Apple Powerbook Notebook M8622LL/A (550-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

Apple Powerbook Notebook M8622LL/A (550-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)
Manufacturer: Apple Computer
Product Type: Personal Computer

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Take a high-performance PowerPC G4 processor, add a wide-screen display, and enclose it all in a lightweight titanium case. Apple has just created the PowerBook G4 - and redefined portable computing. If you need the utmost power for creative design, education, or business, the PowerBook G4 is ready to provide it wherever you go. Making a notebook computer the slimmest and lightest in its category shouldn't have to mean making compromises in performance and functionality. What makes a supercomputer "super" is its ability to execute at least one billion floating-point operations per second. It's a staggering measure of speed known as a "gigaflop". In addition, the PowerPC G4 can perform four (in some cases eight) 32-bit floating-point calculations in a single cycle - two to four times faster than traditional processors. The PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine works with the PowerPC architecture to accelerate the data-intensive processing required by next-generation video, voice and graphics applications.Among the G4 key features is a vector permute function capable of rearranging data in the registers - a priceless benefit when converting data from one format to another (often necessary with voice, video and graphics applications, which typically need to save data in a number of different formats). These vector-processing acceleration advantages give the G4 microprocessor a significant edge when it comes to fast visualization of large data sets and intensive math for real-time simulations, making the PowerPC G4 perfect for everything from digital video, graphics and 3D games to astronomy, the biosciences and predictive modeling.

Average customer rating:

You get what you pay for...
A functional and industrial-design masterpiece.
Best Laptop Ever!
No finer laptop exists. Period.
Notebook, Not recommended

Apple Powerbook Notebook M8622LL/A (550-MHz PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

Manufacturer: Apple Computer
ProductGroup: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers

All Apple | Apple | Computers Brands | Computers Features | Electronics
Accessories:

IRIS Business Card Reader II (Macintosh Edition)
IRIS Business Card Reader II for Macintosh (USOA180)
Sony 4X Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW External Drive ( DRX720UL/T )
AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro/PowerBook (w/ or w/o Display) M8853LL/B - 3 Years
Targus PA410U DEFCON CL Notebook Computer Cable Lock

ASIN: B00005UX3I

Product Description

Take a high-performance PowerPC G4 processor, add a wide-screen display, and enclose it all in a lightweight titanium case. Apple has just created the PowerBook G4 - and redefined portable computing. If you need the utmost power for creative design, education, or business, the PowerBook G4 is ready to provide it wherever you go. Making a notebook computer the slimmest and lightest in its category shouldn't have to mean making compromises in performance and functionality. What makes a supercomputer "super" is its ability to execute at least one billion floating-point operations per second. It's a staggering measure of speed known as a "gigaflop". In addition, the PowerPC G4 can perform four (in some cases eight) 32-bit floating-point calculations in a single cycle - two to four times faster than traditional processors. The PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine works with the PowerPC architecture to accelerate the data-intensive processing required by next-generation video, voice and graphics applications.Among the G4 key features is a vector permute function capable of rearranging data in the registers - a priceless benefit when converting data from one format to another (often necessary with voice, video and graphics applications, which typically need to save data in a number of different formats). These vector-processing acceleration advantages give the G4 microprocessor a significant edge when it comes to fast visualization of large data sets and intensive math for real-time simulations, making the PowerPC G4 perfect for everything from digital video, graphics and 3D games to astronomy, the biosciences and predictive modeling.

Customer Reviews:

You get what you pay for..........2002-03-30

When you are buying a Picasso, you can't expect to pay discount. The Powerbook G4 is a premium computer, and you pay a premium price. What you get puts similar PC-based products to shame, except, alas, on price.
The biggest advantage of the PBG4 -- besides, of course, the operating system -- is design efficiency and elegance. Despite having a 15.2-inch screen and a fast processor (one optimized for intensive video applications and presentations), the PBG4 weighs just 5.4 pounds and is stunningly slim at 1-inch thick. Check your average [local store] ad for similarly equipped laptops and they simply can not compare.

Take Sony's new VAIO GRX for example. It boasts a "gigantic 16.1-inch screen." Okay, great. I'd love a 16-inch screen too. But then, in the fine print, is this laughable phrase: "Just 8.4 lbs. and 1.8" thin."

Let's see, sounds like a great tradeoff, doesn't it? You get about 12 percent more screen real estate, 55.5 percent more weight and 80 percent more bulk (and faster battery drain to boot).

The Sony is about 15 percent cheaper, mind you, but I already told you about that part, right?

Let's compare Apples to apples, then, shall we? A new VAIO model with a 15-inch display and Combo drive sells for about a grand less than Apple's top-of-the line Powerbook, and a few hundred below the bottom-of-the line. You would think with a smaller display, maybe they could take out some of that bulk? Naw. This one is "Just 8.6 lbs. and 1.8" thin."

I don't know about you, but if the Sonys bulk up any more, their owners will be able to throw out their old "Body By Jake" video tapes.

By the way, you might also consider buying Apple's 3-year protection plan. Sure, it's expensive, but if you bought that Picasso, would you take it with you on an airplane (not to mention through overzealous security guards) without insurance?

