Love For Sale

I guess the best place to start would be to cover a few points in buying a used RetroBook, assuming that you don't already have one. No matter where you get one, the rules are the same; get smart about your subject. Whether being given a freebie or buying off of eBay, do your research. LowEnd Mac and EveryMac.Com have detailed profiles of all models and a quick Google search will turn up White Papers, critiques, articles or owners reports. Since the vast majority of RetroBook sales are on eBay, I'll concentrate of that first.


01. Magic Box No Work!!
While you can duke it out with other buyers on an auction for a Powerbook Pismo in mint condition, if you're feeling especially ballsie, you might look at getting a notebook looking for a little TLC. Laptops put up as Parts/Repair are a real crapshoot, but once again let knowledge be your ally. Research can reveal powerbooks that have an iffy history (APPLE's Duel USB G3 iBooks spring readily to mind), or just how easy repairs or mods might be. The Powerbook 5300 series was plagud with problems of one sort or another, but time has weeded out the weak, and if you see a 5300 on eBay, chances are pretty good it's a survivor (coupled with the fact that the 190/5300/3400 series are surprisingly easy to repair). The idea (from my POV) is to try and get the most bang for the buck without going over $100.00, which might entail buying several of a model and Franken-Booking a good working one from the group.

02. Mystery Date!
Are you ready... for your Mystery Date? Here's where PC user/vendors become your addled, unwitting allies. More often than not, you'll run across APPLE notebooks in the PC Laptop category, corperate hand me downs, which Finnigen J. PC-Seller would just as soon not fool with. They don't know Macs and are not inclined to learn anything about them, so often they just toss them up untested (No AC Adapter the usual reason) and with a low starting bid. Again, no guarentees, but might be worth a roll of the dice. Here's a tip; often you'll see auctions for a Powerbook G3 Pismo that "Just Stopped Working". A common sight and quite possibly the easiest repair possible. Being untested, you'll more often than not get an incredible bounty with this (Airport Card, Maxxed RAM, HUGE hard drive, etc.). If you get one (or have this problem yourself), here's what you do; unlatch the clips at the top of the keyboard and gently lift it out of the way. Looking on the left, you'll see a braided wire plugged into the board; this is the PRAM battery connection. With the Pismo plugged in, CAREFULLY wiggle the plug loose and unplug it from the board. Wait a moment, then CAREFULLY replug it in, and hit the power button. 99 times out of a hundred, you'll hear those sweet, sweet start up chimes. Only the Pismo suffers from this, but knowing it is your ticket to possibly getting a GREAT Powerbook CHEAP!

03.$1200.00 Word Processer
As I've said before, your choise of RetroBook should be based on what you actually plan to with it, and remember that it needn't be more thano do you need. Any of the pre-G3 Powerbooks are fine for word pressessing or business apps, a clamshell iBook is still a great mobile workhorse for lite apps and web surfing, and just about everything after the Powerbook 180 was Wifi capable. Think about what you need, then give a quick look over the various stats of the RetroBooks to see what might fit your needs. You can pick up a Powerbook BTO G3 Wallstreet for about $20.00, which still has a ton of working potential. Max the RAM out, get a USB 2 PC Card, and a fresh load of OS 10.3 (via XPost Facto), and you're ready to rock. A Powerbook 3400c makes an excellent first computer for the kids, or setting up (with a Wifi connection) to enjoy streaming audio. If mobility is crucial, better to go with an iBook 366, as I've had the best luck getting those which still have good battery life. In short, a notebook need not be all things; setting up task specific laptops is a great alternative to another full desktop setup in the house.