MacPrices.net

The New vs. Refurbished PowerBook Value Equation

by Charles W. Moore

If you were here two weeks ago, then you know that I've just purchased a refurbished 1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook from TechRestore. The Big Al has arrived, and it is an awesome machine — no longer cutting edge, but a quantum leap forward in performance from my 700 MHz G3 iBook and 550 MHz G4 Pismo PowerBook.

Thus far I am completely delighted with my new-to-me computer, and indeed it looks and feels like a brand-new PowerBook. It's an Apple Certified Refurbished unit, and came beautifully packaged in proper Apple shipping packing just like a new computer would have, complete with a gaggle of cables, connectors and adapters, the skimpy but better than nothing Apple owners' manual, Software restore disks (OS 10.3.3) plus an OS X 10.4 Tiger upgrade DVD.

Adv: Shop for refurbished PowerBooks at MacPrices. Our Clearance Price Tracker is updated daily with the latest PowerBook, iBook, and MacBook prices.

The PowerBook itself is in pristine condition, with no scratches, dents, scuffs or evidence of wear and tear. If it was used previously, it can't have been for long. It even smells new, which is not an advantage for chemically-hypersensitive me. (Note: this may not always be typical of restored units from TechRestore. See their FAQ for more detail on what to expect: http://techrestore.com/faq.shtml )

However, notwithstanding my subjective satisfaction with my PowerBook purchase, the value equation is not necessarily a slam-dunk no-brainer. TechRestore offers this particular model refurbished for $1,499.99, which is the same price Apple will sell you a new 12" 1.5 GHz PowerBook for. The 12-incher is also a very nice computer, although the size and weight disparity make it appeal to a different category of user in some instances.

Personally, I think I could have been quite satisfied with a 12" PowerBook. I've liked my 12" iBook a lot over the past three-plus years, and while the big display on the 17" machine is luxurious, I really don't mind living with the 1024 x 768 resolution of the 12" screen. What I was looking for in a system upgrade was more power, especially better video support to speed up OS X 10.4 and a greater RAM capacity than the iBook's 640 MB maximum. Either the 1.33 GHz refurb. Big Al that I got or a brand new Little Al would satisfy those requirement, although the 17-incher with its two RAM slots does give more flexibility, and its RADEON 9600 graphics processing unit is superior to the NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 GPU in the 12" machine.

In other specifications, the 1.33 GHz Big Al has a FireWire 800 port, Gigabit Ethernet, a PC Card slot and an illuminated keyboard, while the 1.5 GHz Little AL has a slightly faster G4 processor, a scrolling trackpad, and a sudden motion sensor. In greater detail, here's how is breaks down:

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook and 1.5 GHz 12" PowerBook Specifications And Features Compared

Processor

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
1.33 GHz PowerPC G4

12" PowerBook
1.5 GHz PowerPC G4

Processor Cache

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
512k on chip cache

12" PowerBook
512k on chip cache

System Bus

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
167 MHz system bus

12" PowerBook
167 MHz system bus

Memory Config and Support

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
512MB DDR SDRAM expandable to up to 2 GB

12" PowerBook
512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB Hard Drives (Standard)

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
80GB Ultra ATA hard disk drive 4200 RPM

12" PowerBook
60GB Ultra ATA/1004 5400 RPM

Optical Drive

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
A slot-load 4x SuperDrive

12" PowerBook
A slot-load 4x SuperDrive >Display

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
17-inch TFT XGA active-matrix widescreen (4:3) display
Support for millions of colors at 1440-by-900-pixel resolution

12" PowerBook
12.1-inch (diagonal) TFT XGA active-matrix display
Support for millions of colors at 1024-by-768-pixel resolution

Graphics Support

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
ATI Radeon 9600 graphics controller with 64 MB RAM and AGP 4X

12" PowerBook
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory

Peripheral connections

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
Two 12-Mbps USB 2.0 ports
One 400-Mbps FireWire (IEEE 1394) port
One 800-Mbps FireWire (IEEE 1394) port

12" PowerBook
Two 12-Mbps USB 2.0 ports
One 400-Mbps FireWire (IEEE 1394) port

Video Out Support

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
DVI, VGA, support using included adapters. S-video and composite video output using mini-DVI to video adapter (sold separately). Composite video output using included Apple Video Adapter. Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports up to 1440 x 900 pixels on the built-in display and up to 2048 x 1536 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors

12" PowerBook
DVI, VGA, support using included adapters. S-video and composite video output using mini-DVI to video adapter (sold separately). Composite video output using included Apple Video Adapter. Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports up to 1024 x 768 pixels on the built-in display and up to 2048 x 1536 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors

