Portable Power
Written: Jan 09 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Appearence, Ease Of Use, Graphics, Screen Quality, Speed, Stabilit,y
Cons: Networking Slow
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| zipcode22's Full Review: Apple PowerBook G3 (M7308LL/A) Mac Notebook |
Apple Macintosh 1998
PowerBook G3 "Wallstreet"
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I purchased this laptop for personal and business use. I chose the Macintosh platform over the Windows platform because I use the OS and require the stability and power for art programs. The PowerBook series is advertised mainly for designers and executives. I wager that students and home users would benefit from it as well.
I have used this unit across the country for school, work, and play. I have created a yearbook, art, advertising, and homework on this machine.
The included hardware of the PowerBook is excellent. It came preloaded with 2gb hard drive, 233mhz PPC G3 processor, 32mb of RAM, CD-ROM, 56k modem, OS 8.6, battery, ac adapter, and a 14" TFT screen. It has two PCMCI card slots, one modem/printer port, one S-Video port, one SCSI port, one headphone port, one audio out port, one ADB port, and one 10baseT Ethernet port. I have since upgraded to OS 9.0.4, 192mb of RAM, added a Superdisk drive, and two PCMCI based USB cards. This PowerBook has the unique honor of being the last with external SCSI ports. In addition to normal input device connections, this and previous models have "SCSI Disk Mode" which allows them to act as a hard disk for another computer. This is useful for large file transfers. It will be a useful bonus when/if the unit becomes obsolete for daily use.
I have not run into any problems connecting third party hardware to this machine because of all the ports. There are additional port converters available if required (i.e. parallel to serial).
I have had NO hardware issues in the two years I have owned the unit. The unit is very stable, I have only had a few software problems and they were all my fault (caused by loading very old software).
I push my computer to the limit. I run many art programs, play music, surf the internet, and play music simultaneously. The computer doesn't even flinch. Each of the programs is memory intensive -- both RAM and disk space. Neither seems to be an issue. The computer has proven itself time and again; it is a workhorse.
Despite Apple's claims of a 2-4 hour battery life, I have experienced a consistent 4-6 life span. Also, the recharge rate of the battery is very fast. The more the CD-ROM is used, the quicker the battery is drained. Other drives and system activities seem to take little power. Power and time are greatly conserved by putting the computer to sleep instead of turning it off.
The only problem I have had with the unit in two years is a slow sign on to internal networks. There is no problem however with the connection once it is connected to the network. Internet connection is never a problem.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
zipcode22
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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