The site 99Mac.se has posted some side-by-side pictures of the new Hi-Rez 17-inch PowerBook compared to the old 17-inch PowerBook.
I know it’s difficult to tell from the pictures, but the new 17-inch Hi-Rez Book (that’s the name I’ve given it, maybe it’ll stick) appears to be brighter and obviously have more desktop real estate.
Even though the 1440 x 900 display is standard for 17-inch laptops it’s nice to see the WSXGA+ display (1680 x 1050) make its way to the Apple line. I always wondered why Apple didn’t put the higher resolution screens on their laptops.
Now if Apple were to update the 12-inch PowerBook with a 1280 x 800 wide-screen and backlit keyboard… I’m not holding my breath.

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No wonder creative types love Macs. When Apple does something truly brilliant, you can fall in love with a machine in an instant, like the perfect paintbrush or sweetest, favorite electric guitar. And the 17″ PowerBook is one of the best things Cupertino’s ever done: the dream finally realized of a uncompromising desktop machine that’s mobile, built like a tank to take a beating. In my first 100 seconds of ownership, I was hooked. Read more . . .

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It’s possible that a capacitor might be faulty on the 17-inch PowerBooks. This problem sounds familiar (no pun intended) to the hissing problem that I’ve had with my old airport. There is a fix for the airport capacitor problem here.
It’s easy to tell if a capacitor is blown on a board. The physical appearance of the capacitor should indicate the part in question. Of course, soldering a capacitor on a computer motherboard is not for the faint of heart.
Anyway, it’s just a potential theory. Of course, it’s better to have Apple just fix the problem. I hope this helps your readers with some adventuresome 17-inch PowerBooks who are handy with a soldering iron and know how to take
the machine apart. (Darren Shu).
Read More…

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I recently noticed that the LCD bezel around the display on my
PowerBook G4 17-inch has been leaving faint marks around the edges of the top case. The marks are most noticeable on the front areas of the wrist rests but is even starting to appear on the speaker grilles. A little probing uncovered what some are calling “Big Betty’s Bezel-Bite.” Read more…

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Not to minimize possible problems with the January 05 PowerBook incremental updates, but one owner is absolutely delighted with his new PB 17-inch 1.67GHz and wireless home network.

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Now you can beef up a PowerBook G4 17″ to the same memory capacity as current Apple desktops, thanks to a new 1GB DDR333 memory module announced Friday by Trans Intl. (See Shaun Jackson Design has long been one of my favorite PowerBook bags; just read my original review from January 2002. Unfortunately, I had to part with this terrific luggage when I upgraded to the PowerBook G4 17″, which so far has been short on padded bags. Now, the wait is over, and Shaun Jackson has shipped the “BIG” BackOffice.

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One of my all time favorite PowerBook luggage manufacturers is Waterfield Designs. They make the type of bags that just reek of quality. You can tell that their bag is going to be solid from the moment you hold it in your hand.
Attention to detail is important at Waterfield Designs and you can tell. Everything from zippers to hardware to handles are super tight, functional and seemlessly integrated with the rest of the bag. The 17-Inch Racer-X is the perfect fit for the Aircraft Carrier ‘Book leaving just enough room for your accessories and some reading materials…

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Confirmation (with recording) of the 17-inch PowerBook hiss.

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I had the problem Jason described on my Powerbook 17″ a few days after I purchased it. The marks on mine are most pronounced in the front right hand corner of the case. In my case, a cloth dampened with plain tap water took the marks right off. Ed: Keep us posted, folks, on how these marks are developing for you. -PK

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