Apple's slim, trim Titanium PowerBook G4 blurs the line between a desktop-replacement and a thin-and-light system. The notebook has an eye-catching, elegant form factor that also features a 1GHz G4 processor and DVD-burning capabilities, not to mention an even bigger hard drive, and a more powerful graphics card. Combined with a bright, crisp, 15.2-inch, wide-screen display, this package makes the PowerBook a compelling alternative to a desktop computer, not to mention a Windows desktop-replacement notebook. Although the PowerBook's value rating is only average, we highly recommend this notebook for those who feel that style and power outweigh a hefty price tag.
The PowerBook blurs the line between a desktop-replacement and a thin-and-light system. It has all of the features of the former category but is only one inch thick and weighs just 5.4 pounds with an Apple AirPort wireless networking card; the compact power adapter adds 12 ounces to the total travel weight. Most Windows desktop-replacement systems are thicker and considerably heavier, while most Windows thin-and-lights have smaller, 14.1-inch displays and can't match the PowerBook's features.
The sleek, two-toned, titanium-clad laptop is topped with a brilliant, wide-screen, 15.2-inch LCD, with a native screen resolution of 1,280x854 pixels and almost complete freedom from color or brightness shifts. Most Windows desktop-replacement systems have a higher default resolution that lets you display more text and graphics onscreen but at smaller sizes.
Two stereo speakers, located at each end of the unit, provide merely decent sound. The mike is situated beneath the left speaker grille. In its recent iterations, Apple has tweaked and refined the PowerBook to near perfection. The keyboard feels sturdy, with a fluid touch for fast typists. Apple has also replaced its original keyboard, which featured a second Option key to the right of the spacebar, with one that offers a second Command (Apple) key. Like all Macs, the PowerBook has a single mouse button below its comfortable, center-mounted trackpad. An inspection of the back of the unit reveals louvers at the center of the rear door for improved cooling.
Beyond the keyboard and ventilation refinements, the rest of the package is nearly the same as the previous model's, although the latest model thankfully adds an audio-in port. The left side has a lone Type I/Type II PC Card and CardBus slot. However, this model is still missing the expansion-bay slot that adorned older PowerBooks. If you want an extra drive, prepare to deal with an added appendage on your travels.
The rear drop-down cover includes a single FireWire port, a 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet port, the enlarged cooling vent, a DVI (Digital Video Interface) output, an S-Video port, a Reset button, and a 56K internal modem port.
The PowerBook comes in two standard configurations. The entry-level model now includes an 867MHz G4 processor, 256MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics card with 32MB of double-data rate (DDR) video SDRAM, and integrated 802.11 wireless networking. On the high end, the top-of-the-line PowerBook boasts a 1GHz G4, 512MB of RAM, a 60GB drive, the Radeon 9000, and integrated wireless networking--plus, a slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-R drive (the Apple SuperDrive).
For a custom configuration, use the build-to-order system on Apple's site to choose from a limited selection of processors, memory amounts, hard drives, and accessories. However, Apple offers nowhere near the level of customization available from competing Windows notebook manufacturers.
Apple's ace in the hole, however, is a DVI output port, which allows you to connect a digital flat-panel display to the PowerBook. With the supplied VGA adapter, you can hook up a CRT or an analog LCD monitor, but if you want to use one of Apple's own monitors--all of which employ the proprietary Apple Display Connector (ADC)--you'll have to spring for one of Apple's adapters.
Also standard issue are gigabit Ethernet and the standard array of Apple ports: one modem, one FireWire, two USB, one PC Card/CardBus, audio line-in (another new feature), and S-Video. Now that Apple has added support in Mac OS X for the Bluetooth personal-area networking found in some cell phones, handhelds, and printers, the company has dispensed with the infrared port. However, you still have to buy a separate USB Bluetooth adapter (the $49.95 D-Link DWB-120M) to use this feature. In contrast, a few Windows notebooks now have built-in Bluetooth receivers.
Application performance
The new 1GHz G4 PowerBook can easily serve as a desktop-replacement notebook. We compared it directly to the dual 1GHz G4 Power Mac, and the PowerBook more than held its own. In fact, it beat the Power Mac by more than three seconds in our Photoshop 7.0 tests. The PowerBook's score was good enough for second place, behind the Power Mac Dual PowerPC G4 1.25GHz, which beat the PowerBook by almost 20 seconds.
iMovie scores turned out as one should expect, with the PowerBook 1GHz beating out the PowerBook 800MHz by 1.3 minutes and the iBook by almost 2 minutes.
iTunes scores again continued the trend; unsurprisingly, the PowerBook G4 1GHz beat out the slower PowerBook G4 800MHz and the iBook G3 800MHz.
