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Raidiant · Feb 8, 2003, 06:38 PM

A bunch of people here in hong kong have gotten their 17 inch ibooks mostly vip people I think.

http://www.imacguru.com/forum/userim...2/picture1.jpg

http://www.imacguru.com/forum/userim.../picture-4.jpg

just some proof for those who will claim i'm lying

I got a chance to actually see and use one of them for a while, as I can't afford such a expensive thing anyway.

First of all I don't know why but the superdrive won't burn beyond 1x for some reason. Also the battery runs out after 2 and half hours of normal use

The screen is incredibly huge and amazing, because the frame is very thin so the screen naural looks very big and as if it floats in air. The resolution makes the screen look ultra clear down to every spot. The windows are much smaller then normal, however text remains ultra clear

Automatic sensor can be turned off and keyboard lighting can be adjusted in F7 and onward keys. Also the keyboard lighting is not as good as it is on the apple, even in dark conditions the edges does not glow as much as it does in the powerbook video.

The thing is incredibly heavy to carry for laptop, at least compared to the other powerbooks. The frame is so thin that it looks filmsy and easy to break the bottom gets noticibly warm, though not burning hot.

It has a look of slight brushed metal, and looks more metallic and shiny then titanium. Also the metal is pure, so you can actually feel the metal texture and temperature directly.

The keyboard feels the same to the 12 inch one, the on button seems to be made out of metal too.

Speed is fast enough to support idvd with very little lag. Final cut pro and photoshop runs like a dream. Didn't do any 3D testing though . However the OS X didn't show any noticbly snappy preformance.

I couldn't hear any nosie because of the people talking.

oh and I needed to use two hands to actually lift it up...its more heavier then it looks...though compared to some of the stupid pc ones, this is nothing.

Nikolajf · Feb 9, 2003, 03:22 AM

Thank you for that review. Let us know more when you get the chance!

Best,
Nf

Nikolajf · Feb 9, 2003, 03:23 AM

If any one else has a good review or where to read one - please post a link

/Nf

Commodus · Feb 9, 2003, 07:46 AM

This laptop is actually pretty light compared to a lot of Windows laptops, even ones with much smaller screens. Before I got my PowerBook, I had a Toshiba from the year before: 13.3" screen, 7.0 pounds, and around 1.35" thick. The 17" PowerBook at least justifies its weight through its size.

Sean Li · Feb 9, 2003, 08:20 AM

The photos are actually from the product launch in HK on February 5th, and taken at Apple's offices.

As far as I know, and according to my various contacts locally, no one in HK has taken delivery of a 17" PowerBook yet. They're not expected here until at least the end of the month.

The Superdrive won't burn beyond 1x because that's its specification. Apple changed / adjusted it a few days after the announcement.

Raidiant · Feb 9, 2003, 11:21 AM

I know, not like official delivery with a box and so on, if I saw that i'd be taking photos immedietly, but diffenetly i've seen one or two in the launch party.

Eug · Feb 9, 2003, 11:28 AM

The Superdrive won't burn beyond 1x because that's its specification. Apple changed / adjusted it a few days after the announcement.

Actually, the UJ-815's specification is 2X. Apple chose to specify 1X. Whether the drive is reliable at 2X or not though at 2X is anyone's guess.

This laptop is actually pretty light compared to a lot of Windows laptops, even ones with much smaller screens. Before I got my PowerBook, I had a Toshiba from the year before: 13.3" screen, 7.0 pounds, and around 1.35" thick. The 17" PowerBook at least justifies its weight through its size.

It's a great weight for its size, but 6.7 lbs is still heavy in general. Even my TiBook feels heavy to me, and it's more than a pound lighter.

Also, don't forget that the TiBook has a 61 Watt-hour battery. The 17" AluBook has a smaller 55 W-hr battery, which has to power the bigger screen.

Commodus · Feb 9, 2003, 01:25 PM

The PowerBook feels relatively trivial to me... although that's probably because I carried the Toshiba to university and back on a regular basis.

2.5 hours seems a bit low in terms of "normal use" battery life, but it really depends on what normal use is considered to be. I can use my 15" PowerBook wirelessly for about 3 hours (give or take 15-20 minutes), doing things like browsing the web and listening to MP3 radio streams through iTunes. In light use I can get just over 4 hours. If the 17" isn't doing much and is still getting 2.5 hours, I'd be curious to see if the battery needed to be calibrated, or if the laptop is just that power-consuming.

nagromme · Feb 10, 2003, 12:42 AM

I forget which Mac site I got this from, but I think this is the scoop on SuperDrive speeds:

Both AlBooks have always had 1x DVD recording--but the 17" was listed in ERROR at 2x. This error was later corrected.

Why 1x, when the unit is theoretically a 2x drive? Because 1x makes them cheaper for Apple to buy, and thus lets them offer the laptops at lower cost.

Apparently, the manfacturer tests the 2x drives, and some don't test reliably at that speed. Not unlike how chips are tested and then speed-rated. So the "2x rejects" are sold to Apple as cheaper 1x drives--even though the mechanism IS the same as the 2x ones.

Therefore, Apple should be able to offer a more-expensive 2x option BTO if there's enough demand.