12" PowerBook

Written by David Knight | 03 March 2003
Posted in Apple

Review
Installation & Documentation
Ease of use
Value for money
Price (approx)	$4,095.00 + GST
Available from	NZ Dealers

When the new PowerBooks were announced to the world by Mr. Steve Jobs in January, I instantly knew I must have one. Designed for people who need the portability of an iBook and the power of a G4 all rolled into one. As a University student studying Computer Science, the 12" PowerBook seemed perfect for my needs.

The base specifications (for those that don't know) are:

867 MHz G4 processor
12.1 inch screen
256 MB of RAM (expandable to 640 MB)
133 MHz bus
256 K of Level 2 cache
40 GB hard drive
Slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
32MB GeForce 420 Go graphics card.

The PowerBook has the following ports: Ethernet (not gigabit), modem plug, 1 firewire, 2 USB, video-out, audio-out and an audio-in.

Other specs include a built-in Bluetooth module (very cool), room for an AirPort Extreme card, optional RAM expansion to 640 MB, an optional 60 GB hard drive, and an optional Superdrive instead of the combo drive. I opted to get the upgrade to 640 MB of RAM. Many people think that Apple should have left room for more expansion, but I'm not to worried about it.

Look very closely. Tiny isn't it?

The 12"
From a purely aesthetic perspective, the 12" is stunning. The light grey aluminium casing looks and feels great. The keyboard is extremely well made and solid in its design, and the screen is very nice. There's nothing wrong with the trackpad, but I found that the left hand side of the trackpad button seems to stick down, resulting in the button popping up with a noticeable clicking noise every time you press it. It's not really a big deal since I use the pad for clicking anyway.

Another issue that I'm sure you will all hear about is the heat. Yes, the 12" gets quite hot at times, particularly on the surface to the left of the trackpad. This only really happens when the computer is plugged in, and it's never hot enough to actually burn you, but it's still noticeable. I wouldn't recommend using the laptop on your lap when it's this hot.
Apple claims that the battery can run for 4.5 hours. From my experience, 4.5 is definitely the upper limit to what you can expect.

Application Performance
Overall, I've been very satisfied with the speed of the computer. Programs like MS Word, Internet Explorer, iTunes, etc. all run totally fine, but unfortunately this isn't the machine to buy if you want serious power. The PowerBook comes with a 32MB graphics card, which is grunty enough to play the most recent games on medium-to-low quality settings. Jedi Knight II requires a medium setting, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a bit jumpy on medium but still playable. Deep down I'm hoping that Apple has a few driver and system tweaks up their sleeves, but only time will tell. Having said all that, the classics like Escape Velocity play perfectly.

Another area that lets the computer down is the lack of a Level 3 cache. Every G4 computer has one except for the 12", which is a shame. I guess Apple had to make some sacrifices when trying to fit so much into such small a space. The Level 3 cache issue effects the performance of Virtual PC. I have it running Windows XP (probably not the best choice of OS), and while it is usable, I admit I am disappointed. But then who really cares about Windows anyway?

Cool stuff
I had never watched a DVD before getting the 12" (sad, I know). I read on several web sites that people think the playback quality leaves a bit to be desired. The image can sometimes be grainy during dark scenes, but it doesn't bother me at all. Again, it's possible that Apple has some updates coming. The PowerBook comes with a video-out port that connects to one of two supplied adapters. One adapter let's you connect a standard external monitor or projector, and the other has a plug for S-Video and a plug for composite video.

I'm impressed that Apple kept everyone's options open, plus it makes watching DVDs on a TV very easy. I'm afraid you're out of luck if you want to connect an Apple flat screen though. Another impressive part of the 12" are the external speakers. The sound could easily rival the quality of a small stereo.

"On the second day I had the 12", I went to a friends place (who happens to use a PC)...it only took about 10 seconds for me to connect to his iPaq [via Bluetooth]"

Probably the coolest feature of all is the built-in Bluetooth support. If you don't know what Bluetooth is, I suggest reading the Jan/Feb issue of Macguide. I know what you're thinking?? why would you need this feature? Well consider this story.

On the second day I had the 12", I went to a friends place (who happens to use a PC), and he was busy showing off his fancy new iPaq (the digital Palm-like organizer, made by Compaq). Problem is, he's forced to connect the iPaq to his PC laptop using an ugly cradle thing and a cable. It only took about 10 seconds for me to connect to his iPaq and browse the directories wirelessly using my PowerBook. Needless to say, I scored a few points for Team Mac that day.

Installed Software
First of all, no games! I thought all Macs came with Ottomatic pre-loaded, but not so.
Instead you get a licensed copy of GraphicConverter (handy I guess), Art Director's Toolkit, FaxSTF, OmniGraffle, OmniOutliner and of course all of Apple's standard software like iTunes, iMovie, etc.

The Final Word
All things considered, I love this little cutie. When you buy such a tiny computer, you have to expect some weaknesses, but the few downsides aren't enough to outweigh the upsides. The 12" PowerBook does exactly what it was designed for: fills the gap between the consumer iBook and the professional, big screen G4 PowerBook.

Pros