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With all the cool hardware out there, how can Mac gamers inspire techno-lust in their friends, neighbors, and relatives? Simple. Buy a new Titanium PowerBook G4. Few Macintosh products in recent memory have generated such excitement as the PowerBook G4. I could literally hear the saliva flow and see faces turn green with envy as I watched the MacWorld keynote in my office via QuickTime. I tried to put myself in the shoes of a proud road warrior, whose 2000 PowerBook G3 still had that "new-car smell", as his gaze went from the once-impressive notebook in his lap to the paragon of portable computing on the stage. Seeing a grown man cry is not a pretty sight.But wait. This is a computer we are talking about. It is not an entity with life of its own. It is a collection of metals and plastics that combine to move electrons around so as to produce visual representations of bits and bytes, as they are stored on magnetic or optical media. There are whirring fans and spinning spindles. Yet, we Mac users can imbue life in any computer bearing the beloved Apple logo. Consider the adoration poured out on the early Macs. Owning and using a Macintosh can be a metaphysical experience. Owning a Mac makes us a part of a community of believers who share the same passion for technology as we do. Well, before I wax philosophical, we should get on with the job of reviewing this newest piece of Apple hardware so you, dear gamer, can decide if it is worthy of your cash as a portable gaming machine. The G4 (PPC 7410) processor notwithstanding, the new PowerBook G4 generates such enthusiasm with its equally impressive engineering. Creating a laptop that is as fully featured as last fall’s desktop machines and yet is as thin as your PDA is a design marvel. The titanium case has to be seen and felt to be appreciated. The different body panels fit together like a well-manufactured automobile. Titanium has become the material of choice for designers. Eyeglass frames and watch bands are just a couple new designer applications for this metal. Does this mean the Titanium PowerBook is a piece of jewelry? Well, just ask anyone who purchased one. They will definitely take care of it as such. My first Sherlock search was for an agent for Lloyds of London. The Titanium PowerBook, codenamed Mercury, has a form like none other. Comparing the PowerBook to those many portables I see weekly always brings a superior smile to my face. Their thick black plastic cases and small screens appear so Neanderthal when side by side with the svelte body of my new portable. Here is a Mac that, like the Cube and a few others, spills the elegance of the OS over to the case design. Since installing Mac OS X on this computer, that perception is only strengthened. Discussions concerning Mac OS X and Mac gaming will be reserved for another article.
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