There's no denying the aesthetic beauty of the PowerBook G4, which puts many Windows laptops to shame. Design-wise, the new iteration isn't much different from the last: The 17-inch PowerBook G4 weighs 3.1 kilograms, which is approximately 450g - 1.3kg less than most other 17-inch laptops, and it measures 392mm wide, 260mm deep, and 259mm thick, making it somewhat bigger than an airplane tray table. As such, this laptop is best suited to people who travel only occasionally. The notebook has a sleek, aluminum body and a large keyboard, which is set back from the front edge. When you're typing, your wrists rest on the notebook instead of hanging off the front, as with many smaller notebooks; it's not an uncomfortable arrangement--just something to be aware of. We like that the keyboard automatically lights up in dim or dark environments. One new, cool feature: you can scroll through Web pages or long documents by moving two fingers on the trackpad--a distinctly Apple twist to the scrolling feature found on many PC notebooks' touch pads.
This PowerBook G4's wide-aspect 17-inch display has a fine 1,440x900 native resolution that affords quite a lot of screen real estate; it's equally great for viewing movies and working on documents side by side. The notebook's new Sudden Motion Sensor uses a tri-axis accelerometer to detect sudden drops; in midair, the PowerBook's hard drive heads will lift and lock to prevent damage. We tested it by dropping the PowerBook a few feet onto a pillow; the DVD we were playing stopped while falling and started back up when the PowerBook was safely at rest.
Priced at AU$4,299 (as of March 2005), the PowerBook G4 is equipped with a solid array of components: the G4 processor runs at 1.67GHz (up from 1.5GHz with the last version) and features a decent ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processor with dual-link DVI support for connecting to an external monitor. You also get Apple's SuperDrive -- an 8X DVD±RW/CD-RW burner (up from 4X with the last version) -- which looks a bit less super next to the double-layer DVD burners showing up on Windows laptops. The 17-inch PowerBook G4 series isn't terribly configurable; 512MB of RAM comes standard, which should be fine for basic use, but you can upgrade to 2GB (though it'll set you back--whoa!--AU$1290). Hard drives are available in two capacities: 80GB, which pushes the price down AU$155, or 100GB.
CNET Labs used iTunes and Photoshop CS to test the 17-inch PowerBook G4's processing power. Configured with the 100GB hard drive and 512MB of RAM, the notebook delivered a decent performance, handily defeating a 14-inch iBook running a slower 1.33GHz processor and with half the RAM, and keeping pace with a 1.25GHz G4 desktop with a faster, 7,200rpm hard drive and L3 cache. The 17-inch PowerBook G4 whopped the 14-inch iBook in our Unreal Tournament 2004 gaming test; however, if games are your primary interest, you're generally better off with a PC. In our DVD battery-drain test, the 17-inch PowerBook lasted only 176 minutes--an hour short of the 14-inch iBook's 233 minutes, but fairly standard for a desktop-replacement laptop. That said, for in-flight movie-watching, the iBook is a better choice.
This PowerBook comes with a full range of connectivity features: Both AirPort Extreme (802.11g Wi-Fi) and Bluetooth 2.0 (Enhanced Data Rate) come standard, and you also get 10/100/1000BaseT Gigabit Ethernet and a 56Kbps V.92 modem. There are only two USB 2.0 ports, but Apple makes up for this by including both an unpowered FireWire 400 and a powered FireWire 800 port. Also onboard are a DVI output, an S-Video output for connecting to a TV, optical digital audio input and output, and a PC Card slot. Apple throws in a strong software bundle that features iLife '05 as well as Art Directors Toolkit and QuickBooks New User Edition. Sadly, you won't find the iWork productivity suite, which would have been a useful addition.
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NOTE: Products in this test are for comparative purposes only and are not necessarily available in the Australian market.
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eliminator
21/02/2006, 05:59 PM
the best laptop i´ve ever own
the second and nearly the first is my iBook G4, but this machine is extremely sexy and powerful ready for any application and so goodlooking than other.
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init
16/11/2005, 05:55 AM
very attractive laptop!
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a
29/08/2005, 07:12 PM
Wide screen is awesome for movies
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07/08/2005, 12:13 AM
Better than all the resT!
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anonymous
29/07/2005, 07:16 PM
One awesome machine!!
I switched from windows two months ago and have never looked back!
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02/06/2005, 02:13 PM
Glad to be away from Microsoft
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14/05/2005, 10:12 PM
Underperforms compared to similarly priced opposition.
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kevin
02/05/2005, 07:47 PM
Always better than normal laptop
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Gilbert Moase
22/03/2005, 10:58 PM
Great bundled software + seamless = peace of mind!
Why would you bother with a PC when this comes bundled with EVERYTHING you need, from i-tunes and i-photo to a complete 'Office'-style app?
PLUS you take it out of the box, plug it in and switch it on - and IT WORKS! Huh? OK you've got an existing wireless router and you're scratching your head thinking "where do I start?' But it's already figured it out automatically (while you were looking at it) and is now actually running...No tedious Help phone calls; you know the ones "please leave your name and number and we will call you back one day soon...(if ever, from Bombay)". It's a NO Brainer choice, unless you are a nerdy technophile who would rather be tinkering every weekend with your 'Model T Ford' so you might be able to go somewhere on Mondays....! Good luck.
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