Apple PowerBook G4 17 in. (M9689LLABUN) Mac Notebook
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- HDD Size: 100 GB
- Family Line: PowerBook G4
- Processor: PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz
- Operating System: Apple MacOS X 10.3
- Installed Memory: 512 MB (DDR SDRAM)
- Display: 17 in. TFT Active Matrix
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PowerBook G4 17"; my favorite so far
Pros
Elegant design, large widescreen display, powerful, expandable with many ports, easily transported.
Cons
Burner can be a problem.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you need portability and a powerful laptop that is great for both business and graphic demands, the Aluminum PowerBook G4 17" 1.67 GHz is a great solution.
My current laptop is an Apple PowerBook G4 17" 1.67GHz. Like most of my computer purchases I bought this early-2005 PowerBook used. As an architect, I wanted the wide 17" screen that this model has for 3-D modeling. It works great for that purpose. In addition, I've come to appreciate the ease of use that a laptop brings. Nowadays you can plop down most anywhere in an urban area and tune into a Wi-Fi network with a laptop. Try that with a desktop computer! If like me you're in the market for a used PowerBook, take your time and find the best deal. This computer as equipped originally retailed for over $2900, but I was able to pick it up in January 2009 for $480 delivered.
Not only do a like the widescreen and Wi-Fi features available on this PowerBook, but Apple has been noted for years for its industrial design, and that hasn't been lost on the G4 PowerBook. The silver aluminum form is minimalist in design, with none of the froofrah so prevalent on PC laptops. Everything on the 17" G4, and on its 15" and 12" family members, is there for a functional reason. When folded the computer is only an inch thick. Though it requires a wider case than most laptops, the 17" G4, with its trim shape, easily slips into the bag for transportation, along with the power adapter and the USB mouse I like to use.
The internal bus speed is 167MHz which complements the 1.67GHz processor. The processor and bus are the main reasons for the feeling of speed that this PowerBook has. Maximum RAM is 2GB, which is what I have in mine. Maxing out the RAM will help keep things moving along quickly. Internal hard drives can get pretty big now, though mine is a 160GB model, which is plenty adequate for my use. Be sure to get at least a 5400RPM model, if not a 7200RPM drive; avoid 4200RPM models.
Ports on the 17" G4 are along the two sides. Unlike many laptops which have all their ports on the back of the computer, Apple's hinge design, which contributes to the sleek look of the G4 PowerBooks, takes up the rear panel of the computer. Therefore along the sides are two USB 2.0 ports, one on each side. That's not enough for me, so I use a small portable four-port USB hub to increase my usable USB port count to five. There are two FireWire ports, one each for FW 400 and FW 800. One RJ-45 ethernet port is on each side. For video-out there are both S-video and DVI. There are the usual two audio outs, and lastly a PC card slot. The power supply also connects on one side. The SuperDrive slot is on the front. To get more information on the configuration for all the G4 Aluminum PowerBooks, click http://support.apple.com/kb/SP48.
The keyboard is probably not as good as the one I had on the Pismo. It works fine but I have a little more trouble with mistyping with the G4's keyboard than I had on the Pismo. It's not a big deal, but can be a little bit annoying. One nice feature is automatic backlighting, which comes on when the computer senses that ambient light level is too low for typing. The backlight illuminates the letters and numbers and outlines the keys.
As I mentioned this computer is great for Wi-Fi. The internal Airport Extreme card can handle signals up to 802.11g speeds. I've never had any signal trouble except occasionally in my house when I get so far away from the modem that the signal is interrupted by multiple walls. On the other hand, I have no trouble picking up the signal in the basement, or in a motel when traveling.
The display is awesome. Even though this is not the high-res model that came out later in 2005, I find the clarity and color rendering of this display to be outstanding. It's better than on my desktop Apple Studio Display, which itself is very good. The widescreen makes a great movie screen, as most DVDs now are available in widescreen and the 17" G4 really shows them off. The backlighting on this LCD is very good. I usually have the brightness set down on the lower half of the scale. In contrast, the Pismo almost always required a fairly bright setting.
The SuperDrive (DVD burner / CD burner) is the Achilles heel of the 17" G4. There's a common problem wherein the burner will refuse to burn. I bought this PowerBook knowing that it had this problem. Click http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1071018&tstart=0 to read a discussion thread on the burner problem. I may sometime replace the burner, but for now it's not an issue, as I rarely need to burn a disc on the PowerBook. When I do, I take the files to our desktop Mac.
Like all laptops battery life on a used computer can be good or not so good. I bought a used 12" G4 PowerBook that needed some repair, as it had been dropped. I got it working again, and was pleased to find that the original battery will, like the Energizer bunny, keep going and going. In the case of the 17" PowerBook, however, the original battery that came with it will only power the computer for up to an hour. That's not adequate for my tastes. I bought a replacement on eBay recently, which should give me four-plus hours of use.
As far as software is concerned, with Microsoft Office available for both PC and Mac platforms, it's easy to use files on both. I often email Word files to PC users, and they open them without a problem. On the sly I used to plug into my office's all-PC network and work away on my PowerBook. The ability to interchange files, to access servers, and to do most of the things that my office needed, made my PowerBook even more valuable.
