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thinking of buying a pismo...


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thinking of buying a pismo...
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-21, 21:51

i work on G5s and i'm planning to get an intel iMac for home later in the year but i'd like something portable, for word processing, basic surfing, iLife. i've seen some pismos on ebay (c.US$200-300 atm) and am really tempted - i always liked the shape! speed isn't really an issue, but i should go for a 500mhz over a 400, obviously... any tips/suggestions? (edit: in short, is it worth buying a pismo!?)

many thanks in advance,

sennen

Last edited by sennen : 2006-05-21 at 22:00.
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Ebby
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2006-05-21, 22:54

400Mhz user here.
Max the RAM, get a bigger hard drive (5200 RPM) and you'll probably need a new battery. A new one will get you 6 hours per charge. Other than that, OS X is very fast, Word works great and even better with the annoying extras turned off. Some flash ads can slow down Safari a little, but I don't mind.

Weaknesses= Playing video and processor intensive programs. By today's standards, a 400Mhz and 500Mhz processor are basically the same thing. I would go with the 500Mhz. If you want to burn your money, there are 1Ghz processor upgrades for the Pismo.

^^ One more quality post from the desk of Ebby. ^^
SSBA | SmockBogger | SporkNET
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-21, 23:20

thanks for the reply and advice, ebby!
sounds like they're still a good little machine, for the basics at least. i wouldn't bother installing FCP or anything too intensive (though i do have FCP2 lying around somewhere!), dvd/QT playback would be handy but not essential. i'm looking for something as virtually a portable hard-drive with a keyboard - the pismo stands out for its cool design, i remember seeing someone using one in a cafe a few years back and i couldn't help staring at it!

cheers,
sennen
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Windowsrookie
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2006-05-21, 23:22

Just stay away from 10.4. Install 10.2 or 10.3.
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macleod
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2006-05-21, 23:29

I have an old Pismo with 10.4 on it and it is running very well. Why do you say to stay away from 10.4 WR?
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-21, 23:30

Quote:
Originally Posted by windowsrookie
Just stay away from 10.4. Install 10.2 or 10.3.
cool... 10.3.9 it will (hopefully) be then! tho' i remember 10.3.4 (or was it .6?) being really stable...

ta!

sennen.
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Windowsrookie
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2006-05-21, 23:30

10.4 is much slower than 10.3 or 10.2 on older machines.
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macleod
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2006-05-21, 23:33

Thanks WR I didn't know that.
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Luca
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2006-05-21, 23:44

It's not really any slower, but it is more RAM hungry, especially with Dashboard on (which it is by default). OS X was RAM hungry already, but 10.4 makes it even worse.

Turn off Dashboard, though (close all the default widgets, remove it from the dock, and disable all shortcuts for it) and it's really no worse than Panther.

Oh, the other thing that may cause Tiger to seem slower is that when you first install it, Spotlight automatically indexes your drives. Once it's finished, it speeds up a lot.
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Ebby
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2006-05-22, 00:35

I run 10.4 and It is a tad bit slower. Mostly Spotlight related stuff. I still wouldn't go back to 10.3.9 personally.
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VincentVega
 
 
2006-05-24, 09:57

Hi all

I am using a Pismo 500 with 10.4 and love it. I dont believe that 10.4 is slower, I feel that it is actually faster. Load times, start up and wake from sleep seem quicker to me. This is a great machine, very comfortable, good looking and portable. You will need a new battery if it doesnt have one, but I definately recommend it and get the 500mhz - 10.4 - new batt.- ram.

good luck

VV
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beardedmacuser
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2006-05-24, 13:33

The Pismo is a fine machine, but just be careful that by the time you've bought;

Pismo, larger hard drive, battery, RAM, copy of OS X, and whatever else

that you're not spending enough to almost buy a new MacBook? Unless the Pismo is a bargain perhaps a new bottom-of-the-range MacBook would serve your iLife requirements better? My home Mac is a G3 PowerMac and it won't run iMovie 6 and iDVD 6, and in iPhoto 6 the real-time adjustment tools aren't available. But my G3 PowerMac is still more than perfectly usable for 99% of my home needs.
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Luca
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2006-05-24, 14:28

I was going to mention that you are dropping a lot of cash into a really old computer that might not even be supported for much longer, but then I realized that old PowerBook G4s aren't much better AND are saddled with a non-upgradable processor unlike the Pismo. And iBook G3s are basically all out of the question because of the motherboard defect.

