A Look at the 2001 Titanium PowerBook G4 and 2021 MacBook Pro M1 Max

[CPark98]

I recently found my old TiBook while at my parent's house over the holidays and thought I'd grab some shots of it along side my new M1 Max MacBook Pro. While internally, the differences are night and day, externally, it's eery how similar they are, especially with the new design's homage to the TiBook with the all black keyboard deck, flat lid, and more robust chassis. It's still incredible to think the TiBook is well over 20 years old at this point and how well the design has held up. Perhaps the most striking feature on the old TiBook is how thin the bezels are, and how up until the new M1 Max/Pro MacBooks, no other Apple Laptops had achieved a thinner bezel.

 

[watchmainspring]

Wow! I had a tibook myself in college. Amazing computer. So much nostalgia in this post. It's crazy how much Apple's internal architecture evolved since these days.

I recall my hinge broke and the gpu died but apple replaced them both under warranty. I'd say the hinge update is the biggest physical external change.

 

[MBAir2010]

does the 2001 MacBook work?
i used to prop my MacBook air 2010 to others iPhones in 2011 and they were thicker!

 

[CPark98]

does the 2001 MacBook work?
i used to prop my MacBook air 2010 to others iPhones in 2011 and they were thicker!

it needs a new pram battery then it should power on. the charger still glows orange which gives me hope.

 

[sb in ak]

The 1Ghz TiBook was the computer that got me through college. Lots of good memories from first imovies and I made a whole album using GarageBand. Unfortunately, I spilled coffee through it one morning. I then frankensteined the screen from a dead one I found on eBay to get a working machine again.

The external design looked forward thinking and revolutionary at the time and still holds up well today IMO. Minus that hinge and some of the case that would crack over time, especially above the cd/SuperDrive. Negatives aside, I adored mine. Loads of ports, slim for the day (no issue hauling it to the library or class), great speakers, loads of ports, and a badass SuperDrive.

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the arrival of my new MacBook Pro soon.

 

[anonymousbrowsing]

Do you know what the cost of the PowerBook was?

 

[TheRealAlex]

Both trash, the 14” 10 Core model is probably as close to the best on the market period. 16” units too bin and bulky and heavy.

 

[anonymousbrowsing]

Both trash, the 14” 10 Core model is probably as close to the best on the market period. 16” units too bin and bulky and heavy.

If you can't carry 4.5lbs a few times a day you need to hit the gym

 

[CPark98]

Both trash, the 14” 10 Core model is probably as close to the best on the market period. 16” units too bin and bulky and heavy.

Normally I would not feed into this kind of behavior, but my desires and needs out of a laptop are rather different than yours. I want a powerful workstation regardless of the size of screen, so while the 14" is a powerful machine, for me the two inches of screen real estate make a difference when on the go. I've tried the 14" and it's a solid machine and the size is great, but I can't go back to a smaller machine after being spoiled by the 16" display.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

Both trash, the 14” 10 Core model is probably as close to the best on the market period. 16” units too bin and bulky and heavy.

I am a bit confused as to the purpose of this post.

Is your intention to dissuade others from buying the 16"?

Is it to insult the purchasing decision of anyone that purchased the PowerBook or the new 16"?

Perhaps it is to indicate where the line between weaklings and strong folk exists?

Or maybe to just present your taste as fact, not as a subjective opinion (what it actually is)?

 

[TechRunner]

Great post! Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.

 

[GMShadow]

it needs a new pram battery then it should power on. the charger still glows orange which gives me hope.

You can just disconnect the battery and it should boot fine without one. Just won't keep the clock set, obviously.

 

[CPark98]

You can just disconnect the battery and it should boot fine without one. Just won't keep the clock set, obviously.

The battery pack is already removed and it will not power on even when connected to wall power.

 

[GMShadow]

The battery pack is already removed and it will not power on even when connected to wall power.

The main battery, or the PRAM battery?

If this is a 2001 model, it will boot with the PRAM battery removed. That requires some disassembly to get at it though.

 

[djphat2000]

I still have my 867Mhz G4 Ti. Last I checked a few years ago now, it powered on just fine. I did replace the battery a long time ago, so it's most likely totally dead by now. But, it was a fantastic computer. Ran my ProTools and Digital performer just fine. It could run OS 9 and X, how I miss Platinum sometimes.

 

[CPark98]

The main battery, or the PRAM battery?

If this is a 2001 model, it will boot with the PRAM battery removed. That requires some disassembly to get at it though.

The main battery pack is removed, but the PRAM is still in it. The machine is a Mercury M5884.

 

[GMShadow]

Then yeah, disconnect the PRAM battery and it should boot fine. Like the Pismo, they won't boot with a bad one.

I have a 500MHz model myself in my collection, a nice machine but a bit slow for OS X, so I leave 9.2.2 on it.

 

[CPark98]

Would I need to desolder the Battery to remove it?

 

[GMShadow]

No, it’s a simple plug on the board. I think the battery on that model is either attached or under the optical drive

 

[CPark98]

No, it’s a simple plug on the board. I think the battery on that model is either attached or under the optical drive

It's now booting up now, but I have to get some ram sticks and then it should be in full working condition, thanks!

 

[Mactech20]

Both trash, the 14” 10 Core model is probably as close to the best on the market period. 16” units too bin and bulky and heavy.

I upgraded from a 2015 15 inch MBP and the feel of weight and size is nearly identical. The only reason it comes out thicker is the new bulky feet which I don't mind. For 2016-2019 MBP users the 16 may feel big but for anyone who was holding out for a non terrible Apple laptop it's been great.

 

[i_like_frappuccino]

My professor in college had a 2001 Ti Power Book. Back then (in 2002), it was truly exotic to see one in my country. We didn't have Apple Stores, but there was a 3rd party store exclusively selling Apple stuff. I'd go every day to marvel at the Powerbook. Saved up for over a year, worked jobs, didn't buy anything apart from groceries, until I could finally afford one. What a machine.

Have been with Apple products ever since. The new 16" MBP is the first device in almost two decades that gives me the same feeling as my good, old Powerbook did.

 

[robertcoogan]

There are two features that the older PowerBook has that the newer MBP doesn't (and needs badly):

The PowerBook had a superior keyboard and no notch. Otherwise, the MBP is better.

 

[Arctic Moose]

There are two features that the older PowerBook has that the newer MBP doesn't (and needs badly):

The PowerBook had a superior keyboard and no notch. Otherwise, the MBP is better.

You forgot the most important feature, the "breathing" sleep LED!

 

[Spanners]

Oh man. The breathing light. Literally the best feature from my first ever Mac. I too had the Ti PowerBook. So much cash to spend and from a Apple hater too. It was the machine that turned me from the Dark side. About 20 laptop/desktops machines, 7 iPods and 16 iPhones later I’ve never looked back. Good memories.