Home > Consumer Reviews > Apple PowerBook Laptop 15" M9422LL/A (1.50-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

Being a technician on many products, I've come to learn that computers are tools. I came to work on Apple products through the years but recently my job functions required more hands on use of the G4. Mac Office 2004, which you have to buy on the side doesn't have a good ODBC plugin that makes it hard for people in finance to do their job. That is unless you buy a third party plugin for Office. Some of the features loaded on OS X are not fully developed and seem to be added just so they can add it to the ever-growing list of features. I'd say the top programs I use are Terminal, iTunes, iPhoto, Adium, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Quicksilver.

I'm sure I can get a lot of Mac enthusiasts to argue against me and flame me in every way possible. That's the beauty of this system; you actually have a fan base that most other systems don't. It's fairly easy to adapt to this operating system and hardware if you have patience. I think the nicest thing about this laptop is the DVD-RW that comes with it, Apple calls it a "Superdrive." Although you'd probably be recommended to buy Roxio's Toast program to burn cds. All in all you have to be ready to fork out some money when you switch.

Personally I love the G4, I have distanced myself enough to be very critical on some items but this is one product that doesn't have much criticism. Of course that is compared to almost every other system out there. They've embedded FreeBSD into the OS perfectly and makes it sound for developers to use and compile software. I do hope that in the future Apple fixes a lot of the minor glitches and becomes mainstream because this product is a very valuable tool.

I have been your stereotypical gamer/geek/pc user since i was in 8th grade, and all the time have been deftly opposed to anything with an apple logo on it. I had always accepted Macintosh as a sort of "stupid person's computer," since we had used them in grade school to a)type things, b)play oregon trail on game tuesdays, and c)learn to type. Also, while growing up my friend's dad had a Performa PPC that he used to a)surf the internet (what little internet there was back then), b)taxes on quicken, and c)check his stocks.

Now fast-forward. I had just finished my first semsester of college, and i needed a laptop. At first i run to the nearest box store and pick up a thin and light HP notebook, which had respectable specs for what i needed. 60GB hard drive, 512MB DDR Ram, 1.5Ghz Centrino, and an (advertised) over 5 hours battery life. Wow! for only $1399, i grabbed it in an instant. I had it for 5 days. Right out of the box i booted it up and it ran as slow as my roommates 466 Mhz Celeron that we pulled out of a dumpster b/c he is a cheapskate. 10 seconds to boot up Office? C'mon! I had just spent $1400 on a cool-looking piece of plastic that get beat out by 5 year old celerons. Then that amazing battery life was actually around 2-2.5 hours. Wow again. All that low voltage technology and it can't even get past 3 hours? My god i needed something else. So i returned it promptly and started shopping again.

The School Bookstore has always had a plethora of apple products on display because they are one of only two apple dealers in the city (what, Bozeman MT is a small town!). They definitely looked infinitely more sexy than the Performa that my friend and I had grown up with (playing Gridz-- Yeeehaw!) I spent about a week researching this 1.5 Ghz Powerbook. about 19 of the 20 Amazon review gave it 5 stars or (if they could) higher. So i decided to spring for one, because of the Bookstore's return policy and the fact that i needed something before the next semester.

Even at purchase i was still skeptical of buying a mac, and at $2500, i thought, it better be a DAMN perfect computer.

I have had this powerbook for a week now, and i must say: PC users who hate everything apple: you just need to experience it. I thought i would regret the incompatibilities between XP and OS X, but instead, i spend all my time thinking to myself "Why the hell didn't MICROSOFT think of this!!!" This is hands down the tightest software i have ever had the pleasure to use. OS X is not simple, it is logical. Unlike XP, there are never unavailable options because of your incompatible hardware, and best of all: no baloon info! When was the last time a PC user actually needed to be reminded that they had just removed their Usb Key??? Or, in case of a re-install of XP which i did more often than not, Usually an hour or so is spent making sure the OS worked with the computer as best as possible. OS-X works. period. No tweaking, no secret options to increase performance. OS-X is a PC user's dream! Imagine an OS, out of the box, that is already a finely tuned and stripped of its useless features and software, that doesn't crash, doesn't need drivers, doesn't need setting up, and best of all: WORKS!!! If apple can find an easier way to communicate this with the PC population, i'm sure they will have majority market share in a matter of years.

