Powerbook G4 15" New or Old Model??

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laboboy

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im looking to buy a used 15" powerbook. how do i know if one is the old model or the new models? are the new models only 1ghz and up? im lookin at the PowerBook G4 867MHz/256MB/40GB/Combo/GigE/56K/15"TFT . is this the new model with the backlit keyboard and stuff. thanks

i want the new model cuz i heard that you can connect to a crt monitor with a close lid which cant be done on the older models

sorry if i sound stupid =)
 
Take a close look at the hinge mechanism. If the lid opens like a door, it's a Titanium book; if the bottom part of the screen moves so that it ends up lower than the top of the base and doesn't look like a door, then it's Aluminum.
 
Yes, and the 1.25 GHz 15" comes with the back-lighted keyboard, the 1 GHz does not. If you know the speed is 867 MHz, then item is the older TiBook (Get it if you have any need to boot to OS 9, the new ones can't!)
 
Anyone here have the new 15" powerbook that had an "old" 15" power book? If so, can you speak to the difference in batter life and heat generation? I'm especially interested in hearing about people who went from the old 1GHz powerbook to the new 1GHz or 1.25GHz 15" powerbook.
 
Also, astetically:

old = Titanium Color (bronse? with black keyboard keys)
New = Aluminum Color (silverish with matching keyboard keys)
 
does anyone know if you can add the backlit keyboard to the 1ghz 15" new model. is there like an accessory or replacement part? or is the only way to get it to buy the 1.25ghz and stuff.

also does anyone know when the titanium new model 15" models are coming.
 
btw thanks for all the replies. it has been very helpful. im still deciding on buying myself a used older model 15" or saving up and getting a 1ghz new model 15". the 1.25ghz is out of reach economically =(
 
You might want to consider waiting until one of the new ones shows up as refurbished at Small Dog or one of the other refurbished resellers. Then you might actually be able to afford the faster model.
 
Originally posted by laboboy
does anyone know if you can add the backlit keyboard to the 1ghz 15" new model.
Click to expand...

Yep, it's a $69 upgrade when ordering from the Apple Store, when buying, in the "Keyboard and Mac OS Language", click the drop-down and you'll see "Backlit Keyboard".

You can see the specs here:
http://www.apple.com/powerbook/specs.html


also does anyone know when the titanium new model 15" models are coming.
Click to expand...

Nope, Titaniums are dead.
The Aluminum ones are much better and dont have the wireless ethernet problems the Titanium ones had. (Signals are hard to transmit through Titanium - easy through Aluminum).
 
The AlBooks get hotter than the TiBooks, though, due to the properties of their respective metals.

Laboboy, if you save up long enough, new Powerbooks will come out and you can get a 15" 1 Ghz Book for a good bargain.
 
arden, which metal transfers heat best? I'd imagine the one which does that would heat up faster, yet cool down faster as well and thus seem cooler after a while...
 
I believe aluminum, since it has 3 valence electrons compared to titanium's 2.
 
Originally posted by laboboy

i want the new model cuz i heard that you can connect to a crt monitor with a close lid which cant be done on the older models
Click to expand...

Well I sure wished someone has told me that because I have been running mine with the lid closed hooked up to my external CRT for almost two years now ;-)

However I do like to have it open so that it works like a two monitor setup.

-Eric
 
if i get the new 15" model without the backlit keyboard can i add it on later?

is the backlit keyboard really worth it anyway or am i making a big deal out of it.

also you cant run classic on the new ones? are you sure? that would suck. cuz i need 9 and x
 
Classic runs fine on the new models, but you cannot boot up in OS 9. In other words, you should be able to run most OS 9 software using Classic mode, except some programs that require you to boot into OS 9.
Your question about back-lit keyboards was already answered several posts up. You can add the back-lit keyboard as an on-line option through the Apple Store, adds $69 to the 15" PB
Don't know if you can add that later.
Cheaper to purchase a USB light, plug it in when you need to use keyboard, but that's not as techy looking.....
 
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