Quiet and Powerful (Apple PowerBook G3)

Member Name: NadeemF

Product:	Apple PowerBook G3
Date:	16/01/01 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Apple's usability, good styling, great features

Disadvantages: Not as good as the new G4 Titanium model

While the new Titanium PowerBook knocks the socks off this Black PowerBook G3 (FireWire) aka the Prismo, this powerbook is still a beast.
The battery life of approximately 5 hours means that I take it to work or college and don't need to worry about taking the power supply (small and cute as it is).
The video capabilities are encompassed in an S-video out (for TV's) and VGA out - both permitting video mirroring or an extended desktop.
Having both USB and Firewire connectors I'm able to happily plug in an external keyboard, mouse and Zip drive while using the faster ports for my DVcamcorder and external hard disk.
Networking is possible through 3 routes:- V90 modem, 10/100BT ethernet and AirPort (the standard 8011.11? protocol), though this latter method requires a simple and cheap card insertion - I use all three and they are all faultless. An addition networking feature is the IrDA port which I appear to have no use ful (the modem script for my Nokia phone don't seem to work using IrDA), but no real loss there.
In brief this appears to have 3 major features over WinTel notebooks:-
1) silence (well almost) since the G3 processor runs so efficiently it needs no fan.
2) great battery life (since chip uses about 1/10th that of Intel ones, and no power needed for fans).
3) Value for money - yes really, the myth that Apples are too expensive really should go away - try buying a name-brand portable with 14.2 TFT, 64MB RAM, USB, FW, 10BT and modem at this price.

Summary: