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Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

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Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#81

Post by gumby »

SanjayMehta wrote: post #76
gumby wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Now that machine was very slow IIRC. Glad it works for you!

It’s perfect for Scrivener, which is the most I need on it.

I think this is underappreciated by the "tech press" and by a lot of people who buy on specs and fashion (feels like the first is a subset of the second): most peoples' computing needs are overserved by what's on the market.

Calling a machine a "Pro" version was brilliant, because most people don't want to consider themselves an amateur.

And here we are, bunch of tech nerds who really are pro subverting the paradigm!

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#82

Post by ralphc »

Pismos are handy with the built-in USB and Firewire but the Wallstreets make better "bridge" machines. They have SCSI that can be booted from with a BlueSCSI or PiSCSI, and the old serial ports which work with Localtalk.

I was gifted a Wallstreet that included working PCMCIA USB and Firewire cards. With floppy and CD in the expansion slots it's a great bridge machine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/13l7tyd/some_...

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#83

Post by ralphc »

easeout wrote: post #67
NaOH wrote: post #54

I have one of these PowerBooks, the 500 MHz Pismo. I bought it the day it was discontinued (intentionally), using a friend who could get it with a student discount. My memory is it cost me $2,000 between the end-of-life status and student discount. I keep it around to have an OS 9 machine and the occasional urge to play Descent (the only computer game I’ve ever played). Pretty certain I have mine set up with OS X 10.…

If you had to pick one game to ever play, Descent is a great one.

After a 25 year hiatus I've taken Descent back up, the DOS & Windows version. After you're tired of the standard levels you can find plenty of third-party and fan levels and games.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#84

Post by some-guy »

ralphc wrote: post #82

Pismos are handy with the built-in USB and Firewire but the Wallstreets make better "bridge" machines. They have SCSI that can be booted from with a BlueSCSI or PiSCSI, and the old serial ports which work with Localtalk. I was gifted a Wallstreet that included working PCMCIA USB and Firewire cards. With floppy and CD in the expansion slots it's a great bridge machine. https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/13…

My mother-in-law gifted me a Wallstreet that she used in the 90s. I was almost tempted to buy a spot welder to build my own PRAM battery for it since at the time I looked there were no aftermarket ones available.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#85

Post by ralphc »

some-guy wrote: post #84
ralphc wrote: post #82

Pismos are handy with the built-in USB and Firewire but the Wallstreets make better "bridge" machines. They have SCSI that can be booted from with a BlueSCSI or PiSCSI, and the old serial ports which work with Localtalk. I was gifted a Wallstreet that included working PCMCIA USB and Firewire cards. With floppy and CD in the expansion slots it's a great bridge machine. https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageApple/comments/13…

My mother-in-law gifted me a Wallstreet that she used in the 90s. I was almost tempted to buy a spot welder to build my own PRAM battery for it since at the time I looked there were no aftermarket ones available.

I just put a shortcut to the date/time control panel on the desktop and set the time when I boot it up. I don't use it enough to make it onerous.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#86

Post by cesaref »

justinator wrote: post #43
cesaref wrote: post #41

I think the best PowerPC based apple laptop was the Powerbook G4 titanium. It's pretty much a design classic, was lightweight, and ran OS9. It was I think the first Mac that didn't feel like a massive compromise when running a laptop vs a desktop machine. It introduced widescreen displays, and the 1Ghz model even came with a DVD writer if I remember. It struggled with some design problems, notably that the hinges fai…

This laptop was destined to be an all-time classic, but they could never get the G4 to perform well in a laptop. They promised much, delivered little. They never were able to deliver a G5 laptop. And then Apple went Intel, one of the greatest WTFs in recent memory.

I don't remember this being an issue at all. My 1Ghz G4 laptop was a workhorse for me for software development back then. I do remember fan noise though, and paint flaking off the case.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#87

Post by Clamchop »

bdavbdav wrote: post #77
justinator wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This laptop was destined to be an all-time classic, but they could never get the G4 to perform well in a laptop. They promised much, delivered little. They never were able to deliver a G5 laptop. And then Apple went Intel, one of the greatest WTFs in recent memory.

How was it a WTF

Up to that point, their marketing had long been derisive of Intel parts and overstating the supremacy of PowerPC. (Supercomputers, anyone?)

It's marketing, that's what it does, but an about-face like that is eyebrow-raising.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#88

Post by justinator »

cesaref wrote: post #86
justinator wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This laptop was destined to be an all-time classic, but they could never get the G4 to perform well in a laptop. They promised much, delivered little. They never were able to deliver a G5 laptop. And then Apple went Intel, one of the greatest WTFs in recent memory.

I don't remember this being an issue at all. My 1Ghz G4 laptop was a workhorse for me for software development back then. I do remember fan noise though, and paint flaking off the case.

The G4 was old news when that laptop came out. I had a G4 tower in the 90's. Apple promised much more and couldn't deliver.

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#89

Post by justinator »

bdavbdav wrote: post #77
justinator wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This laptop was destined to be an all-time classic, but they could never get the G4 to perform well in a laptop. They promised much, delivered little. They never were able to deliver a G5 laptop. And then Apple went Intel, one of the greatest WTFs in recent memory.

How was it a WTF

Completely changing the underlying architecture wasn't something that was known to always work back then, especially when it meant ditching your own PowerPC alliance. Despite the Jobs Reality Distortion Field on 11, those chips were not performant when compared to the competition. Much was promised, little was delivered.

Gather 'round and we'll talk about clones next!

Re: Greatest “Classic” Mac Laptop: Powerbook G3 Pismo (2021)

#90

Post by jjtheblunt »

dylan604 wrote: post #17
jjtheblunt wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

check where the wifi antenna was on the G4, if ifixit still has that? or maybe just panel manufacturer specs changed?

did you reply in the wrong place? i'm not following

might have better fit with the reply above mine, but the huh part i assert might be related to a move of where the wifi antenna went, from a plastic body to a metal body, because it's got to "see" out. maybe the wifi antenna in the first metal body hides behind the logo, but i'm not sure.

i tried looking at ifixit teardowns and couldn't tell.

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