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Jacob · Sep 9, 2005, 12:07 AM

In all honesty, the only thing that's faster about my Powerbook G4 15" compared to my Powerbook G3 Pismo...is the graphics card. Otherwise I see no speed boost at all. In all honesty, I prefer the screen on that, the design, the build, the performance. Gosh darn it. I wish I hadn't let it go. It was a good machine, more cache, better expandability. *sigh* I think I might post mine up for sale..

Maflynn · Sep 9, 2005, 07:35 AM

I miss my G4 cube, while I had other mac's before that - they were hand me downs. The cube was the first one I bought, my first love

Anyways, I'm surprised to here that the G4 is not faster, everything on it is faster, memory, HD, video, cpu. Because of those facts, I'd run the Apple Hardware Test, I'd see view the activity monitor or top from the terminal window. Something may be stealing the cpu cycles, or something could be wrong.

Mike

kmarketing · Sep 9, 2005, 07:59 AM

Hi,

I guess if you are like me and use the laptop for basic needs (and maybe have a desktop for more intensive stuff) then I think there really is not too much difference between the pismo and the powerbook g4. That's what I noticed between my pismo and 17" 1.33. My airport range was better on the pismo, as was the battery life. And even the fact that I just didn't worry about the way I was picking it up, scratches, case warping, etc. led me to sell my 17". It was the best decision that I made for myself, because I actually made money on the resale (which I probably wouldn't have been able to get as much later) and now I have a nice chunk of change saved that I could use later for one of those new powerbooks or something else.

So if you fit what I described, maybe go out and get a nice dsktop, and get yourself another pismo. They are really great machines!!

fisherKing · Sep 9, 2005, 08:12 AM

i had a pismo, loved it. now i use a revC 12" alubook.
faster, lighter, better screen (and your 15" is much better), more video ram, etc etc etc.
more powerful (i can run reason & logic rewired, barely able to even try that on my pismo....)

the pismo was a great mac, but don't convince yourself it was in any way faster or more powerful than a newer powerbook; check the benchmarks!

Jacob · Sep 11, 2005, 11:28 PM

I appreciate the feedback. I suppose part of me misses the Pismo, and part of me is a bit sour for spending a giant amount of money on this G4. I'll have to think about what to do about this. Thanks though!

brettcamp · Sep 11, 2005, 11:33 PM

I wish I hadn't sold my Pismo so I could trade it to you for your 15" PB! How old is yours? the early model Ti G4 PBs weren't much faster than the Pismos they replaced. But I agree with fisherKing: My rev. C 12" PB blows away my old Pismo in just about every way, as did the 12" iBook I had before it. Still, if you like that Pismo form, you might want to go for a 14" iBook; except for the expandability, it'd get you close to your old flame -- except the apple would be right side up.

schwaz80 · Sep 11, 2005, 11:34 PM

The pismo is a hulk of a machine. Not too convenient to carry around.

Jacob · Sep 12, 2005, 01:00 AM

Haha. That's true. That's something Apple didn't think throught too well. (About the Apple being upside down). Oh well. Well, I have been looking over www.everymac.com for differences/simularities with the different Powerbook G3/Powerbook G4 Ti models. Maybe the Powerbook G3 would be a bit old nowadays for what I use it for, but I think perhaps a Powerbook G4 Ti would be better suited for what I need.

As for what I have now, it is the very latest 15.2" G4. Too much money...*sighs*

irockdabari · Sep 12, 2005, 01:11 AM

You know what ya'll.. I've never owned a PowerBook, and didn't even know what the pismo looked like and what it had on it until a little while ago... and I want a Pismo, that B*tch looks fierce! All them ports..

Jacob · Sep 12, 2005, 01:15 AM

It is fierce. I dropped mine off a table..at least 2-3 ft. No problems. 'Still' worked perfect for a whole year and a half afterwards. Really an amazing machine. Built so well. THE most convenient machine to upgrade...or add any expansion to! Open the keyboard to reveal the innards: memory, airport card, hard drive, processor daughtercard. Option to install 2 batteries or one CD/DVD/CD-RW drive and 1 battery via the bays. 2 firewire ports as well! Nice rubber grip design while keeping a slim profile. Not bad at all.

Kyros · Sep 12, 2005, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by Jacob

It is fierce. I dropped mine off a table..at least 2-3 ft. No problems. 'Still' worked perfect for a whole year and a half afterwards. Really an amazing machine. Built so well. THE most convenient machine to upgrade...or add any expansion to! Open the keyboard to reveal the innards: memory, airport card, hard drive, processor daughtercard. Option to install 2 batteries or one CD/DVD/CD-RW drive and 1 battery via the bays. 2 firewire ports as well! Nice rubber grip design while keeping a slim profile. Not bad at all.

My dad did the same to his albook. Several feet onto hard ground, screen open, disk spinning. Works fine now, a couple of years later. The Pismo is built like a tank, but the new Powerbooks aren't exactly weak. They do bend a bit easily, but the rest is sturdy.

fisherKing · Sep 12, 2005, 11:31 PM

i still dont get the pismo worship...and i loved mine. then.

it's heavy.
slow by today's standards.
fair battery life (altho a second bay can be nice).

2 fw ports (so, 1 more than newer books). one.

mediocre screen (again, compared to a current 15"...my 12" screen is still a few steps up from the pismo).

and i gotta say, i carry my 12" pb around a lot more than i did my pismo.

i've had it side by side with the alubook, and there's no contest. AND i can handle a workload that the pismo cannot.

but...to each his (or her) own....

moldymac · Sep 12, 2005, 11:37 PM

I just gave up my ibook G3 Dual USB 500mhz. Even though my newer alubook 12" 1.33ghz is much faster, I wish I still had my ibook, that was my first apple laptop. I am kinda attached to my powerbook though, Bought it used with a bad logic board, after replacing it my self, it seems like a part of me now lol.

Jacob · Sep 13, 2005, 03:18 AM

Those were nice lil ibooks. I remember I had mine....dropped it...screen broke. Still used it for about 6 months with a monitor. Sold it finally..lol

kmarketing · Sep 13, 2005, 06:22 AM

Hi,

I don't know... I had almost every rev of the powerbook since the pismo and I ended up selling all of them for profit and have kept a pismo, and my recent titanium 400. My 12" 1.33, while it was most portable, did not have a good screen, and when compared to a 15" it was pretty sad. Even the pismo screen looked better in my opinion.

Then my 12" would wobble on a desk which was most annoying, then add the heat, and the fact that I would worry about scratching or denting it, and it almost became more trouble for me than anything.

The pismo just did what I wanted to. I can't tell a difference in doing work in office, browsing the internet, listening to music, checking out photos, or watching a movie. I have 2 batteries, get about 7 hours battery life. Not too many laptop today offer me that.

But for more intensive purposes, or as a primary machine, I agree the pismo is outdated. But then again, in many ways so is the g4 powerbooks. And that's why I have a more powerful desktop for my intensive needs. I look at this as the most practical way to have spent my money. It doesn't work for everyone, but for people who just need basic things done on the road, i can't see anything much better than and old pismo if you can find it for a good price. For $350, I got 1gb memory, 80gb 5400 Hard Drive, Airport card, on my pismo 500. It does everything i need a laptop to do at a good price. Any more money and you can get a newer ibook g4.

Good Luck!