T he Wall Street Journalis Walk Mossberg has reviewed Appleis new 17" PowerBook, comparing it very favorably to Dellis Latitude D800 in the process. Mr. Mossberg writes a column covering technology issues for the Wall Street Journal, which often includes glowing reviews for Apple products and technology. The latest review heaps praise upon the 17" AlBook, though Mr. Mossberg also says the keyboard is positioned poorly, and does not recommend it for road warriors. The latter idea is emphasized in the title of the piece -- "Is Appleis New PowerBook Too Large to Be iMobilei?" -- though that does not reflect the nature of the full article.
Three paragraphs of the review are dedicated to showing how nice Appleis industrial design is for the unit by contrasting to the larger Dell Latitude, even while the Latitude has a smaller screen. From the review:
The most striking thing about the 17-inch PowerBook, after the screen itself, is how brilliantly Apple managed to shrink the size of the machine built around that big display. Sure, the PowerBook is an unusually wide 15.4 inches, but itis only one inch thick. Yet, it feels solid as a rock. Itis just 10.2 inches deep and weighs only 6.8 pounds.
To get an idea of how sleek those dimensions are, compare the new PowerBook with another brand-new laptop, Dellis Latitude D800. This model also boasts a widescreen display, measuring 15.4 inches diagonally. But, even though the Dell has a significantly smaller screen, it looks like a whale next to the 17-inch PowerBook.
The Dell is larger in every dimension except width, and even there it is only about an inch smaller. It weighs 7.4 pounds, compared with 6.8 for the larger-screen Apple. And when its lid is open, the Dellis smaller screen extends upward about 1.5 inches higher than the Appleis -- a crucial limitation when using a laptop on an airplane and the person in front of you reclines. Apple uses a special hinge that minimizes the height of the open screen. Dell doesnit.
Read the full review for more of Mr. Mossbergis thoughts, including his positive and negative critiques.