Battery life analysis
In our performance tests, the PowerBook's 1GHz CPU kept it on top. Fittingly, though, it also scored the lowest in battery life--probably for the same reason. The PowerBook's 1GHz processor draws more power than the 800MHz CPUs of either the iBook or the PowerBook G4 800, making its battery life the shortest.
CNET Labs uses three different applications (Photoshop 6.01, iMovie 2.0 and iTunes) to test Apple notebook performance. Through the use of a number of timing tests, CNET Labs are able to roughly determine the performance of a given notebook.
Find out more about how we test Apple notebooks.
System configurations:
Apple iBook 800Mhz
OS X 10.2.1; PowerPC G3-800; 256MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple iBook 600Mhz
OS X 10.2.1; PowerPC G3-800; 256MB RAM; ATI RAGE Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB
Apple PowerBook Titanium G4 800
OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-800; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 40GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook Titanium G4
OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-1000; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; 60GB 4,200rpm
The trend here seems to be that notebooks with OS X 10.1.2 and later do better in battery-drain tests; indeed, Apple touts its new upgrade, Mac OS X 10.2, or Jaguar, as having even better battery management than version 10.1. This is evidenced by the relatively low battery scores of the older-model 600MHz iBook and 667MHz PowerBook, both running OS X 10.1. The rest of the chart pans out as expected, with the G3-600MHz lasting the longest and the 800MHz pooping out the fastest.
In order to drain the battery of an Apple notebook, CNET Labs plays a DVD movie in full-screen mode with the sound on. This torture test gives you an idea of relative performance but is not an indicator of the battery life you'll receive with more typical work scenarios.
System configurations:
Apple iBook
Mac OS X 10.1; PowerPC G3-600MHz; 128MB RAM; ATI Rage Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB hard drive
Apple iBook
Mac OS X 10.1.2; PowerPC G3-600MHz; 256MB RAM; ATI Rage Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB hard drive
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1; PowerPC G4-667MHz; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-667MHz; 256MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-800MHz; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple's warranty remains underpowered among PC makers. You get one year of coverage for parts and labor, as well as three months of toll-free technical support. After that, it's $49 per incident unless you can demonstrate a problem is caused by a factory defect. You can extend the warranty to three years for an additional $349. The 104-page, illustrated manual is well rounded, offering information on setup, use, and simple troubleshooting. You'll also find a rich resource of help information, software updates, and discussion forums at Apple's Web site.
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 A trim, one-inch-thick design. |
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The sleek, two-toned, titanium-clad laptop is topped with a brilliant, wide-screen, 15.2-inch LCD, with a native screen resolution of 1,280x854 pixels and almost complete freedom from color or brightness shifts. Most Windows desktop-replacement systems have a higher default resolution that lets you display more text and graphics onscreen but at smaller sizes.
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| A crisp, 15.2-inch LCD. |
 The PowerBook's keyboard and trackpad. |
Two stereo speakers, located at each end of the unit, provide merely decent sound. The mike is situated beneath the left speaker grille. In its recent iterations, Apple has tweaked and refined the PowerBook to near perfection. The keyboard feels sturdy, with a fluid touch for fast typists. Apple has also replaced its original keyboard, which featured a second Option key to the right of the spacebar, with one that offers a second Command (Apple) key. Like all Macs, the PowerBook has a single mouse button below its comfortable, center-mounted trackpad. An inspection of the back of the unit reveals louvers at the center of the rear door for improved cooling.
Beyond the keyboard and ventilation refinements, the rest of the package is nearly the same as the previous model's, although the latest model thankfully adds an audio-in port. The left side has a lone Type I/Type II PC Card and CardBus slot. However, this model is still missing the expansion-bay slot that adorned older PowerBooks. If you want an extra drive, prepare to deal with an added appendage on your travels.
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| What's missing? An expansion-bay slot. |
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| All the ports you need. |
The rear drop-down cover includes a single FireWire port, a 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet port, the enlarged cooling vent, a DVI (Digital Video Interface) output, an S-Video port, a Reset button, and a 56K internal modem port.
The PowerBook comes in two standard configurations. The entry-level model now includes an 867MHz G4 processor, 256MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, an ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics card with 32MB of double-data rate (DDR) video SDRAM, and integrated 802.11 wireless networking. On the high end, the top-of-the-line PowerBook boasts a 1GHz G4, 512MB of RAM, a 60GB drive, the Radeon 9000, and integrated wireless networking--plus, a slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-R drive (the Apple SuperDrive).
