15″ PowerBook Impressions
I received a new 15″ Aluminum PowerBook last week, and it’s a gorgeous machine. While my old 15″ Titanium PowerBook was great, the Aluminum is an improvement over the Titanium in a lot of ways. Here are some of the differences I’ve noticed between the Titanium and the Aluminum PowerBooks.
Enclosure
The Aluminum enclosure is amazing — it’s probably the best feature of the new PowerBooks. While it’s slightly larger and heavier than the Titanium, it’s far more rigid and durable; I don’t feel anxious about the PowerBook flexing when I pick it up with one hand. The aluminum finish also seems far more durable; I don’t think it will have the same issues with chipping and peeling that the Titanium had.
The new screen hinge design seems far more durable as well. The only drawback of the new design is that the screen sits a bit lower than on the Titanium, which takes a bit of getting used to. The screen latch in the Aluminum also requires a lot less force to engage than the latch in the Titanium.
Keyboard
The new keyboard takes a bit of time getting used to, especially when coming from the Titanium. The keys on the Aluminum are larger and offer more resistance than the ones on the Titanium. However, after a bit of time using both I can safely say I prefer the keyboard on the Aluminum.
Also, it looks like the keyboard on the Aluminum doesn’t touch the screen when the PowerBook is closed. This was one of my biggest complaints about the Titanium.
p(smallprint). Keyboard backlight in action
The keyboard backlight is an interesting idea, and looks very cool, but I’m not sure how practical it is. It’s only really visible when in a pitch-black room, and I can’t remember the last time I used a laptop in a room that dark (save when I was testing the keyboard backlight).
Ports
The ports are on the side of the Aluminum, as opposed to the back of the Titanium. While this makes the ports easier to access (especially if there’s a low-hanging bookshelf above the PowerBook), it makes the PowerBook look cluttered when it’s on a desk. Depending on which ports are in use, there can be wires coming out of both sides of the Aluminum, while with the Titanium wires would only come out of the back.
Noise
I’m not sure the Aluminum has any fans; I’ve not heard any fan noise from the Aluminum. Also, the Aluminum feels a bit warmer than the Titanium (although it’s not unbearably warm), which leads me to believe there aren’t any fans (or that they kick in a lot later than they did on the Titanium). This makes the Aluminum quieter than the Titanium during normal use. Even the hard drive in the Aluminum is quieter!
Update: Alex points out that the Aluminum PowerBooks do have fans. Thanks, Alex!
Conclusion
Overall, the Aluminum is an improvement over the Titanium. A better enclosure, better keyboard, and quieter operation (not to mention improved tech specs) make this a superb laptop. Of course, if you’re thinking of purchasing one, it might be wise to wait until Apple sorts out some of the production problems; while my Aluminum PowerBook didn’t have any build problems, a lot of people are receiving PowerBooks with latch or screen problems. Hopefully Apple with sort these production problems out soon (if they haven’t already).
There have been some pictures online of what the 15” aluminum PowerBook looks like on the inside, and it does have fans.
I think it just takes a little more to make the fans turn on in the aluminum model. On mine, I really have to be pushing the power usage in order to get the machine hot enough: for example, by playing a DVD while another task is running in the background. Even then, it sometimes doesn’t get hot enough unless I block the air circulation in the back and bottom of the machine. (I don’t recommend you do that deliberately, though…) When the fans do kick in, you can hear it clearly. They’re actually fairly noisy.
Have you seen any issues with white spots appearing on the LCD??
This seems to be a problem with some of the new 15” Powerbooks.
Best way to test is to open a document (Text Edit) and expand it so it covers the whole screen. If you have any, you’ll see them (they appear to be “hot” spots..)
http://homepage.mac.com/alwi/PhotoAlbum10.html (images of the white spots)
Contact AppleCare if you notice them.
I’ve not noticed any white spots on the LCD, and I’m pretty particular about my monitors. There was a fairly substantial delay between ordering and receiving my PowerBook, so I’m wondering if Apple’s sorted out the production problems they’ve been having.
I purchased my 15 powerbook on Nov 21st. today It really became apparent I have white dot syndrom. I also found a single dead pixel when tesing the screen with both white (to find the white spots) and black ( to check for dead or misled pixels) Apple will have my baby for the next two weeks….. I guess I didn’t wait long enough. At least I am not the only one.
Regarding the fan noise on the 15” Aluminium..I had the Titanium before this and the fan was definitely NOT noticable. In fact, the noise on the Aluminium is definitely worrisome as I have been able to pick it up on multimedia recordings I have tried to make on the PB.
Apple Tech support have called it a “perception issue” after replacing the “blower”, its housing and the logic board to no avail….but I have contacted AppleCare and will see what they can do.
I purchased a TiBook a year or so ago and ended up with the screen being replaced 5 times. The original fault was a mark made by the trackpad being slightly raised on one side and rubbing quite hard against the screen. (And it wasn’t easy convincing them to do it under warranty either) After that, the screens they kept sending it back with had every problem that it is possible for an LCD to have. I had ten dead pixels on one. A large white spot the size of a thumbprint on another. I had one that wouldn’t send the unit to sleep when closed. And another that had more scratches than a wrestlers arse. Eventually they sent me a completely “new” TiBook that was a big upgrade in terms of processor HD size etc. But it had either been used before or been assembled using plate scourers, as it had a lot of cosmetic damage (By this point i’d decided to sell it anyway, so it was irrelevent). I guess my point is; be carefull when buying a Powerbook from the UK, (even an Aluminium one) as they are built in the same factory in Germany that gave me stress worthy of a lawsuit for two months.
Google linked me to this page, nice reading