the volvo of laptops.
I tend to use laptops for my writing work, because they allow me a certain freedom of movement. Since I am a big fan of both Apple Powerbooks and vintage computing technology in general, I usually have a few old Macintosh machines around the house.
A few months ago, I purchased a Powerbook 1400 off eBay for a very reasonable $60. The little 1400 has somewhat of a cult status among Powerbook lovers, being one of the most solid and reliable machines ever to come out of Cupertino. They also have one of the best keyboards ever put on a portable computer...not quite up to the standard of the IBM Model M desktop keyboard, but far better than anything put on any laptop made after 1998 or so. When you type a lot, your choice of keyboard becomes a deciding factor when it comes to hardware decisions, so it's no surprise to me that the PB 1400 is a sought-after machine among writers.
Soon after I started using the 1400, the internal hard drive (a paltry 1GB in size) developed a disturbing sound pattern, a loud click that would repeat itself at irregular intervals every ten to twenty seconds. Clicking sounds from the hard drive are usually a bad omen, and despite the fact that the drive seemed to function normally, I decided to yank the voluminous 40GB HD out of my Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop and transplant it into the Powerbook. Now the Dell is in reserve as a spare computer, and the Powerbook continues to be in service as a word processor, despite the fact that the Dell is four or five years younger and vastly superior on paper. The little Powerbook has a smaller screen, far less memory, and a tenth of the processing power of the Dell, but it feels more solid, has a far superior typing surface, and seems better put together all around.
The 1400 still chugs along, and it works just as well as the day it did when it left the factory. It's a remarkably sturdy machine, and it does the job at hand just as well as anything else. That led me to ponder the necessity for keeping up in the technology race--how much hardware do you need, and how much is "plenty good enough"?
The desktop PC is a gaming rig, and the hardware in it is geared towards that purpose. Its purpose is to hit the sweet spot between cash outlay and eye candy, and it serves that function rather well. However, my laptops never need to do more than serve as vehicles for word processing software, and a modern laptop would be complete overkill for that function.
I admit that I suffer from a combination of New Toy Jones and Instant Gratification Syndrome when it comes to new gun and computer gear. Could it be that it's sometimes better to step back and simplify? I pared down my carry guns to two very good revolvers that cover 99% of all jobs one may ask of a handgun, and now I am working on a laptop that was shipped in 1997...because they do the job just as good (and in many respects better) than anything on the shelf today.
Simplify. What an interesting concept. It's certainly easier on the pocketbook.
"The 1400 still chugs along, and it works just as well as the day it did when it left the factory."
Well, except for the hard drive. ;)
Tam said...
8:08 AM
Hard drives on computers are like tires on a car. Their average lifespan is about 5 years; this one managed to hang on for 9. They're easy enough to replace.
Marko said...
8:44 AM
The G3 laptop I bought from you is still alie and well also :-) The keyboard on it is tiny, though.
Oleg Volk said...
10:33 AM
Good to hear the little iBook is still chugging along. It's a great little machine, one of the best portables anyone's ever made, but the keyboard is a weak point. It's serviceable, but not nearly as nice as the one on the 1400. That's the price you pay for the small overall size.
Marko said...
11:03 AM
Which two revolvers, out of curiousity?
Anonymous said...
9:25 PM
here here.
I've dismantled and worked with virtually every powerbook made and the 1400 is indeed the Volvo of the group. sturdy and EASY to take apart (insanely few screws). It's a tank. the Keyboard is my favorite, just narrowly beating out the Pismo/Lombard bronze keyboard on the last G3 'book. Runs 7.6.1 like a dream.
Anonymous said...
4:42 PM
That's actually precisely what I'm running on it. It feels positively spry with the factory install of 7.6.1. on it...thankfully, the previous owner still had all the factory software. (I even got the clear display lid and the complete set of artsy inserts.)
Marko said...
6:21 PM
I've owned 4 Powerbook 1400's.. one from new, three secondhand.. I bought my first 1400 as new-old-stock from a dealer back in 1998, upgraded it to 333mhz/G3 in 2001, but didn't use it much, and sold it in 2002.. but then I missed it.
I found one in a dumpster in 2004, with a broken screen, but everything else was fine.. I bought a new screen for it ($50 inc shipping) and all was good. But it was only 117mhz/16MB/750MB.. earlier this year, I picked up two as-is 166mhz 1400cs's from a school for $10 each. I combined the three and ended up with a 1400cs/166mhz/32MB/1.3GB.. just like my first one!
I'm glad to have one back (my original one was taken to switzerland by its new owner).. I recently got a wireless card for it, and it's fun to be surfing with a 1400 again :)
But that being said, I do like my MacBook Pro too ;)
Alex Dawson said...
1:47 AM
This is useless. Where are the pictures? I demand Mac porn.
Alexander said...
9:25 AM
Hi Marko,
Thanks for this article! I just returned from a local electronics swap meet where I was lucky enough to find a PowerBook 1400c/133 for $25. What a bargain! I can totally understand your love for old Macs now.
The irony is that I'm typing this on my MacBook Pro, but I think I like the keyboard on the 1400c better.
Now to get a bigger drive and track down System 7.6.1 :)
Seth Morabito said...
1:08 PM
I have the original Apple Restore CD that came with the 1400 series...you can boot off it and put a 7.6.1. factory image back on the hard drive, complete with ClarisWorks and the templates for the 1400 book covers.
Email me if you want to get your hands on it, and we'll see if we can work something out. I can't burn copies of Mac CDs with my setup, but I might be willing to loan it out if you promise to send it back unscratched...
Marko said...
5:44 PM
hello, maybe you may help me out with this or point me to someone who can help me. I have a PowerBook 1400cs since 1999, I bought it second-hand, I haven't used it for ages but I would love to use it as for text processing, I also consider its keyboard a unique, excellent device. Problem is connectivity. This model doesn't have a Cd-rom, the floppy disk unit is not working, and I can't connect neither to internet (no extra cards) nor to an Ibook G4 through apple-talk via Asanté Talk box, so I won't able to sort out files from this beautiful laptop. Sad. Any suggestions?
aloche said...
10:41 AM
aloche,
send me an email...I may be able to help you out.
Marko said...
10:47 AM
Marko, I couldn't find your email, this is mine: a_loche@yahoo.com.
thank you!
aloche said...
12:04 PM