The key difference is the optical drive: the model with the combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM starts at $1,599, and the one we tested with the SuperDrive (CD-RW and DVD-R/RW) costs $200 more. Both include a 1GHz PowerPC G4 chip, 256MB of memory, and a 40GB hard drive, expandable to 60GB or 80GB.
The updated 12-inch PowerBook now comes in two standard, and virtually identical, configurations. To add more memory, you unscrew an adjacent panel. The 12-inch PowerBook doesn't come with Wi-Fi either, but you can insert a $99 AirPort Extreme card by popping out the battery on the base of the notebook. Sadly, this model still doesn't have the cool keyboard backlighting found on its 15- and 17-inch counterparts (with SuperDrives). The trackpad is large and responsive, as well. A good touch typist can really fly on this full-size keyboard, which offers good response, has comfortably shaped keys, and does not flex at all. It's superior to that of the earlier PowerBooks, the current iBooks, and possibly even Apple's desktops. "="" -="">/sc/30560-DT2.gif" width="200" height="150" border="0" alt="" />Īside from the size and weight, the best design attribute of the 12-inch PowerBook is its keyboard. The keyboard is superior to that of the earlier PowerBooks, the current iBooks, and possibly even Apple's desktops. You can adjust the display brightness from the keyboard or in System Properties. The 12.1-inch display, with a 1,024x768 resolution, opens and closes on a sturdy hinge. Some users have reported that the metal case gets toasty, but we didn't find it to be unusually hot. The anodized-aluminum case feels very solid and seems to resist scratches better than the old titanium cladding. No matter how you look at it, the 12-inch PowerBook strikes an excellent balance between portability and features. The comparison is misleading, however, because the 12-inch PowerBook has an internal media drive, putting it in a similar league as thin-and-lights, which despite the name, are slightly bigger and heavier than ultraportables. It is notably heavier than most Windows-based ultraportables, such as the Dell Latitude X300, the HP Compaq nc4000, and the IBM ThinkPad X31, which also carry 12.1-inch displays. Like most Apple notebooks, the 12-inch PowerBook resists categorization.
#Powerbook g4 specs 12 mac#
Bargain hunters will find that the just-announced offers similar portability and features (not to mention longer battery life) for $500 to $700 less, but pound for pound, no other Mac offers as much as the 12-inch PowerBook.
#Powerbook g4 specs 12 update#
This update retains everything we like about the design, but it addresses many feature shortcomings by adding a faster processor and graphics, room for more memory, and analog and DVI outputs. But to pare it down to size, Apple cut a few corners from the original. The Apple faithful finally got an ultraportable in fact, the 12-inch PowerBook was (and still is) the smallest notebook ever to come out of Cupertino.
The arrival of the 12-inch PowerBook G4 at the beginning of this year was big news.