdrive
ibook 466
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2006
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The first revisions of the 15" had white spot problems (I had my screen replaced via applecare), and some had failures of the lower ram slot. A slightly newer revision like that one is probably not going to get any new problems. I seem to remember a way (I think at apple's site) that you can type in the serial number to see if it every had any maintenance done on it, but I could be wrong. Anyone know?)
They run pretty hot after a few hours of use on your lap, but not any hotter than a MBP or any of the aluminum laptops. It just depends how sensitive you are to it.
Here's a link to some replacement feet: Self Adhesive Replacement Feet for Notebook Computers - Pawz - RadTech Products
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2006
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sorry, i should have said "as comfortable".
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imac g3 600
imac g4 800 superdrive
ibook 466
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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Originally Posted by gooser
never owned one but i seem to remember people complaing about white spots on the screen. however i also own a 466 clamshell that i use on my lap and i don't think you're going to find anything more comfortable than that.
You're very probably right, but I'm increasingly finding the Clamshell lacks the grunt for general usage. It's fine for internet browsing (provided there's no video involved), email and IM, but anything more than that pretty much cripples it. It's a shame, because I really do like the Clamshell--probably a little too much; I have two--but I need something that will perform a little better.
Originally Posted by slpdLoad
The first revisions of the 15" had white spot problems (I had my screen replaced via applecare), and some had failures of the lower ram slot. A slightly newer revision like that one is probably not going to get any new problems. I seem to remember a way (I think at apple's site) that you can type in the serial number to see if it every had any maintenance done on it, but I could be wrong. Anyone know?)
Thanks for that--I'll be sure to check out both when I go to see it. What exactly do you mean by "white spots" though? Lighter areas on the screen?
They run pretty hot after a few hours of use on your lap, but not any hotter than a MBP or any of the aluminum laptops. It just depends how sensitive you are to it.
I'll have to give it a good go before I decide to buy it or not. I've never actually used a PB or MBP for more than five minutes, and even then it was in a shop, not on my lap. The closest I've come is using one of the current MacBooks on my lap, and, whilst warmer than my Clamshell, it wasn't uncomfortably so.
Thanks.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Yamanashi, Japan
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The real question is how much are you thinking of spending on this computer?
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Originally Posted by Koralatov
What exactly do you mean by "white spots" though? Lighter areas on the screen?
Yeah. A few noticeably lighter patches (about 1 inch in diameter or so), and usually around the center of the screen. Pull up a blank browser window and move it around to make sure you don't see anything wrong. Don't look too hard though, since they were glaringly obvious to the point it made working on the machine a real annoyance.
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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Originally Posted by JoshuaZ
The real question is how much are you thinking of spending on this computer?
I was going to be spending £300, but I've decided against it. Whilst I would love a faster laptop, I don't need a faster laptop, and it probably represents a bad investment overall. Ultimately, I'm going to save my cash and wait until I get afford a 24" C2D iMac instead.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: CO
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Well, after 30 months or so, I'm still using my 15" Alum PB 10-15 hours a day, and my only complain is my right palm has worn off the alum coating on top.
[ And: it was a refurb ]
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TOMBSTONE: "He's trashed his last preferences"
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Truckee, CA
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iMacs and MBPs are different boxes. Either you need portability or you do not.
-Allen Wicks
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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Originally Posted by SierraDragon
iMacs and MBPs are different boxes. Either you need portability or you do not.
I am aware that they are very, very different machines, for very different purposes. Strictly speaking I do not need portability; the majority of my computer-use is within my own flat. I would, however, like a more powerful portable machine. Ultimately, though, I think an iMac would be a better next buy, as I do need a new 'work' computer--my Dell is slowly but surely dying, and I'm not sure the G4 iMac I have has the requisite grunt.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2006
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it's a shame that no one makes laptops anymore. (translate: cool running machines)
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imac g3 600
imac g4 800 superdrive
ibook 466
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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Originally Posted by gooser
it's a shame that no one makes laptops anymore. (translate: cool running machines)
Absolutely. The obsession with horsepower means that such a thing no longer exists; most modern laptop chips run too hot. In reality, most (probably 80% of people) could quite happily use a laptop with a 1-1.5GHz chip inside, because the majority of people don't really need a lot of grunt--word-processing, email, watching videos and listening to music are hardly taxing on a computer.
Unfortunately, people look at the specs (often with little understanding of what they actually mean) and decide that "faster is better". Pushy sales-people don't help, but perhaps the worst is the friend/family member/co-worker who doesn't think about what the person asking the question actually needs, but what they want/need. I know more than one person who's laid out a couple hundred extra on an overpowered computer because their computer literate friend insisted that the lower spec model "wasn't any good", even though it's massively overpowered for the WP, internet and email tasks they need it for.
Maybe as processor dies continue to decrease in size, chips might get cooler, but I'm not holding out much hope.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Yamanashi, Japan
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Originally Posted by Koralatov
I was going to be spending £300, but I've decided against it. Whilst I would love a faster laptop, I don't need a faster laptop, and it probably represents a bad investment overall. Ultimately, I'm going to save my cash and wait until I get afford a 24" C2D iMac instead.
Good call.
Otherwise I'd say get a Macbook. They're nice laptops and would probably meet most of your needs.
That and buy a second monitor.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
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Dude, if you were gonna spend £300 on a laptop, you need to think about alternatives. While true you can buy a White Macbook in the US for about $1050, Apples do cost more... You'd find quite the Windows box laptop with current specs for about $1000 or so...
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Senior User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Aberdeen, UK
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Originally Posted by JoshuaZ
Otherwise I'd say get a Macbook. They're nice laptops and would probably meet most of your needs.
That and buy a second monitor.
I never thought about that, but it's a pretty good alternative to the iMac. I get the best of both (a decently-sized monitor) and I can take it with me. It also has a certain minimalist charm to it to...
Originally Posted by danbrew
Dude, if you were gonna spend £300 on a laptop, you need to think about alternatives. While true you can buy a White Macbook in the US for about $1050, Apples do cost more... You'd find quite the Windows box laptop with current specs for about $1000 or so...
I've thought about alternatives, and none of them really appeal. I'm not some mindless Mac zealot, either: I've been using PCs since the early nineties, and I'm far from computer-illiterate. I don't hate Windows, but I prefer OSX if given the choice; overall, Macs tend to be less hassle than a Windows box. I currently run two Macs (a third is on sabbatical at a friends house) and a Windows machine. Of the three, the Windows machine is significantly more hassle to keep running smoothly than both the Macs combined.
Whilst I don't want this to descend into another endless Mac vs. PC debate, I am aware that OSX's zero-maintence days are numbered--as its market-share climbs, it will inevitably begin to attract malware and viruses. However, in the meantime I fully intend to enjoy the lazy-days that OSX currently offers as long as they last.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Nov 2007
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I have the same one and it's great. Powerbooks all have the same problems as the MBP. Battery, LCD screen, and logic board, so make sure to ask if these were replace. LCD screen just had a few dead pixels. All of these were all replaced by Apple. It's a good one to start if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Resell value has them listed around $600-800.
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