Lastly, the Aluminum PowerBooks, are better called notebooks than laptops, as the bottom gets very warm after the computer has been running for a while. If you're sensitive to that, get a lap surface that you can set the computer on. The guy I got my PowerBook from used a cutting board for that purpose, which is a lot cheaper solution than buying a commercial pad.
Except for the SuperDrive problem, I strongly endorse the PowerBook Aluminum G4 17' 1.67GHz. It's fast, powerful, and good-looking. Even though it's three-years-old, it still holds its own with graphic demands and internet use.
Not only do a like the widescreen and Wi-Fi features available on this PowerBook, but Apple has been noted for years for its industrial design, and that hasn't been lost on the G4 PowerBook. The silver aluminum form is minimalist in design, with none of the froofrah so prevalent on PC laptops. Everything on the 17" G4, and on its 15" and 12" family members, is there for a functional reason. When folded the computer is only an inch thick. Though it requires a wider case than most laptops, the 17" G4, with its trim shape, easily slips into the bag for transportation, along with the power adapter and the USB mouse I like to use.
The internal bus speed is 167MHz which complements the 1.67GHz processor. The processor and bus are the main reasons for the feeling of speed that this PowerBook has. Maximum RAM is 2GB, which is what I have in mine. Maxing out the RAM will help keep things moving along quickly. Internal hard drives can get pretty big now, though mine is a 160GB model, which is plenty adequate for my use. Be sure to get at least a 5400RPM model, if not a 7200RPM drive; avoid 4200RPM models.
Ports on the 17" G4 are along the two sides. Unlike many laptops which have all their ports on the back of the computer, Apple's hinge design, which contributes to the sleek look of the G4 PowerBooks, takes up the rear panel of the computer. Therefore along the sides are two USB 2.0 ports, one on each side. That's not enough for me, so I use a small portable four-port USB hub to increase my usable USB port count to five. There are two FireWire ports, one each for FW 400 and FW 800. One RJ-45 ethernet port is on each side. For video-out there are both S-video and DVI. There are the usual two audio outs, and lastly a PC card slot. The power supply also connects on one side. The SuperDrive slot is on the front. To get more information on the configuration for all the G4 Aluminum PowerBooks, click http://support.apple.com/kb/SP48.
The keyboard is probably not as good as the one I had on the Pismo. It works fine but I have a little more trouble with mistyping with the G4's keyboard than I had on the Pismo. It's not a big deal, but can be a little bit annoying. One nice feature is automatic backlighting, which comes on when the computer senses that ambient light level is too low for typing. The backlight illuminates the letters and numbers and outlines the keys.
As I mentioned this computer is great for Wi-Fi. The internal Airport Extreme card can handle signals up to 802.11g speeds. I've never had any signal trouble except occasionally in my house when I get so far away from the modem that the signal is interrupted by multiple walls. On the other hand, I have no trouble picking up the signal in the basement, or in a motel when traveling.
The display is awesome. Even though this is not the high-res model that came out later in 2005, I find the clarity and color rendering of this display to be outstanding. It's better than on my desktop Apple Studio Display, which itself is very good. The widescreen makes a great movie screen, as most DVDs now are available in widescreen and the 17" G4 really shows them off. The backlighting on this LCD is very good. I usually have the brightness set down on the lower half of the scale. In contrast, the Pismo almost always required a fairly bright setting.
The SuperDrive (DVD burner / CD burner) is the Achilles heel of the 17" G4. There's a common problem wherein the burner will refuse to burn. I bought this PowerBook knowing that it had this problem. Click http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1071018&tstart=0 to read a discussion thread on the burner problem. I may sometime replace the burner, but for now it's not an issue, as I rarely need to burn a disc on the PowerBook. When I do, I take the files to our desktop Mac.
Like all laptops battery life on a used computer can be good or not so good. I bought a used 12" G4 PowerBook that needed some repair, as it had been dropped. I got it working again, and was pleased to find that the original battery will, like the Energizer bunny, keep going and going. In the case of the 17" PowerBook, however, the original battery that came with it will only power the computer for up to an hour. That's not adequate for my tastes. I bought a replacement on eBay recently, which should give me four-plus hours of use.
As far as software is concerned, with Microsoft Office available for both PC and Mac platforms, it's easy to use files on both. I often email Word files to PC users, and they open them without a problem. On the sly I used to plug into my office's all-PC network and work away on my PowerBook. The ability to interchange files, to access servers, and to do most of the things that my office needed, made my PowerBook even more valuable.
Lastly, the Aluminum PowerBooks, are better called notebooks than laptops, as the bottom gets very warm after the computer has been running for a while. If you're sensitive to that, get a lap surface that you can set the computer on. The guy I got my PowerBook from used a cutting board for that purpose, which is a lot cheaper solution than buying a commercial pad.
Except for the SuperDrive problem, I strongly endorse the PowerBook Aluminum G4 17' 1.67GHz. It's fast, powerful, and good-looking. Even though it's three-years-old, it still holds its own with graphic demands and internet use.
