Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[Johnson Reavek]

-
> Not gonna happen.  Not and run normally.  Need more
> ram and speed than any sub-$100 book, unless you can
> find a screamin' deal on a 1400 with a full ram
> load.

Ah, didn't think of the ppc duos.  Still, I figured
the only usefull v or Powerpoint is '98+.  Am I wrong
on that?

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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[Johnson Reavek]

--- "Tom W." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I would recommend a 540C with OS 8.1. You can
> upgrade it to ppc later if you
> wish. It is a good laptop with a nice color screen.
> Tom
> 
> - Original Message -
> From: "Nancy Butts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

> > 1) Cost $100 or less
> > 2) Simple and reliable
> > 3) Can run some version of PowerPoint

Not gonna happen.  Not and run normally.  Need more
ram and speed than any sub-$100 book, unless you can
find a screamin' deal on a 1400 with a full ram load.

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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[DavidWedge]

I would recommend the Duo's.

Why? they're light, compact, cheap, MUCH FASTER than a 5xx, and they can be 
combined with a dock for very little cost, should you decide to go to a 
desktop form  facctor..

A friend fo mine, a missionary with three elementary school daughters, bought 
each daughter a Duo 210 about 3 years ago (this was over a period of time 
they found them cheap). They got one dock & monitor (for docking, web 
access/printing, eetc), and all three daughters were able to correspond with 
friends worldwide, and do a host of other activities, all at a really 
inexpensive rate..

Thanks,
David

 www.ibookparts.com
  www.wegenermedia.com
 

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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[vicki]

If you don't need the ppc processor why not go for a 1xx series or if 
you want colour go for the 190cs these wher very nice powerbooks and 
good for kids to use.

vicki

william ahearn wrote:

> Scott Holder wrote:
> 
>> Depending on exact needs, one of the Duos would be about perfect. 
>> Especially with Internet not being an issue, as the primary problem with 
>> Duos is the lack of external connectivity. Their primary advantage is being 
>> small and cheap. Even a PowerPC 2300c can be had for ~$50, which leaves 
>> extra for a minidock or floppy microdock. The lack of external connectivity 
>> means no built-in floppy, but it also makes extended lap use a lot more 
>> pleasant because they weigh practically nothing. I've had a 280c as my 
>> primary laptop for awhile now and wouldn't trade it for a TiBook (okay.. 
>> maybe I would... but I'm trying to make a point). The various docks and 
>> things may sound complicated, but they aren't. More or less plug and play.
>> 
>> If she needs any PPC software (would let her run a much newer versoin of 
>> Powerpoint), a 2300c would work. Otherwise, I'd recommend a 280c as 
>> well-written 68k code can run as fast or faster than PPC code on a 2300c.
>> 
> 
> 
> I -- more or less -- completely agree 
> with the above. I think the 500 series 
> would be a mistake. A color Duo -- like 
> the 2300c -- would be ideal.
> 
> William


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Re-"celling" 500 series batteries... Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[b e n w e l l s | headwerkx]

just as a side question from Jim's comments about old the condition of old
Powerbook batteries these days and their hellish replacement cost, I've read
in a few places that, quite cheaply, Powerbook batteries can have new
battery cells wired into their specific casings for a fraction of the cost
of a replacement battery unit.

basically it is supposed to involve splitting open the case and soldering in
the cells with whatever equivalents you can find at your local
Tandy/RadioShack. Sounds simple enough. i remember reading one site about a
week ago on it (when I was looking for something else), didn't bookmark it
(stoopid!) and now can't find it.

given that 500 series batteries can cost up to US$150 each (and they take
two for decent battery life) I'd be really interested in giving it a go. if
anyone's got any first hand experience or idea, please tell.

Cheers, Ben.


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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[[EMAIL PROTECTED]]

On 6/30/02 10:45 AM, "Nancy Butts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I need some advice from all you Mac wizards. My sister, who has never
> used a Mac in her life, has commissioned me to buy a used Powerbook
> for her eleven-year-old daughter. Her requirements are simple:
> 
> 1) Cost $100 or less
> 2) Simple and reliable
> 3) Can run some version of PowerPoint
> 
> Internet connectivity is not an issue (my sister allows supervised
> Net access only via her PC with cable modem). So what Powerbook would
> you recommend? What version of the OS?

I would echo some of the comments made by others regarding the Duos.
However, there is one thing in your list that you may have some problems
with and that is item #2.

