The aluminium notebook from Cupertino gets an update, including a faster DVD burner, processor and graphics.On paper, Apple's new 15-inch PowerBook bears all the hallmarks of a great mobile gaming platform. It's still lighter than most 15-inch notebooks, still better-looking and still packs a wallop in the features department. Crammed into its sleek 1-inch aluminum frame are a faster SuperDrive, CPU and video processing unit. In addition, the 1.5GHz 15-inch PowerBook is the first Apple notebook (along with the newly launched 17-inch version) that's capable of supporting up to 128MB of video memory for extreme on-the-go gameplay. Targeted at hardcore power users, the latest Mac flagship laptop retails at a high-end AU$3,999.
Apple has left the PowerBook's attractive anodized aluminum exterior relatively untouched, which is a good thing. Users will find the PowerBook's illuminated keyboard accommodating and still decent in both form and feel. There are plenty of ports (USB 2.0, FireWire, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet and DVI) for connecting to external devices and the new PowerBook retains its built-in Bluetooth and 802.11g wireless connectivity.
The two stereo speakers, located at each end of the unit, now deliver above-average audio. And unlike certain notebooks we've used, this PowerBook won't instantly toast your crown jewels -- it takes a good while to warm up, and even then the bottom portion doesn't feel excessively hot.
With 4x DVD-R added to its roster of supported formats, the PowerBook's slot-loading SuperDrive burner promises a faster DVD writing experience. Elsewhere, Motorola's PowerPC G4 CPU -- while slowly reaching the end of its product lifespan -- still offers plenty of processing muscle and now peaks at 1.5GHz. The PowerBook model we evaluated features 512MB (expandable to 2GB) of DDR 333 memory and a capacious 80GB hard disk. Apple also sells a 1.33GHz variant retrofitted with 256MB of memory and 60GB hard disk for a reasonably cheaper AU$3,299.
Assisting the Motorola processor in 3D-intensive games and applications is the industry's fastest mobile graphics chip, ATI's much-vaunted Mobility Radeon 9700. The 1.5GHz PowerBook has a standard graphics memory payload of 64MB, and for really retina-melting frame rates, you can upgrade the Radeon's video memory to 128MB. This built-to-order option will set buyers back an extra AU$76.40.
Under normal use, the 1.5GHz PowerBook is actually exceptionally quiet, with just the faintest of hums coming from the rear cooling vent. With ATI's most powerful mobile graphics at the helm, the notebook handles 3D games and rendering jobs without too much drama, either. Framerates on Quake 3 Arena and older 3D shooters showed modest increase while newer games like Unreal Tournament 2004 remained decently playable even with the eye-candy details set to Max. DVD playback, too, is equally brilliant -- images are silky-smooth and the crisp, wide-angled LCD betrays no evidence of the eye-popping white-spot defect that plagued preceding aluminum models.
The PowerBook's comparatively slow 167MHz system bus -- the speed at which data moves between memory and the processor -- remains the product's greatest shortcoming, though. With faster Wintel-based system buses hitting 533MHz, certain hardware changes will be essential for future PowerBook revisions to remain competitive in the performance stakes. In addition, given Mac OS X's flexibility when it comes to resolution rescaling, video and graphics editors will find it a tad disappointing to remain stuck on a 15.2-inch 1,280 x 854-pixel screen: Compared with similarly priced Wintel power laptops such as Dell's WXGA-capable (1,920 x 1,200) Inspiron 9100, the PowerBook's widescreen real estate appears visually restrictive.
The PowerBook's battery life is good for a power-hungry workstation, although once again it doesn't quite match Apple's claims. The company rates the PowerBook G4's battery life at up to 4.5 hours but that assumes very few demands on the hardware. Running a moderate blend of email, Web surfing and audio, the 50-watt Lithium-ion battery lasted us slightly under 4 hours. In contrast, when we ran a DVD movie full bore (at half brightness), we managed to eke out just 2 hours and 41 minutes.
Apple backs every PowerBook with 90 days of telephone support plus the standard one-year service coverage for parts. For users who want long-term peace of mind, the company's AppleCare Protection Plan will extend the warranty coverage to three years, but the catch is an additional AU$579 charge to the overall cost.
Apple PowerBook G4 (1.5GHz, 512MB, 15.2-inch TFT)
Company: Apple
Price: AU$3,999
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 133 622
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