Yeah! Posting from my 'new to me' PowerBook

[tahoedrew]

After some internal debate and some good situation analysis from forum members in an earlier post ( http://forums.macresource.com/read/1/262...msg-262255 ) I purchased a used version of the last PowerBook iteration from PowerMax. After looking at what was on the refurb page today at Apple, I would have loved to be able to wait it out for a 15" Core 2 Duo refurb for just a few hundred $$$ more, the trouble is I needed to get up and running by yesterday, all the software I'm running for the work I'm doing is all PPC (M$ office v.x and Adobe CS2), and I had an MDD tower that I was having trouble unloading via Craigslist (I was avoiding eBay at all cost) and PowerMax gave me $600 in trade-in value for it, which was what I was asking in cash for a local sale.

I ordered Friday at about 4:30pm Pacific and had it shipped next day saver. The sales specialist hand delivered it to shipping as the shipping supervisor was leaving and made sure she got it out that day. It showed up Monday at 10:30am as the UPS distribution center for Reno/Sparks/Lake Tahoe is about 3 minutes from my house.

Originally we weren't sure if it was the dual-layer superdrive/high-res screen/dual-link DVI version or the one right before that, the sales associate couldn't tell me positively, though we thought it was the last PBook model Apple made. Either way it wouldn't have made a big difference for my uses, but I was hoping for the best (mostly for resale value). First thing I did when it showed up was check the Apple part number on the original box it was delivered in and it was the DL/high-res version. Needless to say I was exctatic. It was stock with one exception, it had a 1GB RAM chip added for a total of 1.5GB of RAM, more than enough for me to operate right out of the box.

I've been using it non-stop since it showed up, out at restaurants and cafes around town, I'll start to become a regular at all the free wireless places in town. This is my first PowerBook, though my first mac was an iBook G3 600MHz. The iBook's HD died about a year ago, so I'm glad to have the option of being mobile again (a very important factor in why I bought the PBook as I'm now doing freelancing/consulting and trying to build up enough work to be doing it full-time).

Thanks to all those who helped me think through my decision in my previous post. While I had pretty much made up my mind on what I was going to do when I posted on Friday, everyone raised some good questions for me to help me make sure I was making the correct decision.

Now, to build up my workload so I can justify (and pay for) an upgrade to a MacBook Pro within the next 6-8 months!

~A

[Donkey Hotay]

re-LEADER!

Enjoy!

[Silencio]

Secondhand Leader!

[voodoopenguin]

Previously loved - LEADER!!!

[SteveO]

"New-to-you" LEADER!

I have the same PB you do -- a 15" 1.67 HR DL. I really like it. I really like it even more now that I figured out why my airport was dropping every day, sometimes twice a day...only took me a year to get the fix, but now it runs as it was meant -- like a champ. If you have AP dropouts, PM me and I'll give you the link. It's basically a software update that was issued in November of '05 just for these PBs and the iBook 14" 1.42. I called Apple 2 or 3 times over the past year with this problem and apparently nobody else knew about the update, either!

You made a smart move getting this PB. I think the price you paid was decent as well. I felt the same as you about the MBs...but maybe they'll make a 15" one and negate the ergonomics issue. 'Til then, I think this last PB will serve me more than well. Enjoy!

[chas_m]

Nothing feels better than a "I made the right decision"