Audio

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
Audio line in (minijack)
Headphone out (minijack)
Built-in stereo speakers
Internal omnidirectional microphone
Support for external USB audio devices such as microphones and speakers

12" PowerBook
Audio line in (minijack)
Headphone out (minijack)
Built-in stereo speakers with midrange-enhancing third speaker
Internal omnidirectional microphone
Support for external USB audio devices such as microphones and speakers

Ethernet

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
Built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T

12" PowerBook
Built-in 10/100BASE-T

Modem

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
Built-in 56K V.92 modem

12" PowerBook
Built-in 56K V.92 modem

Wireless networking

1.33 GHz 17" PowerBook
AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

12" PowerBook
AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR

Battery

iBook with 12.1-inch display:
58-watt-hour lithium-ion prismatic battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 4.5 hours of battery life

12" PowerBook
50-watt-hour lithium-ion battery (with integrated charge indicator LEDs) providing up to 5 hours of battery life

Size and Weight

17" PowerBook
Height: 1.0 inches (2.6 cm)
Width: 15.4 inches (39.2 cm)
Depth: 10.2 inches (25.9 cm)
Weight: 6.9 pounds (3.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed

12" PowerBook
Height: 1.18 inches (3.0 cm)
Width: 10.9 inches (27.7 cm)
Depth: 8.6 inches (21.9 cm)
Weight: 4.6 pounds (2.1 kg) with battery and optical drive installed

Both units are very impressive machines for $1,500, and either represents an excellent value for the money, although you do get quite a few more bells and whistles, as well as more overall power potential (esp. RAM and video support) with the Big Al.

I went with a 1 GB RAM upgrade, bringing the total memory up to 1.5 GB, which I think should satisfy me. On the other hand, a 1 GB upgrade will only take you to 1.25 GB in the Little Al, since you have to remove a 256 MB module from the single expansion slot to make room.

The illuminated keyboard in the 17-incher is uber-cool, although most of us can manage without that feature. The lack of a PC Card slot in the 12" unit may be more difficult to pitch around if an expansion card is critical to your needs.

Another advantage in the Big Al's favor is that it has more of a future in terms of upgradability, specifically, the new 1.92/2.0 GHz G4 processor upgrades for 15" and all but the early 1.0 GHz model 17" PowerBooks announced by Daystar earlier this month. At this writing, there are no processor upgrades available for the 12" PowerBook.

There is the intangible factor of new vs. (even slightly) used. I don't think even a critical examination could have distinguished my particular refurbished Big Al from a new one without reading the label on the box, but some folks will not be happy with anything less than "New" with no qualifications.

Warranty-wise, if you buy a Certified Refurbished unit from Apple, there is no difference in warranty coverage between new and refurb. models — 12 months basic warranty coverage and eligibility to extend AppleCare coverage to a maximum of three years from date of purchase at extra (substantial) cost. TechRestore offers their own, in-house six-month warranty on refurbished units, plus a 30-day return policy if you are for some reason dissatisfied with your purchase.

What does "refurbished" amount to? According to Apple:

"Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. These products have been returned under Apple's Return and Refund Policies. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, all units undergo Apple's stringent quality refurbishment process.

Each Apple Certified Refurbished Product:
is fully tested (including full burn-in testing).
is refurbished with replacement parts for any defective modules identified in testing.
is put through a thorough cleaning process and inspection.
is repackaged (including appropriate manuals, cables, new boxes, etc.).
includes the operating software originally shipped with the unit and the custom software offered with that system.
is given a new refurbished part number and serial number.
is placed into a Final QA inspection prior to being added to sellable refurbished stock.
Refurbishment procedures follow the same basic technical guidelines as Apple's Finished Goods testing procedures."

For more information, visit:
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/apple_certified.html

TechRestore prefers the term "restored" and say:

"One definition of Restore is 'to bring back to existence.' That’s just what we do. The Restored laptops and other items that you’ll find on our website have been brought back to as close as possible to their original condition. To make that even clearer, here’s what that can include:

Repair or replacement of any failed components

Repair or replacement of any components that commonly fail on a particular item to avoid problems in the future

Repair or replacement of cosmetically damaged items.

In the case of a computer systems, restoration of the original system software that came with the system."

For more information, visit:
http://techrestore.com/faq.shtml

I'm pleased to announce that TechRestore is offering a $25 discount to The PowerBook Mystique readers off any PowerBook or iBook in stock. Just enter the code CWM during checkout when ordering online. The coupon code is valid from now through 12/31/2007.

For more information, visit:
http://www.techrestore.com/

And of course, refurbished 12" PowerBooks are available too. For example, The Apple Store currently has 1.5 GHz models listed for $300.00 less than a new one will set you back. Whatever model you choose, considering a refurbished computer is well worth considering.

CM