Product ReviewsApple PowerBook 15.2" Laptop - M9677LL/A (January, 2005)

Buying broken computers for parts/repairs

Using a computer for parts to repair a damaged one is fun (?) and challenging.
For the most part, laptops are not difficult to repair, once you learn how to open and remove the parts you need to replace in your broken unit.
By getting damaged computers, you can begin to assimilate some finese in taking them apart. Because they are already damaged, you dont have to worry about small mistakes. Big mistakes?...buy another damaged unit. (Mistakes are a form of learning anyway :) Once you have the techniques of disassembly and reassembly in hand, you can disassemble yours.
Trouble shooting begins by replacing parts that correspond with those symptoms which you had : ie) Hard drive wont work ? Check ribbon connector for loose fit or breaks.. next : replace hard drive. Screen went black ? Check cables, Replace inverter board... replace screen.. ect. Nothing works? Get another motherboard.. (ouch.. can you trust what the seller really means when he says "untested" ?)

The hardest part (other than getting a bad part that you use to replace your bad part) is to remember where all the parts and screws go !

And there you have it ! Remember... if your leave (or have) a few screws loose, you shouldnt be playing with electronic items !
Have fun.Read full review...

good value

i was looking for a powerbook to run an old copy of a specialized software. i chose a used powerbook because i was only going to use this computer for running that software. i must say i am quite satisfied with the purchase. it fits my needs quite well.

as for the battery, it is quite old and doesnt last very long so i work with the powerbook with the power adaptor on all the time. i am aware that if the power adapter breaks that apple does not sell this type any more but it can be purchased from tekserve on 23rd street.

for my needs i dont need high resolution graphic and digital photography work but i would not recommend purchasing a used powerbook if you are needed such features. i can see at least 2 spots on teh screen that show burn out - mild yet still visible.

maybe the value of the powerbook was actually less than what i paid but i wont complain. it is still a good value for what i need.Read full review...

Not bad for a computer built 7.5 years ago. Looks like a last year computer

I was and still is a loyal windows fan. I bought this laptop for my brother who leaves overseas as a gift but when I got it, just playing with it made me fell in love with it. So I decided to keep it and send him a new one. The keys are so sexy. The design is nice and sexy. I hate the fact that it runs 10.4 which is like windows 98 in the mac world. I love video playback on the DVD player. Not bad for $138ish.Read full review...

A Dinosaur in the Modern Age

A pretty good computer for its time, but its time has come and gone. Its major limitations are that it won't run any modern programs whatsoever, that Internet is extremely limited and that you can't watch any Flash videos. In addition, if you want to use it for word processing, you'll have to find a very old version of Microsoft Word or the like and such programs aren't all that easy to find. I still use mine for word processing, but that's only because I bought that software for it twenty years ago. So in summary, pretty reliable computer, but rather useless in the modern world.Read full review...

Best bang for your buck with an excellent resale value to boot.

An excellent tool for any business. Light up keys make low light conditions fun and productive. Also great for personal use plus ease of mind having apple support even on these "older" machines. Best of the Best!-Read full review...

Good device for family videos

This laptop works as expected, having owned one before I am familiar with its features that the newer models don't have (firewire connections) I use it for making family videos/slides. It works great!

Word processor offline

If you desire a laptop off line to do word processing with complete privacy this is a good choice. If you seek to livestream videos look for another product. The lighted keys makes this a great word processor to do home work or journalistic endeavors. You can always put your work on another computer or print it after your finished with complete privacy.Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

well worth what i spent, I learned alot,but i wdn't recommend it due to age

I've never owned an apple product before. All of the apple loyalty made me curious. This laptop was well within a price to experiment.While fairly out of date, for example, I cannot access my provider email due to the low level of safari,yahoo email is doable, there's a version of open office that works on this old machine,and I have gotten to have a look at imovie software. Light surfing on the internet is possible although anything running with flash player will most likely not work with the older os and browser.Otherwise this little old laptop would do in a pinch.Read full review...

GoNAVY

Like - This Powerbook G4 was a great entry product for me because as everyone knows Apples are over priced. However, their products work! The OS for this was still reasonably recent being OSX 10.5.8 and the performance is also reasonable. The product quality is excellent - highly recommend to anyone.

Love - My wife

Dislike - Nothing... I mean the G4 ended in 2006! The product is a monument to the peaking of Apple and a legacy to the PowerPC (long live the dead). It allowed Apple to continue their model and improve on the past. Intel PC based Apples? Who knows what comes next - oh ya! iPads and Androids!Read full review...

Its Awesome a truly great value.

This has been a blessing to my kids they needed a laptop so they would not have to get on my wife's computer. They love it I added more memory and will upgrade the software and battery.