Apple 15-inch PowerBook G4

Making a Good Case

The new aluminum PowerBook G4 beats the old Titanium PowerBook hands-down when it comes to casing. There's no more paint chipping and scratching, and a thin rubbery bezel around both top and bottom edges protects your precious notebook from the usual bumps and bruises. Note the speaker grilles on either side of the full-size keyboard. The PowerBook G4 has excellent sound for a laptop, perfect for playing your iTunes. However, we'd prefer that Apple scrapped the slot-loading CD-RW/DVD-R drive in favor of a tray model. All those business card-size and 3-inch CDs we collect at trade shows can't be loaded into it at all, or they'll jam the mechanism. After all, part of the appeal of the PowerBook G4 is that you don't need a desktop machine as well!

Lighting the Way

The high-end 15-inch PowerBook (with SuperDrive) that we reviewed comes with a backlit keyboard (also an option on build-to-order models). The backlighting can be set to come on automatically in low-light conditions, but can't be turned on and off at will. The light sensors are located under the speaker grilles, so be sure not to cover them while you work. Backlighting works fairly well, in that it seems to come on reliably when needed, but is dim since the light only comes through the thin letters on the keyboard. It's also practically invisible at an angle (such as when the PowerBook is on your lap while you are laying in bed). You need to be looking straight down at the keyboard to really see the backlighting.

Ports Galore

One of the PowerBook's key attractions is a thorough set of input and output options that make it just as capable as any desktop model. The 15-inch G4 has all of its ports on the sides, thanks to a new (and sturdy!) hinge mechanism that drops down behind the case.

On the right side, from top to bottom, you'll find: a DVI analog/digital video connector, for connecting to external LCD displays; an S-video connector, for hooking up analog TVs, camcorders and VCRs; an Ethernet jack; a FireWire 800 port; a FireWire 400 port; a USB 2.0 port; and a Kensington-compatible cable lock slot. The inclusion of the latest FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 standards means you can use any peripheral. And the versatile video options mean you can attach any standard monitor, TV, camcorder or other device. S-video-to-composite video and DVI-to-VGA adapter cables are included.

On the left side, you'll find the power connector, modem jack, a second USB 2.0 port, and audio line-in and headphone jacks. When you plug in the power adapter, a little light confirms that the juice is flowing. It glows orange when charging the battery, and green when the battery is fully charged. Finally, there's a PC Card slot for inserting cell cards, third-party Wi-Fi cards (AirPort Extreme is built-in), and other expansion options. We use this slot mostly for inserting digital camera memory cards; PC Card adapters are available for all major memory card formats, including CompactFlash, SD/MMC, and Memory Stick.

Battery Loading

The new PowerBooks have a locking battery slot that requires a coin to turn before you can remove the battery and replace it with a fresh one. While we appreciate the fact that the battery no longer falls out at inopportune times, as with our Titanium PowerBook, the designers must have been male, with coins conveniently in their pockets. I can't count the number of times I've had to ask my seatmate on a plane for a coin to change batteries, when my purse has been in the overhead compartment...Now I keep a special quarter in my laptop bag!