Apple PowerBook G4 review

Gene Steinberg ZDNet US

Published: 07 Aug 2002

Apple's slim, trim Titanium PowerBook G4 is now in its third generation. In the notebook's most recent revision, Apple has kept the eye-catching, elegant form factor but added a faster processor with 1MB of DDR L3 cache, a bigger hard drive, a more powerful graphics card, and a higher price. Combined with a bright, crisp, 15.2-inch, wide-screen display, this package makes the PowerBook a compelling alternative to a desktop computer, not to mention a Windows desktop-replacement notebook.

The PowerBook comes in two standard configurations. The £1828.94 (ex. VAT) entry-level model includes a 667MHz G4 processor, 256MB of RAM, and a 30GB hard drive. At the opposite extreme, the top-of-the-line £2339.57 (ex. VAT) configuration includes an 800MHz G4 chip, 512MB of RAM, and a 40GB hard drive. The latter also includes Apple's AirPort Wi-Fi card, which is otherwise a £79 option on iBooks and the entry-level PowerBook. We tested both, though our 667MHz model included an extra 256MB of memory. For a custom configuration, use the build-to-order system on Apple's site to choose from a limited selection of processors, memory amounts, hard drives, and accessories. However, Apple offers nowhere near the level of customization available from competing Windows notebook manufacturers.

Then again, the laptop already has just about everything you need. At the top of that list is the PowerBook's stunning, wide-screen, 15.2in. LCD, which now has a native screen resolution of 1,280x854 pixels, up from 1,152x768 in the previous model. This change will slightly expand the desktop area yet won't make the icons and the icon labels seem too small.

Both PowerBooks feature the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 graphics chip with 32MB RAM. The ATI chip already graces a number of Windows notebooks. Apple also includes a DVI output port, which allows you to connect a digital flat panel display or suitably equipped projector to the PowerBook. With the supplied VGA adapter, you can hook up a CRT or an analogue LCD monitor, but if you want to use one of Apple's own monitors--all of which employ the Apple Display Connector (ADC) proprietary connection scheme--you'll have to buy one of Apple's £129 DVI-to-ADC adapters.

Also standard issue is a slot-loading combination DVD/CD-RW drive, gigabit Ethernet, and the standard array of Apple ports: one modem, one FireWire, two USB, one PC Card/CardBus, audio line-in (another new feature), and S-Video. Now that Apple has added support in Mac OS X for the Bluetooth personal-area networking found in some cell phones, handhelds, and printers, the company has dispensed with the infrared port. You'll have to buy a separate Bluetooth adapter to use this feature. In contrast, a few Windows notebooks now have built-in Bluetooth communications. Like all Macs, the PowerBook has a single mouse button below its comfortable, centre-mounted trackpad.

In addition to the faster processor and more memory, the high-end configuration of the PowerBook gets a boost from the L3 cache. Overall, it was faster than the 667MHz PowerBook on ZDNet Labs' tests, but the margin varies widely, depending on the task. In our Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1 trials, the difference ranged from a barely noticeable 6 percent to a more significant 19 percent. In the benchmark for lighting effects, the 800MHz PowerBook actually ran 12 percent slower than its less costly counterpart. Only in the iMovie-export test did the 800MHz model strut its stuff, with a performance advantage of 37 percent over the lesser configuration. Again, our 667MHz PowerBook was equipped with 512MB of memory. As you'd expect, both PowerBooks easily outperform the cheaper, G3-based Apple iBook.

To test the battery, we ran a DVD movie at full-screen setting. In that round, the 800MHz PowerBook lasted 2 hours, 50 minutes; the 667MHz configuration actually lasted17 minutes less. Apple claims you'll get about 2 hours of use from the 55.3-watt-hour, lithium-ion battery while watching a DVD but as much as 5 hours on less-demanding tasks, which seems realistic, based on our results. Neither configuration of the PowerBook, however, can match the 14.1in. iBook, which manages over three hours of battery life on our DVD tests.

Though the lack of cross-platform benchmark tests makes it difficult to objectively compare the PowerBook's performance to that of similar Windows notebooks, Windows XP seems a tad snappier overall than Mac OS X. However, the Apple offers more than enough power for everyday tasks such as Web browsing and image editing, as well as opening long documents in Microsoft Word and Excel.

Aside from the notable omission of a productivity suite, the PowerBook comes with a decent software bundle. In addition to Mac OS X 10.1.4 and Mac OS 9.2.2 (for compatibility with older applications), the package includes Apple's digital hub programs (iMovie, iPhoto, and iTunes) and standard array of Internet software, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mac OS X Mail. Also in the package is Adobe Acrobat Reader, Code Line Communications' Art Directors Toolkit, SmithMicro's FAXstf, Lemke Software's GraphicConverter, OmiGroup's OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner, James Thomson's Pcalc, Caffeine Software's PixelNhance, and Ambrosia Software's Snapz Pro X. Microsoft Office X for Mac will add another £428.88 to the price of the system.

Despite a higher price than that of Windows-based desktop replacements, the 800MHz Titanium PowerBook G4 stands out for its design, features, and performance.

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