[Atomic Beat Boy]

Does anyone else disagree with all the people that reckon the PB G4 is flimsy. From what I'd heard I thought it would be so flimsy it bent under its own weight and you really had to look after it. But then I got one and it's absolutely rock solid. Alright, I worry about the screen, but even that's not about to snap it half. It makes me think the older PowerBooks must have been indestructible.

Who's with me?

[imacaholic]

The Titanium makes it tough. I think the "flimsy" part comes in when some users were having batteries disconnect and funny sounds coming from the disc drive when moving the TiBook. Apple has tried to correct the battery contact problem not too sure about the funny sounds coming from the disc drive. Perhaps there are other items people have been commenting on, but I think these are the two biggest complaints.

[romeosc]

Some were some wern't. The Pismo line is built like a tank! They make you fel secure. The G4 in its current incarnation scratches easily, & gives us the paranoia that we are going to destroy this work of art.

Part of the problem is that it is promoted mostly on it's design & "beauty" like a great work of art, It is like a collectors baseball signed by Babe Ruth, we'd love to play with it but we are affraid to touch it because it will looose value. It is like a piece of art meant to be admired..... but we need to use it & get over the scratch issues.

[jeromep]

PowerBooks on the whole are built much better than the highest end PC laptops. Generally the materials that apple uses and the way itis put together makes the system much more solid and fells more solid.

Apple still seems to have problems with screen clutches. The PowerBook 520 series was the first to have a clutch problem, which was easily solved with a torx screwdriver of appropriate size and a willingness to remove the endcaps that covered the screen hinge bolt points.

As for some of the G3 PowerBooks that are suffering from clutch problems, Apple has yet to acknowledge that they have a design problem that needs to be taken care of. Hopefully they corected this for the people that have bronze G3s. Too bad they won't just up and take care of this issue at no chage to the older G3 users. In this respect, Apple support stinks.

[jksu]

i've had my powerbook g4 a month now. and i was extremely paranoid and worried initially as well.

but i would have to say, it's been damn solid. in terms of the screen, battery, etc, i haven't had any problems.

the beautiful finish is definitely a concern....

my last laptop was a pb1400. that sucker was tough. i was gingerly with it the 1st year but after that, tossed it around regularly. no problems. that was tough plastic! =) don't think i'll ever get to that point with the g4.... even for resale value it'd be important to keep the scratches away!

john

[romeosc]

Originally posted by jksu:
<STRONG>i've had my powerbook g4 a month now. and i was extremely paranoid and worried initially as well.

but i would have to say, it's been damn solid. in terms of the screen, battery, etc, i haven't had any problems.

the beautiful finish is definitely a concern....
john</STRONG>

I agree you will always worry, when a child or animal is close. I even chringe when I was showing a client some figures on the G4PB & he grabbed the screen "non gingerly to open it further. Because it is new & hinges are stiff you dont want to open the screen from one corner.

I used to sit at a conference table with 4-5 people & "sling" the pismo across the table to the others. I don't feel confortable doing that with a G4!

[ion]

so has the battery disconnecting frame flex issue officialy been corrected by apple or might one still need to send a newly purchaced ti back in to be serviced?

[shatten22]

Don't think it's flimsy? Do yourself a favor, turn off the 'book and open it in front of a window and look at the middle of the huge black screen. Is the sun shining? Well that fuzzy thing in the middle is light passing through the apple on the other side. I would have settled with a 1.2 inch computer if they could have just put a sheet of metal behind the lcd. The real innovation is to create a notebook that is 4 pounds and one inch thick and can't be hurt. Putting an egg in a titanium box does nothing for the egg when the box is dropped.

peace.

shatten22...

not quite sure how you missed this, but:
You see all that silvery grey stuff around the apple on the back of the screen... it's a metal called titanium... it is in effect "a sheet of metal behind the lcd". Unless you mean 2 layers of metal, but to reference your analogy, I don't think a double walled titanium box will protect the egg any better.

I'll agree that it doesn't seem quite as tough as the Pismo, and the "work of art" factor does make me treat it a bit more gingerly, but it certainly doesn't strike me as frail. Tough enough for everything but using it as a weapon in a bar fight, anyway.

[davidmd]

Um... I believe this "sun shining through" effect is on the Pismo and iBook2, as well. Since they wanted the apple to glow, they couldn't put metal between the backlight and the logo plastic, otherwise how would the backlight illuminate the apple?! Basically, your complaint has nothing to do with the PB's strength, but more about the glowing apple design choice. If they had put tinfoil in between there to block the light would that have made it stronger in your eyes?

davidmd

Originally posted by shatten22:
<STRONG>Don't think it's flimsy? Do yourself a favor, turn off the 'book and open it in front of a window and look at the middle of the huge black screen. Is the sun shining? Well that fuzzy thing in the middle is light passing through the apple on the other side. I would have settled with a 1.2 inch computer if they could have just put a sheet of metal behind the lcd. The real innovation is to create a notebook that is 4 pounds and one inch thick and can't be hurt. Putting an egg in a titanium box does nothing for the egg when the box is dropped.

peace.</STRONG>