Apple PowerBook Laptop 15.2" M8981LL/A (1.25-GHz PowerPC G4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-R/CD-RW Drive)

(Other than the size of the screen, the 15-inch model is the same as the 12-inch one.)

SOFTWARE
The computer comes with some great software. iTunes is the best media player on the market. I have almost 5,000 songs stored on mine. With the search function and browser display, it is easy to find a particular song. iTunes also keeps track of the number of times you've listened to a song and it allows you to rate your songs. It's easy to create a playlist. Also, burning one of those playlists onto a CD can be done with one click.

Safari is a great web browser. It has a Google search box built into the toolbar, prevents pop-up ads (I've never had one), has tabbed browsing (preventing a cluttered desktop), and allows for bookmarks to be added with one click.

iChat allows Mac users to customize their AIM and Rendezvous chat sessions in ways that the normal applications don't allow, such as adding pictures from iPhoto to their profile.

I haven't mastered iPhoto yet, but it is downloading pictures from a digital camera is as easy as plugging it into the USB port and clicking a button.

Also, Macs are less likely to get a virus or be overtaken by spyware.

The iCal and Address Book look good, but if you are going to sync a PDA with your Mac, you are better off using Palm Desktop software. Hopefully the functionality of those programs will be improved in the future though.

Finally, most of the programs work with each other. For example, if someone on my iChat buddy list is online, a green dot will appear next to a message from him or her in my Mail inbox.

I also use Microsoft Office, Quicken, Dreamweaver MX, and Palm Desktop - they all work well on the Mac. Office shares files perfectly with PCs.

HARDWARE
Spend the money and get the superdrive (CD-RW/DVD-R). DVDs have more memory than CDs and blank DVD-Rs are becoming more affordable. If you are into collecting videos of concerts, a DVD-R is a must.

I'd recommend upgrading to at least 768 MB of memory and the 80 GB hard drive. Burning a DVD requires a lot of memory and can take a while - this way you can use other applications while burning a DVD (on my old PC, if I was burning a CD, I couldn't use anything else). The hard drive space is really cheap. Plus, if you load your CDs on your computer, they can eat up a lot of memory, even as MP3s (my 5,000 songs take up about 25 GB).

Also, there is a lot to be said for getting the Airport Exteme card (although you can buy a third-party base station for less). I am able to browse the Internet in any room of my house - well worth the extra $100 or so.

I have the 12-inch monitor, but that was because Apple hadn't released the 15-inch in the new style when I made my purchase. The 12-inch is fine - it's much clearer than my old PC notebook - but if I had the opportunity, I'd probably go with the bigger monitor.

DRAWBACKS
-While most software is available for Mac OS X, there are some programs that aren't (Google toolbar, Yahoo! toolbar, Kazaa, AvantGo) or minor problems in software that is available (Quicken can't access accounts on Ameritrade via Macs)
-The PowerBook doesn't have a fan, which is great for the battery, but can cause it to get a bit hot underneath where the user rests his left hand.

Regardless of those drawbacks, however, buying a Mac was an easy decision. If you have any questions about it, click on my profile and send me a e-mail.

UPDATE: After 14 months, the hard drive started making noise and system performance got slow and I couldn't run as many programs as I used to. I called Apple and had to spend $300 for them to put in a new hard drive and some other hardware. They were unable to transfer my data to my new hard drive, so I've spent the past four days reloading all of my software and applications. No idea why the hard drive went. Hence I dropped the rating from five stars to four.


after 5 windows based systems, and 2 apple based systems...   April 2, 2004
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

ladies and gents, i favor apple. if not for their seamless design and functionality integration (which everyone else also agree's with), then i must say simplicity has led me to my decision. I am a sales manager and part-time advertising coordinator (so you can rest assured i will advertise 'Apple' for the masses...

i have the need to use my laptop for recording sales and inventory as well as editing some ads on graphics aps. i also use the laptop for word processing. i must say, i have never found it simpler to integrate wireless browsing (including wireless print server), an external dv monitor (for expanded desktop space), and a home network of 5 wireless peripherals. all this took me less than 6 hours to accomplish (without the slightest of road blocks along the way...).

you be the judge. if you can point me in the direction of one person who works on a windows (or even linux) system and has been able to do what i have in the time i have, and maintain the system without a headache for even a month, then i salute the person in question but would still recommend an Apple system, just because the OS looks better.

i've only worked on the Apple platform for a little over a year and a half now (having bought an Apple iBook first, and now opted for the powerbook G4 1.25ghz). so before any critics step out and call me a 'brainwashed apple lover who is blinded by sheer beauty', think about what i've said above and allow yourself the ability to step out of the confinements of pc globalization... give in to the fruit of your intuition... the fruit that is 'Apple'.


At Long Last   March 30, 2004
 5 out of 7 found this review helpful

I'm a college student majoring in computer science. Before I left high school I was told I would need a labtop that used the Windows Operating System because that's what "everyone else uses." I bought an IBM Thinkpad T30 (the T30 was new and very highly regarded at the time). Biggest mistake of my life. In less than a year I was spending most of my time trying to get the Thinkpad's hardware and software to continue working and staring at pictures of Powerbooks trying to figure out how to get the money to buy one. However, as you may be I was a little worried about compatibility and even OS X since I hadn't used it before getting stuck with my Thinkpad.

When I finally got my powerbook I was soo happy. I have not had one single compatibility issue of any kind. In fact, if you have to do Unix programming (which you will if you're a CS major) the Mac is way better since you don't have to log in to some remote machine, go to a lab, or install another OS since Mac OS X's Darwin core is all the Unix you'll ever need. The user friendliness and reliable hardware of the Powerbook knows no end. Mac OS X really is the most advanced operating system (and the coolest and most user friendly).

Cautions:
This is an expensive machine. You get what you pay for, but if you're looking for a computer just to surf the internet and use AIM you really don't need the power of the Mac. Buy a $500 craptop.

Don't abuse the space bar on the keyboard. As a very fast typer/coder I tend to smash the corner of the space bar and even though I haven't had the Powerbook for a year I've already messed up the space bar a bit.