For a custom configuration, use the build-to-order system on Apple's site to choose from a limited selection of processors, memory amounts, hard drives, and accessories. However, Apple offers nowhere near the level of customization available from competing Windows notebook manufacturers.
Apple's ace in the hole, however, is a DVI output port, which allows you to connect a digital flat-panel display to the PowerBook. With the supplied VGA adapter, you can hook up a CRT or an analog LCD monitor, but if you want to use one of Apple's own monitors--all of which employ the proprietary Apple Display Connector (ADC)--you'll have to spring for one of Apple's adapters.
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 The slot-loading DVD/CD-RW or CD-RW/DVD-R drive. |
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Application performance
The new 1GHz G4 PowerBook can easily serve as a desktop-replacement notebook. We compared it directly to the dual 1GHz G4 Power Mac, and the PowerBook more than held its own. In fact, it beat the Power Mac by more than three seconds in our Photoshop 7.0 tests. The PowerBook's score was good enough for second place, behind the Power Mac Dual PowerPC G4 1.25GHz, which beat the PowerBook by almost 20 seconds.
iMovie scores turned out as one should expect, with the PowerBook 1GHz beating out the PowerBook 800MHz by 1.3 minutes and the iBook by almost 2 minutes.
iTunes scores again continued the trend; unsurprisingly, the PowerBook G4 1GHz beat out the slower PowerBook G4 800MHz and the iBook G3 800MHz.
Battery life analysis
In our performance tests, the PowerBook's 1GHz CPU kept it on top. Fittingly, though, it also scored the lowest in battery life--probably for the same reason. The PowerBook's 1GHz processor draws more power than the 800MHz CPUs of either the iBook or the PowerBook G4 800, making its battery life the shortest.
CNET Labs uses three different applications (Photoshop 6.01, iMovie 2.0 and iTunes) to test Apple notebook performance. Through the use of a number of timing tests, CNET Labs are able to roughly determine the performance of a given notebook.
Find out more about how we test Apple notebooks.
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Photoshop 7.0 test (Shorter bars indicate better performance) |
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| Note: Time, in seconds, to perform 10 functions |
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iMovie (Convert to QuickTime) (Shorter bars indicate better performance) |
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| Note: In Minutes |
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iTunes (to convert a CD track into an MP3 file) (Shorter bars indicate better performance) |
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| Note: In Minutes |
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DVD movie battery drain (Longer bars indicate better performance) |
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| Note: In Hours |
System configurations:
Apple iBook 800Mhz
OS X 10.2.1; PowerPC G3-800; 256MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple iBook 600Mhz
OS X 10.2.1; PowerPC G3-800; 256MB RAM; ATI RAGE Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB
Apple PowerBook Titanium G4 800
OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-800; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 40GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook Titanium G4
OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-1000; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 64MB; 60GB 4,200rpm
The trend here seems to be that notebooks with OS X 10.1.2 and later do better in battery-drain tests; indeed, Apple touts its new upgrade, Mac OS X 10.2, or Jaguar, as having even better battery management than version 10.1. This is evidenced by the relatively low battery scores of the older-model 600MHz iBook and 667MHz PowerBook, both running OS X 10.1. The rest of the chart pans out as expected, with the G3-600MHz lasting the longest and the 800MHz pooping out the fastest.
In order to drain the battery of an Apple notebook, CNET Labs plays a DVD movie in full-screen mode with the sound on. This torture test gives you an idea of relative performance but is not an indicator of the battery life you'll receive with more typical work scenarios.
| Battery life test Time is measured in minutes; longer bars indicate better performance | ||||||||||
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System configurations:
Apple iBook
Mac OS X 10.1; PowerPC G3-600MHz; 128MB RAM; ATI Rage Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB hard drive
Apple iBook
Mac OS X 10.1.2; PowerPC G3-600MHz; 256MB RAM; ATI Rage Mobility 128 8MB; 20GB hard drive
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1; PowerPC G4-667MHz; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-667MHz; 256MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple PowerBook
Mac OS X 10.1.4; PowerPC G4-800MHz; 512MB RAM; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; 30GB 4,200rpm
Apple's warranty remains underpowered among PC makers. You get one year of coverage for parts and labor, as well as three months of toll-free technical support. After that, it's $49 per incident unless you can demonstrate a problem is caused by a factory defect. You can extend the warranty to three years for an additional $349. The 104-page, illustrated manual is well rounded, offering information on setup, use, and simple troubleshooting. You'll also find a rich resource of help information, software updates, and discussion forums at Apple's Web site.
