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mtouchette
User

Posts: 19

it's here!!! - 2007/06/25 12:25 my refurbished powerbook g4/1.5mhz aluminum 512mb memory 80gb drive, cd-rw/dvd-r superdrive, airport, bluetooth, 17-inch lcd screen. os 3.x installed, no discs included.

notice my considerable restraint in not titling the post with all caps despite my obvious joy? :-).

(when i ordered it via telephone, the techrestore guy assured me the superdrive was indeed, dvd-rw, not read-only as stated.)

thanks again, everyone, for your patient advice, and especially krowmagnum who sent me over to sign up for dealmac alerts. (original topic ref:
michelle

now if anyone has any config advice, it will be well taken.

Post edited by: bkyle, at: 2007/06/25 19:36

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Cacicedo
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Posts: 332

Re:it's here!!! - 2007/06/25 14:16 Only suggestion: get more RAM.

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krowmagnum
User

Posts: 790

Re:it's here!!! - 2007/06/26 13:51 Congratulations on the new Powerbook G4. That's the same one I had but with the larger screen. What do you think of it so far ?

Too bad no disks were included. I would get an OS install set made for the Powerbook (eBay) or an OS X install retail box set. If you buy a version of OS X you may as well get Tiger and upgrade the PB to the latest and greates Apple offers.

As mentioned get more RAM. I had 1GB in mine and it was sufficient but 2GB would be even better if you plan on running several high end apps at the same time or working with large files. It's easy to change the RAM yourself too.

You may want to get Toast for burning disks but OS X's disk burning (finder & iTunes) is good for most needs.

An external USB/Firewire drive is nice to have also. You can use it for back-ups, storage and as a Photoshop scratch disk which will speed up Photoshop somewhat. I would partition the external drive in two partitions to keep everything nice and neat.

You can run the G4 PB closed using an external monitor which is nice and attach a keyboard and mouse for home use. You can also run an external monitor with the PB screen for dual landscaped screens.

The Apple Bluetooth keyboards and mice are nice and work well with your Powerbook. They are a little expensive though, but it's an Apple product so we are used to paying more for quality.

If you carry it around a lot get a good solid bag for it but don't get a really flashy one because laptops are a prime target for thieves and they know what to look for. I use an old beat up bag or a laptop backpack and nobody looks twice at it.

One other thing you may want is a cooler pad for the laptop to sit on. There are many different kinds available and anything that lets airflow below the PB will help whether it's on your lap or a table.

And make sure the batter is not one that is recalled. A mobile charger is nice to have if you travel a lot with the PB.

Let us know what you think of it and if you have any questions you know where to get answers.

Enjoy.....

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mtouchette
User

Posts: 19

what do i think of it so far Re:it's here!!! - 2007/06/27 10:08 well, can't say.

i tenderly opened it, breathlessly booted it up, diligently went through the setup wizard, gleefully got the wireless working, and then had to shut it down because i had no more battery power. no biggie, i knew i had to plug it in sooner or later

but are a few issues as mentioned here.

as for the rest of your suggestions:
--i will be getting a new OS on disk, probably 10.4 if i can find it
--yes, i do plan to install more RAM, and probably a larger hard drive once the issues are resolved.

--i've not been able to burn disks since before internal burners were available in general, much less on a laptop, so i'll probably reacquaint myself with that process with the OX includes.

--i have an external western digital drive from which i need to have data recovered since it decided to quit working (i purchased disk warrior specifically to trouble shoot that, but it get so far and hangs), so i'm kind of ambivalent about them.

--great tip on it working while closed ( haven't downloaded the manual yet).

--if i do decide to get a keyboard and rodent, i will go wireless, it's just so much more conducive to getting comfy :-).

--i had a pretty cool heavyweight olive "denim" shoulder bag i selected precisely because it did not look like a laptop case, but, carrying things over my shoulder on a regular basis, or for long periods of time has become an issue so i had to go with a wheely-bag. ideally i'd like a wheely-backpack, if i can find an affordable one made for laptops.

--i do have a cooler pad under my "topless" wallstreet (hinges broke and i never got around to replacing them so i use it with an external), but i may have to get a wider one for the G4.

--i'll check the apple site for the battery recall info; thanks for the heads-up on that...mobile charger, hmmm, how did you know i was a road-tripper? :-) (actually, i have a mobile "converter" i use to plug in/charge the digital camera while tripping, can i use that or do i need one with special "protection"?)

Post edited by: bkyle, at: 2007/06/28 02:33

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