I've spent a lot of years working on Macs for a living. I'm not Apple
certified; I'm an independent consultant. In those years I've worked on just
about every Mac there has been. More importantly, I've supported users
during that time using a wide variety of PowerBooks.

I love the Duos. The suggestions that you have gotten that you should look
at a 280c or a 2300c are all good suggestions. I would add the 270c to the
list, but truly, any of them would be fine. I gave each of my daughters (one
was 6 and one was 9 at the time) a nicely equipped 2300c. They love 'em.
Just the right size and since they don't need the capabilities of the newer
machines, they can do everything they need to do and pretty much everything
they want to do on a computer. They can even hook them into the network at
home and get DSL service to the 'net.

However... the Duos have some issues. In general, they tend to be not quite
as stable as the 500 series PowerBooks. You don't want to run anything newer
than 8.1 on a Duo, but I recommend at least 8.1 due to stability issues. It
will be a little slower than 7.x, but more stable. If you need a bit more
speed than you will get with 8.1, then 7.6.1 is a pretty decent incarnation
of the OS as well. 7.1 is also incredibly stable, but since it is pretty
old, it does lack some features.

The Duos and the 500 series PowerBooks both have problems with the
batteries. They are all at the age now where they have started to die
natural deaths from old age and it is hard to find one that works anymore.
If battery power is an issue for her, you need to be aware of that and you
need to be aware that replacement batteries, even on ebay, can be kind of
expensive. If you buy a Duo or a 500 series PowerBook, unless you are
getting a new battery with it, you should just count on either getting a
battery that doesn't work or one that is going to die on you within a year.
You might get lucky, but like I said earlier, they (unfortunately) don't
last forever it is just near the end of the life cycle for these batteries.

The 500 series PowerBooks are great. They are like tanks; nearly
indestructible. The keyboards feel great, the screen is beautiful and you
have all the ports built in vs. the Duo where they have to be added. They
are stable and run just about anything. You can upgrade them if you want to
PPC. (Well, you can do the same with the Duos, but it isn't as easy.) If
your niece is a touch typist and has built up any speed, the keyboard should
be a consideration. (Hey, it happens... they taught my oldest last year when
she was 9...) She can fly on the 500 series, but she will have some problems
with the Duos. They weren't built for speed. On the other, other hand, the
duo keyboard is smaller and easier sometimes for little hands to navigate.

Then again, you need to consider how she is going to output the data. If she
plans to print, you'll need to get a serial cable for the Duo and be able to
connect somehow to a serial connection (LocalTalk network or direct to
serial printer). Or, you'll need to get her an external floppy and some type
of dock that will allow her to connect it to the Duo. Or... well, you get
the idea. Lots of options. The 500 series PowerBooks of course come with the
floppy installed and have all connectivity options built in: ethernet,
serial port as well as an ADB port.
> 
> My niece loves to do two things: write, and play with PowerPoint.
> I've got every word processor known to man, so I thought I could
> install WordPerfect, which is free, and an old copy of Word 5.1 that
> I no longer use. These would integrate smoothly with Windows-versions
> on my sister's PC, so my niece could copy a file to a PC-formatted
> floppy and print via the PC.

Word 5.1 would be great. I used it years ago and loved it. You may find that
you will want to choose one or the other, since the disk space is going to
be a bit limited on these older models. There are lots of freeware programs
for productivity and entertainment they she may want to get as well.
> 
> What I don't know about is PowerPoint. I don't know anything about
> its version history and compatibility with various versions of the
> Mac OS-and I don't know where to get my hands on a vintage version.

The one that ca

Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[william ahearn]

Scott Holder wrote:
> Depending on exact needs, one of the Duos would be about perfect. 
> Especially with Internet not being an issue, as the primary problem with 
> Duos is the lack of external connectivity. Their primary advantage is being 
> small and cheap. Even a PowerPC 2300c can be had for ~$50, which leaves 
> extra for a minidock or floppy microdock. The lack of external connectivity 
> means no built-in floppy, but it also makes extended lap use a lot more 
> pleasant because they weigh practically nothing. I've had a 280c as my 
> primary laptop for awhile now and wouldn't trade it for a TiBook (okay.. 
> maybe I would... but I'm trying to make a point). The various docks and 
> things may sound complicated, but they aren't. More or less plug and play.
> 
> If she needs any PPC software (would let her run a much newer versoin of 
> Powerpoint), a 2300c would work. Otherwise, I'd recommend a 280c as 
> well-written 68k code can run as fast or faster than PPC code on a 2300c.
> 

I -- more or less -- completely agree 
with the above. I think the 500 series 
would be a mistake. A color Duo -- like 
the 2300c -- would be ideal.

