PowerBooks & iBooks

12" PowerBook G4

• PowerBook/iBook battery recall, The 'Book Review, 2006.08.25.
• Got a G4 PowerBook or iBook? Join LEM's G4 'Books Group.
• Got a PowerBook G4? Join the Titanium G4 email list.
• LEM's Mac OS 9 Group is for anyone using Mac OS 9, either natively or in Classic Mode.
• Jaguar List is for those using Mac OS X 10.2.
• Panther List is for those using Mac OS X 10.3.
• Tiger List is for those using Mac OS X 10.4.
• LEM's Leopard Group is for those using Mac OS X 10.5.

PowerBook G4

Shared Specs

• display: 12.1" 24-bit 1024 x 768 color active matrix. Supports resolution scaling for 800 x 600 and 640 x 480. Supports to 2048 x 1536 on external display.
• Optical drive: Combo drive or SuperDrive
• USB: 2 USB 2.0 ports
• FireWire: 1 FW 400 port
• ethernet: 10/100Base-T
• modem: v.92 56k
• WiFi: 802.11g AirPort Extreme optional
• Bluetooth: built in
• PC Card slots: none
• size: 8.6" x 10.9" x 1.18" (219 x 277 x 30 mm)
• weight: 4.6 pounds (2.1 kg)

Online Resources

• Low End Mac's Compleat Guide to the 12" PowerBook, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.06.03. The most compact PowerBook ever is very portable and has enough power to run Leopard decently.
• Low End Mac's Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, updated biweekly.
• What's the best Mac OS for your iBook, PowerBook, or MacBook?, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.19. Tips on choosing the best OS for your PowerBook 500 Series or newer Mac notebook.
• 12" G4 iBooks and PowerBooks are Mac netbooks: Cheap and powerful enough, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2009.02.05. Recent tests comparing a 1.33 GHz G4 iBook and a 1.6 GHz Atom-based netbook show the old Mac holds its own. It also has some advantages.
• Optimized software builds bring out the best in your Mac, Dan Knight, Low End Mac's Online Tech Journal, 2009.06.30. Applications compiled for your Mac's CPU can load more quickly and run faster than ones compiled for universal use.
• 13" MacBook Pro a practically perfect replacement for the 12" PowerBook, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2009.06.15. Except for being an inch wider, the 13" MacBook Pro surpasses the 12" PowerBook G4 in every respect.
• Tips for installing or reinstalling Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger', Adam Rosen, Adam's Apple, 2009.06.10. Mac OS X 10.4 uses less memory than Leopard, supports Classic Mode on PowerPC Macs, and, unlike Leopard, is supported on G3 Macs.
• MacBook White updated, DIY Mac tablet, danger of 'Safe Sleep', $350 80 GB SSD kit, and more, The 'Book Review, 2009.05.29. Also Apple tablet 'confirmed', 3G and lower cost MacBook Air models rumored, 500 GB bus powered hard drive, Mini DisplayPort adapters, bargain 'Books from $179 to $2,299, and more.
• 12", 4 pound Averatech N2700 exactly what Apple should be building, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.05.11. This lightweight laptop has the power of the MacBook, the footprint of the 12" PowerBook, and a $699 price tag.
• Is Leopard slower than Tiger on G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.04.17. Truth be told, when you have 1 GB of RAM, Leopard benchmarks an insigificant 4% slower than Tiger.
• Is it worth maxing the RAM in old G3 and G4 Macs?, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2009.04.15. Increasing memory can make your old Mac faster and make you more productive, but it probably won't improve resale value by the amount you spend.
• Unibody MacBook 'an excellent successor' to 12" PowerBooks and iBooks, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.04.14. The MacBook is a bit wider and lacks FireWire and a built-in modem, but overall it's a worthy successor to the Apple's 12" 'Books.
• Making the switch from a G4 PowerBook to a Unibody MacBook, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.03.17. The transition to an Intel-based Mac hasn't been without its problems - slow dialup performance, incompatibility with Eudora, and no real gain in speed with standby apps.
• Used 'Book value, overheating 12" PowerBook, Target Disk Mode weirdness, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.02.04. Also Leopard breaks wireless printing for some printers supported by Tiger, and Unibody MacBook the right choice over polycarbonate MacBook.
