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33 out of 34 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Taking issue with what & who it's for, business use"
Pros: Does just about anything you need a computer to do
Cons: battery life
Summary: I'm taking issue with your three summaries, shown here. The last two are not so bad, but the first one irritated me:
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What's it for: Basic desktop home or small-office productivity, including e-mail, Web surfing, and word processing; watching DVDs and listening to CDs.
Who's it for: Home or small-office users who want solid graphics and processing power. [the "solid...power" saved it]
Business use: Small-office productivity tasks, including e-mail, Web surfing, and word processing, as well as working with high-end creative apps, such as Adobe Photoshop. [high-end saved this one]
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This makes the PowerBook sound as though it's for ... well, you said it, actually: the home user, the small office. Your summary relegates it to the simplest of tasks. The things that any cheezy Wintel machine can do.
As a computer consultant since 1984, I can tell you with utmost certainty your analysis is far too limiting. This machine is a workhorse crammed in a tiny box. It's Unix under the hood; its the freedom of Mac OS, and, when you are forced into it, it's even Windows via Virtual PC. The PB can run circles around (as you misname) similarly outfitted Windows laptops. I can run MiniTAB statistical app in Windows, while in the Mac OS I browse the Web, play music, analyze network traffic, serve a FileMaker database, and run Office apps ... tasks that would choke any Wintel machine at twice the RAM and twice the GHz.
The PowerBook is far more than a recipe storage bin for a housewife running AOL. This is a machine for a power user. (No offense, please, to housewives or to AOL; it was the only thing I could think of. Well, maybe to AOL....)
- 6 replies to this review
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I too have been in the business since the mid-1980's and have worked with mainframes, personal computers, and UNIX Workstations. I personally find it interesting that backin the mid-to-late-1990's the Federal Government (US) decided to transition away from their UNIX Workstations, in favor of WINDOWs PC's (cost being the primary driver).
Now you may have seen in the "rags" some discussion regarding the interest in transitioning towards a Net-Centric Environment. To me this is facinating since UNIX has always provided a Net-Centric Environment (even per the Federal Government's definition) however this environment was abandoned when UNIX was abandoned in favor of Window's PC's. However, there are those who believe that a Personal Computing platform can somehow be retro-fitted to provide a Net-Centric Environment ==> Perhaps. However, IMHO it would be much simplier to revert back to the OS that already provides everything that is needed for a rich Net-Centric Environment (i.e. UNIX), rather than trying to re-create a new one (from scratch) using PC tools. But, what do I know. -
The only reason we can't post 10's as ratings for this machine is because no computer is flawless and "perfect" but this is as close as it gets.
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I just looked at the video and before I say anything about how downright ignorant this review is I have to say that from the video they clearly don't know how to use osX, they must've been on it for under a day cause it's just that simple, anything you want is within a few clicks/keystrokes.
They have an alias of IE on the desktopp and safari in the dock. Internet explorer is clearly inferior to safari, forefox, opera etc. and if you have an application and your dock has as little as theirs then just shove it in there!
I'd like to point out that they steered well away from mentioning the OS or the architechture of it because they don't know anything about it!
With it's clearly superior GUI and ease of use and the amazing speed of the ppc architecture you can't beat it on windows, even with a faster processor.
Another thing in the video:
"the most high end and expensive laptop of their range" "A pretty simple apple laptop"
as simple as the sotware is to use the hardware is far from simple, granted the design is a bit simple but like pc manufacturers have noting like that! It's the most stylish on the market and it's simple. If you think about it that's insulting to the pc manufacturers.
Also this makes their range sound very broad ranging and inexpensive but they have 2 laptops, the cool one (iBook) for home/small business users and the like. And the seriously powerful one just for the pro in my opinion(power book) and they're both expensive, well made machines with a great feature set.
They complained about the lack of a G5! That's like saying, why don't the put a 3.6ghz pentium 4 in a laptop, it can't be done! It uses too much power and it far too bulky for a laptop.
Last but maybe not least, even with the pros and cons they mention the rating should be higher. There's probablt some cut-off where macs aren't alllowed any higher to make them seem worse.
I have to stop now, sorry for wasting your time. I probably just agrivated so many people/windows users but I'm only 14, blame that! -
Anyone who regularly receives the CNET newsletter knows that CNET leans so heavily in the Windows camp (Wintel is soon to be less of a derogatory than heretofore) that all their forums re: security, performance, etc. are comic in the exclusion of the most common answer to all such concerns--get a Mac.
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Why do Windows users deny Mac of its right of being the best? The only reason for their success is that they are CHEAP. I speaking from experience when I say that 'Not everyone can afford the Best', and thats what is Mac has done for me. Instant Internet/Network connection whenever present. Light and Thin. I have 2 Gigs of Memory, and my baby is like a Porshe compared to Stink Holden's (Holden is a car company from Australia who think they have Compitition with FORD...Ha they are ridiculously not close).
I am a Proud Kiwi Mac User, and for those who don't know what a Kiwi is.... I am a New Zealander! ONCE YOU GO MAC, YOU NEVER GO BACK! -
The reviewer for the PowerBook must be jealousy of Mac's To write such a misinformed review... I guess I shouldn't be surprised!!!!. They failed to mention The iBooks which are also SUPERB machines... I am an artist, who performs many power task at the same time... This is NOT a computer for people who just want to surf the web and send email... for that go and buy any PC...Apple's OS systems CANNOT be rivaled by any!!!!!