William


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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[Scott Holder]

Depending on exact needs, one of the Duos would be about perfect. 
Especially with Internet not being an issue, as the primary problem with 
Duos is the lack of external connectivity. Their primary advantage is being 
small and cheap. Even a PowerPC 2300c can be had for ~$50, which leaves 
extra for a minidock or floppy microdock. The lack of external connectivity 
means no built-in floppy, but it also makes extended lap use a lot more 
pleasant because they weigh practically nothing. I've had a 280c as my 
primary laptop for awhile now and wouldn't trade it for a TiBook (okay.. 
maybe I would... but I'm trying to make a point). The various docks and 
things may sound complicated, but they aren't. More or less plug and play.

If she needs any PPC software (would let her run a much newer versoin of 
Powerpoint), a 2300c would work. Otherwise, I'd recommend a 280c as 
well-written 68k code can run as fast or faster than PPC code on a 2300c.

The other relatively cheap but still decently powerful option would be the 
500 series. My only complaint is they're a bit big, but since I'm used to a 
Duo just about everything else feels huge. Unlike the duo, however, they 
have a floppy drive and a whole mess of ports on the back.

As for OS, generally as low a version as you can get away with running. 8.1 
may run on the 68k Duos and 9.2.2 might be hackable to run on a 2300c, but 
they'd be slow. I've run 7.1 on my 280c for awhile now and not run into 
anything major that won't run without some updates. Even software like 
Netscape 4.0.8 that claims to need at least 7.6.1 runs fine on it. 
Otherwise, 7.5.5 or 7.6.1 would probably run everything you need without 
going to 8.1 on the 68ks. If you do get a 2300c, 8.1 would work well, and 
so would 8.6. Head over to http://home.earthlink.net/~gamba2 for some info 
on 7.1 and recommended updates. With a bit of intial work you can get it 
running and looking just about like 8.1 anyway.

Hope this helps :)

Scott Holder

At 11:45 AM 6/30/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>
>I need some advice from all you Mac wizards. My sister, who has never
>used a Mac in her life, has commissioned me to buy a used Powerbook
>for her eleven-year-old daughter. Her requirements are simple:




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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[Hardy Menagh]

I can also recommend a 540c. you can get a good used one on eBay for
around $65. You should also upgrade the RAM, if it hasn't been. A used
32MB module usually goes for under $40. If it's not going on the Web,
you can get by with a 24MB module.

Before you decide, you should go to EveryMac.com and check out the
PowerBook specs. for each model.   

===
Hardy,  Hard's Disk Ltd., Freehold NY. A branch of the Abandoned
Computer Shelter. Apple and Mac parts gratefully accepted. Systems
charitably donated.  http://www.jmug.org/acs  for a branch near you.


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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[Tom W.]

I would recommend a 540C with OS 8.1. You can upgrade it to ppc later if you
wish. It is a good laptop with a nice color screen.
Tom

- Original Message -
From: "Nancy Butts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "PowerBooks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 11:45 AM
Subject: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook


> Hi everyone,
>
> I need some advice from all you Mac wizards. My sister, who has never
> used a Mac in her life, has commissioned me to buy a used Powerbook
> for her eleven-year-old daughter. Her requirements are simple:
>
> 1) Cost $100 or less
> 2) Simple and reliable
> 3) Can run some version of PowerPoint
>
> Internet connectivity is not an issue (my sister allows supervised
> Net access only via her PC with cable modem). So what Powerbook would
> you recommend? What version of the OS?
>
> My niece loves to do two things: write, and play with PowerPoint.
> I've got every word processor known to man, so I thought I could
> install WordPerfect, which is free, and an old copy of Word 5.1 that
> I no longer use. These would integrate smoothly with Windows-versions
> on my sister's PC, so my niece could copy a file to a PC-formatted
> floppy and print via the PC.
>
> What I don't know about is PowerPoint. I don't know anything about
> its version history and compatibility with various versions of the
> Mac OS-and I don't know where to get my hands on a vintage version.
>
> Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nancy Butts
>
>
> --
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Re: Need recommendation for niece's 1st Powerbook

[bmgu3]

A 540c with rev c pcmcia holder/ But that is more then 100.00 If the hd has
been upgraded to the at/scsi setup that is nice as well.



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