• Overheating PowerBook, 7200 rpm in a G3 iMac, getting online during blackouts, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.01.14. PowerPC support in iLife 09 a pleasant surprise, no overheating issues with 7200 rpm drive in an iMac, and dialup access as a good backup plan for power failures.
• 2 compact portable USB 2.0 hubs, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2009.01.12. Compact hubs from Targus and Proporta make a great complement to your notebook computer. Each accepts a third-party AC adapter to provide bus power.
• Heat management for 'Books and the last Mac to run OS 9.1, Phil Herlihy, The Usefulness Equation, 2009.01.08. Tips on keeping a first-gen MacBook Air from throttling back with CoolBook, using G4FanControl with a G4 PowerBook, and the fastest Mac that can boot Mac OS 9.1.
• Notebooks and blackouts, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.12.23. When the power goes out, a notebook computer with long-lasting batteries lets you keep working for hours and hours.
• The 'better safe than sorry' guide to installing Mac OS X updates, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.12.16. Most users encounter no problems using Software Update, but some preflight work and using the Combo updater means far less chance of trouble.
• Why you should partition your Mac's hard drive, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2008.12.11. "At the very least, it makes sense to have a second partition with a bootable version of the Mac OS, so if you have problems with your work partition, you can boot from the 'emergency' partition to run Disk Utility and other diagnostics."
• The very best Macs: Sometimes Apple just nails it, Andrew J Fishkin, Best Tools for the Job, 2008.12.01. Apple has produced lots of good Macs, a few dogs, and some 'best of breed' models that stand apart from the pack.
• The future of PowerPC Macs and software as 'Snow Leopard' approaches, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 2008.11.13. Apple phased out Classic Mode and G3 support with 'Leopard' last year, and next year's OS X 10.6 won't support any PowerPC Macs. Will other developers abandon PowerPC as well?
• Refurb MacBook Pro value, MacBook too big to replace 12" PowerBook, Pismo noise, and more, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.11.12. Also installing OS X using FireWire Target Disk Mode, running Virtual PC under Leopard, and how to use filters in iCab.
• Unibody MacBook the logical successor to the 12" PowerBook, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.11.05. All things considered, the thinner, lighter aluminum MacBook is a worthy successor to the 12" PowerBook beloved by so many.
• Does running OS X system maintenance routines really do any good?, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.08.26. Mac OS X is designed to run certain maintenance routines daily, weekly, and monthly - but can't if your Mac is off or asleep.
• TruePower AC adapter for iBooks and PowerBooks is rugged, reliable, and affordable, Charles Moore, 'Book Value, 2008.08.14. Apple's track record with AC adapters is spotty, but the TruePower adapter is tough enough to survive being run over by a truck.
• SheepShaver brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn't support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
• 2.6 GHz MacBook Pro worth it?, iBook video fixed, Compact Flash vs. SSD, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2008.03.13. Also buying a used Power Mac G4, a Power Mac 7600 still in daily use, OCR software for modern Macs, and Leopard on a Blue and White G3.
• Power your recycled laptop with a rebuilt battery, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 2008.02.20. Old notebook computers usually mean old batteries that may be dead or on their last legs. You can buy a replacement battery, or you can have your old battery rebuilt.
• The MacBook Air misses the mark, Barry Shell, My Turn, 2008.01.17. As sexy as the MacBook Air is, the 12" PowerBook G4 beats it hands down in terms of practicality.
• Leopard DVD Player requires 1.6 GHz CPU, dual processor questions, and dual boot Macs, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.10.24. DVD Player currently runs on any G3 that supports Tiger, but the new version needs 1.6 GHz of power and other bloat in Leopard.
• External $100 Sony DVD burner likes Macs, Brian Gray, Fruitful Editing, 2007.10.10. The box and manual say nothing about Mac compatibility, but this 18x USB 2.0 DVD burner is plug-and-play (at least with Tiger).
