hi guys, I don’t know how you did it, what you slipped into my drink or who you paid, but for some inexplicable reason I’ve suddenly realized that all my years as a die-hard pc fan were for naught, I wanna join your club.
First thing i’ll need: g4 powerbook…aside from desperately looking for FACTUAL info about the new line supposedly in the works, I’m curious to find out what you guys can tell me about aftermarket upgrades to the TiBooks…ie the 15" books aren’t sold with DDR memory, can this be switched by me? What about other things like hd or video card (apple seems to try to sell 17" books by purposely leaving quality components out of the 15" & 15" books, or maybe theres some physical limmitations i’m missing)
Second on the shopping list: duel g5 cube… this is a simple quesiton, can I use my old Dell Trintron PC monitor with a new g5 (or the powerbook for that matter). If it won’t just connect out of the box, is there any simple converter that could be purchased?
thanks guys…i’ll see youse all on the other side (and i promise to take pics when i toss this dell POS out da window!)
The 12" and 17" PowerBooks were introduced a while after the 15" TiBook* was, so they have newer technologies. You won’t be able to install DDR RAM in the 15" TiBook; the technology is too different, and I don’t think the chips are even the same size. A new 15" TiBook is overdue and should be introduced any day now… You might want to check out a site like http://www.appleturns.com which has a very funny rendition of the day’s Mac news and rumors, for updated info on when the new PowerBooks will debut.
This Apple site shows that you can, in fact, hook up a VGA monitor to your new G5, with an adapter available through Apple. But if I were you, and had the money to buy a new laptop AND G5, I’d go for one of Apple’s kickass flat-panel displays too. (Not that I’m jealous, mind you. Well, not too jealous…)
*TiBook is the common term used for the PowerBook G4’s. Like the iBooks, but made out of titanium…
I missed your question about expanding your soon-to-be new TiBook in the future.
Apple’s laptops aren’t really made to be expanded or upgraded. While you can add in a Wi-Fi card (Airport) and some extra memory, upgradability pretty much ends there. Not many laptops offer great upgrade potential anyway, since the circuitry must be specially designed to fit in the case. The TiBooks do have one PC card slot, as well as connectors for Firewire, Bluetooth wireless, and USB. (You may need to pay a little extra to add the Wi-Fi card or Bluetooth support, but it’s easily added.) If I were you, I would wait a few weeks before you get the laptop until they come out with the upgraded 15" model, but if you can’t wait, be sure to compare the specs in case the 12" or 17" TiBook would make more sense for you.
If you have any more questions on converting to Macism, don’t be afraid to ask. I’ll just be sitting here with my G4/450 from 2000, sighing…
Another site that may be of use to you is LowEndMac’s Portable Macs page. (Don’t let the name of the site fool you-- LEM has information on the newest Macs as well as the oldest.) Each model’s page has a complete list of specs, as well as info on what upgrade options are open to you and links to online resources.
