Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8981LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive)

I'm a college student majoring in computer science. Before I left high school I was told I would need a labtop that used the Windows Operating System because that's what "everyone else uses." I bought an IBM Thinkpad T30 (the T30 was new and very highly regarded at the time). Biggest mistake of my life. In less than a year I was spending most of my time trying to get the Thinkpad's hardware and software to continue working and staring at pictures of Powerbooks trying to figure out how to get the money to buy one. However, as you may be I was a little worried about compatibility and even OS X since I hadn't used it before getting stuck with my Thinkpad.

When I finally got my powerbook I was soo happy. I have not had one single compatibility issue of any kind. In fact, if you have to do Unix programming (which you will if you're a CS major) the Mac is way better since you don't have to log in to some remote machine, go to a lab, or install another OS since Mac OS X's Darwin core is all the Unix you'll ever need. The user friendliness and reliable hardware of the Powerbook knows no end. Mac OS X really is the most advanced operating system (and the coolest and most user friendly).

Cautions:
This is an expensive machine. You get what you pay for, but if you're looking for a computer just to surf the internet and use AIM you really don't need the power of the Mac. Buy a $500 craptop.

Don't abuse the space bar on the keyboard. As a very fast typer/coder I tend to smash the corner of the space bar and even though I haven't had the Powerbook for a year I've already messed up the space bar a bit.

As a 20-year PC user (my first computer was a pre-8088 luggable), I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I got my PowerBook. I'm not a switcher, and I'm certainly not a fanboy, but I love this machine. It's fast. The graphics look great. The machine's design is wonderful: the backlit keyboard, the glowing apple on the lid, even the power cord balances form and function nicely.

There are a few areas that have room for improvement. For instance, the computer didn't come with an operator's manual. Granted, it's the trend lately to not include manuals with computer products, but I could have used one (if for no other reason than to determine what the hotkey represented by what looks like a down-escalator is (trial and error reveals it to be the option/alt key)). Fortunately there are a lot of good third-party manuals and tech magazines to fill the need. Likewise, there are manufacturers of multi-button mice that work with the Mac; still I fail to see the advantage to the one-button touchpad, splitting the button in two would have made the PowerBook near perfect.

After a couple decades it's nice to have an easily transportable computer again. The 15-inch color screen is a vast improvement over my old luggable's 4-inch amber monochrome screen. The weight and battery life are equally impressive (considering the PC ran on power cord only any battery life would be an improvement, but 3.5+ hours for word processing is wonderful). I still like my desktop PC, but as I overcome the learning curve I expect I'll like my PowerBook even more.

I just upgraded to a new new pb 15" aluminium from a very cute first release white 12"iBook. I am pleased for the various reasons given by other reviewers. I am not computer expert, but my work takes me consulting at different companies. One of the amazing things is how quickly my pb connects to the various LANS then it "finds" through rendezvous all the networked printers in the building, often numbering in the hundreds and instantly makes them available. I have used powerbooks and macs for a long time, and these machines and this version of OS are simply the best, more agile in windows networks than windows machines themselves! There are so many other stunning things that this machine can do, and I am having fun in and out of the office: the best $3000 I have spent, on the machine and upgrading the RAM to 1gig. Could have gone up to 3 gigs, but what would I be doing with all that memory? I initially tilted towards the 17", but I am glad I settled for the 15". The screen is plenty big. How does one carry a 17" aircraft carrier around. Then there are choice limits to one's work surfaces. 15" is certainly the way to go. My only regrets: if I had waited just two weeks, I would have acquired the faster 1.5mHz powerbook that Apple just released. I think there is a 2.5mHz powermac G5 in the horizon.

This review is for people that live outside the States. The bottom line is: do not
expect decent support service from Apple. In my case, I live in Mexico. In a recent trip to the states I bought a 15in Powerbook. (The possibility of using UNIX got to me.) After a month the audio card burned. It took almost two months to get it replaced. The service here is simply horrendous. There is a single provider for the whole country. Replacements are sent to the local service centers and must be used within three days, otherwise they have to be returned. And more time passes. The people in the Apple "certified" local service centers are incompetent. Eventually, I got my laptop back, with a working audio card. However, from the service center, they took the liberty to change passwords and include all sort of files from a different customer (out of respect for privacy I deleted them). Not even a word of apology. As a scientist, I was considering going Apple with the resources of my next grant. Not now. I pick Dell. I will put up with Windows and/or Linux. They provide good support internationally, not only in the Bay area.

The technical details regarding this Mac are available for all to read, and there is no reason for me to repeat them. I will only note that this Mac continues my lengthy experience with poor Apple quality control. It came, as did many of this model, with white splotches marring the screen, and the track pad button was so stiff I couldn't consistently hold it down. Both of these probems existed out of the box and the Mac was sent to Apple for repair. Since 1997, all but two Apple hardware products I've purchased -- and there have been many -- have suffered from at least one substantial defect. One small additional note: the keyboard is rather slick; fingers tend to slip while typing. The unpainted keys of my iBook have a better feel.