• Choosing and upgrading a 12" PowerBook, too much about Windows, the blue iMac blues, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.09.11. Also the pros and cons of running Mac OS X 10.4 'Tiger' on a blue and white G3 and one more tip for burning CDs that will work on old Macs.
• 12" PowerBook G4 reliability, iMac slowdown blues, PowerTools Mac clones, cooling a MacBook, and more, Dan Knight, Low End Mac Mailbag, 2007.09.05. Also Pismo as the king of PowerBooks, burning a CD for Macs with System 7, and thinking about a small Mac Beowulf cluster.
• 12" PowerBook G4 the new Pismo?, recovering MacBook Pro wakeup failure, MacBook Pro noise, and more, The 'Book Review, 2007.03.02. Also why you should buy a MacBook Pro, Apple Store's inefficient RAM upgrade, PB/iBook lower RAM slot failure, bargain 'Books from $209 to $2,299, and more.
• Getting notebook design 'just right', Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.12.05. Some notebooks have just the right mix of design, quality, and features, while others fall short in one or more categories.
• OS 10.4.8 making PowerBook run cooler?, Charles W. Moore, OS X Odyssey, Applelinks, 2006.10.24. "...I haven't restarted, and the 'Book is still running in the high 40°s - low 50°s most of the time. The fan has only activated sporadically while doing heavy multitasking."
• Better laptop performance: What's the best upgrade?, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.10.09. Memory, CPU, bus speed, and hard drives all impact performance and battery life. Which upgrades will give you the most up time in the field?
• Region free DVD viewing options for Intel and PowerPC Macs, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.09.12. Several hardware and software options that will let your view 'wrong region' DVDs on your PowerPC or Intel Mac.
• Inside your notebook's battery: Ordinary AA Li-Ion cells, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.09.08. That expensive battery in your notebook computer probably holds less than $30 worth of off-the-shelf AA Li-Ion batteries.
• 7 tools for keeping your laptop (uh, notebook) cool, Charles Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2006.07.24. A quick look at the Podium CoolPad, ChillMat, ChillHubs, Laptop Desk, Xpad, iLap, and iBreeze - seven stands designed to keep you 'Books running cooler.
• Macs take away Microsoft pain, Macs revive James Bond, iMac king of all media, iWoofer, and more, Mac News Review, 2006.06.16. Also Windows users guide to switching to the Mac, Bluetooth firmware update for PPC Macs, universal USB 2.0 drive adapter, waterproof case for video iPod, and more.
• Improving the 12" PowerBook with a faster hard drive, more RAM, and a better SuperDrive, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.16. Although you can upgrade to a 1.67 GHz CPU, that's a small boost for more recent PowerBooks. Putting in a faster hard drive and more memory is another way to speed things up.
• Drive matters, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 2006.06.14. There's more to picking the right hard drive than size, spindle speed, buffer size, and price. But how can a 5400 rpm drive ever outperform a 7200 rpm drive?
• Power strategies for using your 'Book in the field: Batteries and AC adapters, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.06.05. One or two extra batteries and at least one spare AC adapter can be essential when you're traveling and need to get hours and hours of use from your 'Book.
• End of G4 models points to unprecedented value for used G4 Macs, Leaman Crews, Plays Well with Others, 2006.06.02. The PowerPC G4 may no longer have a place in Apple's product line, but that's a far cry from saying G4-based Macs are obsolete. If anything, their value is going to increase.
• Less is more: 12" PowerBook still a lawyer's best friend, Andrew J Fishkin, The Mobile Mac, 2006.05.31. Weighing all the pros and cons of the MacBook, the 12" PowerBook G4 remains the ideal field computer for this user.
• Heavily used 12" PowerBook on last legs, but what next?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2006.04.13. After three years of heavy use, this PowerBook is worn and feels sluggish. But what would make the best replacement in 2006?
• Making the move from Jaguar (OS X 10.2) to Panther (10.3), Ted Hodges, Vintage Mac Living, 2006.04.11. One advantage of Apple's "no upgrades" policy for OS X - someone can give you their old copy after upgrading without worrying about violating their license.

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