A functional and industrial-design masterpiece........2002-03-09

Where other computer manufacturers make beige boxes, or, in the case of laptops, functional devices that can hardly be described as aesthetic trendsetters, Apple Computer revels in turning out eye-catching (and head-turning) industrial designs, time after time. Such is the case for the Titanium G4 Powerbook, an example of which I've had for nearly a year now. And, each time I remove this Powerbook from my carrying case and open it up in the presence of others, it never fails to generate "oohs" and "ahhs" from them, such is the mystique of Apple's proficiency at sleek styling and stunning display and performance.

I was an "early adaptor" to the Macintosh, dating back to the late-1984 512K "fat Mac." Since then, the Mac has been my preferred platform, and I only use Wintel machines when I have no choice in the matter (for example, at my business, which is run on a Wintel LAN). Typically, a Mac design will last me approximately five years (some three times the industry average), so that, when it is time to upgrade, the improvements in performance become truly meaningful (and dramatically noticeable).

The Titanium G4 Powerbook certainly didn't disappoint me in this respect. It has blazing speed - in terms of both display of files and web pages and read/write performance - and it has a "killer" color LCD display that is the envy of all who see it. With its titanium and carbon fibre construction, it is robustly built to last forever (certainly well past my typical five-year upgrade cycle). Equally important, the choice of construction materials - and the industrial design - seem simply perfect. The keyboard has a perfect tactile feel to it, and the built-in CD/DVD drive can create more than its fair share of envy when one inserts a "letterbox" DVD to watch a movie.

This construction (and these features) come at a very modest weight cost. While the G4 Powebook weighs in at slightly over 5 lb, it offers integrated features that other, lighter, laptops simply cannot match without adding peripherals (and of course weight).

There isn't much NOT to like about this one-inch-thick masterpiece. The thickness has reduced the PCMCIA slots from two to one (but so many other ports are built in that this is hardly a concern), the CD/DVD drive is of the slot, rather than drawer, variety, and there is no Audio-In jack (despite there being plenty of space for it). This last is common to all recent-vintage Macs, for which users will need to obtain a third-party USB audio-in adapter.

Macintoshes had pretty much always come at a price premium: If you want the industrial design, the features, and the OS, you should be prepared to pay for these. But, with this latest laptop, the playing field is much more level. While it is true that the Titanium G4 Powerbook is not "cheap," it is no more expensive than a Wintel alternative that has the same features. That is, if you could find a Wintel laptop that has this quality of industrial design and construction and this magnificent display.

The fact is, simply, that you can't. This machine is in a class by itself.

Bob Zeidler

Best Laptop Ever!.......2002-02-22

i purchase a new powerbook about every other year. i say this every year, but this machine rocks! it is amazing how fast it is & and as usual get tons of attention everywhere i go. this powerbook is extreamly fast, the screen is amazing, and its dvd/cd burner work without a flaw.

2200 is a great value for what you get!

No finer laptop exists. Period........2002-02-17

The first thing that will strike you about the PowerBook G4 is the screen. There is no bigger screen on a laptop, and it is gorgeous and bright. Unlike other laptops, the screen is oriented like a widscreen television. Watching DVDs on the built in player is a dream simply due to the sheer size of the display and its vibrant colors. The second thing you will notice is how light and thin it is. It is the only laptop on the market made from titanium, and not cheap metal plating or some other heavier alloy. It is a joy to carry around, and looks in size and over all color like one of those metal notepads that contractors carry around--only, in the true Apple tradition, the attention to detail and excellent design more closely resembles something you might see on Star Trek. It is also fast. In head to head tests with a Sony laptop with a faster rated Pentium chip, it outperformed the Sony in task after task. You can also burn CDs. It comes will Apples indescribably easy "i" applications (iMovie, iPhoto, and iTunes), and can easily be used as a portable film editing station, recording studio, or photo editing and storage hub. As importantly, the operating system--not Windows, but OS X--is a breath of fresh air. It blows Windows away with its stability, beauty, and ease of use. Trust me. You'll never go back to Microsoft, except, perhaps, for Microsoft's just released Office for OS X (which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Entourage), which is far more advanced and useful than its Window's counterpart.

The other reviews listed here which paint the PowerBook G4 as a poor computer are bizarre, to say the least. There is no truth whatsoever to these criticisms. Indeed, it has a battery life of four solid hours in my experience, far greater than any Windows computer, and OS X is fast and stable. It hasn't crashed for me yet.

Highly recommended.

Notebook, Not recommended.......2002-01-30

I have recently purchased the Apple PowerBook G4 and have not been pleased. There always seems to be some type of fatal error causing the computer to freeze. The only solution is to restart the computer, which is time consuming, and causes all recent work performed to be eliminated. I have been working with Macintosh computers for the past 4 years and always have frustrating problems. Anyone in the graphic field knows how crutial one's work is and how irritating it is to lose, just from an aggravating computer freeze. I know that Macs are the dominant choice for the graphics field, but I do not recommend the PowerBook. It also overheats quickly and the battery does not last long enough if trying to work away from home.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics

Consumer Electronics

Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C500 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

HANNS-+G HC-194DP 19" LCD Monitor

Samsung HT-DB120 Progressive-Scan DVD Home Theater System

MAG Verity 4333VLT - K6-2 333 MHz - RAM : 64 MB - HD : 6.4 GB - CD - Win98 - 13.3" TFT 1024 x 768

Acer AL1706AB 17" LCD Monitor

FUJITSU P7010 LifeBook Notebook PC

IBM 6384 CMOS Battery

Panasonic Toughbook 18 Touchscreen PC version - Pentium M 1.1 GHz - Centrino - RAM : 256 MB - HD : 4