I love my Powerbook! I'm sure if you're reading this, you've read other reviews that go through all the "duh" features and battery life, blah blah. Actually, unless you will use this on your lap for very long periods of time (99% of the time it will be on a library table or airplane tray) it get warm(not hot) but i guess it gets annoying unless its cold out. Also, if apple can create a computer like this, they can definitely make a longer battery. i don't think 5-real life hours is impossible with the additional use of lithium polymer batteries to fill up any extra space inside (like the iPod battery) Also, the screen, when closed, is a wee bit wobbly. I want to see AIRTIGHT seals on the lid, but, again, this really doesn't matter. the 12" version is rock solid in this aspect, with the lid closing perfectly tight. I guess it's just an ailment of having a big screen. But these are very minor gripes for a guy wishing apple to create the perfect laptop. Although not quite perfect [yet] This is still far superior to any PC notebook on the market today. One more thing: two buttons and a scroll function on the touchpad. Seriously apple, even that crappy HP had that!

But, my minor issues aside, all you need to know is this: I hated macs, am a very literate PC guy (CCNA, A+ certification) who never thought he'd buy a mac. I haven't "switched over", persay, but my mac is now "my computer," and the pc is kept for stuff that doesn't work on the powerbook. Incredible Job, Steve Jobs! An to think, a month ago i was telling friends that Apple should drop computers and just sell iPods! This is NOT the case. Apple should be on top of the market with products like this. 5 out of 5 stars! I love it!

After begging and pleading for about a month, I ended up writing a proposal to my father for a 15-inch PowerBook. When he was finally convinced a week-long wait for this baby seemed like forever. But when it arrived, Oh Wow. It was everything I expected and MORE! I got the Airport Extreme BaseStation which is a MUST-HAVE for any one who wants to get the most out of having a light-weight wireless machine. There is something so incredible about sitting on my bed with the wireless mouse, internet and printing and NO CORDS! Having a USB printer plugged into the base station is great. The aluminum exclosure is just as stunning as the screen. Just like another user said, It's the BMW of laptops. It's a fabulous machine and everything works seamlessly. I noticed I definite improvment in the iLife apps. Naming iPhotos has never been faster and video rendering is super speedy. Loves it! Loves it! Loves it!

I purchased this laptop in May of 2004 to replace a PowerBook G3 (Pismo). Overall, I have been extremely satisfied with it's performance, stability and feature set. For those users looking for an excellent compromise between portability and power, this laptop should satisfy.

Pros:
- Large, crisp display that automatically brightens/dims based on ambient light
- Backlit keyboard that works very well in low-light conditions
- Excellent performance from a relatively low clock-speed processor
- Acceptable battery life (3+ hours during normal use, 1.5 hours during heavy gaming).
- Case is easy to clean and surprisingly resistant to scratches
- Every port and connection imaginable: Bluetooth, 802.11b/g, FireWire 400/800, USB2.0, s-video, DVI, gigabit ethernet, etc.
- Lightweight, considering the screen size.
- Very stable; no "hard" crashes since purchase.
- Phenomenal customer and technical support and unusually fast turnaround times for repairs.

Cons:
- The bottom of the unit can get uncomfortably hot if the processor speed is set to "highest". Most noticeably during heavy gameplay.
- Lid hinge tends to become stiff over time, leading to creaks.

Overall, a machine that should please both Mac-afficionados and curious PC users considering the switch to Apple.

Hi,

If you are considering to purchase this PB because of Amazon.com's recent (as of 6/29/04) free double-memory promotion. Be aware! This configuration of PB comes with two DIMM slots already filled with two 256MB modules, and there is no open slot left. So, even if you get another 512MB memory module for free, in order for you to add it, you will need to remove one of those pre-installed 256 MB modules. So, that means instead of having 1 GB memory that you are dreaming about, you will only be able to upgrade it to 768 MB, which is not bad. In fact, that is how much I have for my iMac at home running OS X 10.3 Panther. In the end, you will have an extra 256 MB module.

Anyway, I just wanted to bring this to your attention.