Apple 15-inch PowerBook G4

Avoiding an Energy Crisis

Extra PowerBook batteries are expensive ($129 list), and heavy to tote around. But the new aluminum PowerBook G4 batteries just don't last as long as those in the Titanium model, due to all the extra power demands placed by the upgraded processor, hard disk, AirPort Extreme, and so on. We get a little over 2 hours with normal use, sometimes less if we're using Wi-Fi and the DVD drive. So if you travel a lot, it pays to invest in a car/plane charger, such as the Lind Electronics DC Power Adapter.

Also, be wary of using 45-watt adapters designed for the Titanium G4 or iBooks, since the new 15- and 17-inch models come with beefier 65-watt power adapters. The plugs are the same, and you can use the older 45-watt adapters with the 15-inch PowerBook, but you won't be able to charge the battery at the same time as using the machine intensively due to the lower wattage.

Extend Your AirPort Range

The aluminum 15-inch PowerBooks have much stronger Wi-Fi reception than the Titanium models, which were notoriously weak compared to other PowerBooks and iBooks. But reception from the built-in antenna is still not as good as Wi-Fi addicts might wish. What to do? There are several solutions. The easiest thing to do is to simply get closer to the source of your signal, assuming you are at a public hotspot. Use the free iStumbler or MacStumbler utilities to measure the strength of the Wi-Fi signal, as well as the amount of ambient noise. Then move around until you've maximized signal strength.

If you still need better reception on a regular basis, you can try using a third-party Wi-Fi card in the PC Card slot. Several high-power options are available in our guide to choosing a Wi-Fi adapter. There's also an antenna add-on for the internal AirPort Extreme card from QuickerTek that claims to double your range, although it involves some non-standard installation tricks.

Getting the Big Picture

One of the PowerBook's best features has long been its flexible external display options. And the 15-inch PowerBook is no exception. DVI and S-video ports are built in, and Apple bundles S-video-to-composite and DVI-to-VGA adapters so you can attach virtually any external monitor, projector or TV. What's more, the PowerBook supports simultaneous display of 1,280-by-854 pixels on the built-in LCD, plus up to 2,048-by-1,536 pixels on an external monitor, both at millions of colors, so you can use the external display for projection while using the LCD display for speaker notes or simply extend your desktop real estate.

Of course video mirroring, where the external and built-in displays have the same contents, is also supported. The S-video output is perfect for viewing an interactive DVD on your TV, while playing it back on your PowerBook. You can also use it to send iMovies to your VCR.

Making it All Click

If you've used a Windows notebook, you are probably familiar with the concept of clicking and dragging using the trackpad. The same feature is available on the PowerBook, although not enabled by default. Go into the Keyboard & Mouse System Preferences pane, choose the Trackpad button, and turn on clicking and dragging. Once you've used this feature, you'll never want to go back to having to hold down the stiff mouse button below the trackpad while selecting or highlighting items on the screen. You can simply double-tap lightly on the trackpad to open a file, instead of pressing forcefully with your thumb. Play around with the Trackpad settings until you find a combination you are comfortable with.

You can also get the scrolling feature found on most Windows notebooks with third-party software from Raging Menace, called SideTrack. Several readers have recommended this solution.