Re: powerbooks

[lynch@aristotle.ils.nwu.edu]

>Does anyone have any experience running MCL 2.0 on a powerbook 170?  I'm
>interested in purchasing one, but want to make sure that it can run
>MCL first.  It's a system 7 machine.

On Monday morning, I was told that I would have to convert a program that
was running on a IIfx with a Radius 2-page full-color screen to a PowerBook
170...by Friday am.

Since I've had the PowerBook on Monday at noon, I've been using it:
  At the office
  On the CTA (public trains in Chicago)
  At the bar (hey, Tuesday is pool tourney nite; let's get our priorities
rite.)
  At home

I can give an unqualified excellent report on the PowerBook 170 and MCL
2.0b1p3, running System 7.0.1

I've really been putting this thing through its paces.

There have been complaints that *heavy* disk use will run the battery out
real quickly.  This means that virtual memory would also be a problem.

I've been running with 8Mb real memory and 16Mb Virtual.  On a 1-hour train
ride home where I save normally (whenever I change a function), and re-eval
the functions I'm trying to fix, and load in pretty pictures from this disk
on some screen swaps, the battery would go down to 5/8ths of a tank just as
I was getting home.

I *did* have trouble with it going to sleep.  Definitely set it to *not* go
to sleep when plugged in, especially for those times (e.g. loading huge
files) when no keyboard I/O is going on.  I also found it useful to move
the mouse and click at dead space when this was happening to keep it awake.

The keyboard is far more comfy than I expected when the back legs are
extended.  The keyboard is *not* too comfy when it's on the lap.  The legs
dig into your thighs, or the keyboard is not canted.  It's better than any
I've seen [not many], but not ideal.  The mouse is real nice, and the mouse
buttons are well designed.  The keyboard itself is *real* nice.  Definitely
not a goddam chiclet pad.

Final analysis, I can heartily recommend this thing.

>Also has anyone heard any early reviews on the powerbooks?
I've seen no others.
"TANSTAAFL" Rich lynch@ils.nwu.edu