November 24, 2003 (Computerworld) --
Back in February, soon after Apple Computer Inc. released its first-generation 12-in. PowerBook, I bought one. It tended to run hot but otherwise had none of the first-run issues other owners reported: a trackpad button that sometimes stuck, an uneven bottom and a latch mechanism that was flaky. I liked it a lot and used it until I bought one of the first 17-in. PowerBooks in mid-March. I've used the larger PowerBook ever since, having sold the 12-in. model to a friend who was leaving for work in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. She needed the portability inherent in the smaller PowerBook and has used it without a hitch ever since. It's as solid (and still runs as hot) as the day I got it. So I was intrigued when Apple in September released updated versions of the 12- and 17-in. PowerBooks and finally unveiled the aluminum-clad version of its midrange 15-in. model. Would I find the Rev. B 12-in. PowerBook to be that much improved over the first-generation variety? In a word: Yes. Responding to some of the concerns voiced by consumers about that Rev. A model, Apple upped the G4 processor in the latest version from 867-MHz to a solid 1-GHz, it revamped the internal architecture to ameloriate the heat problem, and it did what it should have done the first time around by including a DVI video out port (though you still have to use an adapter to connect to a DVI monitor). At last, if you have a 12-in. PowerBook, you can now attach it to one of Apple's own flat-panel monitors without spending hundreds of dollars for a variety of adapters and work-arounds. Apple provided Computerworld recently with one of the new baby PowerBooks for review purposes. It was the stock SuperDrive-equipped model, with an optional Airport Extreme wireless card already installed and 256MB of RAM. It also came with Mac OS X 10.3 (code-named Panther) pre-installed. Price out the door: $1,898, plus tax and shipping. First, a word to the wise: If you're eyeing one of these laptops for that special road warrior in your life, set aside another $100 or so for another 512MB of RAM. I noticed a lag on several occasions when switching from one program to another, or when launching an application when several others were already running. While Panther runs fine with just 256MB of memory, using more than one or two programs at once will quickly bog the operating system down. An additional 512MB of RAM will set you back about $100 from a number of vendors. Or you can buy it from Apple for $300. In general, I buy memory from a third-party vendor, but be aware that these models are apparently more particular about RAM than in the past. If you add extra memory and find yourself having kernel panics and system freezes, check the new RAM first. Most vendors will take the "bad" memory back and send you a replacement at no cost.
The 12-inch Powerbook is dwarfed by the 17-inch model behind it.
Whichever way you go, if there's a PowerBook under the holiday tree this year, make sure extra memory is in the stocking. So how does the new 12-in. model stack up? It offers a solid advance over the first-generation model, providing well-rounded performance in a tidy package, and it will do just about anything a desktop G5 will do, albeit slower. The only major caveat is that someone who plans to do a lot of heavy video editing or graphics work should think twice before making this his full-time machine because of its small 1,024-by-768-pixel screen. It's bright, sharp and clear -- perfect for when you're on the go. But it gets a bit cramped for everyday use. In a recent interview with Computerworld(see story), Apple's Dave Russell spelled out the company's view of its PowerBook product matrix, noting the obvious: The smallest PowerBook is designed first and foremost for portability. On that note, Apple hit its target dead-on. Weighing in at 4.6 lb., the PowerBook is as easy to carry around as a paperback book, especially when compared with its larger siblings. And with that Airport Extreme card in place, connecting to wireless networks while on the road is easy. (Despite the aluminum casing, I always had a solid network connection when using it at home, whether outside or upstairs.)
In daily tasks, the PowerBook 12 was up to whatever I threw at it: surfing, e-mail, graphics manipulation with Photoshop, Web page design. And those tasks were most certainly made easier by Panther, the new Mac OS that kept everything running seamlessly. After a couple of weeks with the 12-in. PowerBook, I'm particularly fond of the new Expose feature. Expose, for those who don't know, quickly rearranges the windows on your computer desktop so that you can see them all at once. If you have multiple programs running, or multiple windows and documents open, it's an amazing little program that allows you to find whatever you're looking for. And since this PowerBook has such a small screen, you'll likely make use of it a lot. I certainly did.
Expose, before and after, showing how it organizes a crowded desktop.
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