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Ooh, We Got to TOUCH One (5/19/98)
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O'Grady's PowerPage has a quick "first look" at the new PowerBook G3, based on their receiving one of the first shipping units with the mid-range 13.3" TFT display. Based on initial impressions, they've given the new design a big thumbs-up: the screen is "big, bright, and sharp," the overall design is "top-notch," and it should garner "serious consideration" from people looking for a new laptop-- even those looking for a new Wintel laptop. We agree on all points, as Yours Truly was also blessed with the joy of handling one of these new-fangled puppies today. (Yes, it was an event of nearly religious significance.)

First of all, the PowerBook is packed in a new-fangled kind of shipping material; instead of styrofoam, it's twisted up in what looks like a large, inflatable plastic six-pack holder-- you know, the ones you're supposed to cut up when you throw them out, to prevent birds and other animals from getting tangled in them? This greatly reduces the mass of shipping material used, while providing an air-cushion to protect the laptop-- so you start to notice examples of "thinking different" before you even get to the PowerBook itself. The unit we got to handle also had the 13.3" screen, and yes, it's gorgeous. I hadn't realized that it was 1024x768 until I saw the boot-up screen, and noticed how similar it looked to my 17" monitor's screen at home. In addition, that bright, beautiful display is capable of cranking out 24-bit color in those 1024x768 pixels. Yes, you could probably do actual Photoshop work on this thing. Mind-boggling!

I hadn't yet received the software I needed to install on it, so just to test things a bit, I temporarily installed VirtualPC 2.0. Even though this PowerBook was a 233 MHz model with no backside cache, VPC performance was palpably faster than the time I tried VirtualPC on a 200 MHz 604e/1MB L2 cache-- but then again, that was version 1.0, and 2.0 is apparently tuned very well for G3 processors. Messing with standard Windows control panels, playing Solitaire, etc. felt perfectly zippy. And when we popped in a U.S. Robotics installer CD-ROM, the Macromedia Director presentation-- including video, sound, and animation-- played perfectly smoothly.

Did I mention that this thing is huge? I laid it on top of a 190 and it spills over by a couple of inches, but that's the price you pay for a big screen and a really nice keyboard. In fact, everything about the new PowerBook just oozes quality and style, from the two-textured curves of the case to the raised, translucent crystal Apple on top. Lastly, no, this Powerbook is not for me (alas); I'm setting it up for someone else "in real life." I'll be sorry to see it go once it's ready to ship back out. But now I've got something to save up for... ;-)

 
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The above scene was taken from the 5/19/98 episode:

May 19, 1998: Was Microsoft's no-show at last Friday's meeting with the Justice Department an intentional snub? Meanwhile, the PowerBook G3 turns heads and inspires envy, and the Apple Store racks up a couple more awards for just generally being awesome...

Other scenes from that episode:

  • 718: A Monumental Snub? (5/19/98)   Katie, AtAT's resident Fact Checker and Goddess of Minutiae, came across an interesting fact while reading up on the big Microsoft-Justice showdown. Most of you, like us, were aware that both sides of the conflict had reached a temporary truce last Thursday; Justice and the states agreed to hold off on filing suit, and Microsoft agreed to postpone its shipment of Windows 98 to manufacturers...

  • 720: Honors All Around (5/19/98)   Just in case you were wondering if anyone else has noticed how cool the Apple Store is, fret not-- MacCentral reports that the Apple Store won the Gold Pencil award for the best "Direct Marketing/Internet Commerce" site...

Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast...
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