Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple PowerBook Laptop 17" M8793LL/A (1.0-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive)

Very nice screan is the first thing you'll notice here. The side to side angle of view is pretty wide, while the top to bottom isn't. You'll need to have the screan angled directly at you for optemimal viewing. The promised battery life is a joke of course. Without using the optical drive at all you might get 2.5 hours from it. I suspect the promised 4.5 hours happens only if the hard drive never moves and backlighting is off. It does seem to sleep for a good long time on battery though. As others have mentioned, the cooling system is a bit awkward. You have to keep the machine on a hard flat surface or it will overheat. The track pad is really awkward and I really dislike it. You cannot tap the pad instead of clicking the button the way i can on my addesso keyboard. That means mouse chores are two handed. The last down-side i can think of are the built in speakers. Don't expect much here, they're only basic speakers not loud enough or full frequency. You'll need to hook up something external to get a decent sound.

On the up side; This a nice slim design and the machine seems very stable. I have not problem putting it to sleep and taking to and from my office. (Be prepared to pay extra dough for the 17 inch carry case. I payed $... for mine!!!) It comes loaded with OS 10.2 which is a solid dependable OS. Among other things i use it for Final Cut Pro and deffinately adding the extra 512 ram is a good idea. The 1ghz speed is nice, handles big jobs smoothly. The reason I got this one instead of the 15 inch was because i thought i'd like extra screan realestate. I do think it's worth the extra $... Finally I can goof off and watch a dvd on this thing in my office. That's pretty cool;)

Bottom line is this an expensive machine with lots of plusses and several minuses. I'm glad i got it and would get it again. Just, don't expect too too much.

This is the best computer I ever bought. I stopped using Macs after buying the Apple IIc (a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away) but when I saw the 17" I thought it was perfect.
I runs great and is perfect for business when you want a desktop replacement product.
The only problem with it is the weight which sometimes is exhausting when carrying around for a complete day or on business trips. But that's a small price to pay when compared with the incredible benefits it provides.

Ive had my powerbook for 1 1/2 years now and I there are two unignorable problems I have. Otherwise the powerbook is a great purchase.

My first problem is that the computer cools itself by conduction through the bottom. As a result, the bottom gets really hot, which is a total bummer when you're literally using the computer on your lap. Also, because of the design, this computer will overheat when placed on a carpet, or bed. If you want to keep the computer quiet and working efficiently, you got to put it on a flat table.

Second problem for me was the hinge which connects the screen to the rest of the computer is weak and snapped. It was hyperextended accidentally because my little brother was throwing pillows around. The old clamshell iBooks could have taken the beating.

Finally, the monopoly Apple has on replacement parts (such as power adapters) can be counted as a negative.

I have never had a laptop before so I dont have anything to compare it to. My coworkers & laptop owners say there is no comparison anyway. Nothing comes close to the screen-size of this laptop.
Pro's-
* Yes, everything I read about the high quality screen is true. The screen is great. I'll move on
* Wireless-G is great. Connected with my MacAirport in 3 seconds & on the internet with no configuration
* Safari Web Browser has an option to disable popups- I personally love that!!
* OSX is excellent. Looks great, highly customizable
* Identical app comparison with Windows such as Warcraft III performs as good or better than my AMD2400 desktop.
* Tech support Phone menu was 1 option for laptop support & a short wait. Nice.

Cons- Which are considerable in my opinion
* Aluminum Shell is not very tough. Dropped it 8 inches on right on the power connector when plugged in. Left sizable dent & totally destroyed the power adapter which was [expensive] to replace
* 4.5 advertised Battery Life? BULL!!! 2:15 tops. Do a couple things like watch a DVD & download some files & it drops to 1:40.
*...for full support 3 years. Maybe Im spoiled by Dell who allows me to call for support for the lifetime of the machine. Apple- standard 90 days to call before they wash thier hands of tech support for the machine. 1 year Hardware support standard. Pay the [money] & you get 3 years hardware & Software support
* Lets get 1 thing straight... If you watch an Apple Commercial those baffoons who are switching act like a program never crashes & you never have to reboot for problems. BULL! Without any additional programs loaded, standard OSX load out of box Safari crashes on a daily basis. The OS has crashed numerous times. Other apps crash from time to time also. Promising everything always works is complete rubbish.
It suits my DVD watching needs for trips & websurfing wirelessly great!

I've had this laptop for close to three months now, and I have to say that it's a truly remarkable innovation. The aesthetics, of course, are perfect, but that's just the beginning. After using OS X (though this might be a separate review) it is virtually impossible to be satisfied using Windows, although I've used Windows all my life. I've had very few problems with this laptop, and those that I did have I fixed easily. I highly recommend it.