I bet you can get an iBook G4 in good condition for a very decent price, though. Once you factor in the cost of the Pismo (roughly $200 for a mostly-stock model in acceptable condition), a new battery ($136-$160 for a higher capacity NewerTech replacement), more RAM ($80 for a 512 MB module), a larger hard drive ($60 for a 40 GB 5400 RPM), and a copy of OS X ($130), you're looking at over $600. Prices will vary a lot... some people will get a more highly upgraded Pismo for a higher base price and won't have to spend all that cash on upgrades. Others might have a copy of OS X to install. But at any rate, it is quite a lot for a 400-500 MHz G3, an 8 MB Rage video card, an XGA screen, and a DVD-ROM drive.

Once computers get that old other things start going wrong. The screen, for instance, often dips in brightness so much that even at its maximum setting, it's just as dim as a new laptop at its dimmest. Don't forget that the Pismo is large and heavy.

I respect people who keep their Pismos going for so long. It's kind of cool. But it doesn't make much sense to buy one and upgrade it. You'd get much more for your money if you just get an almost-new 12" iBook G4 (hell, you could even go with the 14" if you dig the Pismo's dimensions, though I don't really see the advantage).
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Windowsrookie
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2006-05-24, 15:29

You can upgrade a 12" powerbook to 1.67ghz for only $500. w00t!

http://xlr8.com
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Luca
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2006-05-24, 15:37

It's $450, and it might be worth it if you have a 1.0 GHz one. It's not available for the 867 MHz one, and the 1.33 and 1.5 GHz models won't really gain much of an improvement... at least not enough to really be worth the $450.
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Windowsrookie
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2006-05-24, 15:38

There are also upgrades for the larger powerbooks, but I believe they need to be plugged in to get the full speed.
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-25, 20:20

thanks to all! everyone makes some good points. the reason i thought about a pismo is that i'm not ready to plonk $1500-2000 on a new machine and i'd prefer a desktop (imac) as the primary computer away from work once i am.

at the moment it suits me to have a cheaper portable, and in the future it would be handy to have something to move b/w the two and to take out and about if necessary. but i understand the logic in not spending big $$ on an almost obsolete computer and upgrading it - i must say that i am surprised by the prices pismos still fetch. yet to be honest, a more recent powerbook seems like a bigger waste of money to me. and yet the new macbook is sorely tempting - it's a bit of a dilemma, to be sure.

sennen.
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Matsu
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Join Date: May 2004
 
2006-05-25, 20:37

Be carefull, check the cost of a Pismo plus updated RAM, HDD, and battery, and you're likely to be much too close to the price of the 1099 MacBook. The new machine will have a full warantee, better, up-to-date software, and a much better screen...

If you get the Pismo, to have any real savings, you need to look at it as an "as is" proposition. The second you start putting money into it, you're losing $$$ against a newer machine...

.........................................
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VincentVega
 
 
2006-05-26, 14:31

Quote:
Originally Posted by VincentVega
Hi all

I am using a Pismo 500 with 10.4 and love it. I dont believe that 10.4 is slower, I feel that it is actually faster. Load times, start up and wake from sleep seem quicker to me. This is a great machine, very comfortable, good looking and portable. You will need a new battery if it doesnt have one, but I definately recommend it and get the 500mhz - 10.4 - new batt.- ram.

good luck

VV
I just loaded a bunch of upadates on the Pismo including 10.4.6. I guess I have to withdrawl what I previously said - it seems to be running alot slower now. I have not had a chance to do much on it yet, but not good.


Sennen, I started to agree with some of our peers then, just couldnt bring myself to say go buy a new one. I truly love my Pismo, It does everything i need it to I will encourage you to go buy a Pismo and good luck.

VV
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-29, 23:01

Just an update. last week i was miffed to miss out on a nice pismo 500. however, last night i won an auction on ebay for a pismo that has already been substantially upgraded to a g4 550, 60gb HD, 768mb ram, wireless, 1 good battery and seemingly in quite good condition. it went for US$430. considering it shouldn't need any more money spent on it, i think it's a decent buy. it should arrive tomorrow, fingers crossed - looking forward to getting a classic pb...

sennen.
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sennen
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Join Date: Mar 2006
 
2006-05-31, 22:08

i received the pismo yesterday. it is in almost immaculate condition, the screen is esp. beautiful (same res a friend's 1.2 G4 14" ibook, but so much sharper/clearer). Already i love the design more than the current powerbook/macbook pro design, which is getting a bit tired, imho. So far it has run very nicely through what little i've tried - minor photoshop, dvd playing. i'm going to erase and install 10.4.5, iLife 06, and take it from there...

thanks for everyone's input!

sennen.
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PB PM
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2006-06-01, 03:30

Powerbook G3s, Lombard, Pismo, had really nice 14" screens. Although in my experience they are about the same, brightness wise, although maybe a little sharper then that 14" ibooks, as you noted.
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